Forty-Seven Church Splits Finally Brings Doctrinal Perfection

Tominthebox News Network - Religious Humor/Satire: Forty-Seven Church Splits Finally Brings Doctrinal Perfection

I have enjoyed many of the satirical articles that Thomas Slawson and the rest of the team at Tominthebox News Network have posted. This is one that I had to share with everyone. Thomas takes comical aim at and hits the mark on some of the silly things that we (all denominations) seem to fight over. We seem to forget that we all worship one God who sent his only son Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, ministered to the lost (which is all of us), and ultimately lost his life to save us from our sins so that we could have eternal life in heaven.

Because of Him ~ Terry

2007 Youth & Family Life Ministries Report

Hus Racing League (HRL): The second season got off to a great start on February 10th and continued until the final race on November 10th. This year we began printing announcements and placing them on the tables. Announcements for both internal and external activities are included. We continue to look for and incorporate best practices (i.e. nametags for those working, room configuration, etc.).

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Walk: (Feb. 24) The youth group was all set to run the games during the walk until the ice storm hit. Bobby B., Brianna M., Karissa L., Diane, and I were able to get to Westdale Mall and work the games. Over 1000 people made it out and they raised over $500,000. Lisa M. was involved with the walk itself and helped to organize it. There are pictures of me in the Hostess Twinkie costume and Lisa in the Easter bunny costume.

Linn County Association of Evangelicals (LCAE): I began attending the luncheons that LCAE puts on in 2005 and have now been a member for over a year. At each luncheon there is a speaker. The 2006-2007 year focused on "Building Healthy Leaders." The 2007-2008 year's focus is on "Building Healthy Churches." Anyone can attend these luncheons and is encouraged to do so.

Serve the City: Hus Church continues to work with Serve The City (STC). In August and September there were two evangelism trainings (these will be done again in the Spring of 2008. Prayer, Care, Share continued with a Care event on October 20th and a Share event is scheduled for July 2008 called Jammin' Jubilee (see the Serve The City Update for more details).

Shamrock Around The Clock: There were 3 youth that took part in the event this year: Kerina B., Brittney N. (Kerina's friend), and Alycia P.. We began at the church on Friday (March 18th) at 6:30 PM and after instructions we started the scavenger hunt at 7 PM. We finally arrived at the secret location at 10:30 PM. During the event we had to solve clues that took us to the next location (8 in all). Before we could move on we had to do something for the elves. When we reached the rally sight we had to perform for the Leprechaun (song, poem, etc.). There was a green food buffet and a gospel message to finish the night at about midnight.

89.1 Family Skate Night: We continue to promote this event and encourage parents to go with their kids. A portion of the proceeds for the skates this year were donated to Youth for Christ East Iowa.

Christian Education Workshop: On April 12th I attended the CE Workshop at Camp Wyoming. The day began with a short time of worship during which Kevin Cullum (Camp Director) gave a message on how to "Rest, Refresh, & Renew." There were three sessions with three workshops:

Session 1
§ Ideas for Service Projects
§ Sunday School Rotation
§ Christian Crafts for Kids

Session 2
§ Mission Trip Ideas
§ Christian Education in Small Church
§ Group Games with little or no props

Session 3
§ One time event ideas
§ Kid friendly worship
§ Leader Appreciation

I attended the sessions in Italics. Each of the sessions were productive partly because of the information that was presented but more so because of the ideas that were exchanged with the participants. The day was also a great way to connect with others that work with youth.

Easter Breakfast: The youth served the breakfast after the Sunrise service (approx. 8:15 AM) on Easter.

30 Hour Famine: On April 27th and 28th we hosted our 2nd Annual 30 Hour Famine. This year New Beginnings Church's X-treme Youth Ministries joined us. We began the Famine with registration from 8 to 8:30 PM and opened in worship after that. Crossed, a local Christian rock band provided the music with a concert. I delivered a message based on Matthew 25:31-46 about midway through the concert. Following the concert there was some free time while the band members packed up. We then split the boys and girls up and Crossed did Bible study time with them. Shortly after midnight when the Bible studies were done there was more free time until lights out at 1 AM. On Saturday morning Chris Richards (Youth Pastor at New Beginnings Church) and I did a morning meditation once everyone was up. About 11:30 AM we got the youth rounded up and split them into two teams for the food scavenger hunt in the neighborhood. Each group took a side of the street and we walked down Schaeffer Drive and back up Southland. The youth took turns going to the door (with the rest of the group right behind them) and asked for a donation for Mission of Hope's food pantry. Each home received a thank you on the spot.

The scavenger hunt lasted just over three hours. Chris and I took the money that was donated to Hy-Vee and purchased 20 boxes of crackers. The youth were very tired at this point so we took a break. At about 4:30 PM we loaded up the food, the youth, and the adults and headed to Mission of Hope. We were met there by a photographer from the Gazette and later by a reporter from the Gazette (an article appeared in The Gazette on May 1st and is attached to this report). Once the food was brought in the youth then were split up by the staff at Mission of Hope to clean bathrooms, vacuum, pickup garbage outside, wash windows, and put food away in the pantry. Not a single youth complained. We concluded the famine by breaking bread together. Everyone was welcome to stay for the evening service at Mission of Hope however several did go home. The youth raised $1024 between the two churches that will help feed three kids for one year.

BOOM Sunday: The youth continued with BOOM Sundays this year. There were a couple of times where it was not possible to do these, but the kids remained committed to doing them. We found that it works best to have the youth just plug into a normal service instead of trying to do something different. This may change as the group continues to grow but for now it is the model we are going to use.

Confirmation: Adam C., Karissa L., and Marissa V. gave their Statements of Faith during the May 20th worship service. Each did this aided by a PowerPoint presentation. Each of the confirmands was presented with a Certificate of Membership and a NIV Teen Devotional Bible (Adam's is for teen guys. Karissa's and Marissa's are for teen girls.). The next confirmation class will begin in September 2008 and there are currently five possible confirmands.

Monthly Fellowship Activity: In June we began a monthly fellowship activity. 9 youth and 8 adults went miniature golfing at The Ridge on June 14th. The Ridge is located at 6677 16th Ave. SW. We were able to get the group rate as there were more than 10 in our group (adults $4, youth $3). Without the group rate the cost goes us 75¢. We had received a scorecard good for 4 free games that we used to pay for 4 of the adults. The other 4 adults were paid for using money from can/bottle redemption. We went bowling at Castle Lanes in Marion on July 20th and on August 7th we went to a Cedar Rapids Kernel's baseball game. Special thanks to Anita K. for giving us tickets to get in to the Kernel's game free. For the final activity of the year we went miniature golfing on September 28.

Sunday Evening Meals Program (SEMP): The youth continued to serve the meal at Cedar Rapids 1st Presbyterian Church from 4 - 6 PM on the first Sunday of February, April, June, August, October, and December. By a unanimous vote the youth decided to continue this in 2008.

Movie night continued on the first Wednesday of each month. We received our CVLI on 4/13/2007. Movie night was placed on hold from June through August because no one wants to sit inside when it is nice outside.

Monthly Parents Meetings began in May. We alternate every other month where we meet between the Coffee Talk Café on the south side and Panera Bread on the north. Topics of discussion have been over mission trips, fundraising, the monthly fellowship activities, as well as upcoming events and the youth ministry in general. These meetings are not limited to just parents with youth, anyone who is interested in working with the youth ministry (even on a limited basis) is encouraged to attend. Watch the bulletin and newsletter for the date, time, and location.

Fundraising: During Easter we had the Memorial Tree. People purchased a nail and card for $5 in honor/memory of someone and it was hung on the tree. The fundraiser was a bake sale on Saturday, June 23rd during the Raising Praise free concert in the park (Marion Square Park) with the remaining items being sold the next morning after worship. In all the youth raised $185 for the mission trip. We also sold Hy-Vee coupon books. We discussed selling the Younkers Community Day coupon books however due to available dates and times we did not participate. Younkers will continue to let us know about upcoming opportunities. We checked into cleaning Veteran's Memorial Stadium during the 2008 season. We have been selling the 2008 calendars and cards from Youth Group Promotions. A fundraising chili supper is being planned for February 2008. The proceeds of the dinner would be for the benefit of the church in thanks for all the support the youth ministry receives.

Mission Trip: June 24-29, 2007, St. Louis, MO. After learning our lesson last year we rented a 15-passenger van and headed to Missouri on June 24th. We stayed at North County Christian School and worked with the Baden Community Christian Church in St. Louis. In the mornings we worked at different locations with some doing work for local residents while others helped at the church. In the afternoons we were split between the church and a local park where 2 separate Vacation Bible Schools took place. This year was incredibly impacting and we are looking forward to 2008.

10 Rules for Youth Group: We have always had rules for youth group however until they were actually put in print they were not always easy to enforce. The following are the rules that were implemented this past fall and are being followed:
1. We will respect God.
2. We will respect each other, including leaders.
3. We will respect others property.
4. We will not use inappropriate or offensive language or gestures.
5. Participation with the group is expected.
6. We will put all electronic devices away until we leave.
7. Public Displays of Affection (PDA) are prohibited
8. No fighting, weapons, fireworks, lighters, or explosives.
9. We will not use or be in possession of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco.
10. No offensive or immodest clothing (no bellies, cleavage, or undergarments showing).

The Extreme Tour ~ East Coast '07: We hosted The Extreme Tour on August 6th - 9th. There were 6 bands and a professional skateboarder on the tour. On the evening of the 7th they went out and invited unchurched youth from around town to come to the concert on the 8th. Many lessons were learned from this experience. Bands sleep all day and are up all night. They eat at strange times and do not know what a schedule is outside of a concert schedule.

Fall Retreat was held on October 26th-28th at Camp Wyoming. The theme was "Freedom In Christ" and based on the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Adam C., Jon C., Danaca P., Lydia R., Amy P., and Alycia P. attended and all had a great time. I managed to break a finger playing touch, I mean tackle football on Saturday after lunch. Planning has already begun for the 2008 Fall Retreat which is tentatively planned for October 24-26, 2008 at Camp Wyoming.

Halloween: The youth group handed out candy again for Halloween. Each piece had information about youth group on them. We had 41 kids and 2 dogs this year.

Because of Him,

Terry Van Wyk
Youth & Family Life Minister

Comparing Passages in Genesis

Introduction

The stories told in Genesis 12:10-20 and Genesis 20 give us two of the three “so-called “wife-sister” stories” (Birch, Brueggemann, Fretheim, & Petersen, 1999, p. 69). What causes a man that God has blessed to sin? God keeps Sarah safe and returns her back to Abraham in both passages. The following table gives us the different points of contrast in these passages.

POINTS OF CONTRAST

Names used for God
GENESIS 12:10-20
•LORD
GENESIS 20:1-18
•God
•Lord
•LORD

Names of characters
GENESIS 12:10-20
•Abram
•Sar’ai
•Pharaoh
GENESIS 20:1-18
•Abraham
•Sarah
•Abim’elech

How God is manifest
GENESIS 12:10-20
•He punishes Pharaoh without warning
GENESIS 20:1-18
•Speaks to Abim’elech in a dream
•He restores the house of Abim’elech after Abraham prayed.

Ethical approach
GENESIS 12:10-20
•The author does not deal with the ethical approach of the story
GENESIS 20:1-18
•Innocence of Abim’elech
•Marriage to half-sister allowed at that time

Names used for God

In the first passage (Genesis 12:10-20), God is referred to as LORD one time and that is by the writer. LORD is also used in the second passage (Genesis 20) and so is God. When Abim’elech addresses God he uses Lord. Note the lower case letters rather than the small caps. I would attribute this to Abim’elech not knowing who God is, but knowing that the person who is speaking to him in the dream is someone who has power over him.

Names of the characters

The first passage takes place before God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and Sar’ai’s to Sarah. The second passage is after the name changes have occurred. The name changes take place prior to God’s covenant with Abram after which God told him “No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham” (May & Metzger, 1977, p. 19). The third character in the first passage is the Pharaoh as Abram was sojourning in Egypt.

The second passage is after “Abraham (had) journeyed toward the territory of the Negreb, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar” (May & Metzger, p. 23). Our third character in this passage is the king of Gerar, Abim’elech.

How God is manifest

God is evident in the first passage only when he “afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sar'ai, Abram's wife” (May & Metzger, 1977, p. 15).

God’s presence in the second passage is more pronounced. He appears to Abim’elech in a dream during which they have a conversation concerning Abim’elech taking Sarah. At the close of this passage Abraham prays for Abim’elech and “God healed Abim'elech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children” (May & Metzger, 1977, p. 24)

Ethical approach of story

“The narrative (Genesis 12:10-20) does not moralize the white lie but rather portrays the LORD’s rescue of Sarah” (May & Metzger, 1977, p. 15). It “seems to focus on the conflict between human plans and the divine purpose” (Birch et al., 1999, p. 69). We try to do things on our own we often times fail. We need to place our trust in God and make our plans with God’s purpose in mind.

“Ethically sensitive, the narrator insists that Abimelech was innocent, for he did not go near Sarah” (May & Metzger, 1977, p. 23). Although “Abraham’s marriage to a half-sister was permitted in ancient times” (May & Metzger, p. 23) it is likely that the stories in these passages caused it to later be forbidden.

God, unlike us, holds all sin in equal status. We try to rationalize things when we do something wrong. Just because we did not see that stop sign does not mean that it does not exist. Likewise, just because Abim’elech did not know that Sarah was Abraham’s wife does not mean that he did not sin. Jesus said “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (May & Metzger, p. 1176).

Conclusion

Abraham was blessed by God and was noted for his faith. Yet he lied about Sarah being his wife. Abraham’s faith that God would protect him was put to the test and he failed. There are consequences for sin as Pharaoh and Abim’elech both found out. Pharaoh ushered Abram out, but Abim’elech was restored by Abraham’s prayer. Because of our sin we fall short and it is only by God’s grace that we can continue to have a relationship with him.

References

Birch, B. C., Brueggemann, W., Fretheim, T. E., & Petersen, D. L. (1999). A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament. Nashville, TN: Abington Press.

May, H. G., & Metzger, B. M. (1977). The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha Expanded Edition and Revised Standard Version. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc..

January 2008 Newsletter

A History of Hus Memorial Presbyterian Church, part 3
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Adapted from a Historical Treatise Written by Charlotte Stelcik

The Central West Bohemian Presbytery (cont.)

The fraternal associations in presbyteries worked for the benefit and inspiration of the pastors. The elders and the membership, due to language difficulties, received the spiritual impact of the great Presbyterian Church indirectly through their ministers. To counteract this temporal deficiency all the Bohemian Presbyterian churches in the United States, together with the Independent Reformed churches of Ely, Iowa, and Silver Lake, Minnesota, formed an informal organization called the Evangelical Union. This organization became the training school of the elders and of the members in cooperation among churches. At the first meeting of the Union at Racine, Wisconsin, in 1893, the publication of a Bohemian monthly church paper, “The Union,” was agreed upon and the publication of the paper was committed to Dr. Pisek of New York. In 1896 the weekly Sunday School paper, “The Besidka,” very ably edited Dr. Pisek. The publication of the church monthly was discontinued in 1898. The Sunday School paper was taken over by the Presbyterian Board of Publication and then was supplanted by the incomparable English publications of the Board.

On November 1, 1908, a convention of the Bohemian and Reformed Churches in the United States was held in Omaha, Nebraska, to which Hus Memorial church sent a delegate. This was the beginning of an effort to keep all the Czech churches together. The convention met every year in different Czech churches in various states. Out of this evangelical union grew the organization of the Central West Presbytery to which churches in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota belonged.

The Central West Bohemian Presbytery was established by act of the General Assembly in session at Atlantic City, May 28, 1910, and became part of the Synod of Iowa. In pursuance of the enabling act of the General Assembly the Presbytery was convened by the Rev. Vaclav Hlavaty, pastor of the Bohemian Presbyterian Church of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at that city on September 12, 1910. In order to secure as full a representation of all churches as possible, the smallest especially, at meetings of the Presbytery, the Presbytery voted a rule to pay out of the Presbytery treasury one-half of the railroad fare to delegated elders and ministers. The rule was fully justified by the returns of hearty cooperation. The educational responsibility was ably led by a line of chairmen of the Sunday School, the Young People, and the Educational Committees. Rev. B. A. Filipi gave the Sunday Schools in the Presbytery a new direction by bringing to the attention of teachers and superintendents the results of the research of the Board of Sunday Schools. The first Sunday School Conference was held at Blue Rapids, Kansas, where it became a biennial institute.

With the exception of Hus Memorial Presbyterian Church of Cedar Rapids, the Central West Presbytery was a rural one. At that time the rural churches were centers of spiritual life, not for a single nationality, but for the whole communities where they were located.

Because of Him ~ Terry

4-5Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! 6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Philippians 4:4-9 (MSG), Pray About Everything

Regan, I look forward to meeting you.

As many of you know we have been praying for Regan Harper since I returned from General Assembly in 2006. On December 25, 2007 she went home to be with the Lord. I had wanted very much to go to the funeral, but having been sick and offline for several days I did not find out until a few hours before the service that she had passed away. She will be greatly missed. The following is the obituary from the Cincinnati Enquirer on December 29, 2007. If you would like to read more please go to her website. I look forward to meeting Regan when it is my time to go home to the Lord.

Balloon Launch

Please continue to pray for the Harper family during this difficult time.

Because of Him ~ Terry