WITNESS: February 1, 2007

itness W

Presbyterian Church in America

pcpc If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things

Vol. XVII, No. 1 • Park Cities Presbyterian Church • FEBRUARY 2007

that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

—Colossians 3:1-2

INSIDE Organ construction in final stages Going deep in clear

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water

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Start 2007 in the habit of confession Festival event brings

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many artists to PCPC

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Retreating together as families

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Families go a-caroling

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“That the great angel-blinding light should shrink His blaze, to shine in a poor shepherd’s eye... that He whom the sun serves, should faintly peep through clouds of infant flesh!

That glory’s self should serve our griefs and fears, and free eternity submit to years, let our overwhelming wonder be.”

—Richard Crashaw

Women pause to reflect 10 Seniors hit the ice

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Fruitful ministry of UGM continues

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Hispanic community welcoming Cristo Rey 16 Asians meet together for PCPC Christmas party 17 Rivers of living water flow on Amazon

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Responding to the call: new PCPC missionaries 20

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Christmas concert highlights season of celebration

ver 150 singers and instrumentalists gathered at PCPC on the weekend of December 17 to present a unique candlelight concert, “Child of Light, Illumine Our Darkness.” We welcomed back our fond friend and pastor, Paul Settle, to host

the evening and present a poignant narration written

by Stephanie Barker.

the conductor, PCPC’s new Associate Director of Music and Arts, J. Marty Cope.

The PCPC choirs enjoyed their first Christmas concert in the newly renovated Sanctuary—a room whose beauty added to the evening’s ambiance. It was also the first concert for

From the youngest Chapel Choir singers to the seasoned veterans of the Chancel Choir, all unified to proclaim that Christ is the “hope of the nations, light of the world.” continued on page 2

Top, (l to r) Joshua Klaus, Haley Piper, Ellen Case Above, Victoria Restrepo, Faith Jennings, Gretchen Stocker

One observer noted, “I came away knowing that God had been glorified, and as Skip used to put it, the roof seemed to come off of the Sanctuary as the heavens gazed on this celebration of Him on earth. A glimpse of heaven right here on Oak Lawn!”

The concert narration

Lost in the night do the people yet languish, longing for morning the darkness to vanquish, Plaintively heaving a sigh full of anguish: Will not day come soon? Will not day come soon?

Sorrowing wanderers, in darkness yet dwelling, dawned has the day of a radiance excelling, Death’s dreaded darkness forever dispelling: Christ is coming soon!

Christ is coming soon!

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

And God saw that the light was good.

God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

God dwells in unapproachable light.

But men are estranged from that light.

Although men knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him. So God in judgment withdrew the light of His presence from them. They became futile in their thinking, and 2 • PCPC WITNESS FEBRUARY 2007

A portion of the Children’s Choir

their foolish hearts were darkened.

And now darkness is our natural state.

We live with disease, demons, and death. The works of the flesh are plainly seen in us: sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, enmity, strife, dissensions, divisions, drunkenness, divorce, orgies…! We are lonely, and hungry of body and soul. Our hearts deceive us; we can’t even tell neighborly love from self-love, right from wrong, light from darkness. We are imprisoned in sin. We love darkness rather than light. Death’s dark shadows obscure the way to freedom.

And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

In ancient days God spoke to His people by the law and the prophets.

His Word, sang the psalmist, was a lamp giving light to His people in their darkness. At many times and in various ways, God revealed His will to His people and gave them hope. During the dark last days of the kingdom of Israel, God gave His servant Isaiah a vision of what was to come:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.

The world is still dark. We live with poverty and abuse and slander and suspicion around us. We live with fear, shame, pride, lust, gluttony, envy, and idolatry in our hearts.

This light is Jesus Christ, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His nature. God has spoken in these last days by the Word made flesh, the Christ child who illuminates our darkness.

But the light shines in the darkness.

Surrounded and filled with evil, we examine our hearts by the illumination of the Word. Like virgins waiting for the bridegroom, we are called to keep our souls pure for His coming.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

“In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus told His disciples before He died and rose again. “But take heart,” He proclaimed. “I have overcome the world.” Even though darkness is around us and in us, it is not strong enough to win the battle. Jesus Christ has won the battle for your heart.

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God covers Himself with light as with a garment, sang the psalmist. The Holy One’s magnificent radiance is like a cloak to shield us from His pure glory that our eyes cannot bear.

About 900 years ago, Anselm wrote about our strange, half-blind condition: Is the eye of the soul darkened by its infirmity or dazzled by Thy glory?

Surely, it is both darkened in itself

Your Lord comes to you.

Isaiah prophesied that the virgin’s son would be named Immanuel, “God with us.” Think about the enormous impossibility of this simple name. The Holy One of Israel, the Lord of Hosts who uses light itself as a cloak for the blinding glory of His image—that He would consort with the wicked, eat with the infected, touch the filthy? It’s not just unbelievable; it seems wrong.

All the choirs gather for rehearsal the day before the concert

and dazzled by Thee. Lord, this is the unapproachable light in which Thou dwellest. Truly I see it not, because it is too bright for me; and yet whatever I see, I see through it, as the weak eye sees what it sees through the light of the sun, which in the sun itself it cannot look upon.

What a mystery then is Jesus’ birth!

God, whose face it is death to see, showed His face on earth. Jesus’ birth was the coming of light to the blind, the coming of holiness to the sinful, the coming of the Creator to His creation.

Yet Isaiah persists: The Lord of hosts will make a feast for all peoples.

He will swallow up death forever.

The Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth.

Richard Crashaw, the 17th-century English poet, expressed the same amazement at Christ’s birth: “That

the great angel-blinding light should shrink His blaze, to shine in a poor shepherd’s eye... that He whom the sun serves, should faintly peep through clouds of infant flesh…! That glory’s self should serve our griefs and fears, and free eternity submit to years, let our overwhelming wonder be.”

Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow, praises voicing, greet the morrow: Christ the babe was born for you.

Consider tonight the glorious morning ahead, when our Lord’s Second Advent will fulfill all the glorious promise of His First Advent, and the light of God’s salvation will end all darkness.

Your Lord—He who triumphantly declared that He was and is the Light of the world—has come. Your Lord —no longer “infant lowly,” but King of Glory and Judge of the Universe —is coming. Radiant beams from His holy face will shatter the enemies of darkness, and usher His own who have been saved by unspeakable grace into the Light of His presence forever.

Are you ready for that Second Coming? Have you been given a heart to sing alleluia to your King, Christ the Savior? How is it possible that you and I, sinners deserving the darkness of hell forever, could welcome the coming of the Light of Heaven with eagerness and joy? By grace, by faith, by the in-working power of the Holy Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Son of God. He enables us to believe God’s truth about our inner darkness and to embrace God’s gospel of redemption.

When we believe in the Light and turn from our darkness to Him, we become children of light.

The new organ is coming!

This is the console at the factory in Benicia, California, awaiting its trip to Dallas and installation in our Sanctuary on February 19-March 9. (We will need to meet in Fellowship Hall for worship on February 25 and March 4.)

Did you know that there will be about 5,490 pipes in the entire organ? Of those the main organ has 4,690 pipes, and the balcony organ has 800. They range in size from the length and diameter of a pencil to pipes which are 32 feet long and weigh several hundred pounds.

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Bahamas Yard Sale Jump on in, the water’s fine!

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Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

—John 20:30-31

eally, I promise you it was only about four feet deep. The sand on the bottom reached up and touched the surface of the water.”

Trusting my friend, I gathered the mask, snorkel, and fins to my chest, just slipped over the lip of the boat’s bow, and YARD SALE! I lost it all as I sunk in over my head, losing the snorkel and fins, and as John Calvin would say, I was “lucky” to have the mask slung in the crook of my arm or it would have been on the bottom of that little cove as well. The water in the Bahamas is so pristine that it’s deceptively deep.

The Gospel of John is that way, too.

It looks so shallow and accessible— ”Come on in! The water is great! You’ll love it!” And John’s gospel is indeed clear and easily accessible, but make no mistake, it is very deep.

John grew up in the home of Zebeddee (Mark 1), a successful fisherman who bankrolled some of Jesus’ ministry. And John was the little brother of James, the first martyred apostle (Acts 12:2). They had a fairly strong mother. Check out Salome in Matthew 20:20-28 if you need to see for yourself. Her boys were called the “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus because of their passionate and sometimes tempestuous tempers. But it is the aged apostle John who wrote this book with one stated purpose, so that we may have life in His name by believing in Jesus:

At our Sunday 6:00 pm worship service in the Fellowship Hall, we will study John’s gospel week to week, paragraph by paragraph. It was written for the purpose of convincing people that Jesus is the Christ, a treatise on apologetics. So feel free to bring along an idol worshipper. The preaching will be expositional yet fairly userfriendly, and the atmosphere of the service is one that welcomes one and all. Feel free to dress casually but be ready to worship God with an intense authenticity.

Sure, you are going to be in over your head on occasion, but do you want Sure, you are going to be to worship a God that you can convein over your head on occasion, niently put in a neat The first book of the little box? I mean, but do you want to worship Bible I ever studied come on, a finite was the Gospel of temporal human a God that you can conveniently John in 1975 with a being can compreput in a neat little box?

Campus Crusade for hend only so much Christ small group of an infinite, eternal, for new believers. Only spiritual Being, right? occasionally have I touched Oh yeah, did I mention that the bottom. Simple concepts like light John talks a lot about faith?

Now Jesus did many other signs in the and darkness run through this book, presence of the disciples, which are not yet the implication of these terms are Come on. Jump in. written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the endless when applied to our world —Tim Tinsley and to our own heart.

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Prayer of confession for 2007

Let’s begin the year acknowledging our condition before God, our great need for a Redeemer, and His abundant grace that covers all our sin.

Almighty, eternal, most just and gracious God,

Help me to know that All things are shadows, but You are substance; All things are quicksand, but You are mountain; All things are shifting, but You are anchor; All things are ignorance, but You are wisdom.

You are thrice Holy, yet my life and heart abound with Apologies not made, repentance not completed, forgiveness not offered, Brothers not respected, reputations not defended, peace not pursued, Neighbors not loved, Sabbaths not kept, appetites not restrained, Parents not honored, spouse not cherished, children not trained, Prisoners not visited, strangers not clothed, hungry not fed, Providences ignored, envy unchecked, prayers unspoken, Fears not conquered, truth not defended, sheep not fed, Feet unmoved, tongue unbridled, eyes unguarded, Time wasted, talents wasted, treasure wasted.

Lord Jesus, deliver me

From these chains, from the wretchedness of the old man who still lives, From the sugar of sin as well as its gall, So that with earnest heart searching I may Come to You, cast myself on You, trust in You, cry to You, be delivered by You. I appeal from the throne of Your perfect justice to the throne of your boundless grace.

Grant me to hear Your voice assuring me that I am guilty, but pardoned; Lost, but saved; wandering, but found; sinning, but cleansed.

Give me perpetual brokenheartedness; Keep me always clinging to Your cross; Flood me every moment with descending grace.

—Prayer of confession from the 31st General Assembly of the PCA

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Arts Festival kicks off with Demo Day Artists will explore 23rd Psalm

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rt in the life of the early Christian had three purposes: to depict events of the Bible, events of the Christian life, and the message of scripture in visual form. But where did it all begin?

In Exodus 31 the Lord provides Moses instructions for building the tabernacle. Verses 1-5 say: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘See I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.’”

God ordained that Bezalel would be the chief designer for the tabernacle and gave him not only the artistic talent to produce the desired result but also

the added gift of teaching to instruct others in his skill. All the artisans working on the tabernacle were gifted

by God for the job. God ordained their artistic ability for this special project.

From this early beginning, the church has made possible the sacred art we know and love today. This long tradition continues as PCPC brings to the surrounding community “Exploring the 23rd Psalm,” a juried arts festival and sale to be held May 4–12.

Our God is a God of relationships.

The Arts Festival is about building relationships with the many talented artists in our church and the surrounding community, where so many are not affiliated with a church at all.

Art Demo Day, held November 19 in PCPC’s new Oak Lawn West building, was the first of several events that lead up to the actual art show in May. Two professional artists demonstrated their talent by creating works of art from the many themes within the 23rd Psalm. Approximately 150 artists and visitors watched while Bob Hogan, (sculpture) and Shelley Kollman Smith (watercolor) demonstrated their unique gifts.

Pete Deison, appearing as a shepherd, and Bob Snider, consultant for the Arts Festival, provided a short interpretation of the book by Phillip Keller, A Shepherd’s View of the 23rd Psalm, while the audience continued to watch the creativity pouring from the demonstrating artists.

The event was successful as measured by the strong attendance and the following positive comments from artists, visitors, and steering committee:

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“I was impressed with how much artists have in common and how eager they are to form community. This arts festival gives these wonderful, spiritual, and creative people the opportunity to use their gifts for a transcendent purpose.”

“Thanks to the hard work of Nancy Starr and Judy Hearst, this festival has gotten the attention of many high-caliber artists, and we expect to have a high-quality art festival.

However, we also seek the participation of artists of all skill levels because we know that God is not impressed by artistic talent, but by open hearts.”

“I especially enjoyed meeting the Canvas

by Canvas group of 11 really wonderful artists. They will create a common painting made up of nine separate smaller paintings. Having seen their website and the incredible quality of their work, I can’t wait to see the finished product.”

“Like [in] evangelism, we are sometimes seed-planters, which in the fullness of His timing will sprout and perhaps want to be a part. It is all about relationship.”

“The artists seemed very excited about the opportunity to have a forum to display their work and mingle and exchange ideas with other artists.”

“Some artists seemed excited about expressing their faith via their God-given talents.”

Pete Deison did his part to illustrate the 23rd Psalm.

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Left, Shelley Kollman Smith and Bob Hogan demonstrated their unique artistic gifts, while Bob Snider (above) explained the themes of the 23rd Psalm to the artists.

“Artists were also excited about having an opportunity to sell their art to the public, some for the first time.”

“It was exciting to give away over 100 copies of A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm as a resource for the artists. Even more exciting was that two artists asked that we send them each a Bible since they didn’t have one.”

ARTISTS: There is no entry fee. Artists will receive 75% of sale proceeds. Cash prizes will be awarded for the best works on each of four themes related to the 23rd Psalm. For registration details go to www.pcpcartsfestival.org.

ART LOVERS: Come and invite your friends to the exhibit beginning May 4, featuring original sculpture, paintings, and photography by some of the finest artists in Dallas.

VOLUNTEERS: Call 214-224-2813 or e-mail artsfestival@pcpc.org.

—Ka Cotter Enthusiastic helpers included (l to r) Judy Hearst, Nancy Starr, Sarah Bagby, Candie Carver and (front) Debbie Blanton.

We are truly blessed to have the opportunity to build new relationships and extend His Kingdom through the Arts Festival.

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PCPC Family Camp

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Focus on spiritual development, says mom of seven

Above left, some good girl time; right, new ministry leader Jeff White with Gabrielle and Susan White

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ow can I get away?” seems to be the concern each year on Friday afternoon as families try to wrap up business at the office and at home in order to head out to east Texas. But 90 minutes later, as, one-by-one, each family arrives at Pine Cove Bluffs, parents are reminded how beautifully the cares of the city drop away in this incredibly relaxing country setting in the Piney Woods overlooking Lake Palestine.

This year was no different for the 2006 PCPC Family Camp held October 20-22. In no time at all everyone adjusted to the camp’s pace and setting to enjoy their family and community.

In fact, “Have Fun Together” was among themes emphasized in the teaching time by PCPC friend, retreat speaker, and extraordinary mother of seven Lynelle Zandstra. Reminding us “not to sweat the small stuff,” Lynelle taught with practical scripture and winsome stories about the importance on focusing on what really matters—our children’s spiritual development. And as Lynelle encouraged the moms, her husband and Pine Cove Camps CEO Mario Zandstra joined her Saturday evening with some challenges for the dads, too.

And there was plenty of fun for all! Children enjoyed their undistracted parents for activities such as pony rides and zip lines. In a rousing game of kickball the dads set a healthy competitive tone.

Terrific teen girls led by former PCPC youth intern Sarah Morrison hosted a popular fall festival for the children during the Saturday night teaching session for parents. Of course there was a campfire on Friday night and also plenty of time to meet new friends and to deepen exisiting family friendships through conversation, prayer, walks, and meals. After breakfast and a sweet time of family worship Sunday morning led by PCPC’s Director of Care and Counseling, Jeff White and his wife, Susan, families headed back to the city spiritually and practically refreshed for the week and busy holiday season ahead.

We’re grateful to our Camp Chairmen Kit and Carri Case for their prayerful planning and leadership!

Save October 19-21 for the next memorable family weekend!

Left, Geoff Waters and son Jack; Below left, Raina Mathews, Ellen Case; center, Sam and Lela Miller; right, Allison Hicks, Lynelle Zandstra, Deborah Waters

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Families go caroling at retirement community Right, carolers sing to baby Jesus; lower right, Jonathan Dillahunty reads scripture with sisters Claire and Gracie, and Jill Smith.

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oung families and friends from PCPC enjoyed a delightful time of Christmas cheer with our friends and neighbors in the White Rock Retirement Community. On Sunday afternoon, December 3, Jill and Jonathan Smith led the gathering of all ages in a festive program of music including carols, Christmas songs including “Happy Birthday” to Jesus and scripture readings. Many children came dressed as shepherds and angels, and parents and children experienced the joy in service to others.

Santa (Aaron Davidson) delighted the children and adults with a surprise appearance, too!

Savannah Davidson and Brighton Smith

Below left, Gil Brown with son Ryer; center, Flora Neuhoff holds daughter Mary up to see; right, Jonathan Smith holds microphone while son Brighton sings a solo.

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Come to the Quiet

Women’s Reflective Retreat

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aving dreamed of being a nun in a cloistered stone convent in the French countryside as a teenager, it was easy for me to be very enthusiastic about a reflective retreat at a Jesuit property just outside of Dallas. What I could not have known was the extent of blessing that would come from real meditation on the Word, real times of confession, personal and corporate worship, thoughtful thanksgiving, and simple stillness.

I daresay that for most of us, the tyranny of daily life is not conducive to this kind of quiet, contemplative, receptive spiritual state. Coming just a few weeks before the holiday season, on November 10-11, the retreat was a true Advent gift.

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One of the three friends who went with me initially said, “I just do not think I am capable of going 24 hours without talking!” This same person later talked about how difficult it is to be alone with your demons. Our leader was Elizabeth Robinson, one of the many excellent teachers in our PCPC community. She provided warm encouragement and practical guidelines for the times we had alone.

She led three casual teaching sessions on worship, repentance and confession, and thanksgiving. Besides her humble and winsome teaching, she had prepared a folder with a treasure of written materials that could be used for personal and directed reflection and study during quiet times.

The peaceful property was as conducive to quiet contemplation as Elizabeth’s teaching. Everyone had a private single room. The group who planned the retreat went overboard in welcoming each person with small, meaningful gifts thoughtfully placed in each room. There was also a comfortable library (filled with wonderful books on many topics), an airy eating area, and a wonderful chapel with separate nooks for prayer and reading. The whole place had the feel of a sanctuary, inside and out. The beautiful grounds led out to the shoreline of Lake Dallas. The entire property was available to us, allowing for many vistas during the three periods of private time.

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Finding rest for the soul

The music for the retreat was taken from a CD called Sing over Me. It is available at Logos, and everyone should have a copy. The songs we sang helped soften our hearts and focus them solely on Jesus, the object of our reflection. Elizabeth also offered a collection of 50 devotionals, one for each day of Advent, to help us not lose sight of our object of worship and praise. The challenge for most of us is finding a daily place of internal (and maybe external) quiet where we can be before God in worship, thanksgiving, and confession. This retreat was a great time to start developing those difficult disciplines.

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Now as a married, working mother of three, I am a long way from a quiet, cloistered convent in the French countryside. The gift of this retreat was finding that the benefits of that life are right here and now. If you could not attend the fall retreat, I urge you to put the spring reflective retreat on your calendar. You can bring your friends and talk (with purpose) at meals.

What you will discover is that the Lord is the best company of all. —Valerie Andrews

To find out more about the spring reflective retreat to be held March 23-24 at Kaleo Lodge, go to www.pcpcwomen.org or contact Elizabeth Robinson, 214-3699140, or Ruth Meek, 214-358-1612.

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60+ crowd slips

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hirty-seven brave and adventurous members of the 60+ Community boarded the bus for a day trip to downtown Grapevine, Texas, and the Gaylord Texan Hotel on Friday afternoon, December 29, 2006. You ask yourself, “What was so brave and adventurous about that?”

Well, it was probably the worst day in the entire season to go anywhere. The Metro area was under a tornado watch and flash flooding. However, the Lord was kind!

He held off the rain (not to mention the tornado!) until our driver safely delivered us to downtown Grapevine where we managed to invade all the lovely little shops.

About 40 minutes into our adventure the Lord opened up the heavens and it poured. I must say the rain really didn’t seem to slow anyone down. We all managed to get our shopping done and then enjoy a delicious dinner at the restaurant of our choice. (Or it might have just been the restaurant you happened to be closest to when a monsoon hit!)

At 5:00 pm we boarded our bus once again and headed for the Gaylord Texan. We promptly donned “lovely” overcoats provided for us (it was 9 degrees in the building we were to enter), and then proceeded to thoroughly enjoy the ICE! 2007 show.

Top, Joy Faye Adam tries the ice slide.

Left, Gilbert Adam and Joy Faye model the very necessary coats.

Below, Virgie Childs, Rose Marie Yeslow, Wanda Catarino

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slides in Grapevine Georgia and Paul Settle

We saw an amazing display of thousands of tons of ice sculptures using lights and color. Some were delightful, fanciful Christmas themes of Santa, sleighs, and reindeer; others portrayed the birth of our Savior in an overwhelmingly beautiful and larger-than-life nativity scene. What a sight!

There weren’t many takers on this, but a couple of our folk even enjoyed a quick slip down the ice slide. After the ICE! tour we spent our remaining time taking in the atrium with all its stunning seasonal decorations. Everything shimmered! It was the perfect time and place for a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie, a perfect ending to a perfect day. In the early evening we boarded our bus for home where we all arrived safe and sound. It was unanimous; we’d do it all again. God is good!

If you’re interested in participating in some of the fun, the next 60 + Community activity is a Valentine banquet at Maggiano’s restaurant at NorthPark on Wednesday, February 14, 11:30 am. The cost is only $10 per person. It will be a delicious assortment of food and wonderful entertainment—a lovely way to spend Valentine’s Day! Please join us.

Contact me, 214-224-2771, or jane.beasley@pcpc.org for your reservation no later than Monday, February 12.

—Jane Beasley Right, top to bottom: Jake Beatty and Lynn Sinclair; Martha French and Margaret Eldridge; Nancy and Bob Sutton; Cookie and Arthur Wood; Rosemary Thorton and Peggy Bennett; Liz and Riley Williams FEBRUARY 2007 FEBRUARY 2007

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Mission disciples give praise to God for new lives

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Union Gospel Mission (UGM) celtions from individuals. He is soon to ebrated its 57th Thanksgiving and be moved into a new position where Praise banquet this year at PCPC. I he can truly use the talent that God has have been attending it for 11 years given him—cooking. While Percy was and have seen some great changes, serving time in prison, the governor but certain things remain the same. of Louisiana needed a new cook. He God is given the glory asked for the best cook for all He is doing in in the prison. Percy the lives of previwas a great cook, so ously homeless people he was selected and and in the direction went to the governor’s and provision for the mansion to cook for Union Gospel Mission. the governor and his This banquet is not family. When a new and has never been a governor was elected, fundraiser. It is truly a Percy was given expraise banquet, and all ecutive clemency and who attend come away was eventually led to greatly encouraged.

UGM. I was amazed at The highlight of the his story as I thought banquet is when men about Joseph in the and women give tesBible, who went from timonies of what God prison directly into has done in their lives, Pharoah’s service. and I have the great Percy went to a place privilege of working where he was loved with them individually and nourished by ahead of time to help godly people whom them organize their the Lord had chopresentations. sen to teach him His As I talked with Word and to whom each of the four prehe would become acsenters, I noticed that countable in his walk they all came from with the Lord. dysfunctional homes.

Percy practiced his For me a dysfunctional testimony with me home is one where many times, but when there is no understandhe told the audience ing of who Christ is. that, growing up, no Top, Percy Hines Those in the home live one had ever told him Above, David Higbee the world’s way, not they loved him or ever Christ’s way. But God has brought even said “Happy Birthday,” he began these four to a place of light, where to cry. He had to stop for a moment Christ is drawing them closer and before he could go on. While he was in closer. prison he had found out what a monster he really was, using knives, beatCalvert Place: UGM’s Men’s ing people up, and being “downright Ministry mean.” He just did not care about anyFirst I met with the two men, Per- thing or anybody. He started pumping cy Hines and David Higbee, whom iron and became huge, causing people I have known quite a while. They to fear him, and he loved it. have been through the discipleship Percy is a changed man and no program; Percy has graduated and longer has a dysfunctional family. He David is nearing graduation. has a family at UGM that loves him and Percy is now working for the celebrates with him, and he now knows mission picking up furniture donathe deep and abiding love of his Father.

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David will graduate soon. He is a joyful young man who is still amazed at how far God has brought him. He was drinking and doing drugs by the age of 14 and spent time in prison on three different occasions. After getting out of prison, he fell in love with a girl who had ovarian cancer. They lived the wild life, trying to find meaning in their existence. When she died, he felt like his life had ended. He was later led to UGM, where God’s Word came alive for him.

I consider David and Percy good friends of mine, but I had never heard their stories in such detail. It was a precious time I will never forget as they shared their lives with me. It is a great privilege that God has chosen me to be a part of the lives of people I would never have known otherwise. Every day I am with them, God increases my faith in some way. The wisdom I have received from reading God’s Word has become illuminated through the lives of these dear men. I get far more from my service at UGM than they could ever get from me.

Center of Hope: UGM’s Women’s Ministry Spending time with the ladies was a special experience for me; I really didn’t know them well until they told me their stories in detail. And I was greatly concerned about how to make their testimonies succinct.! I offered suggestions, went home and prayed, and came back a few days later. But they were praying too, because they had learned the importance of prayer and wanted their testimony to be what the Lord wanted. Actually, I was amazed at the differences all our prayers had made.

Suzette Benjamin felt a clear prompting from the Holy Spirit about what she should say. She had experienced abuse in her life that lasted for many, many years.

She had become a Christian before coming to the Center of Hope, but when she came to the Center she was living behind a FEBRUARY 2007

dumpster owning only the clothes on her back. Had you seen her, you might have classified her as a hopeless case.

At the Center of Hope she has learned to walk with the Lord in submission to Him, waiting for His timing and seeking what He would have for her life. She is an articulate woman who writes well and spends much time in prayer. Suzette sang a solo at the banquet that brought tears to my eyes. What a gift God has given her. There is no doubt in my mind that He will use this bright, godly, humble woman mightily.

La Keisha Morgan was the most nervous of the four giving testimonies.

She was terrified of getting up in front of 250 people and telling her story. Yet she surprised me the most. It was truly the Holy Spirit speaking through her with boldness.

La Keisha moved out of her home at age 16. She soon became the mother of a very sick newborn baby, and she and her boyfriend had to make the decision to turn the ventilator off. It left her feeling like she had killed her own son. She had two more children and again went out on her own because her boyfriend

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was emotionally abusing her. But this time she became addicted to drugs and went to prison. She had been to the Center of Hope once before and was not ready for the discipleship program then. But the Lord wasn’t through with her. Her daughters went to see her when she finally hit bottom and had nowhere to look but up.

She returned to the Center of Hope, applied for the discipleship program, and came to know the Lord and walk with Him. I know the Lord will use her amazingly in the lives of her two precious daughters, whom she greatly loves, as she continues to learn how to be the kind of mother God intended her to be.

into a wonderful time of fellowship, worship, and praise. Some years we have struggled to obtain enough gifts for the almost fifty men on the program. We have learned to begin praying about this ahead of time, and some years the Lord has provided the needed gifts just in time. But this year, God provided more than we could have ever imagined!

Many church members gave gifts, but the Shepherds of Souls Sunday School Community was amazingly generous. Dennis Weitzel, a member of the class who has volunteered for many years at the men’s mission, took up a collection one Sunday morning, and I was shocked when I saw the envelope overflowing Union Gospel Mission’s with money! And God Thanksgiving and continued to send donaPraise Banquet is open tions from individuals: Suzette Benjamin to anyone who wants sweaters, cash, and gift to come. Please let us cards. know if you would like to be invited next year.

John and Trulah Monroe, Barbara Boyce, my husband Dick, and I spent Christmas Morning at Calvert Place Christmas morning at UGM. The men There used to be men in the discipleshared all God has been doing in their ship program at UGM who had lives lately. One man, just out after nowhere to go for Christmas.

10 years of prison, said, “You don’t Some had no family, some had know what it means to me to see a families who never wanted Christmas tree with lights on it!” as to see them again, some had he looked at the UGM tree with its families who lived too far away, blinking lights. Another man shared and some had families that spent that he was in a coma this time last Christmas drinking and using year as a result of an aneurysm. No drugs. It was a sad time for many one expected him to live. But God of these men, so we volunteers brought him through it, and he is alive at UGM started asking today to worship and serve the Savior.

PCPC members to One after another, men stood up to tell provide gifts that we about the faithfulness of God and how could deliver to them much it meant to them that our church on Christmas mornbody would think of them on this day. ing.

We sang Christmas carols, prayed, and As the years handed out the gifts; and Dick gave have gone by, a devotional message on hope and Christmas morning perseverance. has developed If you are interested in becoming involved at UGM, call Melody Dockery, 214-353-9838, to work with La Keisha women and children, or call me, 214Morgan with her 522-8659, to work with the men. daughters Ariah and Alena —Dianne Steele PCPC WITNESS • 15

Catching up with Cristo Rey Outreach to Hispanic community bearing fruit Josh Geiger is pastor of Cristo Rey, a bilingual PCA church plant of the North Texas Presbytery ministering to Hispanics in North Dallas.

Felipe is from Matehuala in the state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He and his family have been attending Cristo Rey for a little over two years. Felipe is currently leading the devotions for PCPC’s ESL students on Thursday mornings. Josh posed the following questions to Felipe:

What was your first impression when you came to Cristo Rey the first day?

My impression was that it was a little unusual. It was a tiny little room where there were about eight people.

It was a little strange because I was used to going to a church where there were so many people and no one knew each other.

How have you been changed by being part of Cristo Rey? How have you seen changes in your life?

The first person to see changes in my life was my wife. She said to me, “Don’t become a fanatic!” and I laughed. People around me have said, “You have something different.” My mom, when she came, saw I was different. I know what I believe and I am not ashamed to tell The family: Chris, Felipe, Mari, Mariela, Gisela anyone that I am a Christian. The truth is I have felt a change in me. Before, I What has been the greatest blessing desired certain things, and now I have that you personally have received stopped desiring those things. That’s from being part of Cristo Rey? the Word of the Lord. Before, I really The greatest blessing that I have had wanted to drink a couple of beers. through Cristo Rey is to have found a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Now I feel that I really don’t need that.

I used to battle a lot with jealousy, but —exclusively between Christ and me.

The Bible studies that we have and the thank God, He is working in my life and little by little that’s going away. depth of conversations between me and Pastor Josh have taught me more How have you seen the Lord working about Jesus. in your family? Has your family been changed by being a part of Cristo Rey? Why did you first begin coming to Yes, of course. My wife has changed Cristo Rey? a lot. When I used to say to her, “Let’s Well, I looked for a church because, pray for the meal,” she would act thank God, I’d had a revelation from like it didn’t matter if we prayed or reading a New Testament that I found not. Now, when I ask her to pray at at a Catholic Church. I felt very good here at this church, because what I was a meal she will pray. She is reading her Bible and talking to her family looking for was a church that would about Jesus. It’s a big step that she is preach the Word of the Lord.

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talking to her mother and telling her that the Word of God says we should not have idols or images. I see that prayer is very powerful. Also, before, if I made a joke, she answered angrily.

Now she takes it as nothing. She is very calm. The changes I have seen in my daughters Gisela and Mariela are very big. Mariela is 11. She was the first one who began loving Jesus. You can see her interest, her questions. But Gisela, who is 16, is more reserved and doesn’t want to show it, but she has also enjoyed coming to church.

I know that she also has understood many things about the Lord. And, you remember, she tried drugs—I don’t know how much—but thanks be to God we were able to rescue her in time, thanks to Cristo Rey and the people who are here, and the prayers.

Maybe you can’t see a lot of changes in her now, but I have faith that in the future they are going to be greatly impacted.

When someone asks you, “What is Cristo Rey like?” What do you tell them?

There’s a song that says “We are a special people,” and for me, when I think of Cristo Rey, it’s really a special church. I feel like the Lord is doing a lot here. The church is growing, and there are people from different nationalities and races here.

How do you see the Lord using our congregation in the community in Dallas?

Jose has friends that are from Mexico, and he’s telling a lot of them about the Word. Alex is telling his family in Mexico and also his friends. I believe that the Word is revealing itself to the people here at Cristo Rey and all the way to Mexico. In my case, I have friends that were born here, and from other countries, and I’m talking to them, and my wife is talking to her friends at work. The Word of God is being taken to many places by the servants here at Cristo Rey. What is your hope for Cristo Rey? Where do you see this congregation in five years?

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A southeast Asian celebration

Christmas carols in four languages

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“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” —Revelation 7:9-10

he room had a festive air to it, and there was food in abundance. Christmas songs were playing, and children were running and enjoying games of different kinds.

Young and old, new and familiar, around 150 Asian folk gathered at a unique Southeast Asian Christmas Party held in the Oak Lawn West building on December 23.

PCPC’s own Lao Presbyterian Fellowship (LPF) hosted the event. Among the Lao and Thai LPF members and families present was a group of Myanmar refugees that had just arrived a few weeks earlier. These new arrivals were soon to hear about the love of Christ. There was a great time of fellowship and getting to know new people.

As the evening continued, the large group sat down to enjoy Christmas dinner and a time of worship. Songs

I’m really optimistic, and hope that the church grows into a big congregation. I think Cristo Rey will have a very important role in the lives of the Hispanics here in Dallas. It doesn’t always look like things are happening, but things are advancing and everything is in the Lord’s hands. I’m optimistic, but the Lord is the one who has the last word.

Is there something else that you’d like to say to those who are supporting our congregation or are considering supporting us?

I’d like to thank those that are supporting our church. They supported us when we weren’t anything, just 8 or 10 people. Little by little the church

were sung by a group from Myanmar in their native language, and then everyone joined in to sing Christmas carols (in four different languages!) along with PCPC’s J. Marty Cope and Amanda Whitsell. After the music everyone settled down to listen to Assistant Pastor Patrick Lafferty as he shared “The True Meaning of Christmas.”

“Many people hear about God, but even many Christians don’t know the true meaning of Christmas,” says King Sribounheuang, Director of the Lao Presbyterian Fellowship. “At this Christmas gathering, many heard about Christ for the first time. That is important!”

Please join us in praying for an increased LPF/PCPC effort to reach many from Southeast Asia for His kingdom!

—Amanda Whitsell

will eventually be able to support itself, and maybe one day we can support another church plant.

People have been blessed here, and a seed has been planted. That should encourage them. The seed is going to grow, and in time will bring fruit and will plant other seeds in other places.

VBS at Cristo Rey

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FEBRUARY 2007

Serving Christ on the Shores of the Amazon and children arrive for VBS

equipment and crew. Prior to our arrival in each of seven villages, representatives from Central Presbyterian Church of Manaus had already begun to “sow seeds”; our charge was to build relationships and spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

With 44 large duffle bags and suitcases filled to capacity with a myriad of items including clothing, medicine, toys, fishing hooks and line, Portuguese Bibles, and VBS supplies, we arrived at DFW airport and began a long day of travel, excited about the new experiences ahead of us.

In Miami, we rendezvoused with our pharmacy student and our two water-well-drilling experts.

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On Friday, September 1, 2006, 22 Americans headed to Manaus, Brazil, to begin their much-anticipated shortterm mission trip. This group, representing seven different churches, was led by Dr. Cal Ramage of PCPC, who had utilized his dental skills the previous year on the Amazon. Just three months earlier God began knitting our group together, and Cal facilitated six meetings during the summer to prepare us for our great Amazon adventure, culminating with a packing party at the Amazon Outreach warehouse in Dallas.

At our first organizational meeting, trip goals were clearly outlined: providing medical and dental care, testing vision and dispensing reading glasses, ministering to men and women, leading Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the children, and drilling water wells. Our ultimate goal was to share the love of Christ and to spread the gospel.

Over the last 15 years, Amazon Outreach has acquired two boats now used for approximately 25 short-term mission trips annually and a smaller boat outfitted with well-drilling 18 • PCPC WITNESS

all of the items that would be added to each blue bag, 148 family packs in all.

The Amor consisted of three living decks and one engine/service deck.

The top deck performed double duty as the men’s sleeping quarters and our dining hall, the middle deck housed colorful sleeping hammocks for the girls and interpreters, and the lower deck served as our laundry, sleeping quarters for the boat crew, and general packing area. Our floating home was a gracious host to us as we watched the sun rise and set over the river during our trip. After breakfast each morning, we would gather on the upper deck for a time of singing, devotion, and prayer in preparation for the day ahead.

Village by village On Sunday, September 3, the excitement of our first village visit set in.

Names such as Macaranca, Sao Sebastio, and Flexal, all new to us, became villages of precious Brazilian friends throughout the week, all eager to greet our boat. Villagers would come on foot or by boat once they’d learned that the Americans were coming. They were coming to see us!

As we docked at each village, our Brazilian team members would scamper off to scout out the most suitable location to set up the pharmacy, VBS, and the dental and medical clinics.

Sometimes the largest shade tree was the most coveted location.

A warm welcome Our landing in Manaus and navigation through customs at 2:30 am was blessed by the fact that not one piece of luggage was confiscated!

From the airport, a bus transported our weary team the short drive to the river where our floating home, Amor y Esperanca, was waiting for us. One look at the Amor and we knew instantly that this was the beginning of a wonderful adventure. A warm greeting by our crew and Brazilian team of interpreters, approximately 25 in all, awaited us as we were served our first meal—breakfast—at 4:30 family packs are handed out to grateful villagers am.

Fortunately that first day on the river was another travel day as we headed eastward, crossing the Rio Negro to the Uatuma River, a distance of about 200 miles and 22 hours by water. We had some time to rest, begin to get to know each other, and assemble what would become known as the “family packs.” The lower deck looked like a flea market as we categorized FEBRUARY 2007 FEBRUARY 2007

Uatuma Rivers Our medical team treated maladies from malaria to worms, including some nasty wounds. We observed not only simple, treatable problems, but also illnesses requiring lab and x-ray facilities which were not available onboard. During one examination, a stethoscope revealed that a twin, sickly in appearance, possibly had a large hole in his heart. If not repaired, it would end the child’s life prematurely.

Our Brazilian partners are attempting to transport this child to a major city where he can undergo open-heart surgery. Additionally, our medical team encountered an 11-year-old boy requiring a simple surgical procedure commonly performed in the U.S. By God’s providence, our nurse anesthetist had just enough short-acting anesthesia for one procedure, allowing the medical team to treat this child and prevent chronic kidney failure and death.

The dental team, equipped with state-of-the art portable equipment, pulled teeth and gave lessons in proper dental hygiene to the children.

Checking the vision of villagers provided a perfect opening for evangelism and relationship building. Some of our men fished with Brazilian men and shared the love of Christ.

Brazilian women learned about Christ and birth control from our women’s ministry FEBRUARY 2007 FEBRUARY 2007

Above, the American team gathers on the steps of the Manaus Opera House Left, morning devotions on the Amor y Esperanca Below, VBS leaders and their charges

team. Our water well drilling team successfully struck water in three of six villages, bringing the dual gift of “living water.” A large multicolored parachute or bubbles beckoned the children to VBS. A typical day included Bible story skits complete with costumes, songs with our Brazilian interpreters, engaging crafts, and snacks. Even the youngest children were exposed to the gospel using the EvangiCube, and generally we just “loved on them.”

Whether spending a half day or an entire day in a village, we provided a meal for those who journeyed by foot or boat because they knew we were coming. Each village visit ended with a worship service conducted in a church, in a soccer arena, or on the river bank. Either the local pastor or one of our team would give the gospel message. Additionally, an American

team member would share his or her testimony translated by one of our Brazilian interpreters. Periodically we would invite those in need of healing to come forward and receive prayer.

Then the team would surround these precious people and pray in both English and Portuguese. Each service concluded with the anticipated distribution of the family packs to the heads of very grateful families. In all, our team was privileged to bring the truth of the gospel to seven hungry villages. Joyfully, members in each one prayed to receive Christ! At trip’s end, we were sad to leave behind our new friends and the tranquility of the river, longing to return.

We serve a great God, and as His ambassadors we participated in demonstrating His love for His children living along the banks of the Amazon.

Plans are already underway for a return trip in September 2007, and we invite you to respond to God’s call to make disciples throughout the world.

If you are interested, please contact Corey Young, 214-224-2525 or corey. young@pcpc for further information.

—Charlotte Medley PCPC WITNESS • 19

neighbor to the world

A

year has passed since we gathered around the theme “Neighbors to the World” at PCPC’s 2006 World Missions Conference. We studied Christ’s commands to pour our lives into loving our God and loving our neighbors. We fellowshipped with our heroes, our missionaries. We learned of PCPC’s involvement in the extension of God’s Kingdom around the globe.

So what has happened since then?

How is our church growing in its love for its neighbors around the world? How is God changing hearts and teaching us to love, to go, and to send? Here’s an update on some PCPC members who heard the call to go.

Read and be encouraged. But watch out—you’ll be challenged, too. God is at work!

ing. Please pray as they seek to raise the last of their financial support for a two-year ministry in evangelism and discipleship. Read more about them at www.mtwsa.net/people/joettle.htm.

Andrew and Becky Bronson, a young couple who had been prayerfully considering overseas ministry In September 2006 Andrew, and Becky moved to Thailand for a two-year commitment. They plan to spend part of their time serving in Bangkok and part of their time in Nong Khai at Gennesaret Church, one of PCPC’s World 50 church plants. They are working in evangelism, discipleship, mercy ministries and church planting. To learn more about their current ministry, go to http://stickywrites.wordpress.com.

These are just eight of our members answering God’s call to special times of service. There are others, some young and some not so young, who

Josh and Amy Oettle (pronounced “Etley”), called to work on a major college campus in Mexico City Josh and Amy have been pursuing a call to take the gospel to the future professionals of Mexico. They recently left their jobs and are in the midst of cross-cultural training and fundrais-

Four PCPC members called to Asia For security reasons, these four cannot be named or pictured, but their story is nonetheless exciting. Their hearts stirred during their participation in PCPC’s cultural exchange program between our high school youth and a high school in Asia. Two of the four left for Asia in August 2006. Two more are making plans and raising support to go this summer. All four plan to serve at least two years. Please contact our World Missions office, 214-2242525, if you would like more information on how to support and pray for these brothers and sisters.

pcpc FEBRUARY 2007 • Vol. XVII, No. 1 Park Cities Presbyterian Church 4124 Oak Lawn Dallas, Texas 75219 www.pcpc.org

Andrew and Becky Bronson with PCPC Missions Director Curt Dobbs (center) in Thailand

are working with our Missions and Outreach staff to see what God would have them do. Plus, some PCPC members are now tentmakers (ministering in another culture while holding a secular job for income) in strategic places and others are considering this unique type of service.

Glory be to God for calling some of us go. Glory be to God for calling all of us to send. In 2007 may Park Cities Presbyterian Church Josh and Amy continue Oettle to grow in its calling to be a neighbor to the world!

Periodical Postage Paid at Dallas, Texas