Pastor's Pen: The Lampost at Montgomery and Mill Creek

As long as the Ardmore Presbyterian Church has had a physical presence on the corner of Montgomery and Mill Creek Avenue there has been lamppost.  In the evenings as people walk and cars pass by the chapel entrance, a light shines forth.  In days past, that chapel was the sanctuary, and the lamppost had a much more prominent place in the life of the congregation.  You could see it every time you came to worship.  The first pastor of the church, Rev. Edmund Rawson wrote to the children of the church about our lamppost in 1914,

This is our lamp-post.  By day the sign tells strangers where our Church is.  By night the lamp helps us to see the path.  Every Sunday it is there, rain or shine, waiting to show you the way to Bible School and Church. Will you come to both as often as you can?

Our congregation began as a light to our neighborhood.  Ardmore Presbyterian Church was there to show that life was more than getting on the train and going to work.  In doing so, we were being faithful to the words of Jesus Christ, "…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Over a hundred years later, the neighborhood looks a little different.  The world of 2012 seems far removed from the early days of the twentieth century.  There have been incredible changes, both technological and social.  Many of the changes have been for the better, but they have also given us new challenges and anxieties. 

That lamppost in front of the chapel entrance stands as a needed reminder of who we are.  No matter the generation, we stumble when we walk in the darkness.  Although it may look a little different in various places and ages, the loving light of Jesus Christ is the answer to our needs.  The people of the Ardmore Presbyterian Church bring that light to today’s concerns.  We are transformed by God’s grace, and by extension, the world is a little brighter because of our presence. 

Mission Partnership: WePAC

The West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC) is seeking
volunteers to serve in elementary schools in West Philadelphia to help
young students enhance their literacy skills. WePAC opens and staffs
closed elementary school libraries, using volunteers to read stories to
children and help them select and check out books. The great majority of
elementary schools in West Philadelphia no longer have an open library,
and WePAC fills the need for an active library at no cost to the school.
In addition, WePAC volunteers serve as literacy assistants in K-2
classrooms and help run after-school newspaper clubs in several schools.
As these programs grow, many new volunteers are needed. If you are
interested in volunteering, please visit WePAC's website at
www.wepac.org or call 215-990-6084. -Connie Hoelscher

June 6th letter from Masey's

6^th June 2012

Dear Prayer Partners,

We just arrived from a month of very fruitful time in Australia. It was a time of refreshing for us. God spoke to us many times and repeatedly reminded us that he has called us to serve Him. We were encouraged and assured that He will be always with us in our times of trouble and pain and bring to fruition His purpose. Thank you for standing with us and praying that He would break through hard places and bring about victory for His Glory.

Children’s Home Building: The last time we heard from the organization was before we left for Australia that if we do not hand over the building they will take us to the court. I know many of you are concerned about this status and are standing with us. Thank you. Please continue to pray that the organization will look for the wellbeing of children and not do anything for their own gain. We are still living in the same building. Please pray that they will accept our offer to pay the cost of the construction and transfer the title to Caring Hands.

The good news is that the BOYS HOME STARTED with 8 boys this month. Praise God after many years of prayers we felt that Prakash & Hanna would the couple to take care of Boys. Continue to pray that they will adjust and settle down quickly and that we will be able to put them in the right school. We are looking for sponsors for Boy’s Home. If you want to sponsor please write to us. Thank you.

All, except two of our girls from the JOYFUL CHILDREN’S HOME passed in their exam and promoted to the next grade. Two girls completed one-year diploma course in nursing and are looking for job opportunities. One girl finished B.A. degree. Please pray for our children’s education and spiritual growth. We are expecting some more new girls to come to our Home. This month is a very busy month for Children’s Home as we need to get their admission into schools and colleges, buy uniforms, books, shoes etc. please pray that we will be able to get a good deal when we shop. Please pray for the need of workers who are truly called to work in Children’s Home.

OVERSEAS OPPORTUNITIES: Arun with our staff Mr. John Gouder (Co-ordinator of Church Ministry) and Mary (matron) attended a conference in Kenya for 15 days in April. That was a very good experience for John and Mary as they travelled abroad for the first time.

From April 31^st till 2^nd June Shobha & I went to Australia to attend Leadership training, and speak in meetings and visiting our friends and family. We have another opportunity to go again next year and speak in meetings in Australia.

KIDS CAMPS IN SUMMER: In the month of April and May KIDS CAMPS were conducted in five different towns for all boys and girls who attend our Churches and Share & Care Programs. All our staff under the youngest leader Shruti (21) worked hard to make it a great success. Nearly 600 boys and girls attended in Belhatti, Kittur, Halga, Jagdal and Jamkhandi. Shruti is one of the Joyful Children’s Home’s girls and is now working in Caring Hands.

YOUTH CAMP: FROM 26^TH TO 28^th we are conducting a Youth camp. From our churches young people will come for three days. Please pray that it will be a wonderful time of meeting with God for the young people and growing in His Word.

PASTORS’ GATHERING: Arun’s heart is to encourage pastors who work in rural areas and have no fellowship with others. We want to refresh and encourage them to do better for the Lord in the ministry. For this purpose we are organizing a Pastors’ Gathering in July. We pray that pastors who need a time of refreshing from our Lord will come and be blessed.

VISIT TO THE U.S.A: Shobha and I are planning to come to USA from August till October. Melissa has two weeks of vacation in August and her 18^th birthday is on 21^st of August so we want to be with her. We hope to celebrate her birthday in Dallas, TX., where Arun’s younger brother lives. Now she is working eight hours everyday in the school to cover her fees. We need not pay anything for her tuition.

We have an invitation to visit ND, CA, GA, SC, NC and VA. If, you are in any of these states we would love to meet you. Please let us if you want us to come and speak in your groups or churches.

Thank you again for your support and prayers for our ministry. Please continue to uphold us in your prayers.

Yours in His service,

Arun & Shobha Massey.

arunmassey@yahoo.com

General Assembly 2012 Background

On June 30 - July 7, 2012 the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA will be meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Over the years, our denomination has faced the incredible challenges of a changing culture and declining numbers.  In the past several years, General Assemblies have created lots of controversy over decisions that they have made.  I have no doubt that this year will be same. 

I would encourage everyone to pray for the commissioners to the General Assembly.  Please ask that they would be guided by God's wisdom.  Also pray for peace.  Ask that the decisions that they make would not be made in haste or hate.

Today, I received an e-mail from Dr. James Goodloe.  He is the executive director of an organization called the Foundation for Reformed Theology.  It is a great organization, and this year I was able to attend a seminar sponsored by the Foundation at Princeton.  Dr. Goodloe shared some helpful background on the General Assembly.  I thought that some of you might appreciate it.

Grace & Peace,
James Hodsden

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the national level governing body of the denomination, will be meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from Saturday, June 30. 

We will certainly be watching the General Assembly with great interest. What happens there has the potential to have a tremendous impact upon the congregations of the church. I hope and pray that we can look for great and wonderful things from the Assembly. , through Saturday, July 7, 2012.At the same time, I am aware that sometimes things happen which have the potential to be upsetting. So, I am writing to try to provide a little help for all of us who will be watching the General Assembly. 

First of all, please realize that in addition to the several hundred official and voting commissioners from the various presbyteries, there are usually several thousand other people in attendance. Some of these are staff. Some are volunteers. Some are visitors. Some are reporters. And some are members of various advocacy groups that are always swirling around the Assembly. Some of these groups are from the so-called "right wing" of the church, for lack of a better term, and some are from the "left wing," again for lack of a better term. Please understand that these people and organizations will be there to speak to the church. They do not speak for the church. They are seeking to influence the church to change something, one way or the other. But they do not represent the church. We may or may not like what they say, but they are not speaking on behalf the church, anyway. 

Second, sometimes the General Assembly might adopt a position statement on some issue. This could be theological, political, economic, or social. Please realize that such statements represent only that particular Assembly. Such statements intend to speak to the church. They do not speak for the church. If any such statements are made, we may receive them, read them, study them, and determine for ourselves whether or not they seem to be helpful to us. If they are, we may use them. If they are not, we do not have to use them. They are not binding on the congregations or members of the denomination.

Third, the General Assembly may take actions that are intended to initiate amendments (changes) to the Book of Order, which is part of the constitution of the denomination. These are much more important than position statements, in that they may have long term effects on the faith and life of the church. However, even if this General Assembly does give such initial approval to some amendments, they would still have to be sent out to all the presbyteries for consideration over the course of the next two years. A majority of the presbyteries would have to approve any amendments, which then would not go into effect until the following General Assembly, which will be in 2014. The point is, the presbyteries have a history of turning down some of the amendments sent to them. So, even if an amendment is initiated this year, it very well may not become part  of the policy of the church.

Fourth, the General Assembly may make what is called an authoritative interpretation. This may be a little trickier. By definition, an authoritative interpretation is not a change in the constitution. It is, instead, an official declaration by the Assembly of what some part of the constitution means. It can be approved by a simple majority vote of the commissioners at the Assembly, and therefore it is not sent out to the presbyteries for their consideration. Such an interpretation does become binding upon the governing bodies of the church, including sessions, unless and until it is overturned by some subsequent authoritative interpretation.

Fifth, please realize that any coverage we receive in the news media is very likely to be plagued by gross misunderstanding if not outright error. It seems to be very rare that the news media gets things right about the church. So, if something bizarre is reported, please withhold judgment at least until we can look into the matter and see what is really going on. Many will be watching the General Assembly closely, through all the information sources available. Come what may, we are grateful to be officers in and for the church, and we look forward to continuing to serve together in faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

UPDATE:  Apparently amendments to the Book of Order, if approved by a majority of the presbyteries, go into effect one year after the close of the 2012 Assembly.

Pastor's Pen: Looking for a Hero

In 1938, two high school students from Cleveland had a vision for a comic hero.  He had super strength, super speed, and super senses.  The character resonated with the public, and Superman was born.  Since that time, a thousand heroes in tights have bloomed.  Whether they are women or men, aliens or mutants, or even wizards or robots, they all have one thing in common.  Each has powers and abilities far beyond us mortals.

In the early days, the assumption was that superheroes used their powers for “truth, justice, and the American way.”  However, since then we have grown cynical.  Power, we realize, has its own temptations.  This isn’t a new revelation.  In fact, it is as old as the tempting of Adam and Eve.  The serpent whispers, “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5).

In 1962, Stan Lee created a comic character struggling to make the transition between adolescence to adulthood.  Due to a bite from a radioactive spider, the awkward teenager must deal with incredible powers thrust upon him.  “With great power,” we are told, “comes great responsibility.”  Jesus himself will similarly declare two thousand years earlier, “To whom much is given, much will be expected” (Luke 12:48).

We don’t have x-ray vision or the ability to sling webs, but we are blessed.  Our talents and abilities are formidable.  How do we avoid temptation?  How do we reject exploitation or the abuse of power?  How can we be gifted yet humble?

The model for us is Jesus.  Jesus came and walked with us.  He listened to God, trusting in God’s word.  He spoke out against injustice.  He faced danger with courage.  Jesus continues to love us with a sacrificial love.  Moreover, Jesus offers these gifts to us.  “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these” (John 14:12).  If we are looking to be a hero, we need to look to Jesus.

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on June 18-22, our children will be exploring what it means to be a hero at Ardmore Presbyterian Church’s Vacation Bible School.  Exploring the stories of the Old and New Testament, we will be looking for Jesus.  Through games, crafts, and lessons, we learn what it means to follow him.  Check out www.ardmorepres.org for more information. 

Grace & Peace,

James Hodsden

REGISTER ON-LINE FOR VBS HERE.

Garden Fellowship on Wednesdays

Hello all now and future APC gardeners!

This is a note to say we hope you will join us this Wednesday at the garden right behind the church for some great food(really!) and fellowship. We have been meeting for several weeks now and we are having a good time. The garden is coming along nicely. We've had Keenagers, younger people, single people, families, pastors and even new visitors to our church attend. You will fit in well. If you have chairs or blankets please feel free to bring those as we add to the supply at the Parrish House. We have hot dogs and (veggie burgers upon request) for the grill and drinks supplied. People have been bringing a side, chips or dessert to share. You don't have to bring anything but we have enjoyed eating everyone's delicious food. 

Do you ever drive through west Philly and feel some despair? Do you cross City Line Avenue and wonder what is to be done about this place so close to where we live? Come to the garden and see. This is fresh produce, grown and given in Christ's name to our neighbors who otherwise would not have access to it. Your kids will understand this idea of feeding hungry people and you not feel so helpless. The company in good and the tasks are not hard- I promise. Mary Van Leeuwen will show you just how to do it all:)

We will be out there every Wednesday unless it is pouring rain. Come for a little while or come for the whole time. We will be excited to see you.

Please pass this email on to anybody else in the church who you think might enjoy this event. This is going out to the families list but all are welcome.

Blessings,

Karen and Jeff

PS.  If you cannot garden, whether because of the health or interest,you have to be somewhere without dirt on you afterwards,etc please join us anyway. we would love to have your company, regardless.