|
eReceipts Now Available
Electronic receipts will come to those who request them as
soon as that system is in place. You may receive another paper receipt or two,
but hopefully no more than that. The receipt will contain the same information
as the paper receipt, but will represent a significant cost savings to the
Rescue Mission. Currently the cost of producing and mailing a paper receipt is
82 cents each. The cost of each e-Receipt is 10 cents. Our desire is to be the
best possible stewards of the resources God provides to us through you.
If you wish to begin receiving e-Receipts for your donations,
simply email the following information to
alan@prm.info.
- Account Number (a 3 or 4 digit number that can be found on
any of your PRM paper receipts)
- First Name, Last Name, Full Address
- Email address where the e-Receipt should be sent
If you wish to continue receiving paper receipts then you do
not need to do anything.
Please call 380.6909 if there are any questions.
Cover Article
“O, To Be Found Faithful"
Francis Schaeffer said that in ministry there are no
large or small places, only faithful
people. Paul wrote a similar conclusion to the Corinthians,
"Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful"
(1 Cor. 4:2). When we stand before the Lord, it seems from
Scripture that the size of ministry will not be a major consideration (though
that often means a great deal among men). How well-known a person was, or how
much television coverage they got will probably matter little, if at all. Some
folks measure their effectiveness in how much building they were able to
accomplish. One pastor was reported to recently remark that he didn’t leave his
former church until recently because "I had to build two more buildings." We
certainly need buildings to house work for the Lord, and they are really useful,
but they will all perish one day. Only the people whose souls are saved and
whose lives are changed will endure.
A minister should work hard to declare the truth of
God’s Word to those under his care in the best possible way. Yet in the end,
faithfulness in the
task and to the Word are more important than one’s speaking ability. Our logic,
reason, and knowledge of Scripture certainly enhance counseling opportunities.
Yet, when Christ scrutinizes our efforts to guide individuals and families in
that ministry, I believe that faithfulness
to Biblical principles will get the highest rating from
Him. In the Rescue Mission kitchen, some wonderful meals have been prepared over
the decades by some very gifted cooks and/or chefs. While giftedness is
desirable, the greater blessing is to have folks in our foodservice on whom we
can depend - faithful
men! Just now we are blessed to have a great mix of gift and
faithfulness.
Visions of ministry in the eyes of a young person
called to service by God can in no measure grasp all that will be included in
that call. Rarely would a young aspiring minister anticipate clipping the thick,
gnarled toenails on the remaining foot of an old amputee - but
faithfulness requires it.
There was no academic preparation for kneeling in human waste under a building
while trying to unclog a sewer line - but when you can’t afford to call a
plumber, and you want to be faithful,
to your knees you go (I must report that some professors and pastors did indeed
mention spending time on our knees). Who would have ever thought that ministry
would include cleaning blood from office carpet, dripped there by a man just
assaulted in the inner city? One older pastor on the Peninsula years ago arrived
at the church office one blustery winter morning absent his overcoat. One lady
asked why he didn’t wear it, and he replied that he did, but he met a man on the
street who needed it worse than he did. He was
faithful to the ministry of mercy.
Every night since April, 1966, the doors of the
Peninsula rescue Mission have been open as a haven of rest to men in need. We
echo the call of Christ to Adam’s race, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). The tables have been set
for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every one of those nearly 16,000 days! The Word
of God has been opened in over 22,000 chapel services, not to mention countless
more counseling and witnessing times. How blessed I feel to have participated in
65% of that ministry, some with my father-in-law, much since he went to heaven,
and the last 11 years with my son-in-law, Alan. From generation to generation,
we have wished to remain faithful
to God’s call and commission.
The verb "found" in the Corinthian passage suggests
that there will be a scrutiny, a search for value and quality, in the life of a
steward, a manager of things placed in trust by God. So how can one measure
success, accomplishment in ministry? What do we long to discover at the end of
the trail? What is the "brass ring" for the Christian believer (and minister)?
Is it not to hear the voice of the Master in commendation, as Matthew recorded
Him saying, "Well done, thou good and
faithful servant... enter
thou into the joy of thy lord." May God enable
that we be found faithful
as His servants; that is the summum bonum,
the "highest good."
Superintendent's
Corner
Saying "Farewell"
Soon after Barbara and I came to the Peninsula and to the
Rescue Mission in 1973, we settled into a little community in York County called
“Dandy.” There we lived with, worked with, and worshiped with some wonderful
people. In the 37 years since then, many of those folks have gone on to heaven,
including the neighbors who lived on each side of us. Another near neighbor was
Gladys Hogge. Our relationship with Gladys continued long after we moved away
from Dandy, in part because she was so connected to the ministry here at the
Mission. She served in our Ladies’ Auxiliary up until she entered a nursing
home, and she was elected President of the Auxiliary on several occasions, where
she served faithfully.
And now we have said another “farewell” to another of God’s choice servants.
Gladys Hogge went to be with Jesus on January 9. When God’s workers are laid
aside and/or called home, there are always gaps because of their absence. In her
case, we certainly have missed her as a part of the Auxiliary. Her leadership
and participation were so effective in raising funds for projects here, in
helping the “ladies’ touch” make the Mission facilities more attractive, and in
supporting our camp in any number of ways. As long as she was able, Gladys was
faithful to her church. In our early marriage, Barbara and I were in the same
church, and we knew Gladys to be an active, dependable worker and worshiper. I
know the church has missed her.
Perhaps the most noticeable gap left by her homegoing is with Gladys’ family.
Whatever else she was, Gladys was a family woman. Faithful wife of 1, devoted
mother of 5, loving grandmother of 9, and with a still-growing host of
great-grandchildren, Gladys loved, cared for, and was involved in the lives of
her family. “Memaw” was certainly a strong and quiet matriarch to this large
clan, and her wisdom and wit will be sorely missed. Her influence will live far
beyond her 90 years of earthly life.
Such a challenge springs from these farewells - a call to each of us to live so
as to make a difference in this world and in the next. When your heavenly
summons come, will the church feel the pain of your absence? Have you adopted
some ministry (like PRM) as a special cause, and will they miss you as we miss
her? Is the influence you bring to bear on your family of the godly kind? Will
children, grandchildren, and the great-grandchildren you leave behind know
Christ, walk with God, serve the Lord because you touched their lives? What a
legacy we can leave by simply living for Christ and lovingly serving Him by
serving others! Let us learn this lesson from Gladys.
A Note From Alan
Please Pray for Us
Normally my articles contain stories of encounters with men
here at the Mission. I share with you how they have been helped and blessed by
the work that goes on here. Often, I will ask you to pray for them as they
attempt to begin walking with the Lord. I hope you are encouraged that you are a
part of a ministry that God uses to change lives.
However, this ministry, like all ministries, can be hard at
times. Ministries involve people – and where there are people, there is sin. Sin
is ugly, destructive, powerful, and relentless. People’s lives are full of
unnecessary trouble due to sin. My heart has been heavy lately due to sin
wreaking havoc in the lives of men here at the Mission.
My sweet wife wrote me a note saying she was praying for my
heart to be encouraged. I began looking through God’s Word with encouragement in
mind. I found that God’s encouragement to us comes from different sources (this,
of course, is not an exhaustive list).
·
His prophet
-- In Isaiah 41:13, God encourages Israel through his prophet who wrote
on God’s behalf: “For I am the Lord your God,
who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’”
·
His angel
-- In Mark 16, as the two Marys made their way to the tomb of the
crucified Christ, God’s angel offered these magnificent words of encouragement
(v. 6): “Do not be amazed; you are
looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not
here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.”
·
His leader
-- In Exodus 14:13, God uses Israel’s leader, Moses, to encourage the
nation as they stood between Pharaoh’s approaching army and the Red Sea: “And
Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation
of the Lord, which He will
accomplish for you today.’”
·
His people
-- God also uses those around us to encourage us. An email came in this morning
from a former Camp Open Arms counselor (Blake) who remains in touch with several
of his former campers. One camper has held onto Blake’s phone number for 10
years!! He called to tell Blake that he graduated early from high school due to
exceptional grades!!
I have been encouraged simply by writing this article. I
would ask you to keep us in your prayers that we not become discouraged. Pray
also for those that minister directly to you, and look for ways you can be an
encouragement to them.
|
 |
