Scott's Thoughts: May 2006 Archives

May 7, 2006

Grace e-mail bulletin - 05/06/06

Grace Presbyterian Church

E-mail bulletin

May 6, 2006

I am the resurrection and the life.

(John 10:25)

Dear Members and Friends of Grace,

If you haven’t heard the news, the Lord called home OPC Missionary to Haiti Matt Baugh on Thursday morning. He died as a result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Rev. Baugh leaves behind a wife and five young children. God’s ways are mysterious, yet His Word assures us that even this is part of His glorious plan to advance the Kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:11). Pray for the Baugh family, that they may find solace and peace in the “God of all comfort” even in the midst of their pain and grief (2 Cor. 1:3).

I’ve included a copy of an e-mail below that gives more detail of the accident and of Matt’s surviving family. For more information, you may also visit the OPC’s website www.opc.org.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Pastor Scott Johnson

Grace Presbyterian Church (OPC)

Norman, Oklahoma

Visit our website: www.opcNorman.org

church: 405-321-5220

home: 405-321-6151

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God interceding for us. This is Mark Bube, reporting for Telenews from the Committee on Foreign Missions of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

We continue to grieve over the news that OPC missionary to Haiti the Rev. Matthew D. Baugh was killed yesterday when the motorcycle he was riding was hit head-on by a "tap-tap" (a pickup truck converted into a taxi). Matt was in the proper lane, and the tap-tap swerved into his lane to avoid a pothole; Matt tried, but was unable to get out of his way in time. Associate General Secretary the Rev. Douglas B. Clawson and his wife, Pat, together with Matt's mother and stepfather, and close family friend, the Rev. Arie van Eyk, all arrived in Haiti this morning. Douglas and Arie are scheduled to identify the body tomorrow, and arrangements are being made to return Matt's remains and the family to the States as soon as possible thereafter. Arrangements are also being made for funeral and memorial services, but until the body is released, the dates cannot be finalized. We anticipate announcing them in another special edition of Telenews, in a mailing to the OPC alias list, and on the OPC.ORG website.

It has also become apparent that his wife, Shannon, and their five children, ages two to ten, will need significant help in the years to come. In consultation with representatives of the Diaconal Committee of the Presbytery of the South and the OPC's Committee on Diaconal Ministries, the Committee on Foreign Missions has established a "Baugh Family Diaconal Fund," to which gifts may be sent (see address below) to help the family get established back in the States and provide for their needs. Matt was thirty-seven at the time of his death. His life and ministry had a profound effect on those who knew him and grew to love him. Please keep Shannon and the children in your prayers, that they might know they have a real heavenly Father who loves his own with an everlasting love, who spared not even his very own Son for the redemption of his precious ones, and who orders all thingseven the really tough onesfor the good of those who love him.

Mark T. Bube, General Secretary

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church

THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN MISSIONS

607 N. Easton Road, Building E

P.O. Box P

Willow Grove, PA 19090-0920 USA

Tele: 215-830-0900

Fax: 215-830-0350

E-mail: bube.1@opc.org

Posted by EkPisteos at 6:43 PM

Grace e-mail bulletin - 05/01/06

Grace Presbyterian Church

E-mail bulletin

May 1, 2006

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

(Psalm 103:13,14)

Dear Members and Friends of Grace,

Greetings in the name of our compassionate Father! Here is what is happening in the life of Grace:

Wednesday, May 3^rd:

- The Wednesday Evening prayer meeting will meet at the Johnsons’ house this evening at 7:00 p.m. All singles are invited to join us for dinner at 6:00 p.m. Call me with any questions (see phone numbers below).

Thursday, May 4^th – Saturday, May 6^th:

- The Spring meeting of the Presbytery of the Southwest will take place at Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Fort Worth, TX. Pray for wisdom and guidance for the elders as we meet together, and for the safety of all who will be traveling there.

Sunday, May 7^th:

- Elder Dave Guild will teach the adult Sunday School.

- During the morning service, Rev. Adam Ostella of Knox OPC in Oklahoma City will fill the pulpit at Grace. As part of a pulpit exchange, I will preach at Knox this morning.

- The evening service starts at 6:00 p.m. We are watching and discussing a video series called “The Case for Kids.” In this series, teachers Paul and Tedd Tripp explain and summarize biblical principles of child-rearing.

Upcoming studies:

- Did the Church vote to “make” Jesus divine in the 4^th century? Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene? Are there other “gospels” that give us new information about Jesus (for example, the recently discovered Gospel of Judas)? Does the worship of God rather than a goddess lead to wars and bloodshed? Is belief in the Bible and the historic teaching of the Church contrary to historical evidence? These are questions that spring from the outrageous claims made in Dan Brown’s novel, “The Da Vinci Code”. In May, during the adult Sunday School time, we will consider some of these claims from a biblical perspective. As far-fetched as these assertions sound, your neighbor may accept them at face value. The purpose of the class will be to help you give a “reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15) in a culture increasingly ignorant of biblical Christianity and open to paganizing influences such as “The Da Vinci Code.”

- For an excellent website debunking The Da Vinci Code, go to www.thetruthaboutdavinci.com

- During the summer months, we will combine the adult and children’s Sunday School classes and have a time of biblical instruction for families and people of all ages together. The topic for the study will be announced later.

Church history lectures:

- On May 12^th and 13^th, minister and author Rev. Iain Murray will lecture on Charles Spurgeon and Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the campus of Oklahoma City University. Visit this website for more information.

Website update:

- Grace’s website has been updated to include sermons and Sunday School lessons up to April 30^th.

Eric Pyle’s work with Wycliffe Bible Translators:

- See Eric Pyle’s website for information about his software programming work for Wycliffe.

Opportunities for service:

- Volunteers are needed to clean the church building for the months of May, June, and August. If you are interested in serving this way, please sign the sign-up sheet located in the vestibule of the church.

- Stamps for Missions. Each year, the OPC raises funds for missions projects by selling used stamps. This year’s proceeds will go to help finance the translation of Reformed literature into the Tigrinya language for Eritrea. At Grace, we have on hand a large amount of stamps that could be sent to the OPC for this purpose but first must be prepared. If you would like to volunteer to prepare the stamps for sending to the OPC offices, please let me know.