August 30

This weekend is a time of thanksgiving for those who God raises up as elders in our church. A Presbyterian church is, by definition, a church that is ruled by “elders.” Elders are those who the congregation nominates and elects to be the spiritual leaders of our affairs from setting vision and direction, to encouraging the members, worshippers and staff in their spiritual growth, to maintaining the finances, programs, property and policies of the church. It is a huge responsibility which cannot be undertaken without energy, intelligence, imagination and love all tempered by spiritual discernment and teamwork. The body on which the elders serve is called the “session.” Elders serve three year rotating terms on the session. I say with all sincerity that the renewal Eastminster is experiencing is a direct result of the call to service and the competencies of these leaders. Dr. Harry Daniel, the Nominating Committee and the congregation were inspired in the selection of those who were originally called to serve in the class of elders that is rotating off this week. God has since raised up excellent men and women to continue to lead well, six of which we are ordaining and installing today. Elders who are rotating off session include Amy Blake, Kelly Dunn, Sunny Rudloff, and David Wilfong. Elder Amy Blake ably and with great dedication served as chair of the Nominating Committee. She led the Committee to discern nominees for the Nominating Committee, which in turn proposed nominees to the congregation not only for several classes of elders, but also for the Pastoral Nominating Committee. Her diligence and discernment equipped a “leader rich” church to serve with strength. Elder Kelly Dunn served as the only member of Eastminster on an Administrative Committee that led to reconstituting of our session and also as chair of the Personnel and Administration Committee. She led her team to oversee necessary redesign of our staff organization and recruitment of excellent personnel. Her Committee suggested to session solid policies to guide our church including Personnel, Membership, Child Protection and Technology policies and carefully vetted a sound Finance Policy. Elder Sunny Rudloff served as chair of our Mission Committee. In a season when many churches might turn inward, this Committee maintained our concern for the people and the world around us. They strengthened our ties with over a dozen local missions such as the Children’s Hunger Project, the Community of Hope, Daily Bread, the Salvation Army and the Seafarer’s Ministry. Sunny’s encouraging spirit and positive attitude led us to be nimble in response to needs, even as we expanded our impact. Elder David Wilfong chaired the Finance Committee and later turned his attention to our Facilities Committee. David led these teams to be productive, practical and prudent in their affairs. He maintains an attitude of confidence and a “can-do” spirit which inspires both leaders and members. Leaders have influence. David influences us to humbly, yet confidently, go forward as God guides us. In addition, we honor the ministries of Elders Judy Roach and Karen Delos Santos. Judy served as co-chair of our Worship Committee until her death earlier this year. She was an effervescent spark, source of knowledge, encourager, free thinker, wise woman, and inspiring leader who shared a countenance full of beauty. Tears are in my eyes as I write, remember the love she freely gave. I know heaven will be a blast because she is there! Karen continues to serve on the Children Youth and Family Ministry Team but had to resign from session due to family concerns as wife of a law enforcement officer who also works as a social worker and nurtures four young kids. Excellent leaders show wisdom in what they don’t do as well as what they undertake. Her decision was a prayerfully made good decision as Karen is giving her best and growing rather than being stretched thin. These elders helped initiate and develop a “new chapter” in the life of EPC in their tenures. They serve faithfully and fruitfully in our continuing revitalization. As I reflect, I see that it is their Christian character and the conviction with which they serve that shines brightly. Elders, thank you! You have taught that if we give God our heart, soul, mind and strength, great things will follow. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for leading the way! Blessings, Tim

August 23, 2015

This Sunday is Rally Day… a day in which we celebrate the advent of a new program year in the life of the church. At this time I want to thank all who engage in serving as volunteers in the church! At a recent session meeting, elders shared “Bright Spots” in the life of our congregation. One elder said our “Bright Spot” is our congregation. So true! We all make up this church. The gifts, talents and time that members share make Eastminster a place of abundant joy, impactful service, deepening fellowship and worship which brings glory to God. The good news is that our congregation is a Bright Spot because God is at work in our lives. It is God who changes us for the better. It is God that enables us to do together what we could never do alone. It is God who sends the Spirit to make the words and deeds of Jesus come alive in us, his followers. So this weekend as we gather and celebrate, take a moment to count your blessings, to name your Bright Spots. Enjoy the festive nature of kids playing with Rally Day Balloons. Savor the meal that we eat together on Sunday. Give thanks to God for all that is good, and be an instrument of God’s blessings as you go forth this week. I am convinced that Eastminster will make a real difference in the community in the coming days. I’m convinced… because of the nature, talents, and heart of those who gather. Praise God! Blessings, Tim

July 26

Today we have the privilege of hearing from the youth who went to the Montreat Youth Conference. Going to Montreat is a tradition recently revived at Eastminster. The Rev. Jennifer McGee, herself a youth of the church, has gone to Montreat for 30 years in a row. When she was serving on staff here she worked with Julie Rogers-Martin and the Children Youth and Family Ministries Committee to enable five youth to attend Montreat in 2014. This year the number grew to fourteen youth and two adult sponsors, in large part due to the generosity of the EPC congregation which helped make their attendance possible. Attending camps and conferences are important, life changing events, as you will probably hear from the testimonies today. Statistics bear it out. Over 40% of pastors point to camps and conferences as being formative in their “call” to ministry. I’m sure the number is very significant in the “calls” of church officers as well. Supporting such activities with our time, talents and treasures is good stewardship. I was pleased to attend Montreat this year. As I look over the schedule, we spent well over 50 hours engaged directly in worship and spiritual formation activities such as small groups, Bible studies, and journaling. That’s a year of Sunday School with no absences all in one week, all with excellent preachers, teachers and youth from around the country. Add to that exploring the beauty of nature, artistic activities such as pottery making and group-building activities and it is no wonder that lives are changed… and that we all come back a bit tired… yet with stories that have shaped our lives. For me, I was pleased to see the ways in which our youth group handled adversity together. We had a van break down causing a six hour delay on the way up to camp. There was little whining and a lot of good support. The group set a good example when stuck in a fast food restaurant during that time. We remained welcome there. The Youth Council worked with adult leaders to make decisions, maintain the spiritual, and disciplinary climate, and to encourage all. I am very impressed with the leaders of the youth group. One activity was to climb Lookout Mountain. It was not an easy climb, but with encouragement of one another, all kids (and advisors) made it! As a church in an often hostile world, we will have “mountains” to climb as well. I pray that we too support each other and allow God to equip us with that which will allow us to shine the light of Christ in the world. For it is support and teamwork, being the body of Christ, which makes an often meaningless existence become “meaning-full.” Colossians 3:12-17 will be a theme scripture as the youth go forward this year. I commend it to us all for meditation and action: “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Thanks for supporting our youth! Blessings, Tim

July 12, 2015

By the time you read this, I will be off with 30 youth from Eastminster and First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach as we caravan to the Montreat Youth Conference. I trust this will be a life changing experience for us all! Thank you, Eastminster, for the support of the children and youth of our community! Most decisions of faith are made before the age of 17, so this is “prime time” for spiritual growth. Also, 40% of Presbyterian pastors relate that youth camps were formative in experiencing their call to ministry. Please pray for the youth and leaders attending, even as you continue to develop regular patterns of prayer. Speaking of prayer, last week I forwarded a good prayer for times of spiritual attack in Tim’s Tidings and preached on setting aside time, preferably early in the morning, to be still before God. Many of you have a “routine” for doing this, many do not. Here is one that promises to be helpful. You might want to jot down a couple of notes or names by each step to make them your own… and to be ready to see where prayers are answered! (1) In preparation each day find a quiet place where you are unlikely to be interrupted. Read at least a few verses of scripture. The Psalms are excellent for helping us center on God. (2) Close your eyes and give thanks for three personal blessings in your life. (3) Ask God to forgive your mistakes and sins and to give you the strength to forgive others. Name those failings. (4) Ask God to help some person you find it hard to like. (5) Ask for help with your personal problems and needs. Tell God what they are. God knows, but it will help you to verbalize them. (6) Ask God to make you sensitive to at least one person today with whom you can share God's love in word or deed. (7) Ask God for a 24-hour supply of the Holy Spirit so that God’s power and wisdom will fill you. (8) Pray for Christ’s Church in the world and here at Eastminster. (9) Finally, and very importantly, conclude by listening silently for at least three minutes. I am convinced that God still works miracles in our personal lives and through our church. Try this prayer experience. If you need a tenth step to complement the nine above—or to get you started on the steps above—pray for willingness to be available for God and others. Try this exercise in prayer this week. Let me know how it is going next Sunday. May God bless you and guide you until then. See You in Church,

May 17, 2015

Tim’s Tidings Today is a big day in the life of Eastminster. First, it is Joining Day. It is a day in which those who desire to become members of Eastminster may do so at the end of the service. Becoming a member of Eastminster is an expression that Jesus is Lord and that you desire to serve God through participating in the worship and mission of the church. Both full time and seasonal residents of the area may do so. Becoming a member is a “yes” to God and God’s family that often results in deeper personal devotion. It also allows one to elect church officers as we will do at the conclusion of Sunday’s worship. Presbyterian literally means “ruled by elders.” Today we elect Elders who serve as the officers of our church. There are twelve Elders who serve terms of three years each. We elect four Elders each year. Your Nominating Committee is presenting Dick Dunn, Nancy Fowler, Jill Hoffman, and Timothy Leech to serve three year terms. In addition they are presenting Stacy Reeder to serve a one year term due to the death of beloved Judy Roach. Biographies of these elders are found on an insert to your worship guide. Today we also commission Stephen Ministers. Stephen Ministers are an essential part of the care offered to members of Eastminster. They come alongside persons who are in grief, illness, relational difficulty or other times of trial as trained caregivers. The Stephen Ministers we commission today have completed a rigorous course of training facilitated by many persons who have expertise. Stephen Ministers include Melinda Miller, Kate Crook, Barbara Allen, Donna Hildebrand, Esther Chinnery, Tom Sylvester, Ginny Leslie and Kendra Ro. These persons are highly qualified, spirit-filled individuals who I commend to you as “the hands and feet of Christ,” called and present to serve as you have need. If you would like to know more about receiving care form a Stephen minister, please contact me! A special thanks in the development of this class of Stephen Ministers goes out to the Rev. Dr. George Lashley. The strength of this church is the Holy Spirit working through passionate, caring members. Together we worship, learn, serve, give and grow as we seek to share Christ’s love with the world. What an honor it is to be united together, doing together what none of us could do alone. It is a joy to be your pastor! May God bless you in every time and season, Tim

May 10, 2015

Lately we’ve experienced some wonderful weeks of worship. Thanks for all who coordinated the events of Easter, for Gibby Gibson for guest preaching (pray for him as he enters seminary this month), for beautiful music from bluegrass bands, to bells, to flautists, to bagpipes at Law Enforcement Sunday, and our very wonderful choirs, including the Children’s Choir who, under the direction of June Leech, participated in the world premiere of Kyle Jones’ musical, Soul Train, to the praise bands at contemporary worship and Praise and Pizza II. There is a lot of great talent used to glorify God in this place. As one who is spiritually affected by music, thanks be to God! Today we continue in our exploration of the Beatitudes, from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters 5-7. The focus text today is Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This text seems germane to me on many levels. One is the persecution of Christians worldwide. Many today are suffering and dying for their faith, even as we enjoy relative freedom to express ours. I remember speaking with Avo Bonerian who is president of the Near East School of Theology in Beirut Lebanon, when he was a Ph.D. student at Princeton Theological Seminary. Avo had just come to the United States. The fighting was so great and so constant in Beirut that he could not sleep for four nights in a row when he came to Princeton Seminary because the silence was so eerie. The lack of conflict was literally “disquieting” to him. Here is the USA our persecution is increasingly taking the form of “uncivil discourse.” From politics to homeowners’ associations to blogs and chat rooms people’s characters are assaulted and reputations are being ruined, often with absolutely no regard for the truth. In many cases there seems to be little regret in doing so. This is disquieting to me. In the face of persecution, issues of rightness, of justice and relationship come up. For many years I’ve questioned, “Is it better to be right or to be in relationship?” as I’ve dealt with others in conflict situations. Today we will go a step further and look at “Is it better to be right or righteous?” Jesus has a lot of practical wisdom to bear on this in the Sermon on the Mount! Finally, I want to give a shout out to women today, particularly mothers. One of the most groundbreaking aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry is how he valued and treated women. It was much more honoring than the society of his day and perhaps ours as well. May you always be respected and honored, and may that respect and honor encourage and inspire you as you give your best to the Lord and to others! Blessings, Tim

May 3, 2015

Tims Tidings What a joy it is to have the Eastminster children lead us in worship today! They are teaming with me in the Beatitudes series as they present “Soul Train.” Soul Train is a musical written by Director of Music and Organist, Kyle Jones. Kyle started working on this musical when his kids were toddlers. They liked the Jim Henson show, Dinosaur Train. Kyle wrote Soul Train in a similar style to teach kids the message of Jesus in the Beatitudes so that they might grow in faith in a fun and creative way. Kyle is excited to serve with Children’s Music Director, June Leach, who is bringing this musical to life. This is Kyle’s first children’s musical. It is exciting to be at its premiere! Today we also celebrate the ministry of the Eastminster Presbyterian Church Preschool. This will be Director Elizabeth DesChenes’ last year with the Preschool, and we are extremely grateful for her leadership, as well as that of the preschool faculty. These teachers and staff have done an incredible ministry to benefit the families of our community, some of which also worship here. Their nurture and guidance is a bright light in our midst. Elizabeth will certainly be missed! As I have told her, she leaves a legacy in the lives of hundreds of families as well as here in our school and church. Thank you Elizabeth! Thank you teachers! Finally this Friday May 8 at 7 p.m. will be our second Praise and Pizza. This is an event that is sponsored by our Outreach Committee and is a time in which the community can come together for Pizza and wholesome Christian music suitable for persons of all ages. There is no charge for food or entertainment, though donations are welcome so that we can continue to reach out in the name of Jesus. Please attend and bring friends! As I look back at the wonderful events of Lent and Easter, the successful Art Auction and Women’s Tea which together raised over $7,000 for worthy causes such as Vacation Bible School and the Master’s Workshop, as I continue to be blessed by the meaningful worship and fellowship of Law Enforcement Sunday last week, I am filled with energy for the journey ahead. May God bless you and use you as “salt and light” this week! Blessings, Tim