EPC Missionary Update - Ben and Ellie Childs (Lahore, Pakistan) - First Presbyterian ...

February 8, 2021

EPC Missionary Update – Ben and
Ellie Childs (Lahore, Pakistan)

 Greetings in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Messiah! How thrilled we are
   to once again regale you with anecdotes, factoids, and the apotheosis of photographic
   imagery, all with the intent of succinctly summarizing the latest snippet of our life and
                                    ministry in Pakistan!

Look how
happy Ruth
was after
reading our
update. Would
you like to be
as happy as
Ruth? Then by
all means, keep
reading.

                                               PEB

I (Ben) was hired by The Presbyterian Education Board to be the Academic Coordinator for
Spiritual Formation. While the exact specificities of this job title are a bit vague (the position
did not exist before my employment), it basically means that I focus on Christian education for
all PEB entities. And during the latter half of 2020, boarding houses were my top priority.
Combined, our four boarding houses are home to approximately 300 Christian students, who
remain on campus instead of commuting back to their villages every day. One of the
requirements for residing in a boarding house is morning and evening devotions, and my
project for the last 7 months has been the development of an evening devotional curriculum
which will be taught in every boarding house by the house parent. The evening devotions will
follow a 9-month schedule that repeats yearly, and my hope is that with this repetition, the
content will slowly become convictional truth for each student. The evening devotions are

structured as follows:

       6 Weeks: The Bible (authors, languages, unique qualities, manuscripts, covenants,
        interpretation).
       4 Weeks: YHWH (a study of God's attributes).
       6 Weeks: The Trinity (Overview and demonstration of the Trinity from both
        Testaments).
       12 Weeks: Salvation (Results of the fall, God’s work in salvation, the Gospel, new
        creation, apostasy).
       8 Weeks: Maturity (Growing in Christ, spiritual disciplines, the fruit of the Spirit,
        spiritual warfare).

So far I have completed the first three sections in their entirety (80 total devotions at 1 page
each) and am currently working through the 12-week section on Salvation. I write the
devotions for the house parents but give them freedom to teach in whatever way they deem
best (and of course, they teach in Urdu). However, I am very aware that some of them have not
had theological training, and occasionally I take extra steps to ensure their competency with
the material. For example, in November we all met together in the city of Pasrur and had a 3-
hour intensive workshop discussing many aspects of Trinitarian theology. At the conclusion of
the workshop, the house parents agreed that they were now more informed and confident
about teaching this vital doctrine, which of course thrilled me immensely!

                           Celebrating with our Team

Thanksgiving                                            Christmas

                                           Church

Ever since we arrived in Pakistan, our desire was to eventually find an Urdu-speaking church
that we could become regularly involved at. During our first year in Lahore, we attended a
large, English-speaking congregation with a wonderful Sunday School program for Isaiah and
Simeon. However, Ellie and I knew that this congregation was only temporary and at some
point, we would need to “take the plunge” and join an Urdu-speaking church. Then COVID hit
Pakistan and our English-speaking church closed its doors for six months. By the time October
arrived, we thought: “This is as good a time as any – let’s find a new church!” We prayed and
we searched and in early November, the Lord led us to His selection: Bethany Brethren
Church. On our first Sunday, even with a small amount of initial trepidation, the Urdu songs
and sermon were not completely overwhelming, and we thoroughly enjoyed being back with
a fellowship of believers. The Pastor also invited us to his home for tea and conversation after
the service. Now, three months later, not only are we feeling much more comfortable being the
only foreigners in the church, but I (Ben) have been asked to preach once a month. We praise
God for leading us to Bethany Brethren Church and we are excited to see what relationships
and additional ministry opportunities lie ahead in the coming year.

Christmas Vacation in Islamabad
         (Pakistan's Capital City)

         Ellie Spotlight

"Next month will mark our second full year in country. So, nearly two-years in, I am finding a
rythem in my home life as I wear many different hats. I derive great satisfcation in my role as a
mother to our children and a homeschool teacher to Isaiah and Simeon. I am also enjoying the
language-learning process, and it is a delight for me to see the kids beginning to emerge in
their understanding of Urdu. Their vocabulary is expanding, as is their speaking
confidence. Since lockdown ended in September, my relationships with the Muslim women
who come into our home everyday has blossomed, and as I become more proficient in Urdu,
the depth of those relationships continues to grow. I feel content and I love our life here."

                               Family Life Together

And Then We Were Six

Yesterday, February 7, 2021, Judah Ignatius Childs made his long-awaited debut into the
world. He was born at MidCity Hospital (the same hospital that his sister was born in) at
1:15 AM, weighing 7.9 pounds. He is a very healthy baby and we praise God for a
complication-free birth.

                                    Name Explanation

Judah was the fourth son born to Jacob by his wife Leah. Although the early narrative
about him in Genesis is less than stellar, God brings about a profound change in his life and
by the end of the book, Judah has emerged as the leader of his family. After Judah's death,
the tribe named after him became prominent in Old Testament history and produced two
of Israel's greatest kings in David and Solomon. And, when we arrive at the book of
Matthew, we also learn that Judah is part of the ancestral line of Jesus.

Ignatius was bishop of Antioch during the first decade of the 2nd Century. According to
church tradition, he was also a disciple of the Apostle John. Eventually arrested by the
Roman Empire, Ignatius was transported to Rome under armed guard where he was
martyred around the year 110. However, before his death he composed letters to numerous
churches (including the church at Ephesus that Paul had written to 50 years earlier),
expounding upon such themes as the Trinity, holiness, suffering, the Gospel, and church
governance. These letters contain some of our earliest post-New Testament theology.

Life-Giving Truth for a New Year

“When the heart of a man has nothing to do but to be busy about creature-comforts, then
every little thing will trouble him. But when the heart is taken up with the weighty things
of eternity; with the great things of eternal life, then the things here below that disquieted
  it before are things now of no consequence to him in comparison with the other. How
  things turn out here is not much regarded by him, if the one thing that is necessary is
                                       provided for.”

           - Jeremiah Burroughs: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment -

Thank You!
Special thanks to everyone who helped with Saturday’s Brunswick Stew
and Bake Sale! It was a beautiful and festive day, and your participation
raised considerable funds for First Presbyterian Church.

Telephone Call List
If you did not receive the Sunday morning telephone weather message,
please send an email to peter@fpceden.org with your preferred telephone
number to make sure that it gets included on our call list. It is the most
efficient and effective way to get the word out in case of an emergency or
an urgent news needs to be shared.

This Week at FPC
The complete and up-to-date church calendar can be found at the bottom
of the Home Page of our website: www.fpceden.org.

Monday, February 8
   6:30 pm – Nominating Committee (chaired by Jim Wilson)

Tuesday, February 9
   9:00 am – Food Pantry

Wednesday, February 10
   6:00 pm – Gospel of John Bible Study (Gathering Area)

Thursday, February 11
   6:30 pm – Celebration Praise Team rehearsal (Worship Center)

Sunday, February 14
   9:00 am – Children’s Sunday School Classes
   9:00 am – Adult Sunday School Classes
   10:00 am – Worship Service, Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Gospel of John Bible Study
Our Bible study through the Gospel of John meets this Wednesday
evening, 6:00 pm in the Gathering Area. Study guides are available up
through chapter 12 for now, and can be sent by email; just ask Peter for
copies. Everyone is welcome. This is a great time to start a new faith
discipline with weekly Bible study together.

Sunday, February 14
We concluded our sermon series on death and dying yesterday. Next
Sunday we will celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, together with
a message (for the beginning of Lent, February 17) on God’s forgiving
grace and steadfast love that are most real for us in the deserts of our lives
– times of suffering or hardship when we are tempted to think that He is
far away. Just the opposite … according to Hosea 2:14-23, those are the
times when He draws near to us and we draw near to Him: “Through the
Desert.”

Please invite someone to worship with us either in-person (with face
coverings and social distancing) or online at www.fpceden.org or …

                         https://bit.ly/FPCEden

Lenten Sermon Series
The Christian season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (February 17) and
continues for forty days until April 1 (Maundy Thursday). It is traditionally
observed as a time of repentance, contrition, self-denial with fasting,
prayer, and meditation on God’s forgiving grace in Jesus Christ. We will
spend the season of Lent in worship exploring and examining Romans 8 –
one of the greatest chapters in the entire Bible – ending with Paul’s great
declaration of victory in Romans 8:31-39 on Easter Day (April 4).

February 21        Romans 7:21 to 8:4    “Split Personalities”
February 28        Romans 8:5-11         “Two Kinds of People”
March 7            Romans 8:12-17        “Inherit the Lord!”
March 14           Romans 8:18-25        “Why Bad Things Happen”
March 21           Romans 8:26-27        “Backseat Drivers”
March 28           Romans 8:28-30        “Knowing and Being Known”
April 4 (Easter)   Romans 8:31-39        “God’s Last Word”

New Members Class
The pastor will lead a series of three New Member Classes during
the Sunday School hour (9:00 to 9:45 am) starting Sunday, March 14
and concluding March 28. Anyone interested in becoming a
member of First Presbyterian Church will be invited to meet with
Session on Tuesday, March 30 at 7:00 pm, and will be introduced to
the congregation on Easter Day (April 4). Please speak to the pastor
if you are interested in attending, and encourage others to join as
well. It is a great opportunity to make new friends, get to know each
other, ask questions, and learn about our church. We will meet in
Room D-08, second floor of the Education Building.

Prayers
Ron Martin
Pat Smith
Bill and Martha Roberts
Debbie Taylor and Rick
Sherry McDowell and family
Paul Brown and family
Mike and Merle Gentry
Gen Critz and Jeannie Wilde
Joy Outland
Faye Neal
Kitty Reynolds
Joice Pucket
Phyllis Simpson and Pete
Hazel Horton and Jean Nobblitt
America, politics and peace, prosperity
Elected leaders
Military
First responders
COVID-19 vaccine and cure
Medical professionals
Rockingham County Schools
Teachers and students