Vacation Bible School ~ 2007

We've had about 30 + children attending each night for VBS. Although we weren't able to get the singing group from the previous post to come and sing Joshua Fit the Battle for us, we're not doing to badly with our singing without them. Tomorrow night we will be marching around Jericho's wall (I have to get a picture for you) seven times, and you can guess what will be happening!

The children have been listening very carefully to the story and have enjoyed the flannel-board visuals. They like being chosen to help put up the figures on the board, and know that only those showing good behavior will be chosen.

The parents will be coming tomorrow night to see what their children have been learning, we'll have the final Bible lesson, march around the walls, and have some refreshments. We will also be encouraging those who do not attend to sign their children up for our new Sunday School class that starts in September. It's called "I Belong to Jesus". I'll tell you more about it later.

Barbershop - Joshua Fit the Battle of Jerico(ver2.0)

Now I said we were going to learn about Joshua in Vacation Bible School....and these guys are gonna teach us a couple of things about singing...if we can get them to come to Copiague!

Vacation Bible School

It's that time of year again! Here are some pictures from last year's VBS. It was a scorcher...hopefully August 20-24 will be a little cooler. Last year our theme was centered on God's deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt. This year we will see God's leading through Joshua, as His people enter the Promised Land. We have a good number of contacts plus new families who want to send their children. A new Sunday School class will be offered as a follow-up starting in September. I'll tell you more about that later.

Finishing Touches

The sanctuary makeover is now complete...carpet and curtains were the final touches. All praise to God for the finances to restore what was an old, run-down room into a beautiful sanctuary. A fitting place to sing His praises...the acoustics are much improved with the removal of the sound absorbing carpet, acoustical tile and wallboard.

Behold, the padded pews!

The church makeover is almost complete...carpet should be along next week.

Extreme Makeover ~ Church Edition

Painting is done...pews are next, painting and padding. Then carpet and window treatments, and that should do it for now. We hope to schedule a dedication/celebration for our church building sometime in May. All are invited!

And after this, painting!

The Federal Vision

The Federal Vision Study Group held its first meeting/discussion at Kings Highway Reformed Church yesterday afternoon. The topic was "The Objectivity of the Covenant". Good fellowship, great singing, and lively conversation marked our first session. We look forward to our next meeting, March 25th, in Copiague. You should be there! Our topic for next time is "Justification & Good Works".

We're hoping by that time to have our building renovations completed! Things should really move along this week...more pictures to follow.

More renovation pictures....

Carmine & Dennis take a well-deserved lunch break! They made great progress last week...kitchen cabinets in, sheetrock done in the sanctuary, raised panel styles & rails up...wow! This week should see the beginnings of the raised panels installed and the floors sanded down to bare wood.

We hope to set up the pews in the fellowship hall and have worship at home again....having been on the road for two Lord's Days.

Church Renovations

Sandro and crew at work...sheetrock spackle and paint. The old wainscot will be covered with classic raised panels with a new chair rail. The floor will be sanded down and refinished. We're leaving more of the beautiful hardwood floor showing...minimal carpet. New doors are on the way, again for a classic look. The pews need some work...checking prices from Pad-a-Pew on padding the seats and backs, then a light refinishing of the wood that shows.

Many thanks to Dennis Miller & Carmine Matone, dear brothers in Christ, for their conscientious work and expertise! They're making this old building come alive! If all goes well we should see the finished product by the beginning of March. Dennis & Carmine are working on the kitchen renovation this week and I'll have to get some more pictures by the end of the week.

Paedofaith ~ And why not?

Christ Covenant Church will begin a study of the Rev. Rich Lusk's book, Paedofaith: A Primer on the Mystery of Infant Salvation and a Handbook for Covenant Parents beginning January 21st. I'm seeing it as strapping on another weapon in our warfare with the unbiblical and, mind you, unreformed mindset surrounding parents and their covenant children in the world of modern evangelicalism. Maybe it is "baptism" by immersion...immersion in the Faith-- in the Christian home, in the Church, and in the school. That kind of nurturing of infant faith is what made Van Til (quoting from the back cover), "Though there were no tropical showers of revivals, the relative humidity was always very high...I was 'conditioned' in the most thorough fashion. I could not help believing in God--in the God of Christianity--in the God of the Bible!"

Would that all our covenant children were so "conditioned" as Dr. Van Til, and King David, and John the Baptist, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Why should we not expect with confidence that faith from the womb is the norm; and expect that by God's grace, through the faithful nurture of Christian parents, that the faith that began as a tiny seed will flower and produce fruit? And why not?

1st Christmas ~ Sam, Micah & Ariana

Busy October!

October was a busy month! Christ Covenant Church's (notice the name change!) first annual family conference went very well! Dr. Gregg Strawbridge did a masterful job presenting the Covenant, October 6th-8th. It was a pleasure to see a number of friends from the Federation of Reformed Churches there.

Each month we hold a worship service at Huntington Hills Center for Health & Rehabilitation. October 12th marked our seventh month doing this ministry. Most of those who attend our service are not able to attend worship services outside the center, so they truly look forward to our coming each month. Nearly half the folks who regularly attend the service are from Lutheran background and they love our formal, liturgical worship...they get to participate in songs, responses, the Lord's Prayer and the Apostle's Creed as they were used to in their home churches!

On October 19th-20th Elder Kris Smith and I represented CCC at the first meeting of the Augustine Presbytery of the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches in Lancaster, PA. At that meeting we were presented as a candidate church sponsored by All Saints Presbyterian Church (pastored by Dr. Strawbridge) , recommended , examined, and received into full membership in the CREC. We enjoyed meeting the elders and pastors in our presbytery again, and we had too much fun at the Oktoberfest at Elder Detweiler's beautiful home. We are very pleased! (As you can see from the picture of the Augustine Presbytery, funny hats are back in style!)

As a member church we hope to sponsor a sister church, Kings Highway Reformed Church of Brooklyn (Rev. Ron Weinbaum, pastor), as a candidate/mission church helping them as they seek membership in the CREC. As part of our encouragement to them we have had three joint worship services this month, the 8th, 22nd, and the 29th. We especially enjoyed our fellowship this past Lord's Day as we held a Reformation Day dinner following worship.

Yes, that was October...hopefully it won't be such a long time in between posts.

Conference & Debate...soon!

To You & Your Children:
Rediscovering the Lost Doctrine of the Covenant
with Dr. Gregg Strawbridge
~ October 6th & 7th ~

Dear Friends,
Welcome to Covenant Christian Fellowship’s first annual family conference! Below you will find the conference schedule and other pertinent information.


Friday, October 6th
6:30pm ~ 7:00pm: Registration (the Book Table will be open)

7:00pm ~ 7:30pm: Welcome, opening prayer, & Singing School

7:30pm ~ 8:30pm: "What Ever Happened to Covenant Theology?"
Rediscovering the Lost Doctrine of the Covenant
Pressing the Covenant Beyond "Covenant Theology"
The Road Ahead

8:30pm ~ 9:30pm: Singing, Closing Prayer, & Fellowship (Book Table open)

Saturday, October 7th
8:30am ~ 9:00am: Fellowship (Book Table open)

9:00am ~ 9:30am: Welcome, Opening Prayer, Singing School

9:30am ~ 10:30am: "The Case for Covenant Baptism"
Sacraments are Covenantal
Infant Inclusion in the Covenant
Baptism and the Great Commission

10:30am ~ 11:00am: Break

11:00am ~ 12:00am: "The Case for Covenant Communion"
History: On the Road from Rome
Theology: The Reformation in Conflict
Scripture: Child Inclusion
Objections: Tradition and Self-Examination

12:00pm ~ 1:15pm: Lunch Break

1:15pm ~1:30pm: Announcements, Singing School

1:30pm ~ 2:30pm: "The Practice of Covenant Succession"
Family Expectations: Children in Christ ~ Covenantal Nurture & Education
Family Practice: Discipline for Celebration
Family Challenges: Pop Goes the Culture
Family Future: Vocation and Guiding our Children into the Future

2:30pm ~ 3:00pm: Break

3:00pm ~ 4:00pm: "A Covenantal Outlook"
Sacramental Practice Symbolizes Life
Worship is the Center of Life
The Kingdom Extends into Life
The Victory of the Gospel: Covenantal or Revivalistic?

4:00pm ~ 4:30pm: Break

Introductions to the debate ~ Dr. Gregg Strawbridge (Presbyterian) and Rev. John Puskar(Reformed Baptist)

4:30pm ~ 6:00pm: Debate Topic ~ God’s Way with the Children of Christian Parents: Crisis Conversion Experience or Covenantal Nurture?

Debate Format:
Opening Statements ~ 10 minutes each
Main Arguments ~ 15 minutes each
Cross Examination ~ 5 minutes each
Closing Statements ~ 5 minutes each
Questions & Answers ~ 15 minutes (alternately directed)

6:00pm: Closing Prayer, Benediction, Doxology

We will have a Book Table run by our good friend Jeff McCormack of Apologia Books throughout the conference. Be sure to stop by! And we hope you like to sing...we will be singing some glorious psalms & hymns. Another feature will be a brief Singing School tutorial on 4-part harmony singing, using Jesus Shall Reign Wher'er the Sun as our practice hymn.


Pastor Strawbridge will be preaching at our worship service tomorrow, October 8th, which also will be here at First Methodist Church beginning at 12:30pm. We hope some of you will be able to stay to worship and celebrate the Lord’s Supper with us. If you can, please join us for the Fellowship Meal following the service, as well.

Location: 25 Broadway, Amityville, NY 11701 (parking is across the street from the church)
Contact: (631) 594-1377
blp22@optonline.net

St. Anne's Pub...bub!

St. Anne's Pub is a ministry of Christ Church (CREC) of Spokane, WA. It's an audio magazine with some great stuff. Their newest draught on tap is Controversy. You'll find the alehouse here: www.stannespub.com
Oh, don't skip over the music. I like John Fleagle's Twa Corbies, but you really have to listen closely and have an ear for Scottish words and pronounciation to get the story.

That Wonderful Cup

Dr. Peter Leithart's article, Paedocommunion, the Gospel, and the Church from the latest Credenda/Agenda nails it....

Paedocommunion is not only about admission requirements narrowly considered, but like paedobaptism, is linked with a whole range of issues. It is not only about the nature of the Supper, but also about the Church, baptism, and most broadly, the character of the salvation that Christ has achieved in the world. The gospel is not directly at stake in the paedocommunion debate. Opponents of paedocommunion honestly and sincerely proclaim the gospel of grace, and I am grateful to God that they do. Still, the ecclesial and theological shape that the gospel takes correlates significantly with the positions on paedocommunionm, and the coherence between the gospel and the church's practice is at the heart of this debate. The stakes are not so high as they were when Luther protested indulgences and the myriad idolatries of the late medieval church. But the stakes are high, very high.

What is the "shape of the gospel" in American churches across our multitude of denominations? More and more, I think the issue of paedocommunion and the Covenant, more generally, will "shape" the answer.

Bright Future...we are postmil, after all!

Covenant Christian Fellowship is excited about the future...we're a candidate church in the CREC and hope to be received into that group of churches in October. It's great to see the growth of the CREC all over the place! It's especially encouraging to see the growth of a consistent covenantalism not only in the CREC, but in other denominations as well. The issue is not simply paedocommunion, but covenant nurture and covenant succession. If we want to raise up a new generation of faithful followers of Christ, we can't continue to do business as usual. The division of the Body of Christ into communing & non-communing members is an aberration, biblically and covenantally. It must therefore have less than desirable consequences. Children are not fooled, they know they either belong or they don't. The power of the knowledge and the assurance of "belonging" should not be underestimated. And, conversely, the power of confusion in saying a child of Christian parents doesn't belong until he or she has a conversion experience acceptable to the elders, or can recite the catechism, or some other artificial requirement (the traditions of men) does not lead in the direction we want for our children.
This is why we are holding our conference. We want to spread the Good News of the Covenant! We were glad to see the new issue of Credenda/Agenda "That Wonderful Cup". Check it out at www.credenda.org Also, Athanasius Press is about to release the Gregg Strawbridge edited book, The Case For Covenant Communion very soon. It looks to be a great companion to Tim Gallant's study, Feed My Lambs.

We're in the process of selling a piece of property that the church owns to help fund repairs and renovations of our OLD church building. Hopefully, within a month or so we'll be able to get started with the roof...and then the kitchen and then the bathrooms...and, well, the list is long!

Our nursing home ministry is going well. One of the residents, Emma, a dear saint 97years old, loves to worship with us. She loves the Lord and is an encouragement to all who talk with her! We pray that our ministry at Huntington Hill Center for Health & Rehabilitation would bear fruit.

Our church website is coming along...visit it, or better yet, visit us! www.ccfreformed.net

CCF Conference

October 6th & 7th Covenant Christian Fellowship presents: To You & Your Children: Rediscovering the Lost Doctrine of the Covenant. Dr. Gregg Strawbridge is our speaker. We're hoping to find a debate partner for Dr. Strawbridge, as well. Here's the topic: God's Way with the Children of Christian Parents: Conversion Experience or Covenant Nurture?
So far we haven't found anyone to debate. We're working on it...maybe Greg Welty...we'll see.

We're excited about the opportunity! If anyone wants more info about the conference, let me know. We'll keep you posted.

Close reefed and scudding before the wind...

Hold Fast & Clap On...if you enjoy Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels you know it ain't all smooth sailing, and life is like that. This picture from the movie Master & Commander is especially moving as there is a man overboard and Ralph Vaughn Williams improvisation of Thomas Tallis' Third Mode Melody, a haunting tune, is playing. You'll find it as Psalm 63 in Cantus Christi.