Echoes of DHPC | August-September 2014

August / September 2014

Desert Hills Presbyterian Church

Echoes

TROOP

CARE

MINISTRY

CARING FOR THOSE WHO SACRIFICE FOR US

34605 North Tom Darlington Drive P.O. Box 874 Carefree AZ 85377 480-488-3384

Echoes

August / September 2014

IN THIS ISSUE:

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09 09 09 10 11

Pastor's Message Sister Churches Heirloom Nativity Sets Angel Workshop Troop Care Ministry

Summer Worship Hours All-Church Campout Membership Class From the Associate Pastor

12 14 16 20

Nurse's Article Youth Ministry General Assembly Reports Church Dashboard

Stephen Ministry

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FEELING SOCIAL? Be sure to “like” Desert Hills Presbyterian Church on Facebook! Simply go to the DHPC website: www.deserthills.org and click the Facebook icon.

You may also type “Desert Hills Presbyterian Church” in the search bar on Facebook. We have security set so that “tagging” of photos is not permitted, so check out the page and enjoy the photos and information about your church family.

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Echoes is published every other month by and for the congregation of Desert Hills Presbyterian Church in Carefree, Arizona. If you have received this publication by mistake or you would like to no longer subscribe to the magazine, simply call the DHPC office at 480-488-3384 or write to admin@deserthills.org.

The lead time for the publication is four weeks before the first month displayed on the cover. For the OctoberNovember issue, deadline for submissions is September 10.

Contributions from any and all DHPC members are always welcome! Simply e-mail your documents and pictures to editor@deserthills.org or drop them off at the church office.

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The Echoes staff welcomes any and all feedback. If you would like to submit any questions, concerns or comments about the contents of this publication, please send them to editor@deserthills.org or drop them by the church office and we’ll make sure they are read and addressed as promptly as possible. Please allow 2-4 weeks for any necessary replies.

If you have been blessed with the ability to write or take pictures and feel called to use your talents to serve the Lord, Echoes would love to have you be part of our editorial team! Just call Patrick McAvoy at 602-549-7217 or write us at editor@deserthills.org.

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Pastor’s Message Jim Noble, Senior Pastor

jnoble@deserthills.org 480-488-3384

What is a Sister Church?

One of the blessings of being connected to our Lord and Savior is to be connected to other Christians as the Family of God. A sister church is family! And God has given us a wonderful family at DHPC and beyond.

General Assembly - our denomination, The Evangelical Presbyterian Church, describes the General Assembly as an annual family reunion of its over 500 sister churches. Amazingly, the meeting does take on more a family gathering feel than a business meeting. You'll read more about the general Assembly in this edition of the Echoes.

Some think of a sister church as a mission project or trip. While it is true that we help each other when we can, our relationship is not based on what we can do for each other. Rather, our relationship is a celebration of what Jesus has done for us. The Lord has adopted us as sons and daughters forming us as a family for all eternity.

Monkton North Prestwick Parish Church in Scotland - the Clarksons' served as seminary interns at DHPC seven years ago and now they brought folks from the new church to visit us. They joined with us in worship, Bible study, community service and building relationships. They've invited us to come visit them next summer.

Some think of a sister church as a social gathering.

While it is true that we enjoy each others' company and have a great time together, our relationship is not based upon whether or not we are having fun.

Rather, our relationship affirms that God chose us all to be one in Him. The Lord lived and died for us. So we too are willing to live and die for each other.

Leupp Presbyterian Church on the Navajo Reservation our relationship with Leupp goes back over thirty years. We visited with them this summer with our mutual sister church from Scotland.

Ebenezer United Church in Jamaica - regrettably our sister church in Jamaica had to cancel their visit this summer.

However, we were able to send Karin Thomas, our Music and Arts Director, to be with them for three weeks. We look forward to hearing how God manifested his glory during their time together.

Some think of a sister church as a cross-cultural opportunity. While it is true that God has called us from every tribe, language, and people group and we have much to learn from each other, our relationship is not based on our differences or desire to become like each other. Rather, our relationship is based upon God drawing us from all around the world to glorify Him and become more like Jesus Christ. Together we are better disciples, witnesses, and glorifiers.

This summer Desert Hills has connected with its sister churches in many ways.

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A sister church is a mutual blessing, it is iron sharpening iron, it is God's glory made real here and now, it is a foretaste of heaven. Let us together glorify God and enjoy His presence forever!

Peace in Christ,

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Jim

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SAVE: First Weeke nd in Novem ber

sis·ter·hood ..

ˈsistərˌho͝od/ noun

1. between sisters.

1. the therelationship relationship between sisters.

2. an association, society, or community of people linked by a common interest, 2. religion, an association, society, or community of women linked by a common interest, or trade. religion, trade.

3. as Pastor Jimor wrote, "iron sharpening iron".

32 Years together of …

Building relationship Serving Sharing Joys Traveling to Jamaica & Scotland Singing Learning

Laughing Sharing Burdens

Nov. 1 & 2

Celebrating 32 Years For Sister Churches of Leupp and Desert Hills Definition of the Sister Church Program Two churches from different cultures joining together in a dynamic Sister Church relationship to minister to one another and together to others.

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HEIRLOOM NATIVITY SET MAKING IS BACK NOVEMBER 8 & 15! BOOK YOUR SPOT NOW! Are you interested in creating a nativity set from clay? YES, you can do it! Last year we offered this class, and those who tried it were thrilled with their creations.

We will offer this workshop on two consecutive Saturday mornings, November 8th and 15th from 9 a.m. until about noon. You must attend both sessions to complete the project.

If you participated in the nativity workshop last year and want to make another set or additional pieces for your existing set, we can accommodate 8 people in this separate group.

Completed pieces will be available to pick up on Friday, November 21 from 12 noon until 5 p.m. (or by prior arrangement.)

Phone 480-459-5063 or dianehillwig@gmail.com to register as a new person for the nativity workshop or to add pieces to an existing set.

All supplies will be provided and you will be instructed by Ron Carson, who has a studio at his home. The cost will be $8, and you will be able to make a basic set of Mary, Joseph, Jesus and some extra pieces as time allows.

Please call or email Diane Hillwig to sign up for this class, as Ron can only accommodate 10-12 people who are creating sets for the first time.

ANGEL WORKSHOP COMING NOVEMBER 8TH: SEATING IS LIMITED, RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW! This is similar to the nativity set workshop, but will be focused entirely on angels. We will be creating porcelain angels, glazed in a clear satin glaze, which can be used as decorations or gifts.

We will hold one workshop on Saturday, November 8th beginning at 1 p.m. The cost will be $8 and we expect that each person will have time to make about five angels in varying sizes.

The entire project can be completed in one session. There is a limit of 10 people for this workshop, so don’t delay in making a reservation!

Please call or email Diane Hillwig to sign up for this workshop at 480-459-5063 or dianehillwig@gmail.com.

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CARING FOR THOSE WHO SACRIFICE FOR US The Troop Care Ministry organizes opportunities for our congregation to provide spiritual support, encouragement and service to both active duty personnel and vets from within the church and community. For the past seven years boxes of supplies, from eye drops to cookies, toothpaste to trail mix, devotionals to deodorant, have been collected twice a year from a generous congregation. Four times each year boxes are filled and mailed. June 24th volunteers readied eight boxes that were sent off with gratitude and prayers from Desert Hills. A big thank-you goes to Shirley Klein who has coordinated this part of Troop Care Ministry for the past few years.

I am packing boxes because of the sacrifices our military and their families are making for America and the free world. They are taking huge risks so I can enjoy my blessed life as an American citizen. It is also a tangible way to demonstrate the love of Christ to our DHPC members in the military. −Carolyn Hallstrom

Troop Care also sponsors other events honoring our active duty soldiers and vets. In 2013 they hosted the Wounded Warriors Bike Ride and hope they will be able to do so again this year.

A dinner to honor our veterans is planned for November. In the Cards for Heroes program, cards and notes are collected and shipped to the Red Cross to be disbursed to hospitals and bases overseas.

I had been attending Desert Hills Presbyterian Church off and on. One Sunday there was a table on the patio looking for people to pack boxes for the troops. My grandson had recently been deployed to Iraq and I had wanted to get involved. I got to know the faithful group involved in this service, which led to my becoming a proud member of this wonderful church. −Sara Ray

The volunteers packing boxes this time shared why this ministry is important to them:

Having served in the Air Force and in the reserve and now a very senior citizen, helping with the boxes is the least I can do to show our love and concern for those serving our country.

–Bill Kleven

It’s a privilege to be able to express my gratitude for the selflessness of men and women serving in the military to keep America and its citizens safe. Packing boxes is a small way to let them know their sacrifice is appreciated and that we are thinking of them and praying for them.

–Mort Emerson

Our troops need to know we support them, and God Bless them for what they are doing every day. −Ardythe Coad

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One volunteer said: "It's a small way of giving back to those who so unselfishly give of themselves for our country."

I grew up in a patriotic family. I helped my Mom and Dad make and package fudge for uncles and cousins who were serving in World War II. This was at a time that sugar was rationed but we always seemed to find enough for this. I met my husband-to-be right after he was discharged from the Army in the 50's. We flew our flag all the time. I have donated more flags to organizations to be put out of service than I can count.

We supported his younger brother all the years he was in the Air Force (20 years). As our children grew, they were encouraged to serve our country. Our son joined the Navy and served for 20 years. Our daughter joined the Army and served 10 years in the National Guard. Joining the service, either the Army or Navy, was a dream of mine as a child. But, instead I married. As a child I had a crystal snowball that had a WAC inside and when you shook it snowed. I loved that ball! She stood at attention and I dreamed that would be me some day. I am very proud of our military and all they give to our country. They give

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not just their time, but give up special moments in the life of their children and spouse--births of children, birthdays, holidays and lots of first events. Unless you see with your own eyes or are a part of it, you do not understand the sacrifice they give. This doesn't include the injuries many come home with or the loss of life. Packing boxes for the military is just a small thing to do on my part to show my love and support for our men and women in the military.

I am blessed to be able to do this service. I thank God He allows me to have this privilege. −Shirley Klein Shirley’s passion for this project inspires me to support her. She spends many hours preparing every shipment.

Packing the boxes is only the last step in the process.

There are few ways that we can show our patriotism and our appreciation for the sacrifices that our all-volunteer service men endure to maintain our freedom. May they all be blessed forever! −Nancy Selleys If you have a loved one serving in the military and would like them to be supported through this ministry, contact Shirley Klein, 623-465-9246. For more information about Troop Care Ministry, contact Rhonda Noble, 480-433-2870.

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TROOP CARE MINISTRY: PROUD TO SERVE THOSE WHO SERVED OR SERVE Purpose Statement “To provide troop care support from a faith-based perspective to Desert Hills and Leupp Presbyterian Churches and to the local community.”

The Team Returning members of the Team are Shirley Klein, Jim & Kathy Shields, Michelle Fowler, and Rhonda Noble.

We are especially excited to welcome four new members to the team!

• Lynn Silan Torcolini has an industrial background, bringing her organizational skills to the team, with a focus on communications.

• Conrad McDermott a high school sophomore with the goal of going into business and marketing, is gaining experience in committee work and finances, by stepping in and learning the position of committee treasurer.

• Bill Kleven an Air Force Vet (he was a navigator) and a new member of DHPC, is doing research for the committee on two topics: (1) families of active or recently active troops who need assistance, and (2) homeless veterans.

• Sue Gilleland with experience on supply drives and packaging, is pairing up with Shirley Klein to help coordinate the care package project, an operation which includes supply drives, recruiting and overseeing packing volunteers, and maintaining the contact information for active and deployed troops.

A Christian Connection to Active and Deployed Troops Our first objective is that we, as a church, create a strong, supportive, faith-based connection to those of us who are either actively serving in the military, or who have a family member or friend actively serving.

Regardless of any personal political views, we feel it is our responsibility to encourage and uplift our Chris-

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tian brothers and sisters, especially during a time of conflict.

When our young people leave to join the military, we need to continue to mentor them to grow in their faith, and encourage them to be a representative of the church, and an honor to Christ.

Providing troop care any way we can, we especially feel it is up to us, the church, to provide much-needed spiritual support.

Vietnam War 50th Year Anniversary Our second objective is to recognize, honor, and provide support to veterans. The Troop Care Ministry team will be focusing on the same theme which has been tasked to a national special commission in Washington D.C: to recognize and honor our Vietnam War Veterans this year, the 50th Anniversary of the start of that war. We are at the very beginning of developing ideas, and welcome anyone who is particularly interested in this area to join us in our efforts.

We Still Need “A Few Good Men and Women!”

There are remaining spots to be filled on the Team. We especially need some volunteers who have the following skills: • Creativity to redecorate and update the Wall of Honor throughout the year.

• Basic computer skills to work with photos and help create digital photo albums or power point presentations.

• Writers to interview veterans and write down their experiences. This will be based on the Arizona Heritage Project model and training. Contacts will be provided, and this opportunity will be a great way to get to know others in our church, and to show your appreciation to a veteran.

If you are interested in possibly joining the Troop Care Ministry Team, please give Rhonda Noble a call at 480.433.2870.

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SUMMER WORSHIP HOURS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 28

ALL-CHURCH CAMPOUT: AUGUST 22, 23 & 24

Beginning Sunday, October 5, we will return to our fall worship times. Traditional Worship services will begin at 8:30 and 9:45 am in the Sanctuary, Praise Service will be in the Fellowship Center at 11:00 am.

This location is close to the Shoofly Ruins, the Tonto National Bridge and several wonderful hiking trails.

Just a reminder that our summer worship schedule will be in effect through September 28.

Nursery care and Sunday School will be offered at the 9:45 service and the 11:00 service.

We will be camping at the Houston Mesa Campground located just north of Payson on the Mogollon Rim.

The cost for the campout is $60 per campsite.

For more information or to register please contact Kathleen Harris at children@deserthills.org or call 480-488-3384.

MEMBERSHIP CLASS SERIES COMING IN OCTOBER Curious about membership and our church? Learn about our beliefs!

Class 1 - October 5, 12:45 - 2:45 Class 2 - October 12, 12:45 - 2:45 Class 3 - October 19, 12:45 - 2:45 Class 4 - October 26, 12:45 - 3:45

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Contact Nan Boyer-Searle to find out more: outreach@deserthills.org or 480-239-3751.

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From Your Associate Pastor Bob Claus, Associate Pastor bclaus@deserthills.org | 480-488-3384

ON THE MINISTRY OF OUR PARISH SHEPHERDS In the last Echoes, I introduced the expansion of our Care Ministry through a reorganization that clarifies the different but important ministries of Deacons, Stephen Ministers and Parish Shepherds.

calls, emails, and even texting – if that is what you can do.

The time commitment includes a once-a-month meeting for about 1 hour, plus 3 – 5 hours in the month, depending on the number of family units in your parish.

Through the auspices of the Board of Deacons and coordinated by the Care Council, our plan is to reach out to members and friends to share the care and compassion of Christ.

One of our Parish Shepherds is Bev Shannon, who wrote about her experience…

In the reorganization, the work and purpose of Deacons and Parish Shepherds were separated by ministry description. In this issue, I want to describe the ministry, purpose and work of the Parish Shepherd.

Let me begin by explaining our geographic parish system.

Several years ago, we “pinpointed” where every family unit of our congregation lived. We literally stuck pins in a map to see where you, our members and friends lived. Based on the number of family units living in a geographic area, we set boundaries to form 18 geographic parishes.

Each of these geographic parishes has, or will have, their own Parish Shepherd. Each Parish Shepherd will have 12 to 30 family units living in their parish. Our goal is to have a Parish Shepherd live within the geographic area they serve. The Parish Shepherd of your geographic parish could live in your neighborhood, or at least, live relatively close by.

By definition, a Parish Shepherd can be any member who loves the Lord and has a heart for God’s people. The ministry of a Parish Shepherd is to be a listening, caring presence.

The purpose of the Parish Shepherd is to communicate the care and compassion of our church for those living relatively nearby. Like a “good neighbor,” a Parish Shepherd is “someone who is there” to offer support to the members and friends in that geographic parish.

The key work of a Parish Shepherd is to communicate care and concern through conversation. With the aid of technology, communication can take many forms – notes,

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"I have enjoyed calling people in my parish. I have had good conversations with everyone. I send e-cards for birthdays, anniversaries and special holidays. I usually get a response back and it has always been positive. They thank me for the cards and I think they appreciate being remembered.

I always write down a note in my records to remind me of what we talk about and can mention something about our last conversation in my calls. I call every month and write emails to anyone that I did not get hold of. I have found that when I send an email that person will usually respond back even if they are out of town."

Our Parish Shepherds are trained to do their ministry. In the new organization, we have a team who oversees our Parish Shepherds. The team members are Dorie McDaniel, Bev Shannon and Bill Lauterbach. Dorie and Bev are our trainers of new Parish Shepherds.

Our training includes the importance of maintaining confidentiality, listening skills, and offering prayer support either personally, or with permission, communicating a concern to either Pastor Jim or me.

As of this writing, the team and I are working together to explain and ask members to be a Parish Shepherd where we don’t presently have one. If you think you might want to be a Parish Shepherd, please contact me.

Blessings,

Bob

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Stephen Ministry STEPHEN MINISTRY INTRODUCTION CLASS ON SEPTEMBER 22nd You are invited to come and learn more about Stephen Ministries through case studies, experiencing “live” presentations of skills used, and testimonials of what it has meant to have a Stephen Minister.

Many who have been trained by Stephen Ministries have said that it gives them the capacity to care in a distinctively Christian way.

Stephen Ministries will be hosting this one-time Introduction to Stephen Ministries on Monday, September 22nd at 7pm in the Choir Room.

STEPHEN MINISTRIES HAS OPENINGS FOR TRAINING

want more specifics, women please talk with Barbara Conti (480-419-8232), or men please talk with Steven Haver (602-6250159) 2. If you are not sure what is involved in becoming a Stephen Minister but would agree to fully participate in the training, we would welcome your participation. Who knows, the Lord and the Spirit might be preparing you for something else, but this is the way to learn how to care for others.

Through training, the Lord can prepare you to become a good caregiver and be ready to seize the moments when you are called upon to serve God by serving others.

Grow Spiritually Through Caring for Others Stephen Ministries is a one-on-one Ministry with specialized training that gives anyone who cares about others the skills and confidence they need for many situations in life.

For all the times you have heard about Stephen Ministries, it is about caring for and supporting someone in a tough situation.

But, Stephen Ministries training and ministry is also about how you, as a trained Stephen Minister, can and do grow spiritually. When you are in a one-on-one ministry relationship, you grow spiritually as you learn to pray for and respect the one you are caring for… and calling on the Lord to do the work needed. You learn to rely on and become dependent on the Spirit’s work in the life of that one person and in your own, by listening and witnessing to what God is doing.

Stephen Ministries training gives you “the ears to listen, the heart to care” with Christ’s ears and heart. As you care, Christ cares for you and through you, expanding your faith in God’s love for you and the one you care for.

We offer two ways to participate in Stephen Ministry training: 1. If you think you want to become a Stephen Minister, you must apply to the program and be interviewed before you can be a participant in the Training Program. Applications can be obtained from the church office. Once your applications is received, you will be contacted for an interview. If you have questions or

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SERVING GOD BY SERVING OTHERS When God puts someone in need right in front of us, He is giving us the opportunity to grow in servanthood. We miss many occasions for serving because we lack sensitivity and spontaneity.

Great opportunities to serve never last long. They pass quickly, sometimes never to return again. We may only get one chance to serve that person, so take advantage of the moment. A real servant does what’s needed, even when it’s inconvenient.

John Wesley was an incredible servant of God. His motto was “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, as long as you ever can.”

We can begin by looking for small tasks that no one else wants to do. Do these little things as if they were great things. The size of the task is irrelevant. The only issue is: does it need to be done? It is in these small services that we grow like Christ.

God expects us to do what we can, with what we have, wherever we are. Less-than-perfect is always better than the best intention.

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from the

Congregational Nurse

Mary Kay Thurston, RN FCN

Community Foundation (FCF), Rural/Metro Fire Department and Scottsdale Healthcare Community Health.

Congregational Nurse for DHPC “ The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble he will not fall.” - Psalm 37:2324 “ The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” - Psalm 145:14 “Do you not know? Have you not heard: The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the Earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” - Isaiah 40:28-31 September is “Fall Prevention” Month and we want to prevent “falls” both physically and spiritually.

To prevent spiritual falls we must study God’s Word and pray regularly. To prevent physical falls we must exercise and eat healthy and be aware of risk issues than can compromise our safety.

The NE Valley Coalition was created in 2011 in order to raise awareness about accidental falls, to assist in fall prevention, and to provide helpful resources in our community. Members of this coalition include Carefree Physical Therapy, Foothills Caring Corps, Desert Foothills Library, Foothills

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As your Congregational Nurse I am working with representatives from these agencies on a committee to present a Seminar/Workshop about “Fall Prevention” which will be held September 23, 2014 from 9:30 am until 2:30 pm at the Holland Community Center.

There will be speakers, panel discussions, vendor exhibits, demonstrations of different types of exercises available to help with coordination and balance.

There will be free assessments provided by a physical therapist and a pharmacist to help evaluate your medications for possible “Risk of Fall” screening.

The information provided will be beneficial to all of us, especially those of us over 50, those with physical handicaps, osteoporosis, impaired vision, balance or chronic diseases that affect mental or physical functioning.

Some medications such as sedatives and some antidepressants can cause fall risk issues. Falls can increase the likelihood of fracturing a bone in the hip, wrist, spine or other parts of the skeleton.

Here are a few statistics regarding falls: 1. F alls are the leading cause of death from injury among persons 65 and over.

2. A pproximately 9,500 deaths in older Americans are associated with falls each year and the elderly account for 75% of deaths from these falls.

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3. Annually, falls are reported by one third of all people 65 and older.

4. Two thirds of those who experience a fall will fall again within six months.

5. 33% of all falls in the elderly involve environmental hazards in the home such as throw rugs.

6. A decrease in bone density contributes to falls and resultant injuries.

7. Failure to exercise regularly results in poor muscle tone, decreased strength and loss of bone mass and flexibility.

Many of these risk factors are preventable; that is the GOOD news. The BAD news is that many people “think” falls are a normal part of aging and are not preventable. This is not the case.

Come to the September 23rd Fall Prevention Workshop to find out the personal and environmental fall prevention tips which will be offered.

In the meantime, ask me for a “Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls” brochure which was created by the NE Valley Coalition. There are also copies of this brochure in the display stand in the lower level entry to the church office.

The “Art of Moving Prayer” or Sign Chi Do Class held here at DHPC is one of the exercise possibilities for helping with our muscle stability, balance and stress reduction through gentle movements, music and focusing on God’s Word and simple prayers. It will resume, after our summer break, on September 11, 2014 from 2:00PM until 3:00PM. If you have not attended any of these classes previously, please come at 1:30 PM for an introduction. If this timeframe or day of the week is not a possibility for you, talk to me about an alternative day and time. Call me at 480-220-6679 or email me at nurse@deserthills. org for more information about this class.

STEPHEN MINISTRY: SERVING GOD BY SERVING OTHERS When God puts someone in needs right in front of us, He is giving us the opportunity to grow in servanthood. We miss many occasions for serving because we lack sensitivity and spontaneity. Great opportunities to serve never last long. They pass quickly, sometimes never to return again. We may only get one chance to serve that person, so take advantage of the moment. A real servant does what’s needed, even when it’s inconvenient.

John Wesley was an incredible servant of God. His motto was “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, as long as you ever can.”

We can begin by looking for small tasks that no one else wants to do. Do these little things as if they were great

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things. The size of the task is irrelevant. The only issue is: does it need to be done? It is in these small services that we grow like Christ.

God expects us to do what we can, with what we have, wherever we are. Less-than-perfect is always better than the best intention.

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Youth Ministry News Kevin Deasy, Youth Minister youth@deserthills.org

YOUTH DISCIPLESHIP KICKOFF MEETINGS AUGUST 13 & 24 FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS & VOLUNTEERS The Youth Discipleship Team invites all incoming 7th through 12th graders, their parents and interested volunteers to our annual kickoff meeting on Wednesday, August 13th from 6:30-7:15 pm in the Youth Room.

We will also be holding a separate Confirmation kickoff meeting for all 7th & 8th grade confirmation students and their parents on Sunday, August 24th from 10:05-10:25 am in the Youth Room.

The Youth Discipleship team at Desert Hills is excited for all of our students who are beginning or have begun another school year. Please join the Youth Discipleship Team as we pray for God’s blessing upon our students as they embark on a new stage in their lives.

Confirmation Class Who: 7th & 8th Grade students—students need to sign up in advance What: A time where students gather to confirm their faith in Christ through retreats, Scripture reading, mentoring, bi-weekly classes, worship, and volunteer outreach When:

• Fall Retreat for ALL students is September 12th-14th • Classes begin Sunday, September 28th and meet every other week from 9:30-10:45 am.

• Worship Service hours for September are 9:00-10:00 am

We trust that God will continue to show His faithfulness to our students and pray that the activities offered by the Youth Discipleship Team will be used to help students know Christ more and make His name known in their homes and schools. The activities/opportunities presented below are designed to assist students in faithfully following after Christ in the stage of life they are at.

All Youth Discipleship meets in the Youth Rooms in the Fellowship Hall.

Youth Gatherings Who: All middle & high school students and their friends are welcome What: Discipleship through fun, fellowship, worship, prayer, teaching, & small groups When: Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:00 pm

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Discover

Special Events

Who: High School Students

Who: All students

What: Discipleship through discovering God in the book of Psalms

What: Practical Service Projects through various Christian organization connections

When: Every other Sunday during the 9:45 am worship service starting September 7th. Worship Service hours for September are 9:00-10:00 am.

When:

• Wednesday, August 20th - Homeless Hygiene Kit Packing from 6:30-7:30 pm in the church basement

• Wednesday, August 27th - Feed My Starving Children packing time from 4:00-5:30 pm at the Tempe site

• Wednesday, September 17th - Homeless Hygiene Kit Packing from 6:30-7:30 pm in the church basement

• Wednesday, September 24th - See You at the Pole Community Worship time and location TBD.

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GENERAL June 17-21 ASSEMBLY 2014 EPC

The 34th General Assembly of the EPC was held at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee from June 17-21, 2014.

Commissioners from Desert Hills to the 34th General Assembly in Knoxville were Pastor Jim, Pastor Bob, Steve Woods, Kevin Deasy, Tom Lankford, and Barbara Conti.

The following articles capture the thoughts and experiences of many of those who were able to attend on behalf of DHPC’s congregants.

BARB CONTI’S COMMISSIONER REPORT The Evangelical Presbyterian Church is only 34 years old with 531 churches spread across 13 presbyteries. At this General Assembly, there were 1,533 attendees, of which 880 were commissioners, and 54% of that number was ruling elders (session members vs. pastors). In 2013 1,240 attended the general assembly, of which 600 were commissioners. In 2012 there were only 400 commissioners.

The theme of this general assembly was "Tell the Story" (about Jesus). The objectives of this gathering were to worship, equip, motivate, challenge, do business, and be together. Members of the EPC are quite serious about practicing their faith and guarding their conservative, biblically based denomination. As such, it creates an ambience that one can "feel" when we come together.

This article is my perspective on how the G. A. agenda was conducted, i.e., the process. I was interested to see if the general assembly is as good as Presbytery of the West meetings in regard to how one can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit when we are together. G. A. actually exceeded my expectations!

When one remembers that this was the annual business meeting of the denomination with reports from all the various committees, the process is amazing. Each morning we began with hymns followed by a sermon, which they called a devotion. After dinner every evening, there were songs of praise and another sermon.

In between morning and evening "devotions," there was prayer before and after every agenda item of business. On June 19, the first day I was there, this meant there were 18 prayers for the nine items of business conducted from 7:30

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AM until 7:30 PM when worship began.

The overall effect was one of worship and praise to God throughout the four and a half days, from the time we came together until we parted each evening. Consequently, business did not seem to be the major purpose of this congregation, although it was efficiently and effectively conducted.

In contrast to presbytery meetings of the PC (USA), I don't remember ever feeling the Holy Spirit's presence. It was a business meeting with a worship service one evening. I never attended their general assembly meetings.

I believe this is why the EPC denomination is growing in numbers and is doing well financially. They have started 13 new churches since the 2013 general assembly.

Their major foci are national and world outreach. The EPC wants to be a global movement.

Back to the worshipful process of this general assembly ... the EPC handles disputes with love, caring, and reconciliation to the glory of God. They practice peace, purity, and unity.

The "devotion" Friday morning was about prayer -- that prayer is about one's personal relationship with Christ. We are to pray for the positive, not for what's wrong; pray for what Christ is doing to transform and heal us and others.

We are not to use prayer to excuse accountability. Accountability is expected and was mentioned a number of times.

The most memorable "devotion" was delivered Saturday morning by a young pastor, Scott Bowen, from First Presbyterian Church in Opelika, AL. His core message was that we can't do anything for the Lord until we find our safe harbor in Jesus. What I found remarkable was his interpretation and current day application of Joshua 10:1-14.

God's covenant with His people was sealed by the cross, signed and sealed by our baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Jesus is our safe harbor and our covenant representative to God to whom God listens when we pray.

Being in the company of members of the EPC is a joyful feeling that makes one want more!

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TOM LANKFORD’S COMMISSIONER REPORT It was an honor to represent you as a Commissioner to this year’s EPC General Assembly in Knoxville, Tennessee. As my experience has been at other EPC meetings, GA was a Spirit-filled, unifying gathering of brothers and sisters in fellowship with each other. It was prayerful, fun, educational, informative and a great place to meet other fellow EPCers.

One of the things that stood out most to me was the spirit of servanthood demonstrated by all who participated in putting on the event. Since we have hosted a couple of Presbytery meetings, many of you know of the effort that goes into preparing for and hosting such a meeting.

So imagine arriving at the meeting and being greeted from the parking lot inward by people wearing light blue polo shirts who were there for one purpose only—to make our stay comfortable and productive, and to serve us in any and every way. Early on we discovered that when the congregation was asked to volunteer to help, 530 people stepped forward to work during the four-day event.

They were there to hold doors open, to give directions, to serve ice cream during breaks, to direct us in the parking lots, to serve meals, to drive vans, to take out the trash.

Well you get the idea. And they were there when we arrived at 7 am and when we left at 10 pm after worship services and late dessert (served by the volunteers, of course!)

stage, EVERYONE prayed. Often before they concluded, more prayers went up. Some folks stopped and prayed in the middle. We even prayed for PCUSA and their conference that was going on at the same time. I can honestly say that the Holy Spirit was involved in every decision that was made.

One of the most moving times of the entire conference was the empowerment of the new missionaries headed out into the world. The moderator spent time focusing in on the physical commitments they make when they agree to become a missionary, one of which is to endure persecution and possible death.

When they took the stage, many were young, some were old, and several were families with young children, parents so full of faith that they make these commitments with (and for) their children. Each one was down on their knees, surrounded by members of their home church laying hands on them. Members of the audience raised their hands as we prayed for them. Tears fell, hearts were opened. Everyone asked God to guide these people, to direct them and oversee them and as they go, live and breath the words of our God. The best way to describe this is that by Faith Alone, by Scripture Alone, through Christ Alone, by Grace Alone, glory to God Alone.

These people were able to experience what it was like to carry God’s light into the community. All they had to do was raise their hands and become servant leaders. The rest of us certainly experienced God’s presence through each and every one of them!

STEVE WOODS’ COMMISSIONER REPORT It was a time of Prayer.

Every meeting EPC of the West meeting I have attended has been filled with prayer. Before things, after things, and in the middle of things. The meeting in our church was halted to lay hands on a missionary that had just received word of a tragedy. It has made our Presbytery of the West meetings a truly spiritual time for me.

I did not have the same expectations for the General Assembly. I saw the scheduled worship times in the morning and evening. I saw the jam packed schedule each day and heard about the mass of people from all over the world attending. My mind naturally separated these two as worship and business.

What we experienced was Godly men and women praying at every turn. Before anyone did ANYTHING from the main

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BOB CLAUS’ COMMISSIONER REPORT I had been a PCUSA General Assembly Commissioner in 2004. Ten years later, I went to Knoxville as a first-time General Assembly Commissioner in the EPC. Those ten years had not totally washed away the memories of what I had experienced in 2004. As a point of reference, four years later in 2008, we began our discernment process here at Desert Hills after that year’s PCUSA General Assembly.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLYCTD. The final twist in timing was this, the PCUSA General Assembly was meeting the same week: June 16 – 21, in Detroit.

In retrospect, my experience at the 2004 PCUSA General Assembly serves as a stark contrast to what I experienced in Knoxville in 2014. Let me try to paint that contrast by focusing on how “business” was done.

The Prayer Work In every turn of the EPC General Assembly when a new report or presentation was made, the person at the podium opened with prayer. In a number of instances, prayers were requested and made spontaneously. In the times when people were presented, such as missionaries or chaplains, there were prayers and laying on of hands with many people coming from the floor to participate.

In a worship service on the last full day, a significant portion of the service was devoted to intercessory prayers for healing. Small teams of Elders were available on the floor and up in the balcony for Commissioners to come for prayer, much like we do after the Traditional Services every Sunday.

In stark contrast, the PCUSA General Assembly only required that prayer be said at the beginning and the end of a meeting. That is required by the Book of Order, but that approach failed to reach our hearts, our minds, or our wills.

The Main Business of the GA

The Paper Work In the PCUSA, we were sent “reams” of paper on overtures, policy statements, and actions expected to be taken on the floor after committees had met. On the “hot issues” for that General Assembly, we received “advocate” papers either for or against a particular overture. In 2004, it was the first draft of the Form of Government. In addition, we were sent more papers for our committee assignment.

In the run up to the EPC General Assembly, we were sent a number of emails that identified downloads for the General Assembly documents about registration, housing, and meals, plus a “few” papers that would be important at the General Assembly.

At first I thought there was “something wrong” with this picture. As the General Assembly progressed it became very obvious that the “main business” was not policy, politics, or polity issues.

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hile in the PCUSA the “main business” of the Assembly seemed to be about the ways we could be divided over issues. This GA was very focused on what would unite in faith and action. The “main business” was the church’s vision and mission for its future. With leadership providing the input, we were given a clear view that our denomination’s purpose was to plant churches and revitalize churches to make disciples wherever our local churches were.

There was a very orderly debate from the floor on these two statements. Many times, people asked for clarification.

Frequently, the speaker would admit that he or she may not understand but usually asked a very germane question. Their questions and the answers provided helped those of us listening and who would be voting.

After the presentation and debate, the GA voted to approve the following vision and mission statement:

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Vision Statement "To the glory of God, the EPC aspires to be a global movement of congregations engaged together in God’s mission through transformation, multiplication, and effective biblical leadership, embodying Jesus’ love to our neighbors near and far.”

Mission Statement The EPC exists to carry out the great commission of Jesus as Presbyterian, reformed, evangelical, and missional congregations.

The Telling Mark In the one (somewhat) controversial item at the General Assembly over a polity issue between a large Eastern seaboard church and its Presbytery, the true spirit and character of the EPC shone through. The controversy involved the Permanent Judicial Commission, which like—but not identical to—the US Supreme Court, was involved in the presentation of the motion.

When the Vice-Chair of the Permanent Judicial Commission started his opening remarks, he publicly apologized to the whole Assembly because this kind of controversy was not usual, nor did he want the many Commissioners who

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came from the PCUSA to think that this was typical. That in itself was refreshing. But then he went on to present how the Stated Clerk and the Moderator of the General Assembly had used their good offices to mediate a solution between the church and Presbytery.

I know that may not sound like a big deal… but it was the most telling sign of God’s Grace at work in and through the whole Assembly.

The Final Note As I said at the outset, the PCUSA General Assembly was meeting that same week. When the word was received that the PCUSA had, through an Authoritative Interpretation, decided to allow pastors to perform marriage between two men and/or two women.

In response to that news, the EPC General Assembly offered prayer for our brothers and sisters in the PCUSA. The Assembly was also informed that a formal statement would be made by the EPC General Assembly office in the next day or two.

The spirit of the Assembly was “contrite and humble” even as we knew that the PCUSA had erred and was moving in a direction away from God’s Word. Quite an Assembly, indeed!

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