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“What an absolutely amazing week we had with the kids in Peru! Words cannot begin to express the magnitude of the gratitude and joy it was to serve on such an awesome team in a beautiful country with these wonderful kids. It’s an honor to watch them grow up into adulthood with the same hopes and dreams that we have. We have truly become “extended family” as their Tios and Tias from Tejas! I have been so blessed to have had the opportunity to travel year after year on this team. Attached is a photo of saying goodbye. We hugged all of the kids on the bus with many tears on both sides and disembarked. Letting go and leaving them in God’s care is one of the most difficult things we do … . But as we tell the kids … God willing … we will be back next year. Hugs and love, Tia Toni (aka Roofdog #9)”

Such was the text of an email sent by Deacon Toni Brown to a Christ Church staff member after the February 2010 trip to Peru. Over the past 10 years, Toni has made about 13 trips to Peru. Her current trips to support, love and bond with the children in our orphanage there were set in motion after an inspirational conversation with Bishop Godfrey there in 2000.  Toni now knows each of the children personally, as do many of our Roof Dogs, and she has made it her personal ministry to help these children not only grow physically, but also to grow in the knowledge that they are children of Christ.

Roof Dogs Toni Brown and Kym McDaniel say a tearful goodbye to their beloved "nieces and nephews" at the Casa Hogares orphanage in Peru last February.

Thanks to the continuing support of the Roof Dogs and the extended Christ Church family, these children have their basic needs met (shelter, clothing, health care, education) and they receive solid Christian teaching supervised through the clergy of the Diocese of Peru. Quite a few of the children in the orphanage are approaching their teen/young adult years, which means new challenges for their future. Two in particular are pressing:

The College Years
First, who will help shepherd and finance their college education or career training? As any parent knows, the transition from high school to college and then to the working world can be an expensive stage of life, and surely one that is best traversed with support of a parent figure. The adult leaders at the orphanage are about to tackle this stage as our oldest resident, Margot, heads off to college in 2011.

Roommates
Second, it is an understatement to say that the children have outgrown their very humble and crowded living conditions. About 25 children have been living in two bedrooms: boys in one, girls in the other. With the construction of the new orphanage set to begin in the next few weeks, there will be two children per room. The children are very excited about this added comfort and privacy as they head into the teen years. This new orphanage will be paid for through the proceeds from the past two years’ Gifts of Hope and Roof Dog Runs. Your registrations and donations to Roof Dog Run go directly to the orphanage, so please consider some form of participation: the 1-mile, or the 5K, or even the sleep-in option! Register at christchurchplano.org/theroofdog or facebook.com/theroofdog.

New Assistant Bishop
Last but certainly not least, you should know that the our friends in Peru are about to celebrate the consecration of Michael Chapman as the assisting bishop in the Diocese of Peru. See the invitation below. This consecration marks a huge milestone in the life of the diocese. Bishop Godfrey continues as the Diocesan Bishop, and Bishop Chapman will assist him in the development of new missions and ministries.

‘See you on Saturday for the Roof Dog Run, and on Sunday as we hear from visiting preacher Ed Stetzer (9:15 and 11 a.m.) You’ll love what he has to say!

In Christ,
David+

Dear Friends,

Former "Yard of the Month" Tree Coming Down Soon

I paid an arborist to come out to my house a few days ago and look at the tree in my front yard. The leaves have been wilting and falling off for a few weeks. There is one branch on it that just died. There is a swing attached to that branch, but now I am reluctant to let my little grandchildren use the swing. All around the tree, the grass is green. I water the tree on a routine basis. And the ironic thing is that just six weeks ago I won the neighborhood “Yard of the Month” award!

The tree specialist looked at the 60 ft. tree and made a noise. It was hard for him to hide his verdict. It should probably come down, Mr. Roseberry. But why? Just a few weeks ago, I won Yard of the Month! What happened? The tree has been stressed…too hot a summer for the species. He mentioned he could see a little root-bounding going on.  Despite all the water I had put on the tree, the roots weren’t getting what they needed.

He is the second specialist I had paid to come out and he told me the same things as the first. In short, the tree didn’t make it through the hot summer. It got stressed for lack of water.  Then it caught a virus, dropped its leaves, and the rest will soon be history.  It’s coming down.

There is a broader lesson here for us all. The heat of the summer stressed the tree…and led to its demise. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU. In two different locations, the Bible puts up a warning:

In Psalm 1, King David talks about a man who is strongly connected to God’s Word, i.e. the Law of the Lord. The poet/king writes:

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
(Psalm 1:3 ESV)

The prophet Jeremiah is even more vivid when he picks up this same idea. He writes:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

(Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV)

Could it be any clearer? Do you see the sign from God in your own life?

As we begin a tremendous program year at Christ Church, make a commitment to know His Word and to trust in Him. If you do, your own roots will go down, down, deep into a supply of refreshment and nutrition that will carry you through the difficult days.

What does that look like? I say to do three things. Just three…but do them all. 1) Worship our God week by week. 2) Grow in faith and knowledge and depth of insight.  3) Serve Him in and/or from Christ Church. How? Go to our website and find the dozens of offerings and programs, and get involved.

In a week or so, that huge tree—the one that was the cornerstone for our Yard of the Month prize—will be wood chips. Take the lesson, and don’t let this happen to you.

‘See you this weekend.
In Christ,
David+

Dear Friends,

How can I improve the weekly sermon study guides?

After my sermons, on my way home, I always have a series of ‘”gee-I-should-have-said-it-this-way” moments. Until now, I have had to live with the frustration that all messages are completely preached on Sunday morning. But now I can get one more chance…and I am thankful to take it.  I get to come home and write out a Sermon Study Guide for members of our small groups and many other individuals who want to take a second look at the message. Go here to see what I am talking about.

The Sermon Study Guides come out every Tuesday in The Call and are a helpful tool for thinking and sharing at a different and deeper level. For example, this week, the newspaper article I referred to (the one about the church and the dance club) is referenced and linked to in the study guide. Additional ideas about what Paul means by “adoption” are linked to in the study guide. An extended quote from C.S. Lewis about the glory of humanity is listed in the study guide. I do hope you will make it a weekly discipline to use the study guide in your small groups and personal life, too. And if you have any suggestions about ways to improve the study guide, please let me know. You can email me, or leave comments at the end of this post.

Here are a couple of things you should know:

Fall Kick-Off Was Fantastic!
Our Fall Kick Off this past weekend was fantastic. After the 9:15 sermon, I ran over to Archgate Center to see our youth ministry program take shape. I was very pleased.  I spoke to 56 high schoolers, 67 seventh/eighth graders, and 47 sixth graders. I invited them to worship with us in the Sanctuary week by week at 11 a.m. I hope to see many of them in worship, and I invited them to stay connected to the sermon series through Facebook, too.

I also heard a few stories of the youngest members of our church yelling out to their parents after Sunday School. One little guy, without really caring who heard him, shouted that he had attended his Sunday School…and he loved it. He was proud of himself. And you can be proud of our Children’s and Youth Ministries, too. Both programs depend on the commitment of students and their parents to make it work. Christian education does not work without the parent(s) being thoroughly involved! Our staff is dedicated to partnering with the parents to raise their children to know, love, and serve the Lord.

On Point for Men
By the time you read this, the men will have met for their first session of On Point Bible Study. This is a great joy for Fr. Jason and me to teach. Over the six years that I have led this men’s study, I have seen incredible growth and spiritual strength emerge in these men. I love these guys and I try to prepare material that speaks to where they are in life. We deal with issues that connect directly to the life of the men of our church. All men are welcome to attend…and you don’t need prior Bible knowledge to come and get started.

Men, I hope you will make plans to be here next Tuesday at 7 a.m. We are studying the Book of 2 Samuel. You will be welcomed with fresh hot coffee, and we end promptly at 8 a.m.

On Point - Tuesdays 7 a.m....You're Invited!

Finally, I would want you to know that our church offers Christian support for many important areas of life: finances, grief, divorce, marriage, illness, etc. If you are seeking to not just “get through” some issues in your life but also to grow through them, you may want to contact our clergy staff. Don’t be shy. Fr. Clint Kerley can be reached at 214-291-5056.

‘See you soon,
David+

Dear Friends,

There is nothing like worship in the Anglican tradition. The majesty, beauty, and grace of God from the moment the processional begins and the cross is lifted high above everything else to the ending proclamation: “Thanks be to God!” – it is all about Him. It is in our service where we, as a community of faith, encounter God together through Word and Sacrament. It is in our service where the prayers of God’s people are lifted up with one heart and mind, and we proclaim with one voice what we believe. It is in our service where God is magnified through the beauty and power of music…

Youth in Church

For these reasons and more, it is also our heart to see our youth join us in worshiping God together in the Sanctuary. Beginning this fall, our youth ministers will encourage our youth to become a part of the 11 a.m. worship service after their 9:15 youth Sunday School. We want them to be a part of this wonderful, life-changing moment every Sunday morning. We want them to receive, to worship, and even to serve.  For too long our youth have seemed a little isolated from the larger body of faith here at Christ Church.  I am excited about inviting and welcoming our youth to our 11 a.m. service.

Sermon Study Guides are posted on this blog each Monday.

Adults in Bible Studies

Fitting hand-in-hand with having our youth in church is this: Beginning this Sunday we are offering a new adult Bible study called 360 each Sunday at 9:15 a.m.  Fr. Jason and Fr. Daniel are teaming up to bring us this exciting and challenging new study. 360 will be a place to both receive deep, thought-provoking and encouraging messages, and to meet and build relationships with others at Christ Church. It is an especially great place for parents to get to know each other while their students are in youth group.  Then the family can all go and worship in the sanctuary at 11 a.m.  360 kicks off this Sunday, August 22, as they dive into the book of Galatians. Go here for the complete list of Bible Studies for Sunday mornings.

‘See you this weekend for the 3rd installment of our sermon series, More Than Conquerors. The message will be “Crying Out: Abba Father.” By the way, the Sermon Study Guides for each sermon are posted here on my blog each Monday. I hope they are useful to you.

In Christ,
David+

Dear Friends,

No, it’s not Thursday yet! We have moved The Call to Tuesdays so that we can get the Sermon Study Guides into your hands earlier and give you a chance to take advantage of them throughout the week. During this current sermon series, “More Than Conquerors”, which began this past weekend, I will write a companion Sermon Study Guide each week. It is to be used by Small Groups or anyone who wants to walk deeper into some of the points I illustrate in the sermons. My hope is that these Study Guides will give you plenty to think about and to share with others. Please let me know what you think. See the left-hand column for links to this week’s Sermon Study Guide and Sermon Audio/Video.

“He Made Us Better”
As the rector here, I have the great privilege of knowing the unique life stories of so many people in our church family. I am often privy to their challenges, struggles, heartaches, blessings and victories. It is an extraordinary honor. This week, I learned of such a victory for someone many of you know well: Ian Rawn (son of Fr. Jeff and Cinde Rawn). Ian serves on our altar party and as an usher, and is beloved by this church family.

To know Ian is also to know that he was born with Down syndrome. Despite that challenge, he lives a full and wonderful life with the help of his awesome parents and many people who come alongside him. God has richly blessed Ian with a great Christian community where he can serve. Here’s one story of his service, as written by Cinde:

Ian is pictured below after a training routine with the volunteer firefighters in Sewickley, PA who welcomed him as part of their team. He completed 66 hours of state mandated fire school training, as well as twice monthly routine training sessions with his team of 32 firefighters. Ian was an integral part of the team and was trained as a hose, hydrant and equipment man who would not enter burning structures. When Ian left the squad in 2003 [due to the family's relocation to Plano] one of the firefighters said, “He changed us. He made us better. He taught us about dedication, passion, and never giving up…no matter what limitations we might face.” Ian credits the firefighters, and many other people in his life, with giving him opportunities to be part of many great causes and organizations.

I submitted the photo into a national search for a promotional video about inclusion to be played later this year in Times Square. It was selected by the National Down Syndrome Society as one of the examples of the full and wonderful lives people with Down syndrome live. We are excited for Ian, ever so grateful to the firefighters who fully accepted and included Ian at Cochran Hose Company, but most thankful for the way God keeps pouring such wonderful people into Ian’s life! Everyday we see how good people support and bless Ian, and then delight as the world that gets to witness such acts of kindness and inclusion. To my mind this video is a little bit about Down syndrome and a whole lot more about the people in the world who make life better for those with disabilities. If you happen to be in Times Square on September 25, 2010 at 10:15 and 10:35, look up and see Ian and “his guys” showing the world what inclusion looks like!

Ian Rawn (front row, 2nd from left) and fellow buddies of Cochran Hose Company in Sewickley, Pennsylvania several years ago

God bless Fr. Jeff and Cinde who have worked hard to teach Ian that, by the grace of God, none of us has to walk through life alone, but that we are all made in His image and uniquely gifted to serve Him and one another.

Here are a few other things you should know this week:

My Bible
My ESV Bible is signed by the General Editor, J.I. Packer. It is a prized possession for me, and I am so glad that we are now fully in the ESV.  Pick up a copy in The Bookstore for yourself. And remember, if you cannot afford one (for whatever reason), please let our clergy know. We will get you a copy of the Scriptures for your own personal use. By the way, our NIV Bibles were donated to the Parkland Hospital Chaplaincy and to TRAC (Transition Resource Action Center) for some 18-year-olds who are transitioning out of foster care to independent living. (The timing is perfect: Two weeks ago a Christ Church volunteer was helping these young adults assemble their first apartment kits and approximately 40 of them had asked for Bibles but there were only seven. Now there are plenty.)

Orphanage Construction Beginning
I received a letter from Bishop Bill Godfrey who has just come north from a weekend at our orphanage in Arequipa, Peru. He tells me that construction of the new facility is about to begin very soon. This makes the Roof Dog Run all the more important.  Will you join me and hundreds of other supporters of this ministry in our fifth annual Roof Dog Run? Great fellowship. Handsome T-shirt. Beautiful route (you’ll run right by my house and I’ll hand out water to thirsty runners). Good exercise. And a great way to get the whole family involved in supporting a tremendous ministry to orphan children in the Diocese of Peru. Visit the Roof Dog’s own personal Facebook page and register here.

“Everybody must hear this!”
Finally, speaking of children, we received a precious note in an offering envelope from an anonymous 10-year-old boy this weekend. Here is the translation; it sounds like he’s been listening!

If you get this, read it. God and Jesus are my Heavenly Father. They will help us in time of need. What I’m saying is God and the Holy Spirit are tapping on my heart. God will not let us suffer. He will let us live. If you’re reading this, God loves you. If you get this, pass it on to another person. Everybody must hear this! God does not care how you look or  dress like. He loves your heart.

‘See you this weekend for sermon #2, “His Spirit is Alive in You.”

In Christ,
David+

Dear Friends,

I am delighted to make this exciting announcement to the parish family of Christ Church Plano and to our extended Anglican family around the country.

We are about to plant our fourth “daughter church”, this time in the Park Cities area in the heart of Dallas. Furthermore, Bishop Philip Jones of the Anglican Mission has accepted the call to lead this new congregation.

For the past nine months, Fr. Ron McCrary and I have been meeting with one of our Small Groups who live in the Park Cities and surrounding Dallas neighborhoods. They have loved Christ Church and some have been members for over a dozen years. Yet, there has always been a hope and a dream that something like Christ Church could be planted in order to reach people in the heart of Dallas. In recent months this Small Group became more serious about the idea. We began a search process for a church planter and secured financial pledges to underwrite a clergy salary and other expenses for the first five months.

Last week, after a season of prayer, consultation, and interviews, the group and I concluded that Bishop Philip Jones would be the best candidate we could imagine. Indeed, he had also expressed a strong call to this work. The call was made and accepted, and soon Bishop Jones, his wife, Claudia, and two of the children, will relocate to Dallas to begin the new church. He will maintain his standing and role as our Bishop in the Little Rock Network of the AMiA (Anglican Mission in the Americas).

I had known for some months that this Small Group meeting in the heart of Dallas had the potential to become its own church.  It is great to see it teamed up with a great bishop of the Anglican Church. Bishop Jones is a natural fit for this exciting call in many ways. He and Claudia are both from the Dallas area. His family (two children of seven are in high school and the rest are grown) all felt a call. Bishop Jones and I have been friends and colleagues for many years, and I am delighted to welcome him and his family to the area. (See bio on next page.

Christ Church turns 25 years old this year. This new church plant is fully consistent with our stated mission to make disciples and teach them to obey the commands of Christ. Over the years, we have had the great privilege of sending church planters from our church into the mission field to begin new congregations in Allen, Frisco, Addison, and now Dallas. Over the next few years, I envision even more new congregations and communities of faith arising from the wonderful and vibrant life of Christ Church.

Here is some personal information about Bishop Jones’ career.

Bishop Phillip Jones to Lead New Park Cities Congregation

He was raised in Dallas and graduated from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, with a B.A. in English. He received his law degree from Baylor Law School in 1979, and practiced law for seven years in Waco, Texas, as a personal injury trial lawyer. He and his wife, Claudia, were married in 1977 and have seven children.

In 1986, Bishop Jones left the law practice and entered the process of becoming a priest in the Episcopal Church, graduating from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1989. He served as the rector/senior pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church in Marshall, Texas from 1991 through 1998, and then dean of the Pro-Cathedral of St. Clement in El Paso, Texas, from 1998 until 2005. In 2005, Bishop Jones became the senior pastor at St. Andrew’s Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, the founding church of the Anglican Mission in the Americas. In 2008, he became a missionary bishop in the AMiA and was selected to lead the Little Rock Network. Teaching, preaching, leading and serving God’s people are what he loves to do.

Questions about the church plant? Contact Susan Madole or King Crow.

New Sermon Series Begins this Weekend

Paul’s Letter to the Romans is responsible for some pretty cataclysmic movements in history. St. Augustine’s pride fell under its teaching. Paul’s opening salvo in Romans 1:16-17 led Martin Luther into the greatest historical realignment of the modern world: the Reformation. John Wesley’s heart was ’strangely warmed’ by his study of Paul’s teaching.

This weekend we begin a series of messages on Romans 8. More Than Conquerors will release the power of righteousness into our lives. Paul carefully lays it all out in his 8th chapter, and I am praying that the Holy Spirit will enlighten our minds to see the new status that we have with God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I have been carefully preparing and praying that the Holy Spirit will use this sermon series to continue His joy and teach His truth and bless the renewal that we see bubbling up at Christ Church

New ESV Bibles

With our new bibles in the pews, I hope that it will unleash a flurry of bible reading. Check out our bookstore for some wonderful editions of the new ESV. If, for whatever reason, you are not able to afford a copy of the ESV, please see one of our clergy. We would be happy to make a new Bible a personal gift to you.

There are lots of reasons to read Scripture on a daily basis, but there is also a great joy and power in memorizing Scripture. Here is John Piper reciting the text for our series, More Than Conquerors, and some comments about power in memorizing God’s Word. Go here.

On the Road

Our artist-in-residence, Josh Havens, his band, The Afters, have a very busy schedule ahead of them—over 30 cities before the end of the year. They are in demand, playing before tens of thousands of people. Please pray for their safe travels and for a fruitful out come for their ministry efforts. If you would like to “track” Josh, visit the tour map on his website. Better yet, go here to connect to The Afters through their various social networks.

WRR Radio Show Up and Running

Last Sunday marked the very exciting debut of our new radio show on WRR 101.1 f.m. There was a tense moment in the beginning when another group’s show began in the place of ours, but it was quickly corrected and we were up and running. Please continue to tell your friends about the show. Local listeners can tune in their radios to 101.1 fm, and remote listeners can hear it online at www.wrr101.com, both at 7:30 a.m. CST on Sundays.

‘See you this weekend.
Fr. David+