The Presbyview The Presbyview From Pastor Smit’s Desk –August 2016 Back to School…Back to Church If you do not have school age children then you will be surprised to see school buses out on the road beginning this week with school starting August 1 st for most. Hard to believe that school is back in session. Hopefully all of you have had a good summer and am sure it was much like ours - very full with trips and outings but altogether too short. Whereas the summer months are chaotic, and frenzied with usually no set-schedule. The school schedule (although very busy too) begins setting a normal routine for much of life. With this we get into a groove of normalcy. Most weeks are generally the same which helps us to be disciplined people. As you begin that new schedule you will have many obligations, however I hope that you will make your church a priority on that list. Here is why… Life is busy. You are busy. Your family is busy. That is a given. But we always have time for that which is a priority and is important in our life. If you have children in school - school is important and a priority. I guarantee that Monday through Fri- day you are going to be up early and out the door so that your children can be to school on time and not marked tardy. Same goes with your work – you are going to be there when you are supposed to for the sake of your employers or customers. If we are willing to do this for school and work but not for church, isn’t there a disconnect there? I’m sure you would not say that church is less important than work or school, but with our actions we often demonstrate that it is less important than those other things. Carl Trueman in a recent article wrote this compelling and convicting statement: Maybe the reason why our children have no love for Christ is due to the fact that we as parents do not show any love or passion for Christ, evidenced by how we prioritize our time both on Sundays and during the week. When television, sports, school, hobbies even family itself are elevated to a place of idolatry and re- place the vital Christian responsibilities, then we tell our children that Christ is secondary to all these things. We tell our children that it is not necessary to take up your cross and die to yourself daily in order to follow Christ. We tell them that you only have to live for Christ when it’s convenient for you. We tell them it is okay to sacrifice time with all-satisfying Savior if something “more fun” or “more important” comes along (sarcasm indicated by quotation marks if you didn’t catch that). And this sounds like a clear path to apostasy if you ask me. 1 As your pastor I am not asking you to add one more thing to your plate – you already have enough. What I am asking is watch what you are adding and saying “yes” to because everything you add may crowd out something else – and church at- tendance and participation will never be the blinking-red light of need and therefore easily dismissed for other “needs”. How- ever missing out on the preaching and teaching, the means of grace, and the fellowship of the saints you neglect your soul and the soul of your family by missing out on the good blessings that God intends to give you. And doing so for much lesser things. As a kid my family was middle-class at best. We went on one or two vacations a year –usually to my grandparents’ home in Minnesota or Iowa. I played on a few sports teams. Ate out at restaurants only on someone’s birthday. By today’s standards, it was a pretty bland childhood. But every Sunday my parents had myself and my sibling in the pew of the church both morn- ing and evening. To be honest I didn’t always enjoy it – and wished many times I could be doing something else. However through that weekly Lord’s Day priority the Lord regenerated my cold childhood heart and made me grow in appreciation and love for Him and His church. Looking back that was much greater than vacations, sports teams, or any other frivolities of life. That pattern set by my parents was set early on and that discipline was one the Lord blessed in my life. So as you finish summer and enter into fall, it’s a new season to be reminded and renewed in a pattern of putting priorities first. Be committed to your church through your active attendance and participation – as a result you and your family will bless the Lord and be blessed by Him (Ps.134:1-3). Pastor’s Note – Save the Date of Sunday, Aug. 28 th for a “Back to Church” Sunday with a lunch and brief talk after the Morning Worship. 1 https://speakingtruthwithlove.wordpress.com/2016/07/04/how-skipping-church-affects-our-children/
Transcript
The PresbyviewThe Presbyview From Pastor Smit’s Desk –August 2016
Back to School…Back to Church If you do not have school age children then you will be surprised to see school buses out on the road beginning this week
with school starting August 1st for most. Hard to believe that school is back in session. Hopefully all of you have had a good
summer and am sure it was much like ours - very full with trips and outings but altogether too short. Whereas the summer
months are chaotic, and frenzied with usually no set-schedule. The school schedule (although very busy too) begins setting a
normal routine for much of life. With this we get into a groove of normalcy. Most weeks are generally the same which helps
us to be disciplined people. As you begin that new schedule you will have many obligations, however I hope that you will
make your church a priority on that list. Here is why…
Life is busy. You are busy. Your family is busy. That is a given. But we always have time for that which is a priority and is
important in our life. If you have children in school - school is important and a priority. I guarantee that Monday through Fri-
day you are going to be up early and out the door so that your children can be to school on time and not marked tardy. Same
goes with your work – you are going to be there when you are supposed to for the sake of your employers or customers. If we
are willing to do this for school and work but not for church, isn’t there a disconnect there? I’m sure you would not say that
church is less important than work or school, but with our actions we often demonstrate that it is less important than those
other things.
Carl Trueman in a recent article wrote this compelling and convicting statement:
Maybe the reason why our children have no love for Christ is due to the fact that we as parents do not show
any love or passion for Christ, evidenced by how we prioritize our time both on Sundays and during the
week. When television, sports, school, hobbies even family itself are elevated to a place of idolatry and re-
place the vital Christian responsibilities, then we tell our children that Christ is secondary to all these things.
We tell our children that it is not necessary to take up your cross and die to yourself daily in order to follow
Christ. We tell them that you only have to live for Christ when it’s convenient for you. We tell them it is okay
to sacrifice time with all-satisfying Savior if something “more fun” or “more important” comes along
(sarcasm indicated by quotation marks if you didn’t catch that). And this sounds like a clear path to apostasy
if you ask me.1
As your pastor I am not asking you to add one more thing to your plate – you already have enough. What I am asking is
watch what you are adding and saying “yes” to because everything you add may crowd out something else – and church at-
tendance and participation will never be the blinking-red light of need and therefore easily dismissed for other “needs”. How-
ever missing out on the preaching and teaching, the means of grace, and the fellowship of the saints you neglect your soul
and the soul of your family by missing out on the good blessings that God intends to give you. And doing so for much lesser
things.
As a kid my family was middle-class at best. We went on one or two vacations a year –usually to my grandparents’ home in
Minnesota or Iowa. I played on a few sports teams. Ate out at restaurants only on someone’s birthday. By today’s standards,
it was a pretty bland childhood. But every Sunday my parents had myself and my sibling in the pew of the church both morn-
ing and evening. To be honest I didn’t always enjoy it – and wished many times I could be doing something else. However
through that weekly Lord’s Day priority the Lord regenerated my cold childhood heart and made me grow in appreciation
and love for Him and His church. Looking back that was much greater than vacations, sports teams, or any other frivolities of
life. That pattern set by my parents was set early on and that discipline was one the Lord blessed in my life.
So as you finish summer and enter into fall, it’s a new season to be reminded and renewed in a pattern of putting priorities
first. Be committed to your church through your active attendance and participation – as a result you and your family will
bless the Lord and be blessed by Him (Ps.134:1-3).
Pastor’s Note – Save the Date of Sunday, Aug. 28th for a “Back to Church” Sunday with a lunch and brief talk after the
Andy Pifer, Director of Student Ministries for Christ Covenant PCA in Knoxville, TN has led numerous missions
trips and youth camp trips; but in 2014 with the assistance of Mission to the World (MTW) he combined youth camp
with a weeklong mission trip to the needy people in Haywood County, NC and Carolina Mountain Mission (CM2)
was born. Now in its 3rd year, the effort included nearly 300 people from more than 16 different churches over three
separate weeks. The base camp is Camp Hope just north of the Blue Ridge Parkway, less than 25 miles (but the other
side of the Blue Ridge) from Brevard, NC. Lodging is in cabins and bunk houses.
The daily schedule (Mon thru Thurs)
Gather as a large group for a worship song at 6:30 AM.
Scatter for personal devotions using the scripture verses and questions laid out in our CM2 pamphlets.
After breakfast, we went to our daily mission assignments.
After supper we gathered for worship at 8 PM
Lights out and quiet in the camp at 11:30 PM
The week of July 10-16, 2016 SPC doubled its participation in CM2 sending 8, after sending 4 in 2015. The SPC
team included Mike, Lily, and Ella Becker, Joy Douglas, Scott Holland, Ted and Beverly Schmidt, and Beverly's
brother Lee Brown (Lee filled in for David Owen at the last minute after the death of a close friend.) Five other
churches sent groups to work at CM2 this first week. Christ Covenant PCA had the largest group of adults and
youth, with many middle school youth. Monaghan Presbyterian Church from the Republic of Ireland sent about 10
people. First Presbyterian (PCA) of Camden, AL sent about
five. Our SPC men had the privileged of sharing a cabin
with the Irish men, and our SPC ladies likewise shared a cab-
in with the Irish women. In all there were about 100 partici-
pants for the week, roughly 2/3 of which were youth - most-
ly middle school age. There is no age limit: there was a man
of nearly 80, and some parents even brought some young
children to the work sites.
The missions work was in and near the town of Waynes-
ville. The SPC women worked with some from Christ Cov-
enant Church at the Open Door mission which started as a
soup kitchen for the homeless, but now gets most of its fund-
ing thru its associated thrift store. During breaks and at
lunch time they had opportunities to meet and pray with
homeless transients who had come for a meal. Work there
included cleaning and food preparation in the kitchen, sorting and disposing of thrift store inventory, and some paint-
ing. The SPC men, with help from about four youth (mostly from Christ Covenant Church) each day, built a small
deck and long handicap ramp for a young lady confined to a wheelchair who until we built it had to be carried out
over an old rickety stoop whenever she left her trailer home. She and her fiancé were in a car accident, and were for-
tunate to be alive. The lady, Marissa, had a broken femur and kneecap as well as a bad head injury. She will be in
the wheelchair for a long time, followed by months with a walker and cane, after which she will need a knee replace-
ment. She was very surprised and thankful that we were able to build this ramp for her. Throughout the week we had
many opportunities to interact with the youth from the other churches; and Joy had a fruitful ministry there.
Continued on page 6
The Sacrament of the LORD’s Supper will be
administered on August 7th during the
morning worship service and on
August 21st during the evening worship
service.
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Pray for the Pray for the Pray for the Persecuted Church!Persecuted Church!Persecuted Church!
Please keep our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ lifted up in your daily prayers. This month let us remember these countries:
Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Afghanistan
Meals on Wheels ScheduleMeals on Wheels ScheduleMeals on Wheels Schedule
August 1st ~ Pat Barnett/Martha Shirley August 8th ~ Martha Shirley/Jean Campbell August 15th ~ Jean Campbell/Crystal Katrek August 22nd ~ Crystal Katrek/Maxine Miller August 29th ~ Maxine Miller/Sis Howell
Deacon /Stevenson FundDeacon /Stevenson FundDeacon /Stevenson Fund
The Deacon/Stevenson Fund is collected the 1st Sunday of every month during the A.M. Worship Service and the 3rd Sunday of every month during
the P.M. Worship Service.
MEN OF THE COVENANT
The men of Smyrna Presbyterian Church will gather
for a Bible study, a season of prayer, and a time of
fellowship on Saturday, August 20th at 8:30 a.m.
Breakfast will be served.
Ministry Opportunities
We will not be meeting during the month of August. Our first scheduled meeting for
the fall will be September 20th, 2016.
Also, please be in prayer that the person of God’s choosing will be led to come forward
to take over this wonderful ministry!!
August August August Circle MeetingsCircle MeetingsCircle Meetings
Tuesday, August 2nd —10:00 A.M. Circle 1 - Will meet in the parlor. Nursery is provided for little ones.
Tuesday, August 2nd—10:00 A.M. Circle 2 - Will meet in the church conference room.
Tuesday, August 2nd —7:15 P.M. Circle 3– Will meet at the home of Linda Pruett.
Saturday, August 13th—8:45 A.M. Circle 4 - Will meet in the fellowship hall for our regu-lar monthly meeting.
On Sunday August 14th, the Mission Committee will meet immediately following the evening wor-ship service in the conference room.
We will meet the 4th Wednesday of Au-gust. Jim Ogburn will grill and everyone else is asked to bring a side dish to share. Please come out for this time of fellow-ship!!
Our regular Wednesday activities will resume in September.
Pot Providence Meal/Cook out ~ August 24th
Please come out and enjoy the fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry will not meet during the month of August. We will resume with our normal
meetings in September 2016!!
Enjoy your summer break!
We will resume with our weekly Bible study in September 2016!!
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Treasurer Report
General Tithes & Offering received in June ............$ 29,834
Received from CCS for Lease ...................................$ 9,000
Faith-Giving received in June ...................................$ 255
Greeter Schedule
August 7th
Church Wing— David & Gail Stallings
School Wing— Keith & Anthernett Greenway
August 14th
Church Wing— Evelyn Canup
School Wing— Crystal & Lucy Katrek
August 21st
Church Wing— Howard & Jean Campbell
School Wing— Julie Ramsey
August 28th
Church Wing— Jill, Gina & Stella Fogarty
School Wing— Wayne & Patty Ramsey
September 4th
Church Wing— Tom & Maxine Miller
School Wing— Smadja Hart
September 11th
Church Wing— Chip & Sis Howell
School Wing— Dervon & Joy Douglas
September 18th
Church Wing— Randy & Page Whitfield
School Wing— Rose Zang
September 25th
Church Wing— Jim & Janice Pitts
School Wing— Dan & Donna Hall
Meals on Wheels Meals on Wheels Meals on Wheels
We need volunteers to assist with meals on wheels for the upcom-
ing season. The meals are already prepared so all that is required
is a valid drivers’ license. Please prayerfully consider volunteering
towards this ministry. See Jean Campbell @ 770.943.8985 if you
have any questions or if you are willing to serve.
Here is the schedule for the months of August & September. If
you have a conflict, change your date with someone else and
contact the staffing coordinator. We ask that all assigned
nursery workers report at 10:30 a.m. to relieve choir members.
Sign up sheets will be placed in the Narthex for volunteers for
SS and Night Nursery coverage. Choir members are urged to
fill these openings.
August 7th Infant— Kelly Becker/Ruth O’Neal
Toddler— Ann Marie Kelly/Catherine Nyemeck
Floater—Francine Nyemeck
August 14th Infant— Crystal Katrek/Rosalie Yombo
Toddler—Marsha Gleason/Dwight Thomas
Floater—Henry Katrek
August 21st Infant— Freida Breazeal/Martha Shirley
Toddler— Sarah Gaspard/Scott Holland
Floater—Mary MacGregor
August 28th Infant— Rose Zang/Leah Thomas
Toddler— Jack Boyd/Susan Holland
Floater—Lili Hovey
September 4th Infant— Caroline Wesley/OPEN
Toddler— Jan Demspey/Danny Powell
Floater—Eryn Ridings
September 11th Infant— Julie Ramsey/Ahn Ton
Toddler—Linda Pruett/Ali LaPrade
Floater—Stephen Gleason
September 18th Infant— Ruth O’Neal/Evelyn Canup
Toddler— Paris Garrett/Buddy Kelly
Floater—Matthew Funk
September 25th Infant— Leslie Boyd/Margaret MacGregor
Alice Smit ................................................... 14
Dan Hall ...................................................... 16
Paris Garrett ................................................ 23
Robert Boyd ................................................ 26
David Osborne ............................................ 30
Dan & Donna Hall (57 years) ......................................... 1
Mark & Pat Jackson (32 years) ....................................... 4
Luke & Sarah Gaspard (12 years) ..................................... 7
Howard & Jean Campbell (33 years) ............................... 27
During the last Deacon’s meeting, they discussed ways to promote and collect offerings for the Stevenson Fun. It was agreed, instead of taking up offerings for the Deacon’s Fund, we should collect offerings for the Stevenson Fund after the first Sunday morning service of every even-numbered month beginning August 7th!
Due to increased giving to the Deacon’s Fund this year and a concurrent reduction in requests for assistance, the fund is very healthy. Therefore, the Diaconate can continue to adequately address Mercy Ministry needs while essentially collecting half as many offerings. Given the congregation’s recent willingness to give generously in the wooden plates, we believe that this will be an effective way of building-up the Stevenson Fund.
The Session met with the Board of Deacons on Thursday, July 21st. Both bodies held separate business meet-ings as well. The following are some points of discussion and action:
Giving in tithes and offerings has increased 7% over this time last year. Nominees to the Christian School Board should be active members of an evangelical church, make a credible
profession of faith, and have read the Westminster Confession of Faith and be prepared to discuss any ex-ceptions they have with the Confession.
Ed Gleason and David Stallings will resume the two Adult Sunday school classes in the fall. Pastor Smit will begin a twice a month men’s Bible Study on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. Stefanie Smit will coordinate an email list for Helping Hands Ministry to provide meals for those who have
babies, or recovering from injuries or surgery. The Child Protective Policy was adopted and a committee will be formed to implement it. A missions conference is scheduled for September 17th with Rev. Roland Barnes the keynote speaker. October 23rd will be a Reformation Heritage Sunday with Rev. Alexander Brown preaching that Sunday. The Session voted to give Marye Phurson a gift from the VBS funds as a “thank you” for her excellent story-
telling and Bible teaching. RE Mark Jackson will assist in coordinating a Master Planning Calendar for all church activities. Church Officer Nominations will take place August 7th through Sept. 4th.
Friday was “decompress day” with recreation, each small group
choosing their own activities. Some groups hiked, others went
into town, and some rested at camp. The SPC group enjoyed a
short hike off the Blue Ridge Parkway, to the waterfall at Grave-
yard Fields. Some rested their feet in the cold water at the base of
Looking Glass Falls, while Mike, Lily and Ella experienced Slid-
ing Rock. In the evening the whole CM2 group headed to Canton
for a catered barbecue at the park where bluegrass groups
jammed at adjacent pavilions. We invited Marissa and she came
with her mother and fiancé. Then back to camp for a bonfire,
complete with worship songs and testimonies of how God had
worked in individuals' lives.
Joy Douglas had to be rushed to the emergency room after diffi-
culty breathing. The hospital determined it was dehydration, and missing at least one dose of her blood pressure medi-
cine. God answered prayer and she was able to return with us on the church bus Saturday afternoon. All who went
found it to be a blessing, and would love to participate again.
10:00 a.m.
Circle 1 & 2
7:15 p.m.
Circle 3
8:45 a.m.
Circle 4
9:00 a.m.
Church wide
Workday
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25
26 27
28 29 30 31
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service
& Communion
6:00 p.m.
Evening Worship
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service
6:00 p.m.
Evening Worship & Communion
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service
6:00 p.m.
Evening Worship
7:15 p.m.
Mission Committee
meeting
2016
6:30 p.m.
Deacon Meeting
8:30 a.m.
Men of the
Covenant
6:00 p.m.
Pot Providence meal
& Fellowship
Bring a dish to
share!
5:00 p.m.
Food Truck
Tuesday
6:30 p.m.
Session Meeting
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service
12:30 p.m.
Fellowship Lunch
6:00 p.m.
Evening Worship
5:00 p.m.
Food Truck
Tuesday
5:00 p.m.
Food Truck
Tuesday
10:00 a.m.
Circle 1 & 2
5:00 p.m.
Food Truck
Tuesday
7:15 p.m.
Circle 3
5:00 p.m.
Food Truck
Tuesday
CCS First Day of
School!!
8:45 a.m.
Circle 4
8:00 p.m.
Men’s Bible
Study
Smyrna Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Church In America
3130 Atlanta Road Smyrna, GA 30080 (770) 435-2251 ~ www.smyrnapres.org
Postmaster: Return Service Requested
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Page 2 ................. ...…. CM2 Update Page 3 ............ Meals on Wheels list Page 3 ............ WIC Circle Meetings Page 4 .................. Greeter Schedule Page 4 .Wednesday Night Schedule Page 5 .. Birthday’s & Anniversaries Page 6 ....................Stevenson Fund Page 7................................ Calendar
