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Dear friends: October 28

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Dear friends,

In Latin, the word “community” means “shared together”. In essence community is the intertwining of our lives with one another. This is a central element of our faith: we share together the Sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism, neither of which are done outside the bounds of community in our tradition. We see the way Jesus shared together his ministry and life with his disciples and also the crowds who would gather around him to listen and learn.

Each November we begin the month marking All Saints Day. In worship we recognize those in our church family who have entered the Church Triumphant over the past year. At the end of September, we celebrate our Legacy Members (those who have been members of First Pres for 50 years or more). Both of these occasions remind us of how much our dedication and commitment matter to community, not for the sake of the community, but for our own well-being.

The community we build and sustain in our lives is in large part the legacy we leave behind. From the relationships we build through long parking lot conversations and bible studies, to the trips we take together learning about history and faith, to the ways we invest in one another outside the church walls through service and care. Our community at First Pres is a place where lifelong friendships are built on our common belief that we each bear the image of God. It is a place where our lives are intertwined with one another, a place where our faith can be deepened and our hope be encouraged. It is through our sharing of life together that we draw nearer to God and learn how to more closely embody Christ in our lives.

There are so many ways to connect at First Pres! Please contact me, another pastor, or Chris Bartley if you are looking for new ways to engage your faith. We are here to help you discover opportunities. What a joy and gift to share in this life together. Thank you for being an essential part of this community.

In Christ,
Ashley Drake Mertz
Associate Pastor for Care & Connection

in Dear friends

Dear friends: October 14

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Dear friends,

For me, the month of October is one of the most inspiring months of the year. During October, our entire community of faith spends time in prayerful reflection about God’s grace in our lives and how we express our gratitude through the commitment of our time and resources for ministry. This year we are reflecting on Living and Loving Generously through the lens of I Timothy 6.18,19:

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

What inspires me so much in October is hearing the stories from within our community of how we, day in and day out, “do good” are “rich in good works, generous” and how we are “ready to share.”  I am using the Stewardship publication Living and Loving Generously as my daily prayer guide. Meditating on the pictures of our community in action and celebrating the impact of our mission and ministry through the inspiring infographics have enriched my prayer life so much this month.

As you continue prayerful reflection on your Christian discipleship as gratitude for God’s grace, I invite you to use the publication you received at home to inspire your own prayer life in these next weeks. If you would like to access the publication digitally, you may use this link.

With gratitude for you and your faithfulness,
Michael Waschevski
Senior Associate Pastor

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