Vision Forum in 2012 and Beyond!

Every year, Vision Forum Ministries publishes a list of lessons learned and visions cast for the future.  I always immensely enjoy reading these annual publications!  It is encouraging to see how the Lord is using this ministry down in Texas to have an impact all across our nation and around the world!  Furthermore, the visions they cast for the coming year are always intriguing and exciting to read, even if you are merely a spectator on the sidelines :)

So here are some of the visions for the year 2013 that I am most excited about.

You can find the whole document at the Vision Forum Ministries website.

A 3-D Perspective on the Ministry of the Apostle Paul 

                'In the Footsteps of Paul’ Tour to New Testament Greece

In 2013, VFM will take families to the location of one of the greatest apologetic ministries in history—New Testament Greece. There we will walk in the footsteps of Paul the Apostle and chronicle his ministry, his message, and the unfolding story of New Testament Christianity during the Apostolic era. From Athens to Corinth, from Thessalonica to Ephesus, we will remember the antithesis between Jerusalem and Athens and the message that turned the world upside down. 

The Great Transition 

                  Leading Our Sons from Boyhood to Visionary Manhood

One of the most discussed issues in the homeschool movement, if not in the Christian community as a whole, is the need for helping our sons to gain maturity and transition into manhood. There is a real concern that in this age of ease and entertainment, many Christian young men remain confused, unprepared, and immature. In 2013, VFM will focus on addressing “The Great Transition”— Leading Our Sons from Boyhood to Visionary Manhood. Our efforts will include holding a conference at the end of March in San Antonio, Texas. Special messages will address this and other related issues, drawing from Scripture and the experience of proven, godly success stories.
 

Announcing the History of America Mega-Conference 

                          A Conference on God’s Providential Legacy

In 2005, VFM held the first History of the World Mega-Conference, covering more than 4,000 years of history. This July we will meet on the East Coast for our History of America Mega-Conference. Leading Christian historians will trace the providential history of America from its antecedents to its founding, from its rise to its recent decline. In VFM tradition, the conference will involve reenactments, lectures, music, and exciting opportunities to enjoy the Fourth of July in true historic an patriotic style, as well as visit the
150th anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg.

I hope you all get a chance to read through the whole list of "Lessons Learned & Visions Cast" on the website.  I think you will find it both encouraging and also challenging as you seek to lay out the vision God has put in your heart for the new year.  And remember to keep Vision Forum Ministries in your prayers during the year 2013!

Have a wonderful Christmas!

The Incredible Dr. Thomas Chalmers

This morning, I had the time to read a few chapters in Timothy Witmer's book, "The Shepherd Leader".
 

I'm really enjoying this book as I learn about the importance of pastoral shepherding, the history of eldership, and the practical application of Acts 20:28 and 1 Peter 5:1-4.

One anecdote that I wanted to share on our blog was the story of Dr. Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), one of the most renowned and influential Presbyterian minister in Scotland.

Dr. Thomas Chalmers

"Thomas Chalmers truly had the heart of a shepherd.  At that time it was not uncommon for those who shepherded rural congregations to visit their families annually: 'It is the acknowledged duty and in rural districts the general practice of clergymen of the Established Church of Scotland to make an annual visitation of their parishes, when every house is entered and the general condition of each family as to education and church attendance is ascertained.'

When Chalmers became pastor of the Tron church in Glasgow he understood that personal shepherding ministry was not merely something for the rural population but for the city as well...Therefore, he set out to visit every family in his parish personally. 'Its population was not exactly known, but it was believed to contain somewhere between eleven and twelve thousand souls. To visit every family of such a population within a year or two was a Herculean task, yet Dr. Chalmers was resolved to accomplish it.'"

(11,000 or 12,000 souls.  WOW!!!!  Unbelievable.  I don't know how Dr. Chalmers did it, but this is real commitment to pastoral shepherding.)

"Needless to say, the visits were very brief, surprisingly allowing no time even for a prayer.  On one occasion a dear old widow pleaded for a prayer to which Chalmers replied, 'If I were to pray in every house I enter, it would take me ten years to get through the work.'  His visits consisted of a series of brief but pointed questions as to the state of church attendance and education in the family.

Early in his ministry at the Tron he realized that his success would require the active involvement of his elders.  This was not going to be an easy transition for many of them. 'Some of the elders of the Tron Church were excellent men, but their chief duty was to stand at the plate, receive the free-will offerings of the congregation as they entered, and distribute them to the poor by a monthly allowance.'  Under Chalmer's leadership, they were going to do more than "stand at the plate."  In order to accomplish the "Herculean" task of caring for the people, the city was divided into parishes, each having at least one elder and one deacon.  He developed the shepherding skills of his elders by taking them along when he visited people in their district.

Here is a picture of Chalmers on visitation with an elder:

'Well,' he [Chalmers] said, looking kindly over the shoulder upon his elder, who, scarcely able to keep pace with him was toiling up a long and weary stair, 'Well, what do you think of this kind of visiting?'  Engrossed with the toils of the ascent, the elder announced that he had not been thinking much about it. 'Oh! I know quite well,' said Dr. Chalmers, 'that if you were to speak your mind, you would say that we are putting the butter very thinly upon the bread.'"

I hope you all enjoyed reading this section from the Shepherd Leader.  Timothy Witmer goes on to say that from Dr. Chalmer's diary, we know that he would see 230 church members in one day!  How he was able to do these visitations and still prepare sermons is beyond me.  But it encouraging to know that God still raises up these mighty shepherds for His people!  Praise God for His faithful provision of shepherd leaders for His Church, and may you and I be faithful in supporting the church leaders God has given us.

When Strength Fails

I must admit, working at Target when I'm sick with the flu is a very humbling experience.

For one thing, I'm about twice as slow and exponentially less motivated to perform well on the job.  For another thing, I find myself, groaning, straining, heaving, and pulling much harder on heavy boxes, boxes that I normally handle with ease.

 
So what can I take away from this?  Well, I have been reminded of how a young man's strength is his glory but that, "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass.  The grass withers, and the flower falls off." (1 Peter 1:24)

I realized that someday, this tiredness and weakening of my physical stamina and abilities will be everyday, not just when I'm sick.  So I am resolved to never smirk or chuckle when I see an older man struggling with physical exertion that I can knock out very easily right now.


A second lesson that I am learning is that, as Psalm 119:71 says, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes."  What statutes in particular?  I found Deuteronomy 8:16-18 to be particularly convicting:

"In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’  But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day."
 
I have been reminded that it is not by the strength of my own hands that my ways prosper, but because of the blessing of the Lord.

So, to all the young men who may read this, I would exhort you to remember not to boast in your strength or vigor, but to remember that the LORD is the one who trains our hands to war, our fingers for the fight, our bodies for the work set before us. 

Finally, as J.C. Ryle said, in his book "Thoughts for Young Men",

"Your time is short.  Your days are but a brief shadow, a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes, a story that is soon told.  Your bodies are not made of brass...Oh that you would all take to heart the words of the Preacher: 'Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment...Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;'"

Redeem the time, young men, for the days are evil and your bodies slowly but surely decay.  One day, your strength will fail, but those "who wait for the LORD will gain new strength."

Corn....Corn, Corn, CORN! Nothing but Corn!

Today at Target, among the many other things I did to earn my daily wages, I stacked about 400 of these cans into cardboard containers (called WACO's in Target Backroom lingo)........one can at a time :)

That was only half of the large tub filled with another 500 of these cans, in addition to the 720 cans of corn stacked on a large pallet.

"Why does Target have so many cans of canned corn?"  You ask...that is a question which is as unanswerable as the equally unanswerable question "Why did the chicken cross the road?"  :D

One thing is certain.  I definitely know where I'm shopping when I have to buy large quantities of canned goods in preparation for a natural disaster :)

 

                    

 

 P.S.  In case you didn't catch it, the title for this blog post came from the film "Secondhand Lions"  :D

Covenant Family Church Young Men's Choir!

On Sunday, November 18th, the newly formed Covenant Family Church Young Men's Choir performed in the Celebrating the Pilgrims event.  We sung Psalm 134 in three rounds and really enjoyed blessing those in attendance!  Many people came up to us afterwards and said they regretted that we only prepared one song :)

From Right to Left: Back Row: Stephen Littman Jr., Austin McCardie, Peter Saffa, Ben Serven, Samuel Saffa, Phillip McCardie.  Front Row: Luke Hamman, Andrew Serven, Joel Stanton, Josh Brabo, Curtis McCardie, Cody Winton.

After our successful performance, several of the guys decided to ambush Joel and carry him around in triumph :)

Trying to keep my balance!  I thought they were trying to pitch me over backwards...

The view is great from up here :)

Lord willing, the Young Men's Choir will have more songs prepared for the Christmas season, and we are looking forward to the different opportunities we will have in the year 2013 to lift our voices in praise to our great and glorious God!

A Christian's Thoughts about Black Friday

In 4 days, stores all over America will open very early as American consumers will come pouring in to spend their money on all sorts of toys, electronics, clothes, furniture, Christmas decorations, books, magazines, music, movies, and games. 

This is the first time I have ever worked for a retail store (Target) right before and (eventually) during Black Friday.  The whole thing is starting to disgust me.  For the past week, I have been unpacking, handling, stocking, shelving, and processing cheap, mass-produced plastic from China, books, movies and CD's that would embarrass almost anyone with an ounce of biblical morality, Christmas decorations which will probably be thrown in the garbage on January 1st, 2013 or get stuffed back into a box and put in a dark corner of an attic for the next 11 months, and a menagerie of other things which usually leave me thinking, "Will someone in their right mind actually buy this?!?!?" 

To top it all off, as I work at Target, I get a glimpse into the daily lives of the people who come to shop and sadly, I see more and more the effects of the breakdown of Christian culture, the loss of a biblical worldview, and the fragmenting of relationships.  I see moms getting very angry and sharp with their unruly children.  I observe teenagers with their iPods and iPhones, just checked out from reality and wishing they were anywhere but here with their parents.  Dads on cell phones rush past me, hoping that an action figure from a movie will make up for all the time they neglect to spend with their sons.  Little kids whine and cry when they don't get what they want and stressed out parents and grandparents pace up and down the store aisles, running their eyes over a wide variety of toys, games, and clothing.

With all of these thoughts and emotions running through my mind over the past couple of days, I came across a passage of Scripture which speaks with blazing conviction about the materialism and selfishness that is promoted on Black Friday, all in the name of "holiday spirit and celebration".

"Then He [Christ] said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.' And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
-Luke 12:15-21

I hope I don't come across as saying that shopping for Christmas, managing your money prudently by taking advantage of sales, or owning goods and possessions is wrong.  I'll be the first to decry that position. God gives us possessions on this earth for us to enjoy and, more importantly, to use to bring Him glory and advance His Kingdom.  But I hope that all of us, myself included, will obey Christ's command in Luke 12:15, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."  We know that the unbeliever seeks eagerly after worldly belongings (Matt. 6:32) to the hurt of his own soul.  So, in conclusion, I hope that my experience at Target during this Black Friday will motivate me to be praying for the victory of the Gospel over the lives of the Americans who are trapped, oftentimes unknowingly, in the bog of materialism.  And I hope that all of you, my readers, will join me in searching our own hearts about any materialism that is lurking within us, and in having a desire to witness to those around us, telling them that this life does not consist of owning the biggest HD TV, the newest gaming system, the most fashionable clothes, the snazziest house decorations, or the latest bestseller from the New York Times. 

We exist to glorify God, enjoy Him forever, and to love our neighbors.  We are to buy and use our belongings to serve God and to bless our brothers and sisters.  That is what the Christian should be doing on Black Friday and that is what I hope to learn and practice both this year and the years to come. 

For Christ's Crown, Church, and Covenant...
Joel Stanton

 As Thanksgiving draws near, it is always important to remember the reason why we celebrate it. It is a day to give thanks and glory to God for all of his bountiful blessings. I found this poem and thought it would serve as a good reminder of the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers

The breaking waves dash'd high
On a stern and rock-bound coast,
And the woods against a stormy sky
Their giant branches toss'd;

And the heavy night hung dark,
The hills and waters o'er,
When a band of exiles moor'd their bark
On the wild New England shore.

Not as the conqueror comes,
They, the true-hearted, came;
Not with the roll of the stirring drums,
And the trumpet that sings of fame;

Not as the flying come,
In silence and in fear;-
They shook the depths of the desert gloom
With their hymns of lofty cheer.

Amidst the storm they sang,
And the stars heard and the sea:
And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang
To the anthem of the free!

The ocean eagle soar'd
From his nest by the white wave's foam
And the rocking pines of the forest roar'd-
This was their welcome home!

There were men with hoary hair
Amidst that pilgrim band:-
Why had they come to wither there,
Away from their childhood's land?

There was woman's fearless eye,
Lit by her deep love's truth;
There was manhood's brow serenely high,
And the fiery heart of youth.

What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels of the mine?
The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?
They sought a faith's pure shrine!

Ay, call it holy ground,
The soil where first they trode.
They have left unstained, what there they found
Freedom to worship God.

~Felicia Dorothea Hemans
1826 

Visiting with the Morecrafts!

Hey everyone!

   One of the highlights for the month of October was going to the East Coast for a week as the Servens and the pastoral interns attended the White Unto Harvest conference out in North Carolina.  We had a wonderful time meeting new friends, catching up with old friends, and listening to some stirring and thought-provoking messages from men like Doug Phillips, Paul Washer, Conrad Mbewe, and Pastor Scott Brown.

After the conference ended, we all headed down for a quick visit to the Morecrafts down in Georgia.  Although I had seen Pastor Morecraft many times before, I had never had the privilege of sitting in his living room. Pastor Morecraft very graciously showed us around his church, Chalcedon Presbyterian Church.  He also took the time to answer all the various questions we had for him about all kinds of topics.

Here are some of the pictures I took while we stayed with them.  Enjoy!

The aisle in the sanctuary looking towards the pulpit from the back

The media room where all the CD's and audio files are stored.

The Deathmask of Oliver Cromwell

The image of the Lord Protector right after his death.

Pastor Joe Morecraft III at his desk.

The pulpit of Chalcedon Presbyterian Church

Mrs. Morecraft and Cody Winton

Pastor Morecraft saying farewell

It was an incredible opportunity to be with the Morecrafts for two days!  Considering the influence and teaching which Pastor Morecraft has both indirectly and directly given me over the past 8 years, I was very grateful for the chance to thank him personally for his ministry.

Now I am back in Missouri, trying to remember all the things he told me :)  Fortunately I had my notebook with me and I can look back on the notes I took. 

Climbing Castle Rock!

The title just about says it all, while Mom and Dad were at a parenting class, Sam and I being the wonderful babysitters that we are :), decided to take the younger children on a hike. So we set out through the drizzle and wind and climbed Castle Rock! We all had a lot of fun and enjoyed the beauty of God's Creation. Below are some pictures enjoy!

Nathaniel walked all the way up to Castle Rock!

The City of Castle Rock in the fall.

Sam with all the kids

Nathaniel resting on a bench at the top :)

Anna-Kate resting under the shadow of Castle Rock.

A little perspective on the last photo of Anna.

Me with the kids (Sam has the camera)

A Little Afternoon Project

Here are some pictures of a little job I did for my host family out here in Defiance, MO.  It is really nice to take a break from books and studying and do some hard work!  This stairway leads from the garage to the basement where my room is located...

The stairs after they were scrubbed and prepped for painting...

My ingenious solution to remind me that I couldn't use the stairs while the paint was drying :)

The stairs with a fresh coat of paint!

The stairwell

My music set-up :)  Hard work always goes faster when you have great music playing!

Men In Black

As you all know Joel left for a Pastoral Internship about a month ago, but just before he left we did a photo shoot and wanted to share the best photos.

How to be a Soul Winner for Christ

Hey everyone!  I know it has been forever and a day since I last posted something but since I'm once again an intern, it seemed fitting to resume sharing some of the things that I am studying!  Hopefully you all will find them both encouraging and useful (with some humor sprinkled in every now and then :)

One of the first books I'm studying as a pastoral intern here in Missouri is a little work by Charles Spurgeon.

  It is a compilation of sermons he gave on evangelism, lectures to his pastoral students, and other writings.  Currently, I am on Chapter 2 which is entitled, "Qualifications for Winning Souls Godward"  I found it to be fantastic with many nuggets directed at future ministers in the church of Jesus Christ.


Here are some of the highlights from the chapter:






In order to be at tool in God’s hands for winning souls, you must possess certain qualities.  This is not to say that only perfect men can win souls but there must be some evidence of these qualities in your life.  Why?  "Because God will not go to work with instruments which would compromise His own character." (The Soul Winner, Chapter 2, page 30)

                              7 Characteristics of a Soul Winner

1)      A man who has holiness of character
2)      A man who has spiritual life to a high degree
3)      A man who possesses a humble spirit
4)      A man who has a living faith
5)      A man who is characterized by thorough earnestness
6)      A man who has a great simplicity of heart
7)      A man who completely surrenders himself to God

"[This] is the essential point: you must believe in God and in His Gospel if you are to be a winner of souls; some other things may be omitted, but this matter of faith must never be." (The Soul Winner, Chapter 2, page 41)

May God help each and every one of us to pursue holiness, humility, simple child-like faith, thorough earnestness, and spiritual life and vigor so that we too can be "fishers of men"!

First Impressions

We have now been in Colorado for a little over a month. It has been a very interesting month of adjustment. Everyone in the family has had a different impression of Co. so we decided to tell you all in a nut shell what we like best about our new home, in each persons own words.


"The houses are large and cheap."
-Danielle

"I like the snow!"
- David (he is apparently anticipating the first snow fall :) )

"Dry, little air, nice people, pretty landscape, fickle weather, wonderful church."
- Benjamin

"I never realized how many stairs there are in Co. There are just stairs, stairs, and more STAIRS."
- Sarah

" Colorado is gorgeous. I love the trees and undulating terrain."
- Samuel

"I love all the kids in the neighborhood."
- Anna-Kate

"Moving to Colorado has been a wonderful yet challenging experience.  We love having a bigger house but still don't have a place for all our things!  We have way too much stuff.  We love our neighborhood, which is friendly and helpful but we miss our friends back in California.  Having air-conditioning is truly a blessing but boy; it really is hotter here than in the Bay Area.  Castle Rock is a much smaller community than Sunnyvale and the Silicon Valley were.  We have been to a parade, the local library and the local DMV which have all been friendly, easy places where we learned a lot about Castle Rock and met new people.  The pace here is different and we adjust more and more everyday to our new home."
- Heather


"The weather is much milder than what I experienced in Texas over the summer. The cloud patterns are also very breath-taking."
- Joel

"I like the beautiful sunsets, and the open spaces, there is room to breathe and enjoy peace and quiet.  Everyone is so friendly, and open, I really enjoy meeting new people at church. I truly think that God has blessed our move."
- Gabrielle

Ben's Birthday!

Benjamin celebrated his 15th birthday on the 27th of August. We enjoyed setting a day aside to celebrate that Ben is a part of our family, and to tell him how we saw him mature in the last year.
 As usual we had him pick a special activity to do on his birthday. He decided to visit the Focus on the Family visitor center. It was a very neat place! It was geared more toward younger kids rather than older but, we all had a lot of fun :). Below are some pictures.

The Guys! (minus Joel and Dad)

The Ladies of the family

Nathaniel on some old equipment at Glen Eyrie

Some of the kids having a snack at Whit's End

Sarah and I having fun trying out different poses :)

The three-story slide at the visitor center

Anna-Kate after her ride on the slide

Danielle playing the part of the fainting princess

Sam and Ben reenacting a scene from Shakespeare (or at least trying to :) )

David and Nathaniel in the kids area

All the kids!

Mom, Ben, Sarah, Danielle, and Anna-Kate in the Narnia room.