September 11, 2014

 

Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

 

This Sunday, Juli and I will be in Texas to welcome home our eldest child, Jon, who returns from a one year deployment in Kuwait with the U. S. Army. We are rejoicing at having him back on American soil after his many interesting, educational, and sometimes challenging experiences in the Middle East. Our thanks to you who have prayed for Jon during his year of overseas service. In case you are wondering, Jon should be stationed at Ft. Hood for perhaps another year before either being deployed again or going to what is called "Captain's School." Either way, we have high hopes of seeing him in "da 'Burgh" for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

In my absence, I am delighted to mention that Rev. Carolyn Poteet will be preaching on Sunday morning (Sept. 14). Carolyn is an ordained Evangelical Presbyterian Church pastor who serves as Director of Faith and Mission at Waynesburg University, a post she assumed within the last year. Before coming to Waynesburg, Carolyn was Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Hendersonville, North Carolina, just a stone's throw south of Asheville, N.C. She is on the board of an excellent publication called Theology Matters and was a strong voice for biblical faithfulness in the PCUSA before making her move to the EPC. What is more, Carolyn frequently makes the long drive (over an hour) up from Waynesburg to MLEPC to worship with us on Sunday mornings. In some ways, we have started to become her church home, which is absolutely delightful for us. Please pray for Carolyn, reach out to her, and welcome her at our church. We want to encourage her in her very valuable work of spreading the message of Christ to the students, faculty, and staff of Waynesburg University. And by the way, Carolyn is a really good preacher. Come check it out and be blessed on Sunday morning!

 

Allow me further to mention our church ties to Waynesburg University. Two "sons of MLEPC"--Alex Tenenbaum (senior) and Josh Ombiri (sophomore)--are current students. Having spent time with both young men, I can say that they are growing in their faith through Waynesburg's Christian emphasis. What is more, our Teacher in Residence, Dr. Bruce Bickel, served as a member of the university Board of Trustees for many years, during a dynamic time of guiding the school back to Christian principles and vision. Though an uncommon request, may I encourage us to pray for Waynesburg U and its ministry to college students this week? The college years are ones in which so many young people are making decisions about who they are, what they believe, and how they'll choose to live for years to come. Meeting Christ in this context is incredibly important! We want Waynesburg and Carolyn Poteet to be abundantly fruitful in their outreach to students for Christ.

 

What is true for Waynesburg of course is true for other universities, too. Juli and I have one son, Jeff, who attends another excellent Christian school, Taylor University, in Indiana. Our youngest son, Rob, has just begun studies at University of Pittsburgh--by no means a Christian institution--but let us nonetheless ask God to meet many Pitt students through outreach ministries such as Inter-Varisty Christian Fellowship, Coalition for Christian Outreach, Cru, and Bellefield Presbyterian Church (EPC). In addition, we have so many other children of our church away at a host of other colleges. Let it be our heart's cry for them not only to receive excellent education, but more importantly to encounter our Lord and Savior in life-changing ways. What an impact today's college students can have on the future of the Church and its mission to the world in the years and decades to come!

 

Pastor Tim

 

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