WIC Report

Got a report from Jessie Bible who is attending the WIC National Conference in Atlanta. Bryan Chappell filled in for Phil. The Boice/Jones hymn "Alive in Christ" was sung with our own Jessie helping to lead the singing. She's having a great time learning a lot, being challenged, and meeting "tremendous" women.

New Arrival

Dan and Lori Schantz announce the arrival of thier daughter, Caleigh Grace Schantz. She was born March 7 at 12:08 AM at the Pennsylvania Hospital. Caleigh weighed in at 7lb 10oz and 21 inches long. Mom, Dad, and daughter are back home in Upper Darby.

Presbytery Core Value #12

Leadership and service in the Presbytery flow from the gifts God has given to the Church body.

We affirm that Presbytery should seek out men and women from within the membership of the churches for all positions of leadership and service on its ministry teams (except for the authoritative teaching and disciplinary role that the Bible reserves for men, cf. 1 Tim. 2:12-14). God calls people to serve in accordance with the gifts He gives and in response to developing needs.

(Note: This is the last of the core values. The complete list is posted on the church website under Resources. Click here to go straight to them.)

Dating Seminar

John Van Epp, a Diane Langberg associate, is offering a 2-day seminar on the subject of "Avoiding Unhealthy Dating Relationship." It is open to singles, parents who want to learn how to advise their children to make right choices, teenagers 16 years and older, and anyone interested in improving their current relationship. Some examples of topics are: fundamental elements of relationship development, such as bonding forces, compatibility factors, safe and unsafe people, communication skills, conflict resolution and what to pay attention to in family background. Date: March 24-25; Times: Friday 7p-9:30p, Saturday 9a-4p. Cost $95. Place: Diane Langberg & Associates, 512 W Avenue, Jenkintown.

Tonight!

Tonight, tonight, won't be like any night...

With the warm winds blowing in, come out tonight to the opening Urban Missions Conference event, starting at 7:00. Hear Bill "The Philly Encyclopedia" Krispin open your eyes to what the Lord has been and is doing in Philadelphia, including your neighborhood. Ginger is coming early so we can have a nice dinner in Center City before the meeting.

Saturday morning (9:30-12:30) will feature the director of church planting in the Philadelphia region, Bruce Finn. Click here to check out his website. Plus a rare gathering of most of the city church planters.

Sunday morning Tuck Bartholomew will preach. He is moving to the University City area from Redeemer in New York to plant a church. Then in the evening, Bill Krispin closes out the conference.

Room for Rent

Housemate wanted by two Christian men to share 5-bedroom house in South Philadelphia. You would have two connected rooms for a bedroom & den: approx. 11ft x 13ft and 9ft x 10ft.
· $450 per month plus 1/3 of utilities
· 1 block from Broad St., 2 blocks from Tasker-Morris subway stop.
· 3 Blocks to supermarket
· Walking distance of Italian Market
· Can share high-speed internet connection
· Use of small back yard
· Basement storage area
Contact Joe or TC at (215) 271-8787 or jlg950@verizon.net for more information.

Another Urgent Prayer Request

Phil and Lisa should have been flying by this time to southernly climes. Instead, Lisa is nursing a sick husband (stomach virus going around the family) and WIC leaders are scrambling to find a replacement speaker for their national conference. Pray for Phil to be brought back to life and for the WIC leaders to find a speaker quickly.

Urgent Prayer Request

Robin Seah requests prayer for her brother Kerby (23 yrs old) who is in the hospital in a coma with what the doctors believe to be encephalitis, basically inflammation of the brain probably caused by a virus. At this point, they don't really know which direction things could go. They will be doing an MRI this morning.

Spring Adult Bible School

For the full line-up of the new Adult Bible School classes, click here.

Singles Class

This Sunday will mark the beginning of a class for singles in the 35+ age range. Hugh and Betty Taylor will provide the leadership. Here is the course description:

"This study in Ephesians is for singles 35 years of age and above. Rugged individualism is not the idea that God has in mind for his people. We have been adopted into the family of God. In some ways the community experience can be different for singles, so we want to give single people a chance to study together what it is like to belong to each other as we belong to Christ."

We hope this class will develop into a fuller fellowship for singles. If you are unable to attend, keep alert to other fellowship activities to arise out of the class.

By the way, any age may attend. And be looking in the future for specific fellowship opportunities to open up for the under 35 age crowd as well.

Presbytery Core Value #11

To fulfill our calling we must develop and empower leadership at every level.

Every leader learns this the hard way: you are just one limited person. You are just a man, just a woman. You can only touch a few lives and do a few things. When Moses tried to be "The Man," the only leader of a redeemed but unruly Israel coming out of centuries of slavery, he burned out. His father-in-law, Jethro, watched him work, and gave him wise advice: "What you are doing is not good.... The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.... But select capable men from all the people...and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.... That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this,... all these people will go home satisfied" (Exo. 18:17-23). Leaders multiplied at every level: the only way to lead the people and get them home to the promised land. So it is into the New Testament. Paul urges Timothy, his young apprentice who was a leader in the next generation: "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others" (2 Tim. 2:2). To fulfill our calling -- to make disciples of the nations until Jesus returns -- leaders must be replicated at every level of ministry. Because ministry takes place at every level of life, we need leaders there, too: trained to serve, unleashed to lead, and able to develop new leaders.

A Spiritual Call

Yesterday I saw a spiritual call. Gene Betts, one of my long time friends and husband of Martha who just passed into glory, flew up to Philly to pick up daughter Anne and grandson Blaine who are going to keep him company for a while back in Augusta, GA. During our brief time together, Gene received a phone message on his private cell phone -- something that was a bit unusual when we are together. It was a message of condolence from our friends in South Africa, the Cassidys.

During their Philly days, Gene was not only an elder at Tenth, but head of our missions commission who faithfully wrote personal letters to our friends overseas every Sunday for years. True bonds of friendship as well as partnership in the Gospel were forged: Bonds that now sustain in a season of grief. It was a spiritual call.

Hope I use my cell phone in the same encouraging way.

Study Leave

My study leave (see posting below) will be spent developing the talk I gave about a year ago, "Speaking the Truth in Love." I'd like to take the ideas from that message and develop them into 10 minute teaching segments to be posted on line and placed on cd. If you would like to listen to the original message (69 minutes), click here.

Gone with the Wynne

I will be away March 13-25 on study leave. The "A Proverb a Day" devotional will continue through the able skills of other contributers. Carroll Wynne will take over managing this blog while I am away. (Curious...the spiritual with the words, "sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble," popped in my mind.) If you have info you want posted, send email to him at cwynne@tenth.org.

Going Fast

With the last numbers I've seen, there are only 160 seats left for the PCRT conference. If you are planning to go, you should register now. You can do by clicking the Alliance link on the right column.

ESL Volunteers Needed

New Life Northeast PCA has started an ESL program reaching out to the Albanian population in our community. We could use your help, if you have a heart for outreach and serving the aliens (immigrants) among us. 65 people have started classes, but we have over 100 who have signed up. We simply do not have enough people power to teach all these classes. We are willing to train if you want to teach, but we really have a big need for people to come and help our teachers. It's really exciting to help the students practice English by reading the Bible with them! We have classes in the morning and evenings as your availability allows. We particularly need men to help forge relationships, as the large majority of people who signed up are men. If you live in the Northeast and can help, please contact Pastor Bob Willetts at 215-331-6344 or newlifenortheastchurch@verizon.net

New Life is located at 3300 Tyson Avenue.

Christianity Explored

New Life Northeast PCA is hosting a Christianity Explored training conference on May 9th & 10th from 6:15 pm to 9:15 pm at our location, 3300 Tyson Ave, Phila, PA 19149 at the corner of Tyson and Rowland Aves. between Roosevelt Blvd. and close to the Cottman Ave. exit on 95. This conference is lead by Rico Tice of All Souls Church who has developed a relational evangelism ministry centered on the Gospel according to Mark. It is designed for any church member who desires to use a culturally relative evangelistic tool. The cost is only $40 and includes refreshments and handouts. We've run the course at our church and the Lord has blessed us pretty amazingly! It can also be run out of homes and in small groups. The format is a simple meal, Bible discussion, a short DVD, and a follow-up discussion. We'd love to have you attend. Please sign up soon and reserve a spot. Call 215-331-6344 and ask for Bob or Karen, or email us at newlifenortheastchurch@verizon.net.

(Note: For an interview with Rico Tice in Modern Reformation, click here. I'd love for someone from Tenth to go and report back. Pastoral staff will be away those days.)

PCRT Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are still urgently needed for PCRT for bookstore set-up and sales, registration, and hospitality. Please contact Pat Russell at prussell@tenth.org or x243. The Alliance is offering a full set of conference CDs and free overflow seating to those who volunteer for 3 hours or more.

Urban Missions Conference Schedule

Friday, March 10, 7:00 pm
Bill Krispin, CityNet Ministries, Keynote Speaker: "Vision for the City"

Saturday, March 11, 9:30 am–12:30 pm
Bruce Finn, Church Planting Coordinator, speaking: "Biblical Strategies for Church Planting"
A panel discussion with church planters:
.....Tuck Bartholomew, City Church (University City)
.....Geoff Bradford and Steve Huber, liberti (Art Museum and Northern Liberties)
.....Kin Lam, New City Church (South Philly)
.....Lance Lewis, Christ Liberation Fellowship (Overbrook)
.....Doug Logan, Calvary Bible Church (Port Richmond)

Sunday, March 12, 9:00 and 11:00 am services
Tuck Bartholomew, church planter in University City, preaching: “Engaging the Mission of God”
Missionary Greeting: John Freeman, Harvest USA

Sunday, March 12, 6:15 pm service
Bill Krispin, CityNet Ministries, preaching: "On Body, Many Parts, Members Together"
Missionary Greeting: Barb Weidman, IVCF, Temple

From the 1997 Annual Report

The dominant theme [for the diaconate] was "outsourcing"...Last year saw dramatic increases in participation in both Fellowship (running the coffee hours) and Comunion and Ushering (taking offering, greeting, seating)...

We were deeply saddened by the death of Executive Manager Joan Borgard. We will also miss receptionist Karen Molock and Organist/Music Director Robert Carwithen, who resigned during the year...

The Jewish Christian Ministry was recognized by the Session as a ministry of the church in the fall of 1997...

After five years of faithful service building up and organizing the library and itscollections, Ginger Clark...asked us, Paul and syulvia Duggan, to take over...

The Summer Missions teacm returned to Rehoboth Beach...Our team included Sarah Clark, Amber Curry, Josh Elliott, Tim Grant, Katie Hala, Chris Kaminstein, Rachel Kent, Ruth Kent, Susan Kent, Brad Mattson, Kirsten McFarland, Rich Modesti, nathan Norris, Liz Sorkness, Rachel Toliver, Jevon VanVliet, Darv Dombach, Mark Kent and Carroll Wynne.

Presbytery Core Value #10

Christ’s body, the Church, is one: This compels us to work in partnership with others of like faith and ministry in order to see our vision become reality.

Our Savior Himself compelled us to do ministry, not alone or in isolation, but in partnership with others of like faith, vision, and ministry when he prayed:

“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:20-23).

Our Presbytery has been given a vision for this region that compels us to work together with others in the body of Christ. None of our congregations can accomplish it alone. None of our churches has been given all of the resources of the Holy Spirit. The various parts of the body of Christ need each other (1 Cor. 12). The body of Christ in the Philadelphia area is rich and diverse. Our vision can be realized only as “the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16). Partnership within our Presbytery is essential, as are partnerships with other congregations and ministries. Therefore, we want to cultivate communication and cooperation with other parts of the body of Christ and to work in alliances wherever appropriate.

Spiritual Health Survey Posted

The Spiritual Health Survey is posted on the church website. Click here to get to it, or got to the site, click About Tenth, then The Strategic Plan. You cannot "take" the survey on line, but is there for informational purposes. Some have indicated they would like to take the survey for their own benefit as well.

Survey on Corporate Prayer

(No, this is not another Tenth survey. It took me 30 seconds to take.)

Would you take an informal, one-minute survey? We’re interested to learn about your experience with corporate prayer. Your comments will give a glimpse into the vitality of the PCA’s corporate prayer life and also provide an indication of how corporate prayer is shaping the life of your church. Click here and take a minute to give us your views. The results will appear in the April issue of byFaith.

On Being a Christian Legislator

That's the topic of a symposium Thursday, March 16, 7:30-9:00pm.

The featured speaker is Stewart J. Greenleaf, a state senator representing the 12th Senatorial District of Pennsylvania (comprised of parts of Montgomery and Bucks Counties). Formerly a member of the PA House (1977-1978), and now in the PA Senate for the last 28 years, presently serving as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In addition to numerous responsibilities, he is a board member of SEPTA. Senator Greenleaf is also an active member of Calvary Church (PCA) in Willow Grove. In October 1994 his 'A Christian in Politics' appeared in New Horizons (15.9, pages 5-6), the magazine of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

With the Lord

I've just learned that Martha Betts died at about 2:00 this afternoon after struggling with cancer. Please pray for Gene and the family. There will be a service in Atlanta and also one here at 10th. I'll along more information when it comes in.

Phil on UMC

(Found this email that Phil sent out to leaders.)

Please remember that our Urban Missions Conference is this week. We have an important opportunity to grow in our knowledge of church planting, learning more about what God is doing in Philadelphia and capturing a vision for the future. The Friday evening session with Bill Krisipin begins at 7pm; this man knows more about what is happening in Philadelphia spiritually than anyone else alive. The Saturday morning session with church planters from all over the city begins at 9:30am (breakfast at 9am).

Please plan on attending at least one of these sessions, in addition to receiving the public ministry of God's Word in our Sunday services.

Prayer Request

Please pray for Lisa and me as we travel to Atlanta on Thursday and Friday to speak at the WIC (Women in the Church) national conference? I will be giving two plenary addresses and a devotional, and Lisa and I together will be speaking on small group ministry.

Phil

Love Is

What is love, according to children:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis, too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip
before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss."
Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody.You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."
Karen - age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."
Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8

Famous March 6 Birthdays

Michaelangelo
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Shaquile O'Neal
Jeff Frazier
Marion Clark
Ed McMahon

Can You Raed Tihs?

This was fwrdeoad by my borehtr:

cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. Tishs is the phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are; the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Survey Numbers

Approximately 875 people took the spiritual health survey. This is a great response. We will be sending them to a tabulator this week and reporting results at the congregational meeting March 17.

Day of Prayer

We filled Fellowship Hall yesterday for the 9:00 prayer session and had about a dozen at the 11:00. Overall, attendance for the quarterly Day of Prayer has tripled for the last three sessions. May this be an ongoing trend. I am especially pleased, since we did not advertize the prayer sessions as much as we did the earlier two.

True Spiritual Health

Yesterday's sermon, "True Spiritual Health," is posted at DMC Messages. Click the link on the right.