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.

Hampton Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Hampton Presbyterian Church, 2942 East Hardies Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.443.3201. www.hamptonpresbyterian.org, Rev. Ted Martin, Pastor.

Bob’s thoughts:

Upon entering we happened to encounter a friend and the pastor along with one of the interns. They led us to an outdoor service pavilion for this contemporary worship service where we sat at picnic tables aligned to face a large wooden cross.

The sermon was part of a series dissecting their mission statement, and this week the topic was being guided by the Holy Spirit. The pastor likened the Spirit guiding us to his experience guiding river rafters. The consequences are much the same: follow your guide or face possible death. He asked the question: if you have no personal peace, are you resisting the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

Communion was served with the elements offered aloud.

Had I known the second service overlapped I would have left after Communion. As it was, we stayed after to talk with a few people and missed a good part of the second service.

“Turning Point” is a contemporary rock & roll service. There was a large wooden cross there as well. I heard a lot of prayer requests for concerns, but I did not hear joys at either service. At Turning Point there was an order of worship on the table where we sat and Communion was not offered at this service.

The chairs were very sturdy and comfortable, an oddity for folding chairs. I was impressed with the voice of one of the females in the praise team.

We were greeted very warmly by someone we knew after the service, but by no one else until we left that portion of the building.

I think we were too late for the offering at Turning Point, and there was none taken at the first service.

There is good signage in places, but we could have used some help finding our way from the lower level and to locate the service.

Jan’s thoughts:

This is a beautiful facility, well cared for, thoughtfully designed and decorated, with good signage. The people were friendly, especially considering this is a three-service church.

We have worshiped here twice in the past: the first time was prior to Rev. Martin’s arrival and the second was when he was participating in a mission trip, so this was our first opportunity to hear him preach.

We came for the Pavilion service and stayed for the service called Turning Point. Both services are very casual and laid back, but the music at the Pavilion service is presented by a guitarist and three additional vocalists and at Turning Point there was a full praise band.

No offering was taken at either service so as visitors we were unsure what to do with our check and the topic never came up in conversation with the folks with whom we spoke. (We’ll mail it.)

I don’t know how large this church is, but they seem to have numerous programs and mission efforts going, and I recognize that it takes no small effort to keep things running.

The message was the same at both services and was centered on Isaiah 52: 6-7 & John 14:25-32. This was part two of a series which examined the church’s new mission statement. It was a passionate explanation of what this church believes about the Bible (it is God’s Word, holy, inspired, and authoritative), and the Holy Spirit (He comes with authority and stands beside us as an advocate, comforter, and helper). He spoke of a time when he was a river guide on the Youghiogheny River and gave a vivid example of what can happen in those circumstances when one fails to regard the guidance of someone with knowledge and experience. It was a reminder to listen to the Holy Spirit as He guides and teaches us to engage life wisely. We resist God’s guidance to our own peril.

One of the more intriguing questions (to me, at least) was: “What happens when we are where we’re not supposed to be?” I suppose we (I) should be listening, just in case.

Hampton Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Hampton Presbyterian Church, 2942 East Hardies Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044, 724.443.3201, www.hamptonpresbyterian.org, Rev. Ted Martin, Senior Pastor.


Bob’s thoughts:

We hadn’t visited Hampton for a long time, and when we were last there we heard a guest preacher. But there is a third service we haven’t attended, so perhaps we may yet have an opportunity to hear the pastor. My guess is the three services are why no one greeted us.

The church has good signage, restrooms and nursery were easy to locate, and the woman in the nursery was pleasant. The Sanctuary is long with an arched wood ceiling and beautiful stained glass at the rear of the Chancel. The window is mostly dark blue with a magenta stripe around the perimeter, adding a vibrant touch. I thought the large cross in the top pane was perfectly placed. The side aisles are flat-roofed, giving the impression of exterior balconies…perhaps for angels looking in.

I thought the anthem was especially well done (as did the congregation) and from near the rear of the Sanctuary I could detect smiles from the choir.

We were blessed to hear two interns who did a remarkable job. Both were very comfortable with the congregation and did a fine job with prayers.

Mike, who preached the sermon, brought up an interesting point in his message on Exodus 2:1-10 – the incredible faith of Moses’ mother in releasing him to be raised as an Egyptian. The threat from Pharaoh was not an idle threat for the future, but a real and present danger: the male offspring were being killed.

The duo that performed the offertory, “The Power of Your Love,” was good together and appreciated.

Jan’s thoughts:

We visited this church once before, probably about five years ago when a friend was helping start up one of the new services. Today, though, we visited as virtual strangers. As anticipated at a church with three services, visitors can easily remain anonymous.

This is a particularly well cared-for facility with exceptional signage.

The bulletin consists of one 11x17” sheet and, true to the season, an insert inviting folks to order Easter flowers. The bulletin is very well done, easy to read and follow, visually interesting (i.e., enough graphics to grab one’s attention), and well organized.

The Sanctuary is long and narrow with unusual banners hanging on both sides. The arched ceiling boasted light-colored woodwork that matched the pews and the walls were white. The windows on both sides were balcony height with electric vertical blinds. The only stained glass windows were on the rear Chancel wall and in the walls between the Sanctuary and the Narthex.

The choir was outstanding. Adequate time was given for silent confession. I appreciated that the Prayer for Illumination was asked for “not because of who we are but Who You are, and not because of what we’ve done but what Christ did.” Amen to that.

I also appreciated when one congregant, during the Prayers of the People, simply stated “Unspoken request.”

The Senior Pastor was leading a mission trip to Haiti this day, and the Youth and Outreach Minister was with the youth at the Confirmation Retreat at Camp Crestfield. The gentleman who preached, Michael Haddox, was engaging, warm, honest, and natural, making me wish I knew more about him. Unfortunately there was no additional information about him in the bulletin, and according to the church’s website he does not seem to be a member of the staff.

Nevertheless, the sermon, based on Exodus 2:1-10, was entitled “Everyone Loves a Slinky.” He began by talking about accidental inventions (such as the Slinky) and moved into the importance of having plans (which I gathered was a concept he has come to appreciate more recently in his life). And I completely agreed with his observation that “Plans can become idols, and should therefore be held with an open hand.” The point, of course, was the reminder that “not even death can stop God’s plan,” – and praise God for that!

“Through Jesus, where we’ve put a period, God puts a divine comma.” These words spoke to the heart of someone who appreciates words. There are several events in my life that I will now pray for God to make into “divine commas” instead of the periods I’ve been afraid they were.