Tract or Treat Report

Eyewitness Report from Pastor Allen:

The tract or treat event was, in one word, SPECTACULAR! We were expecting around 125-150, We had around 400 people or more. We lost count after 300. Families upon families were coming out in droves. We had lines formed at the candy table, and the cotton candy machine for about an hour and a half straight. Each Child was given a bag with a tract and candy and a flyer with information about all of our ministries here at Valley Grace. It was truly an exciting night. People were shocked when they wanted to pay and were told its all free! But it was good to see all the smiles on people faces as they enjoyed all of the activities we had for the family in a safe environment. I think this is the start of something great we just need to continue to reach out to our neighborhood families with local mission and opportunities for the families.

Thanks to all who participated and prayed!

The Indispensable Church

"If your church closed tomorrow, would anybody notice?" -- thought provoking question. How would we answer it? To phrase the question another way, "How can the church become indispensable to the community?" Chuck Warnock points out that years ago the Celtic Christian abbeys were built at crossroads or next to a village. The purpose was so that the abbey would become the center of the community. As Warnock writes, the abbey "became necessary for the community's survival because they fed people, cared for the sick, gave shelter to the homeless, provided refuge for the weary and wanted, and lived out the Gospel in tangible and essential ministries."

The church does not exist merely to perpetuate an institution, but to impact a community for Christ. Warnock goes on to write, "I want us to touch more lives during the week than we have bodies in pews on Sunday. I want people to ask us to stay in business because we've made a difference in their lives." We want to position ourselves part of the body of Christ to make a difference in our community. As we are involved in challenging times, here is our opportunity to serve our community and make a significant impact for Christ. Please pray that God might grant us the privilege to have the same kind of impact for Christ, that our Celtic brothers did centuries ago.

Have Ideas? You are encouraged to list your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section. (Here is Warnock's full post)

Family News ~ Dr. David Whitcomb

Here is a picture of my dignified brother (step-brother) who was in Egypt allegedly for medical lectures. I think Dave is having fun, not sure about the camel. I also don't think he blends in -- even with the head gear. Below are some of his credentials. (Click on picture to enlarge).

David C Whitcomb MD PhD
Giant Eagle Professor of Cancer Genetics
Professor of Medicine, Cell Biology & Physiology, and Human Genetics
Chief, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
University of Pittsburgh & UPMC

Mr. & Mrs. Joshua Martin

Josh and Megan (Knepper) Martin were united in marriage on Saturday, October 3. We pray that God would continue to lead them as they desire to build a home based on God's principles for marriage and life. They will be living in Greencastle.

Book Review - Find Your Strongest Life:

Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham. (Book review for Thomas Nelson Book Reviewer Program)

I ended up getting this book more by accident than intentionally for review. I saw the main title, "Find Your Strongest Life" and clicked to review it then happened to see "What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently" and thought "how is this going to be helpful, since I am a male." However, as a husband and father to two daughters, it was helpful.

The author cites research that men tend to become more happy as they grow older, but women tend to become less happy as they age (p. 19). He illustrates this by pointing out that women take more antidepressants than men, 2 to 1. So his purpose is to show women how to be happy and successful. That is a tall order! Buckingham declares that the key to a happy and successful life is to do things that you are good at (p. 52).

That of course raises the question, how do you determine what you are good at? The author has included a Strong Life Test which has 9 "Life Roles" to help an individual determine what she ® he) is "good at." It is an interesting test, which really could be helpful for women and men to find out where to focus one's life. This seems to play off the author's book, "The Truth About You."

There is nothing of substance from a Biblical perspective in this book. In fact, there are three issues that create problems for me. The first is that there are a couple of illustrations in the book that imply that a couple is living together but not married (p. 71 for example). It certainly is not possible to find your happiest and most successful life if you are not following the instructions for life.

Secondly, the author assumes that the roles of male and female, husband and wife are pretty much interchangeable as he suggests being a "stay at home Dad" is a viable option (p. 76). It seems pretty clear from the Genesis account of creation along with instructions to husbands, wives, fathers and mothers, in the New Testament, that there is a certain giftedness for men and women. I am not referring to who is able to run a vacuum cleaner, or wash dishes or change the oil in a car. From my limited observations from those who have tried this model over the long term, there have been some significant social issues in the children.

Thirdly, there is the inclusion of a poem about being part of the universe (p. 143-144) which is sentimental, but of course untrue. Our meaning and purpose does not come from being a child of the universe, but being created in the image of God and the invitation to be His child.

Conclusion: The book could make for some good discussion between husband and wife, and father and daughter to gain perspective on what each is thinking. I felt that the Strong Life Test was the best part of the book. It would be helpful for anyone to evaluate where to focus his or her life based on personal strengths.

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers

Why is that people in America seem to love to hate people who identify themselves as Christians? Dan Merchant has produced a documentary trying to understand why this phenomenon is taking place. He set out with bumper stickers covering his jump suit to engage people about their views of Christians. His goal was not to be argumentative, but fact finding. He asked five questions. How did the universe begin? Where you you think you will go when you die? Name something that Jesus is known for (not exactly a question). Name something that Christians are known for. Lastly, what bumper sticker jumps out at you?

The purpose of this documentary is to help Christians (word used loosely) understand how they are perceived by the world. From the comments I have read from those who have seen a preview, this documentary will make you laugh, and it will make you cry. It is a look in the mirror of what America thinks of Christians. You can go here to see a trailer. I believe this will be something all Christ followers should see to enable us to engage our culture in a more civil manner in order to present the claims of Christ. Note: you can download the first chapter of the book from the link above in a PDF file which is thought provoking. (I haven't found it showing any where close to Hagerstown yet. According to the literature, if it doesn't show close, we can purchase the DVD to show in 2010).