Dear First Pres,
Have you been counting down the days until the school year begins? If you’re in education or have students in your home, the answer is probably, “yes.” In my family, Diane is 6 days out; Kate is already in Spokane getting settled before classes begin for her junior year at Whitworth; Andrew is 25 days out from his sophomore year at Westmont (coming back from India on Sunday night); and Rebekah is 11 days out from her last year at Bullard High.
They’re in the final countdown of summer vacation, but I’m in day 1 of the August through Christmas trimester. I know such a trimester doesn’t really exist, but that’s how my life is shaping up in this season. I had an epic 3 months, from May through July. The trip to Ethiopia with World Vision was amazing. The Biblical Tour of Israel was a great success. The week at home with COVID was a nuisance. The week of speaking together with Diane for Family Camp was really fun and good for us. The few days in Ohio with a small group of pastors was encouraging. And spending the final days of July up in the mountains with my family for some vacation was truly restful.
But it feels a bit like it’s been an epic season for us as a congregation too. My World Vision trip was on the heels of your generous sponsorship of 50 kids. We’ve had lots of opportunities to connect: Neighborhood Night, the all-Church Summer Picnic, our Eat Downtown day, Movie Nights. We had Serve-and-Learn trips to the El Salvador, South Korea, Albania, and the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. We’ve had a great team of Summer Staff serving in our Children, Youth and Technology ministries. Our parking lot got refreshed. A wonderful group completed our third Pink House program year. Seven more move in this weekend, launching our forth program year. And, most recently, we hosted the City Bible Adventure. All that feels pretty epic to me. Or, maybe it just feels like a normal summer for FPC Fresno. The two are not mutually exclusive.
So, here’s a big shout out to our church staff. I love our team! They’ve been working really hard this summer (especially while we have some unfilled staffing positions). I’m really proud of them. Yes, they’ve had some fun at my expense – like the stuffed spaceman who just about scared me out of my shoes as I discovered him sitting in my favorite office chair; or the very creative distribution of leftover Father’s Day Slim Jim beef sticks everywhere (yes, everywhere) in my office. But that’s been in the midst of a very full summer. So, next time you see a FPC staffer, please give them some encouragement.
And, here’s a big shoutout to all of you who are serving in some way this summer. All of these great things don’t happen unless we do them together (staff and congregation). If you have served this summer, thank you! I am so grateful for you.
But here’s just one important reminder. All that we do as a congregation, even the updating of our parking lot, is to see our church’s vision become more and more a reality: in Fresno as it is in heaven. Because Christ is raised from the dead, we have certain hope that God’s Kingdom is coming on earth as it is in heaven (see 1 Corinthians 15:20-24) and that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (see 1 Corinthians 15:58). High school students catching a vision for God’s love for the down and out – that’s the Kingdom coming. Children putting a sticky note on a cross at CBA to indicate that they are choosing to follow Jesus – that’s the Kingdom coming. Kids in Albania realizing that there are people from Fresno who care about them and are praying for them – that’s the Kingdom coming. Families having safe access to clean water in Bena Tsemay, Ethiopia – that’s the Kingdom coming. FPC folks eating together and enjoying Christ-centered fellowship together – that’s the Kingdom coming. Caring together for one of our unhoused neighbors with compassion and respect (as I saw on a particular Sunday this summer) – that’s the Kingdom coming. You get the picture.
Beloved, our labor is not in vain. So, may we continue to give ourselves to the work of the Lord until He comes again.
Blessings,
Jeremy
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