From the Pastor… (Page 3)
Beginning Advent
First Church Family: Goodness, it’s cold! While winter hasn’t officially begun, you can’t tell it! I pray that you are warm and well. This coming Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent and also the first Sunday of the church year. “Advent” means coming – namely the coming of God into our world in and through the Incarnation. A transformation occurs in our lives every year at this time as we are reminded of how much we mean to God who offered Himself in…
Happy Thanksgiving
First Church Family:I awoke this morning keenly aware of the things for which I’m thankful: *God’s saving activity through Jesus who gives me hope and purpose. *God’s daily presence in my life, encouraging and comforting me. *A precious family that I love and that loves me. *And the incredible opportunity of serving God together through His Church and with you here. May you have a blessed Thanksgiving! With love, Pastor Dave
Bless This Meal 2023
First Church Family: The holidays are just around the corner. Here are a couple of reminders of things that are coming up: Saturday, we will provide 125 families with Thanksgiving meals. Even if you haven’t registered as a volunteer, your spirit will be raised if you swing by the church sometime between 10:00am and 1:00pm on Saturday to experience the gift of giving. Sunday morning will be the first time our “Groovin’” kids playguitars/ukuleles/buckets/African drums for us in worship. Jon Beal and…
Great Commandment
First Church Family, Wow, winter finally got here! But it’s only fall… oh well, I enjoy all of the seasons in our beautiful county! Over the past weeks, we have had a number of visitors at the 9:00AM service who were camping/RVing in our area for a couple of weeks enjoying the beautiful autumn colors. After last Sunday’s service, a couple named Tom and Sue, who had been with us two weeks (actual names are different to protect privacy), waited their turn to have a…
Staff Up-dates
First Church Family, I pray that you are hanging in and putting your trust is God, our Rock, our Sword, and our Shield! I write that because there are so many frightening things happening in our world. I’m praying both for Israelis and Palestinians. There are innocent persons on all sides of that conflict, especially when we remember that it’s Hamas and Hezbollah (and not all Palestinians and Arabs) who are the terrorists. My heart is heavy and goes out to all of them. …
Fall News
First Church Family: Fall is in the air. Over the summer, we re-examined Wesleyan Methodist theology and its focus on grace: the undeserved, unmerited love of Almighty God. We remembered Wesley’s focus on God’s prevenient grace, which goes before us, softening our hearts to God and preparing the way for us. Then, we were reminded of God’s justifying grace, in which God saves (or justifies) us through the life, sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. …
Worldwide Communion Sunday
First Church Family: I pray that you are well. I’m doing fine and am enjoying the seasonal weather. The first Sunday of October is always Worldwide Communion Sunday, a Sunday that most denominations around the globe offer the elements Jesus’ sanctified at His last meal with His disciples. We will celebrate Holy Communion in both services this coming Sunday and have somewhat of an international feel to our services. Please pray for God’s Universal Church as you do your daily devotions this…
Wesley’s Grace
First Church Family: I missed being with you in worship this past Sunday, but I was in dire need ofsome vacation days. Often when I’m away for several days, I still preach when Ireturn. This past Sunday though, a friend and fellow pastor, the Rev. Leo Fair,filled our pulpit beautifully. Many thanks to him and also our Marable Southall-Vess, who led the services. This Sunday we will complete our summer worship series on John Wesley’stheology, which centered on God’s grace:…
Back-to-Church Sunday
First Church Family: I pray you enjoyed the Labor Day Weekend, the informal last weekend of summer vacation. I stayed around Lenoir but did take some time off on Monday. We enjoyed a great summer season at First Church. Our Vacation Bible School was both well done and well-attended, the work on our Habitat for Humanity house moved forward, and our combined worship services felt good and were also well-attended. When we combine services like that, our overall attendance drops…
September News
First Church Family: I pray that you are enjoying the end of summer. Though of course time moves on, this summer has seemed to move most quickly. Teachers and school staff members are already on the job, and local public school children are in class as of Monday, August 28. Our prayers are with them. For the first time, earlier this year, we made the decision to combine services across the summer at 10:00am. That of course did several things:…
Happening @ FUMC
First Church Family: Wow, what a week it’s been! I know it must seem that I begin much correspondence in such a way, but it is true. Last week, we shared God’s love with both children (45 of them) and youth and adult counselors through our Vacation Bible School program: “Stellar.” All involved marveled at God’s creation of the vast and wonderful universe! And all learned stories of Jesus: with Zacchaeus, with the people who welcomed the Master into Jerusalem on Palm…