April - June 2012

Westminster Window
Westminster Presbyterian Church Bob Brunson, Senior Pastor
Worship

Teaching

Nurture

Reaching

Dear friends, In many ways, the quarter of the year that begins with Christmas and ends with Easter is my favorite time of the year. The annual rehearsal of the great events of Jesus life has grown more meaningful to me as the years have gone by, and I look forward to it again every year. In churches that follow the liturgical calendar, only two more big events remainPentecost and Rev. Bob Brunson Ascensionbefore ordinary time begins and carries us through the rest of the year until the beginning of Advent next fall. How, then, do we make our way through ordinary time as a church? Are we just marking time until the great days begin again, or should we expect more of this time than that? In my experience, ordinary time can be an extraordinary time for us as believers, if well take advantage of it. Now that weve been reminded of all the great saving events in the life and ministry of Jesus, its time for us to take those things out for a spin as we utilize what our theological forebears called the ordinary means of grace to grow in grace together as a congregation. And what are they? Brian Cosby in his book Giving Up Gimmicks: Reclaiming Youth Ministry from an Entertainment Culture sets forth the traditional three and then adds (wisely, I think) two more to it. They are:

In This Issue

Worship Missions Youth Summit HOPE Sports

[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

When we decide that

weve had enough buzzseeking for one lifetime and we decide to settle down into a life marked by the steady use of the means of grace, well begin to see ourselves growing strong in the things of God and being used by God in surprising and powerful ways in the ministry of the gospel in our community.

1. The Word of God, preached and taught by those appointed by God to do so, and stud2. 3. 4. 5.
ied by all Gods people with the intent of hearing and obeying the truth; The Prayers of Gods people, prayed together in worship, in families and alone; The Sacraments of baptism and the Lords Supper, two gifts from God to us to confirm to all our senses the promises of the Word of God for our salvation; Service, as we serve one another and the world in obedience to Christ; Community, as we work to live our lives together as Gods people in an increasingly isolated and isolating world.

The problem with the ordinary, of course, is that its so...ordinary. Its not just our youth who have been taught to seek thrills in this worldin fact, theyve learned those things from us. When we decide that weve had enough buzz-seeking for one lifetime and we decide to settle down into a life marked by the steady use of the means of grace, well begin to see ourselves growing strong in the things of God and being used by God in surprising and powerful ways in the ministry of the gospel in our community. Thats how the extraordinary comes to be ordinary in the life of a congregation...and by Gods grace, well see these things grow among us as we pursue these things together in the next weeks and months here at Westminster. So heres to the ordinary...blessings, Pastor Bob
April - June 2012

- Pastor Bob Brunson

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Worship at Westminster
Randy Thomas, Director of Worship

- Spring
2012
Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints.
Ps. 149:1 And this is the confidence [parrhesia] that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. John 5:14, 15 Let us therefore come boldly [parrhesia] unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence [parrhesia] toward God. 1 John 3:21 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5:14, 15 And (pray) for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly [parrhesia], to make known the mystery of the gospel. For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly [parrhesiazomai], as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:19 We more easily think of boldness accompanying preaching. But there is a time- and a need- for boldness in our prayers. Ive been in fellowships where we prayed loudly. Thats just style and not content. Ive been in churches where we prayed meekly, too. Some of you have heard me joke of the Jesus People who thought Gods name was Father Wejus. (Father wejuscome to you nowFather wejus prayFather wejus ask., etc.) Praying very meekly can become mere false humility. What if we prayed boldly, confidently, plainly, and audaciously? What would we pray? What would YOU pray? Judy Dryden heard me ask these questions on a Sunday night. In response, she is praying for 50 families to be added to Westminster Fellowship! I think that is refreshingly bold, and resonates with the heart of God! I think youll find that Pastor Bob prays boldly every Sunday. His prayers for this church are bold and big. If you want to pray with daring chutzpah, join with some other believers! Come on a Bring Praise night and pray big with us! I hope this article encourages someone to pray right now, confident that God answers according to His will. Pray boldly! And believe in a big God!

Randy Thomas

Pray Boldly and Believe in a Big God

I spent a lot of years as a songwriter. I enjoy words. I also like pithy catch phrases that hold great meaning. For example, Teddy Roosevelt adopted an African proverb, Walk softly, and carry a big stick; then you will go far. This became a slogan, then a philosophy, then a policy. Martin Luther is often quoted as saying sin boldly. What did Luther mean? What he actually said was God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. I like that much better. What if we had a saying for praying boldly? If we adopt the rhythm of Roosevelts quip, the idea of Luthers quote, and put it through the synthesis of a songwriters brain, it might come out something like this: Pray Boldly and Believe in a Big God. Wouldnt it be nice if that became a slogan, and then a policy? As Pastor Bob has taken us through the first five chapters of Acts, we see bold believers under fierce opposition whose prayers yield a vibrant, growing church. The Jerusalem church was not known for its imposing mega-facilities and stadium concerts. It was marked by generosity, love, and, well, chutzpah. There I go again, playing with interesting words. Chutzpah is that Yiddish word that is pronounced like HOOTSpuh, much like a baseball player expectorating. Chutzpah means audacity. Jesus had chutzpah to say such things as

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. Jesus also said Without me, you can do nothing. Faith in Jesus is
the game changer. We are changed, and through bold faith in Christ, we change our world. Elijah announced that there would be no rain for a couple of years. Talk about bold. The resulting lack of rain probably got some people, especially farmers, out of the habit of taking God and His blessings lightly! A Greek word that we find often in the New Testament is parrhesia. (pu-REEZ-i-uh) This is translated into English as boldly, plainly, openly, or freely. Parrhesia is the word used when Jesus explained His impending rejection, death, and resurrection in Mark 8:32. He spoke to them parrhesia- plainly / frankly / bluntly. Please dwell on these scriptures that use this bold word:
April - June 2012

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MISSIONS
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations - Matthew 28:19 Our Mission
To serve Christ as we motivate, equip and involve the congregation at Westminster Presbyterian Church in building Gods Kingdom worldwide.

Our Vision
That God might be known as Savior and Lord, and be glorified and worshipped by people from every nation, tribe, and language. That all ministries of Westminster Presbyterian Church would, in ways appropriate for each, motivate, equip and involve the congregation toward growing as World Christians. That the ministry of Westminster Presbyterian Church would enable those involved in our missions programs to be as strategic and effective as possible.

A week to remember... The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. - Zechariah 14:9

April - June 2012

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Winter was fun, and springs warming up too!

In February, The Common Ground Youth survived yet another annual February Lock-In with 18 kids attending from middle school to high school (and a bunch of adults enjoying the night as well). The lock-in is an all night affair and the theme this year was Around the World with Missions. The planning team of Bekah Johnson, Naomi Ingram and Sue Forrester did an amazing job of getting everything in place at just the right time all evening long!

Amanda Biser and her husband Chris came as the guest speakers with their experiences in Haiti. She shared with the group how she started in missions and how she serves with the Reciprocal Ministries International (RMI) ministry. The kids all enjoyed watching the video A Day in the Life of a Young Haitian Boy. This video chronicles the life of Bebetho Moise, who is sponsored through an outreach ministry of RMI. Everyone was paying close attention as she and Chris described their experiences with the kids, food, culture and BUGS! Our youth had a great time playing games right into the next morning, including a quite inventive scavenger hunt game engineered by our own Randy Thomas which took them throughout the WPC campus looking for objects from around the world. The Lock-In was finished off with a wonderful breakfast prepared by Jayne Atkinson and Carol Ruby.

Pray with us, too, as we search for a man to lead our youth ministry and teach Bible in our school. Were excited about this opportunity to expand our ministry and serve our youth, student body, and their families better than ever!
Summer is coming soon, and with it a different pace of activity. Look for word on summer activities as the end of school approaches.

With the changes in school schedules this year, our season-ending Shaving Cream Sock War is scheduled for Wednesday night, May 16. This year weve split time at our weekly meeting on Wednesdays between large group worship and fun and small groups for guys and girls. Our groups took a good look at what the Bible teaches us about God, and then what it teaches us about His people, the church. Added to Randys study on Sunday mornings in the Psalms, our kids have had a growing exposure to the truths of Gods Word.
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Jan - March 2012

John DeMaster, Headmaster

VOLUNTEERS AT SUMMIT
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22 self-

On Saturday, March 30, two parent volunteers spent a good share of the day completing the Some Assembly Required of the new playground equipment for the preschool play area. From the photo, you can observe that the equipment is strong enough to hold even the largest of preschool children, and that after hours of labor even the best workers deserve a break. We also ordered a Climbing Tower for the preschool playground that should arrive soon. We were able to accomplish updating the equipment and expanding the playground due to the success of the PTF sponsored Yankee Candle sale last fall and the Run for Fun. Your support made it possible to complete this project. .

Volunteers at Summit add to the program in so many ways that we cannot possibly list them all. It appears to me that every parent has helped out in some way this year. Some help every week with serving lunch while others are wiling to drive on field trips. Many parents helped with the Run for Fun, assisted with Gone Country, and helped with classroom projects. At Summit we want every parent to feel a part of the school community and to feel appreciated for their contribution.

BUILDERS WITHOUT BORDERS

Summit families rose to the occasion by cleaning out their closets and sending shoes. It was rewarding to see the first box fill, and then another, and another, and another. The preschool children had fun building the wall of shoes for display. The photo is only a fraction of the shoes collected. Thank you for this visible display of concern for our neighbors in Africa.
BOX TOP COLLECTION : We continue to collect Box Topsplease help us by depositing yours in the basket in the narthex. This is a great way to make $$$ for Summit. Tell your relatives and friends to start clipping and saving also!

April - June 2012

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Biblical Counseling & Training

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

HOPE

HOPE House Virginia Stewart, PhD, Dir.

IABC Conference Was a Joy!

Insightful Counselor Training
HOPE Staff attended the IABC Eastern Regional Conference: Believe it or Not. Each workshop and plenary session was very applicable to our own lives, as well as for counseling. As usual, we also had great bonding times as a staff. Virginia Stewart had the privilege of presenting 2 workshops.

Mark Your Calendar: CASE STUDIES & OBSERVATIONS

Topics: Anxiety Perfectionism Marriage Sexual Idolatry When: Tues evenings, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Dates: April 3 - June 5, 2012 More information: Call: 481-0777 Email: hopeoffice@ hopebiblicalcounseling.org
Suggested Donation: $95/person, $155/couple (WPC Members: $75/$100) Come join us as we observe and discuss recorded counseling sessions conducted by experienced, gifted, certified counselors. Relationships Anorexia Typical First Session Conflict Resolution

Nuggets from IABC:

Carol Ruby: I got so much from the conference, but I think the best way to summarize is that all the teachings were so practical for everyday life/everyday conversations with believers and nonbelievers. Dr. Maria Hansen: What you believe about God, directly impacts your faith and obedience. So a high and Biblical view of Christ is fundamental. Paul Flores: We need to cultivate in ourselves and help others to cultivate a God-given sanctified sense, thinking stimulated by Scripture, informed by Scripture, driven by desires derived from Scripture and shaped by God's will by the power of the Holy Spirit . Dr. Virginia Stewart: What is faith? Faith is obedience to God regardless of circumstances or consequences. Brenda Tyson: "Faith never judges God by those circumstances.Faith ultimately looks to the things that are to come" (The last two are from Dr Kevin Hurt: Hebrews 11). Luis Zamot: The conference deepened my faith as well as my confidence to counsel through the Word.

Westminster Wins First Softball Game!

It was a cool evening under the stadium lights. Westminsters unproven softball team, dressed in blue and white, was facing off with New Day Churchs team. The drama began immediately with New Day scrambling for enough team players so as not to be forced into default. Some last minute arrivals saved the day. After prayer, assistant coach and pitcher Mel Johnson led his team onto the field. Head coach Jim Lee had called out field positions and batting orders. Now Jim paced the dugout and shouted out instructions. Don Dearie, 72, confidently took left field. Westminster had an imposing figure at first base in Andy Maggard, who looked as if he had the reach to snatch a fly ball sent to right field with his left arm and then quickly tag a runner out at third with his right. New Day got off to a great start with amazing and brutal hitting. Westminsters batters had less flash but did more damage. With excellent defense, Westminster took and held the lead until the final count was 10-6. Good sports to the end, the New Day team took defeat well. There is no crying in softball. And in honor of the ladies, there is no spitting either. There is joy in Mudville tonight. We congratulate our Westminster Softball team on their victory. They are undefeated and tied for first place, after only one game. -Randy Thomas