Tusca Area (Beaver, Pa.) RPC

Ken Hoffman, pastor

A much-needed facelift has begun on the church building with the painting of exterior walls, windows, and doors. Plans are to continue with landscaping in the spring. Several Geneva College students who attend regularly participated in the work.

Fred Nahas, who is homebound due to health concerns, recently was given the honor of elder emeritus.

Pastor Hoffman has been granted adjunct faculty status at Geneva College, where he continues to teach in the Bible department. At Tusca, he is completing a morning worship series on the book of Romans. The evening study in the book of Acts brings much discussion and fellowship. Mara Angelo is the precentor each Lord’s Day morning.

Titus Martin is continuing his seven-month mission trip, along with Jason O’Neill, who worshiped with the church while attending Geneva College. The congregation supports a six-year-old girl, Astrid, from Honduras, through Compassion International. The congregation also collected $350 for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and donated it through the Salvation Army.

—Ken Hoffman, correspondent

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Phoenix, Ariz., RPC

Jon Maginn, pastor

There have been some significant changes at the First RPC of Phoenix. One new communicant member, Mark Glower, and one new baptized member, Elizabeth Grace Willson, have been added to the rolls.

The congregation had been praying for Elizabeth to arrive for eight years, and she did on May 26. Elizabeth is an enthusiastic maker of joyful noise, and the congregation is very excited for the blessing of her presence and the joy of seeing her grow. Valerie and Kevin Willson’s foster daughter, Josephine, has been given by the state to a single mother to be raised. The church continues to pray for her welfare and salvation. The Willsons continue to have a heart for foster children and are already fostering another baby, 2-month-old Sergio.

Madelyn Anseth, daughter of Jenifer and Nathan Anseth, has a growing business in bookmarkers, the profits of which continue to be donated to those in need.

The church is now officially part of RPCNA revitalization efforts, which are now focused on Pacific Coast congregations. The session has approved the addition of a morning prayer session before the beginning of worship. Elder Nathan Anseth has preached his first sermon after blessing the church with his explanations on the ten commandments and the Psalms. The Anseth daughters continue to grow in grace and in stature and find favor in the congregation as they ask penetrating questions in Bible study and exhibit a real interest in the things of God.

The congregation has been blessed by some visitors, who have had interaction with the denomination or who exhibit a desire for a simple worship service and a more accurate biblical exegesis. One family is making the two-hour trip from Tuscon, Ariz., and plans to join the church.

Pastor Maginn has been doing a biweekly Bible study within the state prison system. These have been very encouraging to the prisoners. He has also been doing outreach in both the non-Christian and Christian biker communities and teaching occasionally for a group of Christian archers. His wife, Bonnie, took a 10-day mission trip to Honduras in November. She taught people the proper use of wheelchairs and shared Christ with as many as she was able.

—Linda Reyburn, correspondent

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White Lake, N.Y., RPC Dedicates New Facility

On Sept. 24, 150 people gathered at Faith Hall, the newly completed building on the grounds of the White Lake, N.Y., RPC, for its dedication. Through God’s provision, more than $90,000 was donated from longtime supporters in the community to keep the project going.

The completion of the 40- by 80-foot dining and recreation hall marks a new dimension of community-oriented ministry for the church. The Shepherd’s Pantry, which was started with help from The Blessing Food Pantry of Western Sullivan County, is providing food for almost 40 families after only a few months of operation. New ministries are also in the works for a senior luncheon and youth nights.

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Reformed Presbyterians Assist in Biloxi

Reformed Presbyterians continue to help victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes in various ways. Doug Comin and Brian Panichelle of the Manchester (New Kensington, Pa.) RPC partnered with Pioneer PCA of Ligonier, Pa., to assist the First Presbyterian Church (PCA) of Biloxi, Miss. More photos from this team’s trip are available for viewing at ReformedPresbyterian.org.