THE REDEEMER RECORDERhttp://redeemermoravianphiladelphia.org

ORGANIZED AUGUST, 1965 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER INCORPORATED OCT, 1972 APRIL, 2013 REV. GEORGE RICHMOND, PASTOR CHURCH OFFICE: (215) 365 6448

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Redeemer Moravian Church2950 S.70th Street.

Philadelphia. PA 19142

From the PastorI am retired with effect from April 1, 2013. Now I have to discover what retirement means. I already know that it means that I have much to be thankful for. The Lord has been good to me through many years and I am thankful.I am thankful to Moravian Church, Northern Province for allowing me the opportunity of serving as a pastor in North America. I am thankful to John Hus Moravian, New York, and Redeemer Moravian, Philadelphia, for opening to me and my wife, Esther, not just their doors but their hearts. I am thankful to many friends and fellow pastors who have been supportive of my ministry. Esther and I will have many precious memories I look forward to continued ministry in other capacities and to exploring new avenues in doing ministry.On behalf of my wife and myself, I want to say a special thanks to Redeemer, Philadelphia, for the wonderful retirement farewell and birthday celebrations. It has been overwhelming.

The Joint Board of Redeemer will need all the support possible as the congregation goes through the process of seeking a new pastor. Members need to be faithful in attendance, in giving and in serving as the need arises.

People are still grateful for the word of God proclaimed to meet their needs. The sick are glad for prayers. The needy are thankful for help given. The lonely are glad for visits and telephone calls. The children need to hear the stories of Jesus.

In an age of economic turmoil and of nuclear power posturing, the gospel of sharing and of loving one’s neighbor needs to be taken to heart. Let us proclaim in our neck of the woods that gospel which Jesus gave to us and may it to reach the furthest ends of the globe.

“Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always to the end of the age.” (Matt..28:19,20George Richmond, Pastore-mail:georgerichmond@msn.com

You are invited to the REDEEMER

MORAVIAN CHURCH

A community church with a ministry of love and friendship reaching out with the gospel of Jesus Christ to meet the needs of people

APRIL BIRTHDAYS05 Reese Martin Sr.

Thanks be to God for His blessings

Ministers for the Pulpitfor the month of April

April 7, 2013 Rev. Norman Prochnau,April 14, 2013 Rev. Paul G. HumberApril 21, 2013 Rev. Peter HarrisApril 28, 2013 Bro. James Lavoy, Intern

Tue Apr 02 7:00 p.m. Bible Study & Prayer Wed Apr 03 7:00 p.m. Joint Board/ E District Meeting Sat Apr 06 2:00 p.m. Choir Practice. Sun Apr 07 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship Service/Holy CommunionTue Apr 09 7:00 p.m. Bible Study & Prayer Thu Apr 11 7:00 p.m. Men’s & Senior Choir PracticeSat Apr 13 9:00 a.m. Del. Val. Youth Rally at Palmyra, NJ Sun Apr 14 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship Service 12:45 p.m. Women’s Fellowship Mon Apr 15 7:00 p.m. Board of EldersTue Apr 16 7:00 p.m. Bible Study & Prayer Thu Apr 18 6:30 p.m. Choir PracticeSat Apr 20 Eastern Region Mor. Women’s Rally at Littiz

Sun Apr 21 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship Service 12:45 a.m. Men’s FellowshipTue Apr 23 7:00 p.m. Bible Study & PrayerSat Apr 27 2:00 p.m. Choir Practice

Sun Apr 28 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Youth Worship Service 12:45 p.m. Women’s FellowshipTues Apr 30 7:00 p.m. Bible Study & Prayer

WHO AM I?Clue #1. I was the man of full of faith and power.Clue # 2. I did great wonders and miracles among the people.Clue # 3. When I was brought before the council, I preached to them from Abraham down through the death of Christ.Clue # 4. I was the first martyr. Before I died, I prayed, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”

Fellowship Moravian Church 25th Anniversary

Greetings in the Precious Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! This month marks a significant time in the life of our denomination as it signifies the official beginning of the Unitas Fratrum - the Moravian Church - on March 1, 1457.  For more than 550 years the Moravian Church worldwide has a long and rich legacy of mission -- spreading the Gospel through worship and teaching, discipleship, and social justice.

Fellowship Moravian Church, one of the youngest congregations in the church’s history, is humbled to be a part of that legacy. On Sunday June 23, 2013, we will proudly celebrate 25 years of ministry in Brooklyn.“We have come this far by faith leaning on the Lord,” and as we celebrate this milestone, we extend heartfelt appreciation for your caring and support over these past years. We invite you to join in this celebratory service at 3:00 p.m.  Immediately following the service we will have the opportunity to meet and greet each of you as we continue the celebration with a reception in the auditorium.

We very much look forward to your participation as we give God praise and thanks. Please confirm your attendance by calling the church office at (718) 287-7200 or contacting Sr. Olivia McCammon at (718) 434-4360. May God continue to bless you and your family in awesome ways during this year.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Wellesley FergusonPastor

Quiz answer: - (Stephen).

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN ACTION

LOOKING OUT FOR THE KINGDOMFor the month of March, we all went on a journey together. We were told to read a book called Lord, Teach us to Pray in 28 Days. This book was our Lenten meeting study book. We had no idea that the journey would take us deep into reading and searching God’s holy word, The Bible. We began our Lenten Meetings with a bang. As Gods anointed people we have a duty to do Kingdom work. This book would guide us in that direction. As we began to study we learned that one of Jesus disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1) As we studied further the author Kay Arthur explains that Jesus gave his disciples the Lord’s Prayer as a guideline to follow. The author summarized the topics covered by the index sentences of Mathew 6:9-13. She then gave us the topic to each index sentence. Every requirement for prayer, every element of worship and praise, every perspective of intercession and petition is covered in the Lord’s Prayer. Our prayers connect Heaven and Earth. For Christians it is crucial that we pray. ( Have a little talk with God) It is written Pray Without Ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Lenten Midweek Study/Prayer Meeting 3/12/13The Sentence The Topic

1. Our Father who is in heaven,worship

hallowed be Your name.2. Your Kingdom come.

allegiance3. Your will be done,

submissionon earth as it is in heaven.

4. Give us this day our daily bread.petition &provision

5. And forgive us our debts,confession & forgiveness

as we also have forgiven our debtors6. And do not lead us into

watchfulness & deliverancetemptation, but deliver us from evil.

7. For Yours is the Kingdom and theworship

power and the glory forever. Amen

Furthering The Kingdom of God – When you and I pray, we are asking God to further His Kingdom. Yes, to bring His visible rule upon the earth in days to come, but also to bring it to the hearts of mankind now, in these last days-days that began with the first coming of His Son (Hebrews 1:2) and which will end with His Son’s second coming. The gospel comes individually before it comes globally. To God be the glory.

by Denise Stevenson

MORAVIAN MINISTRIES FOUNDATION

This past week the Moravian Church celebrated the 556th anniversary of its founding; we are thankful for the many ways it has and continues to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. 

As we look to our future, let us remember that as a people of faith, our work can serve God far beyond our lifetimes; with careful planning, our money can do the same. The MMFA is pleased to help Moravians create plans for giving which strengthen and support the ministries they care about most- both now and in the future. Contact Paul McLaughlin, Foundation President, for more information (pmclaughlin@mmfa.info or 888-722-7923) and visit our website to learn more about GiftLegacy, our planned giving program (http://mmfagiftlegacy.org).

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10

**Be sure to share our eNewsletter with your family, friends, and members of your church. Also, like us on Facebook and stay connected with how people are supporting the Moravian Church.

Do you need to make plans for the future but don't know where to start? We can help with an easy-to-use tool. Our Wills Guide is a fill-in-the-blank booklet that can help you organize all of the information an estate planning attorney will need to create your will or trust plan. We are offering this guide as our gift to you because we believe it will help you create a successful and satisfying future. To request your free copy, please call or email us. You can also visit our website and click on Wills Guide.

   

P E R S O N A L P L A N N E RGifts of LandMany friends of charities have benefited from a gift of land or a gift of land with a building or other structure. There are two main benefits for this gift. Read More 

F I N A N C E SStocks - Vail Resorts Reports Quarterly Earnings Read MoreBonds - Treasuries Decline upon Release of Jobs Data Read MoreCDs and Mortgages - Mortgage Rates Remain Largely Unchanged Read More

 

W A S H I N G T O N N E W SHouse Bill Would Avoid March 27 ShutdownOn March 6th the House passed the Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013 (H.R. 933) with a bipartisan vote of 267-151. Read More 

S A V V Y L I V I N GEmployment Resources for Older Job SeekersWhat resources can you recommend to help older job seekers? I'm 62, I have been out of work for nearly a year now and I need some help. Read More 

Y O U R P L A NProviding for Our Children's Future Daniel and Maggie worked for years building their nest egg for retirement. They also want to provide for their children. Read More

CAMP HOPE POSITIONS OPEN FOR SUPPORT

STAFFat Church Camp in Northern New Jersey

Term dates: June 17- August 10, 2013

(week of August 12 - 16 optional) Live with other staff members in air-conditioned

cabins All meals provided Lifeguard & food service certifications are

reimbursed Weekly salaried positions in food service,

lifeguard, maintenance, custodial NO EXPERIENCE needed. Will train.

APPLICATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED currentlyWITH JOB PLACEMENT BY APRIL 30, 2013Contact Camp Office for registration materials.

From the Provincial Ecumenical Officer

April 2013

Many issues divide Christians, who are, after all, human beings—although Paul tells us that in Christ there is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We can draw up a long list of issues: style of music used in worship; enthusiasm for mission in distant places; whether we should tolerate noisy children in worship; pacifism; use of alcohol; attitudes toward homosexual persons; when, if ever, church leaders should speak to economic, political, and social issues; whether congregations should be high-expectation groups; the relation of the Bible to other areas of study, like geology and psychology; whether the traditional vocabulary of Christian faith speaks clearly to our time; how to observe the Sabbath in a 24/7 economy. Each of us no doubt can add other matters of belief, worship, and behavior.

We can list pros and cons for many of these. We probably have changed our minds on some.

As I consider such divisive issues, two things strike me. First, dealing with a divisive issue often distracts us from more important matters to which we should be giving our time and energy. For instance, in the twentieth century many churches spent time and energy debating whether women should be ordained, time and energy that might better have been devoted to evangelism, ministry among the needy of our neighborhoods, or strengthening our marriages and families.

Second, often more important than the issue we are considering is the issue of how much difference or diversity we should live with, or can live with, within the church. Both unity and diversity are God’s gifts. With every one of God’s gifts, God hopes that we can appreciate and make good use of it. So, when we have differences, we need to ask, Does God want us to be together, in spite of our differences? Or are our differences so great that we can no longer be a faithful tool of God, so that God no longer expects us to be together?

Thirty-some years ago my wife and I were not living

near a Moravian congregation and were active in a church of another mainline denomination. A new pastor, convinced that God did not want any women in positions of authority, sought to lead the congregation in that direction. We felt that the spirit of the congregation was so poisoned that we needed to leave that congregation and find another. Some good friends also left; others stayed. Sometimes it is difficult to know when to stay together if there are strongly held differences.

When we deal with issues about which we do not agree, let us consider whether one issue is keeping us from attending to other, more important matters, and whether God’s desire for unity is as important as the issue we are dealing with.

Lord Jesus, your early church brought together slave and free, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, male and female, strong and weak. You welcomed whoever came. Lord Jesus, you demanded much of those who came: new ways of thinking and acting, new attitudes toward strangers, new patterns of generosity. Give us faithful hearts and wise hearts to know when to say yes and when to say no, when to cling to the old and when to welcome the new with open arms, as we seek to be faithful in your service. Amen.Hermann I. Weinlick, Ecumenical OfficerMoravian Church–Northern Province

Alaska Work TeamsThe perfect place to be in the summer

Bethel, Alaska - July 13-20, July 20-27Workers Needed for:

Semi-skilled construction,siding Seminary building, boardwalk construction, cleaning,replacing chairs

and tables in seminaryfor information contact:

Helen Gulledge, helengulledge1090@gmail.com David Hauser, westbenddave@triad.rr.com Mark Ebert mebert@mcsp.org 907-252-1174

Financial contributions can be sent to:The Little Church on the Lane, (Alaska Ministry)523 Moravian Lane Charlotte, NC 28207