Newsletter January 9, 2008
From the Senior Pastor . . .
Beginning Tuesday, January 8, I will be teaching at Covenant College on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. My class, “New Testament Introduction,” will be made up mostly of freshmen. I covet your prayers.
The Session granted me two weeks of “academic leave” so I could fine-tune my lectures for the coming semester. I want to thank them for their encouragement and understanding. And how grateful I am to the Lord for Pastor Mullinax and his wonderful ability to preach the Word, clearly, powerfully and with genuine passion.
I look forward to being back in the pulpit on the 13th.
I’m also looking forward to the Michael Card concert that we will sponsor in February. I’ve asked Jeremy to write a few words about this concert and how we hope to use it as an opportunity to reach out to our community.
Hymn 42 in the Trinity Hymnal is the well-known contemporary composition, “El Shaddai.” It was written by Michael Card.
On Saturday, February 23, at 7:00 PM Michael Card will be in concert here at CPC. Over a 25-year career, he has recorded over 20 albums, authored or co-authored over 14 books, hosted two radio programs, and written for numerous Christian magazines. Beside “El Shaddai,” many of you are familiar with other songs he has composed, such as Love Crucified Arose and Emmanuel.
Through his music, teaching and writing Mr. Card’s goal is “to simply and quietly teach the Bible.” His three great passions are: “Community, creativity, and commentary.”
He believes it is out of community that the gospel comes to life. He writes, “The bulk of what I’ve learned whether academically, musically, or personally is through interacting with other people, which is why I think community is so important to our growth as Christians.”
The Session wants to use Mr. Card’s concert as an outreach to our community. Therefore, the concert will be free. That evening we will receive an offering. But whatever expenses are not covered by that offering will be covered by funds taken from the Ministry Expansion Fund.
For this to prove an effective outreach to those around us, you must be willing to participate. Here’s what the Session is asking you to do.
Sunday, January 13, tickets will be available in the lobby of the church after the morning service, Sunday school, and the evening service. During one of those times, we’d ask you to take enough tickets for your immediate family.
We would also like you, as individuals and families, to think of other individuals or families who might be interested in hearing a concert on a Saturday night. We will give you tickets for all those you personally invite to this concert. We don’t simply want to give tickets away. We want these tickets to be used to by you invite other individuals and/or families to join us for this concert.
Offer to bring your guests that night. Let them know about Michael Card. Use the tickets as an outreach to specific people. We’re asking that you use these tickets for people who live near the church, or for people you are confident might consider the possibility of attending this concert and of joining us for worship some Sunday morning.
This is a wonderful opportunity. Let’s make the most of it!
As I close this week’s Newsletter I ask you to join me in giving all glory, honor and praise to our Lord. He has blessed us through you and others with gifts for the General Fund of CPC exceeding our budget for 2007 by almost $61,000. All gifts given to CPC nearly totals 1.4 million dollars. Of this more than 20% was given to support various ministry projects, benevolent causes and missionary endeavors.
-Pastor Caines