2024-25 Winter Template by thetemplepa

Inside The Template

“Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz, the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.” Matthew 1:5-6

In the genealogy of Jesus, we come to an extraordinary thing in ancient genealogical records. You know what it is? WOMEN! Yes, only here do we find women named. In ancient times, this just didn’t happen. We also see anotherextraordinary thing: GENTILE WOMEN. Yes, Rahab and Ruth. Now, let’s take it a step further andaddthetruth about Rahab.

She was a GENTILE WOMAN PROSTITUTE. While these people aren’t Jesus’literal bloodline, He was born into a family with all its insane drama and crazy uncles. He had rogue relatives with scandalous secrets. It’s fascinating to consider how Jesus can get involved with “bad” blood and yet his blood remain so unalterably pure that it could save the entire human race.

The stories ofthesewomen and men are scandalous. Tamar deceptively prostituted herself to her own father-in-law, Judah, in order to keep the family line unbroken. Rahab committed high treason against her own people in her hometown of Jericho by hiding the Israelite spies in her home and sneaking them out under cover of darkness. Ruth, a Gentile wholostherhusband, chose to stick with her mother-in-law, Naomi, and return to Israel. She had less than nothing, picking up the stalks of wheat left behind by the gleaners, but she pledged herself to Naomi’s God, the God who redeems widows. She was redeemed by Boaz and they gave birth to Obed, and a generation later came Jesse, the father of David. Not only was Ruth not abandoned, God brought her into the center of the story of redemption. Then there’s the story of David. Did you catch what the Bible said? David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife. Her name was Bathsheba. David broke all ten of the ten commandments in one fell swoop and yet God held fast to him. David’s unwise adultery with Bathsheba, “who had been Uriah’s wife,” brought us Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. God’s redemption! It makes sense that the Savior and Redeemer of the whole world would inextricably identify himself with such a sordid storyline. That’s how God works. He doesn’t fly above the fray of the dark devastation of the human race.As only the Light of the World could do, He embedded himself right smack dab in the middle of the darkness.And as only the Resurrection and the Life could do, He ran headlong straight into the very jaws of death.

Can you believe in a God like that? It’s the same God who enters into the depths of our self-deceiving story lines.Absolutely no one is beyond reach of redemption. It’s all right there in the genealogy. Who knew?

‘Jesus is the Reason’: Get your copy today!

As many of you know, I’ve been a newspaper reporter and communications director for the PortArthur Independent School District, which led to my interest in doing this publication for the

I hope you’ll enjoy this edition of The Template with its pictures of Trunk or Treat, its articles by Phil, Tommy, and Sam, and its announcements of Christmas services, upcoming events, and special times in our church.

But this month is special. It brings with itAdvent and my very favorite publication of the year theAdvent devotional guide. Ray and I read it every night, along with the Upper Room. I love it because it gives me (and you) the chance to hear other’s thoughts people I know, or want to get to know about this very special season. I love that!

This year Beth Dupree, cover illustrator for theAdvent book, and I got together to plan, and I suggested the theme, “Jesus is the Reason.” Beth came up with the beautiful cover and even suggested where and how to display the title. Soon the actual devotions started to come in, and they are beautiful. Advent begins Dec. 1, so that is the date the devotions begin one for each day.Advent officially ends Dec. 24, but, as has usually happened, I wound up getting a few more from members wishing to contribute, so “Jesus is the Reason” continues through Dec. 29.

I used to tease people with, “But you can’t start reading it until Dec. 1.” But however you read it, you’ll have the same opportunity I do: a chance to read, and feel, and share what others think about this holy season. Contributors are Pastor Phil, Kyle Hooper,Anthony Cole, Susan Pierson, Sam Desmond, Lyn Thornal, Ray Cline, Donna Windhorst, V. J. Harper, Rev. Byron Jarratt, Mallory Stidam, Barbara Huval, Rhonda Richey, Shelia Taylor, Robert Arnold, Chad Melancon, Tommy Boone, Buddy Burney, Robin Shelden, Kurt Ervin and me.

I hope you enjoy it!

The Template Vol. 18, No.2 Winter 2024-25

The Template is a publication of The Temple, 4101 Hwy. 73, Port Arthur, TX, 409/962-5762. Our mission is to unite our members and friends in loving fellowship and service, and to provide information about the church and congregation we all love.

Phil Chamberlin - Pastor

Kurt Ervin- Exec. Dir. -Connection/Discipleship; Robin Ervin - Ministry Asst.; Anthony Cole - Communications/Young Adult Ministry; Emily LetulleYouth Ministry; Maddie Rozell, Shelby LeTulle - Children’s Ministry; Andrew Borel - Praise Director; Lori LaBove - Day School Director

Writers:

JanetCline(Editor), CharlesMorgan,LeeSaunders,TommyBoone, SamDesmond

Photographers: Richard Windhorst, Alicia Permenter, V. J. Harper, Bonnie Burke, Laura McCutcheon, Emily LeTulle; Proofreader:Ray Cline

ProvidedfreetoallmembersandfriendsoftheTemple.

Janet Cline

Joinusat6p.m.Dec.8

Chancel Choir to present “One Incredible Moment’

Recalling “the majesty of the manger” and the incredible moment when God became a man, the Chancel Choir will present Max Lucado and Tom Fettke’s “One Incredible Moment” as their annual Christmas musical celebration at 6 p.m. Dec. 8 in the sanctuary.

The choir, which includes and has welcomed several guest singers for this performance, has been practicing the musical for several weeks now, and looks forward to greeting an audience from all three Sunday services and their friends.

Directed by Kaycee Chappell and accompanied by pianist/organist Darla Lawless, theperformance willfeature soloists Dalton Woody and Thomas Furlow, and a small orchestra of talented musicians.

The music is truly mind-blowing and beautiful something that will enhance your Christmas experience and remind everyone of the true meaning of the Christmas season. We are hoping everyone will come and share itwithus.

- Janet Cline

Dalton Woody

Thomas Furlow

Don’t miss out! Pick up your Advent devotional guide

‘Jesus is the Reason’

TheAdvent devotional guide, with devotions written by Temple members is a long-standing tradition in the Temple. Pick up your copy today in the main hallway.

“Jesus is the Reason,” this year’s edition, features daily devotions beginning Dec. 1 andendswith four “lagniappe” devotions from Dec. 26-29. (Lagniappe is a Cajun word for extra or bonus submissions.)

The guide is edited by Janet Cline, with cover art by Beth Dupree, and publishing by church secretary Kelly Hamilton. Read it with pleasure during your family’s daily devotional time.

DoYouWanttoRing?

The Jubilee Bells handbell choir has been gracing our church with beautiful music since the mid 1980s. Robin Shelden, our current handbell director, was a member of the first bell choir at our church. She has either played or directed the choir since that time. Her husband and four daughters have all been bell players too.

“This is such a fun and dedicated group of people”, said Robin. “We are always looking for others to join us, either as a member or substitute.”

Here are some of the dedicated members of our Jubilee Bells handbell choir.

If you are interested in ringing bells, let Robin or one of our bell members know. Jubilee Bells practices on Wednesday evenings from5:15to6p.m. before the mid-week meal. They play about once a month during the traditional service.

Trunk or Treat 2024

Empowering of the Holy Spirit and the Pulpit

In Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul mentions that Christ gave pastors and teachers among others the power of the Holy Spirit to bring glory to Christ in the church, to provide care and spiritual guidance to help believers grow in their faith. Ultimately the spiritual gift of preaching is essential to nurturing the congregation and the life of the church. As E.M. Bounds said, “The power of Christ’s dispensation is a fiery pulpit. Not a learned pulpit, not a popular pulpit, not an eloquent pulpit, but a pulpit on fire with the Holy Ghost.” Yes, it is the Holy Spirit who empowers the preacher to succeed in the mission to which he is called.

Hence, the Holy Spirit plays a major role in the delivery of the sermon each Sunday morning. Otherwise, how is it that a preacher has such quickness of insight into specific Scriptures? I understand that preaching requires studying passages throughout the Bible and very specific Scriptures to magnify and/or clarify his message. He not only explains the sermon with his explanations and life stories, his sermon is alive and energized when the anointing of the Holy Spirit comes upon him. In particular, his thoughts and movements flow effortlessly as he shares the message of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. Yes, the same Jesus who said He would send the Holy Spirit to take up permanent residence in the hearts of believers (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 12:13) to Help, to Comfort, and to Guide them into all truth (John 16:13).

With the Holy Spirit at the heart of pastoral ministry, the pastor helps the congregation move from a life of self-reliance to a Spirit-led church with members who believe the Holy Spirit is God. The members believe the Holy Spirit guides them towards truth, glorifies Jesus Christ, and carries out God’s will. The pastor knows that he is the leader of the congregation, but he also knows that he is led by the indwelling Holy Spirit who provides the power to preach with a greater focus and spiritual insight that only God can give. Hence, as Steven Lawson said, “True preaching is the Spirit releasing His power in the man who stands in the pulpit.” Consequently, as Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “If there is no power from God, there is no true preaching.”

To be sure, the power of the Holy Spirit brings to the preacher’s mind what he has written in his notes and the recall of scripture in a sermon. This spiritual power led Charles Spurgeon to say, “It is better to speak six words in the power of the Holy Ghost than to preach seventy years of sermons without the Spirit.” Thus, in closing, I believe it is important to say, “Thank you, God, for the Spirit-filled Senior Pastor, Phil Chamberlin of The Temple in Port Arthur, TX.”

-- Tommy Boone

Tommy Boone

Temple people fill 200+ ‘Boxes of Hope’

Mary Gary, Maddie Rozelle, Robin Ervin, andShelby Letulle were among those collecting boxes of food products from members to make the Thanksgiving and Christmas season brighter for area families. Temple members and friends filled more than 200 boxes, which were sent to 12 schools for distribution.

‘Boxes of Hope’ make their way to area schools’ families

Temple members and friends made their way to area grocery stores over the last few weeks to buy food staples corn, green beans, mashed potatoes, and other things, and added a monetary gift card to help with other essentials. They were buying the gifts to fill “boxes of hope” for families in need at twelve area schools.

Temple volunteers checked the boxes’contents and delivered them to the schools to be distributed to those who needed the wherewithal for a Happy Thanksgiving! Robin and Kurt Ervin, Mary Gary, Maddie Rozell, and others were in charge of the project, spreading joy wherever the boxes were taken.

The Temple was involved in this project last year. “Our thanks to all those generous people who contributed to make this helping hand possible,” Kurt Ervin said.

Early Christian Aversion to the Cross as a Symbol

In the early days of Christianity, the cross was not the revered symbol it is today. Instead, it was a symbol of shame, humiliation, and execution. For several centuries after Jesus' death, Christians avoided using the cross as a symbol in religious art and expressions of faith because of the dishonorable nature of Roman crucifixion, which was reserved for the lowest criminals, slaves, and enemies of the state. For most of the ancient world, the cross was a symbol of disgrace and shame, not of victory and triumph.

The Romans used crucifixion as a public spectacle to maximize suffering and humiliation. The condemned would be beaten, stripped naked, and nailed to the cross, left to die slowly in full view of the crowd. Therefore, the cross came to represent not just death, but a form of punishment that stripped away a person's dignity. It was considered a curse, as described in Jewish Scripture: "Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse" (Deuteronomy 21:23). The idea of a deity being crucified would have seemed absurd and scandalous to both Jews and Gentiles. In fact, Paul refers to the message of the cross as foolishness to the Greeks, a stumbling block to the Jews, and an offense to all. (1 Corinthians 1:22-23, Galatians 5:11)

So it’s no wonder early Christians were hesitant to embrace the cross as a symbol. Instead, they used more subtle symbols like the fish (Ichthys) or the good shepherd to represent Jesus to avoid association with the shame of crucifixion. It wasn’t until centuries later, when Christianity became more established in the Roman Empire, that the cross began to take on its central and victorious significance, symbolizing Jesus' triumph over sin and death.

Yet, it is precisely in the shame of the cross that the deeper Christian message becomes clear. Jesus, in his crucifixion, took upon himself the ultimate form of disgrace in order to redeem humanity. He willingly endured the public humiliation, suffering, and death that the cross represented, embracing the shame so that humanity could be freed from the power of sin, shame and death.As Paul wrote, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

By taking on the curse of the cross, Jesus demonstrated the depth of his love and the extent he was willing to go for the salvation of mankind. The cross, once a symbol of shame, was transformed into the greatest symbol of hope, redemption, and grace. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross shows he was willing to take on the worst possible suffering, so that we could be spared from the eternal consequence of sin.

In this way, the early Christian reluctance to use the cross as a symbol reflects the profound mystery of the gospel: that God would take on the most disgraceful form of death in order to bring about the ultimate victory over shame, sin, and death itself.

-- Sam Desmond

Sam Desmond

Breakdown of the Church Family Meeting

November 18, 2024

We conducted a Church Family Meeting on Monday, Nov. 18. At this meeting, I discussed two major items. The first was the new constitution and bylaws of The Temple which were approved unanimously. This was the next step in our long journey out of the denomination. Once the paperwork is filed, we are officially The Temple Church, Inc.

The next major item was the results of our church-wide survey that was conducted in September. On a scale of 1-5, the top need was debt reduction. As of this November, our current indebtedness has declined from 1.48M to 1.019M. The next steps for reduction of our debt will be an asset sale that could net an additional 177k. The second biggest item was building needs. The third biggest item worship needs.

The biggest need was more worship seating, more services, and a potential Spanish service. The top needs of our building were listed as follows:

Worship center space,

Classroom and day school space for kids, youth and adults,

Lobby space, Parking lot expansion,Supply storage,

Media room, Work room

Ministry needs were the fourth biggest item with middle school and pre-teen ministries topping the list followed by volunteer coordinator, special needs, and mental health. The fifth biggest need was outreach. Items mentioned on outreach were missions, particularly with the homeless, grief recovery, prison ministry, school partnerships, singles and older adults. Many of these survey results echoed our Vision Team’s thoughts as well. However, there are some items that surprised us.

The question now is: What do we do with this information? While we don’t have an elaborate plan yet, it is apparent that the best next step is to conduct a capital campaign in the spring. First, a capital campaign would help pay down further debt and prepare us to put down as much as we can for a future building. A second next step is to create a new building plan that meets our building needs as we grow. While a new building is both a short- and long-term project, we cannot push it off any longer. The time is now to prepare and act.

A third next step is to utilize our existing building better. There are several areas of our existing building that could be better used if they were configured differently. One example is our memorial courtyard. While we need to be mindful and careful to take care of the items that have been given in that courtyard, the courtyard would work beautifully if it was enclosed as a multi-purpose room for kids ministry and dayschool. Many ofourclassrooms have access doors to the courtyard and it would make sense toutilizethisspace better. Anything we can do to adapt theexisting building cuts the cost ofanew building. Once a new building is built, we couldeven subdivide the kids assembly room into more rooms thus expanding our wonderful day school for more families to experience. This year, our day school turned fifty and it is going strong!

Another option to expand our current worship space is to replace our seating with comfortable, sturdy chairs with similar material. According to everyone I have spoken with who works in church construction, it could add 20% more in seating capacity. While we love our pews, chairs allow us to be more versatile in our set up for a variety of service sizes and activities. Recently, my heart was heavy when I heard that a family of seven came to one of our services, saw that it was full, and left. Those are seven souls looking for the Lord. The bottom line for me has always been that souls matter more to God than seating styles. There are also some areas in our building that need upgrades since our rebuild seven years ago. We are currently talking to a design -build firm that specializes in working with churches to design new ideas. Fourth, we need to create a ministry and staff plan that has targeted deadlines for starting new ministries and hiring new staff. We did this several years ago and it worked beautifully.

At the end of the day, God is blessing us and The Temple is growing. As Ray Cline said in our meeting, “When the church moved outherein1973 (to the present site from downtown), it was declining.” We stand on the shoulders of giants who saw a vision and took action even in difficult times. That leap of faith brought us to this point. I am forever grateful for those brave men and women who stepped out in faith. Today, the future is on our shoulders to make a similar leap of faith as they did. I am excited to see what God does next!

-- Pastor Phil Chamberlin