CONNECTED BY FAITH eNewsletter
Spring 2015
 
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From Your Pastor

 

New life bursts all around us as spring leads into summer.  Earlier this week my youngest and I wandered our yard exploring the beauty of the flowers and trees.  We began comparing leaves of an ornamental tree in our yard with larger trees in each of our neighbors' yards.  And as we wandered we realized there are several more of these trees sprouting around the neighborhood, including a new little tree starting in our yard.

The organic spread of life is a picture of the spread of the Gospel through the ministry of the church.  The seed is scattered, trees grow, and now the Gospel spreads.  That's what we're seeing in our sermons from the letter to the Ephesians this spring, and it's what we'll see this summer in sermon series from Acts.

The wind spreads the seeds of trees, but we are the ones who spread the Gospel through our bold proclamation of God's saving grace.  It happens through our church ministries, but it happens primarily through our individual willingness to share the Gospel with family, friends, and neighbors.  Let the growth of new life this spring encourage us to share the Gospel.
  
Pasor Kevin Koslowsky 

 
UPCOMING KEY EVENTS
Concert Series
Sunday, May 31, 4pm
Read more...
Youth Spring Retreat
May 15 - 16
Youth Missions Trip
June 13 - 20
Read more...
VBS Summer Camp
June 22 - 26, 9am-12n
Read more...
Ice Cream Festival
June 27 - 28, Rockwood Park (Details coming soon)
Youth Missions Team Update
August 2, 6 p.m.
Read more...

 
The most exciting week of the year is just around the corner!  Our Vacation Bible School takes place June 22-26.
Kids will discover how God, in his amazing power and love, provides for us, comforts us, heals us, forgives us, and loves us forever!  Each day they will participate in songs, crafts, games, snacks, and a dynamic Bible lesson.  You don't want to miss it!  Enroll today and secure your child's spot. 

  

Pastors' Bookshelf

 

Need some summer reading suggestions? Here are a few recommendations from Faith's pastoral team.  They come from the pastors' recent reading and highlight resources that they feel might be useful for you and others in the church.

 

Visit our online Pastor's Bookshelf with links to books previously mentioned.

 

 

What's Your Worldview: An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions

By James N. Anderson

 

This is a short, but very engaging book, examining the big questions that everyone (consciously or subconsciously) asks about the world in which we live.  Written in the style of a "choose your own adventure" story, the book helps guide the reader to understanding (and perhaps) challenging the view of the world we all have.   

 

 

 

 

  

Raised? Finding Jesus by Doubting the Resurrection

By Jonathan Dodson and Brad Watson

 

This book is a helpful a resource for the church and for skeptics on the topic of the resurrection of Jesus.  While not an exhaustive or in-depth review of the arguments, it shows how the resurrection of a dead person would have seemed as unlikely to a first century Jew or Greek as it might to a modern person today.  And yet, there is credible evidence that this is exactly what occurred.  

 

 

 

 

Counter Culture

By David Platt

 

Counter Culture argues that the church can and should speak equally to issues of poverty, same-sex marriage, racism, sex slavery, immigration, persecution, abortion, orphans and pornography.  This is a challenging argument against those who prefer to choose for themselves the issues to which the Bible speaks.  In doing so, Platt outlines a path for how the church can be both a faithful and distinctive witness to the truth of Christianity in 21st century America.

 

 
bowling-beverage-couple-sm.jpg
Minute for Marriage: A Promise Kept
by Barbara Schaffer
 
One of the most memorable love stories of modern times is that of Robertson McQuilkin and his wife, Muriel. McQuilkin was the President of Columbia Bible College and Seminary (now Columbia International University) from 1968-1990.  Prior to that, he and his wife were missionaries to Japan for 12 years.  A very creative, light-hearted woman, with an irrepressible approach to life, Muriel was a frequent conference speaker and also had a popular daily radio broadcast.
 
Ten years into McQuilkin's presidency, Muriel began to repeat herself.  Then she began to have trouble planning a menu for dinner parties.  More publicly, she soon became confused during her daily radio programs and at conferences.  She was 55 years old.  The eventual diagnosis was Alzheimer's disease.
 
McQuilkin's little book, A Promise Kept: The Story of an Unforgettable Love, tells the story of their life together and his increasing care for Muriel as she faded away, little by little.  He eventually resigned the presidency of Columbia Bible College and Seminary, "because Muriel needed him," and was extremely restless in his absence.  
 
Throughout their story, he stressed how much he loved Muriel and what a privilege it was to have her at home and care for her.  He was also careful to stress that the choices he made were not necessarily the choices God calls everyone to make.
 
There are some things about Robertson and Muriel's story, however, that God does indeed call every married person to.  Forty-two years before Muriel's descent into silence, McQuilkin made a vow to her to be faithful in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish her, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, til death separated them.  It was precisely because of that 42 year old vow, McQuilkin said, that he stepped down from the presidency and continued to curb his sphere of influence in response to Muriel's increasing needs.  

God calls each of us to be faithful to the promises we made "before God and these witnesses," not in a cold, obligatory way, but with warmth and eagerness.  Marriages go through seasons of ups and downs, one season following another.  Stability throughout all seasons is found in the integrity of two people keeping their promises to each other.
 
Second, McQuilkin sacrificed for Muriel, and learned that "it was about Muriel," and not just about him (Phil. 2:4).  He learned to speak encouraging words to her (Eph. 4:29), to not complain and argue (Phil. 2:14), and to bear with her (Col. 3:13) in the endless and increasing limitations and frustrations.  His sacrifices made clearer to him the sacrifices of Jesus for him and enriched his gratitude toward the Savior.  God calls every married person to a sacrificial love that reflects the love of Jesus for his people (Jn. 15:12).  As each sacrifices for the other in big and little ways, conflict is kept to a minimum and peace reigns.
 
Finally, Robertson McQuilkin was able to serve Muriel so faithfully because he learned to depend on God.  His own strength and patience were not nearly enough for the task of caring for Muriel for more than 20 years.  Relying on God daily, he found that each mundane task was transformed into the high honor of service - not only to Muriel but also to his heavenly Father (I Peter 4:11).  God calls every married person to turn from self-sufficiency to dependency on him, for both the daily routine of marital life and the out-of-the-ordinary events.  

May this new season be the beginning of more dependable promise-keeping and deeper sacrificial love as our great God faithfully gives strength and endurance to those who ask.

 


Faith Concert Series
Join us on Sunday afternoon for an incredible piano concert as we continue our Concert Series.

When: May 31, 4pm
Where: Faith Presbyterian Church, sanctuary

Join us and invite a friend.
 
Community Groups - Find One Today
Community Groups are gatherings where small teams of friends get together to talk about the implications of the Gospel in our lives, sharing our struggles and victories side by side with other Christians and seekers.  We are meant to live out our faith in community with one another.
 
 
 
We are all part of the body of the church, each of us bringing our own gifts and talents as we do church together. We couldn't do it without you.  Volunteer Today.
Find a ministry where you can share and give back in light of what Christ has given to you.
Connected By Faith is a quarterly eNewsletter
with contributions from the pastors, elders,
deacons, and members of Faith Church.
Published by Kate Thompson
and the communications team.