First Church Family:
Happy New Year! It seems almost too late to share that, doesn’t it, as we are already well into 2023. But the happiness I wish for you is the happiness that Jesus talked about in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) – the passage on which we will focus in worship over the coming weeks; for the term “blessed” that Jesus used really means “happy,” though in a different way that we usually think about it.
Please be with us during that important series and for the one which will follow that, beginning in late February and take us to Easter. The theme for that Lenten series will be: “Jesus the Bridge.” We’ll be exploring ways that Jesus bridges chasms in our lives and world.
Too, in February we will begin the first Confirmation Class that we have had in several years, mainly due to the ways the Covid pandemic impacted our world and our church.
The class will begin on Sunday, February 19, and is open to young people in our church family who are from 12 – 16 years old. The resource we will be using is titled: “The Absolute Basics of the Christian Faith,” a Methodist curriculum that is both modern and impactful. I’ll make it available to Sunday School classes and small groups after the Confirmation experience is over, as it would make a good resource to use for persons of all ages.
Please continue to pray for us and those we serve as we spend the end of winter and the entirety of spring building our 2022 – 23 Habitat House. The family we will be building for is the Victory Harshaw family. Upon the house’s completion, Victory and her two daughters will reside there. Watch for upcoming details.
In Genesis 12:2, God told Abraham he was blessed to be a blessing; and, in my opinion at least, that’s the way God sees us—blessed to be a blessing here and now!
May 2023 be a year that we seek to embody that truth.
It is an honor to serve with you here.
Blessings and love,
Dave Melton
Senior Pastor