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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.

Shaping a Community of Grace Today for a Stronger Church Tomorrow

June 17, 2011 by Editor

By Dr. Bryan Chapell

“The Lord has changed me in numerous ways. One of the most significant of those is how he has given me a much greater appreciation of my need for other people and the corporate nature of the gospel.”

– Doug Kothe (MDiv ’11)

This is how Doug Kothe, one of our current students, describes his time at Covenant Seminary. Doug’s words reflect the experience of many who come to us each year to follow the call of God in preparing for ministry. His statement also reflects our firm belief that fully preparing pastors and other leaders for Christ’s church involves much more than mere classroom instruction. It involves, as we like to say, the shaping of the whole person-head, hands, and most especially, heart-within the context of a living, learning, worshipping community of grace. And, because we believe that God calls not just pastors, but also pastors’ wives and children into ministry, that shaping process must include not only the student who is taking classes, but also that student’s whole family. This is why we strive to make our campus a place where students, faculty, staff-and their families-can grow together in the gospel and be transformed by the power of God’s grace into the pastors and other ministry leaders our Lord has called them to be.

To this end we are seeking to raise funds for needed improvements to two elements of our campus that are vital to this kind of personal and spiritual growth: Edwards Hall Community Center and Rayburn Chapel. The only large gathering places on our campus, these two aging venues need to be renovated both to accommodate our increasing numbers of full-time students and to make it easier for seminary families to meet, worship, and enjoy fellowship with one another. We also hope to make some technological improvements that will better enable us to produce gospel-centered resources for use on campus and by the worldwide church. You can find out more about our plans here or through the 2011 WIC Love Gift promotional materials available here. Please consider how your church might be able to help.

We are exceedingly grateful to Women in the Church for their enthusiasm and support for our ministry and their heart for the men, women, and children whom God has called to Covenant Seminary. We look forward eagerly to seeing what our Lord will do through them and through our generous PCA churches as we seek to continue shaping a community of grace today for a stronger church tomorrow.

Many blessings to you in Christ,

Bryan Chapell

President, Covenant Theological Seminary

Please Pray for Us!

Here are a few ways in which you can be praying for Covenant Seminary during the next few months.

Pray for the students who will graduate this spring and move on to serve in churches and other ministries. Pray for those who are still seeking a call, that God would quickly clarify their places of future service and give them a strong sense of his guidance in this process. Pray also that he would work mightily through each of these graduates to show his grace and mercy to others.

Pray as we continue to navigate challenging economic waters that the Lord would continue to provide the funds we need to operate the Seminary and offer scholarships and other financial assistance to our students. Pray that the Lord would help us to continue building good relationships with our donors and that he would open doors to future friendships that would lead to even great financial health for the institution.

Pray for us as we seek a replacement for Professor of World Mission Dr. Nelson Jennings, who will be leaving us at the end of this academic year to become Director of Program and Community life for Overseas Ministries Study Center (OSMC) in New Haven, Connecticut. Pray that the transition to his new role would go well for Dr. Jennings, and that our search for his successor would be blessed.

Jack Scott, January 2, 1928 – June 13, 2011

June 14, 2011 by Charles

Jack Brown Scott, former CEP Staff Writer and Teacher, January 2, 1928-June 13, 2011

While attending the 39^th General Assembly of the PCA last week in Virginia Beach, I received word along with a request for prayer from John Thomas Scott that his dad Jack was near death. We requested prayer from the General Assembly and Jack Scott revived a bit; however, Monday afternoon 12:45 pm, Jack was called home to be with the Lord.

I need not remind those who knew him, Jack Scott was an amazing man of God. I have had the privilege of knowing him for many years and then the special privilege and honor of having him on our CEP staff of over seven years. When I began serving the PCA as the Coordinator of CEP, Jack Scott was on that committee. At that time he was professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. (Jack was one of the founding professors of RTS). We had been together on several previous occasions, Bible conferences, various committee meetings, etc.

Part of my desire from the beginning was to develop an adult Bible study series that would help people in the church to better know the English Bible from a Reformed perspective. As I shared my vision at that first CEP Committee meeting in January of 1977, Dr. Scott expressed his appreciation. My response was “Jack, I really need someone to help me actualize that. Would you consider being that man?” To my surprise his response gave me encouragement.

After a period of prayer over the next couple of weeks, we continued to talk and early 1977 Jack left RTS and joined our CEP staff. He shared both the concern and vision for such a curriculum. He and his precious wife Eleanor Caslick Scott joined us.

At that point he began writing a 26 volume curriculum for studying the English Bible, including two outstanding surveys of the Old and New Testament. Over the next six years Jack wrote that curriculum with great diligence. Of course when I say English Bible, he was a brilliant linguist, having mastered the Hebrew language for which he soon received his PhD. Among his many writings, I would have to call the Adult Biblical Education Series (ABES) his magnum opus. The first volume appeared in late 1977 and since that time we have continued to print and reprint those studies. (I had the privilege and responsibility of writing the early leader’s guides which required reading each one. What a spiritual education and blessing!).

Jack Scott was an exemplary husband and father, a faithful brother in Christ, an outstanding Bible scholar, and a servant leader with an obvious pastor’s heart. Jack loved his family, his friends, as well as his Lord, and that was reflected in every aspect of Jack’s life.

His love and care for Eleanor, his children, Edward, Caroline, John Thomas, and Ann modeled a real covenant family for all of us.

Having begun as a missionary in Korea where he met and married Eleanor, to pastoring churches in Kentucky and Mississippi, to the faculty of RTS, and then CEP. Jack demonstrated his commitment to Christian education as the fulfillment of God’s great commission.

His love and counsel sustained me through many hard and frustrating times in our ministry together. Jack modeled a consistency in his Christian life that has been a challenge to us all. Kennedy Smartt, a former classmate of Jack’s at Davidson College, prior to serving together later in the PCA, said to me this morning, “my fondest memory of Jack is teaching himself Hebrew while in college.”

We continue to reprint many of his writings, especially the ABES series which PCA churches have been using now for over 25 years. Though Jack did not like for me to say it, I had to because it was true, namely, “when you read Jack Scott’s material, you have read the best of biblical scholarship.” It was my privilege to write a chapter in a book honoring Dr. Jack B. Scott three years ago, Interpreting and Teaching the Word of Hope, Essays in Honor of Jack Brown Scott on His Seventy-Seventh Birthday.”

Jack was a gifted man of God and his life has blessed us in so many ways.

We join with Eleanor, and the family in remembering Jack Scott and we do so with the confidence of the Apostle Paul’s words, “…To depart and be with Christ, for that is far better,” Phil. 1:23 “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: “Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Sprit, “That they may rest from their labors, for this deeds follow him,” Rev. 14:13.

Charles Dunahoo, CEP Coordinator.

Men’s Ministry Around the PCA

May 23, 2011 by Gary

Upcoming General Assembly: Three Ways to Assist You to Build a Strong Men’s Ministry

1. Come by the PCA Men’s Ministry Exhibit (booth 331) to meet Harvey Kirkpatrick of the Gospel Man Fellowship, Dave Enslow of Next Steps For Men, and Gary Yagel the PCA men’s ministry coach.

2. Attend the Wednesday morning seminar led by Gary Yagel, Reaching the Heart of A Man. Description: Jesus had no problem attracting men. Fishermen dropped nets full of fish to follow him but sometimes we can’t get the men of our churchto drop their remote controls to be involved in our ministries. This seminar examines how God has hard-wired the masculine soul and how we can present Christ’s call to discipleshipto boys and men in a way that more fully engages their hearts.

3. Pick up a free copy of the men’s small group study, Grace Transformed Sexuality, at the PCA Men’s Ministry exhibit booth. Here is what is being said about this study: “I’ve been going through GTS with some of my high school guys. It is the best thing I’ve ever read on this topic. I need 15 more copies.” Derrick Harris, Youth Pastor, McLean Pres. “This material is excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent!” Chris Braddy, LtCol USMC Ret, Ruling Elder, Crossroads PCA, Woodbridge, VA.

Grace and Men Conferences: (Formerly called Gospel Man Conferences.) Grace and Men regional conferences were held in Gainesville, FL in February, in Atlanta in April, and in Annapolis in May. Regional conferences schedule for 2012:

Feb 4, 2012: Newark, NJ/NYCity: Nate Larkin : Grace Presbyterian Church

Jan 20-21, 2012: Orlando, FL: Nate Larkin & Ray Cortese: Orangewood Presbyterian Church

Apr 27-28, 2012: Atlanta, GA: Scotty Smith & Tullian Tchividjian: Perimeter Church

The Gospel Man fellowship has begun to offer a downsized conference to the local church, called, Grace and Men to You. The first was held at Covenant PCA in Chattanooga, TN in February. Such conferences work well in house or in the form of a retreat. For more information, visit the Gospel Man website.

New Reaching Every Man Trainer: Dave Enslow, the Executive Director of Next Steps for Men, has become a Field Network Trainer with Man In the Mirror. He has led the men’s ministry at Covenant Life Pres in Sarasota, FL for many years and is a highly qualified trainer and presenter of the PCA-approved seminar, Reaching Every Man. This excellent training is designed to equip your whole men’s ministry leadership team to build an effective, sustainable disciple-making ministry to men. Over 250 leaders from 8 PCA presbyteries have taken this training. For information about this training, visit the Next Steps for Men website.

Raising A Modern Day Knight: On Saturday night, Feb 26^th, eight Christian Dads and their pre-teen sons met together for an informal ceremony to challenge the boys to grow up to be godly men. Each Dad gave public praise to his son for the young man he is becoming. The boys were challenged to live by a four-part code of honor: live pure, speak truth, right wrong, follow the King.The boys were then given a certificate to mount on their wall with their name and the call to authentic manhood.This call is to reject passivity, accept responsibility, and lead courageously.This was the follow-up action taken after the video series, “Raising a Modern Day Knight” at McLean Pres this past fall. Imagine the impact of this event in the lives of twelve boys, motivating them to pursue godly masculinity!

RTS Orlando Seminary Class on Men’s Ministry: Dr.Pete Alwinson, the founding pastor of Willow Creek Presbyterian Church in Winter Springs, FL has been teaching a course on effective men’s ministry for MDiv students. Pete is on the board of Man In the Mirror and has grown a substantial church on a model that stresses the discipleship of men.

More and More Churches Using Men’s Fraternity: More and more PCA churches have been showing the Men’s Fraternity DVD series, beginning with The Quest for Authentic Manhood. Here are just a few of the many PCA churches using it:

Covenant PCA, Harrisonburg, VA

Evangelical Pres, Annapolis, MD

Broadneck PCA, Arnold, MD

Park Cities PCA, Dallas, TX

To find out more about this ministry and how it fits into the PCA, read this article.

What a Son (Or Grandson) Needs to Grow into Authentic Manhood

May 23, 2011 by Gary

“The tendency today is to stress the equality of men and women by minimizing the unique significance of our maleness or femaleness… Confusion over the meaning of sexual personhood today is epidemic. The consequence of this confusion is not a free and happy harmony among gender-free persons …but more divorce, more homosexuality, more sexual abuse, more promiscuity, more social awkwardness, and more emotional distress and suicide that come with the loss of God-given identity.” John Piper, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism.

Today’s feminized Western culture has declared war on masculinity. To mention any fundamental differences between the sexes is not politically correct. Moreover, our boys are being pressured to be more like girls and subjected to a relentless assault upon their masculinity. Robert Lewis writes, “You need to know, Dad, that your son and thousands like him are presently being stripped of their maleness by a modern, secular, feminist, culture. Over the last few decades this culture has steadily and relentlessly undermined healthy notions of what it means to be a man.” (Raising A Modern-Day Knight)

Our culture no longer views masculinity as a noble calling to strength, courage, and sacrifice but as a problem to be overcome. Ben Cartwright has been replaced by Homer Simpson. In discarding our Biblical foundation, postmodernism has jettisoned the call to sacrificial strength that has been heard by men dating back to antiquity. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”1 Kings 2:2-3 These dying words from David to his son indicate that in David’s time it was understood what it meant to act like a man. The boys growing up today have no such benefit.

Whether it is part of the creation design or the fall, every boy moves towards adolescence wanting to be seen as manly. In most cultures there is a code that defines what it is to be a real man. A boy is profoundly motivated to want to prove to the other men that he has what this code requires. Sometimes the culture has a ritual through which a boy proves himself and he is admitted to the fraternity of manhood. But even without a formal ritual, boys know that if they succeed in their many endeavors they add coins to their masculinity bank.

However, they lose coins when their behavior is deemed feminine. That is why womanly behavior is so damaging to a man. Males avoid anything that might drain their masculinity banks. If you doubt this, let me ask, “How do you feel when your wife asks you to hold her purse for a moment in public?”

Nearly every instinct in a boy’s heart is to resist appearing to be feminine. So, if he sees Christianity as feminine, what should we expect his attitude towards it to be? It is vital for sons growing up today to hear this message: “Christ’s call to follow him never denies your masculinity. Rather, it fulfills it, especially when you understand that to follow Jesus is to enlist in a war between two kingdoms.”

Here are five things a boy needs in order to grow into authentic, godly manhood:

1. A Vision of Godly Manhood. Robert Lewis, supplies this definition of masculinity: “A real man rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, and leads courageously for the greater reward.”(Raising a Modern Day Knight.) He needs a code of conduct,which stresses godly character and especially, strength. He also needs a winsome explanation of how to interact with girls and women. It is time for your sex talk, Dad.

2. The verbal affirmation of his father. He needs to hear, “I love you,” and “I’m proud of you.” Our model is God, the Father, who speaks audibly to the Son, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” Mar 1:10-11. A son also needs to have his masculinity affirmed by his father.

3. Time with his dad especially in the 9-12 years. The world, deadlines, contracts, and so forth will always be there-our children won’t. We have a very short window in which to have a major impact in our children’s lives.

4. To see the masculinity of Jesus. Boys love to hear the story of Jesus making a whip and driving the priests and money changers out of the temple, of hardened soldiers so awestruck by Jesus’ presence they said, “Never has a man spoken like this man.” They love to see Jesus get in the face of the scribes and Pharisees.

5. A strong men’s ministry in his church. Our sons need to grow up in a church where men have an identifiable presence as a band of brothers, committed to being warriors in the spiritual battle together.

(This material is from a seminar led by Gary Yagel entitled, Recovering Biblical Manhood. For more information visit the Forging Bonds website.

Presenting Christ to Children, Page 2

May 20, 2011 by admin

Repentance is the other side of faith:

The basic idea of repentance is to stop moving in one direction and begin moving in another.

1. Children who are raised in nurturing Christian families and churches, and who respond to Christ at an early age, may as adults look back and wonder, from what, if anything, they have repented. A couple of thoughts:

A. Values are as important as behavior, and those who have made a commitment to Christ can see at least some of the ways their desires have been shaped by God.

B. Every human being has a bent toward evil. Turning from that evil and to Christ is an integral part of Christian faith.

There must be a call to repent as well as to believe.

2. It is not easy to break behavior patterns. Repentance embodies a desire to change as the Lord enables us.

Within the church children can hopefully find those who will help them to change by praying for them, encouraging them and at times rebuking them. Someone who works with children, like a Sunday school teacher, can be at least one person who assumes that role.

The ingredients that make up Christian faith are:

1. Acknowledging what the Bible says about the person of Jesus: He is true, He is God, Man, perfect, and the only Savior of sinners.

What does a person have to know? The claims the Bible makes about Jesus are so incredible that they create a chasm between those who would affirm them and those who reject them. Some people stumble over significant details. Acceptance of these biblical claims is easy for children. But belief in Santa Claus is also easy. We are not going to readily separate fact from fantasy in the mind of a child. (“Virtual reality” will increasingly give us all difficulty.) Christian doctrine can be taught in more detail as the child matures, demonstrating our conviction that the biblical claims are true.

We have had far too many children unquestioningly accept the doctrines of the faith and when that teaching is opposed, their belief turns to doubt and often unbelief.

With the boom of the Christian and home school movements, we have witnessed children who have been taught the Bible in depth. Instead of producing faith, however, in some cases it has planted the seeds of rebellion. In many cases the Bible has been treated simply as an academic subject, and consequently, the message has been distorted.

So, while affirming the Bible’s representation of Jesus as a necessary component of faith, that alone does not constitute Christian faith.

2. We acknowledge what the Bible says about Jesus’ mission is true.

The Bible tells us that Jesus died and then came back to life. As amazing as that is, Christian faith demands more. We must accept the Bible’s interpretation of those events. His death was punishment for our disobedience; His resurrection is the confirmation that God found what He did acceptable. Consequently, because He lives those who belong to Him will live as well.

Yet it is not enough to affirm that Jesus died for my sin. Something more is required.

3. A commitment to Jesus.

In essence that means linking our lives with his. I have used sitting in a chair to illustrate the point. When I sit, I commit myself to the chair. If it holds, I am fine. If it does not, I am on the floor. With Jesus it means that, if He is alive we will live. If He is not we are doomed. If there is some other way to find God then we will not find Him because a commitment to Jesus closes off all other options.

The only way commitment can be expressed is in what we do – or do not do. It is possible to try to live by biblical commands without a commitment to Jesus. But it is not possible to make a commitment to Him, without it finding expression in a sincere desire to follow Him.

Thus commitment entails turning from that which takes us away from Christ (repentance) and turning to Christ (faith). With children, we are urging a life style that we trust the Holy Spirit will internalize and consequently, become the way faith in Jesus is expressed. It is not enough to urge faith without suggesting ways that faith can be demonstrated. At the same time, to encourage children to live in certain ways without clear presentation of the good news is a distortion of the Christian message.

Prayer is part of the process

It is the Holy Spirit who gives and nurtures life but his work is linked to our activity and one of the things we must do is to pray for our children – our biological children, children in the church, children we can identify in our communities. Prayer is essential in discipling covenant children.

Ministry Considerations

The opportunity

It has long been true that most who make a profession of faith do so either as a child or a teenager. The earlier faith is nurtured, the better.

However, we do not deal with children in isolation. (Actually we do not deal with anyone in isolation.) The primary link with children is their caregivers, which in most instances is one or both parents. So significant ministry to children, in the majority of cases, cannot be separated from ministry to families.

The family and the church

The Great Commission gives the church the responsibility for making disciples. Deuteronomy 6 gives that same responsibility to the parents. Both will pay a price if the other is ignored. And our children will suffer. Both will pay a price if it is done. But the rewards are eternal.

Some churches attract large numbers of children to their summer ministry programs. But it is hard to make meaningful contact with parents who are not part of the church family, so often the attempt is not made. However, if the parents are not brought to faith and become part of the life of the church it will be much more difficult to have a long term influence on their children.

The church must initiate a cooperative effort between the church and the home. Here are some suggestions which could be part of your Celebrate the Child program.

1) Children’s Sunday school teachers need to be taught how to involve parents in the process. For instance, if there are difficulties reaching a child, the parents’ help should be solicited. A teacher can learn much from the way the school is attempting to work with a child and about the way parents are trying.

2) Parents can be asked to read to their children using the biblical accounts from lessons, or the stories found in take-home papers. They can help their children learn Bible verses or catechism questions.

3) Parents can be encouraged to pray with their child. For instance, teachers could keep a chart of prayer requests that come from the class. Each week the group could pray over the list seeing how God has responded. Teachers could make parents aware of the requests made in class and suggest that they pray over them at home.

4) Parents who are in the church will usually respond positively to ways that they can teach their children about the Lord. Parents outside the church can be approached with an expression of appreciation. They are concerned about the spiritual development of their children. The teacher could review with the parents what he/she is attempting to accomplish with the child. That would include a presentation of the gospel and quite possibly an invitation to believe in Jesus.

5) Intergenerational learning is one way to bring children and adults together, and more specifically, children and their parents.

Whatever might be said about the things that shape children, the influence of the primary caregivers is enormous. Regular attention to parental involvement in ministry to their children will challenge both them and their children.

Any of these suggestions could be part of a master plan for ministry to families. Such a plan will require specific steps for implementation.

Children and the Church

1. Children of believers need to be grafted into the church and its worship. It is not enough for a child to be in Sunday school or Pioneer Clubs. If I had my preference, children of every age would be in the worship service with their parents. Our BOCO encourages the parents and children to worship together; however, that is not always practiced. In most congregations, children are in the worship service for part of the time. It is a wholesome thing to see a family sitting together in a worship service.

It is a picture of the way the covenant God has made with us works. It brings together the nuclear family and the family of God. It also models for children a part of what our faith entails.

Having children sing in worship, or to use music they are singing in Sunday school, is one way to include them. Many churches have a children’s sermon. Some have a bulletin to help children follow the Scripture and its exposition. On occasion older children can help take up an offering or do a special reading. I am aware of one church where children sometimes pray aloud in the worship service.

Older members can become surrogate grandparents informally helping to nurture children and causing them to feel like they belong in the church.

2. Children in the community need to hear the good news. To accomplish this will require a fresh look at what we are doing and what we could do. For instance, there are large numbers of special-needs children. Can we become intentional in trying to reach them -and their families? After school programs are common place. A few PCA churches are offering tutoring programs. What about a daily after-school program sponsored by a suburban church? Most congregations offer a summer program. What about a day camp that would span the entire summer?

3. Children have been gifted by God. In the church, opportunities should be made to recognize, develop, and celebrate those gifts. It might be as simple as helping to clean and straighten a room, or as profound as praying for someone in need. Children can encourage a shut-in with a card or even a visit.

What may be needed is an attitude shift – not seeing children as passive recipients, but as active contributors to the life of the church.