Fountain Park Church

Today we worshiped at Fountain Park Church, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, 724.3779.2003, www.fountainparkchurch.com, R. Mark Plumb, Pastor.

Scripture –

John 19:28-29 (NCV) –

After this, Jesus knew that everything had been done. So that the Scripture would come true, he said, “I am thirsty.” There was a jar full of vinegar there, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a branch of a hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ mouth.

Philippians 2:7-8 (NCV) –

But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born as a man and became like a servant. And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.

John 19:28 (NIV) –

So that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

Psalm 69:21b (TEV) –

When I was thirsty they offered me vinegar.

Exodus 12:22 (NCV) –

Take a branch of the hyssop plant, dip it into the bowl filled with blood, and then wipe the blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes. No one may leave that house until morning.

Romans 5:8 (ESV) –

God demonstrated his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Amos 8:11-13 (NLT) –

“The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. Beautiful girls and strong young men will grow faint in that day, thirsting for the Lord’s word.”

Matthew 25:37-40 (NLT) –

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”

Matthew 10:42 (NLT) –

If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.

Proverbs 25:21 (NLT) –

If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.

Psalm 63:1 (TEV) –

O God, you are my God, and I long for you. My whole being desires you like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you.

Matthew 5:6 (NIV) –

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Isaiah 53:4-5 (NCV) –

But he took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us. We saw his suffering and thought God was punishing him. But he was wounded for the wrong we did; he was crushed for the evil we did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to him, and we are healed because of his wounds.

Hebrews 4:15 (NLT) –

Our High Priest understand our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.

Jeremiah 2:13 (NCV) –

My people have done two evils. They have turned away from me, the spring of living water and they have dug their own wells, which are broken wells that cannot hold water.

John 7:37-38 (NLT) –

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

John 4:13-14 (NLT) –

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Bob’s thoughts:

We had heard this church was on the verge of closing and were grieving the loss of a good Christian church where we could be enriched by God’s word. The church is closing but I am proud of their faithfulness to Christ.

I have always appreciated the wooden cross to one side of the chancel and today the drapes on the rear wall were open, which I do not remember seeing on prior visits. The view is only a few pine trees but it was a spiritual connection for me.

The message was part five of the series “Love Like Jesus” and dealt with the powerful symbolism of Christ’s words from the cross, “I am thirsty.” These words have probably been undervalued by most of us yet are very powerful when read in the context of the Old Testament prophesies. I came away with a greater understanding of the “God-shaped hole in my life.”

I recently overheard my 4-year-old granddaughter from the back seat of my truck complaining about something she thought was all wrong, then her twin brother asked, “Is there something I can do to help?” This is a question maybe we all need to ask more. In our service to others maybe we will experience the privilege of serving Christ a drink.

I have some who think they are my enemy; I’ve asked Christ to show me how I can serve them. We have all thirsted and not been satisfied with what we drank. Only Christ can quench that thirst.

Jan’s thoughts:

After hearing this week that Fountain Park would be closing its doors the week after Easter, we wanted to say goodbye to the church and our friends who were still here.

I had the sense the congregation was drinking deeply of their time together even in the midst of dismantling the trappings of ownership, and I felt privileged to be among them today.

The praise band, the projectionists, and all those who served in other vital functions were there and performing all their usual duties. The voices of the three female lead singers blended perfectly and the acoustic guitar and bongo drums were excellent accompaniments.

As is so often the case, the children’s message spoke to adults as much if not more so. Today’s lesson was about discernment in advertising and contained a humorous reminder that the ads for soft drinks, for example, are often cheesy and don’t come through with their promises (“My neighbor’s name is on my Coke bottle but I still don’t want to love him”), but that God’s promises are real and He is in all that is part of Communion. It was a terrific message.

The pastor’s message was part five of a series entitled “Love Like Jesus” and today’s part focused on Jesus’ humanity as expressed in one of His final cries from the cross: “I am thirsty.” The pastor examined through Scripture The Thirst of Jesus, The Thirst of Others, and our own thirst.

He presented how Jesus’ thirst showed He was truly human (Philippians 2:7-8), that He was the promised Savior (John 19:28; Psalm 69:21b; Exodus 12:22), and how much He loved each person (Romans 5:8).

He focused on the thirst of others by reflecting on the world’s thirst for what most cannot even put into words. He said we serve Jesus by serving others (Matthew 25:37-40), that Jesus notices even the smallest service (Matthew 10:42), and the most Christ-like service is to our enemies (Proverbs 25:21).

In addressing the question of how we get our own thirst satisfied, he pointed out we need to realize what we’re really thirsty for (Psalm 63:1; Matthew 5:6), that Jesus feels our pain (Isaiah 53:4-5; Hebrews 4:15), and we must stop looking for fulfillment elsewhere and turn to Jesus (Jeremiah 2:13; John 7:37-38; John 4:13-14).

He said we must stop digging our own wells, i.e., trying to fulfill needs that God alone can satisfy. If we are feeling unfulfilled, bored, frustrated, buried over our heads, like there is more to life than this and we are ready to throw in the towel, we need only turn toward Jesus to find the Source of fulfillment of all our needs.

It was a joy to participate in Communion, served verbally by intinction. I was truly blessed to be there today.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, as You send this congregation out into the world, we pray they go empowered by Christ to share confidently what they have learned here. May they celebrate the chance to serve You and may You be glorified. Amen.

Fountain Park Church

Today we worshiped at Fountain Park Church, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 724.779.2003, www.fountainparkchurch.com, R. Mark Plumb, Pastor.

Scripture – Philippians 4:14-20 (NLT)

Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.

At the moment I have all I need – and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.

Bob’s thoughts:

We were called to return to Fountain Park and I thought we wouldn’t need to blog, but Jesus had a message for me which He delivered through Pastor Mark Plumb.

The message was based on the generosity of the church at Philippi, and the personal message for me was that the things I think I need to hang on to are keeping me from God’s blessings. The overwhelming joy I have experienced when giving away the excess is a great incentive to clean out again. I don’t know what God will lead me to next; I do know that the excess of things is a burden, not a blessing. 

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray You would cleanse us of the worldly things we hold on to and make room for the blessings You wish to bestow on us. Guide us that we may store up our treasures in Heaven. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Fountain Park Church

Today we worshiped at Fountain Park Church, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 724.779.2003, www.fountainpc.org, R. Mark Plumb, Pastor.

Bob’s thoughts:

At times I think about a church home and question our call of visitation. God reminds me of His call. We get letters of appreciation from pastors and churches, in His perfect timing we are used by God some way, and we are led to witness a God moment in a believer’s life.

Sunday was one of those moments. We worshiped at Fountain Park where we were later to host a baby shower for our daughter. Fountain Park is their home church and a place where I feel Christ’s presence.

Beyond the celebration of Palm Sunday, there was Baptism and Reception of New Members. The statements of faith from these youthful celebrants assured me the church will go forward in Christ.

It was a joy to know my prayers for Mark and the church were heard and welcomed.


Jan’s thoughts:

As the baby shower for our daughter and son-in-law and their twins was held here, we opted to worship here also.

We’ve blogged about previous visits to this church, so today I’d like to publicly thank the women of Fountain Park who both participated in and worked to help make this event the expression of love and support that it was.

We as parents are richly blessed to know that our family have been given a church family that cares so much about them and their children. They have been embraced by the prayers of this church from the start.

Mark’s sermon was part 4 of 5 of a series entitled “My Life…His Way,” and it made me wish I had heard the other parts. His approach is faithful and his delivery honest, with a touch of humor.

I was grateful for this church and delighted to be here.

Fountain Park Church

Today we worshiped at Fountain Park Church, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 724.779.2003, www.fountainpc.com, R. Mark Plumb, Pastor.


Bob’s thoughts:

Being at a church we are familiar with to celebrate our daughter and son-in-law becoming members afforded me a certain freedom.

We were greeted by people who thought they had seen us before and many exchanged “Hello” or “Good morning.” I noticed a number of friendly clusters of people around the Sanctuary before the service and noticed that my son sat alone at a table and no one approached him. I remembered how as a visitor the small groups could look like cliques to which you don’t belong, and how easy it is to make the visitor feel welcome.

I had the pleasure of watching a little girl who wasn’t saddled with our adult reservations and was free to dance to the praise songs; I appreciated her worship. I thought the Children’s Message was well done, a theological blending to make an Old Testament lesson current. The youth were engaged and the message was tied to the current theme.

There was a differentiation used in the sermon between “us” and “them.” As Christians we use these terms too often. We are called to change exactly this reality. You can use a Marine principle, “There are Marines and there are those who want to be.” There are many who would like to know Christ…we only need to make the introduction. We meet people every day who are searching, most times they don’t know for what or Whom.

Part of the sermon dealt with being salt and light, the uses of salt to melt ice, improve taste, etc. Salt was and is used in some unusual ways as a medicine and thought that a good analogy taking healing to those different from us. I thought the LifeSavers tossed to the congregation were the best metaphor: we have that chance to save a life by introducing the lost to Christ.

Jan’s thoughts:

Our visit to Fountain Park today was for the happy occasion of witnessing our daughter and son-in-law join this congregation with an adult baptism thrown in as well. It’s always uplifting to hear the contemporary music done so well, to hear Mark preach, and to worship with Mark and his wife, with whom we’ve been friends for years through the Pittsburgh Presbytery Partnership with the Synod of Blantyre in Malawi.

As we entered, there were a few folks who recalled our faces from past visits, which surprised me as it has been a while.

The bulletin was full of information about opportunities for service in numerous areas, stemming from the current sermon series. This week was the culmination of the sermon series and related small group studies entitled “Outflow: Loving the World!” with today’s installment called “Outward focused living in a self-focused world.”

I truly appreciate the sermon notes page that’s always included in the bulletin: it makes it so much easier to take notes and then to recall the points later. Today Mark spoke about the fact that in God’s eyes, we’re all missionaries in the particular place He has us. Like Moses, we tend to ask, “Who am I?” “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me?” or point out our shortcomings to God as Moses did: “I’m not very good with words.”

I missed the name of the author of this quote, but the quote itself is worth repeating: “To be a missionary for God, you do not have to cross the sea, but you do have to see the cross.”

God sees us as salt and light. I loved Mark’s list of the attributes of salt:
It melts ice – it may even melt the icy attitude of some people in the world;
It enhances flavor;
It acts as a preservative;
It makes one thirsty – maybe thirsty enough to seek out the Living Water; and
It doesn’t fulfill its purpose if it stays in the salt shaker. (I thought this one was especially meaningful!)

God sees us as seed sowers. He wants us to go out into the world as a satisfied customer who wants to share a great experience. He desires that we generously sow seeds for Him to use to bring growth. The more generously we sow, the more God has to work with.

For me, this is another reminder that “It’s not about me.” It’s about Jesus, and the fact that we are permitted to help in any small way is a wonder in itself. Our hearts should be filled to overflowing at the knowledge that God can and does use us, even when we don’t notice…perhaps especially then.

Fountain Park Church

Today we worshiped at Fountain Park Church, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, 724.779.2003, www.fountainpc.com, R. Mark Plumb, Pastor.


Bob’s thoughts:

Sometimes it is good to return to a church you are comfortable in, where you know the theology is right, where you will be welcomed and hear a good message.

Fountain Park is a smaller facility and we have commented previously on its unique attributes. There was an improvement to the signage since our last visit and the coffee available at the rear of the Sanctuary was enjoyable (in case my cardiologist is reading this, I had decaf). There is something special about being in church with our children and grandchildren, a sharing of our family with church family; our church family is just a lot larger than it was.

When we have children in town we want to take them where they will be welcomed and hear a good message. Christ used Mark Plumb for a well-delivered message that we all needed to hear on the existence of Hell and how to avoid going there.

Existing without our son gives a small foretaste of what it would be like to be separated from God, which is perhaps the clearest definition of Hell.

We were blessed to hear some positive remarks about General Assembly from the Executive Presbyter of Beaver-Butler Presbytery. I feel we have become so overly anxious to accommodate that the substance of what we believe is lessened. The lowering of our standards is only weakening the body.


Jan’s thoughts:

Whenever we have family visiting from out-of-state some of our visitors are under 5 years of age, so we like to bring them here to worship because we know it’s a family-friendly, casual, atmosphere with a nursery attached to the Sanctuary, as well as a thought-provoking sermon.

Today’s sermon was more than thought-provoking. Based on I Corinthians 13:12, the message was entitled “The Reality of Hell.” Next week Mark will present part 2 about Heaven, but this week he spoke of the realities of life:
1 – God made you to love you and wants your love in return;
2 – You were made to last forever;
3 – God has prepared 2 eternal places;
4 – You choose where you’ll spend eternity; and
5 – There is no second chance after you die.

He pointed out that Hell is an actual place that is devoid of God or any shred of goodness and that we could settle the question of our eternal destiny today if we decide to accept Christ as our Savior.

This is what Mark preached (and with which I agree). Following is my own thinking on the topic.

Refusing to accept Christ as our Savior means we are gambling with our everlasting destiny, and not only our own but the destinies of those who might have come to Christ because of our witness. Since we do not live in a vacuum, our lives and who we are affect others in ways we will never know this side of Heaven.

I say this from the perspective of one who this month will remember the 4th anniversary of the Homegoing of a child. I have the privilege of looking back at the events in my life that God used to bring me back to Him and thus to help my son know the truth before he left us. For that reason I’ll forever be grateful for every difficult thing God allowed me to experience so my son could know Christ before he met Him face to face.

So, pay attention to what God is trying to show you. You never know what fruit He intends to bring from it.

Fountain Park Church

Today we worshiped at Fountain Park Church, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, www.fountainpc.com.


Bob’s thoughts:

The building is modern, a handicapped-accessible, one-story slab building without the trappings of a more traditional Presbyterian church, and there is incredible warmth. Beginning with people waving as we were parking and throughout the service we were warmly greeted.

Signage in the narthex is large and colorful, but only a small pedestal sign indicating the direction of the restrooms. It is a small but well laid out church building, so you wouldn’t have to look hard for anything. The Sanctuary is bright and airy and the lack of stained glass is easily offset by a window at the rear of the chancel with a pine tree right outside. There is a large wooden cross bearing a white lace drape with white mini-lights behind a crèche next to the chancel. Nearby is a table for prayer request cards, and I noticed some people in prayer in that area after the service.

The service was contemporary, with good acoustics due somewhat to the ceiling treatment. The chancel is just two steps and gives the feel of being more connected to the congregation. The oboe was an impressive addition to the praise songs. For a younger congregation I didn’t see the passion I expected in praise worship. There was a great response to the children’s sermon – it’s always great to hear responses from the youth. I really appreciated the graphics on the screen, and that the words were also projected on the rear wall. Often the praise team does not know when the wrong (or no) words are displayed.

The bulletin contained a diagram of the sermon which was filled in on-screen as the sermon developed. The Sanctuary is set up with padded folding chairs. There was coffee, etc. at the rear and café tables – very welcoming. The chancel was decorated with white poinsettias which gave me a feeling of peace and purity.

Mark has an excellent delivery with powerful inflection, and I believe God used him to bring me a personal message, a reassurance of hope of heaven.

The nursery and adjoining room have a window to the Sanctuary which could serve as a cry room. There were a lot of highlights in today’s worship, but I was especially impressed with the visitor information card that asked for input about what visitors liked and solicited suggestions for improvements. I felt connected in worship, and was blessed to be close enough to hear Lin’s voice in song.

Jan’s thoughts:

The building is much smaller than I expected – I was under the impression Fountain Park was more along the lines of Orchard Hill. The interior is nicely decorated (professionally, perhaps?) and we had no problem finding the restrooms, or anything else for that matter. Color schemes and designs were complementary, aesthetically pleasing, and inviting.

The new pastor and his wife, Mark and Lin Plumb, are good friends of ours from the Malawi Partnership, so we were greeted very warmly by people we already knew. Mark and Lin have been at Fountain Park since the beginning of December, and it seems like a wonderful fit. We were received cordially by people to whom Lin and Mark introduced us, and just as hospitably by others who were unaware of our association but recognized us as visitors.

The layout of the Sanctuary consisted of folding chairs toward the front, and behind were small round tables just the right size for three people to sit in folding chairs and still face the chancel. Coffee, tea, water, lemonade, and cookies were at the back of the Sanctuary and we were invited to enjoy refreshments during worship – something I don’t believe I’ve experienced anywhere else.

There were many unique touches at this church, from the acrylic surrounding the drummer (he did exhibit a lot of enthusiasm), to the pencil and envelope holders attached to the back of the metal folding chairs via a metal pencil holder and a few magnets (it looked a lot better than it sounds!), to projecting the same thing on the back wall for the worship leaders as on both front screens (an ingenious way for the leaders to know what the congregation is seeing).

In my opinion, music is one of the most important aspects of worship, and there was a pleasing mix of very contemporary songs. When I looked around, though, I noticed I was the only person moving to the music. I find it difficult to stand still when the music starts, and couldn’t help but wonder about the seeming lack of enthusiasm among the congregation.

The only aspect that’s more important than music, however, is the Word. I appreciated the sermon for several reasons, beginning with the topic: God’s gift of hope in Christ. The sermon was Biblically-based, and applied to everyday life…and death. Mark pointed out that “100% of us will die, and sometimes without warning.” Needless to say, I mentally seconded that. The bottom line of many sermons is a feel-good reassurance, and I found it refreshing to hear a sermon that bluntly stated a truth through which my family is currently living.

The bulletin contains many announcements and prayer requests, as well as a sermon outline and blanks which Mark filled in as he preached. As a visitor I wondered about the order of worship, but the atmosphere was casual enough that it didn’t bother me not to have one printed.

Were Bob and I looking for a church to join, Fountain Park would certainly be on the short list.