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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+

Dear Friends,

It is great to be back. The warmth and kindness shown to me at all services was overwhelming. Thank you for your prayers and support.

This church is a great place to preach. Very few of you have the vantage point that I have as I begin a message. I see people who are eager to hear the Word of God preached and applied; explored and explained. Heads look up. And it is only at the 27-minute mark that people start looking at their watches.

Something that you need to know is that we will change bible translations for our church pew bibles, the pulpit reading and the Bible that I use and preach from. Fr. Jason is writing a brief explanation as to why we are going to remove and donate the current NIV Bibles and replace them with the English Standard Version (ESV). I have been using the ESV for my personal devotions for over two years. It is an amazing text. It has the cadence and depth that you would want to find in God’s Word. The Bibles are on order and next week Fr. Jason will fill in some of the details about why this is a good move for us.

I am starting a new sermon series on August 8 called More than Conquerors. It is an 8-week series on the crown jewel of the highest theological and literary achievement of the apostle Paul. Many of you may want to purchase a new copy of the ESV from The Bookstore for this series. (I think we may end up memorizing a good portion of Romans 8. The ESV will make it grand!)

In the meantime, here are a few more things you need to know:

On Point for Men
Remember that On Point for Men (a Bible study that I teach with Jason Bowman) begins  August 24. Every Tuesday at 7 a.m., join us for an in-depth lecture, application of scripture and a spirited discussion of some principles found in God’s Word. No prior experience or deep Bible knowledge is needed to attend. The coffee is free…and the lesson we learn from God’s Word is priceless.

Coast Camp
Our youth group kids (many, many, many of them) are leaving Sunday, July 25 for a week at Coast Camp. They will be joined by youth groups from other Anglican churches in the southeastern portion of the United States. Their music leadership group will be none other than our own Josh Havens and his band, The Afters. It will be a great week for them. I plan to fly down to the camp on Wednesday to hang out for a day with the kids and attend The Afters concert that night.

I can remember those church camp moments when I was a young student in high school. Nothing was more profound to me that the moments I had coming to know the Lord. Camp introduced me to Christ and to His Church, and I was never the same. Many of you have a similar background. Please pray for our kids this coming week.

New Study Guides
It is a real pleasure and joy for me to preach here at Christ Church. The whole process of study, prayer, preparation, and final touches is one of my weekly habits that I truly enjoy.

But did you know that you can find a study guide for the sermon here on my blog? I began producing a study guide for this message that will be uploaded on Mondays following the sermon. Check out last week’s study guide. The purpose for this extra effort on my part is to help many people think about the message throughout the week. Small Groups can use these as their curriculum and, our radio audience can use these when we begin broadcasting with WRR on August 1. (By the way, do I need to say that lying in bed listening to a radio message on Sunday morning is NOT going to church?)

See you Sunday,

Fr. David+

Dear Friends,

Here is a joke: A fellow bought a horse from a farmer for $1,000. He went to pick up the horse the next day and the farmer said “I hate to tell you this but the horse died last night.” The fellow said “OK, just give me back my money” to which the farmer said, “Sorry, I can’t do that. I spent it.” The fellow said, “Well, that’s ok, I’ll just take his body then.” The farmer said, “What are you going to do with his body?” The fellow said, “I’m going to sell it, I just won’t tell anyone he’s dead.”

A few weeks later the farmer ran into the fellow and asked him what happened with the horse. The fellow said “Oh, it went great! I sold raffle tickets at $5 apiece, made a profit of $2,450.” The farmer asked about how the winner felt when he heard the horse was dead and the fellow told him, “Oh, he was disappointed so I gave him back his $5.”

Welcome to the world of economics! There is so much going on in the world of finance, money, toxic debt and the credit markets…it is time to look at this subject from a biblical perspective. Every year I spend a few messages on the subject of Christian stewardship. This year is no exception, and honestly I can’t imagine a more important time to understand what God says about money, debt and giving. Please be sure you are in church during the whole month of November. The sermon series “Journey to Generosity” will begin Nov 8/9.

1. Fran and I hosted a clergy/spouse dinner on Sunday night for some of the clergy in the Common Cause Partnership in the Dallas area. There is great hope and promise in the new organization and we all are excited to continue to meet together. As I mentioned last week, I will be writing about this alliance for Anglicanism in North America in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
2. As I mentioned a few weeks back, I am scheduled to be a plenary speaker at the AMiA Winter Conference in January. I have begun praying about this pretty intensely. I ask you to join me in that prayer. I would appreciate your support.
   The AMiA has an e-newsletter, too. Please be sure to subscribe to it (it’s free) and read it. Click here to read it. Click here to subscribe to it.
3. Someone asked me a few days ago about my personal Bible reading plan. Over the summer, I began a Bible reading program with the newest translation of the bible, the ESV. The daily reading program is here. I open the Bible and turn on my computer at the same time. I find my passage in the text and click on the “listen” button. I read and get read to…at the same time. It is a very helpful way for me to stay focused in the Bible from day to day.

‘See you in church this weekend. Remember to “fall back” on your clocks.