Henri J. M. Nouwen

The internationally renowned priest and author, respected professor and beloved pastor Henri Nouwen (pronounced Henry Now-win) wrote over 40 books on the spiritual life. He corresponded regularly in English, Dutch, German, French and Spanish with hundreds of friends and reached out to thousands through his Eucharistic celebrations, lectures and retreats. Since his death in 1996, ever-increasing numbers of readers, writers, teachers and seekers have been guided by his literary legacy. Nouwen’s books have sold over 2 million copies and been published in over 22 languages.

(biography excerpt taken from the Henri Nouwen website)

Here are some of the reasons I read on why some form of intergenerational ministry is good and how its cultivated:

It removes the temptation of “church within a church.” 
A completely segregated student ministry has to constantly battle the “church within a church” battle—a teenager might be having a completely different experience then their parent(s) week in and week out—so when student ministry is gone they feel little or no connection to the actual “church.” The vague and meaningless term “youth group” even more appropriately applies as it denotes a closed, insider, to itself only view of student ministry.

It makes the transition to “big church” much easier.
The handoff from any ministry to the next is always difficult; developing some forms of intergenerational worship will help ease students’ transition to the adult service environment. It will be less of a leap and more of a step.

It could help reduce the number of students leaving the faith after high school.
This is the primary driving force behind intergenerational ministry. When teenagers feel like they’re part of the whole church body “all along,” it’s less likely they’ll wander than if they’re expected to feel like part of the church body “all of a sudden” when they graduate the student ministry.

Serve together…mostly
An easy way to get some quick intergenerational ministry happening in your church is to combine some of your serve projects immediately. Consider cancelling the majority of your youth group service projects and join those in place for the church at large. Imagine the conversations that will take place as people serve food, rake leaves, or paint together. Chances are the older people in your congregation will be just as surprised as your teenagers at how fun it was to serve side-by-side! (Good confirmation – PPBC and HFC do well piggy backing with each other in LIA projects, even more so in the past couple years).

Worship together…occasionally
Many student ministries have their own worship service or Sunday School happening at the same time the rest of the church is gathered for worship. What if you completely cancelled your “youth stuff” once a month so the teenagers could attend church with their parents? Sure, some might choose to stay home that weekend, but it’s a fairly simple way to make a statement that says, “25% of the time, our church worships together…and we need the teenagers to be part of the action!” (We already do this but way more than 25%).

Overnighters…never
Hey, there are some things adults are happy are totally separate from them. Keep overnighters this way…but be thankful for the adults who do show up, give up sleep, and care for the students. (For those who do and have, your reward in heaven will be significantly greater!)

So while some of the conversation has pointed an unfair finger at student ministry and has been a bit extreme in tone, the idea of intergenerational ministry is totally valid. I think about our move from Kirby Rd to the Main Campus resulting in the construction of the awesome Commons wing. I am even more appreciative to the way our church supports its student ministry and the many relationships that our students have with Godly adults who care. And this is not only with teenagers but its safe to say that this extends to our children’s ministry, as well.  In other words, we are blessed with intergenerational ministry at Parkway Place!  Who knows, maybe some of you will even eventually figure out that we’re not a youth group! Haha!

Thanks for reading!

Greg Kelley

Why are we fasting?  Great question!  Individually, scripture tells us the result of fasting was always a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.  It’s a place where sin is revealed, complacency challenged, strongholds broken, direction for life given.  Corporately, scripture tells us that one of the purposes of fasting is a time of guidance and direction.

My prayer over these last 19 days has been: ”God, reveal to Your church at PPBC how You desire to maximize our reach locally and globally in making Your Name known to every tribe, tongue and nation.”(Matt. 24:14)    To be honest, what I have found God doing has been very personal.  He’s been chiseling away at my heart so that my heart would be His heart.  He’s been chiseling away at my hearing so that I would know His Voice.  He’s been chiseling away at my obedience so that my “yes” would be on the table even before He gives His direction.

Maybe the purpose of these 21 days has been to get us individually and corporately in a right position to say “yes” to Him.

Even if you haven’t been able to participate to date, would you consider joining me in these last two days as God gets us into position.

There’s a fresh wind of God’s Spirit blowing.

Allan R. Greer

PS.  Don’t miss our special family time this Thursday night as we come to our Lord’s Table (April 5-6pm-Worship Center).  Steve Parker and I have a special gift we want to give each of you from our trip to Israel. Preschool childcare will be provided.

With our hearts preparing for the Resurrection, our church began a fast on March 15 as a sacrifice to the Lord and to seek guidance and direction in our own lives and in the life of the Body. We will break the fast together on Thursday night before Easter,April 5 when we observe the Lord’s Supper at 6 pm.

On Good Friday, April 6, as we consider the great pain Jesus endured on that day for our sins, we will have a special time of Bible Study and prayer via a Secret Church simulcast of The Cross and the Suffering. We will explore our own questions and response to suffering through the lens of Christ’s suffering on the cross … and better understand how the gospel strengthens, sustains, supports and ultimately satisfied us in the middle of our suffering.

And then…. Easter morning! We will look to our risen Lord and Savior — who had no reservations, no retreats, no regrets when He purchased our salvation.  For Easter Sunday, April 8, our services will be at 9 and 10:30 am in the worship center. And be sure to fellowship with guests and PPBC family at brunch between the services.

The Resurrection is the reason for our Hope! Come celebrate with us. And invite, invite, invite!!

Allan R. Greer

And the work was completed.

Not only that, but Nehemiah chapter 12 records that they had a praise and worship service on top of the very wall that their enemies said couldn’t be built!

Is God faithful, even at the half-way point? Absolutely!  You can count on Him.

Eli E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973)

Born in 1884, Eli Stanley Jones responded to the call to missionary service in his early 20s. He spent much of his adult life in India, although as an “evangelist at large” for the Board of Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he preached and taught in many nations. Dr. Jones influenced millions of people through his bestselling books, including The Christ of the Indian Road(1925) and Abundant Living (1942).

(biography excerpt from MethodistThinker.com)

• 1 whole grain tortilla
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter
• 1 small banana, sliced
• 1 handful of berries (blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
• sliced almonds or crushed walnuts to sprinkle on top
• ground cinnamon (optional)
• agave syrup (optional)

Directions

Lightly spread about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on the tortilla and top with banana slices, berries, nuts and cinnamon. Lightly drizzle some agave syrup over all the ingredients if you want more sweetness.

Roll up into a wrap or burrito. Enjoy with a glass of cold almond milk.

(recipe from the “Caring Carrot: Daniel Fast Vegan” website)

Update:

This morning I had the “Breakfast Energy Wrap.” It was better than I expected except for one thing. The Ezekiel whole wheat

tortilla I used really didn’t go well with it and it’s not very flexible. Actually, I wouldn’t recommend that brand of tortillas for anything. Not very good.

But with that said, the inside ingredients were very good. I didn’t have any nuts for it but the wrap was “nutty” enough. It’s the first time I’ve tried Agave Syrup and it is surprisingly good. I don’t know if it’s due to my lack of sugar intake or if it’s just good. I recommend it as well as the wrap (with a good natural, whole wheat tortilla though).

Trey Davis

William Secker

William Secker preached at Tewkesbury (England) and afterwards at All-Hallows, London Wall. He may have been the William Secker who was appointed rector of Leigh, Essex, on 30 Aug. 1667, and died there before November 1681. Secker’s sermon on ‘A Wedding Ring fit for the Finger, or the Salve of Divinity on the Sore of Humanity, laid open at a Wedding in St. Edmunds, London, 1658, 12mo, was very popular, and was often reprinted. It was translated into Welsh. Secker also dedicated to Sir Edward and Lady Frances Barkham of Tottenham, who had befriended him, a volume of sermons entitled ‘The Nonsuch Professor’ (London, 1660, 8vo). It was several times reprinted in America.

(biography from christian-quotes.ochristian.com)

Our dear precious Father in heaven, I thank you for the blessings You have so graciously bestowed: for atonement for our sins, for Allan Greer and his sweet family, for Beverly Bale and Beverly and Steve Parker and Ben who do such awesome work at PPBC, for Bit Stephens allowing me to share a house with her,  for belief in You, for the Bread of Life, for our children, for community groups and our classes on Sunday morning, for daddies and dogwoods and daily bread, for Darrell’s words of encouragement, for evenings filled with beautiful sunsets, for friends, forgiveness, and fellowship, for grace and gorgeous sunrises and green grass, for the Holy Spirit and for homes filled with warmth and love, and for health, for income, for jobs that give us a sense of doing something worthwhile, for Jesus, for kitchens that give us a place to prepare meals, for love, for Leslie who leads us in beautiful songs of worship each week, for the leadership team that came to the conclusion that PPBC needed to do this Daniel Fast, for mothers, mercy, and men of God who throughout the ages have followed Your call, for needs provided and never leaving us or forsaking us, for Your omnipotence and omnipresence and omniscience, for precious memories, priceless moments, and people who enrich our lives, for Parkway Place Baptist Church, for quiet times with You, for rest, refreshment, and rejuvenation, for salvation and our Savior, for Trey and his work on the blog site, for teenagers that stretch us, for tests that strengthen us, for trials that grow us, for universities that educate us (and employ some of us), for vitality and vibrant colors, for the Word, for our worth that comes from relationship with You, for wisdom, for Xrays of our hearts (search me, O God, and know me), for You, the great I AM, and the zeal that You have for Your name and Your renown to be known among the nations. There is so much more to be thankful for, Father. Thank You for all of these blessings and more! In Jesus’ name we pray! Amen!

To add to this prayer of thanksgiving, just send an email to info@ppbc.com. Can’t wait to see what you are thankful for!

- Yvette Palmer

But low and behold, when a heart is doing what it can to build up to the ability to focus more and more on Him, He is there to speak to us along the journey.  And when we are ready, that long or deep, or long and deep conversation/revelation will come.

One of those little God whispers happened to me yesterday while eating out.  Yes, I dared to venture out to the world of hamburgers, fries and milkshakes yesterday for a Spring Break tradition of eating at Purple Cow.  After I placed our order I saw a good friend from church.  I went over to say Hi and noticed she was eating a grilled portobello mushroom that looked amazing.  She offered me a taste and it was amazing!  I was wishing I had not already ordered.  But I stuck with my salad and fruit and satisfied what my body needed.  Here is where it got hard.  As usual, Seth did not eat everything on his plate, and as usual, I was tempted to have a bite or two.  Eating a fry would not kill me, but then God began to whisper to me.

“I have created you to be in this world, but not of this world.  While you are here on this earth, there are things you can have that will not kill you.  But if those things keep you from Me and what I have called you to do, then how can those things be for your good……or your BEST”

Wow…..a noisy restaurant, God whispered and I heard Him!  He helped me see that like the menu at the restaurant, there are so many things in this world to choose from but I need to always choose those things that keep me in His Will.  And when I do, maybe I won’t miss out on the grilled portabella mushroom!

- Stephanie Habenicht