Construction Area Ahead

Since I have a restless baby who doesn't always last in nursery (despite the best efforts of nursery workers!) I often get to spend time in the Catacombs. A recent benefit of that has been a chance to view the rapidly progressing construction. For those of you who don't make it down there, below are some pictures of the restroom construction.

Here are a few pictures I snapped a couple Sundays ago:

And some more recent pictures of the construction that were shared with me:

And, in case you haven't had a chance to make it up to the choir loft, here are some pictures that I took the Sunday after the dedicatory concert:

Please Pardon Our Appearance

Renovations are underway! This has necessitated a few changes around Tenth. First, the choir loft is not available for seating at any services. Don’t worry, seating abounds in the side balconies and Catacombs if the main floor is full.

Second, due to the Catacomb bathroom renovations those bathrooms are not available. Portable bathrooms will be in the ramp area for men/boys. Both Fellowship Hall bathrooms will be designated for women/girls. The handicap bathroom in Reception Hall is accessible to men and women with physical challenges. And a special note for parents—make sure that your children use restrooms before attending any Catacombs Assembly Hall programs since facilities are no longer easily available.

Goodbye Organ!

After years of service, Tenth’s organ was disassembled and removed from the choir loft. This means we are one step closer to hearing the new Koop Memorial Organ! Don’t forget that the dedicatory concert is September 12!

Here are some pictures of the old organ prior to being disassembled:

And here are some pictures of it being disassembled:

Picking Up Steam

Although the blog has been quiet recently, this is in no way indicative of the activity level of the capital campaign projects. In fact, exciting developments are happening this week regarding the Koop Memorial Organ. Construction began on the choir loft and likely the old organ will no longer be there when you arrive for worship this Sunday. And it’s a good thing that all this is happening since Walker, the organ company which is constructing the new organ, has let us know that it is being built right now.

In addition to the developments on the organ project, there are also things happening on the global outreach front. Tenth is sending $26,000 from the Capital Campaign funds received thus far to help fund a new church building for the Los Olivos Community Center, Barranquilla, Colombia.

While these are just tidbits about these projects, in coming weeks you can expect to hear more about the organist who will be playing the dedicatory concert for the Koop Memorial Organ. (Don’t forget to mark you calendars for September 12!) And, we also hope to provide you with a more intimate perspective on the work being done in Colombia. Check back often has the blog is going to pick up steam to match the exciting pace of the capital campaign projects!

Just the Beginning...

Some of you may have wondered if the Capital Campaign blog was defunct now that the public phase of the campaign has concluded. However, after a brief respite, we are up and running again. Although April 20, the official day for commitments, has come and gone, the journey that we embarked on last winter is only just beginning. If the time wasn’t right for you when commitments were originally accepted, but you now would like to make a commitment, it’s never too late! (Forms are available in the Narthex and Delancey Street lobbies and, in fact, commitments have continued rolling in.) And if you are new to the Tenth family and are interested in learning more about the campaign and the projects it is supporting, you might want to look back at previous posts and check the sidebar for links to campaign documents.

Besides the ongoing commitments as a continuing element of the campaign, the projects supported by the campaign funds are going to begin to be implemented in full force. A Capital Campaign Implementation Committee has been formed with Ruling Elder Frank Harder as the chairman. Members include Phil Ryken, Elmer Snethen, Brian Esterly, Clive Stockdale, and Pat Canavan.

So far there have been commitments and gifts totaling $4,063,725 —it will be so exciting to watch how God uses this money for Kingdom. He may not need “our” money to accomplish His purposes, but He graciously allows us to participate in His work by giving back what He has given us. All of which reminds me of the most important role of the blog—to continue highlighting the spiritual journey of Tenth’s members as we continue in the campaign. We’ve seen how many people have been challenged and have grown as they decided what to commit, now we can see how the use of the funds is changing the lives of people in our church and around the world. If you have a story about how God is using the capital campaign in your life, please feel free to email it to me at sarahsmcinnes@gmail.com. I will share it with the committee as an encouragement and may even post some testimonies on the blog (with your permission of course!)

In the weeks and months to come you will see more detailed information about the projects here and in the bulletin, but here are a few details about projects that are already underway.

Organ Project

• Design of the new Koop Memorial Organ is complete and the builder (Walker Technical Company) has begun work on the instrument. Tenth member and architect Greg Berzinsky has helped in the design so that the organ will be consistent with our church architecture and furnishings. If all continues as planned, we will be worshipping with the new organ by the first Sunday in September! (A dedicatory concert is scheduled for Friday, September 12.)

Facility Renovation Projects

• The Building Committee is currently working on finalizing designs for the Catacombs bathrooms, as well as the Catacombs and Sanctuary floor covering projects. Work on development of the construction specifications for the elevator has recently begun.

Church Planting

• The Church Planting Committee has prepared and distributed materials throughout the Philadelphia Presbytery about the Ethnic Church Planting Fund. We are looking for proposals that will make a significant impact on each church plant’s progress. The committee is also preparing materials for the Church Planting Apprenticeship. The apprenticeship involves two or three years of preparation with the intent of Tenth beginning a church plant somewhere in the city by the third year.

Global Outreach

• The Global Outreach Commission is planning to prioritize projects where Tenth plays a lead role; this would include the Middle East church and the orphanage in Colombia.

Moving Up (and Down)

Another project that the capital campaign will fund is the installation of an elevator. Perhaps you’ve never known the isolating feeling of being unable to access part of the church, but chances are you’ve shared a pew with someone who has. Darv Dombach, a member of Tenth’s building committee, wrote the post below to highlight the many people who will be able to participate more fully in the life of Tenth with the installation of an elevator.

Who is the elevator for?

“When you give a feast, invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind; and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:13-14.)

The elevator is about inviting those who have mobility difficulties to feast with us. It might be a physical feast such as a small dinner in Fellowship Hall, or a spiritual feast of God’s Word such as a Bible Study in the Catacombs.

Who are those people?

Maybe you’re like me, and the first people you think of are those who have reached a stage of life when their knees don’t bend as easily as they once did. For them, climbing stairs is laborious or even painful. We have a few in the congregation who already feel this limitation on themselves. Demographically, we expect those numbers to increase as our current middle-aged generation continues to age. Even though I still take stairs two steps at a time and perhaps feel slightly invincible, there are sober people who remind me from time to time that one day, our time will come, and they expect to be one of the beneficiaries.

It is surprising to remember, however, that even young people can have difficulty with stairs. Sometimes it’s the result of a congenital condition or a crippling disease. Dear Nada Ghattas comes to mind as someone who would greatly benefit. Other times, it is a more temporary affliction such as a broken bone sustained in a sports injury. We now have a couple young teenage men in the congregation who are ardent supporters of the elevator because they have had to live on crutches for a period of time.

Whatever the reason someone may “walk” through our doors without actually walking through them in the usually understood way, I am convinced that our elevator will be a means of introducing people to Christ or helping them to grow in their faith. It may be unbelievers who feel welcomed when they see our commitment to their needs, or believers who are refreshed during some opportunity for worship or service that was otherwise not available to them. Though they may not repay us for our act of love, God promises us immediate joy and full restitution at the final resurrection.

It's a Small World

On February 17 we were visited by Professor Frédéric Hammann of the Reformed Seminary in Aix-en-Provence. After hearing a bit about the seminary which I shared in an earlier post, it was great to hear from someone at the seminary. Below I’ve included his remarks from the service.

It is a pleasure and a privilege for me to be here and to share in this worship with you.

I bring with me warm greetings from my colleagues at the Reformed Seminary in Aix-en-Provence and, of course, from my wife and our two little children.

I am very grateful to you for all you have done for our Seminary, and especially for the James Montgomery Boice Chair of Practical Theology, in the past, in the last months and for what you are planning to do this year in the context of your special Campaign.

You know, your support is very important and means a lot for us. It is the first time I come to the US and I am deeply moved with all what I see. I knew that you had interest in our French situation, but now I see how concrete it is, and it’s wonderful to discover the reality of such a fellowship in Christ.

As Reformed Evangelical Christians in France, we are a small minority within a minority! Protestant people, all together, represent about 2% of all the population living in France. And so you can understand how important it is for us to know that we are not alone in the ministry God gave us. Every day is a struggle for us. But we see the faithfulness of God, and the power of His promises as we persevere in our Christian walk.

Our students are a source of great motivation for us. They really want to serve the Lord, they love the Gospel, they love the truth and they want to speak it to the people around them, whomever they may be and wherever it might be. So it is a daily stimulation for us to try to find the proper articulation between theological education and spiritual formation. Both have to be closely linked together.

As the occupant of the James Montgomery Boice chair of practical theology, I am the coordinator of the program for practical theology, though we are several in the department. I personally give, (1) an introductory course to practical theology (where I show the unity and the coherence of all aspects of the life of the Church, of her unique ministry); I also teach (2) homiletics (preaching) and (3) pastoral care (counselling).

I have to recognize that, in this teaching ministry, I use a great deal of material / books which come from here, especially from Westminster Seminary. And I hope and pray that, one day, we’ll have good Reformed books in French too. We have work for the future!

Again, thank you for your invitation, and thank you very much for your support.
May God bless you.

Praying Tours

If you’re like me, by the time the 11am service ends breakfast seems a long time past and after a few quick hellos you’re on your way out. But, this Sunday eat an extra granola bar and think about sticking around for another thirty minutes to participate in one of the praying tours. This is an opportunity to hear more about the campaign projects, participate in some Q & A and pray for the campaign. The tours will start at 12:30 and will last about thirty minutes. Here’s the list, so start thinking about which session you want to attend and some good questions for your host! By the way, if you find it difficult to select just one session, the praying tours will be repeated on March 2 and April 6.

Project, Location and Hosts

• Facility Improvements - Catacombs - Ron Ferner and Kim Dengler
• Digital Organ - Choir Loft - Dr. Paul Jones
• Property Acquisition - 18th St. Amen Pews - Frank Harder
• Elevator - Nursery - Rev. Carroll Wynne, Bob Sharrar and Darv Dombach
• Global Outreach - 1 West - Dr. Bruce McDowell and Bill Langford
• City Outreach-church planting - 2 West - Dr. Phil Ryken and Michael Hatem

Aix Marks the Spot

Seminary at Aix seminarians

As part of the commitment to global outreach, some of the funds raised during the campaign will be contributed to the endowment for the Dr. James M. Boice Chair of Practical Theology at the Reformed Seminary in Aix-en-Provence. William Edgar, professor of apologetics at the Reformed Seminary in Aix-en-Provence from 1979-1989 and current professor at Westminster Theological Seminary, recently provided me with some history and news from the Seminary at Aix, including the impact it’s having on the spread of the Gospel in France. As I read, I was struck by how the history of Tenth is intertwined with that of the Seminary at Aix. It’s exciting to think how this longstanding relationship will be continued through the campaign. We will have the opportunity to hear more about the Seminary at Aix in the services on February 17 when a guest from the seminary will be visiting us.

St-Quentin is a growing suburb of Paris. Although some inhabitants are commuters, most live and work right there. The town has excellent schools and cultural activities. Twenty years ago a group of dedicated church planters, studied the demographic trends and concluded that the real population growth was in these hamlets, neighboring the large cities. They took note of the Renault car company’s plan to locate their technology center there, alongside many other new French enterprises. Thus, a new church was born. Between January, 1990, the date of their first worship service, and today, there has been significant growth in the town and in the church. Today, they are a thriving community. Their strengths include, preaching, pastoral care, outreach to the surrounding population, foreign missions, and evangelism. Much of the early development in the church can be credited to the work of Gérard Bos, the dynamic pioneer who tirelessly preached the gospel and gathered leaders around him. Where did he train? Aix-en-Provence. As did his successors, Yannick Imbert, an interim, and Marc Toureille, the current pastor.

The Reformed Seminary in Aix-en-Provence was originally founded just before World War Two, with the considerable help of Donald G. Barnhouse of Tenth Presbyterian Church. Dr. Barnhouse preached regularly in France and was able to help purchase the property on which it now stands. In 1974 the Seminary changed its charter and became an independent, confessional institution. The purpose was and is to train gospel ministers, as well as other leaders in Kingdom work. Originally the hope was to revitalize the Reformed Church of France with evangelical leadership. While that still remains a goal, today the Seminary has a broader purpose, namely to train leaders both for church renewal and for church planting. Through the James Montgomery Boice Chair of Practical Theology, an endowed chair whose occupant, Frédéric Hammann is currently visiting the United States, the Seminary is assured of an enduring program not only to train leaders but to reflect on the whole endeavor of starting new churches. Targeting mostly urban areas in France and throughout Europe, the Seminary is aiming for nothing less than a European renaissance.

Though relatively small, with six full time professors and about 100 students, like the children’s story, this is the little Seminary that could! Its brilliant professors speak all over the world. They write books and articles that are unique and strategic. They not only teach but pastor the students through their years at Aix. The student body is French, but also international, with Africans, Spaniards, and even Koreans. When I was there in the 1980s we had a Waldensian student from the remarkable movement begun in the 12th century and eventually led by Peter Waldo. Persecuted, they survived till the 16th century when they embraced the Reformation. There are still numerous Waldensian churches in Southern France and in Italy.

The Seminary at Aix is the only historically orthodox Reformed institution of higher learning in the French-speaking world. It is a great testimony to the God who loves taking small things and using them for great achievements. Whether it be David’s sling shot, the widow’s mite, the ineloquent apostle, the Lord enjoys showing his power through weakness. The Seminary at Aix is fragile but has been a seedbed, producing some of the most important leaders in the church today. It is a privilege to partner with them in their marvelous mission.

Pictured is Nelly Vos, a Tenth Member and supported global partner, who is involved with student recruitment at the Seminary.

Library at Seminary at Aix