By Sean Gregg Oshkosh: for many, the word stirs up images of little children playing in denim overalls. But the session and members of nearby Apple Valley Presbyterian Church in Neenah, Wisconsin, see a mid-sized city of that name with no NAPARC presence. Or, at least, they did. Their daughter, Resurrection Presbyterian Church, is due to be born there in December. Oshkosh, the eighth-largest city in the state, is southwest of Neenah, twenty-five minutes down newly designated Interstate 41. Unlike some mid-sized Midwestern cities, the economy and population of Oshkosh are stable. The population of about 65,000 has good demographic diversity. The city grew up around the lumber and paper industries. The famous overalls are no longer

On September 1, 2016, after serving for thirty-five years as pastor of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Franklin Square, Long Island, New York, I began my new ministerial labors as regional home missionary (RHM) of the Presbytery of Connecticut and Southern New York. The preparation for the call to this work and the call itself came after much thought, discussion with others, and prayer. Through the presbytery itself and through the generous support of the Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension, God made provision for most of the funding (see below) for a five-year trial period of RHM work in the presbytery that covers the largest portion of the population of the United States (with the Presbytery of Southern California coming

This past summer, the Lord blessed the outreach efforts of the Boardwalk Chapel in Wildwood, New Jersey, in several key areas. As we look back on 2016 and look forward to what 2017 will hold, we are thankful to the Lord for his continued and steadfast faithfulness to us. We also are assured that as we remain devoted to serving Jesus, he will keep working through us to build his church. First, in 2016, the Chapel had an expanded slate of staff leaders and volunteers to help organize and lead nightly evangelistic programs from the week after Father’s Day through the Saturday before Labor Day. The staff dormitory was the fullest it has ever been, with twenty-seven full-time summer residents under the discipleship of house parents Cal and

This article by Glenda Mathes appeared on pages 16-18 of the July 6, 2016, issue of Christian Renewal. It is posted here with the publication's permission. It’s a long journey from a prison cell to a church pulpit, but Lowell Ivey has traveled it by God’s grace. On May 27, 2016, the former prisoner was ordained and installed as the organizing pastor for Reformation Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach, VA. “My testimony is the Lord’s testimony as he’s worked by his mighty grace and power in my heart and life,” he says, “and even been so gracious as to give me a covenant family.” Abandoned by his birth parents, Lowell grew up with a rebellious nature and angry heart. He began stealing as an adolescent and was sent to prison for

                      Many people know Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, as a beautiful resort city. Located on the north shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene, which is twenty-five miles long, the town is also appropriately called the Lake City. There is no shortage of captivating views in and around this city, and the area provides many opportunities for hiking, boating, golfing, and skiing. Barbara Walters described it as “a little slice of heaven” and included Coeur d’Alene on a list of the most fascinating places to visit. While the Lake City provides many opportunities for recreation and rest, it also is in great need of biblical and Reformed churches. Along with