Welcoming Rev. Dave Hackett to APC

This weekend we welcome David Hackett from the Seattle area as our main speaker at the fourth annual Spiritual Enrichment Retreat.  In writing about himself, Dave says...

I work with Phill Butler and a small set of others as global partnership specialists based in Edmonds, WA at www.visionsynergy.net. My focus includes, first, advising international Muslim-outreach related networks (to my joy) such as the Arabian Peninsula Network, the Southend Partnership, and the Libya Partnership; and secondly, advising networks promoting collaboration among those doing international evangelism online, such as the Muslim Internet Evangelism Network, the Turkey Internet Evangelism Network, the Internet Evangelism Coalition for Africa, Internet Evangelism Day, and more.

I spent childhood years in Saudi Arabia where my father was pastor to expats, which embedded my love for Muslims and Arabs. I served as a Presbyterian missionary (Volunteer in Mission), teaching English and Economics at a Presbyterian university in Korea from 1979-1981. (My uncle and aunt are Dr. Samuel and Eileen Moffett, career missionaries in Korea and professor emeritus at Princeton Seminary. They influenced me greatly.) My seminary work was at Fuller Seminary and Oxford University. I was ordained a PCUSA pastor in 1985 and had pastoral calls as mission pastor for eight years in two large churches in Tulsa OK and Bellevue WA, and then shifted for 12 years with Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship, coordinating Presbyterian mission work among UPGs, serving as executive director there. In 2003 I was on the founding board of visionSynergy with Phill Butler and in 2005 shifted over from PFF to visionSynergy to become a staff member. visionSynergy advises networks and equips the global Church in mission partnership. My wife Sandy is also a Presbyterian pastor and we live in Bothell, WA with our youngest daughter (of three) still at home.

 Here are some articles that Dave has recently written....

1.      Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism, Cape Town 2010 “Conversations” (Partnership Subject Matter Specialist) 

a.       Networks benefit by bringing together practitioners from a variety of approaches
b.      "Partnership" in Major Global Mission Declarations
c.       The Four Key Questions of Collaboration
d.      Nurturing a Culture of Exchange
e.       Are You a Network Owner or a Network Steward?
f.       A Partnership of Two is Inherently Unstable
g.      Sure-fire ways to kill a partnership
h.      On-the-Grounders Missing Media-Generated Inquirers
i.        Crossing the Will/Skill Divide

j.        Partnerships: Scarcity-minded or Abundance-minded?

2.      Lausanne World Pulse Magazine

a.       Global Internet Users Present Vast Opportunities for Online Evangelism
b.      Casting a Global Net
c.       Partnering in Mission: A Better Way to Change the World

3.      Christian Leadership Alliance Magazine

a.       Working Together—It's a God Idea

4.      The Mission Exchange “eXcelerate” Magazine

a.       Equipping the Next Generation for Collaboration
b.      Linking Arms for a Common Cause

5.      Christian Web Trends

a.       Internet Evangelism Idea #15: 3 Creative Ideas from the Non-Western World

6.      Cause Collaboration Course (MA/PhD-level Course curriculum)

a.       The Sub-Saharan Technology Evangelism Movement (a fictional teaching story presented as a model for the main course assignment) (available on request to dhackett@visionsynergy.net)

7.      Quoted or Interviewed In

a.       Adeney, Miriam. “Kingdom Without Borders: The Untold Story of Global Christianity”, InterVarsity Press
b.      Petersen, Jonathan. “Mobile, Glocal & Evangelism”, Lausanne World Pulse Magazine
c.       von Buseck, Craig. “Netcasters: Using the Internet to Make Fishers of Men”, B&H Publishing
d.      Whittaker, Tony. “The Twenty-first Century Roman Road–Signposts along the Way”, Lausanne World Pulse 

8.  Also if you get a chance, read his blog from a few years ago.

9.  Or follow Dave Hackett today on Twitter.

January 16th Update from the Masseys

16^th Jan 2012,

Dear Prayer Partners,

Although we reached the middle of January we haven’t had time to relax. Children had practiced dances and skits which they presented at the parents’ meeting. After Christmas we took all the 63 children for a picnic to a riverside. They had a sports and essay-writing competition. The winners received their prizes in from of their mothers who came for the Parents meeting. Shobha spoke to them from the Word of God on how to bring up their children.

There was a wedding in Shobha’s family which we attended in Bangalore. The organization that supported our Children’s Home sent auditors to do check 10 years accounts. As they left we had two overseas guests from UK and USA.

Shobha is suffering from bronchitis and she needs prayer. She has a Ladies Retreat from 19^th till 21^st of Jan. Many are planning to come from our project areas. Please pray that God’s Spirit will move among these women. Shobha is the speaker for opening meeting and needs your prayer.

We are asked to hand over the building where our children are living to the organization that supported our Home all these years by 31^st Jan 2012. We have made a written request to them to sell the property to us. Please pray that they will consider our request and will transfer the property to us.

Since some days our internet is not working and we are sending this from somewhere else. Melissa is doing all right. Her laptop is not working properly so it is very frustrating when every 5 minutes it shuts down while speaking to her on skype. Please pray that the Lord will provide another one to replace it.

We expect wonderful blessings during this year for you. May you experience them day by day.

Thank you for your sincere prayer support for us and the ministry here.

Yours sincerely,

Arun & Shobha Massey.

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For more information about this ministry, follow this link.  

Introducing Patty Rich, Director of Youth and Children Ministries

Good Afternoon, Here's an update on our efforts to find a new Director of Youth and Children Ministries.

Kristen Thomas - Clarke When Kristen Thomas-Clarke informed me last August that she found a library position with the Kimberton Waldorf School, I was very sorry that she would be stepping down as our Director of Christian Education. Although she was not trained as a Christian educator, Kristen was competent and organized. From VBS to the Sunday School Program, she always had the best interests of our children and youth in mind. Ardmore Presbyterian Church is immensely grateful for the work that she did here. Nonetheless, Kristen had been waiting to find a library position for a long time. This is a great opportunity for her to use her talents to the fullest. Anne Foote In order to prevent the loss of momentum in our ministry, we approached Anne Foote to serve as an interim director. Currently the director of APC's Preschool, Anne has also served as Director of Christian Education in the past, and she was gracious enough to agree. She has worked very hard these last few months, especially considering that her husband Gren had some health issues during the same time. Anne is incredibly creative, and she brought that excitement and whimsy to the job. The Ardmore Presbyterian Church is especially thankful for the time and effort she gave to our youngest members. An Opportunity and a Difficult Decision Rather than simply filling the position, the Christian Education Committee and the session took a wiser course. They considered the vacancy as an opportunity to step out in faith. They redefined the position, looking at how we could expand our ministry to children and youth. During the recent stewardship campaign, several members of the congregation increased their giving in support of this decision. I am very grateful that this congregation remains invested in these ministries. After redefining and securing funding for the position, we had the hard task of finding the right person for the job. We reached out to potential candidates through our newsletter, the Philadelphia Presbytery, Eastern University and Palmer Seminary. We had a number of qualified candidates who applied, including some from our congregation. We should be thankful that our congregation has such a wealth of talented people. The decision was a difficult one, but we have hired Patty Rich as our new Director of Children and Youth Ministries. Patty Rich Patty has served as a ruling elder at the Marple Presbyterian Church in Newtown Square. She is also finishing her Masters of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. Prior to her training at the seminary, she served as a middle school and high school teacher at Marple Newtown School District. Over the years she has also volunteered her time working with youth in extracurricular activities such as directing musicals and producing dramas. Patty is married, and she has three adult children.

Over the next few weeks, please take the time to introduce yourself to Patty. Talk to her about our church and the wonderful opportunity we have to share God's love with our children. Then, pray about how you might get involved. Grace and Peace, James Hodsden Senior Pastor, Ardmore Presbyterian Church

Pastor's Pen: Tuning Our Hearts to Sing God's Grace

“TUNING OUR HEARTS TO SING GOD’S GRACE”

January 20‐22, 2012

Ardmore Presbyterian Church

Ask church folks about mission, and they will tell you about a recent mission trip or the missionaries that they support, or even the work of the mission committee. Each of these things is mission, but they don’t tell the whole story. Mission is not simply another program of the church. It is at the heart of who we are as Christians. When Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave his disciples work to be done:  “[Y]ou will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus sent all of us, not just a select few, into the world.

We know the broad story of the Scriptures. The world was created good, but something went wrong.  Our relationship to God became broken. Most of the rest of the Bible describes God’s efforts to redeem and rescue his creation. God sends individuals like Abraham and Moses, but he also sends collectively the nation of Israel to bring the world back to God. These efforts culminate in the life, sacrifice, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His disciples are now sent into the world to show others the way to Christ. As one missionary stated, “Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where there is food.”

Practically, that will look different for different people. We all have differing talents, temperaments, and treasures. A violin sounds different from a saxophone or a tuba. One person may get excited as they work with young people. Another may be passionate about the poor of Philadelphia. A third may love to fix things. Each of these can be our witness to God in the world. Our mission begins where we are—our families, our jobs, and our neighborhoods. Mission is learning to play our song right where we are and in harmony with God’s song.

The focus of the 2012 Spiritual Enrichment Retreat is moving beyond talking about faith. We want to live it. The Ardmore Presbyterian Church’s annual retreat will be like the orchestra tuning before the beginning of a concert. We practice our scales listening to God and ourselves not so we may remain silent. Instead, we are tuning our hearts to sing God’s grace in the world.

For more information about this year's retreat, follow this link, or if you would like to register, follow this link.

Please join us January 20‐22 as we sing God’s song together.

Grace & Peace,
James Hodsden

Stewardship For Kids

STEWARDSHIP FOR KIDS

Just a reminder to thumb tack up your STEWARSDSHIP PUZZLES and PICTURES on the "APC KIDS CARE" Bulletin Board in the Mill Creek Room. Don't forget to wrtie your name on them. I'll be hoping to get Pledge Cards in the Offering Plate in Sunday School, too.

With Care,

STU Bear (and Mrs. Foote)

Christmas Joy Offering Appeal Letter 2011

STILLMAN COLLEGE

Office of the President

November 25,2011

Dear Pastor,

In this season of giving thanks, I am writing to thank you for your support of the Christmas Joy

Offering and to affirm that your leadership as a pastor is more crucial than ever.

As you know, half of the Christmas Joy Offering supports the historic Presbyterian-related racial

ethnic schools and colleges. Those of us at these institutions are grateful for your ongoing support and for the generations of Presbyterians who have helped us carry out our mission. Presbyterians have embraced the notion that it is essential not only to feed the...hungry and clothe the naked but to provide them with skills and habits of mind to so for others. Many of our students go on to become vital leaders in the church. Consider the Rev. Lemuel Garcia, associate presbyter for Salem Presbytery, for example, who says "All that I am or have accomplished I owe in large part to Presbyterian Pan American School."

The transformative power of these Presbyterian institutions is remarkable. Colleges in North

Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama continue to preserve their rich African-American heritage while welcoming a diverse faculty and student body. Cook Native American Ministries in Arizona is nurturing the next generation of Native American church leaders. Thriving secondary schools in Texas and New Mexico enable HispaniclLatino-a and Native students to successfully prepare for college. OurPresbyterian schools have been at the forefront of building a just and equitable society and since their inception have been creating countless good-Samaritan physicians, teachers, nurses and clergy. Even in our secular culture, each school retains a strong Christianidentity-Stillman is still often referred to as "that Presbyterian school."

The other half of the Offering supports the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions which

offers assistance to active and retired pastors and church workers who encounter challenges

beyond their financial means. The Rev. Leonard Elmore was a pastor for over thirty years, serving wherever he heard God calling him. After his death, his widow, Wardine, is able to maintain her independence, living a simple life with the help from the Assistance Program.

The Christmas Joy Offering offers ways to touch the lives of both those who are our greatest hope and those who have the greatest need. Since your congregation may have recently received

a shipment of materials for the Offering, I would like to thank you again for your leadership

in our beloved church in promoting its support. We are honored and humbled that you will

continue to support our ministries-both the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions and

the Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges-with your gifts to the Christmas Joy

Offering. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Margaret Hall

Boone at (800) 728-7228, x5l83, or margaret.boone@pcusa.org.

Yours in Christ,

Ernest McNealey, Ph.D.

President

Pastor's Pen: Love Came Down at Christmas

‘Tis the season, and the music of the season is already in the air. You certainly hear it in worship, but you might also hear it on the radio and in the mall. The Christian carols compete these days with Frosty and Rudolf, but if you listen carefully, you still can hear what happened in Bethlehem so long ago.

Interestingly, those carols shape how we hear the story even more than the Scriptures do. According to the gospel of Luke, the angels responded to Jesus’ birth by proclaiming their praise of God. However, most of us, remembering the carol, believe that the herald angels did not only speak but sang their announcement. According to the gospel of Matthew, an unspecified number of magi came from the East to offer presents to the newborn.  From the carol, we know that there were three, and moreover, they were kings. I am not personally bothered by such discrepancies. For the most part, they are trivia that you can share at your next Christmas party. However, there is one carol that I sing under protest or at least with a caveat.

In the third verse of “Away in a Manger,” we sing

“The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes”

The gospels do not mention whether or not Jesus as a baby cried. I assume that the author of the carol wanted to emphasize that Jesus was somehow different from other babies, and the assumption is that “good” little babies don’t cry.

Unfortunately, I disagree. I believe that Jesus was fully divine. However, Jesus was not like Clark Kent waiting for the right moment to become Superman. He was fully human. He got hungry like other babies. He wet himself like other babies. He cried like other babies. The Scriptures say that Jesus “did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself…” (Philippians 2:6‐7).

Frankly, I am grateful that Jesus knows my humanity in its fullness, especially my weakness. At the death of his friend Lazarus, we read, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). In order to face the challenges that come, I want to know that even my hunger, pain, and sorrow has been redeemed by what Jesus Christ has done.

“Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.”

Merry Christmas,
James Hodsden