Newsletter October 28, 2009
From the Senior Associate Pastor. . .
Our annual missions conference is fast approaching. The dates are November 13 - 15...sort of. I say “sort of” because we’ll have a prelude and a postlude to the conference weekend itself. Our own Dan Steere will be speaking in the PM services on November 1 and 8. I’m sure Dr. Steere will not only challenge us from the Word, but also give us information and updates on his and ELI’s work in west Africa. Supriya Suneetha, from Hyderabad, India, will be visiting and sharing at CPC the week after the missions conference. She’s a young graduate student who works closely with her parents, Drs. Sujai and Lavanya Suneetha, in a mercy ministry to those affected by HIV/AIDS in central India. Supriya’s parents are dear friends and have visited CPC in the past.
Most of our missions conference activities will take place from Friday evening, November 13 to Sunday evening, November 15. This year’s theme is NEAR...and FAR. As we hear of God’s work in far away places, from massive international cities to the remotest hamlets, and how we can partner in the expansion of His kingdom...we should not forget that the Lord is at work here, near, among us, in our community...and our opportunities are local and immediate.
Friday evening, November 13, an international dinner kicks off the conference. Please bring an “international” dish to share, and please arrive early enough (with your dish) so that we can begin promptly at 6:30 PM. Around 7:15 PM the evening program will begin in Schum Fellowship Hall (several of our missionaries will share). Children, ages 3 through fifth grade, will be dismissed for their near and far destinations program in the Perseverer’s Classroom at that time as well.
At 8:30 AM on Saturday, November 14, we’ll gather for a light breakfast. But, the real focus of our time together will be prayer. We’ll literally be praying around the world.....for our people and God’s work...from Tunnel Hill, Georgia to Ukarumpa, PNG...from Portland, Oregon to Pankow, Germany.
On Missions Conference Sunday, November 15, activities will be familiar. Rev. Aaron Messner, Chaplain of Covenant College, will preach in the AM and PM services. Aaron is a very popular speaker. Missionary guests will be distributed throughout Sunday School classes to speak.
Along with Rev. Messner, our missionary “guests” will be 1) Jean Sharpe (Partners in Asian Missions), many of you have known Jean’s late husband, Jerry, now Jean continues in that work of spreading the gospel in partnership with EE International; 2) Lee Leadbetter (Reformed University Fellowship-International), Lee works among the large community of international students at UT-Knoxville; 3) Charlie & Amie Brown (Wycliffe - Papua New Guinea), “double” covenant children now career missionaries in PNG; 4) Ruth Caines (MTW-South Africa), Render and Linda’s youngest, headed to South Africa for a one year internship with MTW; 5) Jay Fowler (FCA-East Tennessee), “our” Jay serves as the regional director for the FCA; 6) Lucy Wykoff (Sage Center of North Georgia), “our” Lucy serves as the director of Sage Center (formerly A Plus Women’s Care) meeting multiple needs in North Georgia; 7) Sam Oppong (Equipping Leaders International - Ghana), “our” Dan Steere’s right hand man in Ghana.
I so anticipate such times of concentrated focus on missions...near and far. Nursery services will be available at all activities. Please mark your calendars and make every effort to be apart of these important events in the life of CPC.
Pastor Mullinax