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Monthly Newsletter Edition Volume 3, Issue 12 • December 2012
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GIPCGIPCGIPC
True to the Bible, the Reformed Faith, and obedient to the Great Commission.
December Calendar
- Sundays -
9:30 a.m. Sunday School The Ten Commandments
10:30 a.m. Morning Worship Exodus: God, our Savior
6:00 p.m. Evening Worship Advent series
Children’s Church, Nursery available
Sun 12/2 Communion, AM
Wed 12/5 Book Group for Women (9:30 a.m., Brown home)
Wed 12/5 Prayer Meeting (6:30 p.m., GIPC)
Wed 12/5 Poinsettia orders due
Sat 12/8 “Second Saturday” Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study (8:00 a.m., Brown home)
Sat 12/8 Women of GIPC Christmas Cookie Exchange & Open House (2:00-4:00 p.m., Browns)
Wed 12/12, 12/19 Women’s Bible Study (9:30 a.m., Browns)
Wed 12/12, 12/19 Prayer Meeting (6:30 p.m., GIPC)
Sun 12/23 Service of Lessons and Carols (6:00 p.m., GIPC)
Tue 12/25 Christmas Day
Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance
By Alexander S. Brown, Minister
In this issue
Committee Updates…………... 2
Missions Emphasis Highlights. 3
Bible Reading Plan…………... 4
December Fighter Verses…... 4
(Continued on the next page)
B Y NOW I suspect most of you will have rolled out the Christmas decorations,
bought a tree and will have your homes looking bright and decorated for
Christmas. It’s a wonderful time of year – a season of great celebration. However, with
those bright and cheerful decorations comes the sobering reality that this year is almost
over. It’s hard to believe, but we are fast approaching the
beginning of another year. As we do so, I want to jump ahead and
get you thinking about your New Year’s resolutions.
The problem with many New Year’s resolutions is that we often
start them too late. By that, I mean that we often (or at least, I
often) don’t give it much thought until January 1st, and by then,
of course, it’s too late – the year has already started, and I am
already behind! To my perfectionist mind I then throw up my
hands in resignation – I’ve blown it for another year, I’ll just have to wait until next
year and give it a go then.
You may be a little more disciplined than I am, but I think many of us experience
something similar when it comes to Resolutions concerning our Spiritual Disciplines.
It is especially the case with Bible Reading plans – if we wait until the first few days of
the New Year to pick a plan and get started, the chart is already telling us how behind
we are.
So, in an effort to help us avoid that, I want to get us thinking now about what
Spiritual Discipline goals we have for the New Year, and how we will implement
them. You have a month head start!
T HE FIRST thing that we need to do is decide what goals we want to set for
ourselves. Now this will vary from person to person, just like with any discipline
or habit, and I have to leave it up to you to determine what level is right for you.
However, I think that a good place to start is a commitment to reading one chapter of
Scripture and having a time of focused prayer every day.
There are a myriad of resources available to help you get into the habit of daily Bible
reading. We put in the monthly newsletter M’Cheyne’s Bible Reading Calendar, which
remains one of the best guides to get you reading your Bible in a systematic,
disciplined manner. There are many other resources out there, though, which can fit
your level – from the Bible Reading Plan for Shirkers and Slackers (which has no
dates, and so removes the pressure to “keep up”), to Dr. Grant Horner’s Bible Reading
System (which has you read chapters a day, from different parts of the Bible). The key
is to pick one, and stick with it. At the end of the article I will put in some links to
where you can find these online, and I will put some in the foyer – look them over,
pick one, and resolve now to stick with it in 2013.
December 2012 • GIPC Connection • Volume 3, Issue 12 • Page 2
Prior Planning... (Continued from the previous page)
B UT IN addition to Bible Reading, it is important that we resolve to spend time
each day in prayer. Now, as we have said before, prayer can be something
surprisingly difficult for us to do – if you want to make a Christian feel bad, just ask
him how his prayer life is! However, it is not something that we can give up on,
because prayer is not just for our good but it is also for God’s glory. As John Piper
wrote, “Prayer is his delight because prayer shows the
reaches of our poverty and riches of His grace. Prayer is that
wonderful transaction where the wealth of God’s glory is
magnified and the wants of our soul are satisfied.”
So, how will you glorify God in prayer in 2013? One of the
most difficult things about prayer is finding a time and a
space in which to do it. But now is the time to start looking –
look at your schedule, and look at your living space, and
strategize. When do you have that free half-hour that you
could spend in prayer? Where can you go that you won’t be
disturbed? It might be sitting in a quiet corner, or it might be
going for a walk. I have often found my car to be a great prayer-spot, while I’m driving
I can pray out loud, without fear of being disturbed. The point is to look now, to find a
place and a time and put it on your 2013 calendar now – don’t let it get crowded out.
Set apart a time each day that you will be alone with your God.
I N ADDITION to prayer and Bible study, a great thing to commit to for 2013 is the
memorization of the Word of God. We will be continuing through the Fighter
Verses next year, and why not resolve to store up these verses in your hearts? The
Fighter Verse system requires you to memorize only one passage a week
– it’s not much, but it will be precious to you if you do it. The plan is
built on a year framework, so if you have not been memorizing up until
now, January is the perfect place to begin.
Again, this is something that will require a little strategy. How do you
memorize best? Some people do it by writing and re-writing the verse
over and over again; some do it by writing it on 3 x 5 note cards and carrying it around
with them, and reviewing at spare moments; some do it simply by reading and
rereading the passage in their Bibles. I have found that carrying a small notebook helps
me – it keeps all the verses in one place, which makes reviewing them easier.
Experiment this month. Find a way that works, and you’ll be in good shape when
January rolls around.
S UCCESS IN Spiritual Disciplines requires some forethought and planning. If we
begin now, and use December as a month of research and observation we will be
in a much better place to tackle 2013 than if we leave it until January. So, look over the
reading plans, analyze your schedule, and resolve now to be disciplined next year. ▪
Bible Reading Plan for Shirkers and Slackers (readings from a different genre every day)
http://www.ransomfellowship.org/publications/notes_biblereadingprogram.pdf
Professor Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System (1 chapter from 10 different places every day)
http://www.wbfva.org/files/professor_grant_horners_bible_reading_system.pdf
A Bible Reading Record (no dates, just a list of chapters you can check off)
http://biblicalspirituality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/bible-reading-record.pdf
Chronological Bible Reading Plan
http://www.esv.org/assets/pdfs/rp.chronological.pdf
The Book of Common Prayer Daily Office (following the Liturgical Calendar)
http://www.esv.org/assets/pdfs/rp.bcp.pdf
GIPC Monthly Update—
Loan Balance
Loan Balance 1/1/12 $840,102
Principal Paid YTD $ 29,363
Loan Balance $810,739
December Payment:
Interest $ 2,342
Principal $ 2,910
Total Payment $ 5,252
Finance Committee
GOLDEN ISLES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Phone: 912.638.2563
E-Mail: [email protected]
48 Hampton Point Drive Saint Simons Island, GA 31522
www.gipc-pca.org
“Second Saturday”
Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study
Saturday, December 8th
8:00 a.m. at the Browns
All men are invited! Enjoy breakfast and a time of fellowship, study, discussion, and prayer.
Men’s Ministry
Set apart a
time each day
that you will
be alone with
your God.
Women in the Church
“Book Group for Women”
Wednesday, December 5th
9:30 a.m. at the Browns
The book we are reading and discussing is An Invisible Thread, the true story of an 11-year-old panhandler, a busy sales executive, and an unlikely meeting with destiny, by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski.
“Christmas Cookie
Exchange & Open House”
Saturday, December 8th
2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Browns
All women are invited! For those who bring cookies, please bring one dozen to share and one dozen to exchange. The ‘exchange’ will take place at 3:00 p.m.
December 2012 • GIPC Connection • Volume 3, Issue 12 • Page 3
Highlights from GIPC’s 2012 Missions Emphasis
O N FRIDAY evening, November 9th,
Golden Isles Presbyterian Church
began the 17th Annual World Missions
Emphasis weekend— “Mission
Impossible: The Greatest Adventure.”
The weekend was led by keynote
speaker, Dr. Gary Waldecker, Leader of
MTW’s Missional Learning and
Development Team and guest
missionary, Peter Bakelaar, GIPC
supported Missionary to Japan.
Following the International Dinner, Dr
Waldecker launched the great adventure
with the instruction that “Missions” and
the “work of the church” are not two
different things, since every believer is
required by Scripture to “Go.” Jesus gave
us His followers, the church, a daunting
commission — an impossible mission —
to bring in the fullness of the kingdom
through us, His church.
From historic Israel, we learn that it is
the presence of God with them that
caused the surrounding nations to fear.
When God gets close, He makes Things
special. We are God’s elite Impossible
Mission Force sent to do the impossible
by the empowering power of the Holy
Spirit, God’s Presence with us. When
God gets close, He makes us special,
readying us to “GO.”
We need to put faith to work and
become engaged in the impossible
mission of the church. But by clutching
and hanging on to our small dreams, the
evil one distracts us from the mission,
and we can be blinded from seeing the
glory of Jesus at hand. Give them up,
believe, step out in faith and engage with
the Spirit of Christ to “Go.” Pray God to
move us out of ourselves to be the
Impossible Mission Force empowered by
His Spirit with us.
S ATURDAY MORNING we were blessed
to welcome Peter Bakelaar, our
MTW missionary serving with wife,
Diane and family in Nagoya, Japan for
22 years. Peter began the morning
session giving us the “what’s happening
now” from the frontline of world
missions in Japan. The Bakelaars are
working with the Nagoya Church
Planting Team which has planted four
churches and an international school. The
team is also engaged in other ministries
such as teaching, college outreach,
medicine, the arts and community
development.
We learned of the continued support
being given to the victims of the 2011
earthquake and tsunami. The relief
efforts resulted in many open doors and
opportunities to present the gospel and
share the love of Christ in word and
deed.
Peter used an interesting array of visual
aids that brought home many insights of
the Japanese culture and of their
craftsmanship, creativity and problem
solving skills put into place for future
catastrophes.
Currently, the Bakelaars are on home
leave in Illinois until June, 2013,
connecting with other supporting
churches. They request GIPC to pray for
their ongoing work, financial support,
safe travels and health for each family
member.
T HE LAST session for the day was
The Incredible Journey. Dr.
Waldecker reminded us that all of God’s
people are members of His Impossible
Mission Force, and that God’s power is
unleashed among His people when we
take steps of faith and take Him at His
word.
The Bible characterizes the Christian
life as an incredible journey, and Dr.
Waldecker guided us to see how God
sent His people moving, and that the
journey for each traveler was fulfilled in
Christ. He shared his observation that in
the Bible there are two types of travelers.
The first type are wanderers—those that
go about from place to place, not settled
down or having deep roots, and have no
meaning to life. The second type are
pilgrims—those who have a destination
in mind and are heading home.
The Old Testament journey in the New
Testament is get up and go! That’s the
journey now! In the New Testament the
essence of being a missionary is an
attitude and action of reaching out to
others in the power of Christ. The Lord
asks us to believe in Him that He has all
authority and has opened the way.
In the New Testament the people of
God were called the people of the way
because they were on a journey. We are
on the greatest adventure of all time.
The Lord has given us His power and
authority and HE says “GO! Reach out
to others, to whomever I put in your path.
I am giving you the whole earth. The
whole universe is yours. Take it!”
As we look to Christ, even in the midst
of our weakness, the Holy Spirit flows
out of us like rivers of living waters.
The Lord says He is hanging on to us.
We are tethered to Him. We are to
concentrate on reaching out to others. He
says, “I will take care of you.”
May God move us out of ourselves to
go on the journey He has set before us.
S U N D A Y WO R S H I P hour Dr .
Waldecker asked, “Are you on a
mission?” Jesus sat down to get us up
and moving that we might undertake the
work of missions— which is the mission
of the church.
In Hebrew 10:8-13 Jesus pronounced
that His work is finished. He finished His
work and sacrifice for sin and sat down.
Then in Hebrews 12:12-13 the Father
approved of His work and seated Jesus in
the place of honor, His right hand. God is
no longer angry at His people but we are
accepted by the Father in the Beloved.
Hebrews 10:12-13 Jesus sat down to wait
for the time of His return. To wait until
the time His enemies become a footstool,
and to wait until the fullness of His Spirit
to come and for souls coming in to be
saved. He is waiting to train us in
exercise of our faith. Then in Hebrews
7:25 Jesus sat down to pray for us to
become filled with His power to become
engaged in missions. And in Hebrews
6:19 He sat down to be an anchor for us.
Dr. Waldecker reminded us that anchors
do their work when they are out of sight.
The Missions Emphasis Weekend
sermons are all available online, and the
Mission Team encourages you to take the
opportunity to listen and hear again the
great messages the Lord provided for us
His people.
www.gipc-pca.org/missions
December 2012 • GIPC Connection • Volume 3, Issue 12 • Page 4
Dece
mb
er
Fig
hte
r V
ers
es (D
esir
ing
God M
inis
trie
s, B
eth
lehe
m B
aptist
Ch
urc
h, M
inn
ea
polis
, M
N)
Week beginning
DECEMBER 2
Pro
ve
rbs
29
:11
A f
oo
l giv
es f
ull
ve
nt
to h
is s
pirit,
bu
t a
wis
e m
an q
uie
tly h
old
s it b
ack.
Week beginning
DECEMBER 9
I P
ete
r 2:2
4
He
Him
se
lf b
ore
ou
r sin
s in
His
bod
y o
n th
e t
ree
,
tha
t w
e m
igh
t d
ie to
sin
an
d liv
e t
o r
igh
teo
usne
ss.
By H
is w
ou
nd
s y
ou
have
be
en
he
ale
d.
Week beginning
DECEMBER 16
I P
ete
r 3:1
8
Fo
r C
hrist
als
o s
uff
ere
d o
nce
fo
r sin
s,
the
rig
hte
ou
s
for
the u
nrigh
teo
us, th
at
He m
igh
t b
rin
g u
s to G
od
,
be
ing p
ut to
dea
th in
the
fle
sh b
ut
ma
de
aliv
e in
the
sp
irit.
Weeks beginning
DECEMBER 23 & 30
Use this time
for catching up,
review, and
planning ahead.
(Rob
ert
Murr
ay M
cC
heyne
’s c
ale
ndar
for
daily
re
adin
gs)
DECEMBER “The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.”
(Psalm 37:31)
Family Worship
Old Testament Reading
Date Book Chapter
1 I Chronicles 29
2 II Chronicles 1
3 2
4 3,4 5 5-6:11 6 6:12-42 7 7
8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11,12
12 13 13 14,15 14 16 15 17
16 18 17 19,20 18 21 19 22,23
20 24 21 25 22 26 23 27,28
24 29 25 30 26 31 27 32
28 33
29 34
30 35
31 36
DECEMBER “The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.”
(Psalm 37:31)
Family Worship
New Testament Reading
Date Book Chapter
1 II Peter 3
2 I John 1
3 2
4 3 5 4 6 5 7 II John 1
8 III John 1 9 Jude 1 10 Revelation 1
11 2
12 3 13 4 14 5 15 6
16 7 17 8 18 9 19 10
20 11 21 12 22 13 23 14
24 15 25 16 26 17 27 18
28 19 29 20
30 21
31 22
DECEMBER “The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.”
(Psalm 37:31)
Private
Old Testament Reading
Date Book Chapter
1 Micah 6
2 7 3 Nahum 1
4 2 5 3 6 Habakkuk 1
7 2
8 3 9 Zephaniah 1
10 2 11 3 12 Haggai 1
13 2 14 Zechariah 1
15 2
16 3 17 4 18 5 19 6
20 7 21 8 22 9 23 10
24 11 25 12-13:1 26 13:2-9 27 14 28 Malachi 1
29 2
30 3
31 4
DECEMBER “The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.”
(Psalm 37:31)
Private
New Testament Reading
Date Book Chapter
1 Luke 15
2 16 3 17
4 18 5 19 6 20 7 21
8 22 9 23 10 24 11 John 1
12 2 13 3 14 4 15 5
16 6
17 7 18 8 19 9
20 10 21 11 22 12 23 13
24 14 25 15 26 16 27 17
28 18 29 19
30 20
31 21
Week beginning
NOVEMBER 25
Pro
ve
rbs
29
:1
He
wh
o is o
ften
rep
rove
d,
ye
t stiff
en
s h
is n
eck,
will
su
dd
en
ly b
e b
roken
be
yo
nd h
ea
ling.