Eastern Home Missionary

Newsletter

 

Rev. Jai Mahtani
216 Thornberry Drive
Pittsburgh PA  15235
Tel:  (412) 371-2299
E-mail:  jaimahtani@msn.com

 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.  Amen.”  Matt 28:19-20

June 2004

To:

Council & Congregation of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church,
PR congregations, denominational mission fields & contacts in eastern US

 

Dear friends and fellow saints,

 

Greetings!

                Greetings once again from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the love of our beloved Savior!  It is hard to believe that almost half of the year has already gone by!  I hope you find these regular newsletters useful in keeping you updated on the work of eastern home missions.  I also wish to take this opportunity to thank the many of you who have written to encourage us in our labors.

 

Grand Rapids Visit

                It was encouraging to see several of our churches in the Grand Rapids area represented when I gave my most recent missionary update at Southwest PRC.  It was good to see the beautiful remodeling done at our home church.  My family and I were richly blessed by the fellowship and hospitality of the congregation.  The meetings with Council as well as the sub-committees of Council and the Domestic Mission Committee went well.

 

Worship Services

                Rev. and Mrs. Kortering could not come to Pittsburgh as planned for the Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday services due to the surgery Rev. Kortering had to have to implant a heart pacer.  However, Professor and Mrs. Hanko graciously consented to come, and the saints here were blessed by their visit.  I am glad to report that the Word of God continues to be received enthusiastically here in Pittsburgh.  Through the labors of your missionary, and occasionally through a visiting minister or professor, or sometimes even through video sermons, the precious gospel of our Savior is being firmly planted in this place.  There is a deep appreciation for the Reformed faith, and there continues also to be an increase in the size of the mission.

 

Catechism Classes

                We concluded our catechism season the middle of May, 2004.  There is evident zeal among the children and young adults of the mission for the knowledge of God and of His Word.  I find it amusing that the little ones come up to me at the end of every lesson, blocking me from leaving the room, eager to shake my hands.  They see the members at church doing the same on Sunday, and this is their way of saying thank you.  Their cheerful smiles, their enthusiastic appreciation — sometimes those things just warm the heart, and make teaching and preaching so worthwhile!  There are several in the Essentials class who have expressed desire to make confession of faith and to join the church either later this year or next year.

 

Bible Study

                Although we did not get very far in our study of the book of Romans this year, we have had some interesting studies up to chapter four of the book.  What clear instruction this particular book of the Bible has with regards to our complete righteousness in Christ alone!  It is no wonder that Luther first found his comfort and faith through the pages of this particular book of the Bible.  At the same time, it is also a great wonder that so many today, even within so-called Reformed circles, should begin to insist on a righteousness which is incomplete without the addition of works!  May we hold fast to the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ: we are saved by grace alone in the righteousness of Christ alone.  That is our faith, and that faith is the precious gift of God!  We hope to continue these studies next study season.  It is very encouraging that we have had three or four new faces at these studies.  We continue to encourage all members and visitors to attend.

 

Leadership Training

                The men on the Steering Committee have begun watching the videotapes by Professor Hanko on the office of deacon.  They completed the instruction on elders last year, and are studying the office of deacon this year.  The grooming for the offices in the church is one of the duties of the missionary, and I have made that an integral part of all my labors in Pittsburgh.  There are presently four members on the Steering Committee,


and we have invited a couple of others to observe our monthly meetings where the work in the mission is planned and carried out.

 

Young Adult Activities

                The young adults have been meeting on a monthly basis to do a comparative study of various denominations.  So far they have studied the OPC, the Baptist, and the PCA, each time attempting to discuss the similarities and differences between these denominations and the PRC.  In this way, the young adults are not only becoming more conscious of the church world, but also gaining a deeper consciousness and appreciation for what we hold to in our churches.  The Lord willing, I plan to drive a vanload of eight young adults to the Young People’s Convention and to Bethel’s canoe trip this summer.  It is good that the young people and young adults of our mission mingle with and find their friends among fellow saints in our churches.

 

Car-Washes

                In order to raise funds for this upcoming trip, the young adults have organized several car washes.  The first two were cancelled due to bad weather, but the second two car washes went quite well.  At the first car wash already it became evident that the PR Mission of Pittsburgh is becoming well known in the area.  One man in fact came up to me to introduce himself as one who listens regularly to the Reformed Witness Hour.  The young people, including little Mary and Martha Mahtani, and Audrey and Azariah Suber, were a hit.  People stop when they see little children holding out posters and shouting: “car wash, car wash.”  So, if you would like to support this fund-raiser, why not drive to Pittsburgh June 5th or July 3rd, 2004?  A local visitor donated $200, and a member of Southwest sent $500 to support this cause, without even having their cars washed!  We are thankful for this support and for the increasing involvement of our young adults.

 

Ladies Fellowship

        Recently, in fact on Mothers’ Day, I reminded the older women of their duty to teach the younger women to be keepers at home (Titus 2:3-5).  The establishment of a healthy congregation does not depend only on the faithfulness of the male office-bearers, but also on the example and influence of the godly women of Israel.  It is encouraging to see how the ladies are meeting informally in their homes to encourage each other.  At our last formal meeting at the mission office, we had three new visitors who came for the first time.  We hope through this fellowship the young women and mothers in our mission will continue to be inspired and instructed in the faith.

 

Upcoming Activities

                In our last newsletter, we included a calendar of events for the rest of the year.  The next major event in Pittsburgh will be our Reformation Celebrations October 29-31, 2004.  The speakers will be Rev. Bruinsma, Rev. Haak, and Rev. Mahtani.  We have already heard from a few of our Evangelism Committees that they do plan to send delegations to this event, especially since we will be having a forum on Saturday to discuss various evangelism methods and ideas to encourage and inspire each other in the work.  But you do not need to belong to an Evangelism Committee to attend.  All are welcome!  Mark it on your calendar and plan to attend!  Help us make this year’s Reformation Celebrations in Pittsburgh the largest yet.  Over the years we have had increased attendance, from twenty-five in the first year to about sixty and seventy in the last couple of years.  Our target this year is one hundred, as we continue to “Reach the Nations with the Gospel of Grace,” the theme of this year’s celebrations.

 

Allentown, PA

                The Domestic Mission Committee has decided to continue to investigate the possibility of future mission labors in Allentown, PA through four visits to the saints there in 2004.  The first visit was made by Gary Boverhof and me in February 2004.  My wife accompanied me there in May 2004, and, the Lord willing, a member of the Steering Committee in Pittsburgh will go with me in September.  The Lord willing, in December 2004, Gary Boverhof will again accompany me so that we can together assess the development of the labors and recommend future direction.  Plans for this year are to hold public worship services at the Dorney Park Holiday Inn in Allentown, PA on May 23rd, September 26th, and December 19th.  Whenever we go, we also have a Bible Study Friday evening at the Labarre residence, and conduct house visits and pursue new contacts on Saturday.  If you or anyone you know in the area would like further information about this work, please feel free to call or write. 

 

Family

                It is hard to believe that Martha is completing kindergarten at Trinity and Jon and Dave have finished their freshmen year at Grove City College.  The members at the mission still talk about how they were carrying Martha as a baby when we came in 1998.  Ben will be in his senior year at high school next school year.  Sam hopes to get his driving permit as soon as he turns sixteen this month!  Peter will become a teenager in the spring of 2005, which will make five teenagers in our household of ten!  Titus, our youngest son, is our upcoming soccer player, and is suddenly growing taller and taller.  Mary, Martha, Peter, and mother daily practice on the piano so that in time they can takeover the duties of Jon and Dave, who have been providing music for the services all these years.  Esther is also becoming quite a tennis player.  Her children bought her a new tennis racquet for Mothers’ Day, so you can tell that her interest in the sport is growing.

 

Concluding Remarks

                The family grows, the mission grows, and our love for the saints here grows!  But not without trials and troubles and challenges!  We have our share of those, and we continue to labor in the consciousness that except the Lord build the house, we labor in vain that build it.  So we ask for your continued prayers that the Lord might sustain us in the work.  As you remember us in your prayers, be assured that also from the mission field many prayers are offered, with thanksgiving, for you in the churches who support the cause of missions.  May God bless us as we together strive for the faith of the gospel.

 

In His Love,

Rev. Jai Mahtani