Fall Back!

Fall back! Set your clock back one hour tonight for the return to regular EST.

Bridge Closed

Again, New Jersey worshippers, the Ben Franklin Bridge will be closed tomorrow morning, 7:30-9:30. Click here if you want to know more.

Phones Operating Again

Phones are back up!

Mark Gornik

"So African churches in New York City helped me understand New York and they gave me a new way of seeing Christianity." This is a quote from an interview with Mark Gornik, Sunday morning's preacher for the Global Outreach Conference. Mark is the Director and Founder of City Seminary of New York. He has planted two churches, New Song in Baltimore and New Song in New York. His books include To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City, and most recent, Word Made Global: Stories of African Christianity in New York City.

Workshops, Field Trips, Small Groups, and Banquet

There is more to the Global Outreach Conference than the Sunday worship services. You have workshops (tomorrow morning), field trips and small groups (all through next week), and a bountiful banquet (Saturday night, the 12th). To read about them and to sign up, use this link.

No Webcast for Evening Services

The evening services for November 6 and 13 will not be webcast. They will renew on November 20.

Skype Group Success

Well, I just had our first Skype Bible study with six of us. It worked fairly well, though we think five is probably the best number. One person's picture froze; another could not get her microphone to work. But be thinking if this may be an option for you if you have not been able to attend a small group. If you are interested in being in a Skype group, let me know, and I can help get one formed. Email me.

Phones Down

The phones at the church are down. We don't know when they will be functioning.

Back on His Feet

Tenth member Roland Randolf was a speaker at the Back on My Feet banquet last night. Click here to see a picture of him (far right) after a run.

Burkas leave you tongue-tied?

How can I befriend the burka-clad mother at the playground? How can I begin a relationship with the Indian immigrants down the block? How can I get around my own sense of awkwardness to extend God's welcome?

I'm hoping to find out this Saturday morning at the Crossing Cultures Workshops. They start at 9 am with bagels and coffee. There are sessions on Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Chinese--all led by veteran Tenth partners who will be sharing their experiences and helping equip us.

It's really a two-fer: I get to both hear how God has helped them reach across cultural boundaries overseas and get pointers on how to do that here.

Hope you join me!

Following Paul with Phil

I got word from Phil that Wheaton College is planning a footsteps of Paul Tripp tour. Why would they...wait a minute...oh...it's a "footsteps of Paul trip." Here is the announcement:

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Bridge Closed

New Jersey worshippers, the Ben Franklin Bridge will be closed this Sunday from 7:30a-9:30a.

MCO Healthcare Fellowship Lunch

The next MCO Healthcare Fellowship lunch is Sunday, November 6 at 12:45 in Fellowship Hall at Tenth. Our partners who serve in SE Asia will tell us about the medical work going on there. Please join us. If you are able to help with food items or with set-up or clean-up, please let us know at here.  

Thanksgiving Project

Want to support our troops this Thanksgiving season? Two chaplains with the Presbyterian & Reformed Joint Commission on Chaplains & Military Personnel could use some book donations.

Thomas Bowman (Thomas.bowman@maab.afcent.af.mil) supplies solid reading material for the many soldiers transitioning in and out of Manas Air base (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan). With cutbacks, he could use a few extra copies sent to him (Thomas Bowman, 376 AEW/HC, APO,AE 09353). The titles he passes on are (all great classics if you have not read them!):

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Pray for your Pastor

I received this from a friend today: Pray that your pastor will daily “walk in the light” with Jesus and depend on the power of the Spirit in all areas of his life and ministry. His hardest job will be to keep spiritually fresh, so pray that he will always remember:1) his ministry is not merely a job or a profession but is intense spiritual warfare, 2) life’s pressures can easily result in spiritual decline unless he is careful to maintain a close walk with the Lord, 3) he needs spiritual enlightenment. Pray he will continually grow into Christ-likeness, realizing who he is in Christ and being transparent before God.

Unengaged and Unreached

"According to current mission research, nearly 600 unengaged, unreached people groups can be found in North America — many of them in urban areas. They haven’t heard the Gospel in ways they can understand it and respond to it, and no evangelical group currently has a viable plan to reach them. Up to eight of every 10 refugees resettled in the United States come from unreached areas of the world," Erich Bridges reports.

Global outreach starts here. Make plans now to come to the Crossing Cultures Workshops, Saturday from 9 am t0 12 pm and learn from our global partners how to begin stepping across the cultural divide to extend God's welcome.

The Trouble with Paul Tripp

I am not a critical person, and I would never criticize someone I have worked with, but someone has got to do something about Paul Tripp! I never did feel comfortable with his preaching because it was obvious that he was pointing his finger at me when he would get to those "heart issues." I am reading his Lost in the Middle now, and he is worse in his writings. Every book I read of his, it is obvious that he has done some investigating into my life (I suspect Carroll Wynne). With other writers, I can read and be appreciative of their insights. But with Paul, I want to say to his books, "Mind your own business!" Take this comment, for instance: "We tend to live with what is good for us as our deepest concern." He can't fool me with the "we" word. I know he means, "you." How can he keep being so accurate? Well, at least I did not pig out on Big Bob's monster hamburger, monster fries, and the "kitchen sink" dessert like he did. 

International Small Group

Tomorrow morning is the big event - the Skype Bible study I will be conducting at 9:00a. I still have room for two more people. Right now the group includes participants from Norway (way to go, Jean!), Canada, and even on a moving train (Hye-Jin will give it a try).

Turkeys needed

ACTS Ministries needs four more turkeys for the November 13 Community Dinner. Sign up in the mail room or email dapple@tenth.org. Please bring the well-done cooked turkeys with meat sliced to Fellowship Hall before 11:00 on the 13^th.

The Community Dinner ministry also needs four more people for food prep on November 13. Please come to Fellowship Hall after the 11am worship service.

GO Dinner Banquet - Nov. 12th

Registration is now open here for the Global Outreach Conference dinner banquet on Saturday, Nov. 12th, 6:30pm, Fellowship Hall. Enjoy Mediterranean cuisine. Hear from various trip participants who went on field trips during the week. Come in ethnic attire if you would like. All are welcome!

Skype Bible Study

I still have 3-5 slots open for anyone to join me in a one-time Skype Bible study this coming Thursday at 9:00a.m., EST. You need to have video capability. Email me if you would like to join in and send me your Skype username. This is a practice trial to hold a group Bible study. Once I get the kinks worked out (if any), then I will help to see similar groups get started. Ideas: shut-ins, early morning before work or noontime at work, stay at home mothers, nationwide or worldwide groups.

By the way, according to my records, we have 400 communicant members in some kind of small group, of which there are 56. That represents 26% of resident members. That's a good base, but I certainly would like to see those numbers grow. You can see all the groups at Access ACS. Go to the church website and click "Access ACS" on the top right hand column.

Hay Y'all!

Here is the good-looking Foundations Class (young marrieds) posing for a picture at their hayride.

Parade of Flags

Don't be late for church on Sunday. You don't want to miss the Parade of Flags that will open each morning service.

Congratulations (sort of)

After much agonizing prayer, I have been convicted. And so will say, congratulations, Jack, on the Cardinals' championship.