From Faith to Faith
September 2005 VOL. XXI No. 9
Senior Pastor: Dr. Carl W. Bogue
Assistant Pastors: Rev. Bruce Buchanan & Rev. James Kobb
September Preaching Schedule
Sept. 4: AM: “Doing versus Talking”; Isaiah 25:6-7
PM: “Theism Is Not Christianity”; John 14:7-11
Sept. 11: AM: #119 “Open Your Mouth!”; Psalm 81
PM: Pastor Buchanan
Sept. 18: AM: Pastor Buchanan
PM: #120 “Who is Really in Charge?”; Psalm 82
Sept. 25: AM: #121 “Do not be Silent, God”; Psalm 83
PM: Pastor Kobb
Missionary Updates Beth Bogue – Scotland: Beth asks for prayer for the members of the Wishaw Church who have lost their pastor, since he has accepted a call from a church in Northern Ireland. They have joined the Airdrie Church and Beth requests prayer for a smooth integration for the Wishaw folk. There will be a Scottish Church Camp the weekend of September 9-11. Beth will be coming to the United States at the end of September and asks for prayer that the Lord will continue to provide the necessary funds for her to continue her mission work in Scotland as He has done for the last five years.
Bert & Nancy Williams – South Africa: The Williams family visited us here at Faith Church during Prayer & Praise service in July. They are seeking support for mission work in South Africa. At approximately the same day they were here in Akron, Nancy’s dad, George Howe, had a car accident and was hospitalized with a broken sternum and was in considerable pain. The doctors also discovered a heart arrhythmia. Nancy had to fly to Chicago to care for her father. Please pray for George’s full recovery and for Nancy’s trip and time with her father. Pray for Bert and Nancy that they might soon raise their support to go to South Africa, possibly as early as October.
R.C. Sproul Conference
Ligonier Ministries will be hosting a fall conference at the John S. Knight Center September 16th and 17th. Dr. R.C. Sproul and Dr. Derek Thomas will explore the doctrine of predestination. If you are interested, see the flyers on the vestibule table or call 1-800-435-4343.
Attention member of Faith Church: There will be a congregational meeting following morning worship on September 18th for the purpose of voting on elder and deacon nominations. Please be in prayer for the next few weeks as you seek God’s guidance in the voting process. This is an important meeting and all members should attend if at all possible.
We need a family to volunteer for our Visitor Fellowship Meal on September 11th. If any families are interested please sign up on the bulletin board in the vestibule. To lighten the load, if you wish, two or three families may go together and “team up” to host this meal. If no one volunteers there will be no meal that day. If anyone has any questions as to what duties are required to host this meal please ask Avone Blasiman, our WIC Hospitality Chairman.
We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper during morning worship on September 4th. Please prepare your hearts and minds to come to the Lord’s table.
A new adult Sunday School class will begin September 25th. Allister Stone will lead a study based on the book Let’s Study Hebrews by Hywel R. Jones.
Pastor’s Letter: Pastor Buchanan
With three months passed of my presence at Faith, with Dr. Bogue gone to Cyprus for the month of August, and having space in this month’s newsletter, it seems fitting to me to give you all an update on the Buchanan’s settlement. We are doing well, less than a quarter-mile up the street from the church. We are very glad to be so close, and to be here at all seems to us to be a great blessing from the hand of our faithful God. We have felt a tremendous sense of belonging since the day we arrived, and that is due in no small part to the kindnesses of the whole church family. Let this be a public “Thank You” from the bottom of our hearts, Philippians 4:19.
Our daughters love coming to church to be with their friends at Sunday School, and fellowship with them. This has added a dimension to their Lord’s Day experience that had been missing for some time. Which brings me to another thanksgiving--for the sense of community that Faith PCA provides. There is no shortage of volunteers and of a spirit of giving and generosity. Now, certainly there can be similar displays in secular clubs, etc., and in churches where socializing is apparently the only useful purpose served by their existence. But for us, I have no problem identifying this display as a grace from God, yes even a gift of the Holy Spirit in our midst, Rom 12:6, 13.
What makes Faith special to us is not something extraordinary, but something ordinary--the ordinary gifts of the Spirit not merely present (by default) but evident by their use. Also the ordinary means of grace not merely present in the ministry of the church, but evident by their use. This makes the whole experience of worship and service at Faith an event of magnitude that exceeds (in our eyes) any extravaganza put on at another place, be it ever so well attended and lavishly produced. “Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of Jehovah our God.” (Ps. 20:7)
Finally, I ask your patience and prayers. No change comes without adjustment. And as convenient as this one has been for our family, and hopefully for you all as well, there are still degrees of comfort that must be attained in many things. I, too, pray for your ease in adjustment. Already I have tried to take a few of your recommendations and polite counsels into consideration and adjusted my own style to meet your needs. I do promise to listen, though I may not be able to fully satisfy each one. Not even Paul, who was “all things to all men,” could by that please all, but only “some” (1 Cor. 9:22).
God has promised his blessing on the ordinary means. The “foolishness of preaching” is the principal means he uses to save his elect. Therefore I intend to continue using the public preaching of the Word to call the unregenerate to repentance, sometimes overtly, as well as building up the faithful. For this reason I want to encourage you, if you are not ashamed of the preaching of the gospel in this church, whether by any of its ministers, to be unembarrassed to invite the unsaved around you to church. If you are ashamed to do so because my preaching is not such as you can in good conscience commend it, then I should not be in your pulpit. May God be merciful to us, and to all his elect, in using Faith PCA to extend the gospel to Akron and its environs.
Cancellations for the month of September.....
1. There will be no WIC Quilting Class in September.
2. There will be no WIC meeting in September.
3. There will be no Session meeting September 17th...the alternate date will be announced later.
L.A.M.B.S. (Ladies AM Bible Study) will begin it’s fall session on Wednesday, September 7th, at 9:30 a.m. L.A.M.B.S. is open to all ladies of Faith Church, members and non-members alike. All older home schooled girls are welcome as well. L.A.M.B.S. meets every first and third Wednesday of every month at 9:30 a.m. for about an hour. They will continue to meet all fall and take a break over the winter months. The course of study for this fall session is “Esther” and the book is $6. Please see Pat Hill if you wish to purchase a book. All the ladies will do the first lesson together at the first meeting.
One of our church family has moved away. Please note the new address for Josh M
1015 ½ North Governor Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52245. His cell phone is (765)860-5866. His email address is
joshua-matthews@uiowa.edu
Sunday School Nursery Workers
Sept. 4: Kristi & Hope Kadlecek
Sept. 11: Jennifer Stone & Karli Kadlecek
Sept. 18: Barb Imke & Samantha Tasseff
Sept. 25: Kristin Green & Katie Tasseff