Issue #118 | December 13, 2011 |
MERRY CHRISTMAS
The faculty, staff and students of RTS pray you have a blessed Christmas. Many of you will be on the road traveling to see family and friends. Some may be staying home. Others in our world may need a good word from you. Be there for them at this time and share with them the grace and love of our blessed Lord Jesus, the reason for our celebration.
CHRISTMAS GREETING CONTAINS FREE SONG DOWNLOAD
Don't miss our special gift to you. Dr. Michael Milton, chancellor-elect of RTS, has recorded a Christmas song titled "When Heaven Came Down." If you haven't heard this beautiful tune yet, you can download the song and listen to it here. The backup singer is Cindy Gibbs.
REVISED WINTER SCHEDULE OF CLASSES FOR RTS/ORLANDO
Please note the changes to the winter schedule here. Here are some highlights: Dr. Richard L. Pratt will teach "Old Testament Theology," Dr. Reggie M. Kidd will teach "Hebrews-Revelation" and Sharon Hersh will teach "Sexuality and Sex Therapy."
CHURCH HISTORY TOUR SPONSORED BY RTS-CHARLOTTE
You are invited to join Reformed Theological Seminary on an 8-day Christian Heritage tour to England March 11-17, 2012. Participants will enjoy sightseeing, shopping and learn about the English Reformation in the actual places where these events occurred. Professor of church history, Dr. Don Fortson, will provide commentary and mini-lectures. In addition to church history sites, participants may take a few excursions to places like Windsor Castle and the British Museum. This is a wonderful time of fellowship as well as experiencing breath-taking sites and learning interesting history. The trip is very reasonably priced for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Check out www.rts.edu/cht for a full itinerary, registration information and a pictorial tour from previous trips. Course credit for The English Reformation is available through the RTS-Virtual campus.
NEW RELEASE DATES FOR TWO OF DR. MILTON'S UPCOMING BOOKS
The ever-popular Hit by Friendly Fire: What to Do When Fellow Believers Hurt You booklet, now being released in expanded version as a full-fledged book (EP Books 96pp.) will be released Dec. 31, 2011. "I wish that this excellent, practical, healing book had been published years ago. I would have used many copies to lift up those severely wounded in the house of friends. Highly commended," said Erroll Hulse, editor of Reformation Today.
Also, Dr. Milton's booklet in the Basics of the Faith Series titled What is the Doctrine of Adoption has a new release date of Jan. 4, 2012.
| WOMEN OF RTS FALL RETREAT Women of RTS is a women's group at RTS/Charlotte. In the fall, 33 women from Women of RTS enjoyed a time of refreshment and new relationships during the two-day retreat in the North Carolina mountains. The theme was "Walking Worthy." There were five student speakers and one student wife (Sage Andrews, Katherine Ashbaugh, Jenni Pyrch, Rachel Stevener and Teresa Simons.) The ladies enjoyed food, small groups, teaching, games, singing and resting. |  |
The RTS E-Newsletter was contacted by a brother who asks for prayer for himself and his ministry to Muslims in Asia. He continues to be persecuted, but is pressing on. Please keep him in your prayers.
GRADUATE FINDS ART IN DISCARDED BOOKS
In hopes of encouraging students as they work hard in the library preparing for finals and finishing up papers, the Orlando library staff decided to decorate for Christmas. Laura Armstrong (MABS '09), RTS/Orlando library services assistant, used old discarded books to create paper stars, wreaths, and stockings that fill the windows and surround the library desk, bringing a feeling of celebration to the library in this Christmas season. If you are local, stop by for a closer look.
WE'RE MOVING - NEW VENUE FOR CHANCELLOR INAUGURATION
The inauguration of Dr. Michael A. Milton as fourth president and second chancellor has been moved from Atlanta to the Charlotte area. The service will be held at Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church in Matthews, NC, on September 14, 2012.
FAITH FOR LIVING - NEW OFFER
Be sure to tune in to Faith For Living for the latest offer. Find the program in your area here.
CONSIDER A GIFT TO RTS
Please consider a gift to Reformed Theological Seminary this season. Click here to give online. Honor a special person in your life or remember a friend or family member in your life with a memorial gift. If you would rather speak to someone, please click here to call the campus of your choice or call the Foundation at 1-866-926-4787.
Jackson campus - contact Bobby Penny
Charlotte campus - contact Charlie Dunn
Houston campus - contact Tim McKeown
Orlando campus - contact Don Sweeting (Lorin Diehl will start in January)
Memphis campus - contact Brian Lewis
Washington campus - contact Dennis Fusaro
Atlanta campus - contact Tom Campbell
Virtual campus - contact Andy Peterson
CAMPUS EVENTS
Sign up for a class near you. Why delay? Registration for the winter term and spring term is in progress.
RTS/Charlotte
Need a gift? Stop in to the RTS/Charlotte bookstore for some great sales. RTS/Charlotte is offering a “Buy 3 get the 4th free” promotion as well as special sales on TBA books through Dec. 22.
RTS/Jackson
RTS/Jackson will hold their annual Christmas Sale at the Bookstore through Dec. 22.
FREE Offers! (While supplies last!)
• Buy any two Christmas books and receive The Christmas Story from the Family Reading Bible FREE! A great devotional guide for families during the Christmas season.
• Buy any two books on pastoral ministry and get The Pastor-Evangelist by Roger S. Greenway FREE! A great gift idea.
• Buy any two books on Old Testament studies (commentaries or general) and receive Godly Jealousy: A Theology of Intolerant Love by Erik Thoennes FREE! This is a scholarly study of God’s jealous love for his people.
Reformation Trust Christmas Package (Retail $55.00, Sale $30.00)
Purchase the following three Reformation Trust titles and receive over 40% off the retail price!
• Holy, Holy, Holy: Proclaiming the Perfections of God by various authors
• John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine and Doxology by various authors
• By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me by Sinclair Ferguson
Mike Milton Christmas Package (Retail $40.97, Sale $23.97)
Purchase the following three books by Mike Milton and receive over 40% off the retail price!
• Small Things, Big Things: Inspiring Stories of Everyday Grace
• What God Starts, God Completes: Gospel Hope for Hurting People
• Songs in the Night: How God Transforms Our Pain to Praise
Devotional Christmas Package (40% off Retail Price)
Buy any three devotional books or books on prayer and receive 40% off the retail price! These would make great gifts for friends and family.
RTS/Orlando
Dec. 5 - Dec. 22: The RTS Orlando Campus Bookstore Annual Christmas Sale
40% OFF nearly everything.*
50% OFF all RTS/Orlando Polo shirts, tees, & hats.
75% OFF clearance section (formerly 50%) plus a few unexpected surprises. Now is your chance to save.
*Sale does not include textbooks or new titles, which already beat Amazon pricing as part of the Student Loyalty Program – details & signup in store.)
Please note: Quantities are limited. No holding, hiding or hoarding – all sales final with no exchanges! Sale includes in-stock items only – sorry, no special orders.
RTS/Virtual
Upcoming dates for the Orientation Seminars are January 12-14 (Houston), February 27-29 (Charlotte), and April 23-25 (Charlotte).
THIRD PARTY COMMENTS FOR RTS’ ACCREDITATION
Reformed Theological Seminary is in the process of the decennial reaffirmation of accreditation with its two accrediting agencies. RTS invites third-party comments in writing concerning RTS’ qualifications for reaffirmation. These comments will be made available to the accreditors and a visiting committee that includes external peer evaluators. RTS has two accreditors: The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is the regional accreditor for RTS. The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) is a national accreditation agency for theological schools in the United States and Canada.
Please submit any comments in writing to:
Reformed Theological Seminary
Attn: Dr. Robert J. Cara, Chief Academic Officer
2101 Carmel Road
Charlotte, NC 28226
ALUMNI SNIPPETS
Do you have an alumni snippet to share? Have you published a new book? Send it to the editor, here.
Please pray for Christy (Vidrine) Bauman (MAC '07) and her husband Andrew, in the loss of their infant son last week.
Joseph "Josh" Carmichael (M.Div.M '01) was installed on Nov. 20 as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro, AL 
(founded in 1823). For the past five years Josh served as assistant pastor of Redeemer Church in Louisville, Ky. He is a Ph.D. candidate in church history at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky. His thesis is titled "The Hymnody of Anne Steele: A Study of Its Reception History in John Rippon's Selection of Hymns." He and his wife Betsy (pictured right) have five sons: Fulton (11), Morris (9), Milledge (7), Henry (5), and Thomas (1).
Steve Froehlich (M.Div. '91) is the pastor and elder of New Life Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, NY. The Women’s Community Building has recently been sold and will be razed to make way for an apartment building, but the Lord has provided new rental space at Cinemopolis, a lovely 5-screen art theater 2 blocks from the WCB (for the short term). His son Christopher recently had a daughter Nadia and she will be undergoing a fairly routine surgery soon. Please keep her in prayer. Steve is currently in the D.Min. program at Gordon Conwell Seminary. He is interested in the intersection of Christian community and Christian calling – how our shared life as brothers and sisters in Christ shapes the way we understand and fulfill the mission of God. Steve previously served as the executive vice president of RTS/Jackson from 1991-1998.
Kenneth R. "Robbie" Hembree, current student working on a master of arts in religion at RTS/Atlanta, is the pastor and teaching elder at Grace Canton in Canton, Ga. Read more about his church in the Atlanta Journal Constitution here.
Jaime Jimenez (M.Div.M '07) in Monterrey, Mexico, is a minister in the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico and a church planter. He was part of Redeemer City to City's International Intensive in 2010. He was ordained as a T.E. in May 2010 by the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico. He served for two years with MTW’s office in Monterrey leading one of their ministries and teaching in the Theological Institute of Ministry. His wife Natalia studied architecture at the state university. She came to know Christ at Encuentro con Dios, a church plant in Monterrey.
Jason Tippetts (M.Div. '11) accepted a call to pastor a church plant out of Village Seven Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs. He and his wife Kara are moving at the end of the year and he will start his new job on Jan. 15.