Apostles News - April 21, 2013

This Sunday we'll have the opportunity to learn about ways we can help children around the world through child sponsorship programs. There will also be information available about one-time and/or ongoing donations to help fund school fees and tuition, school uniforms, group housing, and other efforts in support of several long-standing COA ministries: St. Nicholas Orphanage (Kenya), The Generations Development Mission, or GENDEMI (Uganda), and Church of the Ark (Ukraine), as well as Compassion International (Africa, Asia, Central America, South America).

Representatives from each of these vulnerable child outreach groups will have pictures, biographies, and much more to share with the congregation, before and after each service, about how we as individuals - or as a teen-team, home group, or Sunday school class - can demonstrate God's love for the poor and needy through child sponsorship. April 21 coincides with Compassion International's Compassion Sunday 2013, involving 2,000 churches around the country, to provide an opportunity for each of us to intervene in the life of at least one child in poverty.

We encourage you to watch the video by Eric Ludy, titled "Depraved Indifference". You may access the YouTube video by clicking on the picture at the top of this article.

Women's Brunch

THIS Saturday, April 20, 9:00-11:30am

in Truro's Undercroft

COA's Women's Ministry invites you to come for a joy-filled morning of fellowship, praise and encouragement! The focus of this morning will be Missions Unpacked: A Heart for the Helpless. We'll hear about how easy it is to become a part of what Jesus is doing today in Africa. Friends who are involved at every level with St. Nicholas Orphange, Kenya will share their experiences.

The Women's Ministry will hold this brunch in the Undercroft at Truro Anglican Church THIS Saturday, April 20, from 9:00-11:30am. Please bring a brunch dish to share, and RSVP to the Church Office.. There will be jewelry and other hand-made items for sale at the brunch, with proceeds benefiting the Children's Center.

Wednesday Morning Prayer

Bible Held at the Church Office

You are invited to gather for Morning Prayer on Wednesday mornings, beginning at 11:30am. Our Rector will lead us in the Morning Prayer service, which will be held in the Conference Room at the Church Office (10195 Main Street, Suite T, Fairfax). If you have not been to the Church Office before, please note that, although the address is Main Street, the door to the office faces Locust Street. There is ample parking in the parking lot of the office complex. If you have questions about directions, feel free to call the Church Office.

Encouragement from Randy Clark

Shared by Jay Baylor

Our Associate Pastor, Jay Baylor, recently attended a Global Awakening Network Meeting, led by Randy Clark. After the meeting, Jay sent a note to our Rector and church staff sharing encouragement he received from Randy regarding Jay's ordination process and what God is doing here at COA. With Jay's permission, we share this note with you, too, so that you can also receive encouragement from it.

Good Morning!

I spent the day yesterday at the Global Awakening Network Meeting -- this was a meeting of over 200 pastors, ministry leaders and itinerate ministers who are members of Global Awakening's Network. I happened to run into Randy Clark at the beginning of the meeting. He asked how I was doing and I told him about my new position at Church of the Apostles and my ordination process. He was very affirming and excited. He lit up when he remembered the weekend he spent with COA a few years ago. . .

Click here to read the rest of this letter.

Ushers Needed for 8:30 Service

The 8:30am Worship Service is in need of ushers who would serve on a rotating basis, even only once a month if you prefer. Ushers need to show up at 8:00am on Sunday morning to put out a directional sign and handicapped parking cones (stored in a nearby shed) and to get the offering plates out of a cabinet in the Whole Word Fellowship office building. During the Worship Service, ushers help with the offering and Communion. After the service, the offering plates are returned to the cabinet, and the sign and parking cones get put back into the shed. Our work is generally over by 10:15am. If you're a person who enjoys serving and creating an atmosphere of order, please consider being an usher. For more information, contact the Church Office.

Training for Prayer Ministry

prayer Saturday, May 18

Would you be willing to be used by God to pray with and for people during the Sunday services and other special COA events? Prayer Ministry Training is being provided for current Prayer Ministers, and also for those who are interested in becoming commissioned as a Prayer Minister. All COA Prayer Ministers go through a training and commissioning process, as well as have ongoing training. The Spring COA Prayer Minister training will be held on Saturday, May 18 from 9:30-11:30am in the Upper Room at Truro Anglican Church, 10520 Main St, Fairfax. (To get to the Upper Room, walk to the end of the glass vestibule/hallway and take the stairs to the top.) Current Prayer Ministers are expected to attend this training. If you are interested in becoming a Prayer Minister, please contact the Church Office.

Work Day at the yard work

Vale Road Meeting Place

Saturday, May 4

We've been blessed as a church body to have a place to regularly meet. Whole Word Fellowship has graciously extended hospitality to us at our meeting place on Vale Road. We have an opportunity to help care for the property that WWF kindly shares with us. Whole Word is sponsoring their Annual Work Day Party on Saturday, May 4, from 8:00am-12:00pm, followed by a lunch provided by Whole Word. Tasks for the day include weeding, mulching and making the grounds look beautiful. If you can come for part or all of the day, please bring work gloves and any gardening equipment to help out, such as shovels and wheelbarrows. Along with being a day of work, it is also an opportunity of fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. If you have any questions, please contact Larry Cobb of WWF at 703-620-3900.

Testimony from Brad Brewster

Healing Center Classes

We love hearing testimonies from people who have taken classes through the Healing Center. Last year, Brad Brewster dove full tilt into all that the Healing Center has to offer. He signed up for the Life Model's Forming class with his wife Trish, who had taken a few Life Model classes before; then Brad joined the men's TPM class. Here, Brad shares with us the wisdom he has gained through these classes:

On pain: I never realized that I had pain because I guess I was so good at burying it. Of course you can bury it, but it comes out in different negative, hard-to-understand ways, and I didn't recognize that it was attachment pain. When you identify it and see it it's an "ah-ha" moment, a revelation of understanding, a portal of discovery; then you can start to address it and heal it.

On TPM: I never knew or had the slightest idea that I was "traumatized", but I was, from simple experiences in life where I interpreted events in an untrue (lie) way.

On Forming: The simple teaching that our relationship with God is more important than what we do sounds simple and trite, but again, it is a huge (and practical) revelation for us "type A" doing-oriented people. Forming gave me practical steps for engaging in a relationship with God. For example, I never really liked to pray; I could get in 5 minutes, or 10 minutes if I really wanted something. Since taking Forming, I look forward to praying (conversing with God) each morning, finding His presence a "banquet." . . .

. . . read more of Brad's testimony here.

We thank Brad for sharing how he has learn and grown through the ministry of the Healing Center. We have several Healing Center classes coming open this spring. Please read the articles, below, to get more information. We'd love for you to be a part of them, too.

New Men's TPM Group

You're Invited!

The Men's Theophostic Prayer Ministry (TPM) training group is open to new members during April and May. We meet on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 until 9:00pm at the Church Office, 10195 Main St, Suite T, Fairfax, VA. The current men's TPM group is made up of men from COA as well as nine other churches. We have been meeting in Fairfax, on Wednesday nights, for over two years. We last took new members a year ago. We have found that using TPM in a group of men is profoundly healing. We also have become very close as brothers in the Lord.

New men can join our group during our open season in April and May. The group provides a strong environment for men to be transformed into the image of Christ. The new class will begin by offering TPM sessions to each other and begin to go through all of the most recent training material later in summer.

During our open season, you can drop in and observe, receive a session, enjoy pizza and have your questions answered. If you have any questions, please contact the Church Office.

Life Model Classes

Forming & Belonging

The Healing Center has two 12-week Life Model classes that start this Spring which teach spiritual exercises that help you connect with God and hear his voice. The classes also cover hindrances to connecting such as lies, anger and self-hatred and a chance to evaluate your own maturity so you can identify where you are stuck and what it takes to recover and heal.

The Forming class teaches you to quiet yourself, build joy and connect with God so that your heart turns toward him. It will be offered on Thursdays, April 25-June 27, 10:00am-12:00pm at Barcroft Bible Church (9401 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax). This class will also hold two "mini-retreats" from 9:30am-2:00pm on May 9th and 30th. Free childcare is available for the Thursday class by calling the Church Office. The cost of the Forming class and workbook is $66; $41, if you already have a workbook.

A second Life Model class, Belonging, will begin on Sunday, May 19 and enables you to develop skills for creating joyful community around you as well as skills for removing barriers for community. The class will run from 6:00-7:45pm in the Hearthstone Room at our Vale Road Meeting Place.

Registration and additional details on both classes may be found at www.GodHealsToday.org.

Thoughts on our Mission Field

by James Daffron

Charles Spurgeon was a Preacher in England in the 19th Century who preached as many as 10 times per week. He is credited with having preached to 10,000,000 people.

Charles Spurgeon put it this way, "You are either a missionary or a mission field."

In the Old Testament, The Lord called His Royal Priests to be Holy, to worship Him and to take His Word to His People. In the New Testament, we all are His Royal Priests . . .

. . . read more of James' article here.

Children's Ministry News

Infants through 6th grade

Current 6th grade students and their parents are invited to the Student Ministry's Altared on Sunday, April 28, 6:00-8:30pm. Altared is the weekly youth group meeting for 7th-12th grade students, and June begins our "move up" of welcoming the 6th graders into the Student Ministry. We'd like this evening to be a taste of what Altared and the Student Ministry is all about. The evening begins in the Fellowship Hall at our Vale Road Meeting Place (shortly after the end of the 3:30pm service.) Students, parents and leaders will begin the evening together with dinner, then the parents will move into the Sanctuary for a meeting while the students enjoy game time and a talk from one of our leaders. At 8:00pm, parents, students and leaders will join together in the Chapel for a time of worship. We hope all 6th graders and their parents can join us for this introduction to the Student Ministry!

Vacation Bible School - Thursdays, July 18, July 25, and August 1. Save the dates. More details to come.

Summer Camp at Camp Highroad - August 4-9, 2013. Summer Camp at Camp Highroad is a week of adventure for rising 4th-rising 9th graders, that includes all the fun camp elements -- canoeing, hiking, swimming, arts and crafts, games, and lots of outdoor time -- with ways to help children grow in their faith. The Camp is run by COA's Children's Ministry, with Kristin Colligan overseeing an awesome group of camp counselors. Each evening includes a God-inspired talk and worship, and there's Bible study and ministry time through out the week. Summer Camp can have a profound impact on a child's walk with God and we encourage parents to start praying now about sending their child(ren) to Summer Camp at Camp Highroad. Summer Camp is open to children in the community, so think of friends your child might want to invite. More details to come, but mark your calendar!

Summer Dance Camp with Children of the Light Dancers - June 24-28, 2013. Children of the Light is a dance ministry, formed in 1991 by Jeannine Lacquement, that uses the art forms of dance, drama and storytelling to disciple and equip children and youth for the ministry of encouragement and hope. They offer a Summer Dance Camp for boys and girls ages 4-12, and no dance experience is necessary. There are two sessions available: the first is held 9:00am-12:00pm at Fairfax Community Church; the second is held 2:00-5:00pm at Word of Grace Christian Center in Herndon. The cost for the Dance Camp is $90 per child, with family discounts available.

The Children of the Light Dancers particpate in the Fairfax City Fourth of July parade, and part of the Summer Dance Camp (for 6-12 year olds) will be preparation for the parade. Children ages 6-12 participating in the Dance Camp may be part of the parade, however it is not a requirement in order to be part of the Dance Camp. For more information and contacts, please see the attached flyer.

The Home Page is created to reinforce the lessons learned in Children's Church and is an easy way to start a conversation with your child about what they're learning about God. The April 14 Home Page may be downloaded here.

Student Ministry News

For students in 7th-12th grade

Altared - This Sunday, April 21, 6:00-8:30pm. We'll gather in the Fellowship Hall at 6:00pm and have an evening of dinner, games, worship, teaching and small groups. John Kirby will be the speaker this evening.

Parents' Meeting - Sunday, April 28, 6:00-8:30pm (during Altared). An opportunity for parents to sit down with our Youth Pastors while they share the vision the Lord is giving them for the Student Ministry; tell about the wonderful things they see God doing in and through the students; give some practical information; share about the upcoming summer plans, including the Summer Mission Trip to Baltimore; and have a time of Q&A. Plus, there will be time to share dinner together and join in a time of worship with the students and leaders. We will be welcoming the parents of the rising 7th graders this night, also. Here's what the evening will look like:

6:00pm - parents, students and leaders eat dinner together in the Fellowship Hall

6:30-8:00pm - students have game time (outside) and Altard talk time (in Chapel) with Student Ministry volunteers supervising

6:30-8:00pm - parents, John and Chris (youth pastors) have their meeting time in the Sanctuary

8:00-8:30pm - parents, students and leaders join in worship together (Chapel)

We hope you can join us for this important time, as we seek to come alongside the parents of our teens, to help the teens grow in their relationship with God.

Bible Study - Wednesday, April 24. Guys meet from 7:00-9:00pm at Carl's house and the Girls meet 7:30-9:30pm at Zaki's house.

Summer Mission Trip - July 8-14 (Mon-Sun). Open to students currently in 7th-12th grade. Brochures will be mailed out this week. Save the date!

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Journey of Faith with Eileen McCreight

by Beth Acanfora

"One generation shall praise thy works unto another,

and declare your mighty acts." Psalm 145:4

Every now and then as we walk through this fascinating life with Jesus, we find people along the way who are just the ticket! They seem to possess something; whether it is their essence or personality that attracts us to them. It almost seems as though the Lord places them in our path just at the right time to help feed our souls. Since our arrival at COA last Fall, this phenomenon has felt almost like an everyday occurrence for me as I have met and begun to get to know each of you! Quite recently, as I began to read Eileen McCreight's marvelous "God Stories," I felt immediately as though we were kindred spirits. We are both "Lab Lovers" and enjoy writing very much, and although Eileen wrote her stories with her legacy to family and close friends in mind, I just couldn't resist asking her to share some of them with our mutual church family. . .

. . . read more of Beth's intro to Eileen; click here.

My Testimony: How She Got Where She is ... and Where Will She End Up (See Anacostia Garbage Dump)

by Eileen McCreight

I was 26, newly married, flying for American Airlines as a flight attendant based out of Dallas. For some years now, I had been seeking a better way to pray. My prayers would go so far and then I'd think of my shopping list or what I was making for dinner -- my mind would go in 100 directions.

On one of my flights, my flying partner for the month was a woman named Adrienne M. She was different from others with whom I had flown, Calm, at peace with the world, there was something very unique about her. . .

. . . read more of Eileen's testimony here.

We are Family! birthday flowers

Happy Birthday to Carl Metzger on April 18, Jane Campbell on April 19, and Bill Jennings on April 21.

We'd love to include your birthday, anniversary, graduation,

or other significant life event to share with our congregation.

Please let us know about them and give us permission to

share them by contacting info@ChurchoftheApostles.org.

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CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES

ANGLICAN

703-591-1974

ChurchoftheApostles.org
Info@ChurchoftheApostles.org

Testimony@ChurchoftheApostles.org

Apostles News is a weekly newsletter that we hope will inspire, encourage, and inform. More than just letting you know what lies ahead of us, we especially want to tell the stories about what God has been doing in our midst. We make the Apostles News available to persons who have provided Church of the Apostles Anglican with their email addresses at one time or another. If you prefer to be removed from the Apostles News distribution list, click on the "SafeUnsubscribe" link below.

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