Observations from Bill Marsh

After six years of attending the Twin Lakes Fellowship, this may well have been the best year yet for preaching and refreshment to my soul. I go home longing to be a better pastor, better preacher, better Session Moderator, better presbyter, better head-of-staff, better husband, better father, better friend, better pray-er, better student of the Word, and better theologian. In Preachers with Power, Dr. Kelly tells of Jefferson Davis’ regular post-war trips to New Orleans to hear Benjamin Morgan Palmer preach. His wife reported that he left weary and melancholy, but would always return home refreshed. My wife says the same thing about me after Twin Lakes each year. An army of weary Gospel ministers return to their families and congregations with the glow of Moses on their faces.

Rev. William C. Marsh
Senior Minister, Christ Community Church (ARP)
Vice Moderator, General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

369 Air Harbor Road
Greensboro, NC 27455
E-mail: bmarsh@cccarp.org
Web: www.cccarp.org

Reverend Marsh can be found on Twitter as well as Facebook.

Double Charges?

Most of y'all have seen this email communication, but if not, and you find yourself wondering about the extra charges on your credit card and your thinking, "Hey, I see how TLF pays for things now. They double charge on book purchases." Fear not, they stand ready to assist you. They just need to know.

The following letter was sent by Mrs. Breazeale on May 1.

Gentlemen,
It has come to our attention that there have been some problems reconciling credit card statements from TLF and several men have been double-charged for their book purchases. The credit card companies are working with Doug McCullough to rectify the situation. PLEASE CHECK YOUR CREDIT CARD STATEMENT when it arrives and let Doug know if you were double-charged so he can cancel the second charge or issue you a reimbursement. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Doug can be reached at dougm@fpcjackson.org or 601-973-9122. Even more helpful would be for you to send him a copy of your statement (please black out everything except the two charges). You may fax it to 601-353-9686.

Thank you. Hope to see you next April 6-8, 2010, Lord willing.

Missye Rhee Breazeale
Executive Assistant to Dr. Ligon Duncan
601.973.9104 Fax: 601.353.9686

Remember, check out the Facebook Group as well as the Twitter in order to stay in touch through out the year.

Second Day Conference Overview

If I thought Tuesday's half day of meetings was full (1:00 - 9:00), Wednesday's meetings (9:00 - 9:00) filled plenty of 55 gallon drums of refreshment. The 12 hour day consisted of seminars, testimonies from church planters, free time (which I spent interviewing Dr. Douglas Kelly and Dr. David Robertson with Nick Batzig. These should be posted on Reformed Forum and or Feeding on Christ) and an evening worship service which was led by Rev. Joe Holland (Culpeper Mission - Church plant) and preaching received by Dr. Derek Thomas. Joe did an outstanding job leading us in worship and I am amazed because of his young age how gifted he is and how the Lord seems to be looking favorably upon this young man of God who from all that I can see, is sold out to do His work at what ever cost. Dr. Thomas' message is greatly summed up by what Joe Holland posted on a tweet, "Derek preached a man-humbling, God-exalting sermon tonight." Dr. Thomas took us to Romans 11:33ff. In the fall of 2005, Dr. Thomas gave a sermon on this same text. You can listen to it here. When I am able to post the audio from his sermon at TLF, I will do so.

I trust to have all the audios up for this conference within a few days. There was some difficulty with the Conference Center's equipment. I was able to capture, for the most part, all recordings.

This has truly been a wonderful, refreshing experience and I can see why many look forward to this opportunity each year. Speaking with one of the TLF's founders, he said, "the men only have opportunities like this Fellowship ever so seldom. They have opportunities to be with other pastors on many occasions throughout the year, but 99% of the time they are dealing with Presbytary issues or at conferences with their church members. Here is an opportunity for them to come, some bring their elders or deacons, and to enjoy a time to be served, be taught, be encouraged."

Today (Thursday) we will hear from Dr. Duncan in our 3rd and final Worship Service here at 8:45 a.m.

Deo Volente we shall see one another next year.

My Experience Thus Far

My Experience Thus Far

Tuesday was only a half of day. WOW! This is my first experience of the Twin Lakes Fellowship and after yesterday and especially last night, you could go home and be considered “full”. But having spoken with some men who regularly attend, many are in solo-pastorate positions and they do not want to leave just full, but they want to leave overflowing. They want to leave with 55 gallon drums full of fellowship and encouragement and being preached to and served. Last night in the dining hall (which by the way is outstanding. The meals are just perfect. The staff is outstanding), a Twin Lakes Staffer came into the dining hall which was full of 200+ men and he interrupted the conversations with his strong voice and admonished the men for keeping “blessings” from the Twin Lakes staff. He advised that if he saw one more man attempt to take his dinner tray to the kitchen window that he would “take them out back”. That is how, thus far, this time has been here. Being waited on hand and foot. Not like a 5 star resort, with its often uncomfortableness, but like a home you’ve lived in growing up and you visit (let’s say your parents) and your momma just wants to serve you and overwhelm you with love. It’s great and perfect. Many of these men do not get to be served as they are always serving in their congregations as ministers, elders, deacons.

Today we’ll look to have 4 Devotional Readings; 2 Seminars (Robertson on Emergent Calvinism and Johnson on Reformed Worship); 1 Q & A Roundtable with Jonathan Leeman of 9 Marks ministry; 1 session of Church Planting Reports and end the evening in a Worship Service with Dr. Derek Thomas. They have also scheduled 2.5 hours of free time for the men to enjoy Twin Lakes facilities and activities or relax, talk. I’ve found that many of these men have to preach this coming Lord’s Day and are taking times throughout the day to study; some have others, who are not attending the conference, preaching in their stead.

The two nights we have been here have been late but have been enjoyable.

Stay tuned with us.