FPCO Columns - Spring 2011

8/7/2019 FPCO Columns - Spring 2011

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WITH DR . DAVID D . SWANSON

"In my father's house, there are many rooms ...I am going there to prepare a place for you .. "

J oh n 1 4:2

Home. Don't you love that word? The very mention of "home" stirs in us the very best of what we hope and long for - thingslike security, peace, warmth, and love. It's a place that we can often romanticize as perhaps being better than it actually was,especially if our lives are difficult now. We may think, "It sure was easier back when I was home ..." Or, if we have wanderedfrom the path of faith, we may find ourselves yearning to go back there - to a place that is a touchstone in our lives such thatwe can find our bearings once again. "If I could just get back home ... " Even for those of us who had bad experiences in ourhomes as children, we still have an ideal of what we want that place to be now. Perhaps we have never had a true home, butour hearts still yearn for one.

And that is the hope of the gospel. Our hearts have a "true" home, and it is found in the heart of God. It is the blessing and

promise of our God over and over again, but especially in John 14. If you have not read the entire chapter lately, I encourageyou to do so, but it speaks of our Father's house, and the eternal truth that He is preparing a place for us that we will live ineternally. We have a place in the home of our eternal God. Somewhere in the depths of our hearts, we all yearn to be there.

However, we live in between the "now" and the "not yet." When we moved to Orlando in 2004, Hurricane Frances was cruis-ing up the state of Florida such that the moving company would not allow the van to travel up 1-75. We were supposed tomove into our house that day, so we had checked out of our hotel. By the time we got word from the moving company, thehotel had filled with hurricane refugees. We could not go to our home here. We had no home in Ft. Myers. We were living"in between" - a limbo of sorts. We wound up flying to Dallas to stay with our families until the storm passed. It was an oddand yet interesting time.

It can be like that in faith. We know we have this wonderful place that awaits us, and yet how do we live in a place of peaceand rest now? Well, let me share a quote with you from a hit series, Mad Men. One of the characters is t asked with selling anew product from Kodak, and here's what he says:

Nostalgia - it's delicate, but potent. Teddy told me that in Greek, "nostalgia" literally means "the pain from an olwound." It's a twinge inyour heart far more powerful than memory alone. It's a time machine. It goes backwardsand forwards ... it takes us to a place where we ache to go again. It lets us travel the way a child travels - aroundand around, and back home again, to a place where we know we are loved."

There is an old wound in all of us. A wound created from the first moment we were separated from God, but one that findshealing in Christ. And all throughout our lives, we are given moments - blessings - experiences - where we encounter thishome - this love - this presence - and like a child, we can go back to it over and over again. We do it when we dwell on HisWord. We do it through the wonderful gift of prayer. We do it when we fellowship with others, building relationships of au-thenticity and depth. We do this because each one of these things, in some small way, creates that nostalgic remembrance

of what has been - what is - and the wonder of what is yet to come. May God bless you with the nostalgic remembrance ofwho you are - whose you are - and the hope of what is yet to come.

With joyful anticipation of His coming Kingdom, I write

With fond affection and love,

b~clD.~~Dr. David D. Swanson

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ON TH E COVER :

FaithServes: A ServantHeartThe cover photo was taken bylong-time member Kim Penney.

6 FaithServes: What Does It Mean to First Pres?Learn more about what we seek to do through FaithServes.

10 Faith'Serves: Putting Feet to Your FaithAn invitation to a unique missional experience preparing our hearts to servefaithfully aswe launch FaithServes.

14 FaithServes: Serve DayFind out how we willengage in this all-church service day dedicated to servingour community.

IN T HIS ISSU E:

18

19

28 Remember That Lip Smackin'SSQ?

Faith Serving Through OneSmall Voice

My Faith Serves as He Walks

With MeThat God May Open a Door forOur Message

Does Prayer Work?

News & Notices

20

Singing Praises

Dave Ramsey'sA Total MoneyMakeover - A Great Experience

FPCO Women's Ministry OffersHope by Allowing Their Faith

to ServeA LIFE Group Discovers TheirDesignKids Across America 34

35

30

32

22 33

23

26 Fun Time for All at The ThirdAnnual Chili Cook-Off

HOTC Article2 7

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CONTACT US407.423.3441

To arrange a baptismContact Worship x1451

To arrange a weddingContact Weddings x1453

To arrange a funeral ormemorial service

Contact Pastoral Care x1455

To donate flowers forworship services

Contact Worship x1451

With questions about yourpledge, donation, or budget

Contact Finance x1479

With a change of addressContact Membership x1471

To purchase a sermon CD or DVDContact x1438

Tojoin the Chancel ChoirContact x1273

Forchild carereservations-EarlyChildhoodContact x2250

To reach the Security OfficeContact 407.415.9793

For Weekday SchoolContact 407.996.5864

Tofind out about SundaySchool classes

Contact Spiritual Formationx1463

With questions about the FPCOwebsite or its Columns publicationContact Communications x1467

To reserve a meeting spaceContact Special Services x1469

HOSPITAL CALLS:Hospitals are no longer able tonotify uswhen our members are

hospitalized. If you know someonewho is in the hospital , please

notify the Pastoral Care office atx1455.

PASTORAL EMERGENCIES:For pastoral emergencies outsideof the 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. churchoffice hours, please leave a voice-mail message at the main churchnumber. The message center willpage the minister on cal l, who wi ll

reply as soon as possible.

NEED HELP?Dependency assistance, cancersupport group, grief support,divorce care, infertility group,please contact Congregational

Life x1159

twi~~.,.www.twitter.com/fpcorlando

Group: First Presbyterian Churchof Orlando
http://www.twitter.com/fpcorlandohttp://www.twitter.com/fpcorlando


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/

Artwork created by FPCO Member, Karen Mills

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Each one should use whatever gifthe has received to serve others,

fa ithfully administeringGod's gracein its various forms.

1 Peter 4: 10

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Serving the community has alwaysbeen a part of First Pres, so what'sthe difference with FaithServes?

FaithServes seeks to mobilize, acti-vate, and inspire 100% participationin God's call to serve. Have you per-sonally identified your spiritual giftsand activated them in some kind ofservice, no matter how big or small?Now is the time.

FaithServes IS...Giving of your time, talents, andtreasure ...

Serving the "least of these" withthe love of the gospel ...

Serving Christ's name boldly, glad-Iy, and freely ... not out of guilt butout of a calling.

A new season of impact for Christand a new way of serving thebody.

Radically Impacting the world fromour city block to the distant coastof Africa ...

LOCALLY GLOBALLY. GENEROUSLY JUSTLY

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FaithServes Is NOT ...A guilt trip or a brief way to ap-pease guilt

A one-day activity, which is then

checked off the checklist

The church pressuring people toearn their salvation

Over the last two years a team of faith-ful people from within our body haveinvested their gifts and literally thou-sands of hours to seek God's plan formobilizing First Pres in service. Thesummary below is the "Cliff Notes"

version of their diligent efforts. Youmay read the entire FaithServes plan atwww. fpco. org / faithserves.

FaithServes seeks to mobilize, acti-vate, and inspire participation

VISION - each of us glorifying Godthrough service

MISSION - Serving locally, globally,generously, and justly


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Fulfill the aspiration to "Serve" In"Seek, Share, Serve"

7 BIG IDEAS

LEADERSH IP -A new missional wayof thinking that will permeate eacharea / department / ministry team ofFPCO.

INSP IRATION -Annual catalytic eventand to inspire the faithful, nurture the

nurturers, and call people to action.This event will also serve for volun-

teer recruitment, celebration and in-

spiration.

CO NCENTRATION -To "dig fewerwells and dig them deeper". Through

a prayerful and exhaustive process,the team has narrowed our primaryfocus to 8 local and 2 global mission

partners. They are listed, along withserving opportunities in this issue of

Columns.

MOBILIZA TION -FaithServes seeksto mobilize, activate, and inspire

100% participation in God's call toserve . We will have one-time and

ongoing service opportunities for in-dividuals, Life Communities, families,

seniors, and everyone in the congre-gation to serve.

S TEWARDSH IP R EALIGNMENT -Wewill develop an integrated approachfor how we raise funds for FaithServespartners and FPCO's urban ministries

through the operating budget andFaithServes Sundays in coordination

with the Heart of the City Founda-tion, Stewardship Committee, and

Support Committee.

SERVEDAY -Two or more Saturdaysper year, FaithServes will sponsor a

one-day ServeDay . We will unite to-gether around 15-30 service projects

involving the 10 mission partners onwhich our primary focus is and other

missional needs around the city.

CULTURE CHANGE -To give voiceto this message and to "think mis-

sionally" in every aspect of the lifeof this church. To operate more co-

hesively as one church body work-ing together toward these ends, not

each body operating independentlyof each other.

On the following pages, you willsee a listing of the 10 mission part-ners on which our primary focus willbe, as well as service roles whereyour gifts are needed. We encour-age you to read, pray, and discernwhere God might be calling you toserve! r.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TOSEEK GOD'S PLAN FORYOU TO SERVE!

Come to "FaithServes, Put-

ting Feet to Your Faith" - on

Friday, April 8 at 7: OOpm In

Lee Fellowship Hall.

Get Started Serving! Show

up at ServeDay on May 14

from 8:30am - 12:30pm and

bring your friends and fam-

ily. God will use that day to

transform your hearts!

Identify Your Gifts: Try

this brief survey to start

the process www.lifeway.

com/lwc/files/lwcF _wmn_

Spi ritua IGifts _ Survey . pdf.

The next Spiritual Gift Work-

shop is scheduled for three

Wednesday Evenings start-

ing March 30. Ask Christians

whom you trust to confirm

what gifts they observe in

you. Pray for God to guide

you to a place where your

gifts can serve His people.

Long-Term Service: Find a

place to serve God's people

with your gifts. You may need

to try a few areas until you

find the right spot, but that's

part of the process. See a

list of serving opportunities

at www.seekshareserve.com

and click on the green button

"Where Can I Serve?"

COLUMNS
http://www.lifeway./http://www.seekshareserve.com/http://www.seekshareserve.com/http://www.lifeway./


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Sfwlti-s fr On t O r(~ do 's

Iltlter (i/j Sclwo(sSERVING

Provides mentoring, tutoring, and year-

round programs for inner city teens,

giving students opportunities to grow

spiritually and academically, and offering

the tools necessary to increase students'

coping and problem solving skills.

Service Roles: mentors; tutors, guest

speakers, career counselors, event

coordinators, performing arts volunteers,

snack providers, drivers, material donors,and financial donors.

Contact: Jenny Arrison at 407.423.3441

x2306 or [email protected]

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SERVING tu GODSfJa.rfftersltGpaJt~ U er ff D r ive U iftis fr ies

THEJOBSPARTNERSHIP: a collaborationbetween First Presbyterian church of Or-lando and the Heart of Mercy CommunityChurch that assists the unemployed andunderemployed with the skills necessary

for success in the workplace.

Service Roles: mentors, job counselors,hospitality volunteers, resume coaches,interview coaches, meal providers', andfinancial donors.

Contact: Cleat Simmons at 407.256.7416or [email protected]

MERCY DRIVEMINISTRIES:formed toserve as a community outreach to theMercy Drive Community, including anafter school program and bus ministry

Service Roles: tutors, Bible study teach-ers, after-school volunteers, bus drivers,bus chaperones, performing arts volun-teers, and financial donors.

Contact: Erma Charles at 786.285.5963 [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Im-poveris ltet i Clt i/kel t

SERVING tU tt i F tt nu :l ie s o f f lt e

D om-iltictUt 'Reptt6/ic

Gospel ministry serving the physical, edu-

cational, medical, and spiritual needs of

the impoverished people in barrios near

Santo Domingo.

Service Roles: short-term mission teams,

construction & maintenance of ministry

complex, student sponsorships, medical/

dental/physical therapy teams, intern-

ships & summer staff, and financial donors

Contact: Bret Allen at 407.423.3441


jSERVING

H e C lturc lr. of c JeM C ltrist

i~ Ua . d tJ a Sw (U ICU )tUttlBibl ical En. t repren.eurs lr. ip

I~audive (BED

THECHURCH OF JESUSCHRISTIN MAD-AGASCAR (FJKM): engages in evange-lism, education, health, and developmentwork, as well as supporting vulnerable

women, children, and street families.

Service Roles: short-term mission teams,provide lunches through the Women'sMinistry, prayer warriors, and financialdonors

Contact: Carol Hafer at 407.423.3441x1460 or [email protected]

BIBLICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVE(BEl): facilitates Orlando based businesspeople to teach and coach Malagasyentrepreneurs to start and sustain theirown local businesses to fund the FJKM

churches.

Service Roles: local BEl course atten-dants, short-term mission teams, teach-ers, coaches, and financial donors

Contact: Carol Hafer at 407.423.3441x1460 or [email protected]

COLUMNS
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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We will gather together for this missional experience to celebrate God's call

to serve and to see how He specifically gifted YOU to serve His people.

"There's one thing we don't want to happen at the FaithServes event, and

that is to create another layer of guilt on people for what they are not doing.

Pressure works, but only for a brief moment.

Dr. Swanson will join forces with Dr. Joel Hunter, pastor of Northland, A

Church Distributed, and also his son Isaac Hunter, pastor of Summit Church,

both in Orlando. They will cast a vision for serving our city and the world.

So, we invite you to join us on April 8 for a memorable launch for FaithServes"

Larry Kreider- Team Captain & President of The Gathering of Men

Sometimes we need a nudge to get moving and FaithServes: Putting Feet To

Your Faith can be that nudge. We serve together as a congregation, so wewill gather and seek His will together, in worship, in teaching, in prayer and

in asking God to use our individual gifts to His glory in service. Don't miss it!

To register to attend FaithServes: Puffing Feet to Your Faith on Friday, April

8, at no cost, visit www.fpco.org/register. E:

"{ltere M e tinteSut

dOW ' life wltere

erreltt can. redefilte t

w fj d 0tA .- lo ota JdOW'

COntntitn te ltt to (I tr iS

w ill be S IA .-C IttVt erreltt.

Larry Kreider-Catalytic Team Captain & Presi-dent of The Gathering of Men

COLUMNS
http://www.fpco.org/register.http://www.fpco.org/register.


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Gidsr[..!:!}~ti 'Form.er

lKntaieJSERVING

Reachesout to inmates while they are

in jai l and as they are transit ioning back

into the community through Bible study

and one-on-one mentoring, in partnership

with Central Florida Good News Jailand

Prison Ministry.

Service Roles: transition coaches, female

chapel volunteers, female volunteers

for 2-week addiction recovery course,

stationery material donors, and financialdonors.

Contact: Alex Hartley at ahartley@cfl.

rr.com or Leigh Swanson at

[email protected]

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SERVINGHom.e(eJJ COn


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4klfs Seet0J

SERVING Sp ir il -tMt! D i r ec l-w 't

AAd Tea . c l t i "C}

An adult education and mentoring min-

istry for the spiritually disengaged or

thirsty, teaching them biblical principles

at weekly luncheons, annual outreach

events, and short-term mission trips.

Service Roles: short-term mission teams,

table hosts, group leaders, project work

teams, and financial donors

Contact: Brett Kreider at 407.422.9200


ISERVINGf )a .r e' tf s I f. Jo r ti ''C} i 't

Dow ' tl -ow 't Or lAAdo

Providing full t ime, quality childcare, in a

Christian environment, at an affordable

price on FPCO campus.

Service Roles: foster grandparents,

room parents, mom's Bible study lead-

ers, Christmas sponsors, book rea'ders,

fundraising event volunteers, and financial

donors

Contact: Sue Pollock at 407.425.1126 or

[email protected]

COLUMNS
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Swt'4J' OttUfj I, 2011fo su.pporf flu 10 HdS-

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10, 28-30; Ephesians 4: 11; and 1 Pe-ter 4:9-11 contain representative listsof gifts and roles God has given tothe church. A definition of these giftsfollows:

LEADER SH IP - Leadership aids thebody by leading and directing mem-bers to accomplish the goals andpurposes of the church. Leadershipmotivates people to work togetherin unity toward common goals (Rom.12:8).

ADM IN IS TRA TION -Persons with thegift of administration lead the bodyby steering others to remain on task.Administration enables the body toorganize according to God-givenpurposes and long-term goals ( 1Cor. 12:28).

TEACHING -Teaching is instructingmembers in the truths and doctrinesof God's Word for the purposes ofbuilding up, unifying, and maturingthe body (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7;Eph.4:11).

KNOWLEDGE -The gift of knowl-edge manifests itself in teaching andtraining in discipleship. It is the God-given ability to learn, know, and ex-plain the precious truths of God'sWord. A word of knowledge is aSpirit-revealed truth (1 Cor. 12:28).

WISDOM -Wisdom is the gift thatdiscerns the work of the Holy Spiritin the body and applies His teachingsand actions to the needs of the body(1 Cor. 12:28).

PRO PHECY -The gift of prophecy isproclaiming the Word of God boldly.This builds up the body and leads toconviction of sin. Prophecy manifests

itself in preaching and teaching (1Cor. 12:10; Rom. 12:6).

DISCERNM ENT - Discernment aidsthe body by recognizing the trueintentions of those within or relatedto the body. Discernment tests themessage and actions of others forthe protection and well-being of thebody (1 Cor. 12:10).

EXHORT AT lON -Possessors of thisgift encourage members to be in-volved in and enthusiastic about thework of the Lord. Members with thisgift are good counselors and moti-vate others to service. Exhortationexhibits itself in preaching, teaching,and ministry (Rom. 12:8).

SHEPHERD ING -The gift of shepherd-ing is manifested in persons who lookout for the spiritual welfare of others.Although pastors, like shepherds, docare for members of the church, thisgift is not limited to a pastor or staffmember (Eph. 4: 11).

FA ITH -Faith trusts God to work be-yond the human capabilities of thepeople. Believers with this gift en-courage others to trust in God in theface of apparently insurmountableodds (1 Cor. 12:9).

EVANGELISM -God gifts his churchwith evangelists to lead others toChrist effectively and enthusiastically.This gift builds up the body by add-ing new members to its fellowship(Eph. 4: 11).

APOST LE SH IP - The church sendsapostles from the body to plantchurches or be missionaries. Apos-tles motivate the body to look be-yond its walls in order to carry out

the Great Commission (1 Cor. 12:28;Eph.4:11).

SERVICE /HELPS -Those with the gif tof service/helps recognize practicalneeds in the body and joyfully giveassistance to meeting those needs.Christians with this gift do not mindworking behind the scenes (1 Cor.12:28; Rom. 12:7).

MERCY - Cheerful acts of compas-sion characterize those with the giftof mercy. Persons with this gift aidthe body by empathizing with hurt-ing members. They keep the bodyhealthy and unified by keeping oth-ers aware of the needs within thechurch (Rom. 12:8).

GIVING - Members with the giftof giving give freely and joyfully tothe work and mission of the body.Cheerfulness and liberality are char-acteristics of individuals with this gift(Rom. 12:8).

HOSP ITALITY -Those with this gifthave the ability to make visitors,guests, and strangers feel at ease.They often use their home to enter-tain guests. Persons with this gift in-tegrate new members into the body(1 Pet. 4:9).

God has gifted you with an expres-sion of His Holy Spirit to support Hisvision and mission of the church. Itis a worldwide vision to reach allpeople with the gospel of Christ. Asa servant leader, God desires thatyou know how He has gifted you.This will lead you to where He wouldhave you serve as part of His visionand mission for the church.

Gene Wilkes is pastor of the LegacyDrive Bapt ist Church, Plano, Texas.This article was adapted from Jesus

on Leadership by Gene Wilkes (Life-Way Christian Resources 1998).

For more in-depth teaching andidentification, the next Spiritualgift Workshop is scheduled forthree Wednesday Evenings startingMarch 30. To register, visit www.fpco.org/register or contact LoriNeedham at x 1463 or [email protected]. Ii:

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He DiSaAvtVtf't}ed

SERVING Seeti1:J Persoltalldeltfificafiott

Created to help the disadvantaged in

Central Florida overcome the difficulties

of obtaining the personal identification

that is crucial to enabling them to be-

come self-sufficient.

Service Roles: greeters, application

assistance, traffic coordinators, record

verifications volunteers, legal advisors,

and financial donors

Contact: Dr. Case Thorp at

407.423.3441 x1474 or

cthorp@(pco.org

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SERVINGrkAerserved 'Reswttfs

A/eedUt~ -Healfltcare

Providing a comprehensive medical care

facility for well-care check-ups, health

education, medical records, and acute

sick visits.

Service Roles: administrative volunteers,

translators, devotion leaders, nur~ing vol-

unteers, licensed healthcare professionals,

volunteers to gather medical supplies,

and financial donors

Contact: Scarleft Stewart at 407.615.8041

or sstewarf@gracemedica/-

home.org


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Sin gin gBysE I ! ~ h OO IParent

Iwould like to sing the praises of The Weekday School (WDS) atFPCO. We are currently enjoying our 6th consecutive year at theprecious preschool. Our youngest of three boys is in the 3 day pro-gram. WDS is part of our hearts. Each of our boys have been loved,nurtured, and guided by an amazing group of faith-driven women.Seth, Trent, and Rhysare so different from one another and each hasreceived the attention they need at such a tender age. There are somany preschool options in our area, but none compare to the WDS.Our entire family enjoys each performance, story, picture, lesson,and skill our Weekday Schoolers have so proudly shared with us.

The children and parents are welcomed with open arms each dayat carpool line. Driving through morning drop-off has always beensuch an uplifting part of my day. Every person is eagerly waiting totake your sweet babies by the hand and deliver them safely to theirclassroom where they are greeted with a hug and hello from theirteacher. I, too, always get an energetic "Hey Shannon," or "How areyou?" To be honest, some mornings I just need that heartwarmingand comforting start to my day. On occasion my husband or one ofmy parents drives carpool. I have heard straight from my dear hus-band's mouth, "WDS carpool is the happiest place on earth! You justsmile when you pull away." We trust with every ounce of our soulsthat our children are safe from the moment we arrive on campusuntil we scoop them up in the afternoon.

In our situation, we have made the difficult choice to have our twoolder sons complete two years of the 4-day program. We were of-fered support from the boys' teachers and loving head of school,Donna Speer. This has proven to be such a valuable choice and wecould not have made it on our own. At the time, our teachers spoketo usfrom their heart and gave us the confidence to make a decisionwe had prayerfully considered for months.

The way I like to sum up our experience at WDS is by simply stating:God has blessed us with the privilege of sending our boys to such aperfect place during their formative years. We know, with all of ourhearts, The Weekday School has encouraged them to love God, andthemselves in a way that allows them to respect and love others. Weare forever grateful for The Weekday School! E:

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"We know; with all of

our hearts/ The Weekday

School has encouraged

them to love God, andthemselves in a way thatallows them to respect

and love others."


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The first offering of the seven-week Total Money Makeoverclass was an overwhelming success! Over 200 individu-als participated in the series that offered clear, logical ways toeliminate debt and financial strain from personal and family budgets! Peoplecommitted to applying the methods and systems to change their financial be-

havior which would help eliminate their debt and secure their financial future onthe biblical path that w i ll permit them to be generous with the blessings Godprovides.

DAVE RAMSEY'S

TOTALMONEY

MAKEOVER -A GREAT EXPERIENCE!By Lori Needham, Prayer & Spiri tual Formation Ministry

This group represented every age group within our church. High school young-sters participated with mom and dad as well as folks nearing retirement age.This class also offered a great outreach to the community, as many invitedfriends, neighbors, co-workers, and family.

A quick anonymous survey taken at the initial class indicated the total combineddebt this group wanted to eliminate was $12,081,645.80! Can't wait to reportback how much debt will be erased in the next few weeks!

If you did not enroll to attend this class, future offerings will be announced. Staytuned and act quickly when classes are announced!

If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact LoriNeedham at [email protected] or 407.423.3441 x1463. E:
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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FPCOWomen's Ministry

Offersby AllowinzTheir Faith to ServeBy Lou Anne King, Women's Ministry Council

Consequently, you areno lonzer foreiznersand aliens, but fellowcitizens with God'speople and membersof God's household,

built on the foundation of the apostles andprophets, with Christ Jesus himself as thechief cornerstone. In him the whole buildinzis joined tozethcr and rises to become aholy temple in the Lord.

Ephesians 2:]9-2]

There are 9165 miles separating Orlando from Anta-nanarivo, a town in Madagascar where there exists a

small school known as the Antananarivo Christian Schoolfor Girls. The girls who are privileged enough to attendthe school come there seeking not only an education, butalso the hope for some kind of future. They are hungry -both spiritually and physically, and many have travelled along disturbing road to get there. Behind many of theseprecious girls is a dark story that is difficult to hear.

A Need for HopeIt is not easy being a young impoverished girl in Antanan-arivo, Madagascar. The options are few when it comes

to meals, school, and a future. The concept of hope israre and limited to the possibility of their next meal, letalone anything that might be bigger than that. Therefore,around the tender age of 11, many of these young girlsare taken to brothels, sometimes by their families wherethey are put into service by a Madame who schools andemploys them in her business of servicing men. After afew years the girls, older now and of little use, are turnedout - back to their families or left to their own resources. Itseems that 14-year-olds are considered" old" in a countryby men who like their women young. Therefore their fu-ture seems dim as they start over, again with nothing. The

20 ICOLUMNS

only question on their minds is if and when they might eatagain. Food costs money and because they are untrainedand lack employable skills, they resort to what they know.It is a vicious cycle of despair, abuse, and poverty. Further,because there is a low incidence of AIDS in Madagascar,these girls are also attractive to American businessmenwho travel there and offer their families a few dollars asa sort of "dowry" to marry their daughters-for a week ortwo. Madagascar can be an unsafe and dangerous placefor women as many violent crimes occur against them asthey continue to be exploited.

Food costs money and...theyresort to what they know. It isa V1C10US cycle of despair, abuse,

and poverty.

The Hope of ChristThrough the tireless work of Pastor Helivao, a modern dayMother Theresa, the girls have been given hope throughthe Antananarivo Christian School which exists to provide


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hope and a future to these girls. The school provides avariety of vocational training for girls ranging in ages from12 to 19 who come from these extremely poor families.The majority of the girls attending the school were forcedto drop out of regular public school because their familieswere not able to afford the money associated with attend-ing school, including necessary supplies and lunch money.The Antananarivo Christian School gives them the oppor-tunity not only to attend school, but also provides them

lunch which many times is the only meal they have thatday. The school also teaches them foundational learningskills, like reading and writing, and skills necessary to workin or run a business. Most importantly, they learn aboutJesus Christ.

Callinz on All FemalesIt's one thing to feel sorry for a group of people and weshould, absolutely be empathetic to the plight of abusedand exploited women. It's quite another thing when agroup of women take a an active role in making a differ-ence. The women of FPCO are calling on all females, in-cluding small groups, youth, and sister churches to makea difference. We have launched a campaign to help thesegirls and we hope you will join us. We're asking you tostand up and really make a difference with us.

Loose Chartae to Make A Bia ChartaeEach day in my life, almost without fail, I come across coinsin every direction I turn and every path I take. They lurkin the laundry in un-emptied pockets, at the bottom of mypurse, my car and in the folds of my couch. In my laundryroom, I have a secret stash full of heavily laundered, crispydollar bills and lots of quarters. My husband can't standheavy change in his pockets and the first thing he doesupon coming home is to empty his pockets on the dresser,which I scoop into a pail. It is loose change, and we allhave it. In Madagascar, the money from our loose changegoes very far. You see, the girls who come to the schoolmany times have not eaten and have a difficult time con-centrating. Some even faint during class. A mere $1 buysone of the girls a lunch of rice, vegetable, meat, and fruit.They also provide tea with milk twice daily. Many timesthis is the only meal they will get that day.

Dream Biz for Hopeand GloryWe are asking you tostop, scoop up those"loose" coins, roll them,and bring them to us.We will collect and sendthem directly to PastorHelivao who will pass

them on to the school.There are 165 girls en-rolled for this schoolyear. $165 will providelunch for all the girls forone day. $825 will pro-vide lunch for all the girlsfor one month. $33,000would provide lunch for an entire year. But we're dream-ing bigger than that. We would like to double it or tripleit to give them a hope beyond one year and a future in thename of Jesus Christ and to the glory of God alone. Sothe Women's Ministry of FPCO is asking this question ofall women in our church of all ages: can you spare a littlemoney to make a change in the lives of these women? Canyou pass up a pass through your favorite fast food lunchfor a week? This is a great mission project for a group, afamily, or an individual.

It's one thinz to feel sorry for azroup of people and we should ...It's quite another thinz when a

zroup of women take a an activerole in rnakinz a difference.

The Alabaster BoxIn her song, The Alabaster Box, CeCe Winans recounts thestory of the woman who approached our great Savior andRedeemer, Jesus Christ. (Matthew 26:7-13). The womanapproached Christ and washed His feet with the oil anddried them with her hair. No one really knows why she didthat, except to guess correctly that He had rescued herjust as He rescued many other women from abuse andshame in Scripture. The oil was expensive, and the wom-an was rebuked, but Christ defended her. CeCe suggeststhat we don't really know what the cost of the oil was orthe cost of the praise that went with the oil. All we knowis that He saved her from something and asked that weremember her when we preach His Gospel. How many ofus can relate to that story. When Christ seeks to rescue Hisdaughters, nothing can stop Him. Let us reach out and beHis extension to help Him save these girls. E:

COLUMNS


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A Life Group DiscoversTheir Design

By Lori Needham, Prayer & Spiritual Formation

T his. past fall, Prayer ~~d Spir.itual Formation Ministryre-introduced the Spiritual Gifts Workshop and it hasbeen received with enthusiasm! The assessment materialis new and includes the DISC personality assessment aswell. We've partnered with Carol Hafer, who is directingour FaithServes initiative and possesses an extensive back-ground in teaching the personality assessment.

Recently, a LIFE Community Group wanted to take theworkshop together - to help them understand their uniqueGod given design, but to also get to know one anotherbetter with the hope the workshop would also reveal howthey could serve together with the combined gifts and in-terests.

The class was a great oppor-tunity to examine yourselfand better understand your'gifts' and how Godmade

you unique.

Here are their comments:

Why did you attend the workshop?"Someone in our LIFE Community Group suggestedwe attend as a group ... it worked out great! It wasan easy 'fit' as it was our group time for those threeweeks. We added to the fun by meeting for dinnerbefore a couple of the sessions. We're all learningmore and more about one another as we "do life"together. Knowing our own, and one another's gifts,it was a logical way to strengthen the group."

Did it meet your expectations?"1 wasn't really 'surprised' but definitely pleased. Theclasswas a great opportunity to examine yourself andbetter understand your 'gifts' and how God madeyou unique."

Did the workshop change the way you feel about yourservice? About doing Kingdom work? Would you rec-ommend the workshop to others and why?

"Yes, after discovering more about your personal-ity and gifts, it's very motivating to want to do morework for the Lord. You start to see so many differentareas/ways that you can be an effective servant."

221 COLUMNS

How did this exercise help your LIFECommunity Group?"After learning more about everyone's spiritual gifts,we felt closer and as a team we could do so muchmore for the kingdom. Afterwards, we spent a full eve-ning sharing what we'd learned about ourselves, then

discussing how this would help us as a group."

Will you select service/mission projects based on thegiftedness of the group?

"Our group is pretty diverse - which is great! So, wefind that different members suggest different ways toserve (helping a neighbor, serving at the Good NewsBreakfast, sending packages to soldiers in Afghani-stan, providing dinner for a Jobs Partnership class,sponsoring a Compassion International child, etc. Eachof these might be more 'linked' to some in the group,but we can all share in the service. It makes us closer tothe group and we can appreciate one another's gifted-ness."

After learning more abouteveryone's spiritual gifts,we felt closer and as a

team we could do so muchmore for the kingdom.

Join us for the next workshop series! Sessions are held oWednesday evenings, 6:30-B:30pm for three weeks. Thenext series will begin March 30 and conclude April 13. Thcost for the workshop is $10 to cover materials and youcan register on-line at www.fpco.orglregister or contactLori Needham at [email protected] or 407.423.3441x1463. Ib
http://www.fpco.orglregister/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.fpco.orglregister/


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KAA was a life changing experience for me. I got saved at camp-a day Iwill never forget. You see, I come from a place where violence is everywhereyou turn. When I do what's right instead of what's wrong I get looked at like Ishould fit in. I have been to the detention center, I have been homeless mul-

tiple times, and Ihave seen my mom struggle a lot. Camp and FOUR12 helpedme get away and helped me get closer to the Lord. I shared a lot with mycounselors Taylor and Travis and two cabin mates Jordan and Jameson. Mylife was and still is a struggle, but I know that with God and with strong Chris-tians in my life, all things are possible. Thanks to all who made camp possiblefor me. It was the best summer I ever had.

XA,V IBRA WILSONFOUR12 student

CRIST A114 COOPSRFOUR12 student

KAA is awesome! This past summer was my second year at camp. "Elevate"was the theme at camp this year. I elevated my life. Colossians 3:2 says, "Setyour mind on things above, not on earthly things." So I elevated my mind,body and soul at KAA. My relationship with God got a lot stronger. I camehome a girl that trusts in the Lord with all my heart. I had so much fun. It wassuch a blessing and I want to thank all the sponsors who made it possible.Thank you so much!

I went to Kids Across America as a "Kaleo" (adultleader or "called one") for the first time this pastsummer. The seed was planted in my heart the sum-mer before when I put my daughter Cristal on thebus to KAA. I a rrived at church to get her registeredand immediately felt the excitement, the joy and,most of all, the Holy Spirit. I decided at that momentthat Iwould be going to camp! (My daughter was notvery happy about that decision at the time, but she

eventually came around.) As a mentor at FOUR12, Iwanted to help out and be a part of the kids' experi-ence at camp. But I had no idea that God was get-ting ready to change my life.

I thought that KAAwas just for kids, not knowing thatGod also wanted me to be there so He could workon my life. He wanted me there to save my marriage.The week before camp, my husband and I had been


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going through a really tough time. I was very unhappyin my marriage and I was about to tell my husband thatwhen I came back from camp I would be leaving him.

Throughout all of camp, God was in the smallest andstrangest of details ... l ike giving me a top bunk. I hadvolunteered to help in the kitchen at 6 am the firstmorning at camp. I did my duty and planned to sleep in

after that. Instead, I woke up every day between 4:30and 5:00am with no alarm. When I would come downfrom that top bunk I did not want to climb back up soI would get dressed and go to the kitchen. I servedthere every morning and it turned out to be one of thebiggest blessings of my camp experience. I formedlasting friendships and had a blast. I also received twoawards at the end of camp for showing a Christ-like at-titude and always being willing to serve.

The biggest blessing came in the form of a class. KAAprovides "Kaleos" with classesto strengthen their min-

istries and their personal relationships with the Lord.One of the classes offered was a marriage class so, ofcourse, I attended. The speaker was fantastic and ev-eryone there had something to say about their mar-riage. During the class the Holy Spirit reminded me ofmy vows: "for richer or poorer, until death do us part."

It hit me like a brick. I was not letting my husband takethe lead. I was wearing the pants in the family andwas not letting him take the role of a husband. Psalm51:10 says, "Create in me a pure heart, 0 God, andrenew a steadfast spirit within me." I made that Psalmmy prayer. I asked God to create in me a new heartand renew a loyal spirit in me daily. I knew that Godwas restoring my marriage and I knew that the Holy

Spirit had stopped me from telling my husband that Iwas leaving. I returned home refreshed, encouraged,humbled, and strengthened. I asked for forgivenessfrom my husband and told him that I was sorry for myactions. Thanks to KAA, my marriage is now betterthan it was before.

God does great and mighty things at camp. Kids and"Kaleos" alike are changed. Our kids accepted Christ,committed themselves to follow Him, and rededicatedtheir lives to Him. And each "Kaleo" experienced Godin new and awesome ways. Thank you to everyone who

helped in any way, big or small. I pray God's blessingupon your lives always. I can't wait for next year!

ANNMAIU E PIIBRREFOUR12 Mentor and Parent

gospel of Christ met those students head on. The gos-pel was proclaimed and explained. Christ was picturedas more than a faint image of a flowing-haired holy onedistant from the streets of Orlando. Christ was seen

as a compassionate shepherd who understands all thatone may go through. They probably did not realize it,but the students needed KAA.

Students weeping. A young man trusts in Christ. Agirl who refused to smile flashes her pearly whites. Ayoung lady shows Christ-like compassion for another.Boys labeled jocks huddle to pray. These are also thesights and sounds of KAA. Now I know why Lecraecalls it his second home. I know why our students getpumped about Kids Across America. And now that youhave read these articles about KAA - You Know!

Loud music. Students talking. Plates clanging. Peo-ple laughing. Counselors chanting. Food eaten. Ballsthrown. Water splashing. These are the sights andsounds at Kids Across America. At first sight, it looks

like a sports camp where the counselors overdose oncaffeine and gummy bears. But KAA is so much more.It is a place and time where children can be children,and more importantly children can become children ofGod.

Ifirst heard about Kids Across America in a song. Chris-tian rapper Lecrae yelled in one song "KAA, my secondhome!" I tried to figure out exactly what KAA was. Ithought it was a fraternity. But this summer I learnedthat it is a camp where our students were able to ex-press the joys and angers of life. And they were ableto express the emotions with other students who gothrough the same issues they go through. It is a placeto learn that they truly are not alone in their struggles.KAA is a camp where the grace of our Lord through the

JARaD SMITHFOUR12 Intern


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-'. , a. . . . 'j ,

SUNDAY JUN"E 12 -T HUR SDAY JUNE 16, 2011

FOR: Children who have eompleterlsfirstthrouqh fifth grades.Everyone is welcome, so brin.g a friend!

WliERE: Camp Geneva, Fruitland Par-k,FL.COST: Campers: $325

Junior Counselors (completed 7th grade): $250Adult Counselors: $lGO

To register, contact Children's ~ini.stry.Registration Deadline: Max 2,,/, 2011All paperwork must be completed in order to reqister,Payments or paperwork received after May 27 wl111ITcur a $50 late fee.Scholarships are available. for more irtformafion, please contact

the church through which you are registerin.

PONSORED First Presbyterian Church of Orlando: 407.423.344l X1490

BV : First Presbyterian Church of Maitland: 407.6~4.3455

I First Presbyterian Church of Deland: 386.734.6212III

I i 'FirstP lesoyterian (,Churcn of Orlando .,

J~).._tl) 0


26/36


27/36

c()..HEART ~~ CITY

FOUNDATIQN

Through Heart of the City Foun-dation, the founders of the Sec-ond Mile Fund's mission is to pro-vide financial assistance and supportto individuals and families in CentralFlorida who have encountered ahardship beyond their means and re-sources. Our primary focus ison chil-dren, teenagers, and young adultsfrom underprivileged environments.

In supporting this mission and rolein the community, we have offered

Mercy Drive Ministries, directed byPastor William Andrews, additionalresources to support their AfterSchool Enrichment Program. Thisprogram strives to provide ah array

HEART OF THE CITY FOUNDATION GRANT:

ProvidingEnrichmentfor MercyByQr j f~HYFoundation

of academic, cultural, and recre-ational activities that are designedto motivate and encourage studentsfrom a diverse low-income popula-tion to reach their full potential. Weshare in their commitment. Newchildren's exercise equipment foran outdoor obstacle course for thechildren of this after-school programwill be installed and educationalfield trip expenses for 40 studentsand snacks for all trips have beencovered.

Our prayer is that this will add toMercy Drive Ministries' commitmentand demonstrate God's love for allof His children. E:

"Everyday we teach our children that life

is a journey filled with obstacles, and that

it's a course they will all run. We've set up

an outdoor obstacle course for the chil-

dren called the '''Life Obstacle Course"

that changes everyday. Weekly more ob-

stacles are added, and the children are

learning that in life, obstacles are to be

overcome. We teach them that God has endowed them with gifts and'. t

talents to overcome and become what He has purposed for their lives

and we thank God for each ad'dition to the course. Thank you Second

Mile Fund for your support of our "Life Obstacle Course" and may God

continue to provide funds that others may be helped.'!

"The Second Mile Fund's heart is for

youth from underprivileged back-

grounds. So the grant for the Mercy

Drive Ministries was a way to show

God's love to 40 or 50 children who

wouldn't otherwise be able to go on

these trips and have these experienc-

es that other kids get to have. It was a

perfect fit for the Second Mile Fund."

Doug WoodmanSenior Leadership at Orange Bank an

Board Member of Heart of the CitFoundation

Pastor William AndrewsExecutive Director

Mercy Drive Ministries, Inc.


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.. r . !. i !

By Carol Welker, Director of Children's Ministry and Mark Riccaboni, Save Your Soles

-Demember that great BBQ back in N.ove~ber where nearly 250 of you"brought a pair of shoes to go to Guatemala? Well, this is the restof that story. Mark Riccaboni, a young adult who grew up through theministries of this church and now serves God with a passion for missions,personally took those shoes to the people' of Guatemala. His story and hisinspiration should stir us all to serve others.

Tennessee and Guatemala, are comparable in size and terrain, how-ever Guatemala's population of 14.3 million trumps the populationof Tennessee tremendously, due to their 2.4% annual growth rate. Ashocking 7.1 million of those people live on less than two dollars a dayand an even larger percentage of the population are children plagued

by a life expectancy average of 69 years. Unfortunately all these statis-tics mean millions of people are living in extreme adverse poverty, in anarea closer than California. With all those statistics thrown aside, I havehad to ask myself recently; "What if these were the neighbors Jesuswas talking about when He commanded us to 'love our neighbors asourselves'?"

Magdalena, Guatemala is one of several towns in the mountainsidesof central Guatemala and is the main artery for God's hands and feetof Deep Stream Guatemala. Deep Stream was started a few yearsback when a couple was called to radically abandon their" Americandream" for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in areas where Americans havenot been seen for several years. Their mission was to go deeper, wider,

and harder than they ever believed they could. The result has beentransformational in the lives of hundreds of Guatemalans and severalAmerican teams who have partnered in their efforts.(www.deepstreamguatemala.com)

A campus ministry in Jacksonville, Florida, Converge on Campus hasalso developed a ministry program for the Guatemalans which beginswith the consumerism of America. Save Your Soles was establishedwhen a common article of clothing was noted to be missing from sev-eral children and family's wardrobes. Guatemala's terrain is extremelyrugged, often wet and muddy from harsh rainy seasons, and belowfrigid when the sun has set. In circumstances where we all would take

a pair of boots for granted, they go barefoot or wear flip flops .

. . . .,~~les


29/36

t-I. - ."~

With the American tradition of new shoes for everyschool year, season, and event, Save Your Soles is anattempt to reinstitute a method of critical thinking.Generating funds, donations of new and used shoes,and establishing local drop boxes, Save Your Soles hasbeen able to provide relief to the children in need ofshoes for their feet. After four different shoe drops into

the heart of the issue, thousands of children have beentouched by the hands of Christ, and experienced his love.

r

With the contributions of our most recent trip to Gua-temala this December from First Presbyterian Churchof Orlando and others, we were able to bring over thelargest number of new shoes yet, but not without someresistance from Satan and his lackeys:

In order to establish some means of organization withthe variation of shoe sizes and difference in sizingcharts from American to Guatemalan, the shoes arepacked into twenty gallon Tupperware tubs. We wereable to fit the shoes, socks, and some miscellaneoussupplies into approximately twenty of these large tubsand somehow transported them to our ticket counterat the Miami International Airport three hours prior toour flight: Facing a wave of resistance due to the "BoxEmbargo" established for the holiday season, we wait-ed. We waited for more than two hours, speaking withsupervisor after supervisor, searching for a soft heartedindividual to find some loop hole for the shoes to makeit to Guatemala.

With about thirty minutes until departure, the angel

God had sent finally made a way for us to get theshoes onboard. The catch being, that one person hadto switch their ticket to a different flight, connectingthrough Dallas/Fort Worth, to fly with the "boxes" andclaim them if anything went array. Having made a fewtrips in the past one student figured he could make thetrip alone with no worry. That hard.headed, Braveheartwas me. I received my boarding pa.ssand luggage tick-ets with about twenty minutes to spare, God made away for me through the intensive TSA security lines andto my gate in time to catc~ the flight to Dallas.

Being in Dallas/FortWorth was a first for meand landing in a for-eign place took awayall confidence I had inthe success of this fickleoperation. The layover

in Dallas was scheduledfer one hour, whichturned out to be closeto three hours due tothe extensive weightscheduled for the flight.(Someone must havehad several checkedbags?) Making sure noone was pointing the finger at me; I settled into my seatand began to pray. After the extensive delay thecap-tain came over the PA and said "We've been able to '.accommodate all passengers luggage except for abouttwenty items, sorry for the inconvenience." My heartsank. More prayers and texts out to friends for prayerled into another announcement twenty minutes later,"Thanks to the hard work of our crew everyone's lug-gage is now on board so if everyone will flap their armsreally hard we will try to get this bird off the ground!"

I landed in Guatemala alone.with the twenty tubs, thistime in a foreign land with a little more familiarity frompast trips. A voice called out from customs and a fewmembers from the team were there to assist with theload. God is always _ontime, on His time; which is the

right time, all the time. The g,lory and honor goes toHim!

Thank you First Presbyterian Church of Orlando foryour generous consideration and partnership with SaveYour Soles, for your aid in restoring the peace, hope,and love of the Gospel in Guatemala, and for helpingus help others, As the Guatemalans have shared withus, "May God bless you a hundred times more, for theblessings you provided them." Ii:


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ou could say I joined the Choir through the "back door." In 1998 I started datinga nice young nurse who on our 2nd date informed me that she was active in her

church and if I wanted to stick around, I would go to church with her. Being very muchenamored with Lisa, I started attending every Sunday. I enjoyed Dr. Edington's sermonsand really liked the choral music. I explained to Lisa that I had sung with choruses andChurch choirs since I was a child, but it had been a few years.

Then Lisa got sneaky. She never talked to me about joining the church, but one dayafter the 2nd service she introduced me to Bryan Harden. She told him I used to singin Church choir. He didn't ask if I was interested, he simply said "Bass/Baritone right?"I think I nodded, and he said "Rehearsal is at 7 on Thursday, don't be late" and walkedaway. Just like that, I was in the choir! That was 12 years ago.

We have performed in music festivals in Europe, as well as the Carnegie Hall. We havecelebrated the lives of dedicated Choir members who spent many years singing with us.And we have said goodbye to some who were called home to Jesus far too soon (for us,not for God).

I give thanks to God for giving me the opportunity to sing, and to be a part ofthis Choir. May God continue to work through the Worship Arts and may Hecontinue to bless First Presbyterian Church of Orlando. Ii:

We have seen illness and death, heartache and loss, miraculous healing, re-birth andrenewal. We've watched our Youth Choir kids grow up, get married, and have babies of

their own. Some have become worship leaders.

Through these years, I can say with certainty, that my Choir family has been my rock.They've seen me through many tough times and celebrated with me in my blessings.We have laughed a lot, we've cried together, we've prayed together, and we've with-stood many changes together. Through it all, we have proclaimed the good news ofJesus Christ through music and service. I believe no other medium allows for suchpersonal connection to its message, and for that, I am grateful.

30 ICOLUMNS


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By Lois Ward, Choir Member

Iwas born Miami, Florida, the only child of Stella and CarlSealander. Mom's grandfather was a Presbyterian pastorin the 1800s, so I guess you could say that I'm a "dyed inthe wool" Presbyterian. We worshiped with ShenandoahPresbyterian with Daniel Iverson, a well-known evangelistand teacher. After every service we sang "Spirit of the Liv-

ing God, Fall Fresh on Me." That song said to me that Godhad a hold on my life.

Praising my Lord in

song is my delight and

as long as He provides

the ability I will sing.

I have been studying music since I was 6. I even met myhusband Bill when I accompanied the Boys Glee Club inhigh school. I have been involved in church music with kidsand young people's singing and production of dramas. Myinvolvement has been limited at certain points in my lifewith the growth of our family of 4 children, 9 grandchil-dren, and 5 great-grandchildren.

32 1 COLUMNS

In 2002, Bill and I retired and moved here to Orlando, fromCoral Gables, FL.We began looking for a church where wecould serve with our voices. We visited several churcheseven attending choir practices, but none were a fit. Some-one suggested we go to hear the FPCO choir to check itout. We did visit a service and determined that we would

like to try. We were glad to find that God's truth is spokenwith power and understood this church was Chirst-cen-

tered, fundamental, and evangelical. We felt this is wherewe would feel at home.

We visited a rehearsal expecting to just listen and talk tothe director, but when we arrived they gave us music anda seat without tryout or questions asked. Wow! That wasgreat! We were in and have been ever since. We have trav-eled with the Choir to Vienna, Prague, Munich, and evensang in Carnegie Hall, NY, a portion of George Atwell's"Mass for a Millennium."

Praising my Lord in song is my delight and as long as Heprovides the ability, I will sing.:


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That God May Open a Door for Our MessageBy an anonymous CARES (by Apartment Life) Team Member

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that Godmay open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for whichI am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you acttoward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full

of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.- Colossians 4:2-6

A s Iwalked through our neighborhood slipping our Jan-uary community calendars in the doors of each of ourneighbors last week, God revealed something very simple,yet truly profound to me. He showed me that each doorin our neighborhood represented a person (simple). And,that each door spoke about the person inside (profound).

Some doors were dirty. Some were clean.

Some doors were damaged. Some repaired. Some pristine.

Some doors had beautiful Christmas wreaths or cute holi-day signs. A couple still sported Halloween decorations.Some had religious items hanging on them. One even hada Jewish mezuzah hung on their door frame.

Some doors felt welcoming with a fresh mat and brightflowers or plants nearby. Some were cold, barren, with nosign of life.

Some doors were in the shadows. Some were bright asthey reflected the light of the sun.

Some doors stood all alone. Some were grouped in a cozycourtyard.

Some doors had toys and bikes strewn in front. Some hadbenches, rockers or plant racks.

Each was unique. Each had its own number. Each couldtell a story.

And as I slipped our calendar into each door frame, I no-ticed something. Itwas usually the old damaged, dirty and

worn down doors, the doors that looked like they'd seena lot of life, into which the calendars most easily slipped.

And it started to make me think about the parallels withChrist's invitation of salva-tion. It's often the damaged,"dirty", worn down souls whoare in most need of and mostreceptive to His invitation.

f ~ \ t CARESby Apartment Life

Of course, this wasn't always the case. As Iwent on I no-ticed that I couldn't always tell how well a door would ac-cept our invitation by just looking at it. I had to step up,get close ... and try. And some doors no matter how hard Itried, or how I folded it, just would not accept it.

Some that appeared religious weren't always receptive.And one that seemed barren sucked the invitation rightout of my hand before I even let it go. Some neighbors

leered, suspicious as Iwent. Others smiled and shared awarm greeting.

And the door representing new life and possibility - thedoor of a new friend - was an oasis on my journey. Iknocked and was greeted with a big smile and a hug. Andthen inside, a most special blessing ... a new baby had justarrived! Here behind this friendly door, Iwas refreshed byour visit, the sweet face of that new baby and a cool glassof water, ready to go on and extend more invitations.

I don't know about you, but sometimes thinking about try-ing to make an impact for Christ on all of the unique anddiverse doors (lives) in my community can be a bit over-whelming.

I pray that our first priority would be focusing on respond-ing to the Spirit's leading, trusting Him always, remember-ing that He loves us. I pray that His fruit would testify soloudly in our lives that people would not be able to explainit outside the work of God.

CARES by Apartment Life is a new evangelism effortFPCO. We are placing FPCO members, who will be knownas a CARES Team, in Orlando apartment complexes to d

relational evangelism and bring their neighbors to churchAre you interested in being sent out right here in Orlandoas part of a CARES Team, living among God's people? Fomore information, visit www.caresteam.org and contactJayne Sittema, FPCO's Apartment Life Coordinator, at [email protected] or x1298. E:
http://www.caresteam.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.caresteam.org/


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Does Prayer Work?By Donna McClellan, Associate Pastor for Prayer &

Spiritual Formation

D oes prayer work? Kind of an odd question I know, but who has not asked that in oneform or another? Whether the simple requests of a child, the desperate pleas of someonein crisis, or the opinions expressed in theological debates, this is a question asked through-out the ages. No wonder the disciples asked their master Jesus to teach them to pray!

I am learning to find that prayer is the joy of embracing His presence ... allowing Him to meetme, love me, cleanse me, and change my heart. As Dallas Willard says in his book HearingGod, "Spiritual people are not those who engage in certain spiritual practices; they are thosewho draw their life from a conversational relationship with God."

I have the great joy of partnering with about 20 members of our congregation led by Lisa Shaw in our cur-rent prayer ministry, not a program, but a growing ministry. I wanted you to hear from a few of these memberson their various experiences of prayer ... unique to each individual.

"Prayer is a 'place for me to go' to be withGod. I want to know Him. Through prayerI gain the peace He promises because Iknow He is in control. As I focus on Him itis amazing how I become 'at peace". He ismy strength and my refuge-my protector. Ialso love to pray the psalms."

Jan Cox

"I like to start each day with the Lord'sPrayer. I don't know how I can improve onthat, since that is how the Lord taught Hisdisciples to pray. I think of prayer as be-ing as important to my life as breathing ...breathing in the Spirit, the truth, the hope,and all the promises of God, and breath-ing out all the uncertainty, the doubt, fear,and pressures of the world."

Robin Parkhouse

"An old hymn has a line, "in seasons ofdistress and grief, my soul has often foundrelief". Most of us tend to ramp up ourprayer in those seasons! But as I havegrown in my faith, I t urn to prayer as a wayto feel closer to the Lord ... conversationswith Him on a steady basis. There are alsosweet times of praying with others, re-minding me of the hymn: 'What a privilegeto carry everything to God in prayer'."

Sarah Parkhouse

"Prayer for me is as essential as commu-nication is in any relationship in my life.Just as good communication in my dailylife requires listening, as well as speaking,prayer is meant to be a communion - adialogue between me and the Lord whereIacknowledge my dependence on Him forwisdom, direction, strength, hope, and allthat I need to live a life that honors andglorifies Him."

Carole McCutcheon

"Those of us who make regular use ofprayer, would no more do without it thanwe would refuse air, food, or sunshine.When we refuse air, food, or sunshine, ourbody suffers. And when we turn away from

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meditation and prayer we likewise depriveour minds, emotions and intuitions of vi-tally needed support. As the body can failits purpose for lack of nourishment so canthe soul"

Bill Lawton

"I love to pray. About 15 years ago Ibeganthis journey, committed to meet weeklywith the two other women to pray for eachother and our families. It was there that Iwas able to 'taste and see' that the Lord isgood and that He does hear and answerour prayers. In prayer I have experiencedHis unlimited power to change, comfort,direct, heal, forgive, strengthen and pro-vide. What a gift of hope we can offer oneanother by being available to pray withthem and point them to Christ. One of mygreatest joys is being a prayer warrior."

Michelle Sterchi

"As a teenager I read the book Prayer byO. Hallesy and it changed my approach topraying. I knew about praise, adorationand confession, but supplication usuallycame across as a list of things for God todo. Hallesby points to the story of Jesusturning the water into wine. Mary comesto Jesus and says simply, "they have nomore wine." She left it to Jesus to solvethe problem. SO I learned to come to theLord in prayer with my problems, not withmy solutions. The Lord Himself knows ourevery need, and He knows best how to re-solve it in such a way that will bring Himthe glory. Now I say "How are You goingto fix this Lord? I could give you exampleafter example of how He has proved Him-selffai thful to me!"

Hebecca Mitchell

"Prayer is a time where attention is devot-ed to God. It opens my heart and mind tounderstand His Word. Reading the Biblewithout prayer would be like entering afoot race without first warming up. It canbe done but it may not be successful normy best effort. As a child, I prayed for a

pony ... it never came. I have accepted thatGod will give us what we need to handleour circumstances. The Holy Spir it comesto us through prayer when we sincerelyask and guides us as we submit ourselvesto God and ask for his leading."

Ken Scearce

As you have just read from the words ofjust a few of our prayer warriors, prayer isexperienced in unique ways by each per-son, but it is important to remember thatprayer is always more about God than it isabout me (us). And it is always more aboutGod than it is about me (us). As Ted Loderwrites: "At last I believe that life itself is aprayer, and the prayers we say shape thelives we live just as the lives we live shapethe prayers we say.

The vision of the prayer ministry is shap-ing souls by cultivating significant prayerin the life of our church, both personallyand corporately. It truly is the LIFEBLOODof the church. If you would like to be partof the prayer ministry please contact LisaShaw at [email protected].

Join us in prayer as we gather: in the prayer room to pray during all theservices on Sunday morning

on Mondays at 1:45pm to pray in theSanctuary and Lee Fellowship Hall

on Wednesday, March 16, at 6:30pm, inthe chapel for prayer service

on Friday May 6 to pray for our nation onthe National Day of Prayer

One last thought from Ron Rolheiser in hisbook The Holy Longing:

Prayer is sitting in the silenceuntil it silences us.Choosing gratitude untilwe are gratefulPraising God until we ourselvesare a constant act of praise r.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected].


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CONGRATULATIONS TO:Dean and Sarah Sasek, on the birth of theirdaughter, Evie Grace Sasek, born January 20,2011. The proud grandparents are Jim andLynne McKnight.

Justin Michael Lednar and Kather ine Hightow-er Davis, who were married February 5,2011 inthe Sanctuary. Katie is t he daughter of Bob andKatherine Davis.

SYMPATHY TO:The family and friends of Ann Baxter, who diedOctober 25, 2010.

Mike and Vicki Gillett, on the death of hismother, Thelma Gillett on November 11, 2010.

Jayand Marilyn Whitaker, on the death of theirdaughter, Kelly Morgan, on November 11, 2010.

Alice and Randy Burden, on the death of herfather, Robert Wells, on November 22, 2010. Mr.Wells was the grandfather of David (Jessica)Burden and John (Kirsten) Burden.

Steve and Amber Eastwood, on the death of hismother, Karen Eastwood, on November 25,2010.

Sue Mathews, on the death of her brother, JerryMcRae, on November 26,2010.

Renee Worrell, on the death of her step-father,James Rausch, who died November 27,2010.

Nancy Hargis, on the death of her son-in-law,Don Glore, on November 28, 2010.

Dr. Embree and Patti Dowling, on the deathof his mother, Vonda Dowling on December 1,

2010.Linda Miller on the death of her mother, DorothyScott, on December 5, 2010. Mrs. Scott wasthe grandmother of Beth Seabrook and thegreat grandmother of Joshua Seabrook.

Joy and Alan Ashlock, on the death of hermother, Connie Austin, on December 8, 2010.Mrs. Austin was the grandmother of SydneyAshlock.

The family and friends of Jane Barker, who diedDecember 10, 2010.

Andy and Deb Holloway, on the death of hisfather, Jerry Holloway, on December 11. 2010.

The family and friends of Bob Peacock, whodied December 11, 2010.

The family and friends of Anne Kazaros, whodied December 16, 2010.

Brenda and Bill Schrope, on the death of herfather, Wilbur Wood, on December 20,2010.

Brad and Lindsey Staton, on the death of hisgrandfather, Jim Kuhn, on December 26, 2010.

Kristen and Gene Muhart, on the death of herfather, Edwin Luginbuhl, on December 27,2011.

Betty Boggs, on the death of her son, KirbyBoggs, on January 5, 2011.

The friends and family of Helen Hannie whodied January 9, 2011.

Stephanie and Josh Rivera, on the death of

her grandmother, Mary Mixner, on January 11,2011.

The family and friends of Vivian Johnston, whodied January 12, 2011.

Kristen and Chris King, on the death of hergrandfather, Tom Ivey, on January 14, 2011.

The family and friends of June Ross, who diedJanuary 21, 2011.

Charlene Larney, on the death of her father,Jack Garrett, on January 27,2011.

The family and friends of Fred Tidwell, whodied January 28, 2011.

Sandy and Fred Hall, on the death of their son,David all February 2, 2011.

The family and friends of Laura Grant, whodied February 6, 2011.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:Lent & Easter Worship ServicesMaundy Thursday: April 21 at 6:30pm, SanctuaryEaster Sunday: 8:30, 9:45, & 11am, Sanctuary &Lee Fellowship Hall

Lenten Devotional Booklets Available March6 & 13: As you prepare your hearts for the sea-son of Lent and Easter morning celebration ofthe risen Christ, stop by the tables in the GrandHall or Angel Wing for your copy of the LentDevotion booklet written by members of thecongregation and illustrated by our children($3).Contact: Lori Needham at [email protected]

Register by March 30 for ICCC Tournamentfor the Tots: Join us on April 6 for an after-noon of golf, refreshments, fun, and fellowshipat Dubsdread Golf Course to benefit FPCO'sWill iam E.Alexander Infant Child Care Center 'sScholarship Fund. Pick up a registration formin the ICCC office on the first floor of the Clay-ton Life Center. Registration deadline is March30.Contact: Sue Fulford at 407.859.0198

Join Us for Our Next Spiritual Gift WorkshopStarting March 30: A Spiritual Gift Workshopwill be offered beginning March 30, 6:30 - 8:30p.m. Come and join this three week workshopthat will take you through the process of dis-covering the gifts God has given you and howto best use those gifts based on personalitytraits! Workshop cost is $10 for materials.Contact: Lori Needham at [email protected] x1463

Celtic Healing Service to be Held on April 6:The Celtic Healing Service will be on Wednes-day, January 5, 2011 at 6:30pm in Lee Fel-

lowship Hall. We hope you will join us andexperience what the Celtic Christians have cel-ebrated as a place where God pushes throughthe heavenly elements toward us, and we pushup through the veil of Christ. Here we find aunique connection with our loving God.

Share Your Faith With the Easter Cross Wit-ness: Pullout your Easter crosses from last yearas we take part in the Easter Cross Witness.This is an opportunity, during the Lent & Easterseasons, to witness to the Risen Christ. Placeyour cross in your yard or apartment windowblank side out during Lent. Easter morning,turn it around to declare, "He is Risen ... AndIt is Finished. If you've lost your cross or don'thave one, you can still pick up your free crossafter worship services under the Angel Wingand in the Grand Hall.Contact: Grace Whitlow at [email protected]

Annual Easter Egg Hunt to be Held April 22at Cypress Grove Park: Bring your Easter bas-

kets and join us for our Annual Easter Egg Hunton Friday, April 22, 2011! For children who aretoddlers through 5 years of age. Eggs will beprovided. Bring a picnic lunch and stay after-wards to enjoy the park! For admission, pleasebring one canned food item for our local foodbank!New location: Cypress Grove Park, 290 HoldenAvenue (near Discovery Church)Time: 10am Butterfly release & 10:20am EasterEgg HuntContact: Kathy Mangascle at [email protected] or 407.956.5835

Serve Teens with Disabilities on Their SpecialProm Night: Joy Prom is a special event for

those 16 years and older who have disabilities.The purpose of Joy Prom is to demonstrateGod's love and celebrate life with people in ourcommunity with differing abilities. Joy Prom isa full scale prom for people with disabilities inour community. As you can imagine, it takesquite an effort to help our friends to havetheir Night to Shine. There are opportunitiesto serve in various areas, and we would love tohave you join us. www.joypromflorida.orgContact: Bret Allen at [email protected] ox1183

MusikGarten Summer Classes Begin June 7:Informal, community music classes for parenticaregiver and child (multiple level for children

Birth - 6 years) will be held June 7-July 28. On-line registration opens May 16 at www.fpco.org/register ; $50 per child (includes CD, musicbook, and instrument to take home). Contactus to be added to our email list.Contact: Stephanie Rivera at x1186 or [email protected]

SAVE THE DATE: June 26-30: Fun In The Son - High SchoolStudents Summer Retreat July 17-22: The Great Escape - MiddleSchool Students Summer Retreat

COLUMNS
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.joypromflorida.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.joypromflorida.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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FPCO Columns - Spring 2011