Inlet Community Church
Rooted and Growing in Christ

Category Archives: Uncategorized

March 18, 2015

In just a week and a half we will be leaving for our mission trip in Mexico, helping to build an orphanage for Tapestries of Life ministries that will house more than 200 orphans from the streets of Juarez.  We are grateful for the support that has been raised through donations from friends and family as well as some fundraisers.  In addition to raising money, the fundraisers have helped raise awareness in our community about our trip.

I’m asking you to pray for our trip and what God will do through it.  There are 23 people in our group from ICC, including a group of nine students from Town of Webb school (and one father).  We are excited for the spiritual impact this will have on the team members.  Anyone who has served on a mission trip can testify to how profoundly something like this can impact team members.  Join me in praying that many seeds will be sown and that God will transform hearts throughout this week.  Pray for the residual impact.  I hope months from now, each person on this trip will see ways that their life has changed as a result of their time in Mexico.

Pray for unity of our team and for the relationships that will grow out of this trip.  Ministry happens in the context of relationships.

Most of our time will be spent doing construction projects on the orphanage, but there will be one day that we will devote to food distribution in Juarez.  Pray for the impact of this exposure to extreme poverty and the opportunity to bless many people with a two week supply of food.

Sunday evening, April 26 we will have a celebration to share about our trip.  I hope that family and friends from the community will join us that evening to hear firsthand the impact of this trip from the participants.

Thank you, in advance, for your prayers.  I’m excited to see how God will respond to this flood of praying people.

Pastor Phil

 

March 11, 2015

I tapped a few trees this past week – five maples and two birches. Most years I tap shortly after Valentine’s Day, but this year has been unusually cold (in case you hadn’t noticed). It will be a shortened sap season. But now that the temperatures are beginning to rise above freezing during the day,… Continue Reading

March 4, 2015

I just got back from a pastor’s conference.  First one since I returned to pastoral ministry in June, but reminiscent of the many pastor’s conferences I went to as a fresh faced pastor just out of seminary.  It was held at the church we attended in Syracuse before moving here last year, so it was… Continue Reading

February 25, 2015

Last week I suggested you consider participating in Lent by subtracting in order to add.  I hope you’ve taken me up on the suggestion.  I have only participated in Lent a few years, but have found the practice meaningful and enriching.  Each of the last four years my practice has been different.  This year I… Continue Reading

The Cottage Policies & Information

Cottage Use Guidelines 2017 Purpose & Use of the Cottage: The cottage belongs to the Lord, and He has made it possible to be used for ministry here in Inlet. This third building on the property has therefore been set-aside for pastors, missionaries and Christian workers, to come aside and rest awhile. Our desire is… Continue Reading

February 18, 2015

Lent began today, barely eliciting a ripple in my ecclesiastical tradition.  The churches I have been involved in haven’t really promoted Lent.   Too Catholic for our Evangelical Protestantism.  I’m afraid we’ve thrown the baby out with the bath water.  But a few years ago I dipped my toes into the water  to try it out. … Continue Reading

February 5, 2015

We’ve been in a series that is exploring the big picture of the Bible.  We are tracing the main story arc of Scripture, and discovering major themes.  This last Sunday we introduced the monarchy, a topic we will explore more over the next two weeks.  We saw how the request for a king is implicitly… Continue Reading

February 12, 2015

So it started about a week ago.  I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea needling me.  I had read the Adirondack Express earlier in the day, with a front page article entitled “Carving Out Memories” announcing a new snow sculpture contest to benefit the Tayler Schmid fund.  I awoke with… Continue Reading

January 28, 2015

This will take a little preparation.  First, I need you to take some scrap paper and tear it up into tiny bits.  If you have a shredder, this would be the time to use it.  A small pile will do.  Place these scraps in a mound right beside you.  Then I need everyone reading this… Continue Reading

December 30, 2014

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.  I am writing from Michigan enjoying the tail end of a few days with Sue’s mother and brothers.  It has been a restful time but we are looking forward to getting back to Inlet and anticipating a wonderful new year of ministry.  I… Continue Reading

January 7, 2015

I know we are already one week into the new year, and if may be too late for resolutions, but allow me to commend to you the single most significant habit of my life.  Since the time I was in High School, I have made a point to carve out some time each day to… Continue Reading

January 14, 2015

It has been a wintry week with cold and snow.  I’m enjoying it immensely.  I laced up the skates on Saturday for some ice hockey with a bunch of teens at Fern Park.  I kept up (barely), but could feel it in my legs the next couple days.  On Monday, Sue and I went cross… Continue Reading