Good Words

Keith and Kristyn Getty are Irish hymn writers/singers.  Many of their hymns, such as In Christ Alone, have gotten much play on Christian radio.  

The words that follow are another of their hymns--one that perhaps has not seen as much as air play on the radio.   The words are soothing and reassuring.  

"Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer"
Music by Keith Getty; Words by Margaret Becker
Copyright © 2002 Thankyou Music 

Jesus draw me ever nearer
As I labour through the storm.
You have called me to this passage,
and I'll follow, though I'm worn.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart's testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest;
Keep my spirit staid and sure.
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.

Let the treasures of the trial                                  
Form within me as I go - 
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.

April Offering

PresWIC has several offerings throughout the year.  These offerings not only provide some of Warrior PresWIC's annual operating funds but also give the women of Warrior PresWIC the opportunity to support some worthy ministries.

The recipient of April's Showers of Blessing offering is chosen by the Warrior PresWIC Executive Council and is a contribution to MNA Missions.  The recipient for 2009 is Palmer Home for Children.

Please take a few minutes and look through Palmer Home's website.  Take a look at all that is going on and what they do in the lives of the children who come to them.  Take a moment to pray for the children currently living at Palmer Home, for the staff, and for the families the children come from.

If you are lead, please make a contribution to the Showers of Blessing offering during the month of April.

Baked Beef Ziti

A yummy, quick main dish...

12 oz. uncooked ziti (or any tube pasta)

2 tsp. olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves

1/3 lb. ground beef (can use a little more, if you prefer)

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried rosemary

(Instead of all these, you can substitute Italian seasoning; most brands have all these in it already!)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

28 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat; brown beef--adding in garlic.  Drain the beef.  Add beef back to pan and add spices.  Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes.

Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4 quart dish (just enough to cover the surface); top with half the cooked ziti.  Next, layer with half of remaining beef mixture and half the cheese.  Layer with remaining ziti then top with remaining beef mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Upcoming Events

As many know, the next meeting of Warrior PresWIC will be on April 18 at First Presbyterian Church in Camden.

A bit of history on First Presbyterian, Camden:

The Church was organized on April 3,1845.  The original church edifice, erected in 1856 at the cost of $2,700.00, burned in September, 1869. The present building was constructed in the 1880’s. The church features an open shingle carved  belfry with ‘stick-style’trim and bracketed cornice. An itinerant artist, in exchange for food and lodging, was credited with the original  majestic painting in the sanctuary. The impressive interior wall behind the pulpit featured a style of painting,‘trompe l’oeil’( meaning ‘trick of the eye’) of a visual simulation of a ‘stairway’ along with the painted pilasters(columns)  which remained until a major restoration of the sanctuary was begun in 1948. In 1955, the construction of the educational/activities building was completed.  The sanctuary was again refurbished in August, 2003 by the refinishing of  the original wooden shutters and the ‘heart pine’ flooring. Chandeliers and sconces were added to enhance the natural beauty of the sanctuary.  First Presbyterian Church of Camden is a member congregation of the ‘Presbyterian Church in America,’a denomination with early roots in the Protestant Reformation.

April's Sharing Session meeting will focus on advice for running the race in everyday life.  The sharing session offers 5 break out sessions that last approximately 40 minutes each.   There will be 2 break out sessions, so begin now to think about which 2 you most want to attend!

The sessions are:

--Mirror, Mirror on the Wall 

This session is especially for tweens and teens (of course, moms are welcome!).

--Shepherding Your Child's Heart (Rebecca Lessman)

--Mentors That Don't Know They Are Mentors (Vicky Clemmons)

--Supporting Families During the Educational Years (Dana Miller)

--Ministry to Missionaries at Home and Abroad (Elaine Carr)

In addition to these great break out sessions, personal testimonies will be given by Vicky Clemmons and Rebecca Lessman.  

Please mark your calendars now for this event.  Also, be sure to look in your bulletins, bulletin boards at your home church for more detailed information.   This will be a great time of fellowship, encouragement, discussion, and learning.

A Little Encouragement for Your Inbox

Elaine Carr, PresWIC President,  forwarded an ezine that she gets periodically from Chuck and Sharon Betters' ministry.  It was filled with encouraging articles and thoughts.

To subscribe, follow this link.   You will see a sign up for the Treasures of Encouragement ezine about mid-way down.  There are lots of articles here and on the entire site.

Chuck and Sharon Betters are the authors of Treasures of Faith, Treasures of Encouragement, and Treasures in Darkness.  

Friday Thoughts

"Relying on God has to begin over again every day as if nothing had yet been done."

        --C.S. Lewis

"Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life in fear; rather look to them with full hope that, as they arise, God whose you are, will deliver you out of them.  He has kept you hitherto--do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all things; and, when you can not stand, He will bear you in His arms...The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day.  Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.  Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations."

      --Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

"God is God.  If He were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped.  Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience.  I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to."

        --Elisabeth Elliot, Through the Gates of Splendor

Do you have a favorite quote or something that you have read lately that has really caught your attention?  Please leave a comment and share!

Leadership Training Report

Gail Rankin, PresWIC Historian, was able to attend the 2009 WIC Leadership Training in Chattanooga.  She gives the following report, hopefully, we will be able to hear some more from her about this conference!

Gail is a member of Faunsdale Presbyterian Church.  She is married to Jody.  They have 4 daughters and 8 grandchildren--including the newest born February 23, 2009!

The 2009 Women in the Church Leadership Training in Chattanooga, TN is now just a memory—a wonderful memory!  The theme, FAMILY MATTERS: Loving, Equipping, and Serving God's Church, was well planned and well executed.  There were three types of meetings: regional, workshops, and General Sessions.  The regional meetings (3) allowed us to interact and pray with other women from our geographical area.  We had a choice of 11 workshops; unfortunately we could only attend 2.  I chose one on how we of the older generation can better relate to the younger generation of women without seeming bossy, overbearing or a know-it-all.  The other one concerned de-cluttering our own ministries whether on the PresWIC , local or personal level.  Imagine having to not only keep our closets neat and uncluttered but our lives and ministries as well!  The information was great. 

     Our last General Session speaker was Pam Benton, wife of a PCA minister now in Nashville.  Pam reminded us that we need to all feel connected.  She emphasized that we all must keep focused on our purpose, priority, and passion for the body of Christ.  (That's us, the church!)  As we move forward, what at first seems a job should become a joy.  A duty should become a delight!  It was definitely a delight to meet so many new friends as we prayed and persevered together.  Another word of advice from Pam was that in our Christian lives we must not "sit, soak, and sour"!  Go forward and love, equip, and serve God's church!

Free Classes

Covenant Theological Seminary offers many courses available online.  Best of all, these great courses are free!

This is a wonderful opportunity to study at your own pace, in your own home and still get great teaching.

Be sure to check out this link.   Please leave a comment if you have taken or are taking a course--or would like to!  Which course most interests you?

What is PresWIC?

Basically, PresWIC is made up of women attending  the various churches within a specific Presbytery.    Most local churches have a WIC (Women in the Church) of some form.  Some have officers, others have leadership committees.

Please know that if you are a woman in a local church, you are part of WIC--you don't have to sign up or anything!  You are a Woman in the Church and, thereby, welcome to all WIC/PresWIC events.

PresWIC has a group of women who serve as officers (Executive Council).  These officers meet 4 times per year to plan the 3 PresWIC wide meetings that are held throughout the year.  Officers are nominated and must be approved by their local church and by the Presbytery.  Each officer serves a 2 year term and may serve up to 2 consecutive terms.

PresWIC also has 5 offerings that it collects money for throughout the year.  Briefly, these offerings are:

Contingency Fee--Used as the operating fund for Warrior PresWIC.

Showers of Blessing--Recipient is approved by the Warrior PresWIC Executive Council.  

This is a contribution to MNA (Mission to North America).  The 2009 recipient is 

Palmer Home for Children.

WIC Love Gift--Recipient is chosen by CE&P (Christian Education and Publications) in

Atlanta and rotates between all PCA committees.  

The 2009 recipient is the Administrative Committee.

Atlanta Budget--Used toward the WIC Headquarters operating fund in Atlanta.

Send the Light--Recipient is approved by the Warrior PresWIC Executive Council.  

This is a contribution to MTW (Mission to the World).  The 2009 recipient is 

The Border Sewing Ministry of Joyce Huizinga.

For an excellent resource on WIC/PresWIC, please take a few minutes to read this.

The logo for WIC is an old fashioned kerosene lamp.  Here is an explanation.

The PresWIC Executive Council strives, with all of the meetings, to further the purpose of WIC which states:

The purpose of the Women In the Church is that every woman know Christ personally and be committed to extending His kingdom in her life, home, church, community, and throughout the world.” 

Communion

Riverwood Presbyterian Church has recently gone to a weekly Communion schedule.  A book was recently written by Tim Lien, Pastor, Eric Venable, Assistant Pastor, and Jimmy Hopper, Ruling Elder and Pastoral Administrator entitled This Is For You.  The book is a collection of 40 reflections on the sacrament of Communion.  

This poem was written by Peggy Drinkard after reading This Is For You.  Peggy is the Director of Children's Ministries of Riverwood Presbyterian Church.  She is the wife of David and mom to Vic, Caleb and Samuel.  In her spare time, she writes beautiful poetry such as this.  More of Peggy's thoughts and poems can be find at her personal blog.

Invitation to Communion

 

Come to this table spread for you

With costly manna, finest wine

Where strength and health and life renewed

Flow to the branches from the vine.

 

There is no price that you can pay

To dine at this exclusive club

The guests are debtors, sin-clad men

Who own themselves deserving wrath.

 

Your elder brother brings you here

To feast on his own flesh and blood,

Providing everything you lack

To fill your soul with proper food.

 

For only this bread satisfies

The hungry, gnawing, empty heart.

This wine alone can quench its thirst,

And make the parching pain depart.

 

So come and join your family here

Around this table spread for you,

Where Christ is both the centerpiece and meal

And you will find Him good.

pdrinkard, Feb. 23, 2009

 

"O taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8