http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/ In January and February 2011, small groups and individuals were encouraged to engage in ZPC's all-church study and sermon series around the book Radical by David Platt. In his book, Platt invites you to encounter what Jesus actually said about being his disciple, and then obey what you have heard. For one year, March 2011-March 2012, we are asking ZPCers to take part in the Radical Experiment. The book goes into much greater detail, but in summary the Radical Experiment is: Pray for the entire world Read through the entire Bible Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose Spend your time in another context Commit your life to a multiplying community. Want to learn more? Pick up a copy of Radical at a local bookstore or download the audio book version read by David Platt at christianaudio.com for $12.98. Visit the Radical website Check this blog often as we offer resources, encouragement, and chronicle ZPCers experience with our commitment of a one-year to the Radical Experiment. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:12:03 GMT en-us Copyright 2011 Zionsville Presbyterian Church http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/growing-your-spiritual-family-tree/ http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/growing-your-spiritual-family-tree/ Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:12:03 GMT Executive Director Don Paterson. What does it mean? And what would it look like in our lives?  To give us more of a sense of where Don was going, his next statement was: "You must disciple a person to a level of growth to which they are able to make disciples." Statements like this used to fill me with anxiousness, mostly because I didn't feel equipped to take responsibility for another's spiritual growth. About 7 years ago I got involved with Heat to Heart Women's Discipleship here at ZPC. This ministry uses a resource called Destined that emphasizes intentionality, transferability, and multiplication. Destined has helped in discipling more than 112 women so far at ZPC. ZPC men have also begun discipling one another in this intentional way and 25+ men have participated to date. These materials incorporate friendship, growth, multiplication, evangelism, and service in a comprehensive way. Being involved in Heart to Heart strengthened the foundations of my own faith, taught me how to help someone else grow in their faith, and, when I became the mentor, hopefully passed along both of these outcomes to those I mentored. Additionally, it reinforced that someone else's spiritual growth is not up to me in the sense that growth and transformation comes from the Holy Spirit. Let us know if you would like to get involved in One2one discipleship at ZPC. Who knows, you just might be the one to make someone else a spiritual grandparent. One2one Info SheetMen's One2one Discipleship ApplicationHeart to Heart Women's Discipleship Application]]> http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/investing-in-india/ http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/investing-in-india/ Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:00:59 GMT Check out daily trip updates and sign up to pray for the team. Due in part to this trip, our prayer focus country this month is India. Access the India Fact Sheet for information on India as well as ways to pray for this ethnically diverse nation.]]> http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/faithful-in-prayer/ http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/faithful-in-prayer/ Wed, 11 May 2011 18:02:34 GMT Amy Miller, Intercessory Prayer Team Member About ten years ago I was asked to help organize the National Day of Prayer (NDP) gathering in Zionsville. I had recently started what would be a ten year “sabbatical” from my working life, and I really welcomed some interactions with other adults after spending the days caring for my toddler, so I said yes. As I entered the first meeting of organization and corporate prayer prior to NDP, I was a little anxious, not having had much experience in praying out loud with other adults, especially those I had never met before. We spent some time with the details…publicity, order of events, assigning tasks…and then got ready to pray. As we began to approach our Savior and people started to praise, confess, give thanks, and pour out requests, I realized that this time of praying together was an incredibly powerful experience. Some people expressed themselves in eloquent ways, others in a simple, straightforward manner. The style didn’t matter, as it was so apparent that all the prayers were heartfelt and genuine. We had more meetings leading up to the NDP and I began to look forward to the times of prayer together with anticipation. Quite a few years after this I again had an opportunity to participate in prayer with others I didn’t really know. I had known for years that some faithful prayer warriors at ZPC met on Monday mornings at 9:00 to lift up prayers submitted on Sunday mornings and through the website. The time had not worked for my schedule until two years ago. God opened my schedule and my heart to join his disciples in prayer. As we would come together, catch up on the week’s events, and lift up the prayers so faithfully submitted, I again recognized the power of the Holy Spirit with us in the chapel. I was reminded that everything we do as people and as the body of Christ should be based in prayer. What efforts of our own will succeed? We need to be immersed in prayer and be open to the guiding of the Holy Spirit, and then his work can be done in the world. As we move forward in our multiplying communities and as we pray for God’s work to be done through his faithful people in the global church, prayer must permeate our lives. Not comfortable with prayer?  That is often the case. I encourage you to take a step of faith the next time you get an opportunity. God will bless your faithfulness and I am sure you will feel the power, the comfort, and the peace of his presence. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.   Hebrews 4:16 Editor's Note: Amy Miller serves on ZPC's Intercessory Prayer Team. This is a group of people who pray for other people. You can submit a prayer request, fill out a card at the Welcome Center, or call the church office when you have a request. Be assured, all names and requests are kept confidiential to staff members and the team. If you are interested in praying with the group, contact Amy.]]> http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/reading-through-the-word/ http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/reading-through-the-word/ Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:49:23 GMT Psalm 119, noting all the benefits of studying the Scriptures and letting God’s Word work in you. While reading large portions of Scripture is important for the big picture, we can miss a lot of details that are important for our understanding. A word study can help, when done in the context of what you are reading. Use a concordance. A simple one in the back of your Bible can get you started. An online concordance or a hard copy like Strong's Exhaustive Concordance are also available. Cross-references, if your Bible has those, can be helpful for a more intensive study.  ]]> http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/praying-for-japan/ http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/praying-for-japan/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:49:33 GMT Great Banquet. One of her stories has really stuck with me. It was how her mother taught her what it means to have compassion on others. She said her mom explained it by saying, "God does not treat people who are spiritually sick differently from people who are physically sick." That made me think. How do I respond to someone who has cancer or cystic fibrosis? I hope my first response would be to love them; to meet their physical needs; to pray with them and for them. What would it be like if I chose to offer the same to everyone I meet regardless of their circumstances? We are beginning our second month of the Radical Experiment. In the area of praying for the world, I want to encourage you to pray for Japan during the month of April. Following the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, the island nation is facing multiple crises, including the increased threat of radiation exposure from several nuclear power plants. Please join me in loving the people of Japan by praying for them and helping to meet their physical needs such as: ready-to-eat food; sanitation kits including napkins and soaps; potable water; blankets to help protect people from the cold; batteries to maintain radio contact and to enable people to receive vital news on nuclear and radiation related developments; and gas and fuel supplies. The Praying for Japan fact sheet will give you ideas on ways to be praying. Listed below are two ways you can provide financial support to assist with the above mentioned needs. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) P.O. Box 643700 Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700 To ensure your donation goes to Japan, please include DR000117 on your check. Checks can be sent to the address above or turned into ZPC. Give online: http://gamc.pcusa.org/give/DR000117/ or Asian Access PO Box 200 San Dimas, CA 91773 USA Mark your check "Japan Tsunami Relief Fund"]]> http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/the-radical-family/ http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/the-radical-family/ Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:24:56 GMT Read the Bible in a year...If you have very young kids – read the Beginners Bible  www.thebeginnersbible.com in a year – it hits all the big Bible stories and is very fun and engaging for kids. For elementary age kids and tweens – buy a family devotional at a Christian bookstore – and dive into it – either one on one with each child, or as a family at breakfast or dinner.  Teens?  Good luck! No, just kidding. Keep modeling for them what it means to be a follower of Jesus and if they share that faith, challenge them to take on one part of the Radical experiment themselves. Pray for the whole world...Visit Global Gifts as a family on 1468 West 86th Street. Talk about what country these gifts come from and what makes them unique and how the people there make different things in order to make a living. Or what about praying for Mexico or China after a night out (or a night in) eating Mexican or Chinese food? Look for ways in the news to help your family see other countries (i.e. earthquake in Japan) and pray for them. Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose...Coming in April, there will be a Sunday at ZPC where your family could sponsor a child through Compassion International. World Vision is also a great organization where you can sponsor a child. For only $30-$35 a month, you can help feed and provide Christian education for a child in poverty in a foreign country. Have your kids do chores or help around the house once a week to earn money to contribute to the cause. Or if the cause isn’t sponsoring a child but something else your family has decided to support, have them still earn money to give sacrificially. You could also come up with creative ways to spend time in another context (i.e. downtown Indianapolis mission agencies) and commit life to a multiplying community (ask staff at ZPC about small groups, one2one discipleship, or other ways to connect).  Take the big step of determining to get moving in your faith and to model your faith for your kids.  And take the small step of trying to share it with your family in at least one practical way in the next 7 days. Finally, if you need some daily inspiration to keep going as a mom or a dad – consider signing up for daily emails from these websites: www.allprodad.com and www.imom.com.  They will encourage you!]]> http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/praying-for-the-world-resources/ http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/praying-for-the-world-resources/ Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:16:51 GMT World History was the first class that I attended as a freshman at Ball State University. It was in a cavernous room called Pruis Hall. I was completely overwhelmed when I walked into that auditorium for the first time and gazed up at the multiple levels of students staring back. For me, world history was just as overwhelming as the lecture hall. I had no interest in learning about various historical ages and world empires. They seemed impossibly far away, not just on a timeline, but geographically as well. The next 12 weeks was probably the beginning of my journey toward an enlightened worldview, but at the time, all I really cared about was that I had gained few college credits and a C grade.  I've been thinking about this class and other experiences that have shifted my worldview over the years. The most recent is the first initiative in The Radical Experiment, "Praying for the World." Committing to this task means educating myself about the countries of the world and the people in them. it has also involved simple things like hanging a world map on a wall in my home to the more challenging task of examining my heart where I discovered my ignorance of the world at large is matched by my lack of sincere, consistent interest in the world at large. I am praying right now that God will give me a tender heart toward places and people all over the world. As a way to help in praying for the world, ZPC has selected 12 countries on which to focus each of the next 12 months. The focus country for March 2011 is Romania. Please see below for suggestions on praying for Romania as well as other resources. Praying for the World 2011 Focus Countries: March-Praying for Romania (PDF) 2011 Schedule (PDF) Other Prayer Resources: Guidelines for Effective Prayer (PDF) How to Spend an Hour in Prayer (PDF) Incorporating Scripture into Prayer (PDF) List of Every Country in the World (PDF) Praying for Unreached People Groups (PDF) Organized Prayer (PDF) ZPC Intercessory Prayer Team (PDF) ]]> http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/reading-through-the-bible/ http://www.zpc.org/radical-experiment/reading-through-the-bible/ Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:19:31 GMT Sally Bias, Director of Smaller Groups  Fresh off reading the book Radical by David Platt, I accepted the Radical Challenge of reading through the Bible in a year. I started my reading in January. I have been using YouVersion on my Iphone. There are 19 different plans on YouVersion under the "Whole Bible" category alone. I went with "The One Year" Bible. This is a daily reading plan that consists of passages from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. This version allows you to select the month and date when you start and then links to the passages for the day. It usually takes me about 15-minutes each day (assuming I am just reading one day's worth). This plan has worked well for me. I almost always have my phone with me and can complete the day's reading before I put my feet on the ground in the morning or while I am waiting in the kindergarten carpool line.  Reading God's Word has been thought-provoking. This morning I was reading about Moses and the plagues. The Bible says over and over that God hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would not free the Israelites from slavery. The middle child in me is saying, "Hey God, that's not fair! At least give Pharaoh a fair shot." I begin to ask myself the question "What does this tell me about God?" That he picks favorites? That he is a dictator? Even as I am reading, I am praying that God would help me wade through all of this. Does God pick favorites? God definitely chooses people. As I had read the day before, he chose Moses to be his messenger to Pharaoh and the Israelites. Moses, who was a murderer and not confident in his speaking ability. Though I might struggle with the idea that we don't all have a fair shot at being chosen by God, I do believe that he is far more eager to have us than we are to join with him. Is God a dictator? God is, well, God. He is ruler over everything. In addition to telling Moses that he has hardened Pharaoh's heart, he also says that his purpose in doing this is to show his glory to all of Egypt. If Pharaoh had accepted Moses's request for freedom the first time, how many would have heard about it let alone believed it was God who brought it about. Neither of these insights is particularly deep, but I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about God's character through reading and thinking about his Word.   Share some things that you are learning or thoughts that you are having as you pick up God's Word and let's have a continuing dialog.  Here are some resources in print and online to help you with the Radical challenge of reading the Bible in a year: 52-Week Bible Reading Plan Martin Bible Reading Plan YouVersion Bible Gateway The One Year Bible The Daily Bible]]>