Dear Faith Church,

Our country's culture can feel like it's falling fast and far from the truth of the Gospel. And there is much to mourn around us. But the contrast the Gospel provides is now clearer, and the hope the Gospel offers has never been needed more. Our missions emphasis in the month of March helps propel us forward with the hope of the Gospel. We are reminded of the great needs in our neighborhood and around the world, and we are reminded of the great news of salvation that we find in Jesus Christ.

Our neighbors are desperate for the hope of salvation, and we have the good news to share with them. I am reminded of a story I shared in a sermon last year. Marilyn Laszlo, a missionary translator to the Sepik Iwam tribe of Papua New Guinea, remembers the visit of a neighboring tribe who came seeking medical help. The visitors saw the impact of the Gospel on the village in which Marilyn served. They heard the local pastor preach in his native language. Before the visiting tribe left, they asked Marilyn if she could come and give them God's Word in their language. She explained that she had more work to complete, but that she would try to come and visit soon.

A few weeks later when Marilyn and representatives from her tribe visited the new tribe they were warmly greeted by the entire village. A new building stood at the center of the village that was different from all of the other structures and Marilyn asked, "What is that building there in the center of the village?"  

She continues her story: The chief said, "Oh, that is God's house. That's our church." I said, "Your church? Do you have a mission here?" "Oh, no, we have never had a mission here." I said, "Well, do you have a pastor here, you know, someone that comes to preach God's Word?" "Oh, no, we've never had a pastor here." I said, "Well, is there someone here in the village that can read and write Pidgin English who holds services in your church?" "Oh, no! There is no one here that can read or write - we have no books." I looked at him and said, "Then, what is that building for?" He said, "Well, we saw the little church in your village and our people decided to build a church too and now we're waiting. We're waiting for someone to come and tell us about God in our talk - in our language."

The need is great. And while our neighbors may not have asked as directly as this tribe, they are looking for significance and purpose. They long for the answers to life's big questions. Our friends, family, and neighbors need the hope of the Gospel.

And so, as the Gospel impacts our lives, we ask ourselves the question, "What are we waiting for?"

In the grip of grace,

A Minute for Marriage

By Barbara Shaffer, Ph.D

RETIREMENT: Time to reap what has been sown

American culture exalts retirement as the supreme goal towards which all of life's efforts are pointing. Calculating, saving, and investing can consume much focus and concern. Sometimes people realize too late that they might have done more saving and less spending during the years of their greatest productivity. But retirement years can offer much to look forward to and many opportunities.

Retirement can also be very stressful on the marital relationship and can lead to frustration and arguments for many reasons. For example, there is usually a reduction in available funds to live on; self-esteem that was once bolstered by a job can decline; personal identity and a sense of daily purpose can fade. The couple may sooner or later have to deal with issues of aging such as hearing problems, health problems, and slower response time-- all of which can lead to frustration and impatience.

Sometimes the greatest stressor of all, which exacerbates the other stressors, is that the couple will have more time to spend together! For years the couple often has tended to lead rather separate lives, pursuing separate activities and responsibilities throughout the week and coming together in a parallel way for busyness on the weekends. Now that they have more time together, they bump into tightly held, often opposing, assumptions about how things "should" be and what retirement will look like. Whether she worked outside the home or not, the wife's household routines can be disrupted by the full-time presence of her husband. The husband can feel unwelcome in his own home, especially if he wants to change the way things are done to a way that makes more sense to him.

If working out those differing perspectives was not part of retirement planning, the couple will need to work it out after retirement - or have a retirement experience that is filled with conflict and disappointment. Both will need to make some adjustments to their thinking and "the way I've always done it." Instead of operating out of assumptions and expectations, both of which tend to be unilateral and imposed, the couple needs to work out agreements, which are bilateral and respectful. They need to talk together - and pray together - about long-range goals for perhaps the next year or the next five years. What might God have in mind for them to do with their time, talents and assets, individually and as a couple? Does retirement for God's people look exactly like the idolized retirement of the American culture? Might God want them to participate in a mission trip or two... or three?

On a weekly or monthly basis they can talk together about how they are progressing towards those long-term goals and make adjustments as necessary. They can also coordinate their calendars for daily activities as individuals and as a couple. He may assume that she is responsible for all three meals every day; she may assume that she will make dinner only! She may assume that he will get a part-time job; he may not have that thought at all. They may have differing ideas about social activities, exercise, service to Christ and the community, family, recreation, part-time work, and a whole host of other activities. All of these things will need to be discussed early on so there's some kind of road map for the journey. The general tone of the journey can be framed by a Scripture verse that they choose together, e.g., "Do nothing from selfishness or vain conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3, 4, NASB)

Throughout all of these changes and the development of a new way of life, each spouse will have an opportunity to follow Jesus' example of love, sacrifice and patience towards a life partner who is imperfect and happens to be married to a person who is also imperfect. (Imagine that!) It just may be that they will find the rest of life to be amazingly full and rewarding, by God's grace.

Missions Update

By Neil Roosma, Deacon

Faith's Missions Conference is one of the most important and exciting events on the church calendar. Faith Presbyterian Church has been missions-minded since its beginning and continues to hold a strong commitment to missions. Almost twenty percent of the church budget goes to missionaries and missions agencies. Beyond the church's financial commitment to missions, Faith has a long history of sending its own people to be missionaries out on the mission field.

As we look forward to Missions Conference 2014, consider a few of the reasons why we hold this event each year. First, it is a time of encouragement. For the missionaries who come, getting the chance to share about their work and to meet the people who support them (financially and with prayer) can be a great source of strength when facing hardships and loneliness on the mission field. Reconnecting with longtime supporters and meeting other missionaries can also be a joy and an encouragement. Missions Conference is also an encouragement to us as we hear updates from people serving in a variety of ways to spread the Gospel.

The more we get to know the missionaries and the work that they are doing, the more we feel connected with them and they with us. They become far more than names in the back of the bulletin. We gain insight into their triumphs and their trials, and this allows us to more effectively and earnestly pray for them and their work. When we give our tithes and offerings to the church, we do so remembering that we are becoming real participants in the spread of the gospel both locally and throughout the world.

Some of us may hear a presentation and begin to sense a calling to enter the mission field ourselves, following in the footsteps of many members of Faith Church before us. Even if we do not feel God's calling to full time mission work, Missions Conference should motivate us and remind us that we have all been called by God to "go and make disciples". Whether or not it is our vocation, we are all missionaries with our own mission field.

Pray for the missionaries and agencies Faith supports, particularly those who will be sharing at the conference. Pray, too, for open ears and hearts for the church members and guests who attend the events of the week that we may all be motivated to pray, give, and participate more actively in God's call to missions. As you pray, look over the various events that we are hosting over the course of Missions Conference and make plans to attend as many as you can. It will be a blessing and a joy for us all to hear about how God sees fit to use ordinary people and their varied talents to spread his kingdom to the ends of the earth.

faithwilmington.com/missionsconference

 (click above to see schedule of events for MC14)

Faith Explored-Something for Everyone

Pastor Tom Harr

The next round of Faith Explored starts Wednesday, February 26.  Since the fall of 2011 we have been offering this free seven-week course that explores the identity and mission of Jesus.  And it's been a great success.  Intentionally designed to run concurrently with our Wednesday night Pioneer Club program, each evening starts with dinner and includes significant opportunities for addressing hard questions with honest answers about what the Bible teaches.   

This will be the sixth time the class has been offered and we are excited about the impact it has made.  Many of you have been through the course yourself and know its benefits.  But others might still be uncertain about whether it's for them or for someone they know.  The reality is that old and young, the long-time Christians and the openly skeptical - just about everyone - have found it helpful.  But, instead of hearing from me, here's what past participants have said:

"I want you to know how grateful I am for such an educational and inspiring experience for me. Everyone is so kind and the atmosphere is fantastic. It keeps my interest the whole time and keeps me coming back..."

"I really like how Faith Explored is meant to be a non-judgmental and non-threatening way of exploring Christianity, which is what brought me here."

"This was helpful even for a long-time Christian. The question and answer time and the discussions were most illuminating for me. Also, the diversity of the group was great."

"It was a great experience-- For starters, I was definitely not expecting such a bountiful meal! I would come every week just for that! ....It also helps to have so many different points of view in the room. I get the feeling that this class will help me get some sense of direction as far as developing my faith goes."

"I truly enjoyed this course. It was comforting to hear that others sometimes have similar religious concerns. I also liked the book table and look forward to reading a few that were displayed. The real life examples and timely illustrations made it easier to grasp some of the topics."

For more information and to register, go to our website or call the church office at 302-764-8615.

faithwilmington.com/explore

 
Pine Car Derby

By Josh Smith, Youth and Children's Ministries

Our annual Pine Car Derby is just around the corner!  All this month, the kids involved in Pioneer Clubs will work hard to shape and design their car.  On Saturday, March 1st  from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM, we will gather for the big race.  For many, this is the highlight of the year! 

Pine Car Derby is just one of the ways that we seek to connect with kids and their families in order to share the amazing news of the Gospel.  Pine cars are fun, but Jesus is so much better.  Join us in praying for this event.  Pray that relationships will be built that will produce spiritual conversations.  We could also use your help in bringing food and helping clean up afterwards.  If you'd like to be a part of this outreach contact Josh Smith.

faithwilmington.com/pioneerclubs

The entire community is invited to our annual Easter Egg Hunt.  Join us at 10am. 
faithwilmington.com/easter 

Join us as we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead with joyous services at 8:30am (Contemporary) and 10:45am (Traditional). 

Check out our music page that provides details on our Concert Series that point us to the beauty of God through the excellence of music.