RUF campus ministers strive to serve in this unique stage of a student’s life in the world they live in, exploring together how the Lordship of Christ informs every area of life. Ro asks that we pray for their weekly Large and Small Group bible studies, that they might have sustained energy as they engage in campus outreach, for their growth as a community centered on Jesus, and that God will bless their efforts to raise funds for the ministry.
Missions Partner of the Week
Johnny & Becky Long
Johnny, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, serves as Serge’s Cross-Cultural Renewal and Leadership Development Specialist. (Serge is an organization that helps individuals and churches engage in global missions.) He is in his 30th year of ministry with Serge. Becky, his wife of 57 years, is currently dealing with some health issues that now require a greater level of Johnny’s ongoing attention. Johnny asks that we pray for his ongoing work of mentoring missionaries via Zoom, and that God would enable him to love and serve Becky well.
Get to know our Women's Ministry Director, Tammie Haynes!
Get to know our Women’s Ministry director, Tammie Haynes!
The Haynes family joined POPC in January of 1990, but Tammie has been on staff since June 1, 2015. Tammie grew up in Starkville, MS. As a youngster, she showed sheep in 4H. Tammie enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, and "junkin" at flea markets.
Ken & Tammie during the summer that they met
Tammie met Ken in Ft. Collins, CO in June of 1982 when they joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. (see the picture!) They were there for about 8 weeks of training at CO State University. In Tammie's words, "It was the "happy hunting ground" for all these newly graduated college students with missionary stars in their eyes!" They have been married for 38 years.
One of Tammie’s favorite places to eat in the Jackson area is Aplos in Highland Village. An interesting job she had in the past was as a Childbirth Educator. Tammie and Ken have 3 kids (Evan, Grace Anne, and Andy) and 3 grandchildren (Sophie, Will, and Brooks). Although she is not a huge sports fan, she will always support the MSU Bulldogs.
Tammie considers it to be a joy and privilege to be a part of POPC's church staff. She is very thankful for her church family. Some of Tammie’s favorite aspects of her job are Bible Studies, prayer groups, and one-on-ones with women.
Get to know our Music Director, Margaret Sprow!
Margaret has been at POPC since 1993. She began as church pianist and transitioned to music director in 1997. She is originally from Terry, MS.
She grew up on a small cattle farm on land that has been in her family for three generations. Growing up, she was her Dad's cattle wrangler and hay truck driver!
One of Margaret’s favorite meals is her husband Greg's chicken and sausage jambalaya. She enjoys reading, cooking, and gardening. Margaret and Greg are Mississippi State fans! That is where they met.
Margaret loves hearing the congregation sing! And she loves working with the choirs on a special piece or program and experiencing with them the joy of using that music to lead in worship.
Missions Spotlight of the Week: American Heritage Girls
American Heritage Girls (AHG) is the premier national character development organization for young women. AHG embraces Christian values and encourages family involvement. Their desire is to cultivate women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country. Please pray for additional troop leaders. Having a participating child is not a requirement. Also pray for strong bonds to be built between those who are returning, and those who will be new additions to the troop.
Ministry Involvement Opportunities
Click here for the document.
Get to know Maggie Ethridge, our Fellowship Director!
Maggie is originally from Jackson, MS. Her degree is in Interior Design. She has done medical and corporate design work. She has also taught art and history for homeschool elementary students.
Maggie has been married to Phil for 20 years, but they began dating in 9th grade. They have 4 children - Wilson will be a senior in high school this year, graduating from St. Augustine, Miller will be a part of the first high school class at CCS, Eliza Grace is in the 7th grade at CCS, and Greta will be doing 2nd grade at home with Maggie. Phil is a product engineer with Navagis. They have been members at POPC for almost 20 years.
Maggie loves being a part of so many aspects of her church families’ lives. From weddings, to get togethers on campus, to times of bereavement - she loves getting to be with our people at their highs, lows, and everything in between. No week is ever the same.
Her hobbies include painting by commission, needlework, playing with her dog Ollie, and constantly renovating something (either in real life or in her head!). Maggie also loves to travel- She has gotten to go to 49/50 states and 5/7 continents.
Her lifelong local favorite place to eat is Kiefers, and her new favorite place is Jutamas. It's hard to beat a sandwich from Basil's, and a gingerbread man from Primos is a guilty pleasure of hers.
Her first job as an interior design intern was a quarter million square foot hose factory that was being converted into a medical office building.
The Ethridges definitely ring cowbells. She also loves watching her kids compete. Lots of CCS, rec, Upward, and St. A cheering going on from this mama!
Get to know Sam Thoman, our new Youth Intern!
Sam grew up in Uniontown, Ohio. He graduated from Moody Bible Institute in 2019 with a BA in Pastoral Studies with an Interdisciplinary in Family Ministries. After graduating from Moody, he served as the Children's Ministry Coordinator at a local church. Now, Sam is attending Reformed Theological Seminary and pursuing a Master of Divinity.
Sam met his wife (Tori) while they were both attending school in Chicago. She is a missionary kid and grew up in Southeast Asia and Costa Rica. She is pursuing a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies while working as a receptionist at Reformed Theological Seminary. She loves reading, the outdoors, and meeting new people! They got married in January of 2020.
Sam enjoys reading, writing, and exploring new areas with friends. Sam’s favorite types of food are Chinese and sushi. He is looking forward to finding the hidden gems in the Jackson area! Prior to serving in vocational ministry, Sam and his wife Tori both worked as campus security workers at their college in Chicago.
Sam’s favorite thing about working at POPC has been meeting the students and hearing about how God is working in and through their lives. He is excited to partner alongside families as they pursue Christ together. He also loves to teach!
Book Discussion with Christian Brewer
Christian Brewer is excited to be leading a book discussion this upcoming fall and spring through the Paideia Institute. The Paideia Institute is a cohort for men and women which has emerged out of RTS-Orlando and is committed to bringing classic Christian texts into the minds and hearts of pastors and lay people.
Come join us as we read through Athanasius’ classic, On the Incarnation, in the fall, followed by Maximus the Confessor’s, The Cosmic Mystery of Jesus Christ.
Go to paideiacenter.com to register. The Paideia Institute charges $25/semester, but the book is included in that. We will meet the second Tuesday of September, October, and November.
Missionary of the Week: French Camp Academy
French Camp Academy is a Christ centered home and school that exists to serve young people and families for the glory of God. The staff at FCA ask us to pray that God will fill their beds with children and teenagers who need the ministry of FCA, that FCA staff will leverage their spiritual and natural abilities to be even more effective in God’s work, and for their staff training (FCA Connect) at the end of July that is meant to rejuvenate and focus their staff for another year of youth ministry.
Get to know Earl Adams, Assistant to the Pastor for Congregational Care!
Earl was born in Selma, Alabama. His dear wife, Rosie, was born in Waialua, Hawaii. By God's grace, they have been married for 50 years. God is so faithful! They have a daughter, Lani, that lives in Alabama, and they have two grandchildren. Caleb, 21, and Abby, 17. Earl attended the Univ. of Alabama for a year and graduated from Berry College in Rome, Ga. He was saved at the age of 33, and God turned his life around. He was called to the ministry and attended Reformed Theological Seminary from 1985-1988. Earl and Rosie served with Mission to the World in the Hinterland Ministry, mainly among the Quechuas, for twenty years in Peru and Bolivia, which he considers to be such a blessing!
Earl served as assistant pastor at Trinity PCA in Jackson from 1999-2003, and again from 2013 until being honorably retired on July 1, 2020. Since that time, the Lord has graciously given Earl many ongoing opportunities to preach the Word every Sunday morning at churches that need pulpit supply. This continues to be a joy and privilege! Earl started on May 1, 2022 as a part-time staff assistant to Carl Kalberkamp in pastoral visitation to mainly the senior members at POPC. This too is a blessing from the Lord! Earl loves to read, spend time with Rosie, and fellowship with friends. He likes to go to Amerigo with Rosie and others from time to time. Earl's favorite sport team is the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.
Getting to know more of the saints at POPC is his favorite part of this position at POPC.
Missionary of the Week: Anthony Forrest (RUF Campus Minister at Jackson State University)
RUF campus ministers strive to serve in this unique stage of a student’s life in the world they live in, exploring together how the Lordship of Christ informs every area of life. Forrest’s team has been praying for a particular space they have identified as being optimum for their large group meetings and other RUF activities. He would ask us to pray for their procurement of that space. He also asks us to pray for an increased level of RUF student engagement (HBCU RUF attendance and activities were greatly affected by Covid) as things finally seem to be returning to normal.
Get to know our Director of Discipleship Ministries, John Kwasny!
Dr. John Kwasny is Director of Discipleship Ministries at POPC. He is also the Director of One Story Ministries, authoring curricula for children and youth for use in the church, home, and school. You will see him on the stage and in the halls at VBS. He also wrote our VBS curriculum!
He and his wife Martie have eight children and four grandchildren. He grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. Some things he enjoys are reading, writing, TV series binge-watching, and watching college sports. Some of his favorite sports teams are LSU tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Bears. One of his favorite restaurants in the area is Amerigo.
An unusual job John had in the past was working on the railroad for one day laying track. John’s favorite part of his job is teaching, teaching, teaching!
Get to know our CCS Head of School, Cathy Haynie!
Cathy Haynie is the Head of School for Christ Covenant School. She is originally from Jackson. Cathy began teaching in the Atlanta area out of college. She was the Children’s Ministry Director for POPC before coming on as Head of CCS in 2004.
Cathy has been married to Jack for 32 years. They have three grown children: Rebecca, Reid, and Anna Claire, and 2 grandchildren, Riley and Lucy.
When she is not at school, she enjoys time with family, boating, camping, and reading. She also enjoys eating out - Keifer’s has been a long time favorite.
Some unusual jobs Cathy has had in the past include seminar speaking and working in industrial packaging and recycling. Cathy graduated from Ole Miss and pulls for the Rebels, but her very favorite team is the CCS Warriors!
Cathy loves so many things about the hum of a school day, but the best part is the children - nothing compares to all those smiling faces!
Missionary of the Week: Centre for Christian Missions (CCM), Kitwe, Zambia
The Centre for Christian Missions exists to glorify God by fulfilling the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ worldwide through evangelism, discipleship, and social action ministries. They provide biblical training through their Trust School, Bible College, and Theological Seminary. CCM asks us to pray that God will raise up disciples of Jesus Christ throughout Africa and Asia. Pray for God’s abundant blessings on their mission outreaches to Congo DR, India, and Tanzania later this year.
Get to know our Sound Team Leader, Howard Graylin!
Get to know our Sound Team Leader, Howard Graylin!
Howard was Born in Texas, but he lived in 4 other states (PA, FL, CA, GA) before the end of 3rd grade. One of the coolest parts was when his family lived about 15 miles from the Kennedy Space Center. When the Apollo rockets would launch, they could see the flame and smoke from them from their backyard. He has a BS in Psychology from Millsaps College. One of Howard’s favorite things to do is listen to music. One of his favorite places to eat is Pho Huong Vietnamese. An interesting job Howard had in the past was as a short order cook in Florida after his freshman year of college. His favorite sports team is the LSU Tigers. One of Howard’s favorite parts about his job at POPC is working with all of the musicians!
Missionary of the Week: Joe Johnson (RUF Mississippi State)
Joe Johnson, Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), Mississippi State
RUF campus ministers strive to serve in the unique stage of a college student’s life, exploring together how the Lordship of Christ informs every area of life. Joe reports that RUF MS experienced a tremendous number of blessings this year, and many wonderful ministry related events included a winter conference in Memphis, TN, a Spring Break mission trip, a Christian retreat, and a summer conference that was attended by over 700 people. As Joe and his team prepare for the upcoming fall semester, pray that their efforts to connect with rising freshmen during the orientation process will be fruitful, pray for God’s blessings on their summer fundraising efforts, and pray that their fall semester planning will be effective.
Get to know our administrative assistant , Kim Lee!
Kim was born in England. Her father was career United States Air Force so she was raised all over the world! She graduated high school in Oxford, England then moved to Baton Rouge to attend LSU. She graduated with a forestry degree, and earned a Master’s in Holistic Nutrition in 2019 from Hawthorn University. Kim is a big LSU baseball fan.
She has 3 grown children (1 daughter and 2 sons). Between her children, she has 4 grandchildren and 1 on the way! Her grandchildren are 9, 8, 5, and 3 and have stolen her heart!
Kim’s favorite place to eat is Krilaki’s. In her spare time, she is usually walking her 80 pound chocolate lab.
One of her most interesting jobs was when she worked for a small law firm that practiced all sorts of different kinds of law. She learned so much and enjoyed the attorneys with whom she worked.
Kim’s favorite part of her job at Pear Orchard is getting to meet and know all the people here!
Missions Focus of the Week: Operation Christmas Child
Each year, Operation Christmas Child delivers nearly 10 million gift-filled shoeboxes to boys and girls in more than 100 countries. POPC serves as a collection location for these boxes in the Central Mississippi region. POPC Lead Person/Coordinator Jenny Murphy, and her team, are asking us to join them in praising God for the receipt of 26,656 shoeboxes, and ask that we would pray that God would mightily reveal himself to each of the 26,656 children who will receive their own box, filled with gifts that will ultimately point to the greatest gift of all, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Missions Focus of the Week: One Story Ministries
One Story Ministries
Ridgeland, MS
One Story Ministries is a non-profit publishing ministry of Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church. Their mission is to produce and disseminate Biblically-based curricula, music, and materials which may be used for the education and edification of the church, home, and school. To God’s glory and through his blessings, One Story Ministries is currently being utilized by more than 400 churches and Christian schools around the world! Please pray for more churches to consider One Story Ministries for their children and youth. Pray for the development of their newest product line: an Adult Discipleship Series. Click here to view the One Story Ministries website.
