News from Redeemer Presbyterian Church

<= /TR>

The Redeemerlink

Volume 10, Number 1 March = 2012

In This Issue A Dear Friend Returns New Editor, New Format Redeemer's 10th Reasons for Redeemer Community of Encouragement =

Church=20 News

2/25/2012 = - 9:00=20 AM

Women in the=20 Church (WIC) Meeting at the church. Linda Joy Choate = will lead=20 a discussion of the life and faith of=20 Miriam.

2/26/2012

5:00 PM -=20 Worship Ministry Meeting

6:00 PM -=20 Evening Prayer Service

3/4/2012 - 9:00 = AM

Redeemer's 10th=20 Anniversary Celebration

3/10/2012 - 8:30=20 AM
Men's Prayer Breakfast

3/25/2012 - 6:00=20 PM
Evening Prayer Service

March=20 Nursery Volunteer Schedule

3/4/2012 =

9:00 AM - Dee=20 Chadwick
10:45 AM - Robyn=20 McKinney

3/11/2012
9:00 AM - Cindi=20 Brown
10:45 AM - Lauran=20 Chadwick

3/18/2012
9:00 AM - Linda Joy=20 Choate
10:45 AM - Rachel=20 Rist

3/25/2012
9:00 AM - Katlynn=20 Karnes
10:45 AM - Julie Driver

March=20 Birthdays

3/8 - = Linda=20 Greene

3/12 - Linda Joy Choate

3/19 - Wanda Moore

3/20 - Avery Rist

3/28 - Mike Shipley

3/30 - Ronda=20 Moore

March=20 Anniversaries

3/12 - = Blake and=20 Lauran Chadwick
3/20 - Jim and Anita = Berkey

We=20 Need your Help!

Please = help us update=20 our information by sending your family's birthday and=20 anniversary information to Robyn McKinney at=20 wonderrobsie@yahoo.com

Ministry=20 Quicklinks

More About=20 Us

PCA=20 Website

Podcast

Sermon=20 = Archive

A=20 Dear Friend Returns to Redeemer

The Rev. Charles McGowan = will be=20 our special guest on Sunday, March = 4.=20 Pastor McGowan was instrumental in the planting = of our=20 church and his presence on the tenth anniversary = of our=20 first worship service will be a true = blessing. He=20 is a powerful preacher of God's word and we look = forward=20 to his visit.

New=20 Editor, New Format

by R. Neil=20 Spence

We are very grateful for the many years in = which=20 Linda Joy Choate toiled as = editor of=20 the Redeemerlink. She did a wonderful = job. =20 Her work helped build up our congregation, = overcame the=20 reluctance of some to write, and brought = out the=20 writing skills of many of our members. But = with=20 all the pressures in her busy life and the = burden=20 of constantly taking care of us all, she has had = to lay=20 aside this important = work. Robyn=20 McKinney has stepped up to fill the gap = as our=20 new editor. I ask that you give her = all=20 encouragement and cooperation as she does. = She=20 will bring her own style and gifts to this part = of our=20 life together. New technological = options will=20 also help move us forward. Most people use = email=20 and we are changing the format to reflect = that--though a=20 print version will still be available. And = we=20 still want you to write. When Robyn asks = you,=20 please say "Yes."

10th=20 Anniversary to Be Celebrated = 3/4/12

Each year we mark God's faithful provision = on the=20 anniversary of that first worship service. = We have=20 a guest speaker for our worship service and = there will=20 be a fellowship luncheon after the worship=20 service. A sign-up sheet for side dishes = is=20 available in the foyer. Invite someone to = come to=20 church with you to share this special=20 day!

Reasons=20 for Redeemer

by=20 R. Neil Spence

We're coming up on our tenth = anniversary=20 as a congregation. I take this occasion to state = again=20 why we exist. I base my comments on a text from = the Book=20 of Acts.

And when they [Paul & = Barnabas] had=20 preached the gospel to that city and made many=20 disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and = Antioch, strengthening the souls of the = disciples,=20 exhorting them to continue in the faith, and = saying, "We=20 must through many tribulations enter the kingdom = of=20 God." So when they had appointed elders in every = church,=20 and prayed with fasting, they commended them to = the Lord=20 in whom they had believed. (Acts = 14:21-23)

To=20 Make Disciples

Now, I don't need to tell you = that this is=20 a very important verse and that it speaks to the = life of=20 every believer. For one thing, it calls these = new=20 believers "disciples" and that is a fitting = description=20 of the Christian life. The Christian is not = merely=20 someone who joins an organization or gives lip = service=20 to the authority of Christ. A Christian is a = disciple-a=20 learner or follower of Christ. We are called to = be=20 disciples of our Lord.

To=20 Continue the Faith

I also notice with great = interest that=20 they were encouraged to "continue in the faith." = That=20 expression, "the faith" clearly teaches that = Christian=20 thought and doctrine are not matters of = individual=20 preference or opinion, but that there is a clear = and=20 discernable body of teaching upon which all the = apostles=20 agreed and that can properly be called the = faith.

To=20 Be a Redemptive Community

Paul and Barnabas encouraged the = disciples=20 to endure the trials that would come to them and = to=20 stand fast in the faith, by declaring "We must = through=20 many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." We = need to=20 carefully consider what Paul and Barnabas said, = but we=20 also need to take note of what they did. They = "appointed=20 elders in every church . . .prayed with fasting = . . .=20 [and] commended them to the Lord in whom they = had=20 believed."

Notice the use of the word = "church" in=20 Acts 14:23. Acts is a book about church = planting. Acts=20 tells us about the establishment of particular = churches=20 under the authority of the apostles and = connected to one=20 another organically through the Holy Spirit and=20 organizationally through common faith and = discipline.=20 This is expressed in a very practical way by the = ordination of elders in every city where lives = had been=20 transformed by the gospel. These Christians were = disciples before the ordination of elders = (14:22) but=20 when their elders were ordained (14:23) they = became=20 churches. And this being accomplished, Paul and = Barnabas=20 fasted and prayed with regards to the mission = and=20 ministry of each congregation. Each new church = was=20 established to care for the disciples and to = continue=20 the spread of the gospel.

To=20 Give our Lives a Kingdom Focus

Now it is this future grace and = glory that=20 Paul and Barnabas held out to believers as an=20 encouragement in the midst of trial. It is our = secret=20 weapon for those times when even present grace = doesn't=20 seem to be enough to keep us from = discouragement. The=20 kingdom focus in our lives is a reminder that = God has=20 not promised us to give us paradise now. Trials, = are=20 said to be a "must" and they are said to be = "many."=20 Exceptions to this rule may exist, but none are=20 promised. In this present life we are live like = people=20 intent on entering the kingdom. We are to live = in this=20 world like people determined to travel through = it to a=20 better one. Paul and Barnabas also said, "we." = The=20 church differs from other communities in that = the church=20 is a kingdom-focused community. In the church we = continually remind one another of this fact. = Scripture=20 doesn't promise us a life free of trials, but = does=20 promise that in spite of everything, we will yet = reach=20 the kingdom.

To=20 Multiply

Again,=20 the statements in Acts 14:22 and the action of = 14:23=20 should be taken together. The believer is one = with=20 Christ. Christ has not left Himself without=20 representation on earth by which the people of = God are=20 to be called, cared for, protected, and = encouraged. He=20 has given elders to His people. Men to continue = to=20 speaking the word of God even after Paul and = Barnabas=20 were long gone. And He has placed His people in=20 particular churches where this can take = place.

To=20 Express Christ's Rule

Christ is the = true=20 Church-Planter. He said, "I will build My = church,=20 and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against=20 it." Nothing can replace what Christ = Himself has=20 ordained-the church. The church is His body and = His=20 Bride. The church is the pillar and ground of = the truth.=20 The church is the spiritual temple in the Lord = built on=20 the foundation of the apostles and prophets with = Christ=20 Himself as the chief cornerstone. And what the = as a=20 whole is, each local church is to be and = manifest.=20

The=20 church has authority from Christ and gifts for = doctrine,=20 worship and discipline (see Ephesians 4:10-16). = Through=20 the extraordinary gifts of apostles, prophets = and=20 evangelists and the ordinary gifts of the=20 pastor-teachers the church is brought under = the=20 rule of Christ and manifests His = kingdom. =20 Together we all are His ambassadors to sinners=20 everywhere, calling them to turn from sin and = put their=20 trust in Christ.

In short,=20 there is tremendous and eternal significance in = our life=20 together. Thank you for sharing this=20 journey!

A=20 Community of Encouragement

by Robyn=20 McKinney

Encourage one another and build = one=20 another up, just as you are doing. = (1Thessalonians=20 5:11)

Recently I read a = series of=20 articles that my mother had written for a daily=20 devotional published by her church. One of them = revealed=20 a beautiful, moving story from her childhood = that I had=20 never before heard. As a young child, she = suffered=20 acutely from the pang of poverty and = awkwardness. But=20 through the encouragement of her teachers, she=20 discovered that she was a bright and able = student. Her=20 parents beamed with pride when she came home = with=20 excellent grades, and they bragged to friends = that she=20 loved to read. A standardized test administrator = even=20 told her that she would be good college = material. These=20 encouragements built up her self-worth, and she = became=20 the first person in her family to graduate from = college.=20 She even went on to pursue a Master's degree. = She is now=20 the strongest, smartest, most capable person I = know.=20 Without the encouragement of her teachers and = family,=20 she might have wilted like so many other = impoverished=20 young country girls and endured the rest of her = life in=20 ignorance and squalor.

You are witnesses, and God = also, how holy=20 and righteous and blameless was our conduct = toward you=20 believers. For you know how, like a father = with=20 his children, we exhorted each one of you and = encouraged=20 you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy = of God,=20 who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.=20 (1Thessalonians 2:10-12)

On many occasions, I = have been=20 lifted up countless times by my brothers and = sisters in=20 Christ. Through the authentic affection and = compassion=20 of my Christian family, I have discovered my = gifts and=20 overcome many challenges. I have also been = lovingly=20 admonished from time to time by my fellow = believers.=20 Though these reprimands were embarrassing and=20 unpleasant, they, too, were a vital part of my = Christian=20 journey.

We urge you, brothers, admonish = the idle,=20 encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be = patient=20 with them all. (1Thessalonians = 5:14)

My father discovered a = marvelous=20 phenomenon during his teaching career. When he = was=20 assigned to a lazy or dull student, he would = search for=20 ways to praise them. Some students were harder = to praise=20 than others. For some, the only congratulations = he could=20 offer was, "I'm proud of how quietly you got in = line to=20 go to the library today." Even the most = under-performing=20 child soak up these little affirmations and = strive to=20 become a better student. My father taught me = that the=20 lowly and unlovely can be powerfully transformed = through=20 kind words. Indeed, the power of encouragement = works=20 great wonders in all our lives.

There are = many=20 ways to encourage our brothers and sisters in = Christ. In=20 our time at Redeemer, our church family has done = everything from bringing meals to our home after = Peter's=20 birth to hauling trees off our house after a = couple of=20 bad wind storms last Spring. Sometimes a simple = card in=20 the mail can brighten someone's bad day. When we = lift=20 each other up through kind words and kind acts, = we are=20 better able to approach them with correction or=20 admonishment when necessary. For both = exhortation and=20 encouragement are key to our spiritual=20 growth.

Contact=20 Info

Redeemerlink Editor

Robyn McKinney

wonderrobsie@yahoo.com