Gospel – and in Christians band- ing together in Gospel churches that display God’s glory in this fallen world. We are also brothers united in deep concern for the church and the Gospel. This concern is spe- cifically addressed to certain trends within the church today. We are concerned about the tendency of so many churches to substitute technique for truth, ther- apy for theology, and management for ministry. We are also concerned that God’s glorious pur- pose for Christ’s church is often eclipsed in concern by so many other issues, programs, technologies, and priorities. Further- more, confusion over crucial questions concern- ing the authority of the Bible, the meaning of the Gospel, and the nature of truth itself have gravely weakened the church in terms ofits witness, its work, and its iden- tity. We stand together for the Gos- pel – and for a full and gladdening recovery of the Gospel in the church. We are convinced that such a recovery will be evident in the form of faithful Gospel churches, each bearing faithful witness to the glory of God and the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to thank you for the privi- lege of attending this conference each time it has been held. I also (continued on page 3) 16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God forsalvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith forfaith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”(Romans 1:16-17)On April 13-16, I had the privi- lege of attending this year’s To- gether for the Gospel Conference, in Louisville, Kentucky. This conference began in 2006 and is held every two years. It is pri- marily for pastors and those in leadership positions within the ch urch. While I certainly enjoyed the conference and its various speakers, the “icing-on-the-cake” for me, was that I was able to attend this conference with broth- ers from this church that I very much love and respect (Pastor Brian, Mike Maloney, and Ryan Smith). Since the confer- ence was held in Louisville (home of Southern Seminary), I also had the opportunity of meeting up with Darren and Trevor Smith who are students at Southern from the LaFayette Alliance Church. For me, Together for the Gospel is not simply a “nice” conference to attend every two years. It is a NECESSARY conference! There is no subject that should be ofgreater importance to us than the GOSPEL! And yet, it is the very Gospel that is so misunder- stood and misapplied in many evangelical churches today! I think the following Preamble from the Together for the Gospel Affirmations and De- nials document would be helpful in informing you as to what is really at stake when it comes to the Gospel, but also in encourag- ing you to participate in what God is doing around the world through local churches in the proclamation of the pure, power- ful, and unadjusted Gospel! Preamble: We are brothers in Christ united in one great cause – to stand together for the Gos- pel. We are convinced that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been misrepresented, misunderstood, and marginalized in many churches and among many who claim the name of Christ. Com- promise of the Gospel has led to the preaching of false gospels, the seduction of many minds and movements, and the weakening of the church’s Gospel witness. As in previous moments of theo- logical and spiritual crisis in the church, we believe that the an- swer to this confusion and com- promise lies in a comprehensive recovery and reaffirmation of the Together for the Gospel! INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From PastorBrian’s Desk2 Wednesday Prayer Meeting 3 ThankYou! 4 From the Church Library 4 Faith Heritage Open House 4 Alliance Women Ministries Update 5 Birthdays/ Anniversaries 5 Jonathan Wood Raptor Project 5 Church Lockup Schedule 5 Quizzing News 6 Spotlight on Leadership 8 Bulletin Board 9 Christian Writers’ Gathering 7 Mother~DaughterTea 8 VBS: The Egypt File 10 The Lamplighter MAY 2010 VOLUME1, ISSUE 5
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8/8/2019 May 2010 Lamplighter Newsletter, LaFayette Alliance Church
Gospel – and in Christians band-ing together in Gospel churchesthat display God’s glory in thisfallen world.
We are also brothers united indeep concern for the church andthe Gospel. This concern is spe-cifically addressed to certaintrends within the church today.
We are concerned about thetendency of so manychurches to substitutetechnique for truth, ther-apy for theology, andmanagement for ministry.
We are also concernedthat God’s glorious pur-
pose for Christ’s church isoften eclipsed in concernby so many other issues,programs, technologies,and priorities. Further-more, confusion overcrucial questions concern-
ing the authority of the Bible, themeaning of the Gospel, and thenature of truth itself have gravelyweakened the church in terms of its witness, its work, and its iden-tity.
We stand together for the Gos-
pel – and for a full and gladdeningrecovery of the Gospel in thechurch. We are convinced thatsuch a recovery will be evident inthe form of faithful Gospelchurches, each bearing faithfulwitness to the glory of God andthe power of the Gospel of JesusChrist.
I want to thank you for the privi-lege of attending this conferenceeach time it has been held. I also
(continued on page 3)
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,to the Jew first and also to theGreek. 17 For in it the righteousness
of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteousshall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)
On April 13-16, I had the privi-lege of attending this year’s To-gether for the GospelConference, in Louisville,Kentucky. This conferencebegan in 2006 and is heldevery two years. It is pri-marily for pastors and thosein leadership positions withinthe church. While I certainly
enjoyed the conference andits various speakers, the“icing-on-the-cake” for me,was that I was able to attendthis conference with broth-ers from this church that Ivery much love and respect(Pastor Brian, Mike Maloney, andRyan Smith). Since the confer-ence was held in Louisville (homeof Southern Seminary), I also hadthe opportunity of meeting upwith Darren and Trevor Smithwho are students at Southernfrom the LaFayette Alliance
Church.
For me, Together for the Gospelis not simply a “nice” conferenceto attend every two years. It is aNECESSARY conference! Thereis no subject that should be of greater importance to us thanthe GOSPEL! And yet, it is thevery Gospel that is so misunder-stood and misapplied in manyevangelical churches today!
I think the following Preamblefrom the Together for theGospel Affirmations and De-nials document would be helpfulin informing you as to what isreally at stake when it comes tothe Gospel, but also in encourag-ing you to participate in whatGod is doing around the worldthrough local churches in theproclamation of the pure, power-ful, and unadjusted Gospel!
Preamble: We are brothers inChrist united in one great cause – to stand together for the Gos-pel. We are convinced that theGospel of Jesus Christ has beenmisrepresented, misunderstood,and marginalized in many
churches and among many whoclaim the name of Christ. Com-promise of the Gospel has led tothe preaching of false gospels, theseduction of many minds andmovements, and the weakeningof the church’s Gospel witness.
As in previous moments of theo-logical and spiritual crisis in thechurch, we believe that the an-swer to this confusion and com-promise lies in a comprehensiverecovery and reaffirmation of the
Together for the Gospel!I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
From Pastor
Brian’s Desk
2
Wednesday
Prayer Meeting
3
Thank
You!
4
From the Church
Library
4
Faith Heritage
Open House
4
Alliance Women
Ministries Update
5
Birthdays/
Anniversaries
5
Jonathan Wood
Raptor Project
5
Church Lockup
Schedule
5
Quizzing
News
6
Spotlight on
Leadership
8
Bulletin Board 9
Christian Writers’
Gathering
7
Mother~Daughter
Tea
8
VBS:
The Egypt File
10
The LamplighterM A Y 2 0 1 0V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 5
8/8/2019 May 2010 Lamplighter Newsletter, LaFayette Alliance Church
nity that you give to me each week of preaching and teaching the GoodNews of Jesus Christ. I cannot tellyou what it a joy it is to preach tosuch a Word-focused, Christ-centered, and Gospel-loving con-gregation. I trust that I will nevertake such a privilege for granted!
I would also like to mention thewonderful Northeastern Districtand Prayer Conference thatPastor Brian and I attended at Niag-ara Falls (Niagara Alliance Church).
The theme for this year’s confer-ence was Open Doors! We werereminded by both the Scripturesand by multiple testimonies thatGod is doing some great thingsthroughout many of our districtchurches as God presents “OpenDoors” for ministry opportunities.
We also reaffirmed the excellentministry of our District Superinten-dent, Dan Miller, with a 100% vote
in favor of his continuing to servethe district with another 4-yearterm. What a blessing to have Rev.Dan and Elaine Miller as our districtleaders, as well as all those whoserve so well at the district office!
God is good! These are excitingdays to serve our King! May Godrichly bless you in your service toChrist!
Pastor Rob
The Week of Prayer is set up with adifferent focus each day, which canalso be a guide for regular prayer
times:
May 2 - pray for your local church and
pastor.
May 3 - pray for U.S. Alliance pastors
and workers.
May 4 - pray for U.S. Alliancechurches.
May 5 - pray for Alliance leaders
worldwide.
May 6 - pray for Alliance international
workers.
May 7 - pray for overseas C&MA na-
tional churches.
May 8 - pray for "Pushing Back theDarkness" initiatives around the
world.
May 9 - pray for Alliance supportingorganizations, including CAMA, edu-cational institutions and retirement
centers.
With the theme for this year's Na-tional Day of Prayer being "Prayerfor such a time as this," based onNahum 1:7, we join with other be-lievers across the country to inter-
cede for our nation and our local,state and national leaders.
So, take these opportunities to makeprayer foundational to everything
you are and do
Prayerfully Yours,
Larry Petry
"First of all, then, I urge that entreatiesand prayers, petitions and thanksgivings,be made on behalf of all men, for kingsand all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity."
I Timothy 2:1,2
The month of May brings two note-
worthy opportunities for prayer.
May 2 - 9 is the Alliance WorldWeek of Prayer, and Thursday, May6 is the 59th annual observance of
the National Day of Prayer.
Prayer is a core value of the Chris-tian & Missionary Alliance. It is cen-tral to what we do as a denomina-
tion, as a church and as individuals.
Wednesday Prayer Meeting
“The month of
May brings
two
noteworthy
opportunities
for prayer.”
8/8/2019 May 2010 Lamplighter Newsletter, LaFayette Alliance Church
17 – Jacob Doolittle, Rebekah Doolittle, (Carl & Barbara Compton)
18 – (Clayton & Jessica Estey)
20 – Kathy Grabowski, Michael Caputo-Schoeck
21 – Diana Johnson, Barbara Mandigo
23 – Joe Grabowski, Amanda Maloney
24 – (Greg & Sue Titus)
26– Sue Walker
27 – Patti Reed
28 – Grace Dow, (Greg & Joan Simmons)
29 – Patty Maloney
30 – (Jeff & Sherry Kline)
31 – (Doug & Becky Mintz)
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Church Lock Up
ScheduleThis is a reminder for church officers who are onthe lock up schedule for the month of May:
May 2 Mike MaloneyMay 9 Matt CoulterMay 16 Jim PhillipsMay 23 Eric ReedMay 30 Pat Buff
If you are unable to be at church on the day you arescheduled for lock up, please arrange to change withsomeone on the schedule.
2009-2010 AWM National Project.
We help all our International Workers includ-ing marketplace ministries by providing themwith an “Outfit”. This is money to buyclothes, household items, things they need togo overseas.
District Expense: This covers training for allour regional coaches and materials needed forthat as well as printing materials given out toall our local churches.
Each month our Alliance Women Ministriesgroup sends funds to the Northeastern Dis-trict to help with various ministries. There willbe an offering can available in the foyer on thesecond Sunday of each month. You can also
designate “AWM” on your offering envelope if you prefer. Here is a brief summary of whatwe will be giving toward in the next two
months:
May: International Worker Outfit (the sug-gested amount to send in is $3 per AllianceWoman in the church. Remember, if you are awoman, you are an Alliance Woman!)
June: District Expense ($25)
Would you please consider giving to AWM inorder to help our International Workersspread the Good News of Jesus Christ?
Alliance Women Ministries Update
8/8/2019 May 2010 Lamplighter Newsletter, LaFayette Alliance Church
We finished off the regular quiz year with a greatquiz meet. Quizzers were jockeying for position
to make it into the top five for trophies. Here’show the seniors finished:
Nick Murgia – 1st placeSam Benedict 2nd placeCaleb Benedict 3rd placeNoah Schadt 4th placeAaron Fleming 5th place
Sam Benedict received a trophy for Most Improvedover last year and Caleb Benedict took home thetrophy for Rookie of the Year. Nick’s Team, alongwith Nate Phipps and Aaron Fleming received the1st place team trophy.
The top five plus Taylor Fleming will represent ourZone at the District Quiz Meet on May 1st inWestfield, NY. Rick Stout, Nathan Southwick andI are coaching the senior team. The top five atDistricts will represent our district at Internation-als in July. Please be in prayer for us and Marie asshe coaches Juniors.
All the rest of our quizzers are done for the year.Some are already beginning to think about nextyear when we will study the Gospel of John.
Georgia Phipps
T H E L A M P L I G H T E R - M A Y 2 0 1 0
Junior News
We finished out our season in good stead with 4of our 5 quizzers representing us at Districts.
Even though we ran into some difficult questions,the quizzers were up to it with some interestingtallies.
Joel Fleming went home with the 1st place trophyand his team with Amanda Negley earned 1st place.Beca Lloyd went home with a 2nd place trophy andthe Most Improved quizzer award. Amanda Ne-gley took the 3rd place trophy and Rookie of theYear. Chris Lloyd received the 4th place trophyand David Chen from Syracuse was 5th. These fivequizzers will represent the Finger Lakes Zone atDistricts.
We finished our last regular quiz day with an icecream social and congratulations all around. Pleasekeep these quizzers in prayer as they review theyears material and prepare for Districts, and as wecoach them.
Marie Murgia
8/8/2019 May 2010 Lamplighter Newsletter, LaFayette Alliance Church
We cordially invite you to a Mother-Daughter Tea onMay 15th at 1pm at LaFayette Alliance Church, Rt. 20 inLaFayette, NY. Not every woman is a mother, not everymother has daughters, but every woman is a daugh-ter. So in the spirit of fellowship, this invitation ex-tends to ladies of all ages and walks of life. We hopeyou will take this opportunity to join us in our Victo-rian Garden for an afternoon of fun, fellowship, andfood. Hope to see you there!
The Trustees have charge of the physical property of the church, both in maintenance and insurance. In addi-tion to the Trustees, we are also blessed to have a group of men, the “F4”, who willingly volunteer their timeto work on jobs around the church, saving the congregation time and money! Thank you for all of your hardwork!
(from left to right) Pat Buff, Clayt Estey, Matt Walker, Dick Standford, Eric Reed & Mark Johnson
Trustees
Mother~Daughter Tea
8/8/2019 May 2010 Lamplighter Newsletter, LaFayette Alliance Church
Baby Bottle Boomerang YARD SALE As you are cleaning out your closet, attic,and garage this spring, donate your items toAlliance Women Ministries. We will be hav-ing a yard sale to benefit our local group inearly June. Thank you for supporting the
LaFayette AllianceWomen! Keep watch-ing for more details!
Don’t forget that the baby bottles
will be available for pick-up onMother’s Day, May 9th. They willbenefit the ministry of New HopeFamily Services. Please take abottle - fill it with coins, bills, or acheck - and return it on Father'sDay, Sunday, June 20th.
Senior Ministry LuncheonAttention all Seniors— This month we will havea luncheon on Thursday, May 6th here atchurch at noon. Join us for a meal together anda great time of fellowship.
Greg Gelewski, from OCRRA will be our spe-cial guest. Bring all your recycling questions!
Please bring a dish to pass. Feel free to invite afriend and enjoy a relaxing, fun time.
The best way to stay up-to-date withKatie is by visiting her blog:www.missionarykatiewells.blogspot.com
You can read her updates as soon asthey are posted, see her quarterly news-letter, and even comment on her posts!
You can link to her blog from the home-page of www.lafayettealliance.org
ReminderPlease Note:
Submissions to the Lamplighterneed to be in file format; eitheremail or on a CD. Email would be
the preference. Thank you!
Delta Lake Summer CampsThe early registration deadline is fast approaching!Don’t let your child miss out on this awesome
opportunity!The following is a list of the camps:
Explorer Camp (Grades 9 - 12): July 25 - 31
Pioneer Camp (Grades 6 - 8): July 18 - 24
Trailblazer Camp (Grades 3 - 5): July 11- 17Adventure Camp (Grades 9—12): July 18 - 24
Costs for Explorer, Pioneer & Trailblazer Camps:$287 if registered by May 15th. After that $307.
Cost for Adventure Camp: $308 if registered byMay 15th. After that $330.
8/8/2019 May 2010 Lamplighter Newsletter, LaFayette Alliance Church
If you asked the children of your church and community how they felt about the Bible, what would their response be? Would they consider theWord of God relevant to their lives and interesting to learn from? Or would it seem irrelevant and trumped by “science”?
A recent survey by American Research Group revealed that an alarming number of young people are leaving the church after they graduate be-cause their questions about the Bible had not been answered. Of those polled, 86% had begun to question the Bible by their high school years.Of those who said they did not believe all the accounts in the Bible are true, 82% cited doubts about the Bible’s authority or its trustworthiness.
This VBS program, The Egypt File: Decoding the Mystery of Life, is a tremendous opportunity to address some of the questions childrenhave such as: did we come from ape-men? Is all human life valuable? If we can instill the truths of the Bibleand show its absolute authority, we will help to reverse this sad trend by equipping these children with theanswers they seek. Vacation Bible School is a fun way to provide solid Bible-based teaching in a fun and enter-taining way, that counters the misinformation about the Bible and science that children encounter daily.
I hope you will all join us in this journey. I understand that not all of you can volunteer during VBS week butthere are many other opportunities that are just as vital. Some of these may be providing financially, helpingwith decorations, being part of the publicity so we can reach our community, and most importantly praying forour VBS volunteers and for the children that attend that week. I would like to find a prayer coordinator: anindividual who has a heart for prayer and for organizing others to pray. If you are interested please let meknow.
I have seen God do amazing things in my life and know He can do the same in each of these children’s lives. Inthe coming weeks, consider where God is leading you to help in this year’s VBS program and join us in thisadventure.