ISSN 0362—0816


THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED


PRESBYTERIAN


Susan L. Tanner, Editor arpeditor@arpsynod.org


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PRESBYTERIAN VOL. 48 NO. 4


THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED


Contents/Features 3


6 8 July/August 2023


General Synod Coverage Pre-Synod, Opening Worship, approved memorials & motions, and highlights from boards, committees, and special committees of the 2023 General Synod meeting. —Susan Tanner


Moderator’s Challenge - The Priority of Worship The Moderator’s Challenge is to grow in our grasp of the priority of worship in all of life and in faithfulness in serving our one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with the worship that is His due; worship is rendered in spirit and in truth. —Rev. Rob Patrick


Synod Emphasis - 


  true identity, and motivates us to faithful service as we seek to gather more worshippers from all nations. —Rev. Seth Yi


14 World Focus Go and Grow: What is your part? —Alex Pettett


AGENCIES 19


Bonclarken


Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


20 Erskine College & Seminary 22 Outreach North America 24 Women’s Ministries


16 Family Pages 17


EVERY MONTH Prayer Calendar


25 ARPinterest 26 News In Brief 27 Classified Ads 30


All in Our Family ARPC Spotlight ARPC Spotlight


 as I read the February 24, 2022 headlines:


“RUSSIA LAUNCHES ATTACK ON UKRAINE”


to go there. The church I had attended in Co- lumbia, SC for only a short time was organiz- ing a two-week mission trip to Vinnytsia. Still in shock from the sudden loss of the love of my life, the relocation to a new state, a new job, a new church, a new home, a new everything, I longed for relief from the pain. Adding addi- tional stress to a life already on the edge made no sense. But I knew I had to go to Vinnytsia… or so I thought.


T 2


     Ukraine on the map had been a chal- lenge as I felt God strangely calling me


CONNECTING THE UKRAINE DOTS By Doris Stephens


Meanwhile, across town at Columbia International University a student was praying.


 Vinnytsia. But alas! He had no money. He couldn’t go… or so he thought. The week before we were to depart, I became ill and offered to donate my ticket if any- body else could go. A few days later the young student boarded the plane for the Ukraine. More than a decade passed. I was anxious to get to church early that particular Sun-


day. Mark, over six-feet tall, would be easy to spot. Originally from New York, Mark had joined our church a few years earlier and felt God’s call to missions. Since he had studied Russian, his spiritual advisors suggested he go to Vinnytsia and serve the same congrega- tion our church had helped years before. Now Mark was back with his bride Nathalie, the daughter of the Ukrainian pastor in Vinnytsia. Missionaries at a seminary in Tampico, Mexico, supported by our church, were ask-


 problems. First, the drug cartels were making life very dangerous in Tampico, and, second, Nathalie had never been to Mexico. Would she and the two children feel safe living there? The missions pastor asked if I would go with her to assess the situation. After a four-hour delay in Dallas, we and a few off-shore oil riggers arrived in Tampico


around midnight. The airport terminal was deserted except for heavily-armed soldiers. We spotted our host and his Mexican companion, who advised him not to stop at any red lights on the dark, deserted streets. It was too dangerous. I saw Nathalie’s wide-open eyes. She was scared. I was scared. We talked many hours long into the night that week. continued on page 26


The Associate Reformed Presbyterian


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