Welcome to John Knox Presbyterian Church

Worship at John Knox

In worship we offer to God our praise, confessions, and attention. In worship we receive God’s presence, pardon, and power to live out what we believe. In worship we celebrate the gift of community and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Each week we have the chance to be addressed by scripture, supported by those around us, and reminded of our true identity and sacred story.

Please Join us!

At John Knox, we have two worship services every Sunday at 9:30 and 11 a.m. For details about holiday worship, special events, and guest Pastors, you can view our entire worship schedule.
Education & Caring

We are students, every one of us and the moment we stop learning, something is wrong. We seek to learn more about God and thereby more about ourselves. In learning together we come to a deeper understanding of the Bible, we come to appreciate our reformed heritage (the church reformed, always being reformed), and we are encouraged by a community that keeps us true and connected. We also care. We gather up the courage to ask for help when we need it. We also find ways to offer help and train ourselves to be more effective in our care giving.
Outreach

We’re not just trying to preserve our well-being. At the end of every service the pastor offers the following charge to the congregation: “Go out into the world in peace; have courage. Hold on to what is good and return no one evil for evil. Strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak, help the suffering, honor all people, love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Though we have encountered God in worship, we leave with God and head to our homes, our neighborhoods, and our world to put faith into action. There is more to our faith than warmhearted sentiment. The faith lived out in word and deed is bold, dynamic, and intense in its love and service.

God impacts us through Worship...
We impact one another through caring & education...
Together, we impact the world through outreach...

Welcome to our Church

The congregation of John Knox Presbyterian Church welcomes you to this preview of our life together. We hope you will explore this site; but better yet, we hope you will join us. Our congregation is warm and welcoming, inviting all to worship, serve, share and explore the love of God known through Jesus Christ. May God bless you richly as you continue your personal journey of faith in Jesus Christ.

Rev. Dr. Tom MacMillan, Pastor

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John Knox Church Brochure		36 Kb

2010 Lenten Guide

Signs of Love

Dear Members and Friends of John Knox Presbyterian Church,

Lent is a special opportunity. It is when we do a “spring cleaning” of our hearts and souls. During Lent we renew our commitment to God, reflect on our lives and respond to Jesus’ call for us to love and forgive one another.

This booklet, brought to you by the Spiritual Growth Committee and produced in the church office, is meant to guide your devotions during Lent with “local” stories of the signs of God’s love all around us. I hope you will find time to read, pray and reflect on the pages within and consider your response to the Author of all life.

You are invited to join us at JKPC for worship, classes, meals and fellowship during Lent or anytime. Every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is a privilege to be your pastor and join with you on the journey of faith. May you be blessed with seeing how much God loves you and may you then love one another.

Tom MacMillan
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But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

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2010 Lenten Guide	2010 Lenten Guide	187 Kb

Pastor's Page - March 2010

Written by Rev. Dr. Tom MacMillan

A few weeks back, Duncan (who is 16) began tapering to prepare for swimming at districts. In this period of time an athlete is supposed to reduce the strain of the workouts, monitor diet, get rest, and let the body prepare mentally and physically for the competition. Colin (who is 10) seemed to like the concept and asked if he could taper as well.

In the Old Testament, before the people of Israel crossed over the Jordan river into the Promised Land after 40 years in the wilderness, they camped on the banks and prepared themselves. They had not crossed this way before and so they were instructed on spacing, distance, and how to hallow the time and opportunity. The day before the crossing, Joshua instructed the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5).

The early church announced a season of Lent, from the old English word lenten, meaning "spring" -- not only a reference to the season before Easter, but also an invitation to a springtime for the soul. Forty days (better than 40 years) to cleanse the system and open the eyes to where we want to be, knowing what is just ahead. Forty days to remember what it is like to live by the grace of God alone and not by what we supply for ourselves. Forty days to get ready for new promises, new virtues, new life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So how are our preparations? Are we giving space in this season for our grandchildren and children to rest and be creative or are calendars so full and minds so preoccupied that they are not free to create and imagine? Are we giving space in our marriages for faith development, hobbies and prayer? Are we giving space in friendships for open and honest conversations? Are we giving space in our schedules for rest, worship, and time around the dinner table?

This whole season runs contrary to the norm. The normal push for an athlete is to keep going with the training they have grown accustomed to, to push themselves right up to competition. But in that system, the body can't produce the spectacular results that come from an intentional period of preparation and rest. And so it is with us. It is not popular to set a day aside for rest and worship. It is not popular to rid ourselves of destructive habits and mindsets; it is not the norm to give space for prayer and friends and fellowship. But without this space and intentional time, the soil of our hearts will not thaw, and roots of faith will not shoot down deeper. The buds of virtue and service will have a hard time breaking the winter soil. On Ash Wednesday Service we heard the following invitation: I invite you, therefore, in the name of Christ, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination and penitence, by prayer and fasting, by works of love, and by reading and meditating on the Word of God.

Toward Easter,

Tom

Monday Message 03-08-2010

We all know difficult people. We have battled with them, complained about them, been in therapy because of them, and sought to ignore them. Whether they know it or not, difficult people can wreak havoc on our emotions and our emotions are often what get us in trouble. They drive us to our most basic survival instinct to react and attack. But what if we interrupt this message for a word from our sponsor. In Romans 12:9-21 Paul offers a rather impressive list of ways we are called to love. He talks about love being genuine and hospitable. He talks about blessing and not cursing, about never returning evil for evil. But the moment we start to read through this list we begin to wonder if Paul himself might be eligible to be included in our list of difficult people. His instructions don't make much sense unless they are linked to what precedes them. In Chapter 11 Paul has spoken about the irrevocable call and blessing that comes from the mercy of God. God is not timid or reactive but strong in love and determined to empower us for love. Therefore since God is driven to bless, we are encouraged, by the mercies of God, “To present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

Our response to difficult people, is not dictated by their response to us. We respond to them once we have responded to the mercy of God. First we are before God, offering ourselves in a holy and honest act of worship. We are surrendering our agenda, our privilege, our ego, so that we might be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Only then will we be able to tap into and discern God's will – that which is good and acceptable and perfect. That's what we offer the world. That's where we find true freedom and strong love. Not in conformity to this world but in allowing God to transform us. We're not giving the world what they're giving us. That's too easy. We're giving what God has given to us and what God wants the world to receive through us.

So when we come across difficult people:

We pray. We pray that we would know the best way forward. We pray for the other; that God's blessing would reach the one we struggle with and God would care for them.

We make sure we're not lost in the tension and loose ourselves. We wisely determine who to go to for counsel and support. Notice we're not going to others to see the person demeaned. We want the spreading of peace, not gossip.

We patiently wait for clarity and pray for courage to speak truthfully and with love. We also recognize that sometimes we're difficult too. And God in mercy finds us, loves us, believes in us, and celebrates, when we do likewise.

Tom

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