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Discipleship Ministries of the PCA

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Kingdom Service: A Blessing for All Generations

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]by Kathy Young of First Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, MSKingdom Service-1

If you are interested in including more senior adults in children’s ministry, you might want to have a conversation with Pat Chambless at First Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, MS. Pat and his wife Kay spent over twenty years volunteering within youth ministry, but after the addition of their grandson to the family, Pat decided to teach the four- and five-year-old Sunday school class. Pat has a love for sharing Jesus with children, and he doesn’t mind squirmy, talkative, or apprehensive little ones. In fact, he is a gifted teacher of all ages, but particularly young children. However, due to work and family constraints, Pat Chambless had to take a break from teaching for quite a while.

Then came a retirement announcement. After more than thirty six years in the banking profession, Pat’s work was honored and celebrated as he prepared to leave his occupation. If you were the children’s ministry director and you knew this man would have some extra time on his hands, what would you do? It seemed appropriate to glean some of that new freedom and years of experience. Right after he cleaned out his desk, he put on his shorts and t-shirt and joined the Vacation Bible School team as a teacher of four-year-olds. Every child wanted to sit in Mr. Pat’s lap, hold his hand, and tell him their Bible verses. He was such a blessing to the whole week, showing genuine interest in each student, caring for them, teaching them, and loving them with Jesus’ love.

Kingdom Service-2The really wonderful thing is that the VBS experience was a joy to Pat as well. He decided to come back the following year—especially after his co-teacher requested to be paired with him once more. After this second time, when asked to help recruit new volunteers for Vacation Bible School, this is what he had to share, “Being one of the older members of the church now, I don’t have as much contact with the youth or their parents as I used to have. Volunteering for VBS has allowed me to meet and get to know some of the parents and work with some of our precious children. I have been blessed the past two years and hope I have been able to help in even a small way.” Of course, we were delighted to have his help this past summer, and are looking forward to many more years of service from our dear friend, Pat Chambless.

As our church is embracing our identity as a covenantal community, we are seeing more retirees participate in children’s ministry. Vacation Bible School gives an opportunity for them to be a part on a short term basis. Even Mr. Pat’s wife, Kay, helps lead the music each year. Beyond, VBS, we also have been blessed by senior adults who serve as prayer partners, assistants for special events, and hosts for cookie bakes. We even benefit from a former school guidance counselor volunteering on a regular basis to keep inventory of supplies, make copies, and distribute curriculum. As you might imagine, our children’s ministry committee is beyond thankful for this multi-generational influence. While not all senior adults feel comfortable on the floor with preschoolers, most have something wonderful they can share with children.

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. Psalm 89:1  (NIV)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Biblical Manhood

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Biblical ManhoodThis spring, Grace Covenant PCA of Williamsburg, VA brought together 83 men, ranging from teenagers to college students to graduate students to single thirty-somethings to fathers and grandfathers, for a three-hour Saturday morning seminar on Rediscovering Biblical Manhood. The seminar, conducted by PCA Men’s Ministry Coach Gary Yagel, was what one participant called “a great opportunity for males of all ages to get a perspective on masculinity in our current culture.” Beginning with Genesis 2, the men compared what American culture is saying about masculinity with the mandate God gave Adam to live in the garden to “work it” and “keep it.”

Other sessions included a panel of Grace Covenant members discussing In the Dance with Woman What Does Authentic Manhood Look Like? Later in the morning, fathers and grandfathers were particularly challenged to consider What a Son Needs to Grow into Authentic Manhood. After lunch, the seminar closed with a look at Jesus: God’s Portrait of Manhood.

Over the lunch break, Gary met with the Grace Covenant men’s ministry leadership team to give suggestions and encouragement that was tailored to the unique needs of the congregation.

The impact of the seminar has been multi-faceted. The leadership is already planning a future event to discuss the topics raised in their time together. One elder reported that a participant picked up a copy of the book, Intimacy: God’s Design for Marriage, and was working to apply the principles in his marriage, to include a long-overdue date with his wife. In reflecting on the day, one man commented, “The material in this seminar meets a vital need in the church.”

We praise God for his blessing on the seminar and especially for the daily efforts of the leaders who are on the front lines of men’s ministry. If you would like information about hosting a Rediscovering Biblical Manhood seminar, call Gary Yagel at 301.570.5097 or go to his website www.forgingbonds.org.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Men

Great Commission Publications New “So What?” Youth Bible Study – Identity and Purpose

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So What?Help Teens Discover their Master Plan for Life!

Do your teens groan when you say, “Turn to Genesis 1-3”?

Do they think they know everything there is to know about the biblical account of Creation and the Fall? Do they feel like they’ve heard the story of Adam and Eve a million times?

Your teens may think they know the stories from Genesis 1-3 very well, but the reality is that (for many), their understanding is limited and their knowledge is sprinkled with misconceptions, such as, Didn’t Eve eat an apple?

Genesis 1-3 is a compelling narrative with familiar names but it also deals with hard, profound questions about life-questions that need God’s answers. Foundational answers to basic questions such as Who am I? and What is my purpose? find their starting point in these chapters. They establish a solid footwork to deepen your teens’ understanding of God, the world, redemption, and themselves.

High school students are beginning to think of careers and marriage. They are wondering about themselves and how they fit into the world. They are also living in a very real present-struggling with school, family interactions, relationships with other teens, just to name a few.

In today’s culture, marriage is mocked, work endured, and the Sabbath not even considered. The individual is frequently presented as the center of the universe. And sin? If the word is even used, it refers only to relationships with others, not to a response to God, i.e., As long as you don’t hurt another person, you are not sinning.

So how will your teens find answers to such questions as:

  • What should I do with my life?
  • What makes life meaningful?
  • Is marriage all that important?
  • Waiting for sex until marriage-is that realistic?
  • What happens in the afterlife?

Challenge teens to explore these questions and learn truth when they use the newest So What? youth Bible study, Identity & Purpose.

During this time of transition from childhood to adulthood, teens are wrestling with making their faith more fully their own. We shouldn’t be intimidated by their doubts and questions; instead, use them as opportunities to look into God’s Word for answers and provide a framework for understanding who they are and how they relate to God, others, and creation.

The church should be a safe atmosphere for your students to struggle with these issues as they look at the Bible to see how it speaks to their world. Encourage them to express their thoughts and questions honestly. Depend on the Holy Spirit to deepen their understanding and grow their faith in Christ as they dig into God’s Word.

Try one free Identity & Purpose lesson at www.sowhatstudies.org

How We Teach and How They Learn, Part 15 – What Is Your Objective

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When you finish teaching your lesson or preaching your sermon, how do you know if you accomplished anything? You won’t unless you have set goals for yourself.

No matter what learning style you are trying to reach, you cannot just present facts. Instead, you need to know what your plans (goals) are. In Part 8 of this series, a lesson plan format was presented (available on line). On page one it asks you to think through two things: what is your AIM and what are your Objectives.

An aim is written in broad terms stating what the pupil should learn. It does not state what the learner will do to prove he has learned; it states in relatively broad terms the direction of learning. Aims do not state what the teacher will do to teach the lesson. They tell what happens or will happen to the learner by the end of the lesson.

Objectives are what the student does to “prove” the lesson aim has been achieved. How many times have you finished teaching a lesson and walked away not having a clue if what you just did accomplished anything? You feel like you have “taught” a great lesson, but do you really know if the student has walked away not only having heard a great lesson, but has something he can do with it? Instead, you can look back at your lesson plan and know for sure if you accomplished anything by reviewing your goal (aim-objectives).

Writing aims and objectives are not complicated, but they are necessary if you want to accomplish anything more than you talking for an hour. Here are a few examples. The aim is in bold (left), and the objective is in italics (right):

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The writing of aims and objectives need not be seen as a daunting task. It is, however, the only way you can know if you have accomplished your goal for that lesson. To help you with this I will make available a complete study on the writing of aims and objectives. Just write me and request it at dbennett@pcanet.org.

Next time we go over how to write objectives for each of the three domains of objectives – what you want them to know, to be, and to do. e

– Dennis Bennett, Coordinator of Resources

2013 Women’s Program Features

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Rod and Debbe MaysWEDNESDAY PROGRAM AND LUNCHEON
The Gospel Makes All Marriages New
Rod and Debbe Mays

Rod and Debbe Mays have been married for 38 years. Rod has served as the National Coordinator for Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), the campus ministry of the PCA for fourteen years. He is also an adjunct professor of Counseling and Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary. Rod is the co-author of Things That Cannot Be Shaken, Crossway Books.

Debbe serves on the ministry staff of Mitchell Rd. Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC as Counselor to Women and Families. She holds a master’s degree in counseling and conflict management. Debbe is a trained mediator and has done work in mediation and conflict resolution in both the church and the community.

Rod and Debbe are the parents of one married daughter.

Laura StoryTHURSDAY MORNING BRUNCH & CONCERT
with Grammy and Dove Award Winner Laura Story

Laura Story is a songwriter, worship leader, artist and, as of September 2012, a new mother. Her Grammy-winning songs, including “Blessings” and “Indescribable,” have brought hope to millions around the world-but she would never tell you that. Traveling for concerts, leading worship at Perimeter Church, and loving life with her husband Martin and daughter Josie in Atlanta, GA are everyday gifts of mercy in her life.