WITNESS: August 1, 2016

VOL. XXVI, NO. 3

Park C ities P r es byt e r i a n C h u rc h

AUGUST 2016

(Presbyterian Church in America)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” —Hebrews 12:1-2

Campbell Schubert swings with joy at VBS.

I N S I D E Learning to be learners and teachers ������� 2

Parenting without how-to's.................................. ...7

Prayer gathering for our city................................. 13

Staying connected in the PCA.............................. 3

Running the race with 590 kids........................... 8

Summertime doesn't stop seniors..................14

Hospitality at every door........................................... 4

VBS in every church corner.................................. 10

Worship, play, and power in Florida...............15

Reconnect and reignite a marriage �������������� 6

Biblical ligaments for the Body......................... 12

Profound quiet produces fruit..............................16

PCPC WITNESS • AUGUST 2016

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re you looking for a place to serve within PCPC? Can you smile? Shake a hand? Give a friendly wave? If so, then you’re qualified!

In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul writes, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” It is with this biblical truth in mind that we are excited to announce a new ministry launching this fall at PCPC called Frontline Ministry. Frontline is a churchwide welcoming and greeting program that will look to engage members and visitors as they arrive at PCPC to provide guidance, support, and a friendly face. Frontline volunteers will greet at doors, parking lots, and hallways, spreading the loving, open, and inviting arms of Christ just as He has welcomed us into His house.

Greeting and welcoming are not new at PCPC. There has been a very faithful group of greeters and Information Desk volunteers who have served the body wonderfully. Here are testimonials from a few of those dedicated volunteers who share how greeting has impacted their walk with the Lord: To all who are spiritually weary and seek rest; to all who mourn and long for comfort; to all who struggle and desire victory; to all who sin and need a Savior; to all who are strangers and want fellowship; to all who hunger and thirst after righteousness; and to all who will come, this church opens wide her doors and offers welcome in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

if it was our door, I promise you it was in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please come and join us. We need you and would welcome you with open arms!

—Debbie Blanton As I reflect over the years of my life and the many opportunities with which I have been blessed to serve the Lord in the Body of Christ, none is dearer to my heart than serving with others at the Information Desk. As my late husband would inform his secretaries, “When you answer a call or greet a visitor, you are the first impression of the kind of organization that I manage.” I enjoy the opportunities to greet and engage with each person who walks through the church doors by the Information Desk, no matter their status.

With a ready smile and a willing heart, I consistently strive to assist in whatever way I am able.

Above all else, I represent Christ as an ambassador for Him, especially for those who are first time guests to our church. As often as possible, I try to accompany each individual, couple, or family to the Sunday school class that best meets their desired community or to the worship service. Thank you PCPC for allowing me to represent you and most of all my Savior Jesus Christ. “Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:3).

—Deanna Davis Bevery Stanley and Bond Beams welcome a young family.

I absolutely love those words above which are found at the top of our Order of Worship every Sunday. They are wonderful but powerful and the perfect description of what it means to WELCOME “all who will come.”

This has always been our goal and desire as volunteers at the Information Desk and as Greeters at the doors of our church—to welcome, value, and put at ease in His name all who enter His house. The qualifications for this ministry have never changed—a warm smile, your undivided attention to those coming in the door, a voice saying “Good morning!” or “Welcome!” or “How can I help?”

This is our FRONTLINE of ministry—the doors and the Information Desk. Won’t you come and be a part? I promise you it will become your joy and part of your story of rescue. You never know how a kind and warm welcome can minister to the person entering. If you just think about it, you will remember a time in your life when you walked through a door where someonewelcomed, valued, and put you at ease, and 2

AUGUST 2016 • PCPC WITNESS

I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer in a lot of roles in my years in different churches. This is about my favorite. I came to the church 11 years ago after moving back to Dallas when my husband passed away. The church is big, and even though I am not a shy person at all, I could not seem to connect. I desperately needed to be a part, to find my bearings, to have a community. I was about to give up and look for another church when a few precious people (some still working at the Information Desk) saw my hurt and reached out for me. I have no choice but to give back, to look for the next person who needs to connect, to pass on what so graciously and lovingly was given to me. Those people are everywhere. I sometimes move out to the sidewalk and greet with Bill Lamberth. I will see someone coming across the street, family trailing behind, or a single person, head down, the stress or loneliness so evident in their walk. It breaks my heart to think of that loneliness and stress we carry that God must abhor. The joy I receive is infinitely more than I give. How could I not be part of this ministry?

—Nancy Starr On my first visit to PCPC I felt a sense of welcome, of belonging. For that reason, I wanted to work as a Welcome Volunteer and help provide sincere welcoming as a part of the extended family environment of our church. It has been a wonderful opportunity to get to know members as individuals.

—Judy Hearst Mary and I started working the Information Desk one Sunday each month because the GO! Group Sunday Morning Community committed to taking on that ministry with one or two members of the class covering the desk each week.

We never would have guessed that this would become so rewarding to us. A visitor, walking in as a stranger, might be a little uncomfortable that she doesn’t know anyone. She might ask, “Is there a Sunday school class for older singles?” “Yes, and if you follow me, I will show you where it is.”

In the five minutes it takes to lead her to the class, I can see the change in her. Now she knows someone. Now PCPC is a warm, friendly, and inviting church. And we realize that we were a small part of that.

—George and Mary Jackson I love being a part of this ministry because of all the wonderful people I get to meet, as well as connecting with friends that I don’t see most Sundays. It’s about the relationships!

—Frances Cope PCPC WITNESS • AUGUST 2016

Tom Stanley greets worshippers at the Wycliff door.

Thank you to all of the old friends, new friends, seekers, and guests alike for the warmth and welcoming spirit that you have extended to me while greeting at the Wycliff door.

It has always been my great privilege to be able to share joys, sorrows, and kind words together. I see Christ in your faces, and I wish you many blessings in His name.

—Robert Blaney For me, being a member of the Information Desk team is a gift. PCPC is a large and often an intimidating church, but I was still a bit surprised when, on more than one occasion, someone would come in the little side door during the service and timidly or sometimes boldly, admit they are curious about our services but were a little late and didn’t feel it was appropriate or permissible to enter. I get the privilege of showing them we are a congregation of individuals and hopefully putting them at ease. I realize our job is to serve people in helping to get them from here to there or finding this or that, but I get so much more pleasure and joy than I think I give. On the Sundays I am at the Information Desk, I leave buoyed and refreshed, just by that one hour of interacting with others.

—Niki Rodolico Please prayerfully consider joining Frontline and being the hands and feet of Christ to our community and church body.

Go to pc2.li/frontline to register to be included on a team that will serve every fourth or fifth week for 45 minutes at either 9:30 or 11:00 am. Questions? frontlineministry@pcpc.org.

—Cole Robertson 3

LOOKING WITHIN to minister without Ed is new to the area. He

was transferred to Dallas for business. When he visits with people he quite often spends most of the time focusing on his successes and accomplishments, and dropping names. He is struggling with feeling connected and has a growing dislike for Dallas because the people are just not very friendly. He feels like he has done his part and is about to give up. How would you engage him in a meaningful conversation that could ultimately be helpful to him?

The above is a specific case study from the class that is being taught this summer at PCPC entitled, “Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands,” based on the book by Paul Tripp. The class is not about how to greet visitors at church, but about how to have deeply meaningful conversations with people that lead to a deeply transformational work in their hearts and lives.

It would be easy to simply dismiss Ed, hoping he moves on somewhere else.

But the reality is that Ed is simply displaying what can be true in all of us— he is seeking to find his identity in something that was never designed to be life-giving. How can we help him with that? How do we engage him in such a way that he feels invited in to look at deeper matters of his heart?

Tripp explains that the heart is always the target for personal ministry, and that is where we would want to start with someone like Ed. The nine-week class is designed to give participants the understanding, awareness, and even skill set to do just that—and to allow us all to have better conversa-

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tions. But on a deeper level, it is designed to equip leaders in all areas of the church with the necessary skill to more effectively lead.

One class participant said, “I am finding this study to be one of the most meaningful as far as life application is concerned that I have ever attended.”

Another one said, “Hearing the material in class, then discussing its application, is much more impactful than just reading the book.” The more we can interact with the material, the deeper we will grasp what we truly need to receive from it. The depth of interaction actually stimulates the desire for class members to look within as well. Invariably the question has to be asked, in what ways can we be just like Ed? Tripp reinforces over and over that for us to truly have an impact on the lives of others, we must realize that we are in just as much need of the work of our Redeemer as the person we are visiting.

In a recent class, I shared

about a time I was visiting with a young couple. As the young woman shared her thoughts on a topic that I was hopefully there to help address, I realized she had just spoken to me on a very deep issue relative to my own daughters. That does not have to be an isolated experience for me or anyone else. If we can indeed step into conversations with humility, we can all be learners and we can all be teachers.

It is part of the redemptive plan that we are thankfully called into as those who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are drawn into a deeper in-

timacy with our Savior, no longer needing to blame others or our circumstances for our problems.

Instead, we see more clearly the issues in our hearts and see how they can be truly changed, not just managed.

Mike Wilkerson, author of Redemption –Freed by Jesus from Idols We Worship and the Wounds We Carry, recently spoke at PCPC on The Importance of Community. He opened with two very thought provoking and even convicting questions: 1) What are you doing to address the isolation problem in your church?

2) What are you doing to address the hiding problem in your church?

Mike was speaking about most, if not all, churches. Isolation and hiding indeed are huge problems. It is our hope that through offerings like this class we address both of those problems by addressing the culture and equipping church members to know better how to address the individual. Wouldn’t it be great if someone said, “I tried to hide at PCPC, but I couldn’t!”

Each Monday evening I teach for about 45 minutes, often inviting comments from the class sitting at round tables in Oak Lawn West. One of the stated goals is to make the room as safe as possible so that input and questions and can be freely given and asked. At the same time we are working on building a sense of community as well as vision for what can come forth in our individual lives, in the lives of those with whom we sit, and in the church as a whole.

The class will be offered again Wednesdays, September 14–

November 16. For more information, email smallgroups@pcpc.org.

—Pat Hobin

AUGUST 2016 PCPCWITNESS WITNESS AUGUST 2016 • •PCPC

A Historic General Assembly Faithful to the Scriptures, true to the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission

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s you probably know, PCPC is not an independent church, but belongs to a denomination called the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Founded in 1973, the PCA strives to be “faithful to the Scriptures, true to the reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission.” Since its founding, the PCA has become the second largest Presbyterian denomination and largest reformed denomination in the U.S, with 370,332 members in 1,534 churches.

As with any large nationwide organization, it can be challenging to remain connected and unified. So each June, pastors and ruling elders from PCA churches gather for a weeklong meeting called General Assembly (GA).

Formally, GA is the highest “court” of our denomination, overseeing all of the PCA’s denominational agencies, regional presbyteries, local churches, and individual pastors. Informally, GA also serves as a denominational family reunion, allowing pastors, elders, and their families to reconnect and spend time together in worship, learning, and fellowship. This year, GA was held in Mobile, AL, and PCPC was represented by pastors Paul Goebel, Bill Lamberth, Jeff White, and myself, and ruling elders Brad Bradley, Tim Jeffress, Bill Thomas, and Steve Vanderhill.

Be it further resolved, that this General AssemThe study committee will consider bly praises and recommits itself to the gospel over the next year how the PCA “may task of racial reconciliation, diligently seeking better encourage and utilize the gifts, effective courses of action to further that goal, insights, perspectives, and experiences with humility, sincerity and zeal, for the glory of women in fulfillment of the Great of God and the furtherance of the Gospel.

Commission.” The recommendations of the committee aren’t binding, but Lord willing, they will help create greater unity in our denominaFront, Matthew O'Hearn tion on this important issue.

Back, Matt Fray, Bill Lamberth,

Second, the PCA approved an overture regarding racial reconciliation. This overture begins by identifying and repenting for several racial sins that existed during the Civil Rights era in churches which are now a part of our denomination. In a similar way, it also highlights the ways we have failed to love fellow believers from minority cultures, and expresses a recommitment to the continuing Gospel task of racial reconciliation. Here is a portion of the overture:

There were several encouraging aspects to this year’s GA meeting, including reports of fruitful ministry from agencies like Mission to the World and preaching from PCA pastors Tim Keller and Thurman Williams. But there were two particularly noteworthy decisions:

Therefore be it resolved, that the 44th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America does recognize, confess, condemn and repent of corporate and historical sins, including those committed during the Civil Rights era, and continuing racial sins of ourselves and our fathers such as the segregation of worshipers by race; the exclusion of persons from Church membership on the basis of race; the exclusion of churches, or elders, from membership in the Presbyteries on the basis of race; the teaching that the Bible sanctions racial segregation and discourages inter-racial marriage; the participation in and defense of white supremacist organizations; and the failure to live out the Gospel imperative that “love does no wrong to a neighbor” (Romans 13:10); and

First, the PCA will form a study committee to consider the role of women in the church. The PCA has always been unified upholding the Bible’s teaching that women are not permitted to be ordained as pastors, ruling elders, or deacons. But there have been many views about other ways women may serve in leadership roles and responsibilities.

Be it further resolved, that this General Assembly does recognize, confess, condemn and repent of past failures to love brothers and sisters from minority cultures in accordance with what the Gospel requires, as well as failures to lovingly confront our brothers and sisters concerning racial sins and personal bigotry, and failing to “learn to do good, seek justice and correct oppression (Isaiah 1:17);” and

PCPC WITNESS • AUGUST 2016

Paul Goebel

This overture is significant and historic in several ways. First, it reminds us that we as a denomination are called to be repentant people. We are eager to see sin in our lives and in the lives of those connected to us, to confess that sin to God and to each other, and to turn away from it in the future. Second, it reveals that our denomination is increasingly diverse and increasingly ready to listen to and learn from those who have been hurt or neglected by us.

And third, it acknowledges that we as a denomination recognize that God’s plan for the furtherance of the Gospel is a plan that includes people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. As we seek to be obedient to the Great Commission, we must embrace the hard but beautiful task of learning from and loving those who are different from us as we together join to worship Jesus Christ our Savior in one body.

We give thanks to God for His work in us, our church, and denomination, and we look to Him for guidance as He continues to build and extend His Kingdom through us.

—Matt Fray 5

re|engage

LARGE GROUP TESTIMONIES

Re|engage features a testimony each week from a different couple that describes a marriage journey, often times e found re|engage to be a from a point of brokenness to one of great place to reconnect and healing through the power of Christ. reignite our marriage! It’s for every marParticipants soon realize that brokenried couple no matter what the age, stage, reconnect. reignite. resurrect. ness is common to all or situation. It has been a marriages and that wonderful study for us no one is alone in this and a place to rediscover journey. They also each other.” realize there is only one true hope—that This is a quote from one God redeems broken of the 50 couples that marriages through participated in PCPC’s redeeming broken inaugural re|engage people. In this class in marriage class this past May, testimonies told of God’s mighty spring. You may be familiar with re|enhand saving marriages from addiction, gage—a marriage enrichment program mental illness, infidelity, money issues, that began at Watermark Church over and anger. One participant observed, 10 years ago and is now in over 150 churches worldwide. The course is “Hearing the confessional testimonies of a safe place for married couples to other couples in large group time was a reconnect and reignite their relationfavorite part of re/engage. The authenticiship through a 16-week curriculum ty and honesty demonstrated by the sharthat combines both large and small ing couples was contagious and spread group settings. In the large group, all in to our small groups as well.” participants meet together to hear a testimony from a different couple each SMALL GROUP COMMUNITY week—stories highlighting God’s hand Most of the time at re|engage is spent in rescue from relational brokenness in small groups, where couples develand pointing to the common hope we op community, discuss the marriage have in Christ to redeem us from maritestimony, share thoughts about the tal difficulty. After the large group time, workbook material, and support one couples break out into small groups another in prayer. Participants reflect of five or six couples plus a leader alone during the week through studycouple. A workbook helps guide discussion across a broad range of topics ing Scripture and answering questions from the workbook, and then share including love, brokenness, grace, fortheir reflections before the next week’s giveness, commitment, expectations, class. In small groups, participants communication, conflict, and intimacy. again have the opportunity to share, practicing the Re|engage is about more than marvulnerability and riage—it is a discipleship program transparency that which recognizes that only God can God’s intimacy change a heart. A spouse cannot with us inspires. change a spouse, but the Lord can One small group effect transforming personal growth leader commentin each spouse so that more love and forgiveness overflows into the relation- ed: ship. One re|engage participant said: “All six couples in our group were “If you really want to change your marrecent empty-nestriage, if you really love your wife, if you ers, so we had a lot really want to draw nearer to Jesus, then of natural camare/engage is a walk with your spouse and Jesus that you will enjoy and will bless you raderie. After 16 weeks of exploring beyond your expectations.”

“W

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our marriages together, we grew quite close and fond of one another. We shared moments that were spiritually profound and others that were profoundly funny.

We plan to continue meeting together monthly to support and pray for one another.”

NOT A PROGRAM— IT’S ABIDING IN CHRIST! There is no program or self-help book that can improve a marriage. Only the power of God in the life of a husband or a wife can influence the ability to love sacrificially and respect sacrificially. Re|engage is a 16-week reboot for husband and wife to abide in Christ, reflecting on His design for marriage and our roles in serving Him through this covenantal relationship.

“On entering the re|engage class, I rated my marriage around a 3 on a scale of 1-10. After the program, I would say we improved to maybe a 6. Re|engage has helped us reconnect through Scripture, prayer, and just talking to one another about deep issues that we had been avoiding. Re/engage gave us tools to reconnect to improve our communication and intimacy and helped us move towards the oneness God designed for marriage.”

Re|engage will begin again on Monday evenings, September 12-December 19. Register at register.pcpc.org, or contact me, bill.bogart@pcpc.org or 214-224-2559.

—Bill Bogart Below (l to r), re/engage participants Christy and Scott Van Duinen, Deb and Jeff LaFayette, Julie and Tom Shirley, Carri and Kit Case

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parenting in the present

was the type of parent who jumped at reading every parenting book, listened to every parenting talk, and was still left wondering, “Now what?” or “Why didn’t that technique work for me?” I had followed the advice but was bewildered by the less-than-stellar results. When Mark Davis mentioned that he would be teaching a class about parenting, I have to say, I was super excited about another class to help me better parent my kids through a list of what-to-do's. I was searching for was another how-to, but what I really gained was much more lasting and impactful—a solid foundation based on Christ in my parenting—only accomplished in tandem The participating Harper with abiding family: Elise and Jonathan in Christ with boys (l to r) Brooks, throughout Luke, Jack each day.

Parenting in the Moment

What is Parenting in the Present (PIP)? This 9-week session was written by Mark Davis as a response to needs he had seen as a youth pastor and now as a senior pastor. Mark knew we needed to start with equipping parents with the right message and offering a compassionate side to parenting. As parents to five children ranging in ages from 5 to 20, the reality of the Davises' family life was so encouraging and helpful. PIP attempted to answer questions like "What does it mean to be equipped to be the parent God has called me to be in the moment and in the year 2016?" and "How is parenting the same as when I was growing up, and how is it vastly different?" Each week the parents were asked to record thoughts along with notes in journals to take us deeper into what we had just learned. Topics such as foundation, listening, stress, discipline, identity, discipline, emotions, and community were discussed.

First, we paused to identify the source of our foundation. The crucial question was: "Where is our one foundation?"

“Jesus!”, we wanted to scream. Sure, but does our family and schedule reflect that reality? Week after week, the simple, yet bold truth was reiterated, “In Christ, you are the perfect parent for your child."

There are many times I’ve wondered why God thought I could handle my specific three children, who aren’t always the easiest.

What great encouragement to hear this week after week.

“What I loved from PIP is that it brought up a lot of great conversation material for Reid and me to discuss as it related to the way we parent our children. So often women receive this information, but it was great to get to share it with Reid, too”.

—Ellen Porter Through each topic, Mark never deviated from abiding in Christ and how that manifests itself as we struggle with the joys and pains of raising children. He spent time discussing meditation as an alternative to daily stress and remembering over and over what God has said and done. One resonating example came from Psalm 55:22, “Cast all your cares on Me because I care for you." Meditating and dissecting each word of that verse reminds us that the Lord desires a personal relationship with each of us and wants all of our stresses and concerns. We can choose to focus on the stress or choose to focus on God’s faithfulness and goodness.

Parenting the child's heart

One of the greatest challenges for parents is relationally listening to our children and understanding where the child is coming from. We are so eager to correct behavior instead of understanding where the heart is. Mark

PCPC WITNESS • AUGUST 2016

offered many practical questions to ask our children to help peel back the layers of what is truly going on, including not letting them give us the answer “I don’t know," The class on communication provided ways to understand the child’s heart based on what they are saying and also how impactful the words we use with our children are. The Bible has so much to say about the words we use, specifically in James 3—how our same tongue that is used to praise our Heavenly Father is also the same tongue that is used to curse men. Ouch! Mark highlighted the importance of always communicating how much they are loved, especially as it relates to discipline and what the purpose of discipline should truly be.

“I was really encouraged to look around the room and to see so many faces that were familiar—couples we’ve known to varying degrees over the years as we’ve raised our families at PCPC, and to realize that we’re truly in this together, as the body of Christ. Even though we were discussing difficult issues, it felt like—home.

Thanks again”. Rex Moxley A special aspect of this MidWeek class was the elementary children’s program that paralleled the adult program. Each week our kids heard about the prodigal son from our children’s ministry staff. There was lots of laughter and games, as evidenced by an exploding watermelon as an example of anger left unchecked. There was journal time and just time for the kids to hear God’s story of redemption in their lives as the parents were hearing more about that upstairs. This was the first time a parallel elementary program has been offered for a MidWeek class, and it was awesome! Rumor has it that kids were actually encouraging parents not to miss it!

Watch for another session of Parenting in the Present in the coming months!

—Carole Anne Axley 7

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his year’s Olympic-themed VBS was full of energy—from both the children and adults!

With approximately 590 children and 326 volunteers (adults and youth), VBS

kicked off with an opening ceremony the morning of June 6. PCPC partnered with Mercy Presbyterian and Providence Presbyterian Churches to host friends from New St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church, Cristo Rey, our ESL program, and many more surrounding churches and neighborhoods.

At The Finish Line, the children learned that eternal life with Jesus has already been won and that they can run their race with joy, knowing they have already received their “gold medal.”

The Finish Line centered on Hebrews 12:1-2: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.”

Victory first!

The daily lessons of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection were given to the children in reverse chronological order—for a good reason! Our theme verse says that Jesus came 8

to earth knowing He would endure the cross and conquer earth. Therefore, Day 1 started by talking about the victory through GRACE that gives us eternal life with Jesus! Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have already won the race! However, this grace-giving act could not have happened without the cross, without His life of perfect faith, or without His coming to rescue us. At the close of the first day’s festivities, the teachers recited Ephesians 2:8-9 to the children and presented each of them with a gold medal to represent the victory they had received without having done anything to earn it!

With Hebrews 11:6 as supporting scripture of FAITH, Day 3 focused on the temptation Christ faced. Jesus’ faith was evident in all of His actions and responses to Satan’s temptations. Jesus faithfully trusted and obeyed God.

Day 2 focused on Jesus’ LOVE for us and how He died on the cross for us, allowing us to live forever with Him in heaven. The children were also reminded how they can show love by being obedient, thinking of others first, and forgiving.

In music and skit time, Goldie Medal (Laurie Hargrave) and our delightful worship band taught the children new songs and motions, which we are certain are still being sung to this day!

The students were also introduced to Stretch (Matt Statham), a very excited

Day 4 was about JOY and knowing that everything will be perfect in heaven. This year’s motto, “By Jesus I have won, with joy I will run!” was very fitting for the final day. The VBS leadership team, comprised of incredible servants from PCPC, PPC, and MPC, worked hard to incorporate the lessons into all aspects of this program. It was, indeed, fun with a purpose!

AUGUST 2016 • PCPC WITNESS

Olympian who had never heard the Gospel, and Coach (Austin Ariail), his Olympic trainer who patiently coached Stretch to a full understanding of the Gospel message. Using well-written skits and beautifully-crafted videos, Coach showed Stretch “for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

All week the children worked on one special craft created by our returning Craft Coordinator, Erica Fischer. Our little Olympians had a wonderful time creating a marathon course complete with Start and Finish lines with the theme verse printed on the base of the board. Our hope is that as these treasures are played with at home, they will continue to serve as reminders for the children to keep running their race with endurance while looking to Jesus.

Under the training of Emily Leonard, our Olympians had the daily lessons reinforced through activities. Each day, they followed directions in a very fun and entertaining warm-up activity.

Throughout the week, the children enjoyed a host of Olympic-themed games and courses. They hopped over hurdles, threw a javelin and discus, lifted weights, walked a balance beam, ran relays, and enjoyed a delicious snack in the shade.

in our world. Through a series of skits, our children heard about world missions, short-term missions, missions at home, and serving exactly where God presently has us. With the help of a fun song, “Come Alive With the Power of Five," our children also learned that the colors of the Olympic rings can point out the Gospel to us: black stands for sin, red reminds us that Jesus died for us, blue means He washed away our sin, yellow represents heaven, and green shows us that we are growing every day in our relationship with Jesus. For this year’s VBS missions project, we partnered with For the Nations Refugee Outreach to provide much-needed items for

welcome kits given to refugees upon their arrival in the Dallas area. Refugees often flee their homes at a moment’s notice and arrive with few belongings, a difficult past, and high hopes for the future. The collection area was flooded with generous donations from VBS children, families, and volunteers.

By the grace of God, our running shoes held strong as we crossed The Finish Line! We praise God for the 590 children who came and for the many wonderful and gifted volunteers whom He called to serve. Please join us as we continue to pray that our children will fondly recall this special week and, above all, remember that true victory comes only through our Lord Jesus Christ.

—­Barrett Ball and Heather Squibb

Stretch (Matt Statham), is ready to dash when Coach (Austin Ariail) blows the whistle.

The Power of Five In missions, Jenny Darley and her fabulous team wowed our Olympians as they introduced them to how various PCPC missionaries are serving PCPC WITNESS • AUGUST 2016

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PRESCHOOL VBS While the elementary classes had music and skit time in Fellowship Hall, the preschool children were downstairs enjoying their own VBS time that was tailored specifically to their age group. Our loving and fun preschool teachers taught the same curriculum in the classroom, allowing families to go home and all participate in meaningful discussions about what they learned each day. The children made a darling fingerprint craft that reminds them to “Run the race” just like they learned all week. Our preschoolers also enjoyed play time on the playground, music time with Mrs. Fray and her helpers, and were treated to skit time in the library. The Cummins Family

brought back Pappy and Elmer—the puppet friends who are always a highlight for our littlest VBS participants!

Even our nursery children were treated to a special (and busy!) week of learning and fun. Suzy Mighell delighted the babies and toddlers with their own lesson and music times throughout the week. The nursery children also visited the fish tank to marvel at what God made and had their own play time at the indoor playground.

Our preschool volunteers worked hard all week to ensure that VBS was a special time for our preschoolers, and they did a wonderful job replicating the stories and lessons in creative and age appropriate ways to reach these children.

—Kiki Pennington

Suzy Mighell teaches the little ones.

VBS YOUTH VOLUNTEERS VBS was bigger than it’s ever been before. Not only did we have 590 children come, we also had 140 youth volunteers, which surpasses any previous VBS! This led to unique opportunities to see kids serve in new ways.

One exciting opportunity was the creation of the servant leadership team that consisted of young men ages 12-16. Many of them were put to the test in areas of service that were not desirable or glamourous. As the group performed these tasks, they learned what it meant to be a true servant leader. They organized the youth skit closet, cleaned rooms, took out trash, and sorted donated items from the VBS Missions drop-off. A special speaker came every day to speak to them on the topic of humble servant leadership.

They heard wisdom from elders in the church as well as elite soldiers from our military. If they didn’t know what the term “servant leadership “meant before this week, they do now!

I, Davis, saw growth in the servant leadership team during the week. At the beginning, there was some complaining about the various tasks we had to preform, but later in the week the complaining turned into taking initiative in projects and being willing to do the hard work. I thought the servant leadership team was a great way for kids to be exposed at a young age to the heart of being a servant leader. I learned this lesson in college when I worked one summer on a kitchen team. We weren’t always doing the so called “fun” jobs, but I learned a lot about myself during that time—and that I could worship God with the work I was doing, no matter what the task.

I pray these youth volunteers learned the same lesson.

We wanted the youth volunteers to get the most out of their time serving at VBS. Every morning we’d start with breakfast, small groups, and devotional time. We randomly separated the kids

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AUGUST 2016 • PCPC WITNESS

Track & Field Coach Elizabeth Speicher and her assistants

into small groups so they could meet new people and hear stories about other areas in VBS. I, Kaelee, asked my group if they enjoyed going to VBS or serving in VBS more. They unanimously said, “Serving.” While snack time is a major hit with our youth volunteers, they also jumped at the chance to be a friend to the younger kids. They remembered how much fun they had at past VBSs like Sonshine Carwash or Home Run Derby and wanted to help the younger kids have that much fun.

They tangibly saw how their efforts helped make VBS run and handled their responsibilities well.

During the week, the Middle School staff was able to build and strengthen the relationships with the youth volunteers. We got to see a large number of our students and for longer periods of time compared to a Sunday School class. We got to encourage them throughout the day as we saw them

working in their area. At their break time, they would come to the Hangout, where we could ask them about their day, challenge them to game a of ping pong, or introduce them to another youth volunteer. During recreation one day we got to witness one youth volunteer teach another youth volunteer how to get to know the VBS kids by asking them questions about where they go to school and what they like to do.

The Thursday afternoon after VBS ended, we invited the youth volunteers to a debrief lunch. We heard stories of youth volunteers befriending younger kids and how they saw the younger kids go from shy or scared to outgoing and excited. There were stories of personal growth and learning more about working for the Lord, and not for man. We got to hear what they liked

Danny Stimson and some of the enthusiastic youth volunteers

about the missions and worship times.

There is no doubt that we will have many of the same youth volunteers return next summer, and I dare say even more than this year. From all the stories it was obvious that the Lord used VBS to impact everyone involved. The Middle School staff is glad to be part of the VBS program. We are also extremely grateful to all the adult volunteers that helped make our youth program run as well as it did. Lastly, thank you to all the youth volunteers!

We’ll see you next year!

—Davis Hollingsworth and Kaelee Abbey

ESL VBS This was the second year for PCPC to welcome our ESL families to our VBS program. About 20 Spanish-speaking moms enjoyed an English camp in the High School Room while their babies, kids, and youth participated in the regular VBS programming. The moms studied the Bible, worked on a craft, and practiced English together.

It was a wonderful time away from often chaotic lives as the women are able to relax and fellowship, knowing that their kids are having a blast and learning about Jesus, too!

Cristo Rey Presbyterian Church participated with us this year, and several families decided to visit because of our week together. Thank you, church family, for welcoming and serving these neighbors.

—Elizabeth Cunningham PCPC WITNESS • AUGUST 2016

11

Hey World: I’m Religious, NOT Spiritual

By Talbot Davis

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ew sayings strike more fear into or evoke more apologies out of 21st-century evangelicals than the ubiquitous:

• I’m in this alone. I have a connection with God/Divinity that is unique to me.

• I will not be bound by rules that I find inconvenient or unappealing.

I’m spiritual, not religious.

• My knowledge of sacred text will We hear it from skeptical family membe limited to: “Don’t judge me!” bers, from tweed-jacketed professors, (That IS in the Bible, isn’t it?) from latte-sipping mil• I am unwilling to lennials, and we fall all “ It is only when I am submit myself to the over ourselves to agree, idea that there is a sufficiently religious to affirm and to identify. community of In fact, on more than one people who have that I can be occasion, when people wisdom, strength, authentically spiritual.” respond to the news of and hope that I need what I do for a living to make life work. with the spiritual not religious dictum, • I don’t have to hang around with I have answered back with a brighthypocrites. eyed, “That’s great! Same with me!”

• Newer is better and younger is smarter.

Because is not Jesus the end of reli• Best of all, I can make God into my gion? Isn’t religion for people who are image and thus never have to wresafraid of going to hell while spiritualtle with the implications of what it ity is for people who have been there? means that I am made in His. Don’t we want to walk by the Spirit?

• My highest responsibility is to be When people tell us they are spiritutrue to me. al-not-religious, doesn’t that mean we need to change our churches to fill That entire list — as well as the premthat gap and meet that need? Doesn’t ises behind it — is antithetical to New the whole S-N-R parlance suggest that Testament faith and to the historic our family members, professors, and Christian religion. Yes, religion. millennials yearn for the liberating truth of Spirit-fueled faith rather than Do you know where the word relithe shackles of man-made religion? It gion comes from? From the same root seems this modern phraseology and word as ligament (look close, you’ll see modern urges are prime territory for it). And what do ligaments do? LigActs 17, understand the culture, more aments are connective tissue linking U2 songs in church please!, relational bone to bone. Ligaments purposely evangelism. link one part of the body with another part of the body. Ligaments are the In fact, let’s say it all together now, ultimate antidote to body isolation; with feeling: I’M SPIRITUAL, NOT they instead call out: “You can’t do RELIGIOUS. this thing alone! We’re in it together.”

Except now I know that the spiritual-not-religious line is a canard at best, a load of bull at worst. Think of what someone—whether connected to church or not—is really saying when they claim that they are spiritual-not-religious: 12

And that’s what religion offers that mere spirituality never can.

When I say without apology that I am religious, I am saying:

• I’m connected to a community without which I would make a mess of my life. That community is a gift to me and gifted by me, and I am accountable to it.

• I’m connected to history. I didn’t invent this Jesus story. Who would ever dream something like that up? No, I inherited His story. I am accountable not only to the story itself but to all those generations who passed it on until it landed in my lap, miraculously so, in January of 1979.

• I’m connected to all those hypocrites in my community and in my history. Thank God. Because there’s always room for one more.

• My community and my history mediate my direct connection with God. He breaks through on occasion in moments of splendid solitude, but I hear His Word best in our patterned routines of gathering, praising, lamenting, loving, and serving.

• My highest responsibility is to be true to my calling as a follower of the One who acted decisively in history. Being true to that calling may or may not result in personal satisfaction.

• I recognize that my religion consists of habits and practices that are not always convenient or even interesting… but they are always necessary.

I suppose what it means is this: It is only when I am sufficiently religious that I can be authentically spiritual.

Talbot Davis is pastor of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, Charlotte, NC, and the author of Solve, Head Scratchers: When the Words of Jesus Don’t Make Sense, The Storm Before the Calm, and The Shadow of a Doubt, all from Abingdon Press. from www.talbotdavis.com, June 1, 2016 AUGUST 2016 • PCPC WITNESS

Prayer for Our City and Our Hearts How many churches are there in Dallas?

ONE! was the corporate response from PCPC members in the congregation on the evening of July 13. Mark Davis has taught us well!

With Dallas still reeling and grieving from the violent attack on our police on July 7, PCPC invited the congregation of Golden Gate Missionary Baptist Church and its senior pastor, Vincent Parker, to come pray for our city together with us. On a warm Wednesday evening, over 400 brothers and sisters in Christ met at PCPC to pray for our city, its citizens, and its police force. Hymns and personal prayers of praise, confession, thanksgiving, and intercession punctuated the hum of small-group prayers around the Sanctuary as the evening progressed. At one point, elders from both churches stood before the congregation to confess personal sins of attitudes and assumptions in their hearts that needed change and healing. Mark prayed we would resist the desire to avoid what is hard and easily dismissed as we fail to really hear the hurt of racism or pretend its not there.

Mark stated the purpose of our gathering—for the Church to be the Church and to do what God has called us in Christ to do—be men and women being transformed and making different choices because of who Jesus is—then to act as changed people.

Rev. Parker commented: "The Scrip-

tures tell us that without Christ we are dead. I don't think God expects the dead to do anything for Him! So it's up to us, the Body of Christ."

Prayer requests from policemen

Three Dallas police officers from the two churches were asked to speak briefly and let us know how to pray for them. Following a standing ovation for these men and whom they represented in law enforcement, Officer Martin told us that every person being interviewed for a position as a Dallas police officer is asked the question, "Are you willing to sacrifice your life for someone you don't know." He confessed, "We all say 'yes,' some of us because we need a job, and some of us because we know that is what the interviewer wants to hear. But last Thursday night that answer came full circle when those five officers went toward danger not knowing where it was coming from... None of us are perfect, and we do make mistakes, but we do it so you can get home to your families—not knowing if we are going to make it home—but making sure that you get home. Pray that we continue to serve you without fear, and that we may be pleasing to God and doing what He has called us to do.

PCPC elder and police lieutenant Tim Jeffress said, "The death that these officers died is so tragic because it is so sudden and violent and inconsolable to the families. So many officers are trying to find an explanation—what's

PCPC WITNESS • AUGUST 2016

the nature of evil? Is there a god who is there? Is there any hope? As Christians we know the answers. We see them at the foot of the cross and the empty tomb. Pray the Spirit would stir in those people who are grieving so deeply a desire, a hunger, to ask, to seek, to know so that we might offer the Gospel of grace to them. We as the Church swim in the language of compassion, humility, mercy, and charity.

We need to go into the marketplace with that language and ask God to give us a common civility so that we would live in a peaceful place and the Gospel would go forward." Officer James added, "We officers are not perfect people, but pray we would do our job perfectly."

Final thoughts

Rev. Parker closed with a personal story of recent discrimination and said, "In the human heart there is a great need to feel like we are better than someone else, in every country and culture. I don't know if racism will ever end unless a heart is connected to Jesus Christ. For those who claim the name of Christ, we can do better."

In a prayer of thanksgiving, Erin Golangco prayed: "Thank You that You have not left the world as it is, but You have sent Your Son. We praise you for the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

You are reconciling all things to Yourself and will come back to make all things right."

—Terri Speicher 13

Senior Summer Satisfies

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Generally speaking, seniors don’t care if school is out. While young families start thinking about vacations and a break from relentless schedules, seniors can do that any time.

So why not think year-round in this ministry to all PCPC’s 60+ members and friends?

n June, the seniors gathered up their laptops, phones, and tablets and headed to PCPC for SENIOR TECH TIME, a PCPC Communications and IT Ministries sponsored gathering to assist seniors with their questions about their devices. The goal was to raise comfort levels with them in order to more fully access all the resources offered on the PCPC website and app and the web in general. Several tech savvy staff members joined the advice team to meet with seniors individually and in small groups to explore email, apps, and pcpc.org.

S

ince 2005, our seniors have enthusiastically looked forward to the July BIBLE CONFERENCE held every Thursday morning and taught by Ron Williams. To say the subject matter has run the gamut would be an understatement—Abraham, The Five Points of Calvinism, Ezekiel, Isaac Watts, The Ten Commandments, Revelation, Eschatology— to name a few. This rich teaching has for years inspired, encouraged, enlightened, and edified our community.

terest in Him." There are only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel—baptism and the Lord’s supper. Ron continued his teaching in detail, referring to Chapter XXVIII, “Of Baptism,” and Chapter XXIX, “Of the Lord’s Supper.”

Not only do our folks enjoy the rich teaching from the Scripture, they also look forward to the beautiful, uplifting music offered by our very own Stephen Nielson. They so enjoy singing the hymns of the faith and being thoroughly entertained by Stephen’s special selections, which always seem to give us a little taste heaven. This July we were also blessed to have the privilege of hearing the lovely voices from Jenni Rasberry ‘s voice studio.

They gave us a mini concert of solos and ensemble pieces.

2016 was no different, the subject matter being The Sacraments for Today. Ron’s primary source for this study Many seniors was The Westminster Confeswere happy to sion of Faith. His initial teaching discover the few was from Chapter XXVIL, steps needed to entitled “Of the Sacraments,” access PCPC from which he expounded on livestream serexactly what the sacraments And finally, a delightful time of felBarbara Guthneck vices and video are: "holy signs and seals of lowship and a delicious luncheon is archives. Peggy Skidmore found the the covenant of grace, immediately enjoyed by all! These gatherings seem video of her husband Fred’s memorial instituted by God, to represent Christ to minister to the entire person—spirit, service and learned how to send the and His benefits; and to confirm our inmind, and body! Join us next year! link to a friend in Connecticut. Arthur —Jane Beasley Wood got busy adding contacts to Below, Jenni Rasberry's voice studio leads in worship. his “favorites,” because everyone is Bottom, Ron Williams teaches on the sacraments. his favorite! Several ladies, including Caroline Hunt, now check out PCPC activities and listen to sermons on their devices via the PCPC app. Visitors Lily and Jim Hetherington are now using their digital calendars and mapping their way around town while avoiding traffic! Another gentleman was happy to have a new world opened up to him on his Blackberry. The mystery of “the bluetooth” was resolved, and everyone agreed that similar events for the future were a must.

Curious minds are always a delight!

Thank you, seniors, for all the great questions and enthusiasm for learning!

—Terri Speicher 14

AUGUST 2016 • PCPC WITNESS

THE FLORIDA TRIP 2016

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n June 4, the High School ministry filled six charter busses with over 250 teenagers anxiously anticipating the vacation that awaited them 759 miles away in Laguna Beach, Florida. They spent the final weeks of school awaiting the sand volleyball tournament, the games and funny videos, and the opportunity spend a week away from Dallas with their friends.

During the week, students had time to read and pray after breakfast before flooding into the meeting room for the first gathering of the day. Johnny Flores, a high school ministry veteran, and Will Stockdale, a new high school ministry resident, opened each day with funny news report videos and games for the students. The afternoons were filled with free time to play in the waves and lay out on the sand.

However, the Florida Trip is much more than just a beach vacation—it is an opportunity for students to know God and each other in new and deeper ways. Robby Higginbottom and a group of volunteers led worship each night. Numerous students on the trip said that their favorite part of the week was having the opportunity to worship God along with their friends. Students heard special seminars that touched on the topics of spiritual warfare, idolatry, and lessons that leaders learned through their high school experiences.

Evening sessions were taught by Adam Griffin, a pastor from the Village Church in Dallas. Adam walked students through the first chapter of John, discussing how the Gospel brings us out of darkness into light. These sessions were followed by time in the cabins for students to ask questions and talk about the sessions in small groups with their leaders. Cabin time gave leaders the opportunity to connect with students on a deeper level and set the foundation for Bible studies and future meetings to follow up with students.

Ultimately, the trip was a refreshing experience for both students and volunteers to get away. Whether playing games in the pool, taking a walk on the beach, or listening to evening sermons, the students got to experience God’s voice in new ways. There is something sacred about getting out of our normal context, with all of its distractions and

PCPCWITNESS WITNESS • •AUGUST 2016 PCPC AUGUST 2016

demands, and listening for the voice of the Lord where we do not normally hear it. Between the fun in the sun and the more serious moments of worship, students had the opportunity to retreat from the usual routine and encounter God. —Emily Waller

Below, the students gather for an evening assembly .

Bottom left, Brannon Farrow, Jake Pogue, Drew Obenchain, Sam Jackson, and Jack Hurt Bottom middle, new High School ministry resident Philip Carson reads during devotional time.

Bottom right, Amanda Hodak, Barret Bock, Emily Hea, Lauren Washburn, Kaitlyn Porter

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Periodical Postage Paid at Dallas, Texas

Vol. XXVI, No. 3 • AUGUST 2016 PARK CITIES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 4124 OAK LAWN AVENUE, DALLAS, TX 75219 WWW.PCPC.ORG

Hearing in the Silence

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ore than a few times I second-guessed my decision to attend the Women’s Silent Retreat last spring in Ute Trail, Colorado. But down deep I knew God wanted me to go. In preparation, I started a pile of books and wrote a list of questions and prayer requests that, in my opinion, God had been slow about answering. A week before the retreat, Mark Davis and Kari Stainback met with our cohort, 15 women of diverse ages and stages in life.

Both Mark and Kari are silent-retreat veterans. Their stories of encounters with God encouraged our faith and calmed our concerns. I made a few notes: • Take only your Bible and a journal.

• Consider taking a blanket for prayerful star-gazing.

• Expect God to pursue you.

on the porch and talked to God conversationally. I recorded thoughts and questions from Isaiah 26:3 and confessed that my heart was far from steadfast. A cross-reference led me to Psalm 145, where verse 2 gave me pause. "Every day I will bless you and praise Your name forever and ever." Sometimes that describes me; often it doesn’t. Tears and confession followed, then turned into tears of joy over God’s love and forgiveness in Christ.

I embarked on a walk and the oddest, most delightful thing happened: I began humming hymns. Some I hadn’t heard or sung in decades, but verse after verse, truth after truth coursed through my mind. God seemed so near. I wondered if this particular place on earth could be what the Celt’s called a “thin place,” where Mark repeated and emphasized that last the veil between the physical world point: “There’s nothing you can do to Mark Davis and the eternal world is thin. When I keep God from pursuing you.” I underturned to walk back, I saw my cabin lined his words in my journal. in the distance. Lord, why did you put me in a cabin named Bowers? I wondered if there was something in the name I A smooth flight to Colorado Springs, a pleasant van ride to needed to hear. Is it because You’ve allowed me to take camp, and Rocky Mountain vistas readied our hearts, while bows on countless stages around the world and I’ve not conversations fueled friendship and comradery. We arrived been a bower to You? with time enough to find our private cabins and freshen up before dinner. Kari read our cabin assignments: Jennifer, Tears streamed as I dashed to get my Bible. Still opened you’re in Sunshine; Susan, Hoppy; Kathy, Bowers. I headto Psalm 145, I read: “The Lord lifts up those who are bowed ed toward Bowers and wondered if my cabin’s name had down.” You see, I tend to forget who’s the Master and who’s significance. I was pleasantly surprised to find a spacious, the servant in our relationship. A reference sent me to Isanicely decorated cottage—my home for the next four days. iah. I read how the people of Judah trusted in their own A bell called us to dinner at the lodge, where Kari explained plans instead of relying on God. Verse 15 hit me like a ton of bricks: "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness that each meal would begin with Scripture readings, a brief and trust is your strength. But you were not willing" (Isa 30:15). break of the silence. The idea of pursuing God was familiar God showed me a number of ways I am like the people of to me, but not God pursuing me. Though I didn’t expect to Judah. But He also highlighted something else important. see Jesus’ face in every cloud or hear Him speak through a Though Judah failed to rest and trust in God (as I often do), resident elk, I didn’t know what to hope for. I asked God to His grace and compassion never waver. "Therefore the Lord grant me grace to be alert for His presence, His promptings, longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have and His purposes. compassion on you" (Isa. 30:18). I confessed the ways I rely on my own plans, thanked God for His mercy and grace, and Later that night I opened the Scripture coloring book Kari prayed for courage to quietly trust Him in everything. had given each of us. "Is there something here You want me to read?" I asked God. I opened to the first page and read Isaiah 26:3: "You will keep in perfect peace those whose hearts are During those few days of profound quiet in Colorado, I realized that God is always speaking. The problem is His steadfast, because they trust in you." I meditated on this verse voice gets drowned out by busyness and city living. Much as I fell asleep. of the noise, however, is my own doing—and something I The next morning, geese on a nearby river began honking at continue to work on.

—Kathy Peel dawn. Bundled in my blanket, I curled up in a rocking chair

“ There’s nothing you can do to keep God from pursuing you.”