The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. We need one another to spur each other on and bear one another’s burdens. Smallgroups exist to foster these relationships. Whether you’re new to the church or looking to get plugged in, we want you to get connected. Our smallgroups meet regularly in member’s homes for fellowship and prayer. We’d love to have you there.
This year, our church began working with the National School Project to bring the gospel to Orange High School. Our pastoral resident, Andrew Maples, helps a group of students lead a Christian club on campus. We’ve led events, met students, and seen the Lord change hearts and lives.
Next week, we have our final outreach event of the year. We’re reserving the school gym, getting a speaker, bringing food, and praying the Lord saves students. Please pray that students will come, respond, and for the Lord to give us more opportunities to evangelize on campus. Look for ways to be involved in the future!
One of the best things about our partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches is our gospel friendships. We love our brothers and sisters in Christ, so we want to make it a priority to pray for them. We believe these prayers are powerful and effective. Below is a list of prayer requests from Sovereign Grace Churches. Join us as we pray for our partners.
Pray that God would give the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace Churches a renewed desire, and opportunities to share the gospel with unbelievers in our communities, on our campuses, and in our workplaces.
Pray for the churches in Dnipro, and Sinelnikovo, Ukraine that Sovereign Grace is relating to, and sending money for relief efforts, asking God to protect them, and to use them to offer gospel hope as the war continues in that nation.
Pray for the 8 men who will be graduating from the Sovereign Grace Pastors College in June asking God to give them perseverance to finish their PC year and grace for their transitions back home and/or into their next step in pastoral ministry.
Pray for the WorshipGod 22 Conference, July 27-30 in Louisville, KY asking God to equip worship leaders, musicians, songwriters, vocalists, and tech folks to return home and serve their local churches even more effectively.
Pray for the 5 men in the Sovereign Grace Australia Pastors and Planters Academy asking God to use this next year to equip them for future pastoral ministry or church planting opportunities in Australia and the Asia Pacific part of the world.
Pray for the short-term missions trips that different Sovereign Grace churches are leading over the summer to Guadalupe, Mexico; Playa Azul, Costa Rica; and an outreach to Muslims in London, England asking God to open hearts to hear and respond to the gospel.
Pray that God would continue to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world.
During our Sunday service, we celebrated the profound impact all the mothers and women have on our church. This is all by God’s design, and we’re glad to honor the women God has placed among us.
One of our members, Christy, shared how much God has used the ladies in the church to influence and help her. It’s a testament to God’s work in our church and in our lives. As you read her testimony below, take time to reflect and thank God for the women of our church.
On this Mother’s Day, I humbly find myself a mama of two little ones. Madeline is two-and-a-half and Gideon is six-months-old. I’m in the throes of early motherhood, and life feels full. My husband, Dylan, is an accountant and just came out of a busy work season. We have also been house hunting for the past 18 months. We’ve put in a lot of offers, but we’re still waiting on the Lord. My days are filled with toddler training, caring for an infant, everyday housework, serving the church, small business responsibilities, and reaching out to friends for playdates or to simply stay in touch.
I’m sure that this load would feel burdensome if not for trusting that the Lord has given me a beautiful calling as a woman, wife, and mother. No work is too tedious. All work, even if hard at times, is meant to glorify God, to be for our good, and to sanctify. It bears eternal fruit! What a glorious calling it is to pour into the souls of others!
I still have daily moments where I feel overwhelmed, but I am filled with gratefulness when I remember the countless ways that the Lord is meeting me. Sometimes He meets me through His word. Other times, I notice Him giving me grace to practice leaning on Him when I’m feeling my inability to meet everyone’s needs, including my own. When the mental fogginess that comes from limited sleep and interrupted tasks feels especially heavy, I am incredibly grateful for how the Lord uses the church to remind me of His truth and spur me on to love and good works.
I wish I had time to publicly affirm all of the faithful women who are embracing the Lord’s calling for their lives and who have graciously given of their time, giftings, and words to encourage me and others, but seeing as I only have a few minutes, here are many, but definitely not all, of the women who do this so well.
On the topic of pursuing excellence in homemaking, Sue has been a precious resource in teaching me how to streamline meal prep, manage everyday finances, and think of ways to creatively serve those in need. Lois has a way of patiently, graciously, and comically giving me an eternal perspective on how to steward relationships and responsibilities. When I’m trying to remember my Bible reading from the ladies’ reading plan, it’s been helpful to read the thoughts of Micki and Gina, who regularly share where the Lord has met them in their own reading. Vicki and Sandra have been precious examples of mothers who are leaning on the Lord and working heartily unto Him. Among ladies in the season of early motherhood with me, I’ve loved seeing Bethany make it a priority to be hospitable with the home the Lord has provided for her family, even while caring for her three young children. Bree is a beautiful example of a mother who is generous with her resources, praising God for His provisions and never counting them as too precious to share. I’ve been blessed over and over again by the care of Alie and Lauren, who regularly ask how I’m doing, joyfully serve, and even made sure I didn’t overdo it when we helped a friend move the week after Gideon was born. April, Melanie, Stephanie, Jen, Karissa, Sophia, Ruth, and Deidre have all offered words of encouragement and practical care. Diane and Wendy have kindly used their season of motherhood to bless me with childcare. Kirsi, Rebecca, Kristin, Miranda, Anna, and Melissa are precious friends who never cease to speak truth into my life, especially when I’m facing hard circumstances.
The fact that so many of you have touched my life (and this isn’t even all of you!) is such a testimony of how the Lord is using the women of our church to bless His people and further His kingdom. I’m so very grateful to be part of a church filled with women who take their God-given callings seriously and strive to fulfill the “one another'' commands of the Bible with their whole hearts, minds, and strengths. Thanks for being my friends in Christ.
The Pastoral Team is heading out on a retreat this week to pray, reflect, and prepare for the upcoming year. They want the Spirit to lead them as they lead us. Let’s participate by praying for their time together. Here are a few specific things:
Ask God to incline their hearts to his Word and his ways. Pray that they would find joy in his Word and keep a close eye on the church’s teaching.
Ask God to give them wisdom. Pray that God would give them clarity, care, and creativity to humbly lead the church.
Ask God to unite them. Pray against dissension of all kinds. Pray that they would be of one mind and one spirit.
Ask God to bless their families. Pray for their families as the men are away and ask God to continue to strengthen their marriages.
On Sunday, Pastor Eric preached from Acts 3:1-4:4. This chapter recounts the signs and miracles on one of the greatest days in church history. How did the early church respond? They pointed to the power of Christ. God prepares us for those moments of prosperity. As sinful humans, our tendency is to rejoice in the wrong things. We are too quickly impressed with spiritual success and dangerously blind to pride. Our confidence should not rest in our leaders, miracles, or numbers. Rather, our confidence is the Lord.
Mother’s Day is coming this Sunday. It’s a wonderful day for some and a difficult day for others. But it’s right and good to pause and thank God for our moms.
Below you’ll find a letter from Ed Welch, a CCEF counselor, written to his staff after the passing of his mother. It’s deeply moving to see a man honoring his mom, as well as a reminder of the incredible impact our moms have on our lives — all by God’s design. Read it below and keep your tissues close.
Hi all,
I just received news that my mother died this morning. She was 84 and had been at Quarreyville Presbyterian Home in Lancaster County. Her mind had been erased by strokes over the last few years. It had been about 8 years since she recognized me or my sisters.
Heroic in many ways. A lover of Jesus. She grew up in West Philadelphia, dirt poor. The second of four children. Her father left the home before she was a teen and I don’t think she ever saw him again. But she never complained about the past hardships. Instead, I would always hear about how much fun she had making cookies with her younger brother, Tom.
As the co-valedictorian of her high school class she was given a full scholarship to Penn. She deeply desired to be a teacher. Her mother, however, said no – which I have to admit still bugs me a bit, and I know it was a disappointment to my mom. The reasoning was that my mom needed to make money for the family (her older brother had been severely wounded in WWII and wasn’t able to work at the time).
She met my father at Philadelphia College of the Bible (now PBU) night school. Had a daughter Donna, then me, then Carol. She was self-deprecating and self-giving, both to a fault. The best and most prepared teacher I have ever met (never had a note, memorized every word) – every girl in the church looked forward to having her as the 7th grade Sunday School teacher. She was also the best women’s basketball player I have ever seen. Put her on the wing, near the three point line, two-hand set shot, swish, money in the bank.
When I married Sheri, my parents weren’t able to come, so I decided to talk about my dad and mom to the people who attended our ceremony. I got through the part about my dad easily. Not that I didn’t like him; I just wasn’t emotional about it. “My mom …” that was as far as I could get.
In an age when so many people have experienced so much hardship because of parental cruelty or neglect, I am almost embarrassed to admit that she was an unfailingly loving mother. I remember on nights when she hadn’t yet spoken personally with me, at least as much as she had hoped, she would come in my room, ask me questions about the day, and when I was getting groggy she would take up the conversation on her own, always about interesting things, knowing that I would nod off before I could respond, but that was fine with her.
Imagine this if you can. She asked me personal questions about my life everyday from the moment I can first remember until the day I graduated from high school. Everyday. And she was always interested in what I had to say. Everyday. Everyday. That still amazes me. And I am sure she did that with my sisters, my father, and many others. After I was married, she seemed to take less interest in me as she redirected her attention to Sheri, then Lindsay and Lisa. Not that I minded. I couldn’t think of a better reason to be neglected. She must have known me well – her love for them was the best gift she could give to me.
Though we hadn’t had a conversation in years, it is still hard that she is gone. But I am grateful, deeply grateful, to know for certain that she is with Jesus and like Jesus (1 John 3:2).
I have been blessed.
Ed
September 25, 2009
We love our Old Towne Orange neighbors. Whenever there’s an opportunity, we aim to do good and share the gospel with them. We have just such an opportunity at the House of Hope.
A few years back, we served there regularly. Like most places, they had to halt volunteering during the pandemic. But now they’re back open, which means we can get involved again.
House of Hope is a residential facility in our neighborhood that offers temporary housing for women and children in need while preparing and equipping them to live independently. This can be a busy and often difficult time for these families. Sometimes relationships can make all the difference. That’s where we come in.
Our goal is simple: we want to build relationships so that we can share the hope of the gospel with the residents. We plan to do this by regularly enjoying a meal with them. Beginning May 11th, that’s what we’re going to do — and we’re inviting you to join us! Here’s what we’re asking:
Commit the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month to the House of Hope.
Meet at the House of Hope at 6:15pm to set up for dinner.
Eat dinner and get to know the residents at 6:30pm.
Pack up and leave at 8:00pm.
We begin this coming Wednesday, May 11th. You’ve still got time to join us!
You don’t need to bring anything. We’ll provide the food. Simply come ready to serve, meet, and love our neighbors. If interested, please contact Andrew Maples or click here to get right to the sign-up form.
Join us as we shine the light of Christ at House of Hope.