July 6

Tim’s Tidings

As you read this we will have finished a very full week!  My view of summer is that it is “opportunity time” rather than down time.  We take a break from some of the usual things we do… yet we also do things we couldn’t during the other seasons of the year.

Last Sunday our church commissioned youth to go to the Montreat Youth Conference and to the Leesburg Choir Camp.  They are there now, and they will have a full week of growth.  A recent survey of ministers revealed that fully 40% of them were influenced in their calls to Christian service at events such as these.  Please remain in prayer for Christ to transform our youth and their leaders… and in turn influence our faith and the spiritual life of our church as they return.

Wednesday night your Session held a Congregational Forum to report on and discuss recent actions of the General Assembly.  There were about 70 members in attendance… all who offered prayer and encouragement as we wrestle with being faithful in an age of change.  It was affirmed that what will not change is:

1.       The Lordship of Jesus Christ—he is Lord and head of the church … our one foundation.

2.       The Authority of Scripture as guide to the Christian life.  It’s through Scripture, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, that we know God in Christ and grow best.

3.       Belief in God, Father, Son, and Spirit as expressed in the Apostles Creed and other Creeds contained in the Book of Confessions.

4.       Belief that God is the judge not us, but we are to prayerfully seek to live righteous lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture.

5.       The fact that our church has the ability to determine the ways in which this church is used, who our officer’s are, and how we invest our human and financial resources in the ministry of God.

Flyers on the key actions of General Assembly are available at pcusa.org.  White sheets on the issues of marriage and divestment researched and written by our Clerk of Session, Jack Rowley, are available on the information table.  These are reliable guides to understand issues and to share with friends who may be misinformed by less reliable reporting.

Finally, thanks to the many who worked to make the Fourth of July a key outreach for Eastminster.  We were able to show hospitality and love to hundreds of people in the community through wonderful music by a 60 member choir led by Kyle Jones, a 40 member band led by Stacie Cleveland, and ice cream, water and use of restrooms provided by our church and generous individuals.  We also passed out newly created church brochures made by our Outreach Team to those in attendance.  Thanks to Steve and Anne Adams, Nancy Fowler, and Bill McCaslin for serving as leaders of large teams, and to Sexton Art Paddock and the rest of our staff for being patient and helpful through the many events this week. 

Great ministry church!

Tim