Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA)

Arts Festival logo contest winner announced

by Stephanie Byrd

March 2, 2010

PCPC announces Jason Zachery as the winner of the 2010 PCPC Arts Festival logo contest. You may have seen Jason working at the Information Center as one of PCPC's daytime security guards. He is currently enrolled in the graphic design program at Mountain View College.

The theme for this year's Arts Festival is "Manger, Magi, and Majesty." Jason will receive an award of $300 and his logo will appear throughout the year until the end of the festival in mid-November.

Contribute to disaster relief funds

by Curt Dobbs

October 2, 2009

In the last week more than 1,500 people have lost their lives in the typhoon and storms in the Philippines and earthquakes in Indonesia. There has also been a tsunami in the Samoan islands. PCPC has significant work in both the Philippines and Indonesia.

In our ten years of involvement with Mission to the World in the Philippines, we have helped plant nine churches there. We also support a key national leader, Marcelo Ramirez, and his wife Aida. Celo's church and other churches have seen hundreds of members and other people they minister to flooded out of their homes.

Also, PCPC has begun cultural exchange work through Partners International in Indonesia on Sumatra, the island where the latest devastation struck.

We invite you to give financially this week to help with relief efforts and to help show Christ's love to people in great need. Checks should be sent to PCPC designated "Southeast Asia disaster relief." Please make any contribution over and above your normal giving.

Pray for the relief efforts, local pastors, leaders, and believers serving those who are facing great tragedy.

Two new positions filled at PCPC

by Stephanie Byrd

July 25, 2009

John Primrose joined our staff as Director of Human Resources and Ministry Services on March 30. Along with directing and developing our Human Resources department, he will supervise Ministry Services, which includes Information Technology, Database, Audiovisual, Event Management Systems, and Facilities.

Bill Weislak joined us as Facilities Manager on June 29, reporting to John as part of the Ministry Services team. Bill has full responsibility for the use and maintenance of our facilities and will also oversee the sextons.

John Primrose

John grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, in a Christian home. He accepted Christ in the third grade and rededicated his life to Him in the tenth grade, when his parents got divorced. Instead of getting angry at God, he said, he accepted the sadness and looked to God for help. “Lord, if You’re my rock,” he remembers thinking, “You’re never going to leave or change.”

He studied finance at the University of Oklahoma, and after trying his hand at banking, outdoor youth ministry, and real estate, he decided he was not called to those fields. He determined that he needed to work with people in a leadership role. “I’m into organizing, leading, and creating positive change through people,” he said. “The goal in any situation is to set it up for success.” He learned “a results-oriented work ethic” from his father, an entrepreneur in the health care industry. He then completed his master’s degree in human communication at Denver University.

John met his wife, Lisa, in a singles class at Cherry Hills Community Church in Denver. They have a daughter, Katie, age 13, and a son, Parker, 10, and live in Allen. “One of my favorite things is to be outside with my family,” said John.

John most recently worked as Human Resources Director at Time Warner Telecom in Denver. He has directed human resources in a variety of industries over the years. His sister and brother-in-law, PCPC members Gill and Nancy Brown, told him about this job opening.

Once he was hired, John had three initial goals to accomplish. First was to continue the HR development process that has been going on for the last 18 months. A 2007 employee survey revealed that the staff needed more objective, consistent performance appraisals. Job families and job titles have been updated; and in partnership with PCPC staff, HR has identified a web-based vendor for performance and development appraisals.

The second goal was to fill the Facilities Manager position by July 1. Bill began work June 29.

Third was to support the office move and remodel. Facilities and EMS proactively participated in this effort, led by Jeff Barber and Sally Rogers.

John’s goal going forward is “to continue to work with the staff leadership and the different Ministry Services committees to assess, identify, and implement changes and continuous improvement to align our Ministry Services activities with our PCPC vision, goals, five statements of identity, and competencies.”

So far, working with committees has been a positive experience for John. “What a blessing to have a committee of members to get feedback and approval on best practice, continuous improvements,” he said. “Two heads are better than one.”

It has been pleasant for him to keep remembering that we are a nonprofit ministry. “We are about shepherding and transforming lives. Transforming lives—wow!” he said. “Every other organization I’ve worked for has been profit-driven.”

“How do you measure the changing of hearts?” John asks. “We can identify vision and goals, and we can align activity.” Each staff member can ask, “How should I be spending my time?”

John hopes that the staff and lay leadership will continue to become more proactive and less reactive and to share a unified vision. He expects us to be collaborative, prayerful, and results-oriented.

“It’s a team effort,” he said. “It’s not staff. It’s staff and lay leadership. HR has an opportunity to set the staff up for success. Then we can change the world through Jesus Christ.”

Bill Weislak

Bill grew up in Rowlett, in a Christian home, and asked his parents when he was 7 or 8 years old what it meant to be born again. His father was a homebuilder and remodeler, and Bill grew up helping him with his work.

Bill earned a master’s degree in accounting at the University of North Texas and began working for Arthur Andersen in 1991. His next job was as assistant comptroller at Doctors Hospital. During this time he realized, “I liked walking around with the maintenance guys better than sitting in an office reconciling bank statements.”

In 1996 he went out on his own as a remodeling contractor, and he eventually became a contract facilities manager. When his main client got bought out in 1999, he became the facilities manager at Prince of Peace Catholic Community in Plano.

His next job was as director of facilities at St. John’s Episcopal Church and School in Dallas. He was brought there to help with the demolition of an old part of the school and the reconstruction of a new wing. It was “logistically pretty tough,” he said, but denied that it was more elaborate than anything he might need to deal with here. “It’s just really all a matter of trying to communicate,” he said. “I’m a pretty even-tempered guy.”

Next Bill worked for four years as director of facilities at Providence Christian School. Then, deciding he wanted to challenge himself professionally, he took a job as operations manager at Trademark Property Company, managing the Watters Creek retail complex in Allen. With constant construction going on, it was very busy. “It was a hard 14 months,” he said. “I really missed being in a Christian environment. When I heard about the opening here, I rushed to apply.”

Bill met his wife, Stephanie (the daughter of PCPC members Nancy and Bob Sutton), when he was working at Providence, where she is a third grade teacher.

“I kind of showed interest in her, and she didn’t have any interest in me for four years,” Bill said. He said he had the whole faculty and staff of the school, including the headmaster, helping him compose letters to her and trying to convince her to give him a chance, but she stood firm. “She’s very picky,” said Bill.

“When she finally said no,” Bill said, “I took her no as no. I gave her space.” He stopped making sure he was always the one to answer Stephanie’s work orders, as he had done early on, but he was still polite to her when their paths crossed. He thinks that his respectful treatment of her even after she had turned him down may have impressed her more than anything.

Finally, in May 2008, after Bill announced that he was leaving Providence to work for Trademark, Stephanie called him into her office and said that she would like to get to know him after all. He proposed to her in November, and they got married on March 14 here at PCPC.

“I’m kind of boring and low-key,” Bill said, “and she’s very bubbly and energetic.” At the time of our interview Bill knew exactly how many days they had been married (119). “It’s been a beautiful marriage,” he said.

Stephanie and Bill have begun to attend PCPC and are hoping to start participating in the Newly Married Sunday school community. They were prevented from worshiping the first Sunday they came to PCPC because of a problem with the church’s air conditioning system.

John said that Bill’s nine years of facility management experience in similar organizations make him a great fit for his job: “He had strong references both within PCPC and outside PCPC for both his professional skills and his personal integrity and faith.”

Bill has an open door policy. “If anyone has a problem with the facilities,” he said, “I’m willing to talk to them.”

“I’m enjoying getting to know the staff, getting to know the building,” Bill said. “I’m blessed to be here.”

Jeff Barber commented, “I am so pleased that the Lord has brought us both of these men. I’m very excited to see an excellent team being built with godly, highly skilled people who will serve our body and His Kingdom well.”

Elders and deacons on call for prayer at all times

by Stephanie Byrd

June 27, 2009

The Session has approved the creation of a new prayer ministry by our elders and deacons. Rotating teams of four men are now continually available to pray for your needs as church members.

Since the late 1990s, there has been an intercessory prayer ministry praying for PCPC members between Sunday worship services. Russ Miller, who along with John Vanderveld has been active on this team from the beginning, remembers former PCPC pastor Elliott Greene initiating the ministry almost 15 years ago. Numerous men and women have been involved throughout the years, and Women’s Ministries and the Pastoral Care staff have also coordinated their own specific prayer ministries.

The new ministry, called the 24/7 Prayer Ministry, is breaking new ground because of its 24-hour, seven-day-a-week availability and because of the Session’s direct involvement.

The idea formed one Sunday earlier this year when some of the elders were standing around the Sanctuary after the 9:30 am worship service, waiting to serve communion again at the next service. A PCPC member approached elders Tracy Taylor and Doug Horn and asked them if they could come and pray at the hospital for a family member who was in intensive care.

That afternoon after church, six elders came to the hospital to pray with the family and to lay hands on the patient. The patient, who hadn’t been awake for several days, woke up and was able to hear their prayers. She died later that week.

“We are hopeful that the Lord used that in her life,” says Tracy. The family was blessed by their presence and their prayers, he says, but “it was a greater blessing for us elders to be able to pray.”

After that day, Tracy said, “I had several Sunday afternoons where I was sitting around watching football or basketball, and I would think, ‘I’d be much happier going up to the hospital and praying with someone.’”

At the January Session retreat, the elders discussed the five statements of identity that Mark Davis has led our church in defining. One of the main items of discussion was that the elders needed to connect better with the congregation. Particularly, the men focused on the third statement of identity, “Our people pray boldly and dependently.”

Russ said that when our members are really in need of prayer, they call the church, and their needs are taken care of. “Our congregation needs to know their Session is there to love on them, and more is needed to get that message across,” said Russ.

The elders met with Jeff Barber and Mark to discuss this. When Tracy presented a preliminary plan for the prayer teams at the May Session meeting, there was no discussion (which he says is unusual). Every man there thought it was a marvelous idea, and the vote to proceed was unanimous. That night he presented it to the diaconate and got the same response. The result was the 24/7 Prayer Ministry, which began operation on June 22.

Russ spoke of Tracy’s great willingness and eager desire to serve in this new ministry. He also credits our senior pastor with the firm implementation of the plan: “I think it was Mark’s intent to really put a cattle prod to this.”

Two elders and two deacons are now on call weekly, available to go where people need them to go—to homes, hospitals, or wherever necessary, to pray about illnesses, family problems, urgent decisions, or other difficulties. Sometimes prayer can simply occur over the phone. In addition to responding to calls and e-mails, teams will also make hospital visits on Sunday afternoons and assist with other pastoral needs.

Calls to the hotline will be kept confidential; prayer requests will appear on pastoral care e-mails only if requested. Each prayer team is on call for one week, from Monday to Sunday. A dedicated phone line is routed to the weekly captain, and the team members have access to the e-mail account to find out if anyone has e-mailed a prayer request. The phone number for the prayer hotline is 214-224-2680, and the e-mail address is 24/[email protected].

Russ pointed out that there are also prayer cards in each pew and prayer boxes where members can place confidential requests for the intercessory prayer team. Again, the privacy of the requests is carefully guarded.

Tracy’s hope for the 24/7 Prayer Ministry is to build connectivity. “We elders and deacons are responsible for the hearts and souls of our congregation,” he said. “It is an awesome responsibility that is spelled out in the Bible.”

“There is never a time when our church is off duty, and all members of this wonderful church family need to know that,” Russ said. “Prayer is life-changing and life-sustaining, and growth within our congregation will come when we each give over to the Lord our lives and joyfully share in one another’s praises and burdens.” He spoke of the mandate of the church body to come alongside hurting members and “wrap our arms around them,” and he hopes that “over time there will be a true humbling of our church” in prayer.

“There’s nothing more powerful than prayer,” Tracy said. “We’re strongest when we’re on our knees.”

Officer candidates announced for July 19 election

by Will Nielsen

June 18, 2009

Congratulations to the following men, who have passed the deacon and elder exams and have been chosen as candidates to be approved for office from 2010 to 2014. There will be a congregational meeting to vote for these men between morning worship services on July 19. You can also download photos and bios of the candidates in PDF format (1.1 MB).

DEACON NOMINEES

Bryce Benson

• Spouse: Amy; Children: Carter (4), Caleb (3)
• Occupation: Attorney, Fulbright & Jaworski
• Years at PCPC: 7
• Ministries at PCPC: justice ministry, West Dallas

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Ray Bishop

• Spouse: Linda; Children: Russell (36), Angela Grassmuck (31)
• Occupation: Regional Grants Officer, Department of Health and Human Services
• Years at PCPC: 6
• Ministries at PCPC: Mercy Street mentor

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Chris Frattaroli

• Spouse: Tracey; Children: Caroline (14), Elena (12), Marina (11)
• Occupation: Senior Vice President, Neuberger Berman
• Years at PCPC: 15
• Ministries at PCPC: elementary Sunday school teacher, men’s Bible study, Men’s Fraternity, Vineyard class, Mercy Street, Voice of Hope, Center of Hope, International Cultural Exchange host, China mission trip

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Bill Harter

• Spouse: Shirley Ann; Children: Kelly Crowder (38), Sheri Sztamenits (36)
• Occupation: Consultant, self-employed
• Years at PCPC: 18 (charter member)
• Ministries at PCPC: Billy Graham Call Center, Communion Committee

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Ed Jarrett

• Spouse: Susan; Children: James, Catherine Richards, John, Jennifer, Julie, Mary Grace, Hannah
• Occupation: Homebuilder and renovation contractor, self-employed
• Ministries at PCPC: Helping Hands, Beyond Ourselves, Men’s Fraternity

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Mark Malone

• Spouse: Connie; Children: Matthew (22) Andrew (20), Mitchell (15)
• Occupation: CPA, Mark Malone CPA
• Years at PCPC: 18 (charter member)
• Ministries at PCPC: Helping Hands, Beyond Ourselves, Men’s Fraternity

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Aaron Mitchell

• Spouse: Margaret; Children: Sam (8)
• Occupation: Attorney, Tollefson Bradley Ball & Mitchell
• Years at PCPC: 10
• Ministries at PCPC: Preschool ministry, New Creations Community

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Ken Sloan

• Spouse: Virginia; Children: Katherine (19) Scott (17), Mary Carolyn (11)
• Occupation: Attorney, Sloan & Roberts
• Years at PCPC: 7
• Ministries at PCPC: Elementary Sunday school, outreach ministries

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Campbell Williams

• Spouse: Anne; Children: Campbell (2)
• Occupation: Food manufacturing and distribution, BCW Food Products
• Years at PCPC: 5
• Ministries at PCPC: Young Couples class, children’s ministry, Men’s Fraternity, Urban Ministries Christmas basket program

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ELDER NOMINEES

Ron Baxter

• Spouse: Sharon; Children: Kimberly (38), Amy Hickman (35)
• Occupation: Retired pilot, USAF and American Airlines
• Years at PCPC: member since 2004
• Ministries at PCPC:Mercy Street mentor, Voice of Hope tutor, Billy Graham Call Center, Helping Hands, Union Gospel Mission, New Creations class, current deacon and former diaconate moderator, nursery, Thao short-term mission trip, Katrina family sponsor

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Harry Hargrave

• Spouse: Gayle; Children: Taylor (33), Kendal Jenne (30), Brent (22)
• Occupation: Owner, Hargrave Investments
• Years at PCPC: 18 (charter member)
• Ministries at PCPC: Past moderator of Session, shepherding elder, WorkPlace Ministries, Care Cluster 11

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Louie Little

• Spouse: Katherine “Kaky”; Children: David (22), Katie (17)
• Occupation: Director of Human Resources, East-West Ministries
• Years at PCPC: 18 (charter member)
• Ministries at PCPC: deacon, Worship Committee member, children’s Sunday school teacher, Shepherds of Souls Community prayer moderator

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Rick Owens

• Spouse: Melissa; Children: Amanda Banks (28), Laura Baker (26), John (23) David (19)
• Occupation: Retired pilot, American Airlines
• Years at PCPC: 14
• Ministries at PCPC: World Missions team, welcome ministry

Staff to migrate soon from Hampton Court

by Stephanie Byrd

May 2, 2009

Staff members in Hampton Court are preparing to move, and information about their future is slowly emerging. The complexities of our venerable church building have kept the renovation schedule fresh and interesting.

The south end of Oak Lawn West, known informally as the counseling center, is nearly complete. Church building renovations on the first and second floors are scheduled to be mostly completed by this weekend, and the remainder of renovations in Oak Lawn West in May. Workstations will be installed by the first week of June.

The staff will move during the middle of June. Offices will likely be closed for a day or two while network connections are installed and staff members set up their workstations.

This handy directory should assist you in tracking down your favorite pastor or church servant, come June. The list omits staff who have not changed locations, such as worship and arts staff, youth staff, and the librarian.

Church building offices

First level (former rooms 131–134)

Audiovisual Ministry
Dennis Adams
Danny Jacobs

Children’s Ministry
Brent Baker
Gale Emerson
Darian Reichert

Communications
Stephanie Byrd
Will Nielsen
Brian Zerangue

Database
Colleen Allen
Virgle Wyatt

Facilities
Phil Vandermeer

Finance and Accounting
Ardie Aldrich
Jean Hagin
Suzie La Rash
Lori Nelson

Human Resources
John Primrose
Jamie Tanner

Information Technology
David Harty
Jim Rogers

Second level

Communications
Terri Speicher

Executive Director
Jeff Barber
Sally Rogers

Membership
Debbie Blanton
Elaine Montague

Reception
Pam Amsberry
Julia Berry

Senior Pastor
Bess Cave
Mark Davis

Spiritual Formation
Patrick Lafferty
Amy Tassos

Women’s Ministries
Laurie Butterfield
Ann Higginbottom
Kari Stainback

Young Families
Marzena Dunham
Cathy Evans
Bill Lamberth

Oak Lawn West

North end

Evangelism
Aaron Cave
Julia Lawrence
Tim Tinsley
Russ Whitfield

Missions and Outreach
Sarah Bagby
Curt Dobbs
Renatta Rasmussen
King Sribounheuang
Corey Young

Shepherd Leadership
Lawan Andersen
Pete Deison

Urban Ministries
Carol Baker
Julian Russell
Christina Spruill

South end

Counseling
Caty Coffey
Shannon Geiger
Jeff White

Pastoral Care and 60+
Jane Beasley
Wilma Morgan
Ron Williams

Career networking ministry at PCPC

by Jeff Barber

March 20, 2009

Because your work is important to you and God’s Kingdom, it’s important to us at PCPC. That’s why WorkPlace Ministries is developing an initiative to help those in career transition. If you are looking for work or looking to hire someone, please let us know.

Church offices relocating to PCPC campus

by Jeff Barber

March 7, 2009

To achieve significant financial savings for PCPC, the church offices will be moving from Hampton Court onto the PCPC campus. You will begin seeing progress in March, and the project will continue through early summer. By using a portion of Oak Lawn West and upgrading a portion of underutilized education space for our children, we are able to accommodate all of the 50 staff who currently office in Hampton Court.

Why are we moving? As we reevaluated the Hampton Court lease, which expires in June, we acknowledged three principal benefits of not renewing it.

The most significant reason is stewardship. We anticipate that we will be able to lower our operating costs by as much as $400,000 per year. The construction needed for the relocation is fairly minimal, and capital funds that the congregation voted to release for campuswide improvements will be used for the relocation project.

An additional benefit will be much easier access to the offices for our church members and visitors.

We also recognize the value of having our staff all together on the church campus. We believe being in a common location in the church will enhance our staff’s culture and its focus around PCPC’s calling.

As the project moves along, more information will be available, including new office locations for pastors and ministry departments.

New nametags for everyone

by Elaine Montague

March 6, 2009

Come by the tables in the hallway to get your new nametag on Sunday! If you're a member, you'll have a new one waiting. If you don't have one now, fill out the card you'll find at the table. Nametags will be distributed every Sunday through March 29.

Urban Ministries pastor joins staff

by Stephanie Byrd

March 17, 2007

When Julian Russell entered Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, his family’s goal was to eventually return to the Bahamas and start a Christian college. Instead, after he graduated in 1997, the family set off for what he calls “the third-poorest zip code in the United States,” in Memphis, to plant a church. “I felt that something needed to be done,” Julian? says.

Now Julian and his wife, Christiana, are moving to Dallas because he senses an urgency about urban ministries among the people in our congregation. As he listened to people talking on his first visit to PCPC, he noticed that “from the Session down to the lay level there was a sense of ‘Hey, we need to do something.’”

He will begin his role as PCPC’s Assistant Pastor for Urban Ministries on April 1, and Christiana will join him here from Memphis in June.

The best woman in the universe

Julian and Christiana had gone to the same high school in the Bahamas, but they weren’t part of the same crowd. “She was a preacher’s daughter and I was a pagan,” Julian says.

“I was like Augustine,” he says. “I had too much money and too much freedom as a young man.” At age 25 he left the Roman Catholic church, where he had been dutifully involved, and finally surrendered to the Lord.

It was around this time that he and Christiana got to know each other, and almost 26 years ago they got married. They have three children: Andrew (24), Jason (22), and Jamila? (18).

“My mother told me she thinks I married the best woman in the universe,” says Julian. “She’s the consummate pastor’s wife... She does whatever it takes to make me available to serve.” He is grateful for her advice, her prayers, and her encouragement for him to be a man of God. “I have a great admiration for her, not just because she’s my wife, but because of who she is,” he says.

A teacher for more than 30 years, Christiana earned a double honors degree in elementary education and speech pathology in college. Lately she’s been working in Christian schools for underprivileged children. Some of her students have gone on to some of Memphis’s most prestigious schools.

From data to doctrine

Julian earned his master’s degree in computer science through distance courses from the British Computer Society in London, and he designed software in the Bahamas for 20 years before going to RTS. He is currently finishing his dissertation to earn a ThM from Covenant Theological Seminary.

He decided to switch courses mid-career because he wanted to deepen his understanding of theology. “I knew how to design logic gates—that’s the essence of computing—but I didn’t know how to articulate the Bible the same way.” In a center of tourism, banking, and finance, he was noticing “a growing cynicism” among the people in the pews. “You would have a highly educated audience and a poorly educated preacher,” he says.

He moved to Orlando to satisfy his thirst for knowledge at RTS. “After 20 years of accomplishment, blood, sweat, and tears, even working with the IMF and the World Bank,” he says, “I was bored. I wanted to do Bible studies with drug addicts and ex-cons rather than sit in a board room.”

New beginnings

Julian has been the senior pastor of New Beginnings Community Church in Memphis since answering the call in the summer of 1997. The church became particularized in 2005, “much to the surprise of everyone.” In a neighborhood where ninety percent of the homes were headed by women, most of them on welfare, New Beginnings has grown into a multiethnic church, composed of people from the neighborhood and beyond.

There are both drug addicts and PhDs in the congregation. “It’s not a boring church by any stretch of the imagination.” The Russells both come from large families (he is the middle of 11 children, she one of 12 daughters), and they see themselves as bringing the family-centered Caribbean mindset to their ministry. About seven years ago, their church began feeding the entire neighborhood with a barbecue on Memorial Day.

The neighborhood has changed. Now there are people in his congregation who’ve never thought about working who have jobs. Julian says that people attending New Beginnings have kept their jobs longer than anyone in the neighborhood.

A bridge

Julian’s ministry has long extended beyond his local church. He has worked with the Christian Community Development Association, a network of organizations committed to expressing the love of Christ in America’s poor communities, as well as with the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. He and 29 other pastors were the first to participate in the Lilly Endowment’s Pastors Summit, meeting over a two-year period to discuss issues facing leadership and the church.

Julian hopes he can contribute at PCPC as one of the rare black teaching elders in our denomination. “Hopefully the Lord can use me as a means of bridging a predominantly white denomination and black folks who need to recognize the richness of Reformed theology.”

“There is an uncomfortable social gap between churches in this denomination,” he says. He hopes he can help our church reach out to young black men, for example, who have no idea how much people at Park Cities care for? them.

Julian is convinced that “good theology leads to good living.” He thinks a misunderstanding of the gospel explains many problems related to the inner city and minorities. He summarizes the lesson of Hosea 4–6: “the people perish because they don’t know God.”

At the heart of Reformed theology is the good news that God loved us first. If we believe God is waiting for us to make the first move, Julian says, we get exhausted and give up. Our denomination does not expect success from structures or ways of doing things but from the gospel of grace.

“Of those to whom much is given, much is required, and we’ve been given Jesus,” he says. “I feel obligated to the people of God to make God known... I want to communicate the God I love.”

Julian describes himself as “a very simple person.” He likes walking, swimming, and reading theology and history. He enjoys reading periodicals, particularly World magazine, to stay abreast of things. For entertainment he likes action films. “I don’t like thinking when I watch TV,” he says.

One of the things that excites Julian about this church is the people he’s met. “I saw people saying to me, ‘We want to serve God, and we want to serve His people.’ That excited me. I’m looking forward to working with people who are passionate about serving.”

He hopes that God will use him as a bridge between communities, like He did in Memphis—but also as a bridge between a holy God and His people. His message is for everyone of every description: “We think He’s a judge, and what we don’t know is that He’s a loving father. That’s what I need to communicate to His people.”

State of the sound system

by Colin Howland

January 20, 2007

We continue to make slow but steady progress on some sound issues in the Sanctuary.

In the past four months we have:

• Gotten new microphones for the pastors
• Rebalanced our current sound system
• Experimented with speaker configurations
• Sought advice from a nationally respected acoustical firm, to the end that we are investigating the purchase of speakers especially built for clarity of the spoken word
• Conducted acoustical experiments to see if there is any benefit to “softening” the room.

The results have all been very positive so far. Please be assured that, under the supervision of the Session, all that can be done is being done. Many other things have been done that are not on this list. We are working carefully and deliberately to ensure the best result for the multiple purposes of our Sanctuary. Please pray that we can make all of the improvements soon to the glory of our Lord.

Antiphonal organ installation

by Stephanie Byrd

April 1, 2006

A montage of photos (2.6 MB PDF) shows the workings of the antiphonal organ installed in our church.

A new gift to Families with Children

by Stephanie Byrd

March 4, 2006

You probably know her as the talented soprano who sings at worship services and other PCPC events, often with her brother, Adam. You may own their CD, “Testimony of Grace.” More than 200 young women around the world—missionaries, legislative staff, nurses, program directors, wives, and mothers—have known her as a mentor. Now, as of February 16, Lauren Bell is extending the Kingdom of Jesus Christ as PCPC’s new Director of Preschool and Elementary Ministries.

“I’m excited about being here,” Lauren says, “I feel like I’m getting an opportunity to serve my church family in a new way.”

A young woman herself, Lauren has already demonstrated her passion for training younger generations to follow the Lord. She earned her degree in elementary education at Messiah College in Pennsylvania, thinking it would serve her well on the mission field or in family life.

Since college, Lauren has taught and discipled mostly high school and college students in her service with a local evangelical Christian ministry. She has taught every level from kindergarten through college, in subjects ranging from public speaking to aerobics. “One of the most rewarding things as a teacher,” she says, is “when you pour your heart into someone, and then you see them turn around and pour their gifts into people.”

Cathy Evans, Director of Families with Children Ministries, says, “We’re thrilled to have someone with an education background and extensive ministry experience, including working with volunteers.”

In her spare time, Lauren is working toward a Master of Arts in Religion at Westminster Theological Seminary.

With all her achievements, it’s not surprising that six years ago Lauren had a health crisis that she attributes to burning herself out in ministry. Her book based on this experience, The Blessing of Boundaries, was published last year.

Many church members might sympathize with her problem: “Being in spiritual work, I felt like I could never say no to anyone.” The solution for Lauren was “learning to see boundaries as a blessing that God’s designed for our protection and our good, rather than as a curse.”

Remarkably, the Families with Children staff chose her CD “Testimony of Grace” as a Christmas gift to their preschool and elementary volunteers this past year, before Lauren ever considered applying for this job. Cathy sees it as the Lord’s preparing the volunteers for her role in the ministry.

“I want to come alongside the teachers and the volunteers and be of any assistance and support to them,” Lauren says. As she starts her new job, she emphasizes that “My first priority is really listening and seeing how things are being done. My understanding is that things are being done well, and we have a tremendous group of volunteers.”

The Families with Children staff has been working hard the past year to develop a strong team, Cathy says. “Now we’re really excited about having a balanced team with a variety of talents, and a pastor to lead the team.”

Cathy looks forward to Lauren’s involvement as the team leads familiar events, such as Backyard Bible Clubs, and develops new dimensions to FWCM this year, including more family dinners and programs like the Family Worship Primer in January.

Lauren looks past the lines of her job description to discern the main challenge: “I really think we’re in a battle for the hearts of the kids. The biggest challenge is not one that I can see, but it’s a spiritual battle.”

She mentioned a recent ministry meeting where the team discussed the topics of March’s parenting conference. Comparing today to 30 years ago, Lauren says, “It used to be that parents’ concerns were a bad attitude, or picking up wrong language at school, and now we’re dealing with self-destructive behaviors. And we’re sitting right in the middle of the Bible Belt in a very affluent part of the country, if not the world, and our kids, the kids in this church, are dealing with all of these things.”

“It’s an enormous opportunity, but an enormous responsibility at the same time, to do whatever we can do to defend this part of the Kingdom and to prepare the children not just to exist, but to thrive spiritually and to impact the world.”

Finance Ministry changes hands

by Stephanie Byrd

February 18, 2006

When Ophelia Greene retires next month, Ardie Aldrich will serve as our new Director of Finance and Accounting, working with Jean Hagin and Sharon Hunt.

Ophelia has led the ministry since May 1995. “I am leaving this position,” she says, “to redeem the time with God and family.” Last year she was diagnosed with cancer and began a course of chemotherapy and radiation treatments in August. This illness made her appreciate the importance of family, and she concludes, “I need to make a profound difference in the amount and quality [of] time spent with my family. My desire is to become a better wife, mother, daughter-in-law, sister, aunt, and friend.”

Ophelia is a member of New St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church, where her husband, Elliott, is Associate Pastor. They have three sons, Richard (22), Randall (19), and Ryan (12).

“When I was hired,” she says, “PCPC had 44 employees and the budget was $3.4 million.” Now, at the time of Ardie Aldrich’s hiring, the church has 110 full- and part-time employees and the budget is $12.2 million.

Ardie grew up in Millerton, Pennsylvania. In 1981, he graduated from Robert Morris College in Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Business Administration. He is a Certified Public Accountant in Texas, where he moved after college.

For 18 years, Ardie worked for the Texas Credit Union League, beginning as a staff accountant and eventually becoming Chief Financial Officer.

Ardie then worked as Controller for Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas, which provides mentoring relationships to high-risk children from single-parent homes in 17 counties. “I wanted to go someplace where my work was doing more than just contributing to someone’s bottom line,” he says. The organization hired him to help consolidate the operations of three agencies that had just merged. He set up new accounting, budgeting, and payroll systems and created financial and operational policies and procedures—“a fun challenge,” he recalls.

After that organization’s headquarters moved to Arlington, he became Chief Financial Officer at Global Partners Ministries, which provides church mobilization, outreach, church planting, and leadership development services to churches and other ministries worldwide. Joining Christian ministry was “something I had really wanted to do for a long time,” Ardie says.

He was hired to address a similar situation to the one he had faced before—Global Partners had four different divisions whose operations were practically independent. His job was to transform a financially inefficient organization into an efficient one. “God had that place picked out for me,” he says.

Now God’s purpose is to put Ardie in charge of PCPC’s Finance and Accounting Ministry. Rob Allen, Pastor of Administration, says, “I’m excited about him being here. He has past experience doing things that we want to do in updating and upgrading the Finance department.”

One of Ardie’s initial goals is to create a new chart of accounts to provide for additional financial reporting and to take better advantage of the Shelby database. “It’s a lot of work up front,” Rob says, “but when it’s done it’ll make the work for our staff and Finance and Accounting easier. It’ll be a lot more efficient.”

Ardie will also be looking at the recommendations recently made by an auditor, planning improvements to internal controls and reporting systems. His perspective as a newcomer who doesn’t take our processes for granted will offer an opportunity for growth, he says. “I’m trying to see what I can do to continue moving this ministry forward to wherever it needs to be.”

Ardie and his wife, Lisa, have been married eight years. They have five children: Carolyn (28), Max (26), Jordan (16), Chase (14), and Hillary (13). Jordan, Chase, and Hillary still live at home and attend the Rockwall public schools.

The Aldriches are active members of Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall. Ardie coordinates their 50–60-member adult Bible fellowship, which is like a Sunday School Community at PCPC, and the family participates in a cell group of several families within the fellowship.

For eight years, Ardie and Lisa have been involved in divorce recovery ministry. They have led Lake Pointe’s divorce recovery ministry for the last six years, taking the ministry’s existing curriculum and adapting it with material of their own. They now lead the class twice a year for ten weeks and offer a biweekly interim support group. “We’ve been able to greatly expand how much the church is able to do for people who are suffering the consequences of divorce, through our involvement and the involvement of many other volunteers,” Ardie says.

His personal faith has grown through his divorce and other hard experiences. He appreciates the book of James for its practicality and insight. “You’re going to have to go through trials of many kinds to develop perseverance,” he says, citing James 1:2–4. “Without perseverance, you can’t have maturity.”

Ardie looks forward to working for PCPC. “I really feel like he’s called my wife and me to be a part of the ministry here,” he said. “Working with a Christian evangelical organization that reaches out to the community and beyond is something that I find very appealing, because that’s what Christ has said to do.”

Breakaway 2006: The anti-retreat

by Hattie O'Neill

January 7, 2006

The title of this year’s Women’s Breakaway is “Beyond Ourselves.” It is the hope of Women’s Ministries that we follow the leading of the Spirit and move literally out of the community of us into the community of others. We seek to serve our neighbors who live over the dried-up Trinity River in West Dallas.

Perhaps the best way to describe the scope of that service is found in the list of antonyms of the word retreat. We are not retreating; rather, we are advancing, arriving, coming, extending, advancing, facing, forging, and meeting. And what we are advancing and extending is the message of Jesus the Christ. God has come. He has lowered Himself to serve and save us. There is hope for the now and there is hope for eternity. He is our hope.

Women’s Ministries extends this challenge to you: During this Breakaway we ask you to preach the gospel to your neighbors with your hands, your feet, and your energies. Indeed this is a departure from the usual Women’s Breakaway. But it is in no way a departure from the express command of the King we serve.

Schedule of Events

On Friday night, February 24, 6:30–9:00 pm, we will receive our marching orders over dinner in the newly acquired Park Place Motors Building. Peggy Wehmeyer-Woods of World Vision Report will share her story of being a Christian woman who is using her life to bring redemption and justice to a fallen world.

Saturday morning, February 25, 8:30 am–6:00 pm, we will move in and through West Dallas with our particular assignments to serve our neighbors. This will be a day full of love’s labors. There are categories of service to choose from on the registration form. Some of these categories include painting, planting, cooking, and praying. We want you to serve in your area of giftedness and strength.

More information about Breakaway 2006: Beyond Ourselves will be found at www.pcpcwomen.org and at the Women’s Ministries table in the Sanctuary hallway. Registration is open online and at the table from now until Valentine’s Day.

Another letter to One Year Bible readers

by Pete Deison

December 10, 2005

What a fabulous year God has given us! If you read the Calendar of Thanksgiving on the back of the bulletin two Sundays ago, you glimpsed the grace God has poured out on our church. Part of that grace has been the encouragement to read through the One Year Bible as a family. We hope you have been blessed in new and fresh ways by the Spirit as you have read. The Psalmist wrote, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.... Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.... I rejoice at Your word like one who finds great spoil” (Psalms 119:18, 24, 162). Finish the job and ask God to reveal wonderful things this last month.

As we enter the Christmas season, consider giving the One Year Bible to a friend with the challenge to read it through. God’s Word is not magic; yet it is full of mystery and profound power for change.

As you think about a Bible reading plan for 2006, here are two suggestions:

The 3 x 5 plan: Read three chapters a day and five on Sunday, and you will cover the Bible in one year.

The 12 x 5 plan: Take one book per month over five years. If you double up on the shortest books, you will cover the Bible more deeply. If you’d like a suggested guide for this plan, contact me at 214-224-2739. This is my personal preference. I have been through six five-year cycles and can attest to the rich results of this method.

May God’s Word cause His grace and His presence to make you shine like stars in this dark world (Philippians 2:15–16).

Ten-year recognition for Debbie Blanton and Ophelia Greene

by Stephanie Byrd

May 14, 2005

Congratulations to these two employees, hired May 1, 1995, on their tenth anniversary as staff members.

Debbie Blanton, Director of Membership

It’s fitting to feature Debbie Blanton’s face along with all these other new faces, because she was intimately involved in welcoming them into our church family. Debbie enjoys her role planning and facilitating the membership classes and walking new members through the process of joining the church. If you’ve joined the church since 1995, you’ve met Debbie Blanton. But what do you know about her?

Debbie was born and grew up in Dallas; she’s “proud to be a Texas girl.” Her responsibilities at PCPC include helping produce the Membership Directory, serving at MIDWEEK meals, and helping coordinate special events related to membership. “What I enjoy most about my job is serving His people and working with a staff that is exceptional!” says Debbie. “It is a privilege to work with so many gifted people.” Debbie has attended several Sunday School Communities at PCPC, including Shepherds of Souls, Foundations, and the Good Shepherd’s Fellowship.

In her free time, Debbie enjoys “drawing, reading, cooking, anything to do with fresh flowers, and spending time with friends.” She declares that “my life has not turned out the way I expected or planned, but, in spite of me, I can say without a doubt that my God lives and actively participates in my life, supplying all my needs. He is true to His Word and can absolutely be trusted.”

Ophelia Greene, Director of Accounting and Finance

Ophelia Greene’s role on staff is not a high-profile one, but she’s about as fundamental to the operations of the church as you can get. She leads the Finance Ministry, which is responsible for processing payroll, paying vendors, facilitating the budget and audit process, and handling all contributions and cash management. The Finance Ministry insures that fiscal accountability is maintained, internal control guidelines are adhered to, and IRS guidelines are complied with.

Ophelia is originally from Amite, Louisiana. A graduate of Grambling State University and Dallas Theological Seminary, she has lived in the Dallas area since 1975 and was a member of PCPC for seven years. She now attends New St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church, where her husband, Elliott Greene, is Assistant Pastor. She has three sons, Richard (22), Randall (19), and Ryan (12).

Before coming to PCPC, Ophelia served for eight years as the Business Administrator of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. “I am serving at PCPC because God opened the door for me to serve Him in a cross-cultural environment,” she says. “When I was hired, PCPC had 44 employees and the budget was $3.4 million. We now have 85 full-time and about seven part-time employees and the budget is $11.6 million. I would conclude that PCPC has really grown.”

Those who serve on the Budget and Finance and Audit Committees are already familiar with Ophelia. All of us should be grateful for her professional expertise and her scrupulous dedication to the stewardship of our Lord’s money. In her own words: “My aim has always been to improve our level of service and technical excellence and articulate our role within the overall framework and mission of PCPC. We have a stewardship responsibility, which is the oversight and allocation of resources entrusted to PCPC in a manner that extends the Kingdom and glorifies God.”