September 2011

Being and Making Disciples of Jesus

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1. It will cool off.

2. The world is full of the grandeur of God. Fall foliage in glorious color is one of God’s gifts.

3. Linda and I are both teaching in the Wednesday evening EDGE program. She is teaching Music From the Heart of Linda McKechnie. Her class will meet around the grand piano. She will explain her style of weaving classical music with hymns, praise songs and Christmas carols. Where do those ideas come from? Linda will also introduce the class to her handbell music and its application for the functionally challenged.

4. At EDGE, I will be leading a course on I Can’t Even Spell Presbyterian! What makes a Presbyterian? Where did we come from? What do we believe? What do we practice? Under what authority do we operate? This class is for visitors, prospective new members and even ancient Presbyterians.

5. The music program for traditional and contempo-rary worship will ramp up with new music and input. At Eastminster, the ministry of music and the ministry of the Word are always complementary.

6. We will acknowledge the 10th anniversary of 9-11 on Sunday, September 11, 2011. Worship on that Sunday will be led by Steve Dickie.

7. I am excited about being part of the Eastminster Pulpit Ministry this fall. For example, on World Com-munion Sunday, October 2, I will preach on The Extra in the Ordinary. We will gather around the Lord’s Table on the first Sunday in October and celebrate our unity in Christ with Christians all around the globe. Some Christians will celebrate The Lord’s Supper before we get out of bed that morning. Some will celebrate with us and some after we go to sleep that night. Grace is God’s unconditional love for those who don’t deserve it. That’s worth celebrating.

8. Stewardship Emphasis will be on Sunday, November 6, God’s IPO, and Sunday, November 13, Fiscal Fitness. Stewardship is everything I do after I say, “I believe.” God has given us heads to make money and hearts to give it.

9. Sunday, November 20, we get ready for Thanks-giving. I will preach on the topic, The Science of Gratitude. The nudge of the calendar calls us to gratitude. The Bible says, “Rejoice always. Pray con-stantly. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

10. November 27 is Advent I. This holy season comes from the Latin Adventus. It means “Com-ing.” We prepare for the coming of the Christ — the Incarnation we celebrate at Christmas. That glorious season is filled with the affirmation of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ!

September 4Look for a New Boss

Dave McKechnieEphesians 6:5-10

September 11God Rules!

Steve DickieLamentations 3

September 18On Waking to Wonder

Dave McKechnieGenesis 28:10-17

September 25Snake-Bit!

Dave McKechnieNumbers 21:4-9

Why Am I So Excited About This Fall?By Dave McKechnie, Interim Senior Pastor

message series • september 2011

Go online at eastminster.org/message for updates to our upcoming messages. You can also watch or listen to our most recent messages online at eastminster.org/sermons

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What do you encounter when you step into the dev-astation left by a tornado? How does God use you? Some Eastminster members headed to Joplin this sum-mer on short-term missions trips. We asked four of them — Rick Hilscher, Brian Eggenberger, Jim DeKalb and John Moody — to share their stories of destruction and restoration in Joplin and how God used them to minister to others.

Rick Hilscher Why did you go to Joplin? When? I felt called to go to Joplin as an outward demonstration of my Christian love for my fellow man. Initially I registered with Samari-tan’s Purse but later learned of our dialog with New Creation Church. I was there from June 19 to 22.

What did you hope to do there? By going there I hoped to be able to provide feedback on how our church might be able to support them later. I went there thinking I would serve outside helping clean up debris, but God had other ideas that were a much better use of my skills. When I arrived they needed help organizing volunteer data into a tracking system. So I ended up working in the church office developing data tracking spread sheets and getting to know the church staff. This led to me being able to identify specific needs that we were able to meet through donations of food and an ice maker.

What was the best part of your trip? Watching God’s hand at work in this frenetic environment. Despite the chaotic interaction of human need and servants’ hands, God provided needed resources with perfect timing and

often without apparent human planning or leadership. Things just happened when they needed to happen, like food showing up at the kitchen door to meet a specific shortage.

Please share about one experience or one person you will never forget.At midday on my third day there, a young mother showed up at the church door with her three children under 5. She was asking for a gas card so that she could drive to Park City where she could stay with relatives. Her home had been destroyed in the tornado and she had now been evicted from wherever she was living since the disaster. Also her car had been destroyed, and she was on her second loaner car since then.

I was sitting in the pastor’s office working on spreadsheets when a visiting pastor came in with a panicked look on her face asking if we had any gas cards. She quickly related the story about this girl. I went down to try and help. By then the girl had left and was across the street loading her crying children back into a minivan which obviously had no air conditioning because the windows were all open. As I walked up to her, the baby in her arms reached out to me to hold her. I still tear up when I think of that.

I held the baby and talked to the mother. She didn’t know how to get to Park City and didn’t know how much gas was in her car because the gas gauge didn’t work. I helped her get the children back into the car and told her to follow my car to the gas station. When we got there I filled up her car and bought some food and drinks for the children. Then I pointed her in the direction of Park City and blessed her.

Destruction and RestorationThe May tornado in Joplin brought together human needs and servants’ hands.

(Continued on Page 10.)

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Kyle McCormick is our newest Frank N. Kik Pastoral Intern, but he’s certainly no stranger to Eastminster. Three years ago, Kyle served as a summer intern for Children’s Ministries and returned in June to begin his current pastoral internship. Today he shares about the experiences he’s encountered so far.

First, will you share a little about your background?I was born and raised in Kansas. My parents converted to Christ around the time I was born, and we worshipped as a family at a local non-denominational church. I studied theology at John Brown University, and joined the local PC(USA) congregation in Siloam Springs, Ark. In the summer of 2008, I was the Children’s Ministries Intern for Mary Stephens, and later that fall I transferred my membership to Eastminster. I’m now a student at Princeton Theological Seminary, where I have completed my second year of studies.

Tell us about your journey to become a pastor. How did you become interested in it?When I was a sophomore in high school, my youth pastor started teaching our group systematic theology. It rocked my world and transformed my faith. I went to college confident that I was being called to overseas mission work. As I continued to study theol-ogy, however, I began to wonder if the mission field to which God was calling me wasn’t much closer to home. I don’t think it’s fair that people have to go to college to learn to read the Bible and understand the faith of the Church. And I started to think that

there might be a lot of people like me, who were hungry and excited to study and learn and grow in their faith and understand-ing of God’s Word. So, that basic desire to learn as much as I could so that I could turn around and teach it to others was the starting point for my interest in pastoral ministry.

Besides Jesus, who has most influenced your path into full-time ministry?There have been many people in my life who have contributed significantly to my sense of call. However, if there were one person who has most shaped my idea about what it is to be a pastor, it would have to be Breck Castleman, the pastor of the little Presbyterian church in my college town. He has been con-sistent in demonstrating to me a life lived in obedience to Christ, and I hope that one day I can be the pastor that he is.

What do you do at Eastminster? What does your internship involve?Well, it seems to change every day! I just got back from the high school senior trip to Kansas City, which was a blast. We have a great group of young people here at Eastminster. I’ve so far had the privilege to go with them to Westminster Woods and teach a few lessons. A group of high school graduates approached me this summer, and asked me to lead a study with them before they left for college. So, we’ve been busy pouring over the Westmin-ster Confession and Shorter Catechism, meeting three times a week. It has been so wonderful and encouraging to me to see these students actively pursuing Christ and growing in their knowledge and love for him.

Committed to the CallKyle McCormick shares about his journey back to Eastminster.

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Frank N. Kik

Frank N. Kik, senior pastor at Eastminster for 17 years, made a lasting impression on many in the community and beyond. The internship in Frank’s memory is a testimony to the impact of this one unique servant of the Lord.

Upon Frank’s arrival in 1972, Eastminster had a membership of 663, and when he left in 1989, the membership had increased to 1,756. The church’s mission program had grown from a modest level to one of the strongest in the entire denomination. Under Frank’s leadership, Eastminster moved from its original facility at 9th and Armour to a new 40-acre location on Webb Rd., one that could support many times the level of activities, service and involvement. Eventually, a chapel, bell tower, additional educational space, and a Student Center were added, as envisioned when the new church was built in 1987.

Frank finished his career in serving the Lord as Professor of Practical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary – Charlotte, N.C., until his death on August 1, 2006.

As the summer progresses, I hope to explore other aspects of pastoral ministry here at Eastminster. I have already been able to accompany Rev. Oppriecht on hospital visitations and have celebrated communion with him at homes. I have also been able to secure a couple of preaching opportunities as well.

The Frank N. Kik Internship is an intention-ally broad program, with an emphasis on exploring and discerning strengths and weaknesses, exposure to all aspects of pastoral ministry, and personal mentoring from the pastoral staff.

Why are you excited to be work-ing at Eastminster?I love this church. I love the people here. I have loved getting to know Kermit Oppriecht and Paul Bammel over the years, and I am so blessed to be able to look to them as role models and mentors. I am excited to get to know Dave McKechnie, and to learn as much as I can from him as well, because he obviously has a lot to teach.

I love the ministry that Eastminster has both here in Wichita and around the world. One of the reasons I was so excited to start this internship was that I just wanted to have a more active role in what our church is doing.

I think the most exciting thing about being here is simply being here. I joined while in college and almost immediately ran off to seminary after that. I have really been longing for the opportunity to put down some roots here, beyond simply being here for summer and winter recess. I love being able to worship with this community week after week, and I look forward to establishing more relationships here.

What are some challenges you’ve faced so far?It’s almost embarrassing to say, but a significant challenge for me so far has simply been adjusting from the lifestyle

of a student to that of a pastor. By that I mean, a student has very little scheduling requirements and is basically accountable to no one. A pastor, especially one work-ing with a large staff, has a full calendar and is accountable to basically everyone. It’s been challenging to force myself to make the most of every minute of every-day, because I don’t have large chunks of time to study or think or prepare anymore. But this has also been incredibly wonder-ful for me. Honestly, I have been sick of being a student since I graduated college. It has been so good for me to work here and to establish habits and a healthy daily rhythm.

What are you most passionate about in your role as pastoral intern at the church?I love teaching. I love worship and helping guide the liturgy. I love learning, and I know there is so much for me to learn. I am simply excited about the won-derful opportunity that I have in being here this year, both to learn and grow, and to serve.

What is God teaching you right now?Right now God is teaching me that pasto-ral ministry is impossible. I can’t do it. But, what is impossible for people is possible for God. So, I’m learning that sort of daily reliance and dying-to-self that comes only from hearing the call of Jesus.

Finish this sentence: I would like to spend more time ...I would like to spend more time in physi-cal exercise. I’m really to the point that I don’t think anything else works right, heart or mind, if I don’t take care of my body. I’ve been convicted by studying the biblical concept of resurrection. We were never meant to be free-floating spirits, but embodied creatures. Sometimes I won-der how the technological and industrial advances we’ve made have actually “disconnected” us from our bodies. I know I struggle with it.

A Faith-Focused FamilyLearning to live out your faith at home

Eastminster is partnering with other area churches to bring a not-to-be-missed weekend of Faith@Home events to Wichita October 1 and 2. (See sidebar.) Pastor, consultant, speaker and author Mark A. Holmen will lead the two-day conference. Below, he shares about the Faith@Home movement that inspires and motivates parents to live out their faith at home.

First, we’re looking forward to having you lead the Extreme Family Makeover seminar October 2. What excites you most about this opportunity?I love helping people, in very easy and practical ways, to bring more godly living into their lifestyle at home. What I find is that most parents today want to be good parents. In fact they don’t just want to be good parents … they want to be great parents, and as they are searching for ways to do this, many recognize that bringing a more godly lifestyle into their home would help. Unfortunately, the problem is that the majority of parents today don’t know how to do this, and it’s not something you will get through Oprah or Dr. Phil, so that’s what I get to do and that excites me a lot!

Would you share a little about your background and how God led you into full-time ministry?My dad was a Bible camp director, so I grew up at a Bible camp. God was always a part of my life. Since we lived at the camp, Christianity for us was a 24/7 thing, and so from a very early age I felt called to ministry. Now I never wanted to be a pastor; I just wanted to be a camp director like my dad, but God had other plans. My ministry career started in camping ministry, and then I spent 12 years as a youth and fam-ily pastor serving in three different churches in the Minneapolis area. After that I was called to be a senior pas-tor of a fairly large church in Ventura, Calif., which is where we still live today. After seven years, God called me to take another step of obedience and surrender my senior pastor calling to become a full-time missionary to the Faith@Home movement. I have been doing this now for two years.

Tell us about how the Faith@Home movement began, and what it has grown to encompass today.Let me start by sharing that the Faith@Home movement is God’s movement and not mine. I simply serve it. The Faith@Home movement has been evolving and growing over the last 10 to 15 years, but it has really taken off in the last five years. The Faith@Home movement is about helping churches establish a Faith@Home focus in how they “do” church across EVERY ministry of the church. The Faith@Home movement is also about helping individuals and parents establish a more godly lifestyle at home, because that is where the rubber hits the road.

My time is now spent traveling, literally all across the world (I have been in six countries over the last two years) speaking to pastors, church leaders, denominations, as well as parents, on the topic of Faith@Home. I’m truly amazed at all the doors God is opening and that the Faith@Home message is connecting with churches and individuals of every shape, size and expression. That’s why this is God’s movement and not mine, because only God could do something this big. There are literally thousands of churches that are now establishing and sustaining a Faith@Home focus.

Share one experience with the Faith@Home movement you will never forget.

Over the past year I have been able to see God transform a family that was in complete disarray,

where the husband and wife were separated and headed for divorce, into a family that now prays together, worships together and serves together! The Faith@Home mes-sage intrigued the dad first, because he knew his life was falling apart and he was open to the concept of bringing more godly living into his home. He wasn’t interested in church at the time, but he was interested in Faith@Home. As a result he came to my Extreme Fam-ily Makeover parenting seminar, then started praying with his kids, even though he didn’t even know who he was pray-ing to at the time. Now, one year later, he

has given his life to Christ, been baptized and his wife has come back. The family is

reunited again all to the glory of God!

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Describe the difference between a Faith@Home-driven church and family ministry.Family ministry provides programs for families to engage in whereas a Faith@Home-driven church is a church where EVERY ministry of the church is working to equip people to be more godly at home. Being a Faith@Home-driven church is way bigger than family ministry, because Faith@Home is something every ministry should be driving towards. We need our men’s ministries to equip guys to be godly men at home and our women’s ministries equipping ladies to be godly women at home. Our seniors ministry needs to equip our seniors to be “meddling” grandparents in the lives of their children and grandchil-dren, and our children’s ministry needs to equip moms and dads to be the primary spiritual influencers in their homes. Having a good family ministry can help with this cause, but the Faith@Home cause needs to be a church-wide commitment.

In your view, what is one trou-bling trend in America’s Christian churches? In our Christian families?The fact that less than 10 percent of Christian households today pray at home, read the Bible at home or engage in any form of worship or devotions at home is very troubling. Add to this the fact that somewhere between 60 to 90 percent of the children in our church programs today are going to disengage from their Christian faith when they are young adults is also very troubling. Then when you add to that the divorce rate in Christian couples and it’s easy to see that Satan has strategically targeted the home as the primary place for his disrupting attacks. The problem isn’t what’s happening at church; it’s what’s happening in our homes, and yet we can get so busy “doing church” that we forget that. The church needs to get back into the Faith@Home business and so do individuals and households. One hour a week at church isn’t going to do it. Changing the worship service to be more

… whatever isn’t the solution. Bringing authentic Christ-like living back into our 24/7 lifestyle, starting at home, is.

Christians today have access to more books, DVDs, blogs, and online resources than ever before, not to mention our own church programs and events for every age. Yet with all these resources at our fingertips, why do you believe we are failing to live out our faith in the home?We use these resources and programs in an outsourcing manner where we expect the resources or programs to do it for us rather than looking for resources or programs that will equip and help us do it ourselves. Faith is not something that can be outsourced; it is a relationship that is meant to be lived 24/7. The problem isn’t the programs or resources; it’s how we utilize the programs and resources.

Tell us about the Extreme Family Makeover seminar. What do you hope families will learn? In just three hours, we aren’t going to let the grass grow under our feet. We are going to give families the tools they need to bring Christ and authentic Christ-like living back into their home. We are going to start from the place that every house-hold needs a Faith@Home makeover, which simply means we need help, and then we are going to rebuild it quickly. By the time we are done, families are going to have the tools to pray, read the Bible, engage in faith talks and serve together. We are even going to help them build a family mission statement and provide a new approach to discipline. Parents, grand-parents, parents-to-be and anyone else will get some great “takeaways” from the seminar. It’s fast, practical, fun and as one person recently shared with me, “doable.”

Complete this sentence: My great-est hope for families today is …That they grow to be the very best func-tioning family that God created them to be.

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Save the Dates

Faith@Home Church SeminarSaturday, October 1 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.Countryside Christian ChurchEastminster is sponsoring two seminars in partnership with Countryside Chris-tian Church at Countryside, 1919 S. Rock Rd. This free event is especially for church leaders and volunteers.

Extreme Family Makeover Sunday, October 2, 2 – 5 p.m.Countryside Christian ChurchDon’t miss this free event for par-ents, grandparents and parents-to-be. Our time together will inspire, motivate and equip parents in how to establish the home as the pri-mary place for faith to be nurtured.

Parents and Kids Together, a Faith Journey EventSeptember 18: for kinder-gartners and parentsSeptember 25: for third graders and parentsAt Eastminster we want to partner with parents and be a resource to help families bring the love of Christ into the center of their family life and homes. On our Faith Journey Event days, parents and kids will learn a faith skill in an interactive workshop that they can start implementing as a family right away. Parents, be sure to join your children in their Sunday school rooms at 9:30 a.m. on the above dates. Watch for more Faith Journey Events to come!

See more details online at eastminster.org/faithathome.

Mark A. Holmen

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Faith on Its FeetEastminster’s high school students and summer interns put feet to their faith by spending time with Wichita kids during a summer day camp.

When we hear the word “missionary,” it’s sometimes easy to conjure up

images of Christians moving to the plains of Africa, or learning a new language and culture so they can live in Asia, or even saying goodbye to friends and family to enter the darkest regions of the Amazon. All of this can be true, and often is. But what we may not immediately think of when picturing a missionary is driving down the street in our own home town.

This summer, our high school students and summer interns did just that, driving just a few minutes from Eastminster to Brotherhood Presbyterian Church. The church was having a summer day camp for area kids, and they knew helping out would be the perfect way to put feet to their faith. “I wanted to help at Brother-hood because I feel like helping with activities in Wichita are just as important as going to a third world country and doing mission work,” explains Emily Pick-ert, a senior at Andover High School.

The day camp is held for four weeks during the summer, and includes crafts, sports, worship, lessons, snacks and more. Many of the children are at risk of being home alone or out on the streets while their parents are at work and they’re out of school. “The great thing about it is it gives the kids a safe place to be loved on and mentored,” explains Student Ministries Pastor Paul Bammel, who also

helped out at the camp. “You see kids learn about Jesus in a completely different environment than we’re used to. You leave totally exhausted because you give every ounce of energy you have to the kids. But then you can’t wait to go back!”

out of the comfort zoneThe Eastminster students and interns say they recognize the value of serving in their own city. In fact, many of them shared how easy it is to find ways to serve Wichita in unexpected places. All it takes is to move out of our comfort zones and follow God where he’s leading. “God has given me a passion to see his kingdom grow in the inner city,” shares K-State freshman Hope Faflick. “He has convicted me that too often I fail to understand the needs of Wichita because I’m only interacting with a very small part of it. He doesn’t call us to only love and serve those we interact with daily in our commu-nity, but the entire city. With this conviction and my heart for kids, I knew volunteering would be an incredible opportunity.”

“God showed me there are different cul-tures within a drive’s distance and that I can help for much longer than a week, and continue to show up and serve,” says Neal Heitmann, one of the Student Ministries summer interns.

lasting impactThe volunteers say they wanted to take the opportunity seriously, and not just

make it a week-long project. They inten-tionally built relationships with the kids, and saw the value of investing their time and energy into their lives. “I think it impacted the kids seeing us more than just that one week because they saw people cared about them and showed up for major moments in their summer such as the talent show and closing ceremonies of the day camp,” says Neal.

God showed me there are different cultures within a drive’s distance ... He has convicted me that too often I fail to understand the needs of Wichita because I’m only interacting with a very small part of it. He doesn’t call us to only love and serve those we interact with daily in our community, but the entire city. - Neal Heitmann and Hope Faflick on serving at Brother-hood Presbyterian Church

“I remember playing basketball with the oldest age group of guys. They were more [distant] but I was able to get into a game with them. It was very hot outside right around noon, but after a hot, tiring game I was able to talk to them and hang out with them,” shares Neal. “I think the kids

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learned more about what love looks like. The people at Broth-erhood love these kids very much, but I think the kids (at least the older ones) understand that it’s their job. To see a bunch of people come in and love them even though they didn’t have to I am sure was a great way to teach them what love is.”

“The kids seemed to really enjoy having extra people at camp to give them attention,” remembers Hope. “They loved playing with us, and it was clear that they just wanted some special attention. Being able to shower them with that atten-tion and affection in Jesus’ name was incredible. They knew that they were dearly loved, cherished and significant to us and to the Lord.”

returned blessingsOf course the impact went both ways, as the volunteers say the kids taught them how to worship and be thankful in every situation. “I think they impacted us more than we impacted them,” admits Emily. “They showed us that we should love and praise God no matter what situa-tions we are in. The one moment that I will never forget is when they started to sing the song Blessed and it gave me goose bumps to see all the kids with big smiles on their face and knowing that it was all for the glory of God.”

“My favorite part of every day that we spent at Brotherhood was singing together first thing in the morning,” says Hope. “To partake in worship so freely and intimately with God and other brothers and sisters brought us closer together and has changed how I approach worship every Sunday since then.”

As the summer interns head back to college and the high school stu-dents begin a new year of classes, they all say their time at Brotherhood Church has made a difference in their lives. “Sometimes it takes getting out of ‘our own little world’ to see the needs and opportunities all around us,” says Paul. “We were blessed to have a connection with Brotherhood already, so it was the perfect way to spend time serving in the city. But I would say we were just as blessed by them as they were by us. It’s so rewarding to spend time with those kids. Originally we were scheduled to help out Monday through Thursday, but the more time we spent there the more we wanted to come in on Friday too. And we went back for their talent show and closing program. It was such a great experience, and the coolest part was it was just down the street. We can’t wait to go back next year!”

Top: Eastminster summer intern Dori Stevens spends time with a camper during lunch. Middle: Hope Faflick says God has convicted her to see the needs in Wichita through serving at Brotherhood. Bottom: Pastor Paul enjoys craft time with a few campers.

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Looking back now I know how much more I could have done for her and did not. I could have prayed with her. I could have gotten her number and connected her to our church or followed up with her. While I tried to share the love of Christ with her, I could have done a much better job. I stillwonder how she is doing.

Brian EggenbergerWhy did you go to Joplin? When?I went to Joplin originally to help New Creation Church with some data entry regarding volunteers and donations, but I also delivered the school backpacks that Eastminster put together along with other supplies. I went from July 29 to August 1.

What did you hope to do there?This was my first short-term missions trip so I did not know what to expect. I hoped to help out the staff at New Creation by updating their volunteer and donation files that needed catching up on. I also hoped to help out in any other way that I could.

What was the best part of your trip?I think the best part of the trip is the way I was blessed and grew by being around people whom I normally wouldn’t spend time with. Seeing churches from different denominations working together to share the love of Christ. The best part was the time I spent with Pastor Cliff. His caring, loving spirit and his love for his neighbor-hood convicted and inspired me. Please share about one experi-ence you will never forget.I would have to say walking amongst the aftermath of the tornado and seeing it with my own eyes convicted me of realizing how transient everything is. Also watch-ing how New Creation Church really loves its neighborhood and cares for everyone, inspired me to bring that love and caring to my neighborhood.

Tell us about one thing that sur-prised you in Joplin.It is hard to put into words, but I saw New Creation Church as an “ark” in a sea of destruction. I was surprised by how the joy of Christ was shown by everyone there. It was a joy I had not seen in a long time.

Jim DeKalbWhy did you go to Joplin? When? On June 25 – 26, my wife Dana, her 19-year-old son, Austin, and I went to Joplin to assist with the tornado relief efforts through our association with the New Creation Presbyterian Church.

What was the most difficult part of your trip? The most difficult part of the trip was see-ing the extensive destruction to an area with which I was very familiar. I had lived in the Joplin area for 30 years prior to mov-ing to Wichita in May 2007.

Another difficult aspect involved the actual task we were assigned, which was clean-ing up a filthy, abandoned “new” home for a young single mother with two daugh-ters. It was necessary for us to wear face masks and gloves as we removed mil-dewed carpet throughout the living area, removed a putrid refrigerator, and dealt with the overall filth of the kitchen area.

What was the best part of your trip? The best part of the trip was working side-by-side with volunteers from several distant places. Our team consisted of our leader from Wisconsin; a brother and sis-ter from Kansas City, Kan.; and two young women down for the day from their church in Kansas City, Mo.

Please share about one person you will never forget. Dana and I have an interesting connec-tion with Cliff Mansley, the head pastor at

New Creation Church. He and our former head pastor Steve Marsh jointly performed our wedding service at Eastminster (in our Chapel) in May 2007. Cliff had been the head pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Joplin when I attended there.

Tell us about one thing that surprised you in Joplin. Two things surprised us ... the first being the extent of the damage in Joplin, and the second being that we expected to do outside clean-up work and were assigned to helping this young mother with the preparation of her “new” home. Dana and I stopped by her home two weeks later when we were back in Joplin, so that we could drop off a housewarming gift. We were pleased to see the interior of the home painted and decorated.

John MoodyWhy did you go to Joplin? When?I have been able to make two short trips to Joplin with Dale Alter, one of the coordina-tors for volunteers going to Joplin. Both trips were to New Creation Presbyterian Church to deliver much-needed supplies and fresh fruit and vegetables.

What was the most difficult part of your trip? On the negative side of things, I cannot recall seeing such total devastation. As far as the eye could see, there was hardly anything standing, and what was stand-ing was severely damaged. By now the cleaning up phase is about complete, and the rebuilding phase has begun. For many there won’t be any rebuilding but a new beginning somewhere else.

These stories reveal how God has

used Eastminster members to be an

expression of his love in the midst of

tremendous need. If you feel God calling

you to action, don’t hesitate to respond.

Pray, Go, Give — all in the love of Jesus.

Restoration(Continued from Page 3.)

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Senior MinistriesSenior Moments by Dave McKechnie, Interim Senior Pastor

Linda and I are excited about the Seniors program on Friday, September 16, at noon. We feel that the Word of God and Christian music should always be complementary.

The program will provide an opportunity to reflect on God’s promises from Scripture and to listen to the melodies of the great hymns of the Church. Personally, we have found comfort, love, hope, peace and inspiration in this experience.

Linda will explain how she put some of her arrangements of hymns and classi-cal music together. There will be plenty of opportunities for the group to sing with Linda as she plays. No doubt, there will be some surprises as well.

I look forward to talking about worship experiences that have caused a paradigm shift. What are the elements of worship that are transformational? What makes

for a great worship experience from your perspective? What is memorable about worship at Eastminster?

I know that on Friday, September 16, we will get better acquainted. Linda and I are looking forward to making some new Eastminster friends.

From the Senior Committeeby Martha Buford, Interim Chair

With Eastminster in transition, we are blessed to have the Rev. David McKechnie and his very talented wife, Linda, to lead us through this period. Dave and Linda are “one of us,” seniors who love the Lord and serving him. Most Sundays we are treated to Dave’s inspirational, challenging and humbling sermons and on occasion Linda’s incredibly beautiful piano music. It will be a privilege to have them as our guests and they will present the program for our Senior Ministries fall opening event. Please join us for a very special afternoon on Friday, September 16, at noon in Fellowship Hall. The cost of the lunch will be $10.

We are delighted to have Elder Deb Hilscher, the interim director of Commu-nity, assisting Senior Ministries as our staff contact. Deb oversaw our wonderful July fourth all-church picnic, which was a huge success, and she has headed numerous other events for Eastminster the last years. We are excited to have her leadership and we thank her. We also welcome to staff Kat Anderson, who is the Community coordinator and supports our Senior Min-istries behind the scenes. Please watch the Sunday church bulletin and the Eastwind senior page for a notice about an October event and mark your calendars for our lovely holiday dinner

to be held at Crestview Country Club on the Sunday evening before Thanksgiving, November 20.

Our Senior Ministries committee meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. in Room C-15. We welcome any and all as we are always looking for pro-grams or day trips that will be of interest to seniors. Finally, the Senior Committee would like to thank Claude Eldridge for his many years of service as the editor of the Runway. We greatly appreciate the time, effort and care he put into his role. The Summer Eastwind was his last issue as editor.

Shaping Tomorrow, Today: An Afternoon with the McKechnies September 16 at noon, Fellowship Hall • $10 per personA catered lunch will be served at noon followed by Pastor Dave speaking on Shaping Tomorrow, Today and unforgettable music with pianist Linda McKechnie. Don’t miss this chance to connect with other seniors, as well as Dave and Linda. You’ll be blessed by Linda’s musical gifts and Dave’s words of wisdom.

Non Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDWichita, KS

Permit No. 1293

Worship ServicesSundays at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m.;5 p.m. ekklesia

Eastminster Presbyterian Church1958 N. Webb Road • Wichita, Kansas 67206316.634.0337 • www.eastminster.org

Open House at Linda’s LoftThursday, September 223:30 – 6 p.m.242 N. Mead, Loft 5A @ The Rumley Lofts, Old Town

Experience a piece of down-town Wichita’s history and future, all in one stop. Pastor Dave’s wife, Linda, has gra-ciously offered to open theirdowntown loft for an afternoon of fun and friendship. We’ll get a glimpse of history turned modern as we tour the McKechnies’ uniquely beautiful home at the Rumley Lofts.

Come and go as you please, enjoy light refreshments, meet and greet other women, andexperience a Wichita treasure during this special loft tour. Invite your friends and enjoy shopping/dining in Old Town before or after the loft tour.

The event is free, but please RSVP to Kat Anderson at 634.0337, ext. 204, or kanderson@eastminster.org, by September 15. Get parking info at eastminster.org/womenevents.

The goal of Eastwind is to support the five Core Commitments of Eastminster Presbyterian Church: Know God, Grow in God, Connect in God, Serve God and Glorify God. Executive Director of Communications: Gail Adamo (gadamo@eastminster.org). Associate Director of Communications: Courtney Browning (cbrowning@eastminster.org).

See complete listings online at eastminster.org/edge. Join us for dinner at the Cornerstone Cafe from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. in the Gym.

Full-Term EDGE Courses: September 14 – December 7Christian History: The Story of the ChurchJon Grissom; Chapel

Why the Universe Is the Way It IsDr. Ernie McClellan; C-11

Modern Parables: Following Jesus in Everyday LifeSteve Dickie; C-12

Short-Term EDGE Courses (various dates)I Can’t Even Spell Presbyterian!Dave McKechnie; Fireside Room; September 14 – October 5

Music from the Heart Linda McKechnie; Sanctuary; September 14, 21 and 28

The Second Half of Life: Wisdom on Living Life WellMarvin Martin; Fireside Room; October 12 – November 16

Raising Your Kids Without Raising Your Blood PressureTom and Debi Davis; C-13/14; October 12 – November 2

EDGEnew Wednesday night classes

begin September 14 @ 6:30 p.m.