Women

2011 WIC Love Gift – Covenant Theological Seminary

November 16, 2011 by Editor

2011 WIC LOVE GIFT DVD-Covenant Theological Seminary

WIC Love Gift

Publisher: Covenant Theological Seminary

Item #: 8436

DVD

5 minutes long.

Order the DVD

Also available are free bulletin inserts.

Shaping a Community of Grace Today for a Stronger Church Tomorrow

Fully equipping pastors to face today’s ministry challenges means going beyond mere classroom training. Covenant Seminary aims to engage the whole person-as well as the whole family-by continuing to shape a vibrant community of faith in which future church leaders can experience firsthand the life of grace they are called to embody. The Seminary seeks to encourage such growth in grace by enhancing the campus environment through needed updates and improvements to two key community gathering spaces: the Edwards Hall Community Center and Rayburn Chapel. The financial support and prayerful partnership of our PCA churches is essential to the success of this Kingdom-building endeavor.

Community Center Improvements-Estimated Cost: $1,500,000

2,000 Participants Gather in Atlanta for the Amazing Grace 360 Conference

October 14, 2011 by Editor

AG360 2,000 participants came together at the Cobb Galleria, Atlanta, Ga., Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in Atlanta, for the PCA’s 5^th Christian Education and Publications Women’s ministry conference, Amazing Grace 360 emphasizing the whole Gospel for the whole life and whole world. Older women and younger women came from across the PCA with representatives from several countries where PCA ministry is realized. 200 of the participants were under 20 years of age and 200 were over 66 years of age.

With the confusion abroad about “grace” the conference sought to present a program that would encourage and enable the participants to understand the “it is all about God” who is a God of grace and mercy. That theme was carried throughout the conference with Nancy Guthrie leading the plenary sessions unfolding the whole story of: creation, the fall, redemption, and consummation (covered by Brian Habig mentioned below). Her messages were clear and set the stage for the more than 30 seminars on different aspects of the whole story.

500 of the participants came for the pre-conference events which featured Lydia Brownback as the plenary speaker and breakout seminars for that “pre-con” event. Kevin Twit and the Indelible Grace effectively led the conference in the worship sessions. Kevin Twit is a PCA teaching elder and has assisted CEP and the women’s conferences on previous occasions. One of the highlights of the conference, along with the good solid teaching and warm fellowship of the participants, was a Friday night concert, featuring Laura Story an accomplished singer and songwriter and winner of the prestigious Dove Award for her album Great God Who Saves and who serves on the worship leadership team at the Perimeter PCA Church in Duluth, Ga., and a Saturday night concert featuring Kevin Twit and the Indelible Grace.

The Indelible Grace has produced a number of CD’s especially featuring some of the great hymns often set to new music. Kevin is a graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary. He is also known as a RUF (Reformed University Fellowship) campus minister at Belmont University in Nashville, Tn.

Another highlight of the conference, following the Saturday night dinner, came as

PCA women from across the church and from more than eight countries were introduced who then brought greetings from such respective locations: North America, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Germany, Ukraine. Etc. The evening session was narrated and led by Barbara Thompson of Zachary, La., and Susan Phyllis of Hendersonville. North Carolina. The theme for the evening was appropriately called, “faces of grace.” During that evening session the wives of PCA military chaplains, especially those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, were asked to stand to an auditorium filled with a standing ovation for their families’ service to God and our country’s security.

Laura Story Joni Erickson Tada addressed the conference via video and brought encouraging words to those who have known suffering and the Lord’s faithfulness in sustaining them through difficult times. Nancy Guthrie who had experienced the pain of losing two children was able to meet with many of the mothers present with similar experiences. A fitting climax of the Saturday evening event was remembering Georgia Settle, now with the Lord, who served as the first coordinator of women’s ministry with CEP and the PCA. Her husband Paul, a former coordinator of CEP, was welcomed. He brought a brief message and prayer for the conference.

Brian Habig concluded the conference in the Sunday morning worship with a message from Romans 8 entitled “Home.” The morning message drew together the “consummation perspective,” in a most effective way, the theme and the variations on that theme throughout the conference. Brain, a former RUF minister, presently serves as pastor of the Downtown Presbyterian church in Greenville, South Carolina

One of the highlights of the conference was giving the participants an opportunity to see the more that 50 exhibits some featuring a variety of ministries in the church and to see the many training resources and study materials available from CEP. One the participants remarked, “I have never seen so many good resources that relate to women’s ministry in one place.”

CEP Coordinator Charles Dunahoo said before the conference, “We have carefully designed the entire conference around the theme Amazing Grace 360-focusing on God’s grace, not from an “easy believism” concept of grace, but from a biblically historical redemptive focus on Christ and his sufficiency that will highlight, “The whole Gospel, the Whole life, and the Whole World.” As the conference ended he said “God allowed us to experience that purpose in even greater measures than anticipated.”

Jane Patete, CEP’s women’s ministry coordinator said, “Our prayer was for the Triune God to be lifted before the conference in teaching, fellowship, prayer, and singing the songs of the Kingdom, and that we all would be reminded of his redeeming grace and equipped to live and serve as the citizens of the his Kingdom.” “God answered our prayer,” she said as the conference closed. “To him be the glory.”

DVD’s of Nancy Guthrie’s session, along with audios of the entire conference are available from the CEP Bookstore.

Amazing Grace 360 – An Invitation from Susan Phillis

August 23, 2011 by Editor

To help ignite enthusiasm, we have included an Amazing Grace360 announcement in a local PCAchuch. Ahusband and wife team were asked to share with their congregation why this conference is important and to share some of the spiritual benefits they have expereinced – it is worth the read!!!

A Husband’s Remarks: I think of this conference – and any other Susan has attended – as an installment in Extreme Makeover Kingdom Edition. When Susan comes back she is all the more excited about the Savior and extending His kingdom. She is more beautiful to Jesus – and more beautiful to me – and it is all the sweeter to be with her. This is part of my responsibility in fulfilling Ephesians 5 to Susan – to prepare her as a beautiful bride for Christ. Gentlemen – I urge you urge your wives to attend. And be the husband and father at home that enables this to happen.

~Jim Phillis, Teaching Elder

Ladies – pack your weekend bag – because something exciting is happening!

This fall there is a perfect opportunity for you to attend a weekend planned just for you – a woman in the church. Amazing Grace 360 is thePCA’s International Women’s Conference, to be held October 7-9, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia.

I love this title! It tells us the weekend has a great purpose – to take “agrand and glorious look at the grace of God….whole gospel, whole life, whole world”.

I know…you are busy and you have children to care for and a weekend away is a hardship at times and really, why should you give up three days for this event?

Because you will reap eternal benefits. And if that’s not enough –

*You will hear from speakers Nancy Guthrie and Brian Habig (pastor of Downtown Pres. Church in Greenville, SC).

*We will worship with Laura Story (“Indescribable”) and Indelible Grace.

*There will be workshops with teaching topics ranging from singleness to parenting, from peacemaking to bioethics.

You will see “Faces of Grace” as we celebrate God’s faithfulness in the lives of ordinary women in the PCA – just like you and me!

The Friday pre-conference offers an opportunity to slow your pace, prepare your heart, and gain perspective as we head into the Friday night session of Amazing Grace 360.

And honestly – sometimes we need an organized event to allow us to reflect on God’s grace in our lives. You need make no apologies for taking time for this eternal investment.

Personally, I am going to this conference to:

get a glimpse of God’s kingdom here on earth
re-energize my calling as a daughter of the king
be encouraged by fellowship with women who have invested in my life – that I may invest in the next generation.

Come with me! Bring a friend. This conference is for women ages 13 and older. It is the perfect venue to build a relationship with an old friend, or start a new one!

Join us as we share with each other “not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thess 2:8).

~Susan Phillis

The Kingdom Misunderstood, Part 1

August 15, 2011 by Charles

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two part article dealing with the misperceptions many Christians have of the kingdom of God. What is ther ole of believers in the kingdom, how are they to impact the broader kingdom? Are there really two kingdoms?

Introduction

I begin by introducing you to Bill and Mary Wright. Bill is a 34 year old husband and father of two children, Terry 10 and Susan 7. Mary is a stay at home mom and has home schooled her children for a couple years, though they are presently attending a Christian school that meets in their church. Bill and Mary are active church members and clearly demonstrate a love for the Lord that is obvious to others.

Bill is a member of a successful law firm. He teaches a young adult Sunday school class in his church and is very active in civic events. He is on the church’s board of officers. You might call the Wright’s the quintessential Christian family.

Bill majored in political science in college and later entered law school. Presently, he is an active member of the bar. For several years Bill has had a desire to become more involved in politics. His friends have suggested that on a number of occasions, so has his wife Mary. He represents the more conservative line of political thinking and is certainly an advocate for rule of law in our country.

Read entire Equip 3rd Quarter, 2011 (Acrobat Reader required).

But as Bill thinks about this, he wrestles with a dilemma. He is a Christian and believes in church and state separation; therefore he wonders how he can be a good Christian and involved in politics at the same time. He has been taught by the system to think of religion as belonging to the private area of his life, including family and church, but politics is more for the public arena. He does not want to compromise his Christian faith by involving himself in an area that would require him to keep his religious beliefs, his Christian faith, to himself.

Bill’s situation reminds me of another occasion when I was teaching a seminar to leaders from several churches. The topic for the day was making kingdom disciples. I spent some time developing the point that there is actually more involved in making disciples than is often reflected and practiced by many today. I was explaining how being a Christian involved more than merely having a personal relationship with the Lord, than reading the Bible, praying, and witnessing. My point was that Christianity is a way of life, a total way of life, which many Christians fail to understand, especially today.

Christianity is a way of life, a total way of life

In trying to be as clear as possible, I said there is a sense in which you are no more spiritual when teaching a teenage Sunday school class on John 3:16, than you are teaching an eleventh grade mathematics class. The Bible teaches God’s special truth in what we would call the spiritual realm and the mathematics class teaches God’s truth in that broader realm. I continued–the only way you can know what John 3:16 means is for God to teach it to you and the only way that you can know that 2 plus 2 is 4 is because God is the author of all truth. Both are true because they come from God, as the God of all truth. Jesus commanded us to “make disciples” and we do that according to him, by teaching to observe all things whatsoever he has commanded, and by necessary inference, he has taught us. (Matthew 28:19 & 20).

If we see God’s truth wholistically, we are to be spiritual in everything that we do, 24/7 both in an out of the church. I am aware in saying this, many Christians do not understand this discipleship process. Their paradigm has been based on a wrong view of the church and kingdom, as well as discipleship itself. We will show this later, but for now, some see the church and kingdom as two separate entities while others see them as one and the same. While we believe neither of those are representative of the Bible’s teaching on the church of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, it is so important to understand what the two are and how they are related, especially as they impact our worship and service of God.

On another occasion I was speaking at an annual convention of Christian school leaders. On the program was a young man who had also been influenced by the teachings of Francis Schaeffer. At that time he was serving in a staff position in Washington, D. C. He said in his address, that we would be pleased and amazed at how many of our members of Congress attend regular Bible studies. (This was several years ago). But then he said, you would be disappointed to see some of those same people move into the legislative hall and fail to incorporate those biblical truths into the issues with which they were dealing.

There is a false scenario that has penetrated our western world, including many of our churches, and it has caused people to see life from a dualistic, even fragmented perspective, thus creating Bill’s dilemma and keeping that 11th grade math teacher from seeing himself as a disciple maker in teaching math.

My purpose in this series of articles is to understand and evaluate the fallacy of Bill and Mary’s thinking about politics, and their misunderstanding of the church and Christianity, the false dichotomy reflected in the math class, and the failure of those politicians in Washington to know how to apply biblical truth to their civil responsibilities.

I want us to consider how the above examples have grown out of a wrong paradigm regarding education, especially Christian education and disciple-making but especially a wrong paradigm of the church and the kingdom of God (“The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all” Psalm 103:19; “Your Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Psalm 145:13).

Featured Seminars from the Women’s International Conference

August 3, 2011 by Editor

Visit the Amazing Grace 360 Conference Website

Ashley Belknap on Intergenerational Women’s Ministries – How can we Change a Model?

When speaking with women across our denomination, one of the most common questions I am asked is is, “How can we better reach the younger women in our women’s ministries?” At the heart of this question is a desire for change. Rephrased, the question could be, “How do we change our ministry to better reach all of our women – old and young alike?” Young women are not the problem; older women are not the problem; the desire is most certainly not the problem. Our problem lies in the fact that change is not easy. It’s not easy for individual sinners to change; it’s not easy to collectively change a group of sinners; and it’s even more difficult to change the direction of a ministry comprised of sinners. Yet, this is exactly what the Gospel is all about – change – changing daily into Christ-likeness!! Our goal in these two seminars is to begin addressing the question of change – “How do you change a ministry model to better meet the collective needs of all?” These are questions that we should all be asking of our women’s ministries daily – after all, as sinners change and grow, so do needs – what worked yesterday might not be the answer next year. Come join us as we explore the concept of change within ministry.

More on Ashley…

Sherry Lanier on Gospel Unity, Cultural Diversity – The Changing Faces of the PCA

This workshop has become a most exciting project for us all. Six women from diverse backgrounds; five ethnicities, four nationalities and four languages all with one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is both a living reality and a reflection, a shadow, of the Kingdom to come – God’s ultimate victory over sin and death and His restoring all things in Christ Jesus. In His Word God repeatedly tells us that the redeemed from every tribe, people group and language will worship together around His throne. When we began this project most of us didn’t know each other, but now we have become fast friends. We have learned to trust one another, to speak the truth in love, and to learn from one another as sisters in Christ who care for His glory and His covenant family, the church.

The world is seemingly becoming much smaller through technology and travel, and the ease of moving from one nation to another. The church has an incredible opportunity to reach more and more people groups with the gospel and see people come to faith in Christ as He is bringing the world to our neighborhoods and communties. Now is the time for us to build lasting bridges of relationships and trust on which the good news of Christ can cross over cultural boundaries and traverse the chasm of language to change the hearts of His called out ones. Come and enjoy and learn with the rest of us as we share God’s good work in the lives of our lovely sisters in the PCA.

Be sure to visit the Amazing Grace 360 website and register for the Pre-Conference

Sherry Lanier
Reedemer Church, Jackson, MS

Sherry Lanier and her husband Steve reside in Jackson, MS. They helped start Redeemer Church PCA, an intentionally multi-cultural church, where Steve is the Assistant to Rev. Mike Campbell. Sherry has a passion for God’s Word and discipleship and mentoring of young women. She and Steve served on the staff of Youth for Christ for 23 years and she now meets on a weekly basis with a number of young women from her church and teaches a weekly outreach Bible study for professional women. She has been involved in the development of women’s ministries at several PCA churches and currently serves as the Women’s Advisory Sub-Committee (WASC) Member for the Mid-South Region for PCA Women’s Ministry. Sherry serves as a board member for several organizations including the local Center for Pregnancy Choices, an outreach to young women in unplanned pregnancies, the Neighborhood Christian Center, an outreach ministry to at-risk youth, and Mississippi Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disasters (MS VOAD), as well as being on staff with the PCA/Mission to North America Short Term Missions and Disaster Response Ministry. She is excited about the growing vision of the PCA to reach every people group at home and around the world. Her greatest joy is ministering alongside her husband, hosting people in her home, and being ‘Momsie’ to her precious grandchildren!

Adela Ireta
Grace Community Church, Dalton, GA

Adela Ireta is married to Reverend Carlos Ireta. They have three daughters; Denise, a violin player who lives in North Georgia and is getting a degree in music; Karla, an 11th grader; and Emma, a 10th grader. Both Karla and Emma play volleyball. Adela and Carlos began their ministry with Carlos attending seminary in Mexico. Their next calling was to church planting in Laredo, Texas, and now they serve at Grace Community Church in Dalton, GA where Carlos is the Assistant Pastor.

Higgins Renee Higgins
New City Fellowship South, St. Louis, MO

Renee Higgins loves the Lord Jesus and His church. Renee was born in Saint Louis, MO and became a Christian at the Christ Zion Water Tower Baptist Church. Across the years, Renee has used her gifts as a teacher to host home Bible studies in each military location that she was placed. Renee also served the families of soldiers through working with Protestant Women of the Chapel as an officer, teacher, and prayer leader. She is an accomplished worship leader, singer and an outstanding choir director. She is also a woman of prayer and a trained Precept Ministries Bible study teacher. Renee holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Harris Teacher’s College in Saint Louis, Missouri. She is extremely hospitable and loves to cook. Renee has been married to Mike Higgins for 31 years. Presently, Mike is Dean of Students at Covenant Seminary in Saint Louis. Renee is the mother of Mary Yvonne and Michelle Joanna, and a friend to all who know her. Renee is also now grandmother to Moses!

Phemie Tan
Christ Community Church, Franklin, TN

Phemie immigrated to the US with her parents and younger sister when she was 19. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she still experiences “cultural shock” every now and then after twenty plus years of living in America. Phemie met her husband, a Singaporean, when they attended the University of Oregon. Tim is an audio-engineer and producer. He’s also studying for ordination at this time. Her husband always said that God called him to come to Nashville for music to get him out of music, meaning the industry. Besides helping Tim with the new church plant they felt called to start, Phemie also works full-time running a business in Franklin, TN. Last but not the least, she is the proud mother of two boys, 20 and 15. Phemie says, “Being a mother is one of the greatest blessings the Lord has given me. It helps me appreciate His unconditional love.”

Ronjanett Taylor
Redeemer Church, Jackson, MS

Ronjanett Taylor is a member of Redeemer Church, PCA in Jackson. She is originally from St. Louis, Missouri but grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ronjanett came to Christ at the age of 9 and even at that young age, realizedknowing Jesus changed her. Somewhat turbulent adolescent years made her realize that the being a Christian and loving Jesus didn’t make you do everything right or everything good. As a young adult, sherealized that this process had a name (sanctification) and it would be a life-long process of “continuing to work out salvation…” as it says in Philippians 2:12-15. Remembering these years of change is what led to the prayerful creation of the Sister Cooks ministry for which Ronjanett currently serves as coordinator and Bible study leader. Ronjanett also sings in the choir and serves with the women’s ministry. Together with her wonderful husband Bryant of 12 years, Ronjanetthas three children Justin- age 16, Sedric – age 19, and Amber- age 20, and a2 year old granddaughter, Ambria. This marvelous blended family affords many opportunities to practice grace, patience, love, and foregiveness. Ronjanett works full time asprogram director for an AmeriCorps grant.

Be sure to visit the Amazing Grace 360 website and register for the Pre-Conference

Announcing: Amazing Grace 360 – PCA International Women’s Conference

July 10, 2011 by Editor

Since CEP hosted the 2006 International Women in the Church Conference with over 4000 women in attendance we have been repeatedly asked, “When will you host the next one?” After much prayer and discussion, we are ready to announce another CEP Conference for PCA women, ages 13 years and up.

The theme for this conference is a grand and glorious look at the full orbed grace of God in our lives – Amazing Grace 360!

Whole Gospel. Whole Life. Whole World.

Be sure to stay connected to the conference, by using this conference website to see the full faculty of gifted men and women whom God is raising up to lead and teach us.

Nancy Guthrie, a gifted teacher, writer, and conference speaker will serve as the Conference teacher. The preacher for this year’s event will be Brian Habig, pastor of the Downtown Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina, and former Reformed University Minister at Mississippi State University and Vanderbilt University. Worship and music will be led by Kevin Twit of Indelible Grace and Laura Story.


Conference Teacher: Nancy Guthrie	Conference Preacher: Brian Habig	Conference Musicians: Indellible Grace & Laura Story

The CEP staff is finalizing the balance of the conference faculty with speakers and seminar leaders from across the PCA. Continue to check this website over the next few weeks as more speakers are announced.

Also, plan to arrive early in the day on Friday to attend the special Pre-conference sessions. These seminars will provide you three extra sessions to be encouraged and equipped with tools for service in the Kingdom of God.

As the CEP staff and the Women’s ministry team weighed the privilege and cost of planning another major conference, there was consensus that in the midst of an uncertain economy, often leading to a spirit of fearfulness; now is the time to rehearse the scope and surety of God’s grace in our lives, to come together as this portion of His body to worship, learn, celebrate, anticipate, and focus on His eternal grace to and in us.

As you pray and anticipate this discipling opportunity, begin now to think creatively as local churches for ways to help raise funds for your women who are unemployed or financially challenged and who want and need to be part of this weekend.

Click to visit new conference website www.amazinggrace360.com which is under development.

If you would like to receive updates and information about the conference, be sure to join our Amazing Grace 360 contact list.

Thank you for your kingdom partnership.

Jane Patete
CEP Women’s Ministry Consultant.