Candidates and Interns: Reports for August 2017

Transcription

1 Candidates and Interns: Reports for August 2017 Name Start Date Mentor Church Intern Report? Antoon, Martin Billy Dempsey 1 st Jackson X Barnes, Nicholas Chris Wright Delhi X Bert, Luke Candidate only Oral Brent, Kyle Charlie Wingard Providence X Brock, Cory Candidate only NA Bynum, Joe David Strain 1 st Jackson X Chavis, Cyril Paul Rankin Redeemer X Crawford, Bentley Elbert McGowan Redeemer Oral Edburg, Scott Charlie Wingard 1 st Yazoo X Forrest, Anthony Gabe Fluher Redeemer X Graeber, Chad Candidate only NA Groendyk, David Wiley Lowry 1 st Jackson X Jackson, Kelly Candidate only NA Johnson, Joshua Lee Hutchings Highlands X Jones, Craig Bebo Elkin Raymond Oral Jung, Hyoun Bryant Taylor Redeemer Oral Meenan, Billy Candidate only NA Nettleton, Wil David Felker 1 st Jackson Oral Odate, Haruaki Elbert McGowan Redeemer Oral Owens, Zack Elbert McGowan Redeemer X Prabhakar, John Ed Hartman 1 st Jackson X Rehers, Chris Chris Wright Lebanon X Ritchey, James Billy Dempsey 1 st Jackson X Robison, Nick Scott Huber Lexington X Sinclair, Gary Candidate only NA Wegener, Jason Candidate only Oral Windham, John Candidate only NA

2 the schedule of deadlines (see page 6). At the presbytery meeting that marks the anniversary of your internship application approval, you will present an oral report instead. 05/23/2017 Martin Antoon Billy Dempsey First Presbyterian Church Jackson This quarter has provided a lot more teaching opportunities for me. I've done most of the meetings that are required, so now, much of all that is left is for me to organize and report on what I've been doing. I've also been doing a lot of thinking about they types of ministry opportunities that might be a good fit down the road after a graduate next year. I am registered to go to RUF Assessment in the summer, and I'm continuing to talk to many of those around me to help in this process. Billy has been a great source of shepherding wisdom over the past quarter, and we've talked a lot about what it means to live life and face the struggles that come along with being in ministry. It is interesting now that I'm starting to get a little more clarity about what life after seminary could look like, and Billy helped me structure a lot of categories to balance the many demands that present themselves. Billy has also helped me greatly in my current role as a Student Ministry Intern at FPC Jackson and has provided wisdom in dealing with particular situations. [Much of the same as last quarter] - I'm having to constantly be reminded of God's faithfulness as I try to wait patiently during a period of uncertainty regarding what will happen after graduation. Where I am currently in seminary has me feeling the contrasting pulls of looking ahead to what opportunities are ahead of me working in ministry and the pull to stay focused on school without starting to "check out" as the end draws nearer. Paired with continuing in a youth internship at First Pres, I'm constantly switching between long and short term frames of references. In one sense, it has been helpful because it allows me to keep a view of my studies that extends beyond simply getting the work done and actually preparing to minister the gospel in a real setting after I graduate. I find myself asking for patience and humility during the uncertainty of not knowing what the next stage will look like, but also I am excited to see how the Lord will use Elizabeth and me to serve His kingdom.

3 This completed form is to be submitted to the credentials committee three times per year according to Date: 05/26/2017 Name of intern: Nicholas K. Barnes Name of mentor: T.E. Chris Wright Church where you are serving as an intern: Delhi Presbyterian Church Assisting in worship, preaching one Sunday Evening each month. Currently, I am going through the book of Nahum. Also, I have been part of visitation of church members. I have been doing Bible Study at work Monday mornings (we have finished Ephesians, and are going through Romans). Also, I am hosting a Bible Study, Monday nights, going over the biblical proofs for the doctrines of the Bible. As part of my internship I am going to Session meetings, and I want to a deacons meeting. Also, I assist one Wednesday evening each month at the church as we are going through the Psalms. Describe the content of your meetings with your mentor and the ways you believe you Chris is giving great advise on the importance of how to relate to your session, bringing all church decisions to the session. He is also helping me properly achieve a balance of reproof and comfort in sermon delivery. I am grateful for his insight, which I probably would not have seen for myself. I think my ability to preach and visit have been tested this quarter, and I see the importance of them. This quarter has only strengthened my sense of call to the ministry. Time management has been greatly tested and I think I have been able to manage my time better than I used to.

4 5/26/17 Kyle Brent Dr. Charles Wingard Bethesda Presbyterian Church My duties this quarter have primarily been preaching and leading worship every Lord's Day. I have don some visitation. My meetings with Dr. Wingard are largely informal but very practical. Dr. Wingard is constantly giving advice to me concerning how to minister and serve the congregation and Bethesda. I am still confident in my preaching and sense of call to the ministry. This quarter has been difficult due to my schedule and major life events. I TAed for 7 classes while taking classes myself. More excitingly, I got married to my beautiful wife, Katie. This quarter I have learned a good deal about time managment and organization, which I know bee useful in future ministry.

5 5/26/2017 Joe Nathan Bynum David Strain First Presbyterian Jackson This quarter my duties have entailed helping to coordinate the Twin-Lakes conference, editing and uploading sermon transcripts, the weekly planning and scheduling of Sunday service activities and various other administrative duties. I have met with my mentor on several occasions and he has encouraged me to trust in God's purpose for my life and ministry, especially in times of doubt. He has helped me to understand that there are peaks and valleys in ministry and that ministry is a race that we must run faithfully trusting in God's strength, love and provision. He has also been very instrumental in helping me to understand that God can use my weaknesses and struggles positively for His kingdom purposes. I see myself being taken out of my comfort zone and placed in situations that challenge me in areas that I would not otherwise venture. I am an introverted person by nature, terribly shy, and not at all extremely outgoing. Nevertheless, I am convinced that Christ's strength is "made perfect" in my weaknesses and that God uses weak vessels to accomplish His good purposes. I therefore am assured that He will strengthen me daily to accomplish His will in and through my life and ministry.

6 May 25, 2017 Cyril Chavis, Jr. Paul Rankin Redeemer Church This past quarter I have been busy mainly with RUF at JSU duties. I have preached at large groups, organized large groups, held staff meetings, attended JSU Admin. meetings, meet with students 1-1, organized our SUCO trip and fundraisers, helped organize Religious Emphasis Week at JSU, etc. This past week I have started my work with Redeemer Church involving outreach to Broadmoor. Our conversations have mainly been structured around the execution of ministry for Sunday School and the Midtown Growth Group. As far as Sunday School, I am benefitting from watching him teach and listening to him articulate the thoughts that he has when preparing for teaching. As far as the growth group, I have benefitted from hearing his humble dedication to leading the group, and I have benefitted from his passion for people to see how the word of God bears down on their every day lives. I am seeing my gifts of administration, acts of mercy, and teaching tested throughout this internship. I am constantly learning how I can better lead, better serve, and better preach. The main thing I am learning is bound up in the word "love." I must learn to love people as I lead, to love people as I serve, to love people as I preach. I sense that I am called to the ministry, particularly pastoral ministry. I have had my gifts affirmed in encouraging ways over the past few months, and I am excited to see how the Lord continues to mature me as a Christian and a bond-servant during the next couple months doing outreach to Broadmoor.

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8 5/26/17 Anthony Forrest Gabriel Fluhrer Redeemer Church, PCA My intern duties this quarter are to continue teaching in one of the Sunday school classes for adults, to assist in the public worship gathering when assigned, to continue leading a small group of teenage boys and attend Redeemer's senior high school worship time, and to go on with my internship focus in Broadmoor, the surrounding community. This last duty includes evangelism, attending a monthly meeting to discuss the efforts of Redeemer in Jackson, and a plethora of other things, including visiting members of our local congregation who live in the neighborhood, working during the summer on the housing project of our Mission to Broadmoor ministry, and endeavoring in various ways to earn the trust of our neighbors to the growth of personal relationships with many. The content of our meetings is normally book recommendations/discussion, licensure requirements, deeper sense of internal call, and family. The ways that I believe I am benefiting from my relationship with my mentor are plentiful, indeed. I am exposed to a wealth of biblical, theological knowledge that was unforeseen, and it spurs me on to labor in learning. I also have the benefit of getting to glean from the wisdom of years of ministry experience that is not so regularly written about. I treasure the transparency of my mentor and how the candor in our friendship builds up my heart. This is a very beneficial time. I see my gifts and graces continuing to be tested through the opportunities to teach, whether that be in an adult Sunday school class or a senior high Bible study. I also believe they were tested in the required preaching labs at RTS. As a result of this period, I am finding myself continuing to be encouraged and to grow confident in my gifts due to my time with college students and young adults. This is leading me to really sense a call to be employed to minister in a context that focuses on ministry to this demographic, quite possibly Reformed University Fellowship.

9 David Groendyk Wiley Lowry First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi I have been visiting hospitalized and shut-in members of our church, reading Scripture with them, and praying for them. I've also been consistently teaching at/attending a Wednesday night Bible study in Midtown Jackson--this has been an excellent outreach opportunity. I have been substitute teaching at various adult Sunday school classes--twice were even done on less than 24 hours' notice. The final major duty has been assisting with our Foundations Sunday school class. My main responsibilities were preparing some materials and making those who attended feel welcomed. I have only met with Wiley 'unofficially' since coming under care, and we've mostly discussed our ministry areas and my responsibilities. Overall, however, I am tremendously encouraged by Wiley's strong commitment to ordinary means of grace ministry. He enjoys and sees great benefit to visiting and reading Scripture and praying. He also has a strong desire to be a faithful presence in the Midtown area and sees a lot of Word-ministry opportunity there. He's not concerned with flashiness or having an attractive ministry, but only with faithfully preaching the Word, praying, and building relationships. I've been very encouraged by the growth I've seen in my teaching ability recently. God gripped my heart with two Sunday school lessons I taught in the last couple months, and they seemed to be my two best teaching works yet. In particular, I think there were two areas I did well in: 1) I was able to connect rich, heady doctrine to the heart and to practical living, and 2) I presented a biblical-theological understanding of the texts/topics in a way that benefited my hearers. With teaching being such an important part of my call to pastoral ministry, I'm very happy to see this progress.

10 05/22/2017 Joshua Johnson Lee Hutchings Highlands Presbyterian Church This quarter I continued to teach our college Sunday school community, finishing our 10-week study in Habakkuk and am moving into a study on the Five Solas of the Reformation. I also had the opportunity to lead our Wednesday night time of teaching on a study of "Faith and Fear." In addition to teaching, I was asked to help lead in worship with the Morning Prayer and Scripture readings on several occasions. Our meetings this quarter have centered around the session asking me to start a new ministry at Highlands directed at recent graduates and young professionals. Lee has been instrumental in giving me direction as to how to meet with people, cast vision, and start planning a new ministry. I also greatly appreciate how Lee always takes time to ask how I and my family are doing and prays for us. It's a small thing, but very appreciated. With the call to a new ministry, my gifts (rather, lack thereof) of administration and planning are certainly being greatly tested. I feel that this is a wonderful opportunity and great time to work on these gifts and better them as I look forward to pastoral ministry. I continue to feel a strong internal call to teaching and shepherding, and the internship has given great opportunities to stretch my gifts and test this call.

11 May 15, 2017 Zack Owens Elbert McGowan Jr. Redeemer Church, PCA Assist in leading worship, Weekly evangelism and discipleship ministry to around 120 kids (Currently preaching through the Gospel of Luke); Preach in chapel for The Redeemer's School (Preaching through Genesis); Lead a Growth Group (30 people in our home twice a month); Supervise elementary Sunday School; Teach Communicants class; Lead Children's Church ministry; Weekly Biblical Counseling; Hospital visitation; Discipleship meetings with volunteers and fathers in the church; Chair our Children and Youth Committee; Chair and write curriculum for Vacation Bible School. This Spring, I served on our Director of Youth Ministries search committee as well. Elbert and I meet once a week for lunch. Elbert models for me the grace and patience it takes to serve a church. We discuss pastoral issues in the church, the content of our preaching/teaching, and pray for our people. I am thankful for this season of training, and look forward to completing the internship upon my graduation from RTS (December 2018 target). My hope is to be ordained as a teaching elder.

12 5/17/2017 John Rakshith Prabhakar Ed Hartman First Presbyterian Church of Jackson I have been teaching fairly regularly across all age groups - 25 and upward. I am grateful for the times I have been able to go on visitations with TE Wiley Lowry. I have helped lead Christianity Explored classes for international students on Tuesday nights. I feel blessed to see growing interest in the Christian faith in one particular Iranian student. I am praying that the Lord would bring him to Himself. I have been able to meet with my mentor about once a week to talk about life and ministry. I have also been able to spend time with TE David Strain. Through a program called Relational Wisdom 360 that Ed leads, I have been able to talk about my spiritual welfare. I have been able to ask questions regarding life and ministry. Ed has been a faithful mentor by consistently investing in me. I have seen myself continue to grow in my teaching and preaching abilities. I am continuing to grow in my intentionality to know more about people and how I might be able serve them. Through this internship, my sense of calling is continuing to be strengthened. I am grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to serving the church of Christ for the rest of my life.

13 May Chris Rehers Rev. Chris Wright Lebanon Presbyterian Church This quarter I continue to preach on Sunday mornings through Philippians. Rotating out of the adult Sunday school I have been involved in teaching the children's Sunday school. In addition, I teach a short Bible Study on Wednesday and lead the congregational prayer meeting. This quarter has also seen it's fair share of counseling sessions and hospital visits. Other duties include: meeting with Session and Deacons at their perspective meetings, visiting members and non-members, church bulletins, etc. In the meetings I have with Rev. Chris Wright I provide him with a summary of all that I have been doing. He then carefully analyzes and provides feedback and we close with prayer. My meetings with Chris Wright are invaluable. Beyond mentoring, Chris has become someone during these meetings that I can turn to and talk about any given issue. My situation in life with family and ministry is currently challenging. Our meetings have proven to be a place for him to rebuke, encourage, and strengthen me. I thank the Presbytery for this season If I were to be completely candid I see my gifts and graces being tested every day. I still have a sense of call to the ministry but that's not to say circumstances and trials don't challenge that call. I've been involved in the ministry of the church for twenty years and I still from time to time wrestle. I am going to wager that I will always have that battle in my heart and mind.

14 Date: May 25, 2017 Name of intern: James Ritchey Name of mentor: Billy Dempsey Church where you are serving as an intern: First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi One on one ministry with students in the student ministry, various teaching responsibilities in small and large group settings and administrative duties. are benefiting from your relationship with him: Billy generally asks questions about ministry and personal spiritual development. He often provides encouragement and wisdom, and he will offer correction when necessary. He has been a tremendous blessing in this internship. result of this period of trial and self- examination what is your sense of your call to the ministry? There are many teaching opportunities each week, so I have learned much about preparing multiple lessons during a week and about teaching to those entrusted to me. I have also learned much about caring for different kinds of people in the youth ministry and in the church as a whole. There have been challenges, but overall there has been spiritual growth. Please return this completed form electronically to the credentials assistant: pmvcredentials@gmail.com

15 the schedule of deadlines (see page 6). At the presbytery meeting that marks the anniversary of your internship application approval, you will present an oral report instead. to presbytery every year at their August meeting and will submit written reports for the February, May, and November meetings. Date: 5/26/2017 Name of intern: Nick Robison Name of mentor: Scott Huber Church where you are serving as an intern: FPC Lexington This quarter I have finished my preaching series on 1 Thessalonians and am about to begin a series going through some of the Psalms. In Sunday school we are continuing to work our way through Luther s commentary on Galatians and I hope to finish this lesson series by August. I have also been conducting member visits as well as visiting other churches to observe their services and to meet with other PCA pastors. Describe the content of your meetings with your mentor and the ways you believe you Pastor Huber and I have been meeting regularly on Sundays to discuss the sermon, sermon prep, and how the congregation has received the sermon. We have also discussed future opportunities for ministry in Lexington, especially in the area of community outreach. result of this period of trial and self-examination what is your sense of your call to the ministry? I have been enjoying my time at FPC Lexington. The people have been a tremendous blessing to me, and it has been a privilege to serve them in ministry. Through repetition, I am becoming more at ease in the pulpit, Sunday school class, and in people s homes as I conduct visitations. I look forward to my Sundays in Lexington, as they have become the highlight of my week. By God's grace, I have become more aware that my calling is to be a minister to God's people. I still have much to improve upon, but at FPC Lexington, God has given me a place to learn and to grow. Please return this completed form electronically to the credentials assisstant: pmvcredentials@gmail.com