ESP

Ginger and I spent yesterday morning touring the Eastern State Penitentiary near our home. It costs $9 and we were given an audio listening device to guide us. It is a fascinating tour. The penitentiary was the first prison designed for the purpose of producing what its name indicates - penance. It was meant to be a humane system of producing repentance in the soul of the offender. Based on the Quaker belief that each person has an inner light which can come through if only given time for solitude, the prisoners were placed in cells where they had no contact, not only with the outside world, but from any other prisoner. They spent 23 hours in their cells and one hour in the small private courtyard connected to the cell. The prison was world-reknown and became the model for hundreds in Europe and S. America. Charles Dickens made a point of visiting it, but came away with the conclusion that it was a terrible model that fostered insanity and broken spirits.

Check it out sometime, and then go over behind the Art Museum to the WaterWorks Museum which gives a history of the waterworks which also was a major attraction.

Shut Out

What a delightful morning. I go to my email and only one spam mail. Usually I have twenty overnight. I've just learned we are having a problem again getting outside email and it should be corrected sometime this morning. Evidently no one outside Tenth is getting in to us.

Not Happening

It looks like we have missed our opportunity to host the movie crew of The Happening, M. Night Shalaman's new movie. Alas, I had a great movie script to show him. A minister loses his faith when his wife dies. But he regains it when aliens invade earth and he sees signs of God's provision. I call it "Alien Invasion!" I guess it will never get shown now.

Wedding Bells

Tomorrow, John Brandenberg and Alexandra Morrison will be wed at 3:00 in the church. Pray for their new start together.

Prayer for Elders

Be in prayer for the elders as they meet Saturday morning to receive and discuss the recommendations of the Capital Planning Committee. We will meet from 8-noon.

Searcher

Are you a searcher? Check out today's devotion in A Proverb a Day, as we begin chapter 25.

Hiring Part-Time Caregivers

The company is Human Touch Home Care, Flourtown PA. They are looking for part-time caregivers for their growing non-medical home care company. This company does not hire you as an employee, but brings work opportunities to you from which you can choose. Hours are very flexible: from 2 - 40 hours per week, day or night. Minimum hourly pay is $10.35/hour. The work assists seniors to remain independent. Call 215-233-0676.

New Carpet

Reception Hall is getting new carpet next week. Look for a new look on Sunday, September 2.

Roommate Wanted

Need: I am seeking a female roommate to share my apartment in University City for the fall semester (September through December), with the possibility of continuing into the spring semester.

Vision: to share my apartment with a Christian woman who enjoys hospitality and shares a vision for community.

Basic info:
-- The bedroom is small (11 1/2 x 7 1/2) but comfortable. Fully furnished with a bed, a dresser, a table& chair, and a spacious closet. It is off the main bedroom which means that you must access the bathroom through the mainroom. 2 windows, afternoon sun. Direct access to the back yard.
-- Fully furnished apartment: spacious living room & kitchen, full bath
-- Front porch
-- Washer & dryer in basement & some storage space
-- Walking distance to trolley
-- Responsible landlord & friendly neighbors

-- Availability: As of August 27th (give or take a day or two)
-- $335.00/month + shared electric/gas (Would need the 1st 2 months rent up front: $670.00)

Please contact Heather Swanson: 215-387-3042 or @ alpinej27@yahoo.com (phone is the quickest way to contact me until the end of August).

Women of Faith Conference

Cornerstone Church, PCA (Chesapeake Presbytery) has some tickets available for the Women of Faith Conference-Saturday September 15th (with preview avalable Friday evening Sept. 14th). It is held at the Wacovia Center. The tickets are $45.00 each and cover all day Sat. and the preview Friday night. http://www.womenoffaith.com/conferences/philadelphia/

Please contact Heather Wight at 410.357.8285 or hgwight@comcast.net.

Auditions

Auditions will be held this fall for the upcoming 2008 performance season. Many exciting changes are underway to focus this unique ministry more upon Tenth Church and its outreach to the city. For information, please contact director Bryan Glass at mereBreath@aol.com.

Of Children and Music

Praisemakers (for 4- and 5-year olds) and Schola Cantorum (for students in grades 1-6) will be kicking off the new year of classes this September. The 1st Praisemaker class, which runs during the Sunday morning service, begins on September 9. Schola Cantorum takes place during the Sunday evening service and will have its first class on September 16. Parents can register their kids for these programs September 2, 9 & 16 before and after the 11 am service in Reception Hall. Please stop by the table to ask any questions you have about the program. We are looking forward to a fantastic year of making music to God's glory!

Missy Strong
Director

What Email?

We are having some difficulty receiving email. If you have sent email today, or possibly yesterday, and haven't heard from the person you are contacting, this may be the reason. I am still waiting to get an email my wife sent yesterday.

Observations

Many of you heard the Living Church report given by Wayne Lynch, the consultant that the Capital Campaign Committee has been using to study the feasibility of carrying out a capital campaign. During our meetings with him, Wayne was pointing out a number of positive findings about the church, and I asked him to share them with the church. Here are some of his observations:

- Tenth has audits conducted by a CPA firm and has unqualified opinions (i. e. the finances are in order).
- Tenth has no debt (an issue many churches are struggling with today).
- Tenth has finished with a surplus each year.
- Giving is very healthy as analyzed by per attendee, per adult, or per giving unit. (Of the eight most recent churches our firm has surveyed Tenth’s per attendee giving ranks second.)
- An extremely high level of interest in the future of the church exists, and a strong passion to see the church be effective in reaching the world for Christ.

Meet Eunice Wong

Eunice Wong has been helping Tenth International Fellowship for several years. A volunteer, she provides the administrative support for the ministry. Her husband Moses is a student at Westminister. They have a baby son, Clement, who was born January 1.

Meet Chris Seah

Chris Seah is a veteran intern of Tenth. He has served in the past with Bruce McDowell and TIF, and returns this year in a half-time capacity to direct the international ministry. Chris is a graduate of Westminster. He is married to Robin and they live in Glenside.

The Happening

The Happening did not happen today. You may know that M. Night Shyamalan is producing a new movie, "The Happening," with scenes in Philadelphia. Tenth is providing space for the food service this week. They were to come in today, but backed out due to the rain. We will see what happends tomorrow. But you never know with a Shyamalan movie. Maybe this is all part of the plot. My understanding is that the movie is about the environment running amuck and exterminating mankind. Is it a coincidence that the weather kept the crew away?

Yuck!

What is a father to do? I don't know how many times I've warned Sarah about letting strangers kiss her.

On the Mend

I've learned that some of my public have waiting with anxiety to know whether I ever recovered from last fall's bicycle fall. I am mostly recovered with some remaining stiffness in my left hand. But I have been courageously riding my bicycle on most days to the church. (And yes, I wear a helmet, which does little good for my hand.) Sometimes my wife even follows me on her bike to make sure I don't fall.