BRANCHES June & July 2017

BRANCHES
SOUTHWOOD'S CORE
COMMITMENTS
Foundational Priorities for
Today and Tomorrow
JUNE & JULY 2017 | southwood.org
praying for Peru
ask a pastor:
culture and gospel meet

SOUTHWOOD
BRANCHES
DESIGNER Phillip Lackey
CONTRIBUTORS
Will Spink
Sarah Niemitz
Winnie Winford
Peter Render
James Parker
PHOTOS
Winnie Winford
Sarah Cruse
Southwood Members
FEEDBACK!
We want to hear from you! Please send
your suggestions and comments to
branches@southwood.org
1000 CARL T. JONES DRIVE | HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 35802
(256) 882-3085 | WWW.SOUTHWOOD.ORG
overview
COVER PHOTO
Blowing bubbles at Ice Cream Sunday 2016
CHURCH STAFF
NIÑA CASH Director of Children's Ministry
RITA CLARDY Executive Assistant
SHANNON CLARK Administrative Assistant
RON CLEGG Assistant Pastor, Discipleship
SOPHIE CORDES Summer Youth Intern
JANICE CROWSON Director of Facilities/Finance
KIM DELCHAMPS Administrative Assistant
TERRI GOOD Accountant/Bookkeeper
SARAH NIEMITZ Director of Community Development/Assimilation
JAMES PARKER Chief Musician
PETER RENDER Assistant Pastor, Youth/Families
ANGELA SIERK Assistant Director/Children's Ministry
WILL SPINK Senior Pastor
WINNIE WINFORD Assistant Director/High-Life
CONTENTS
3 pastor's note
4 praying for Peru
Ways you can pray for the team
4 reflections
Looking back with Winnie Winford
5 southwood women's conference
Upcoming women's event this fall
6 southwood core commitments
Foundational priorities for today and
tomorrow
8 ask a pastor
Culture and gospel meet
9 session update
Keeping you informed
10 kids game day
Photos from Kids Game Day
11 all that is fair
The serenity prayer that Willie taught
me to pray
UPCOMING EVENTS
Churchwide BBQ Lunch
June 25
Churchwide Ice Cream Sunday
July 23 in the evening
New Classes Begin June 4 through July 30
GOSPEL DRIVEN PARENTING:
HOW THE GOSPEL INFORMS, SHAPES, AND EMPOWERS US AS PARENTS
Ron Clegg & John Foreman — Classroom A — All Ages Welcome
What do you think of yourself as a parent? Do you know what you are doing? Do you know why you are doing it? What does the Bible say
about how to be a “good” parent? We have more questions than answers as parents, and those questions mount as we progress from one stage
of parenting to another—from disciplining toddlers to communicating with adolescents to influencing adult children. The bigger question
involves how the Gospel informs our parenting. How does it shape the way we interact with our children of all ages? How does it shape my
identity as a parent? And, how does the Gospel empower us not only to survive as parents, but through our parenting to grow more and more
into the likeness of Jesus? These issues and others will be discussed in this class for parents of all ages and for those who hope to be parents. It
is not a class where you will get detailed instructions on every parenting situation. It is a big-picture look at where we are going as parents and
why, and it will hopefully be a great encouragement to us who are on the parenting journey.
THE OLD TESTAMENT: A STORY FROM THE PAST THAT SHAPES THE PRESENT
Will Spink — Classroom B — All Ages Welcome
We’ve heard the stories of Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Esther, Jonah, and others. But how do they connect to each other, and what
does that overarching narrative have to do with us? We will cover an overview of the entire Old Testament story, and we’ll learn together that
understanding the story of our God and how he relates to his people is part and parcel of understanding our story—who we are, why we are here,
what God calls us to, and how we relate to Him.
2 JUNE & JULY 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

PASTOR’S NOTE
Saying Yes (or No) to Serving Opportunities
Is it merely over-spiritualizing to say that God
has at Southwood the exact people He wants
with the exact strengths and weaknesses, gifts
and experiences? Not from the perspective
of I Corinthians 12. In that chapter Paul talks
about the body of Christ and the fact that God
has arranged a bunch of different parts (eyes,
ears, hands, etc.) with diverse gifts into one
body. Each part of the body has unique roles
and functions underneath the one head, Jesus
Christ, and God has arranged them all—“just
as He wanted them to be.”
This wonderful truth has corporate implications,
but I’ve been thinking lately about the
individual implications, in that each member
of the church has an important role to play
and, at the same time, cannot do everything.
For instance, it would be very unhelpful for the
member rocking a baby to try to mow a lawn
for the Evolve program at Lincoln Village at
the same time—dangerous! Neither are many
people who love arranging beautiful flowers or
fixing broken doors behind the scenes eager
to teach a Sunday School class (and the senior
pastor is terrible at arranging flowers and fixing
broken doors!).
A better design (and seemingly a more
biblical one) is for each member to use the
gifts and follow the callings he has been given
passionately and joyfully while allowing others
to serve in other places. God has called all of us
to be conduits of his grace, who aren’t merely
consumers of his blessing but share it with
others. All of us are called to pray, all of us are
called to give financially in some way, and all of
us are called to love our neighbors. In addition,
every member of the church has unique
gifts and must use them within or beyond
the walls of the church—or they and we are
weaker without them! So, listen carefully when
volunteer opportunities are communicated,
because one may be the place for you to serve,
even if you never have before. Better yet, come
talk with a pastor about where you can use your
gifts in the body.
On the other hand, while we are all necessary
somewhere, none of us is necessary everywhere.
While some of us should say “yes” to meeting
a need, others of us should say “no.” If you
hear an announcement for Jobs for Life
volunteers this fall and say “no” because you
are volunteering at your kids’ school, hosting
your neighbors in your home, and serving every
Sunday in the children’s ministry, you shouldn’t
go home with a guilt trip. God has called and
gifted another part of the body to serve in that
role with Jobs for Life.
Nearly every Sunday I stand up and tell you
about ways you can serve or needs with a
particular ministry or event. Perhaps you have
sat there and had the thoughts and felt the
emotions I, too, have sat in those pews and
thought and felt: “What a great idea—I’m so
glad to hear we’re doing that! A good Christian
would volunteer. Yep, I probably should. Oh, I
really can’t that weekend. I’m such a terrible
person. I’ll volunteer twice next time. Oh, I feel
awful saying no!”
I hope the truth of God’s design of the body
will allow you to hear a volunteer opportunity
or a ministry in need of help, and think not
“Guilt trip” but rather think, “Is this where
God is calling me to serve with joy?” Not
every opportunity requires deep engagement;
only 15 of us are spending two weeks in Peru
this summer, but many others are equipping,
giving to, and praying for that team. Because
we are relationally driven, however, many of
our serving opportunities are designed to jump
in with both feet in the lives of our neighbors
here and around the world. Look and listen for
that place or those places where you can jump
in with both feet. Don’t be on the sidelines
missing out. Serve joyfully. Invest deeply in
people. Sacrifice your own comfort and ease.
Pour yourself out for the sake of others.
Say “yes” joyfully to opportunities God puts
before you to share his love with others and
serve your significant role in his body. And
sometimes say “no” joyfully, too. And then
watch the body of Christ work exactly the way
God designed it—“as each part does its work.”
Will Spink
Senior Pastor
If you would like to contact
Will, use the following:
will.spink@southwood.org
@WillSpink
JUNE & JULY 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 3

PRAYING FOR PERU
By Sarah Niemitz
You probably know by now that we have 15 members and students
going to Peru this summer, but did you know that you are sending
them? If you are tithing at Southwood, part of that money is making
this trip and ongoing partnership possible. If you ate at Big Rosie's,
joined in the babysitting night, or contributed funds for a specific
individual on the trip - you helped send this team! These 15 people
are not going on a special trip for extra spiritual people; they are
going as humble representatives of Christ and of Southwood to
serve alongside our partners and encourage them in their ministry!
As their departure approaches, our team needs their church body
praying for them. One of the things our team has talked about
throughout our training is the fact that we go to Peru not as saviors,
but as dependent servants and learners. Our team's dependence is
evident in many ways. They will depend on a translator to navigate
language; they will depend on Scripture Union's staff to provide
transportation, lodging, and food; they will depend on each other
as they operate outside of their comfort zone. However, our team
has been and continues to be most dependent on our Heavenly
Father. They depended on Him to provide the funds for the trip, and
they will continue to depend on Him to provide for them spiritually,
emotionally, and physically as they engage in unfamiliar ministry.
As our team navigates natural anxieties about international travel,
not to mention the new disaster response role they'll be playing,
they will be daily dependent upon God's provision of mental and
emotional peace. As they seek to minister lovingly in Christ's name,
they will be dependent upon God to know what to say (or not say),
and when to act.
So it is fair to say that our team needs you now more than ever!
Whether you've already signed up to pray for an individual team
member or not, we covet your prayers for our partners in Peru and
our team as they head to the field. Here are some specific ways you
can be praying over the next two weeks!
1. For emotional and mental peace as natural anxieties arise
close to departure.
2. For smooth logistics as they navigate flights, buses, and hotels.
3. For extra grace and strength for our partners at Scripture Union
as they have to work very hard hosting international teams.
4. For the house parents and boys at the Ica Girasoles home,
that God would use our team to encourage them well in this
season of challenging disaster response in their region.
5. For safety on the field and freedom from illness, both for our
team and the Scripture Union staff.
6. For Christ's name to be exalted, and for His church to be
established in a town that is reeling from disaster and without
a strong, evangelical presence.
7. For God to teach our team more about Himself through
this trip, and to stir in their hearts a deeper love for Him and
passion for His kingdom that would transform their lives (and
our church) over the coming years.
REFLECTIONS
By Winnie Winford
Honored. Privileged. Humbled. Thankful. Southwood, when I
think about working for this church, I am so thankful for you. It has
been an honor to work here with you—an honor so great that it is
not easily expressed in words, but I will try. I won’t capture it fully,
but it won’t be the first time I fail at Southwood and you show me
love in the failing.
To be hired at the age of 23 to work with the youth ministry at
Southwood was an exciting adventure and dream come true. Ten
years later to have been able to work at Southwood for a decade—I
am beyond humbled. I don’t know why the Lord bestowed such a
blessing in my life, but I happily accept it!
Looking back at 2007, it’s hard to even remember what my life
looked like at that point or how and when I met so many delightful
people. This church and its people are so much a part of who I am
that it seems unfathomable that there was a time that I didn’t know
the families here. I didn’t know the blessing it would be in my life
and the ways it would shape me into who I am today. Day by day,
for ten years this church has continued to reveal to me how well
it cares for people. It has been a safe place for me to continue to
restore my identity in Christ as he reveals his care to me daily.
You each taught me how to give grace to myself and to others.
You walked with me through mistakes and successes. You are
my advice givers, my life lines, my co-laborers, encouragers
and comforters. You have forgiven me and tended to me with
such compassion that I was constantly led to praise Jesus. I was
encouraged to praise Jesus for his forgiveness, his compassion
and also for the work of his faithful saints in my life. I am led to
praise Jesus for you Southwood, and the ways you have walked
alongside me. You are the sinful saints who have consistently
pointed me to the cross of Jesus as our only source of hope.
Southwood will forever be a part of who I am and I am beyond
thankful for that! It is immensely hard to leave working for this
church, but I am comforted when I remind myself that you are the
ones who have equipped me to go out and share the grace and
love of Christ with other places. I take you and what you have
shared with me on to this new place.
The people of Southwood are my family and my home, and I want
to say thank you and I love you!

Southwood
Women ' s Conference
Coming August 11-12
FACING YOUR FALSE GODS AND RESTORING
YOUR SANITY WITH THE GOSPEL YOU
THOUGHT YOU KNEW
With special
guest speaker:
Julie
Sparkman
“We may not bow to golden statues but we are idolaters. An idol is anything we turn
toward to make life work apart from God and we all have one (or more). Approval,
family and career are among the host of false gods we look to for our security and
satisfaction. Rather than freeing us, these idols drive us to anxiety, control, anger and
countless other sins that erode our connection with God and one another. Like Paul,
we don’t do what we truly desire and do what we despise. We are addicts, returning
repeatedly to the fruitless means we use to attempt to please our idols and numb
our pain; thwarting our heart’s desire by grasping for it on our own. We don’t need
a ‘little help” to break this crazy cycle. We need an all-out rescue from the God who
not only saves but satisfies. This is for all of us not just the alcoholic, work-aholic or
codependent. Come along as we identify together our individual idols, confront our
personal powerlessness to overcome them and discover how the life we’re yearning
for is right inside the gospel we thought we knew.”
—Julie Sparkman
JUNE & JULY 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 5

SOUTHWOOD’S
CORE COMMITMENTS
Foundational Priorities for Today and Tomorrow
By Will Spink
The Alabama football team under the leadership of Nick Saban may
run lots of different plays with lots of different players, but every
Saturday we expect to see a disciplined, hardnosed, tough team
on the field. The Beatles have played many different songs, but we
consistently recognize that characteristic strong beat and musical
excellence. Paula Deen makes a variety of recipes, but we expect
whatever comes out of her oven to be buttery and sugary sweet.
Those are core commitments. Core commitments rarely change.
They shape or describe who you are as a person or group. They
answer the question of how you do whatever you do. Circumstances
may change; strategies for accomplishing your goals may change;
but core commitments are priorities you want to remain foundational
regardless of what you decide to do.
For instance, as Southwood looks to our future as a church, we can
pursue the mission God has called us to as a group of 50 or 5,000. We
may at some point find it helpful to add on to our current property
or downsize to a storefront. We may decide our pastor needs
a different haircut or better jokes (of all the above potentialities,
this one seems the most likely). In other words, those particular
details and thousands of others, while perhaps very important, are
negotiable in the pursuit of our mission. Core commitments, on the
other hand, should remain at the center of who we are while other
factors change around them.
Most people would say that Southwood embodies aspects of these
commitments already. Praise the Lord! It is also true, however,
that they function not only as descriptive but also as prescriptive –
helping us see what ought to characterize and shape us and holding
us to these priorities. We should pray that God would make these
commitments increasingly true of who we are as a church and how
we do everything He puts before us.
VERY OLD AND BRAND NEW
Where in the world did these core commitments come from? The
Session, with helpful input from many others, has been working
through these for the past couple of years. So in that one sense,
this particular list is brand new. On the other hand, however, these
commitments are not a new direction for Southwood but rather
intended to state in a fresh way long-held values and priorities of
our church. In that sense, this list is very old.
In fact, you can notice in the introductory paragraph that our vision
and mission have remained unchanged, so these commitments
are helping us to consider in what manner we should pursue those
vital tasks. God has called us to advance his kingdom, and the
pattern He has established for that is one where his grace flows to
us (experience) and then flows through us (expression). Our pursuit
of that mission remains unchanged, and the core commitments are
to help us remember how we should pursue it.
Furthermore, the Southwood Session believes it is essential that
such core commitments are rooted in God’s Word. In that sense,
they’re even older than we are! If a church’s core commitments are
to be essentially unchanging over time, then they must have their
basis in the unchanging truth of the Bible. We would encourage
you to read some of the sample passages listed below each one
and consider God’s calling on his people and the priorities He
gives to his Church.
These are, then, core commitments that at a high level could
be adopted by many churches. They are, however, particularly
in the explanatory paragraphs somewhat unique to Southwood.
While God has called all churches to some basic commitments,
He has also made each of us with different gifts, personalities, and
particular callings in his kingdom. Reading through these should
give you a sense of how things feel particularly at Southwood as
well as what we pray God makes us more and more like as we
follow Him.
In the coming months, I will seek to flesh out these core commitments
one at a time so that we can think together about what it might
look like for these to characterize our community even more than
they already do. I would love to hear your ideas on that, too, and I
ask for your prayers that God would continue to shape us into the
church He wants us to be so that we will be prepared for whatever
challenges, sufferings, and ministries He calls us to in the future.
6 JUNE & JULY 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

1
We are committed to being CHRIST-CENTERED.
The grace of God has been most fully shown to us in his
Son, Jesus Christ, and God’s kingdom is not advanced
without focusing on Jesus, the King. This means giving
glory to Jesus, proclaiming the good news of his finished work,
is the goal of our corporate worship, all of our ministries, and our
life in community together. Since every page of the Bible points
to Jesus, every sermon, Sunday School lesson, and conversation
should point us back to Jesus so that we live each day in his strength
rather than our own and for his glory rather than our own. We seek
to feed Jesus’ sheep—every fellow sojourner regardless of age or
stage—by pointing them to the Good Shepherd. Grace is not
merely an item we can get enough of or a concept we
can master; grace is experienced in Jesus, with
whom we always need relationship.
—II Corinthians 4:6, I Corinthians 1:23, John
1:14-18, Ephesians 1:3-14, Luke 24:27,
Colossians 2:6-7
2
We recognize our deep
DEPENDENCE and
need for PRAYER.
We are a community
constantly dependent
upon God both individually and
corporately. In fact, this is a large
part of what it means that we must
continually experience grace ourselves.
Our relationship with God is one where
we remain desperately needy and He remains
gloriously sufficient—we repent and He forgives;
we depend and He provides. Because God is committed
to seeing his kingdom advance, we don’t merely pray for the work
of the church; rather, prayer is the work of the church. Prayer is weak
people prevailing upon a strong Father to do mighty things in,
through, and in spite of us.
—Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 18:1-8, I Samuel 1, Acts 2:42, Psalm 71,
Ephesians 6:10-20, James 5:16
3
We are driven by RELATIONSHIPS.
It is people who are in need of God’s grace, and it is in the
hearts and lives of people that God’s kingdom is first and
foremost extended. So we genuinely love people and are
committed to developing life-giving relationships both inside
Southwood
Presbyterian Church
exists to advance the kingdom
of God (Our Vision) through the
experience and expression of grace
(Our Mission). Core Commitments are the
priorities that shape how we do everything
we do—Worship, Community, Discipleship,
Outreach —and how things should feel
uniquely at Southwood. These priorities
are intentionally shaped by the
Bible—God's inerrant Word and
our only infallible rule of
faith and practice.
and outside the church. These relationships with others who are
created in God’s image are a reflection of the relational nature of
the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and we share the heart of
God when we put others before ourselves and are willing to share
our lives with them.
—Ecclesiastes 4:7-12, Genesis 2:18, I Thessalonians 2:8, Acts 2:42-
47, Galatians 6:2, II Corinthians 5:17-21
4
We strive to love the LEAST, the LOST, the
LITTLEST, the LONELY, and the LEFT-OUT.
Because we are aware of our own weaknesses and
dependence upon God, we want to introduce
fellow sinners to the Great Physician, in whom the
broken and hurting find refuge and a home. This
happens as we lead with grace rather than
judgment in all our relationships, just as
God has led with grace toward us when
we deserved his judgment. We desire
to express grace to the marginalized,
the hurting, and our non-Christian
friends and neighbors by treating
people of all backgrounds and life
experiences, as image-bearers of
God, with dignity and charity.
—Luke 6:27-36, Matthew 25:31-40,
Mark 2:15-17, Proverbs 14:31, Genesis
1:26-27, John 15:12-13
5
We seek the RESTORATION of
all creation in Huntsville and beyond.
Jesus brings his kingdom both in word and
in deed, so we are committed to praying, working, and
collaborating with others for God’s kingdom to come here as it
is in heaven. We long to see Huntsville flourish and believe God
has placed us in this community for this community. Our prayer is
that we would be the kind of church that our city would miss if we
were gone. Our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our systems, and
our institutions are all valuable to God and worthy of our care. The
good news of Jesus Christ is for Monday through Saturday, for us
as God’s people, and for all of his creation, where the effects of the
curse are pushed back and He remakes everything as He originally
intended it to be.
—Matthew 6:10, Jeremiah 29:4-7, Luke 7:20-23, Romans 8:18-21,
Colossians 3:23, Isaiah 11:1-10
JUNE & JULY 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 7

SOUTHWOOD
branches
ASK A PASTOR
Q
Culture
and
Gospel
Meet
by Peter Render
What motivates today’s
Christian youth?
A
The question of motivation is one that is most
readily answered by a Monday morning, armchair
quarterback. Parents, coaches, teachers, and
leaders of all other sorts spend seasons and years
trying to figure out how to motivate effectively. I
have spent the last five years analyzing this same question. So,
please stay with me as I reflect on the past, as I try to analyze the
game in real time, and as I dream of what might be the present.
I was raised in a Christian home by baby-boomers. In
acknowledgement of their cultural situation, my parents were/
are obsessed with objective truth. It was not okay for me to be
pushed to and fro by the winds of cultural relativism, the decadent
obsessions of the eighties, nor any laissez faire attitudes toward
religion. For themselves and certainly in response to the mandate
of Proverbs 22:6, our home required careful thought and attention
to prayer, the Word of God, and attendance at a church that
ministered both the Word and the sacraments. We memorized
Scripture and the Westminster Shorter Catechism. I am eternally
grateful for this.
At some point in my early teen years, I was longing for something
more from truth. I was never one of those kids who lived two
separate lives. I was the same kid at church and in youth group
that I was on the basketball team at school. My sin was similar
in all settings. God’s grace showing through me was similar in
all settings. My struggle with objective truth was that it was not
always easy to see how to live it out. I needed something more. I
needed an authentic truth that was shown experientially and that
could be explained through my conceptual framework. By no
means am I suggesting that I wanted to do away with the truth of
my parents. Instead, I desperately needed the objective black and
white to begin to show through in authentic shades of gray.
I began working vocationally in youth ministry in the summer of
2000. Even though there was only a small separation from my own
days in a student ministry, I could already see the shift happening
again. The thing about objective and authentic truth is that
they both primarily reside in the brain. This does not deny the
activity of the Holy Spirit in placing the truth and causing growth
through the truth; rather, it speaks to the motivation of the person.
Students in the various ministries of which I was a part in the 2000’s
and early 2010’s were not willing to remain complacent with head
knowledge. They needed the objective, authentic truth in which
they were raised to cause action. They wanted to get their hands
dirty for the Kingdom.
At this point I have played the Monday morning quarterback well.
The reality is that I did not recognize any of these things in their
own time. It was looking back on my frustrations in my high school
years that allowed me to see the subtle difference in my motivation
from my parents. It was looking back on the early years of my
ministry that allowed me to see that God used tangible service for
the Kingdom to motivate the generation behind me. Looking back
allowed me to trace motivation from objective truth, to authentic
truth, to truth in action. My current frustration is shared with the
asker of the question at hand. What’s next?
The common thread between the generations seems to be an
acknowledgement of the shortcomings of the culture at large and a
desire to see the gospel overcome those shortcomings. The music,
advertising, television shows, Netflix series, podcasts, etcetera,
which are focused at the 12-24 age range, are possibly more selfaggrandizing
and self-serving than in any other generation. Social
media and cell phones allow students to be more connected
than ever, constantly putting themselves on display. In all of this,
individuals are more isolated than ever. Real contact and real
community are difficult to come by, and when a student finds it,
they are usually pushed to the fringes of the social culture.
The gospel speaks to this by reminding believers that we are
known, fully known, and that we are loved. The reality of our being
fully known is that we are able, through the power of the Holy Spirit
working in us, truly to know others. The motivation for today’s
youth is finding a true, authentic community of action, where they
are safe to know and to be known. This is what drives the student
ministry at Southwood. I’m trusting that it is not just a dream.

anches
SOUTHWOOD
SESSION UPDATE
What a joy it was to celebrate the ordination and installation of
Peter Render to be set apart for the ministry of the gospel and
to be our assistant pastor for youth and families! The Session
encourages you to join us in following the admonition of Elder
Todd Gandy, who charged us to pray for Peter, to be patient with
Peter, and to partner with Peter for the sake of the gospel in the
lives of the youth of Huntsville and their families.
We look forward to having Sophie Cordes, a student at Western
Carolina University, join Peter as our summer youth intern this
year. Please pray for God’s direction as we pursue the hiring of
assistant directors for the youth ministry as well. Remember our
other ongoing staff searches that we mentioned last month:
director of community development and assistant pastor of
shepherding and young families. Please pray for these search
teams as they pursue filling these important positions and seek
God’s provision for the Southwood staff.
This summer starts off quickly with the Peru Mission Team
leaving June 2 and VBS starting a bit earlier than usual this year
on June 5. There are many different ways all of us can serve with
these significant ministries—either by praying or by volunteering
in person. What great opportunities to enjoy serving together
as the gospel goes forward both in Huntsville and around the
world!
Finally, please be praying for the upcoming General Assembly of
the PCA (our denomination). Pastor Will, Pastor Ron, and Elder
Ray Sheppard will be travelling to Greensboro, NC, June 12-15
for this annual meeting. Along with many other topics, there will
be significant conversation surrounding ongoing efforts with
racial reconciliation as well as engaging women in the ministry
of the church.
Congratulations
PETER RENDER
on your ordination to the
gospel ministry and your
installation as assistant
pastor at Southwood!
MAY 21, 2017
JUNE & JULY 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 9

KIDS
GAME DAY
Every year the kids look forward to our end of the
year, Review Game Day. Each class’ review is a take
on a popular game show or board game. Consider
joining in on the fun as a volunteer on Sunday
mornings beginning this summer. Email nina.
banta@southwood.org for more information.
JUNE 4 TO JULY 30
9-10AM • HWY45 ROOM, UPSTAIRS
Bring your kids for a exciting and engaging
8-week study as we focus on the book of Proverbs
while learning about the transformation, or
"metamorphosis," described in Romans 12:2—
presented by the Insect-Inside Theatre Company.
Kindergarten through 5th grade completed will
meet together in the Hwy45 room upstairs.

ALL THAT IS FAIR
THE SERENITY PRAYER THAT WILLIE TAUGHT ME TO PRAY
by James Parker
We've all heard it before. The serenity prayer. "God, grant
me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the
courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know
the difference." It was written in the 1930s by Reinhold Niebuhr
and later adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous. Certainly it is one
of the most recognizable prayers in the western world. Millions
of people have been encouraged by its message. So why is this
prayer so widely loved? There seems to be a particular universal
truth about human nature that it reveals.
When I was a boy, I always imagined myself doing amazing
things. I pictured myself as an astronaut orbiting the earth, or as
a pro-skater who hung out with Tony Hawk, or as a world-class
rock climber dangling from the Nose of El Capitan on the cover
of National Geographic. I would dream day and night of the
amazing things that life was holding for me. Surely greatness
would follow me all the days of my life!... Time marched forward
and I became a man... Instead of being a carefree kid with almost
no real responsibility, I gradually started to take the reins of my
own life. And in doing this, I had to make decisions. I had to
actually live my life. There were good things that happened and
good pursuits that I chose to follow. There were also tragedies
that happened to me and a host of mistakes that I made. This
is the way life works. We pick a direction and we start moving.
And we have the privilege (or handicap, sometimes) of looking
back over our lives and retracing the journey. It is a sure bet that
our lives will almost never turn out like we thought they might
when we were young. And we can look back with hearts full
gratitude, regret, or a mix of both.
Alcoholics Anonymous seeks to help men and women break free
of the self-destructive devices they may have taken on. Often
people involved with AA struggle severely with regret. They
regret the choices they've made and the hell they have put
themselves and their friends and families through. The serenity
prayer is so beautifully concise and encouraging for those who
suffer from regret, asking for peace in the face of what causes
anxiety. None of us can change our past. It is what it is. But
whether we face it with peace and consolation, or anxiety and
anger... that's the real matter at hand. Also, people who are
fighting the battle with addiction often feel powerless to change
their current situation. The serenity prayer asks humbly for
courage to face what is within our power to affect. And finally
it asks for wisdom. Wisdom to pick our battles. To know when
to fight and when to throw up our white flag. Isn't this what we
all need?
The universal truth that Niebuhr captured in his prayer is simply
this: We will all need peace, we will all need courage, and we
will all need wisdom, because NO ONE will ever live a carefree,
mistake-free life. This is without exception.
Willie Nelson understood this truth. And he expressed it in such
beautiful poetry. I sing this song to myself often. It's my serenity
prayer. Give it a listen and let it encourage you. Preach on, Willie!
"Nothing I Can Do About It Now"
I've got a long list of real good reasons
For all the things I've done
I've got a picture in the back of my mind
Of what I've lost and what I've won
I've survived every situation
Knowing when to freeze and when to run
And regret is just a memory written on my brow
And there's nothing I can do about it now.
I've got a wild and a restless spirit
I held my price through every deal
I've seen the fire of a woman scorned
Turn her heart of gold to steal
I've got the song of the voice inside me
Set to the rhythm of the wheel
And I've been dreaming like a child
Since the cradle broke the bow
And there's nothing I can do about it now.
Running through the changes
Going through the stages
Coming round the corners in my life
Leaving doubt to fate
Staying out too late
Waiting for the moon to say goodnight
And I could cry for the time I've wasted
But that's a waste of time and tears,
And I know just what I'd change
If went back in time somehow
But there's nothing I can do about it now
Running through the changes
Going through the stages
Coming round the corners in my life
Leaving doubt to fate
Staying out too late
Waiting for the moon to say goodnight
And I could cry for the time I've wasted
But that's a waste of time and tears
And I know just what I'd change
If went back in time somehow
But there's nothing I can do about it now.
I'm forgiving everything that forgiveness will allow
And there's nothing I can do about it now
JUNE & JULY 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 11

A T A G L A N C E
PERU MISSION TRIP
June 2-12
SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS
June 4 (kids & adults)
VBS/CLIMB
June 5-8
CHURCHWIDE BBQ LUNCH
June 25
NO SUNDAY SCHOOL
July 2
JR. HIGH SPLASH-N-STUDY BEGINS
July 5 (completed 6-8 grades)
WATER WARS
July 11 (completed K-6 grades)
CHURCHWIDE ICE CREAM SUNDAY
July 23 in the Evening