January 15, 2015

Dear First Pres,

     It was very moving for me on Sunday morning to see so many of you come forward to remember your baptisms with thanksgiving and resolve. I know that this time of remembrance is a bit of new thing around FPC, so I’m grateful for your willing participation.  My own baptism seems so long ago; it is an incredible blessing to me to experience the physical reminder that I belong to Christ as the New Year begins.  I pray it was and is for you. 

     Have you been thinking this week about what it means to lose yourself for the sake of Christ and the Gospel?  I had a wonderful, though brief, discussion with a few other guys in my Community Group on Sunday night about how we would actually try to live out Christ’s discipleship directive from Mark 8:34-35. Each of us was stirring about how we can share the Gospel with friends and coworkers and neighbors.  How exciting would it be if we could figure out how to do that together - even as a Community Group?!  One thing that seems clear to me about losing myself for Christ’s sake is that I’m not supposed to do it alone. Yes, I have to individually resolve to live for Christ, but I'm not called to live for Christ all by myself. So, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we can equip our Community Groups to share the Gospel together.  Let me know if you have any great ideas.  And, keep asking the Lord to help you lose yourself for Him today.

 Blessings,

P.S. This Sunday, the Session is hosting a First Pres Forum to answer questions and discuss the proposed changes to our Corporate Bylaws.  If you have specific questions, please come. If you’re not quite sure what bylaws are and why we need them, please come.  If you’d like to be the most prepared for our Congregational Meeting (January 25, 2015 @ 9:30 a.m.), please come.  The First Pres Forum is at 9:40 in the Fellowship Hall.