Sunday Worship

The 11:00 worship service remains scheduled. We hope to webcast the service live.

We have cancelled the 9:00 service.

We will have at least one adult Bible class for 9:00 and combined classes for children. Nurseries will be provided for both the 9:00 and 11:00 hours.

The evening service remains scheduled, including Soli Deo Gloria.

The spiritual health survey has been postphoned to March 5.

Check the church website for a complete listing of Sunday changes.

Internet Ministry

Things that don't occur to me. This was sent in by Tobias Klauder, an IT team member.

If we get as much snow as is predicted, attendance on Sunday morning will
probably be lighter than normal, but these are the Sundays when we have
always hit a new record high of concurrent Internet listeners in the past.
This Sunday will likely be no exception.

Eye on Philadelphia

Luella Tripp has let me know that Beverly Williams' show "Eye on Philadelphia" is featuring her gallery and may be showing tomorrow morning at 11:00 on UPN...Channel 57. The first showing last Sunday aired even without her knowing.

Snow Changes Alerts

If you are responsible for a church ministry or event for Sunday, be sure to communicate if the snow will affect changes. Send email to Dot Boersma at dboersma@tenth.org. Dot will be updating a snow alert bulletin at Tenth's website. She will check regularly her mail. You can also copy me (mclark@tenth.org) as I will also have access to the website.

Again, please get the word out to your contacts to keep in touch about Sunday through the church website.

Town Hall Meetings

Here’s the link for the complete town hall meetings info: http://www.tenth.org/index.php?id=163

Apple Sabbatical

David Apple is taking a sabbatical March 20-June 19. Pastoral staff are eligible for three-month sabbaticals every seven years. He is writing a Tenth Press article for February 19 that will present what he will be doing during that time. I think it has something to do with measuring the impact of baseball training camp on mercy ministry.

International Etiquette

This was sent over to me from the Missions department:

You might like this test for kids:

Short, fun test on international subjects, just click here.

Presbytery Core Value 2

The Gospel of the Kingdom Moves and Shapes the Church

The Gospel is the long-awaited announcement that God fulfilled his promise to bring salvation to a broken world—the kingdom of God. John the Baptist announced this good news and then pointed to Jesus as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus came as the King of the Kingdom and through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension we find new life for ourselves and hope for a needy world. Personally, we enter the Kingdom by the new birth as the Spirit enables us to repent and believe the gospel. Then we are brought together as a community that Jesus called “my church.” Now, as Jesus’ Church, we seek to be transformed by the gospel and to see the gospel transform our world. We preach the gospel to ourselves, to the church, and to the world. When the Gospel is at work in us, it gives us new freedom, new power, and new relationships. The Gospel changes everything.

What a rich and enriching thought: in Christ, the most menial task and the most common man is holy in God's sight and useful in His service. God works powerfully in and through the believer's daily life, whether in the marketplace, the assembly line, or the sanctuary; whether over a meal, a bible study, or a back-yard conversation. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.... It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Col. 4:23, 24). This changes everything. Life is not cut into compartments, some for Jesus and His service, some not. Every man and woman saved by His grace is a man of God or a woman of God and is in His service every day in every way. So every arena of life is touched by God and can be transformed by the Gospel. He has sovereign claim and influence upon all of life.

Snow Shovellers Needed

If the weather report is correct, we will need snow shovellers Sunday morning. If you have a good back, please email Jonathan McCarthy at jmccarthy@tenth.org or call in to the church for him, 215.735.7688.

Tenth Snowstorm Center

I am at home right now and may be late posting a weather alert post. Check in later here or at the church website. We will be setting up a snow storm news site that will inform you of any church activities affected by the snow. Please get the word out through your contact systems to check the website throughout the weekend.

Vision for the City

Saw this email David Apple is sending to Philadelphia church planters. It did not take him long to get something going:

A year into planning our March 10-12 urban missions conference, our speaker Mo Leverett has had to cancelled. Our biggest question: How will God use this for his glory and the benefit of his church? We prayed and God has shown us.

We now have a new theme: “Vision for the City.” Bill Krispin is speaking Friday night on Philadelphia, its changes and opportunities for mission/ministry. Saturday morning would focus on the biblical imperative and strategies for urban church planting (many ethnicities reaching the nations).


By the way, be sure to make Bill Krispin's talk Friday night. It will be about Philadelphia. This man is a walking encyclopedia and history book about Philadelphia. You will go away more informed and more inspired than you've ever been about what God is doing and will do in this city.

1989 Annual Report

ADVANCE Tutoring is in its second year of operation under that name; it was formerly called "Tenth Tutoring Program," for nearly a decade. Accompanying the name change, the format has also been restructured. ADVANCE meets weekly on Tuesday evenings offering children (grades one through ten) of the Martin Luther King, Jr. housing project academically oriented one-on-one intensive tutoring in many subjects. The spiritual needs of the children are also addressed.

Jeffrey Frazier
Director

Presbytery Core Value 1

The new Philadelphia Presbytery has set up 12 core values. I'll post one daily. Here is the first:

1. Our passion is to see the glory of God displayed throughout the whole earth.
The book of Revelation gives us a glorious glimpse of worship in heaven where we see the angelic host singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come”, and the twenty-four elders raising their voices in chorus, singing, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Rev. 4:8b, 11). God delights in such worship. He desires that the whole earth be filled with His glory. All the redeemed of the Lord join in this great worship celebration. Indeed, Christ, by his atoning sacrifice, has “purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9b). Indeed, God is worthy of all praise for the greatness of who He is and for what He has done in His works of creation, providence, and redemption. Yet, in our sinful rebellion, it is our continual tendency to seek glory for ourselves. We do this by worshiping creatures and created things rather than the true and living God. But now as God’s redeemed people our burden is to see God alone receive the glory due His name (Rom. 1:21-25). Indeed, our life’s mission is to know Christ and to make Him known to all those around us in an ever-widening circle to the very ends of the earth so that they too might know Him and join us in worshiping Him (Matt. 28:19-20).

2006 International Women in the Church Conference

Christian Education &Publications, in partnership with the other PCA Committees and Agencies, is sponsoring the 2006 International Women in the Church Conference September 15-17, 2006 at the Georgia World Congress Center /Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Ga. The conference theme is God's Faithfulness Generation to Generation, and will focus on the call and commitment to disciple God's covenant people – to pass on the faith to succeeding generations. Women, ages 13 years and up, are invited to be a part of this time of worship, fellowship and teaching. The desire is that gospel truth will transform our thinking so that we may be equipped to serve Christ through the church and to proclaim him to the next generation.

Speakers include: Joni Eareckson Tada, Paige Benton Brown, and Diane Langbeg. Pastors Ligon Duncan, Mike Campbell and Bryan Chapell will open God's Word in each of the three worship sessions. For information and to register, go to http://www.pcacep.org/WIC06/.

Trip Report

In place of the Window on the World this Sunday night, Aaron Snethen will give a report on the disaster relief team trip to Mississippi.

Lenten Bible Study

Saw this posting from Brian Esterly to Parish 3. I would think others outside the parish could crash it.

Paul Duggan will lead a seven week "Lenten" Bible Study series on the sacrifices and their fulfillment in Christ. The study begins Wednesday, March 1 at 7 pm and runs through April 12. We will meet at the Duggan residence - 535 South 46th Street, Philadelphia. Please come join in the fellowship, study and singing. RSVPs are helpful, but not necessary (215-222-7947 or
pdweb@verizon.net).

Presbytery News

When not in meetings today, I will be devoting my attention to getting ready for presbytery on Saturday. We will be examining three ministers transferring into the presbytery; approving the new work of a church planter, and designating two works as official mission churches (one of which is Kin Lam's work). We will also be receiving a request from Church of the Redeemer to close its doors.

Collards Anyone?

If you want to know how to prepare tasty collard greens that are not soaked in water, ask Sharon Pyfer. We were at the Pyfers' house last night for a delicious meal, but the collards with onions and sweet potatos were a pleasant surprise.

Stop the Presses!

The speaker lined up for the Urban Missions Conference has had to cancel. We are working on new plans now. Pray that the pieces will quickly come together. David Apple is regarding this as God's plan to open a door for a great blessing. (This is sometimes called Reformed theology applied.) Even if he won't worry, still pray for David as he prepares a new conference. You, as my faithful readers, will be the first to know what the changes will be.

At the Movies

Our own movie critic John Ferguson has written a review of End of the Spear. Check it out at the reformation21 website.

Inspectors and Painters

An email from Pat Canavan to the staff:

FYI, the company that inspects our fire extinguishers will be on site this Thursday, February 9. They will be in every section of our buildings, but should not interrupt our activities. Also, the painters will return on Thursday and Friday of this week to finish the section above the balcony on the 18th St. side. They finished the apse this past Friday.

(The "Birdmasters" came today to maintain the netting around the church.)

City Office Tour

Dot is giving a public tour of City Hall this Thursday, 12:30 pm-2pm (and a little bit longer for you if you go up in the tower). Go through the east portal; the tour office is on the right.

PCRT Volunteers

PCRT needs volunteers for the bookstore, information table, and hospitality. Free overflow registration and a full set of conference CDs will be offered to those who volunteer 3 hours. If interested, please contact Pat Russell at prussell@tenth.org or x243.

New Presbytery

The first meeting of the new Philadelphia Presbytery will be this Saturday at Pilgrim Church in Roxborough. Everyone is invited to the opening worship service which will begin at 8:15 am. Lance Lewis is preaching; Paul Jones and Ruth Floyd are providing music. It would be great to have a strong representation from Tenth and all the churches for this historic occasion. Pilgrim is at Terrace and Dawson Streets. You can get directions at the church's website: www.pilgrimchurchphilly.org.

Carroll Wynne has chaired the strategic planning committee responsible for setting up the new presbytery. I will be serving as moderator.

New Church Plant

This was posted on Brian Esterly's news communication to his parish:

Tuck Bartholomew and Phil Ryken will present information regarding an exciting new PCA church plant in University City on Monday, February 27 at 7:30 pm at JD and Alice Atkins residence, 427 S. 43rd Street, Philadelphia (NE Corner of Osage and 43rd).Tuck is a church planter out of Redeemer in NYC (Tim Keller's church). He is a Westminster Theological Seminary graduate, worked with IV at the U of Penn and has a PhD in Sociology. He has a burden for the student community and university settings and feels called to Philadelphia in particular.If you are interested in learning more about this work please plan on attending. This session would be particularly relevant for students, recent graduates, residents of University City / West Philadelphia and / or people with a heart for church planting.

RSVP to Brian Esterly at 610-622-3385 or besterly@excelleRx.com.

Role of Churches Discussion

This was sent in from Penn:

Join us in a panel discussion on the role of churches in the community THIS WEDNESDAY, February 8, 2006, 6:30-8:30pm Silverman 240A, Penn Law School (entrance on Sansom Street b/w 34th & 36th Sts-next Kings Court Dorm)

Our panelists will discuss the evolution of churches in minority communities. They will explore the social and political roles that the church plays in building and developing surrounding communities through economic development, political participation, youth outreach, and other non-profit initiatives.

Participating Panelists are:
Dr. Barbara Savage, Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought, UPenn
Reverend Dr. Mary A. Tumpkin, Senior Minister of the Universal Truth Center (Miami, FL)
Revered Dr. Mark Kelly Tyler Senior Pastor of Historic Macedonia AME Church, Camden, NJ
Reverend Dr. Alyn E. Waller, Senior Pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church,Philadelphia, PA

For more information, please contact Sadeeka Scott, Black History Month Chair, Penn Law BLSA- sascott2@law.upenn.edu or 215-681-4179.

Refrigerators Needed

This is from our contact in Chester who helps many families. If you know of a frig needing a home (no magnets necessary), let Renee know or I can contact her. Thanks.

Carroll
cwynne@tenth.org

Hello friends!

I have been building more relationships with some families in our community and have been made aware of two families who are in need of a refrigerator. One is a desperate need, the other can make due for a limited time with what they have. If you have a good used refrigerator or know of someone who does and would like to donate it to a needy family, please let me know as soon as possible.

Thanks so much for your help! Blessings!
Renee Groff
World Impact Church Plant
reneegroff@juno.com

Prayer Request

Please run a prayer notice that I am preaching at Village Seven Church (PCA) in Colorado Springs February 12 and ask people to pray that God would provide the right man to serve as senior pastor for our sister church. I would love to be able to tell them that we are praying for them.
Phil

Covenant Eyes

Phil's Window on the World was sobering. It was on the subject of internet pornography. It brought to mind a tool that is probably more effective than internet filters. It is called Covenant Eyes. Check it out here. Here is its description:

The Covenant Eyes Program is not a filter, but only provides monitoring of websites your computer visits. Whenever Internet access is first attempted, you will be asked to Log In (or you can configure it easily to Log In automatically). Once logged in, your Internet activity will be monitored by our computers and periodically passed on to the Accountability Partners you choose in the Signup Procedure. The list is scored specifically for pornography. Internet access is never blocked unless your computer is not correctly Logged In to the Covenant Eyes system.

So you choose an accountability partner or partners who will receive a log of the sites you visit.

Getting Ready for Sunday

Phil gave good advice yesterday, encouraging us to read 1 John in preparation for next Sunday's sermon and spiritual health survey. The text I will preach is 5:1-5. The reason for choosing it is that it brings together all three of the "spiritual tests" in the letter: doctrine, holiness, and love. You will greatly benefit by reading the letter through at least once and focusing on that text.

For that matter, read the text for the evening service to prepare for that service. I'm trying to figure out what the DQ stands for in Aaron's sermon title: "No DQ for You."

Soli Deo Gloria

It was a pleasure to hear the flutist at Soli Deo Gloria. But where before I would enjoy the pleasure of listening to an accomplished musician, my pleasure was greater because of walking in and seeing that Bianca Garcia was the flutist. I occasionally teach the Curtis students Bible study and so am getting to know some of these musicians. I've come to know Bianca to be a thoughtful Christian, eager to follow Christ in her field. I say this as a reminder to us all that these "performers" are our brothers and sisters who share the same love for Christ as we, and we encourage when they can use their gifts for worship.

Sermon Feedback

Any response to yesterday's sermons? I am often struck by how the two messages serve one another. After listening to Phil's message on the passion of Christ for the lost, I all the more got Aaron's message about the silliness of setting up a list of rules to make up for my ever growing debt of sin.