Church at the Heights

Today we worshiped at Church at the Heights, 500 Salem Lane, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.935.1329, www.churchattheheights.org, Pastors Ralph and Cindy Vogel.


Scripture – NLT

2 Samuel 11:1 –

In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

1 Samuel 17:47 –

And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!

2 Corinthians 11:24-27 –

Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

John 16:33 –

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

Hebrews 4:12 –

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.


Bob’s thoughts:

I think this may have been the warmest welcome ever. Many people stopped to say hello and introduce themselves, we were offered coffee and donuts and directed to the restrooms and sanctuary. The only disappointment was the lack of a cross in the sanctuary. There were a lot of children to keep me entertained, especially the young family in front of us.

I was thanked for my service and greeted by a Marine. Some told of service people in their family.

I was impressed with how many got up to lay hands and pray over those in need during a prayer time and after the service. I was so surprised I didn’t even remember to ask the pastor if we could pray over him.

The message was that God wants us to be victorious in the spiritual warfare we face. A high point: You can never experience victory if you never face adversity or if you refuse to use your weapons of warfare. We are all warriors for Christ.


Jan’s thoughts:

A number of Bob’s emails were lost recently, and in the course of going through what has been retrieved, he found something about this church. Somehow, this morning, this was the church we felt drawn to because of the worship time, so here we were. It never ceases to amaze me the many ways God uses to get us where He wants us any given Sunday.

We first visited this church almost four years ago, and they were as warm and friendly today as they were then. We were welcomed as soon as we entered the building as well as, really, the whole time we were there – before, during, and after worship.

We were invited to enjoy a cup of coffee and donut and several folks stopped for conversation.

The worship area is not large but distinctively and dramatically decorated. When I looked at the church website yesterday, I remembered it immediately from the photo on the landing page. When the service began the room was almost empty, and by the time the music was over, I could probably count on one hand the number of empty seats. This is the almost universal pattern for contemporary worship services.

There were numerous announcements as this church seems to have a great deal going on and involvement in ministries inside and outside the congregation. They have three prayer meetings throughout the week: Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday, which is amazing.

Just before the message, those present were invited to lay hands on and pray for others present.

The message appeared to be part two of a series about victory. The pastor’s points were:

1 – You cannot experience victory if you never go out to battle. There is no victory for the one who won’t go, and if you give up, you forfeit your victory.

2 – You cannot experience victory if you never face adversity. Adversity means you have an adversary, which we certainly do – Satan. But if we avoid facing adversity, we avoid our victory as well.

3 – You cannot experience victory if you refuse to use your weapons of warfare. We must humbly submit to the Holy Spirit, without attitude and on His terms, pray for discernment, knowledge, and wisdom. Then we must be still so we can hear from the Spirit, and then follow Him.

It sounds simple, but I know no one who finds it easy. It’s a day-by-day battle and we are all works in progress. Praise God for His patience and unfailing love.


Our prayer for this church:
Lord, bless the efforts of Your church as they seek Your guidance for the future. We pray for victory over any adversity they encounter. Amen.

Hampton Presbyterian Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Hampton Presbyterian Church, 942 East Hardies Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.443.3201, www.hamptonpresbyterian.net, Rev. Dr. Ted Martin, Senior Pastor.


Scripture – NIV

Isaiah 42:1-9 –

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

Ephesians 2:11-22 –

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.


Bob’s thoughts:

I recently ran into a friend who sang with the praise team here at one time, and it reminded me that we haven’t visited for quite a while.

The first smile came from seeing a large wooden cross right inside the door. We were greeted and engaged in conversation and someone offered to bring us a cup of coffee. I was delighted to see the praise team gathered for prayer before the service.

Projected signage for restrooms would be helpful.

I didn’t realize the first song wasn’t one to sing along and didn’t recognize the lyrics; the rest were on the screen but we sat off to one side and it was hard to read at times. The pastor spoke with a mic but was easier to understand when he turned toward us.

For the children’s message, the pastor read to them “The Little Blue Truck” which even now I could probably still recite. It was a great message that the children grasped and finished well in good time.

There was a prayer of illumination before the Scripture, as it should be. The message dealt with social justice with compassion and care. We have somehow gotten to the point where everyone who doesn’t agree with us is a (fill in the blank). There seems to be no room for understanding.

I remember this service to be a lot darker and the music somewhat harsh so I was surprised to hear older praise music in a much brighter area.


Jan’s thoughts:

As we entered the building, the music floating down the hallway led us to the worship area.

It has been eight years since we visited this church and the Turning Point (contemporary) service has changed dramatically from what I recall the first time we were here. The room is filled with light and plenty of seating, including several large round tables, at which we chose to sit.

We were welcomed warmly by several folks who had also arrived early. They took the time to introduce themselves, told us about the church, and made sure we got a cup of coffee. Several people greeted us after worship as well. This degree of visitor hospitality is remarkable for a church with three services.

The praise team had a harmonious sound but I had trouble understanding the words both sung and spoken. We sat on the outskirts of the seating area because the speakers were not aimed in that direction, so perhaps that had something to do with it. Or maybe the very high ceiling, I don’t know.

This service was blessed to have the Children’s Message, and this day it was a reading of the children’s book The Little Blue Truck and a corresponding lesson about cooperation and being helpful.

The new Music Director was introduced to the congregation and she was welcomed with enthusiasm.

I was pleased the Prayer For Illumination was given before the reading of Scripture.

The message, entitled Belhar: Ministry of Reconciliation, was presented and explained in detail by the Associate Pastor, Rev. Ryan Pixton. He taught that the Belhar Confession was written in 1986 and added to the Book of Confessions in 2016. Crafted by the Dutch Reformed Mission Church in response to the ugliness of apartheid, it focused on unity, reconciliation, and justice. Their stated intent was that it not be heard as a theological debate, but as a cry from the heart; that there was no hidden agenda, just a recognized need for confession and redemption through Christ and a prayer for God to bring good from the situation.

It was enlightening and educational and I was glad we were led here.


Our prayer for this church:
Lord, we pray for Your constant enlightenment upon Your church May they continue to follow Your plans and direction. Amen.

Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church, 3916 Bakerstown Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.473.3449, www.graceingibsonia.org, Pastor Jeff Stivason.


Scripture – ESV

Exodus 16:1-36 –

They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, "At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?" And Moses said, "When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord."

Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, 'Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.'" And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, "I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.'"

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.'" And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over till the morning." But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, "This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.'" So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none."

On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day." So the people rested on the seventh day.

Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'" And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations." As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)

John 6:41-59 –

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.


Bob’s thoughts:

We both chose blindly from three churches that we had mapped and chose/were guided to the same one.

We were early enough to talk to some people and were warmly greeted, especially by the young children, which made my day.

We had selected from mainline churches thinking they would celebrate Pentecost, but again this year we were the only ones wearing red. I was also disappointed that a mainline church didn’t have a cross anywhere. The mullions in the windows satisfied that for me. There were a lot of children at this service, so I felt right at home.

An oddity for me was that people sang much louder without instrumental accompaniment. Frequently the words are drowned out or not sang loud enough to be heard.

From the message: “We think we know where others should be in their walk,” we know Jesus. Much like in Christ’s time on earth, people knew Joseph and Mary so how could Christ be who He said He was?

A good point raised by Christ is, why didn’t they know? They had the Scriptures and prophecies, they ought to have known.

It is always hard to guess if the congregation needs multiple examples or repetition to get the message; I thought the message was understandable and I think the congregation got it.


Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived early enough to look around some and watch a couple of little ones play while the adults set up coffee. The kitchen/fellowship area was spacious and looked new. We observed some architectural drawings on display but did not examine them closely.

Several people welcomed us and a couple took time for conversation, which is always appreciated. I was a little surprised that Pentecost was not observed.

There was hardly an empty seat in the sanctuary, and many children of all ages joined in the worship service.

The music was started by one voice but after that the rest of the voices blended with volume and harmony. There were no instruments of any kind, and it sounded marvelous. It’s an interesting change of pace to sing from the Psalter.

The pastor presented the sermon entitled The Bread of Life, which told the story in John 6:41-59 in the context of Exodus 16. In both Scriptures, God gave the Bread of Life: in Exodus it was manna and in John it was Christ.


Our prayer for this church:
Father, we pray Your church welcomes You as the Bread of Life and shares Your message. Amen.

Church at the Heights

Today we worshiped at Church at the Heights, 500 Salem Lane, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.935.1329, www.churchattheheights.org, Ralph and Cindy Vogel, Senior Pastors.

Scripture –

Genesis 8:22 NKJV –

“While the earth remains,

Seedtime and harvest,

Cold and heat,

Winter and summer,

And day and night

Shall not cease.”

Luke 6:38 NLT –

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. ”

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NLT –

For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.

Galatians 6:7-10 NLT –

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Bob’s thoughts:

I couldn’t begin to count how many people welcomed us…not just hello but sat down and introduced themselves and made a point of connecting us with other members passing by. Not often do people take that kind of time to visit and point the way to the sanctuary and restrooms. We were welcomed to coffee and donuts and felt like we were with friends.

I could only find some small crosses on a banner, but was captivated by a faux swirled drape over what looked like indirect light boxes running down either side of the sanctuary. There were many interesting posters and art work in the small portion of the facility we saw.

I was most impressed with the prayer time: people prayed as I believe they should, with the authority and power of Christ Jesus.

The pastor’s message was the last of a series on the core values of Heights Church enumerated by each letter of their name, Heights. Today’s sermon was on sowing and giving. I thought the message developed well with good Scriptural support, and shorter verses that were right to the point. He used a helpful analogy to farming experiences that were an understandable way of adapting to our thinking.

It stood out to me that the congregation was really on board and paying attention. Also, the pastor’s passion was evident. I sometimes complain that when we have less to say we talk louder, but when we are preaching Jesus Christ and not ourselves, we cannot go quietly. Salvation is the greatest thing that has, or will ever happen to us, and we cannot be quiet about Jesus.

Something else I noted today: the praise worship team can have a “look at me” posture or a “look at Christ” manner. I was glad they were the latter today. The smiles and enthusiasm for Jesus shows where their heart is.

Jan’s thoughts:

As we have noted in the past, when a church has more than one service, the members often keep their distance from people they do not recognize because they don’t want to risk offending a member, so they choose to forego welcoming someone who may be a visitor. But almost from the moment we walked into this church, people extended a warm, genuine welcome and took time for conversation and to tell us about the church.

The entry was lovely, set up with a welcoming living-room-type area on one side and tables and chairs on the other. There were plenty of coffee and donuts during this between-the-services fellowship time.

The sanctuary was down a long hallway that had small tables set up on the way, along with charming wall hangings, and still somehow when I saw the sanctuary it took my breath away. The lighting, the color, the decoration, it was all just amazing.

On top of all that, the music was marvelous. This is the one aspect of worship that will bring me to tears, and today “Forever Reign” did that. It was perfect, and immediately following that song the pastor/worship leader asked anyone who needed prayer to raise their hands and other members laid hands on them and prayed for them. It was a powerful time.

Today’s was the final message in the current series, “Anchored” and focused on the spiritual laws of “sowing and giving.” He spoke of the “lost concepts of planting and harvesting” and stated that what is planted WILL come to fruition…we are “always sowing something and always reaping something.”

He declared that we are not giving to God if all we are doing is tithing, that giving to the Kingdom means above the tithe. In other words, the tithe should be the minimum starting point. This is something that is not taught nearly enough, I think. We should give to God first and we cannot out-give God, though He does not always repay us in kind.

He taught that most of what God gives us is meant to go back out to bless others; it is not meant for our consumption.

We must sow seeds for the Kingdom. We cannot evade God’s law of sowing and reaping any more than we can plant one seed and reasonably expect something different to grow. We will only harvest what we plant, so we should make sure what we are planting is what we want to harvest.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray this church continues to increase their giving in every way as You pour out Your blessings upon them. Amen.

Hampton Bible Chapel / Crosspointe Church

Today we worshiped at Hampton Bible Chapel / Crosspointe Church, P.O. Box 1405, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 412.517.8618, www.hamptonbiblechapel.com, Mike Brownfield, Senior Pastor.

Scripture – Philippians 2:12-18 (ESV)

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Bob’s thoughts:

If you know God, how can you not enjoy Him and everything about Him?

We used printed Google search directions to the church as well as my GPS which led us to a wooded area, so we reverted back to the printed directions and found they were trying to take us to the same woodlands. Jan searched on her phone and found the church was in the middle of Hampton Park.

We were lamenting the lack of any signage when we saw one building with a number of cars around it, so we parked and went in. We walked through the building and found rest rooms and nearby a banner indicating the worship area…the first indication that we might be in the right place.

We were disgruntled and dismayed at the lack of directional signage and I was at the point of thinking this was the most inwardly-focused church we had ever visited, that they were so unfriendly they didn’t want to be found. But I heard a woman greet Jan as I was going into the rest room. When I came out and was waiting for Jan the woman called me by name, introduced herself and led me to where Jan was seated.

The devil had us so turned around that we almost sought somewhere else to worship. The church was not allowed to use signs and has to pack up and completely clear the space following worship each week.

We spent so much time finding the church that there was next to no time for greetings.

We both enjoyed the obvious first grandchild in the row in front of us. When I mentioned that I had hoped to talk to them after the service, Grandma commented that Grandpa had control (as it should be…) and I thought just the opposite, it seemed like Grandpa was constantly being corrected or the baby adjusted. Grandpas never have enough baby time.

I wish worship leaders would not feel obligated to play music when someone is speaking or praying; it makes it very hard for some like me, to hear what is said.

The sermon was part of a series and dealt with working out our salvation. I thought it was a catchy title and heard Bible-based preaching: your salvation is in you, you have to work to bring it out…we all need to stop complaining and just do it.

The pastor spoke of needing to conduct a funeral service for a family he didn’t know and understood that they didn’t know Christ. We were blessed with the privilege to pray for him while he did the service, as we are well aware that only Christ’s words can help; there is nothing a mortal can say.

There was a luncheon after the service and a man from across the room came and invited us to share their table; we again felt it was God’s orchestration we shared some common ministry. There were also some who thanked me for my service.

I look forward to the progress at this church.

Jan’s thoughts:

Today’s visit was an adventure. We started out just a bit early with our printed directions to the meeting place indicated on the website. The GPS took us on a slightly different route, which was okay, but when the GPS announced that we had arrived at our destination, all we saw were trees.

Suffice to say it took an extra 15 minutes and Google maps on my phone to point out that the church was located in the middle of a community park. Although it seemed odd we had nothing to lose, so we headed in that direction and discovered the church met in the community park building.

As we walked across the parking lot, I confessed to Bob my irritation at the fact that there were no signs anywhere, even right outside the building, much less back on the roads where they could have done us some good.

Following the service, in conversation with the very friendly people of this church, we learned that signage is not permitted because worship takes place on community property. However we also learned this church is on the verge of purchasing space elsewhere and hopes to move within 6 months. They have also changed their name, which cleared up my confusion when I received a bulletin bearing the name Crosspointe Church but still indicating the web address for Hampton Bible Chapel. In the end it all made sense.

The bulletin contained a list of items to be considered in preparation for ministry in their new location; several of these items spoke to reaching out into the community as well as greeting and including visitors. This sort of purposeful planning makes it clear this church is willing to hear and do what is necessary to invite those outside their doors to join them in the Name of Christ.

As I said, this turned out to be quite a friendly church: we were greeted intentionally by a number of folks, invited to stay for a luncheon following worship and then to sit with a couple with whom we had much in common, it turned out.

Being a community center, it takes a huge amount of work to set up the space for worship, but it was comfortable and we were able to find our way around with no problem. The worship area was large enough to accommodate a good number of worshipers of all ages and physical limitations.

The message was part of a series called “Learning to be Content” and today’s entry was entitled “Working Out Our Salvation.” The pastor taught directly from the text, explaining the meanings of words and phrases and emphasizing that God’s instructions to His people include doing whatever God asks of us without complaining, mumbling, or questioning. He testified that if we are willing to work at being the people God calls us to be, God will do it for us in addition to giving us the gift of wanting to do what He asks.

In other words, if we will turn to God in trust, God will give us the desire, the tools, and the victory all of which benefits us, the culture, and other Christians around us.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray You will bless this church; help them to work out their salvation so they are a beacon to all. Amen.

Bakerstown Alliance Church

Today we worshiped at Bakerstown Alliance Church, 4030 Bakerstown Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.443.7040, www.bakerstownalliancechurch.org, Pastor Vern Borchert.

Scripture – Proverbs 30:8-9

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Bob’s thoughts:

Our arrival just as the service started eliminated any opportunity to exchange greetings.

The church had a warm feel to it, like a country chapel, and I appreciated the large wooden cross on the chancel wall.

The singer/keyboard musician was enjoyable, and the woman in the front row interpreting the songs in sign language brought back a significant memory of when our daughter did the same thing. When our daughter signed the Lord’s Prayer I never could stay all the way through it.

My guess is these folks have worshiped together for a long time: when prayer requests were made, often someone added to or clarified the request.

The sermon was about greed, but the very personal story the pastor shared – along with the time he spent telling about the loss of a friend – made me think he needed prayer, so that is how I spent the time.

Most of the congregation stayed for a meeting after church so we did not get to visit with them.

Jan’s thoughts:

Unfortunately we were a few minutes late arriving, but an usher immediately handed us bulletins and we found seats while we joined partway through a song.

Musical leadership was provided by a talented gentleman who played the keyboard and sang.

The sanctuary was the only part we saw of the interior of the building, but it boasted a huge wooden cross, a stone chancel wall, white frosted windows topped with a decorative triangle of frosted purple glass, and, with only 3 walls, a very open feel.

The pastor spoke at length about a member whose memorial service was held yesterday after which the prayer requests took a good deal of time as everyone seemed to know all about everyone else.

The message was entitled “Greed” and I was a little confused when the stated Scripture was not read or even referred to. The point was that “greed is a disease that stems from worry and if we allow worry to control our lives we will end up choosing to have security at any price. The cure for greed is to sell/give away what controls you.”

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray the heart of this congregation will be receptive to Your leading. May they grow in Your service. Amen.

Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church, 3916 Bakerstown Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.449.6363, www.gracerp.org, Pastor Jeffrey A. Stivason.

Scripture (NASB)

Exodus 19:1-25

"In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain. Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."

So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do!" And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. The Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever." Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

The Lord also said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, 'Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain." So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments. He said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman."

So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, or else the Lord will break out against them." Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us, saying, 'Set bounds about the mountain and consecrate it.'" Then the Lord said to him, "Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break forth upon them." So Moses went down to the people and told them."

Hebrews 12:18-24

"For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, "I f even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned." And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling." But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel."

Bob’s thoughts:

We did not have much time before the service but a number of people welcomed us. I realized that some only smiled, but that spoke volumes in making us feel at home.

I thought it odd that I couldn’t find a cross, but I used the cross in the window frame for a focus.

When the children’s message was given, there were some questions for the parents to ask later…a good way to keep the children listening and get the parents involved.

I thought the premise for the sermon was a good one but I got confused with the restating; wish I could regain my focus.

I observed a healthy age mix with a lot of young people. Also got to meet some people after the service and noticed a good number came back to the sanctuary for Sunday School.

Jan’s thoughts:

It is so pleasant to be greeted upon entering the building and exchange smiles and “Good morning!” wishes as we located the sanctuary and found seats.

The sanctuary was plain except for several large plants toward the front. The music was produced entirely by human voices, and it was awesome to hear.

As the opening announcements ended and the service moved toward worship I was pleased to hear the worship leader express the wish “May God be blessed.” It’s all too easy to forget that is the purpose of our presence, not whatever we might get from our time spent in worship.

The sanctuary was nearly full and an impressive mix of ages was represented. The Children’s Message was an opportunity to introduce the youth to the sermon subject, which I found helpful.

The sermon was entitled “Sinai or Zion: To Which Have You Come?” Sinai and Zion represented the God of the Old and New Testaments, respectively. The pastor spoke of Marcion, who, around 144 A.D., taught that the God of the Old Testament could not be the same God about whom Jesus taught in the New Testament because Marcion believed Christianity was inconsistent with Judaism.

I want to be clear that the pastor was not advocating this heresy, but quite honestly, this sermon was a little out of my league.

After the service, as we went to leave the sanctuary via another door, I had a very enjoyable conversation with a former co-worker.

Our prayer for this church:

Father, we pray You continue to guide this congregation and make them aware of where You are leading. Amen.

Christian Community Church

Today we worshiped at Christian Community Church, 5719 North Montour Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.625.3230, www.cccofmars.org, Pastor Dan Turney.

Scripture

Isaiah 46:9-13

Remember the former things, those of long ago;

I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.

I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’

From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.

Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are now far from my righteousness.

I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away;

And my salvation will not be delayed.

I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel.

Bob’s thoughts:

We were early and a number of people stopped to welcome us.

The building appeared to be a former school and the service held in what was probably a gym, so the acoustics were not good. For me the volume made it harder for me to hear or understand. I was disappointed to not see a cross except for one on a banner, then noticed three small crosses together above the coffee area.

The guest musicians were accomplished and enjoyable.

The pastor stated he had just returned from vacation and his message was on the sovereignty of God. The Biblical references quoted simply and directly state God’s supreme unrestricted authority and power as fact. The congregation seemed to show an active interest in the sermon which paused for some more songs. After a few more praise songs a different man finished the message. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 was quoted. The three points: that we will be drawn to worship, drawn to obey, and so God can comfort us.

We were in the last row and the heat was unbearable for me but I was surprised how much of a breeze I could feel when I moved my chair back about a foot.

We had another commitment and had to leave after 1½ hours, but while looking at the nursery had the pleasure of meeting the pastor’s wife. She was able to answer a long-standing question for me. I had noticed the church when it was on Route 228; the property was sold and a drug store built there, but I never found where the church went or even its name. I always thought God would lead us to it.

Jan’s thoughts:

The great signage at the road was extremely helpful and much appreciated.

The church leases the buildings that formerly housed the Richland Christian School, which sit on 55 idyllic acres.

We arrived early enough to look around, and after finding seats in the very back row we had a lovely conversation with some folks in front of us as well as several others who stopped to greet us.

This church seems to be involved in a wide array of internal and external missions.

For some reason I had not anticipated contemporary music at this church. That was enough of a surprise, but we could never have predicted the music we would hear today. We were privileged to be present for special music presented by Doug Ward and Shailen Abram. From the bulletin: “Doug has served with and led worship teams for the past 20 years having a passion for music, for the Lord and for young people. 15 year old Shailen is blind and has autism, as well as a remarkable musical gift. He has been playing the piano and singing since he was 18 months old.” The music was indeed special, and Shailen is amazingly gifted. I was grateful for God’s leading us here on this particular day.

The pastor announced that today’s topic was the sovereignty of God, which he defined as “supreme, unrestricted power with no termination of authority.” Verse by verse, he went through the Scripture for the day which states that God’s purposes span from ancient times to the completion of time, that His purpose will stand and He will do all He pleases. His plan will not be interrupted, confused, or destroyed, and His purpose is salvation. The pastor pointed out that Scripture does not try to prove God’s sovereignty; it simply states it as fact.

Following more special music, another gentleman took over preaching. He answered the question, “Why do the writers of Scripture tell us this?” He declared a three-fold purpose: 1 – so we will be drawn to worship; 2 – to motivate us to obey God; and 3 – so He can comfort us. He stated that if God was only sovereign, we would fear Him. But Scripture testifies to God’s love, out of which He acts with sovereignty. Because He acts out of love (Jeremiah 29:11), we can be confident that every event in our lives is for our good (Romans 8:28) and that He walks with us through everything we face.

Indeed He does…a fact on which I depend every moment and for which I am utterly grateful. 

Our prayer for this church:
Father, we pray You continue to bless this little church. May they be a beacon on the hill for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

St. Thomas Church in the Fields

Today we worshiped at St. Thomas Church in the Fields, 4106 St. Thomas Drive, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.443.1963, www.StThomasChurchInTheFields.org, Rev. Ronald J. Baillie, Rector.

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 1:12-14; 2:18-23

I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.

What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.

Psalm 49:1-11

Hear this, all you peoples; hearken, all you who dwell in the world, you of high degree and low, rich and poor together.

My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and my heart shall meditate on understanding.

I will incline my ear to a proverb and set forth my riddle upon the harp.

Why should I be afraid in evil days, when the wickedness of those at my heels surrounds me,

The wickedness of those who put their trust in their goods, and boast of their great riches?

We can never ransom ourselves, or deliver to God the price of our life;

For the ransom of our life is so great, that we should never have enough to pay it,

In order to live for ever and ever, and never see the grave.

For we see that the wise die also; like the dull and stupid they perish and leave their wealth to those who come after them.

Their graves shall be their homes for ever, their dwelling places from generation to generation, though they call the lands after their own names.

Even though honored, they cannot live for ever; they are like the beasts that perish.

Colossians 3:12-17

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Bob’s thoughts:

Had the choice been mine I probably would have visited this church just for the unusual architecture: the w-shaped roof with hash windows down the sides and domed skylight at the peak. There is a great wooden cross suspended from the ceiling bearing a crowned Christ figure. The floor is exposed aggregate and the lectern and pulpit have cut out figures and symbols. The wall has some large wooden pieces with Christian symbols.

Another interesting architectural aspect was the ceiling treatment in the fellowship room. The dropped ceiling treatment ¾ up on the junior bar joist made for an appealing look and what must be an asset for decorating.

We were greeted right off by a woman setting up for music and someone from the kitchen, and then a longtime member came and offered us a tour and introduction.

The message was from Luke based on the Parable of the Rich Fool. He started by relating how Martin Luther was asked what he would do if he knew he would die tomorrow. Luther’s response was that he would plant a tree today.

He shared the concept that he who dies with the most toys, still dies. And my favorite, that the saved are already living forever so live without worry…a great spiritual message from the movie “Groundhog Day.” The time we waste hedging our bets could be spent wisely living for Christ.

With his concluding admonishment that we should plant a tree that will bear fruit for years to come, I felt drawn to a symbol of a Tree of Life from Genesis.

The pastor used inflection and emphasis in delivering his message and the congregation seemed to receive it well.

Jan’s thoughts:

Today we were accurate on the time and arrived with plenty of opportunity to look around. Those we encountered welcomed us warmly and one gentleman, who was well versed in the history of this church, generously made the time to give us a guided tour of the building. Numerous folks introduced themselves and kindly offered us coffee even before worship. Hospitality seems to be a gift of many in this church.

One of the most striking things about this facility is its architecture, from the dramatic presentation outside to the row of skylight windows at the top of the sanctuary ceiling. The signage was good.

The musical accompaniment was provided by two women on acoustic guitars who sounded excellent together.

All music was indicated in the bulletin as being from a songbook of somewhat more contemporary music and the bulletin included the words to each Scripture reading and all liturgies. Obviously this makes for a more detailed bulletin, but it also makes it much easier for the unfamiliar to follow.

The untitled sermon began with the question, “What would you do differently if you knew you would live forever?” The Rector suggested one might stop worrying, be more in the present as opposed to the past or the future, and we might opt to accumulate fewer things.

He pointed out that from the world’s perspective the Rich Fool in Jesus’ parable is to be admired for his planning and preparation, that he did everything right by worldly standards; but from an eternal perspective he was living for himself and for things and in the process he forfeited all else. He believed the false message that we can control our own lives, but we cannot be god of our lives and still live in faith in God.

He pointed out that as believers we are already living eternal life, and urged those hearing him to live in the light of this truth by leaving worry behind and giving up the desire for wealth and control. How we live now can change the fabric of eternity.

I appreciated one of his final questions: “Why do we insist on living starved in the midst of God’s abundance?”

After a mostly sleepless night last night, this message struck home for me. Why indeed do I forget that God provides abundantly and perfectly, that He remembers His children, and is for them. I always want to abandon my plans in favor of His…I just do not always do it as well as I would like. Perhaps this message will help me remember the Truth when I cannot sleep.

Our prayer for this church:
Lord, we pray this church did get Your message to live for You and boldly act in Your name. May we all know the peace from understanding that all our fears for tomorrow have already been met in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

iChurch

Today we worshiped at iChurch, PO Box 372, Mars, PA 16046, meets at Pine-Richland Youth Center, 5554 Community Center Drive, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.473.3106, www.iChurchOnline.com, Ben Rath, Pastor.

Scripture

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Matthew 5:6

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

Psalm 63:1

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Matthew 6:33

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Joshua 24:15

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Bob’s thoughts:

On a pleasant redirect, we ended up at iChurch for worship. This church had been worshiping in a high school auditorium, but while the school has been closed for the summer they found space in a gym at Pine-Richland Youth Center.

The acoustics of a gym are such that the echo makes it hard to understand the speaker. A member joked if you didn’t catch the sermon the first time, you could hear it on the echo. I had my ear plugs and noticed that the church also provided some…for me the bass was overwhelming.

The service had just started but we were warmly greeted at the door. I did not see a cross anywhere but that may be due to the temporary space. The guitar playing during the prayers made it difficult to hear/understand.

The sermon, “God Bless This Home,” was the final part of a series and dealt with what we are really asking with that request for God’s blessing. I appreciated the development and delivery of the message and the Scripture he interspersed. It was refreshing to hear a message that was not watered down.

I liked at one point reference was made to the fullness of God in response to dieting downfalls.

The pastor’s passion was apparent in the sermon and in our talk after the service. I was interested to hear how his timing and God’s timing were reconciled and enjoyed hearing his testimony of God’s orchestration and timing in his life.

Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived at the church we were headed for only to find I had not noted the summer hours on their website. Since we had already missed the sermon, we decided to check out another worship opportunity for which we saw a sign on the main road…along with signs pointing the way all the way to the entrance, which we couldn’t help but appreciate.

The facility is a community youth center and worship takes place in the gymnasium. Though we arrived a bit into the service, we were warmly greeted by a woman standing near the door who introduced herself, made sure we had a bulletin, and invited us to come in and sit.

Acoustically there is only so much that can be done to tone down the echo in a gymnasium, and I thought it hospitable that ear plugs were offered on a table toward the back along with pens, and note-taking paper/connection cards. I can’t imagine the amount of effort it takes to set up and tear down everything used here each week.

The message was part 4 of a series called “The Blessed Life” and this final installment, “God Bless This Home,” centered on family relationships. After readily acknowledging the numerous challenges in homes nowadays, the pastor set out to light the path toward understanding God’s precepts for a happy and successful family life. After acknowledging there is no such thing as a perfect family, he asked the question for the day: “What do you hunger for?”

In the context of our spiritual diet, I loved his story about tacos. He told of his…I’d say love, but passion is a better word…for the dish, and how he needed to remove them from his diet for health reasons. He started out with no appreciation for his new dishes, and gradually, after time, he saw change and improvement and eventually came to enjoy the new foods he was eating. He declared it’s the same thing when we remove less desirable influences from our life and focus on God, when we ‘give Jesus the wheel’ and allow Him to change us for the better.

He spoke of what does not work: legalistic Christianity (rules without relationship end in rebellion) and lukewarm Christianity (what our culture has now).

God has instructed us to pursue, hunger, and thirst after righteousness and to do that we must see God as loving, approachable, and involved. Three ways he advised that work toward that end are (1) involve God in daily conversations, (2) make church together as a family non-negotiable (attendance and serving), and (3) show how seeking and serving is fun. After all, life really is more caught than taught.

One of his final points was, “If you pursue God, you will have all God wants you to have.” That is God’s promise both in Matthew 5:6 and 6:33. My only question is, how different would our lives be if we took that to heart and believed it?

Our prayer for this church:
Heavenly Father, we pray You continue to encourage this church to seek You. We also lift up the pastor and ask that You support him as he speaks Your Word in truth and love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.