Passed!

Jonathan Olsen passed his oral examination before the presbytery credentials committee Thursday. Only one more step to go before his approval, which is to appear before the whole presbytery May 12. The most difficult exams are behind him, however.

Celebration

Here is tonight's program for the CCA/SHCS school celebration:


6:00—6:45 FINE ARTS FESTIVAL Mr. Joe Sinagra, Coordinator
in Fellowship Hall & 315 S. 17th Street
(Please proceed to the Tenth Church sanctuary at 6:45)

7:00 CELEBRATION CONCERT

Welcome & Prayer Rev. D. Marion Clark, Board Co-Chair
CCA Choir Mr. John Sims, Director
“Victory”
“Let Us All Praise God”

CCA Dramatic Presentation Ms. Kristen Schier, Director

SHCS Choir Mr. Jack Faulkner, Guest Conductor
“Amen”
“Jesus, You’re Beautiful”
“Glorious”
SHCS 8th Grade Dance Ensemble Mrs. Felicia Mercer, Choreographer

SHCS Vocal Ensemble Mr. Jack Faulkner, Guest Conductor
“There Is A Fountain”
“He Reigns”
CCA Mime Troupe Ms. Sarah Thompson, Director
“I Understand”

“Let’s Celebrate Together” Dr. Seth Cohen, Headmaster
Offering

CCA Liturgical Dance Mr. Corey Trower, Director
“Are You Ready?”
“Light to the City” Video Presentation

Finale John Sims, Director
“Total Praise"

Council of Reforming Churches

Check out the website and blogsite of the Council of Reforming Churches whose mission is:

The Council of Reforming Churches (CRC) exists to impact the black church and greater black community with biblical theology which has its fulfillment in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Our aim is to see reformed theology planted, take root and eventually flourish within and among the black community, for Christ, the Church, and the Truth.

Lance Lewis is part of this group and has the most recend blog posting telling his story of deliverance.

Volunteers Still Needed

PCRT volunteers are still needed to help on Saturday night (roughly 10-11 pm) with bookstore strike-- packing up the books and taking down tables. The more people we have helping, the faster this will go. If you're able and willing to help, please contact Anne Davies at adavies@tenth.org or x243.

Welcome Anna Lynn

Anna Lynn Willcox was born at 12:20 pm, Saturday March 31. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 10.2 ounces and21 inches in length. According to the parents Gary and Sue, the hospital verified that she is the most beautiful baby ever born at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital

Art and Performing Art

City Center Academy and Spruce Hill Christian School present a performing arts concert Friday night beginning at 7:00 in the Sanctuary. There will also be an arts show at 6:00.

Walking Tour

Greg Berzinsky came across this walking tour of Rittenhouse square. Tenth is noted favorably. It includes an interesting bit on the adjoining propriety at 1710 Spruce.

Pray

Kenny Thompson is the one with the hand over his head. The son of Tom and Leslie Thompson, he is staying on the Virginia Tech campus and would appreciate prayers as he reaches out to his fellow students.

Professor Kline

Dr. Meredith G. Kline (1922 – 2007) was called home to glory on April 13, 2007. Dr. Kline was ordained by the Presbytery of New Jersey of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1948. For over 50 years, Dr. Kline served as a Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Seminary in California. Both Gordon-Conwell and Westminster Seminary honored him by appointing him Professor Emeritus.

Note: He was my professor at GCTS.

Prayer for brothers and sisters in Turkey

An edited version of an email we received today . . .

Earlier today, attackers entered a Christian publishing house in the Turkish city of Malatya and slit the throats of 4 believers, sending tremors across the believing community in that country. This follows the recent murder on Istanbul streets of a prominent Armenia journalist, who was probably a believer and the earlier murder of a Roman Catholic priest in his church. Here is USA Today's report of the incident.

We have very little information, but understand that the believers, especially those in more remote parts of the country are shaken and in need of your prayers and encouragement. Though our Turkish brothers and sisters are always in need of our solidarity with them, they have a special need of that today. Please remember them before our heavenly Father!

Hulmes Are Grandparents!

We are glad to hear of the birth of Art and Pam Hulme’s new grandson, Casey Lee, born April 10 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Matt and Katie Hulme.

Help Requested

Help is needed on Friday afternoon, May 4 moving Anne-Cara out of her UPenn dorm at 34th and Samson Street to her home in Philly. Anyone with a van is especially welcome. Contact David Apple at dapple@tenth.org or 215-477-1225.

New CCEF Director

TE Timothy S. Lane has been appointed Executive Director The Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). An inauguration ceremony will be held on May 7, 2007 at Oreland Presbyterian Church in Oreland, Penn., at 7 p.m.

Summer Partnership Opportunity

We have been in communication with the pastor of All Nations Church is West Philadelphia to see if there are ways we can partner with them in some of their summer outreach. All Nations is a PCA church plant ministering to African immigrants. This would provide a great opportunity for Tenth folks (particularly those in Parish 3) to be involved in cross-cultural ministry in their own backyard.

The following help is needed:
People to teach in children Bible Club for two days (June 28 and 29, 2007) morning time
People to participate with us in neighborhood evangelism (divided in groups for this in the afternoon).
People with musical instruments will be needed for evenings worship services for three days (June 28, 29, and 30, 2007).

Please contact Christiana at cfitzpatrick@tenth.org or by calling Tenth if you are interested in serving in this way.

Grace Covenant PCA and Virginia Tech

A note from TE Chris Hutcheson, pastor of Grace Covenant PCA in Blacksburg, Va., on the ministry taking place as a result of the shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on April 16, 2007.

We continue to receive e-mails and phone calls from all over the country of people expressing their support in prayer, and asking how they may help. We are grateful for all of this love shown to us in this hour, and trust that God will use their prayers to help us as a church reach out with the gospel. We are posting these updates and prayer requests to our website so that you can refer people there.

Please pray for Faythe Rittenhouse, who works in Norris and for Haiyan Cheng, (a graduate teaching assistant who was teaching a computer science class at Norris 205 classroom during the shooting on Monday morning) recovering from the trauma of a close call. She and her family were baptized just last year at Grace Covenant. We praise God for this mercy in the midst of such sorrow. Her account may be viewed here.

A photo of a prayer meeting at Grace Covenant PCA (click to read the article).

Here is a story from WORLD magazine which includes information about what one of Grace Covenant's members, Haiyan Cheng, went through.

Our Speaker Is...

Does Phil check his calendar when he accepts speaking engagements? Here is his schedule for this weekend:

Friday in Atlanta: 1:15, 3:30, 7:00 for the denomination-wide Women in the Church Conference and Mercy Ministry Conference

Saturday in Grand Rapids: 2:00 for PCRT (Paul Jones is also giving a workshop there)

Sunday in (or near) Grand Rapids: morning worship at Covenant Presbyterian

New Baby!

Robert and Christian Trautner are rejoicing over the birth of their first child, Chase Robert, on April 13. They are all doing well.

Parenting Class This Week

The April 22 parenting class is “Discipline: Freedom and Boundaries.” Carroll Wynne will teach about discipline of older children/teenagers. The April 29 class is with Joe and Arlita Winston on discipline of younger children.

Unveiling

Because of other activities going on after Sunday's worship service, some are asking how long the Boice Memorial unveiling ceremony will be. Plan on 10 minutes, which will include singing Dr. Boice's hymn "Give Praise to God."

Car to Loan?

It's last minute notice, but Phil is leaving this evening for a two-day study leave and is wondering if anyone might have a car to lend him. He would need it after the commission meetings tonight (around 9 pm) until Thursday (around 7 pm). Please contact Anne Davies (adavies@tenth.org or x243) by 5 pm today if you have a car you'd be willing to lend him.

Boice Memorial

The Boice Memorial is installed! We will unveil it this Sunday following the 11:00 service.

Virginia Tech Tragedy

There has been a deadly killing spree at Virginia Tech (22 students dead). Check your news sources. Tenth has one college student, Kenny Thompson, attending there. His parents report that he is safe.

In the Ballroom

Ginger and I are taking ballroom dance lessons courtesy of our daughter Sarah. We will be taking four lessons every Monday in May. Want to join us? Email Christy at centercitydance@gmail.com. Tell I referred you. Click here for the studio's website. You won't see this particular class listed as they are scheduling it now.

His End is His Beginning

Phil presented a fitting ending sermon to the Gospel of Luke on Sunday. He moves now to 1 Kings 1-11 as a prelude to a series on Ecclesiastes. He will preach again May 13. Meanwhile is off to Atlanta to speak at the WIC national conference and the PCA Mercy Ministry Conference, then to Grand Rapids for next weekend's PCRT, then Sunday morning at Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Sanctuary News

You know the rear arches in the sanctuary where the paint is pealing? By two weeks they should be restored. Pat Canavan sends this notice:

Painters will commence work in our sanctuary today and continue for the next two weeks in the rear sections of both the 17th and 18th St. balconies. Work is being done by the same painters who restored our apse. Scaffolding will be erected on both sides of the sanctuary at these points as well. It will not present any egress issues, but may prevent full view for some people seated both in and under the balcony in those sections. The scaffolding will remain for the Spruce Hil/CCA school festival on April 20 and for the Sunday, April 22 services. It will be dismantled by the Thursday preceding PCRT.

Painters are not the only ones coming in today. The installers of the Boice memorial are scheduled for this afternoon.

Reporting In

Liz Mosebrook, Jonathan McCarthy, and I are holding down the fort for now. CCA is in session. I expect more staff to be trickling in. What's a little wind, snow, sleet, and rain anyhow?