Pastor's Pen: Ducks in a Row

Recently, I was reminded of an old friend of the family who passed away many years ago. He was a wonderful pastor. He became a mentor for Sara and a wonderful example for me. He was organized, and he believed in following process and procedures. Our friend had a phrase that he used all the time --“get all your ducks in a row.” In fact, I was thinking of him because someone had used those words.

Although the origin of the phrase is somewhat obscure, many believe that “ducks in a row” comes from the world of bowling. In one variation of the game, the pins are known as duckpins. Before each bowl, the players must ensure that the pins are set up appropriately - “ducks in a row.” The words have come to mean paying attention to detail and ensuring that things are in their proper place.

In the church, we have a word for “getting your ducks in a row.” We call it “stewardship.” As Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. We have God to thank for our talents, our time, our money and our relationships. We should pay attention to God's priorities as we try to get the details right. Instead of hoarding our talents, we use them for the love of God and of neighbor. We spend time with those in need. We build good relationships. We use our money to support the church's worship and ministry. We plan and prepare.

Sometimes in my life, “getting your ducks in a row” seems more like “herding cats.” If we aren't careful, our stewardship can devolve into a chore or a stressful burden. We should take the time to realize that God is not dependent on our imperfect efforts. Instead, every opportunity to serve and to give is a loving response to the love given to us by God (1 John 4:19). We care about the details, “getting our ducks in a row,” because God has cared about us.

All Church Hayride, RSVP by Oct 5

ALL-CHURCH HAYRIDE AND HOT DOG AND S’MORES BONFIRE

• Saturday, October 17^th from 5 to 7 p.m.
• At Sugartown Farms in Malvern
• Cost: $5 per person

So that wagons can be reserved, we’ve been asked to give Sugartown a head count by Monday, October 5^th.

Please RSVP via e-mail or phone the Church Office at 610-642-6650

2009 Harvey Cedars Youth Retreat

It's time to think about the high school retreat at Harvey Cedars. The dates are December 4-6, and we have received an e-mail which tells a bit about this year's program. If you are interested in going, contact the Ardmore Presbyterian Church office, and we will make the arrangements.

Hello wonderful youth leaders,

It's once again time to think about our annual trip to LBI for High School Harvey Cedars which is December 4-6, 2009. I'm pleased to announce that this year my Sr. Pastor Rev. Bill Borror will be our keynote speaker, and our theme will be "Encounter." Bill was in youth ministry for about 15 years prior to his Ordination, and then even worked with youth ministries for the following 5 years. He was an Area Director with Young Life as well, and has an amazing passion for youth and young adults. He has been at Media Presbyterian for 15 years now, and is an Affiliate Professor of Church History and Pastoral Ministry at Palmer Theological Seminary. I'm also pleased to announce we'll have 4th Man Furnace back again this year as our worship team.

The cost for this year has increased a bit, but hopefully not enough to make it painful. The cost for the whole weekend per person is $125; $5 more than last year. I'll need your final numbers for the retreat Monday November 9th, but I need your guesses and deposit of $100 by October 1st. Please make your deposit check payable to Media Presbyterian Church, with the memo "HSHC Retreat."

I'd love to hear back from you prior to October 1st even if it's just to say, "Yes we're in," or "Sorry we can't make it." I'd also love to hear back from you if you're interested in helping with one of several areas, namely, the Prayer Room, and group games. We've scrapped the movie time this year which will add to some fellowship time for your ministries, and hopefully some mingling between groups as well. So the biggest change to our schedule is organized chaos, errr, organized games from 1-3 Saturday afternoon in the gym, and free time from 3-4:30ish in the pool and football field thereafter.

There will be far more to come in the next several weeks but please know that I have begun praying for this event long before now, and will continue to do so as our time together approaches. I hope and trust you'll do the same.

Blessings,
Mark Boyd
Director Youth and Outreach Ministries
Media Presbyterian Church

Moment for Ministry: Associate Pastor Nominating Committee Update

(Given in worship Sunday, September 13 by Elaine Giese)

I am speaking to you this morning on behalf of the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee. First I would like to reintroduce the members of the committee: Jim Dormond and Christian Terwiesch are co-moderators, Carol Shih is our clerk, and the other members are Will Wolverton, Curt Wilson, Barbara Simons and myself.

We have been meeting regularly this summer beginning in July and, thanks to the miracle of modern technology, we have been able to keep in touch even when some of us were on vacation. Our goal was to rewrite the Church Study and then to prepare information for the Church Information Form that is used to advertise the position of Associate Pastor for our church. The fact that a church study had been done very recently was of invaluable assistance and we
owe a debt of thanks to the PNC which called James Hodsden. Our work on that form included updating information and evaluating programs in light of the desires and talents of our new senior pastor. One of our meetings was devoted to having James share with us his interests and dreams for the church.

Both of these documents were presented to the Session at the August meeting. Their corrections and revisions have been included and the documents were approved as edited. The next step was to ask the Committee on Ministry of the Philadelphia Presbytery to approve both forms. That was accomplished in early September. We are now posting the Church Information Form on the national Presbyterian website, our website and have placed ads in Presbyterian Outlook and Presbyterians Today. The committee has devised a system for evaluating the resumes we will receive. If you would like to check out the documents, you can look at the church website or ask one of us for a copy.

We appreciate your prayers. We are also praying that we will feel God guiding us through this process to find the right person to call as our Associate Pastor.

The Other Carpenter: RSVP by Sept 24

Earlier this year, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran an editorial* about the poor condition of housing in the City of Philadelphia. The editorial cited the results of two studies that concluded that maintaining livable, low income housing for residents was possible simply by implementing the skills of “your average handyman”. Although the editorial’s focus was mainly on abandoned houses in the city and how to avoid those circumstances, a subtext of the editorial was that by applying basic maintenance skills, homeowners can prevent the conditions that lead to homes being abandoned and avoid conditions that cause health problems. (For example, in 2006, a survey showed that 8000 households in the city had no working kitchen or bathroom.)

During these difficult financial times, building new affordable housing is not feasible. However, by helping local homeowners apply basic maintenance skills, we can prevent health issues and keep homes from being abandoned. By preserving neighborhoods and strengthening our communities we all benefit. As a hands-on ministry, The Other Carpenter is part of the solution to the housing problem. Volunteers help with maintenance and home improvements for low-income and elderly families. By participating in Saturday sessions with The Other Carpenter (TOC), YOU CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

The Mission Committee is sponsoring another event with The Other Carpenter (TOC) on Saturday, October 3, 2009. Everyone is welcome to participate, whether you have skills or not. David Heaton, the Executive Director, and one of his technicians will coach and supervise the group.

If you are interested in participating, please contact the church office by Thursday, September 24, 2009 at ardpres@verizon.net or phone 610-642-6650.

*Editorial, “Falling Homes: Fixer-uppers”, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, February 2, 2009.

Shine-Up Saturdays Announced

In the late 1980s, a church trustee, George Sargent, organized volunteers on a Saturday to help make repairs to the church property. Since that time, "Shine-up Saturdays" have provided several thousands of dollars of savings to the church. Also, the time together has been a wonderful way to build friendships and bonds within the church.

Since Ardmore Presbyterian Church will be hosting the Philadelphia Presbytery in November 2009, we need your help to get the church property "looking great." We have four opportunities in the coming weeks.

Shine-Up Saturdays scheduled for the Fall of 2009 are: September 26, October 3, October 31, November 7, and November 21.

Please email, ardpres@verizon.net, or phone, 610-642-6650, for your possible dates as soon as you can.

Oct 18: CROP Walk

Join others in the church family and larger community in support of the 31st annual Main Line CROP Walk for World Hunger on Sunday, October 18th. Leave from the Suburban Square Parking Lot at 1:00 pm. Last year $2,970 was raised at Ardmore Presbyterian Church to alleviate hunger worldwide and to provide disaster relief. Both walkers and sponsors are needed. For more information contact the church office.