News

April 25, 2024

Dear First Pres,

  “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense” (Proverbs 27:9).

   One of the many ways that God has blessed me is with the gift of good friends. Four of those good friends are David, Jon, Josh & Ron. I first met Jon (a native of FPC Fresno) when I worked with his girlfriend (now wife), Holly, at Calvin Crest in 1996. I met Ron at Calvin Crest, too, in 1995 while he was working as the Youth Director at Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church in Oakhurst. Ron and Jon both started at Fuller Theological Seminary in 1999. When I arrived in 2000, I was introduced to a few of their new friends, David and Josh. Our friendship was developed through intramural sports, school work, and plenty of meals together. Then, as we graduated we went our separate ways.
 
   In the fall of 2004, Ron got married and we all showed up. It was there, after not being together for a few years, that we made a covenant. That first version of the covenant was to simply prioritize spending a few days together in 2005, which we did. And then, because of the richness of our fellowship, we decided to make a bigger commitment: an annual retreat together for fellowship, encouragement, counsel and restoration.

 This year was our 20th retreat, so we went big. David is now a professor at Keble College (part of the University of Oxford). He’s been there for five years, and none of us had yet seen his new home. So, last week, Ron, Josh, Jon and I flew to England for a special retreat.  In this unique location, we spent time doing the tourist things (seeing Oxford, walking the public footpaths in the Cotswolds, exploring London).

 And we also spent focused time on each individual – a time for each man to share about his life over the past year followed by questions, insights, counsel and prayer from the other men. As you might imagine, these retreats over the last 20 years and the ongoing friendships that accompany them have deeply shaped me in my walk with Jesus. I’m a better husband, father, neighbor and pastor because of the input from these brothers in Christ.

   Now, you might say, “That’s great, Jeremy, but why share all that with us?”

   Well, first, now you know where I was last week.

   Secondly, I pray it inspires you to think about your own relationships. Here are a few thoughts to consider:

   Obviously, my friendship with these guys doesn’t include everyday life together. David is in Oxford, Jon is in Houston, Ron is just outside Minneapolis and Josh is in Monrovia. The blessing of distance is that I’m never tempted to lean on these guys exclusively. Instead, my friendship with them compels me to pursue others in friendship. The blessing of our friendship compels me to be that kind of blessing to others.
 
   For example, in 2022 I began participating in another similar group of pastors from Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. Most of the guys in this new circle had never been part of a group like this before, and it’s been amazing to see the impact in their lives and ministries (while I am also enriched). And, one of the first things I did when I came to FPC Fresno is to start a small group gathering of guys. The gathering has shifted and morphed over the years, but for much of the last 11 years, my Wednesday nights have been committed to connecting with other men for the sake of growing together as Christ followers. Gospel-centered friendships always compel us to share the gift of friendship with others.
 
   Beloved, this is one of the reasons why finding ways to participate and engage with FPC gatherings and ministries is so important. No friendship is automatic. It takes time and common experiences and intentionality to grow in friendship together. And friendship is absolutely essential to being a healthy follower of Jesus.

Friendship is absolutely essential in sharing the good news of Jesus with others. When we think about what it means to see God’s kingdom more and more in Fresno as it is in heaven, it includes inviting unbelievers into the fellowship of our community. Belonging is often what leads to believing.

  As the Proverb says, “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense” (27:9). So, let’s be a congregation that is continually seeking to grow as friends – friends with Jesus, friends with one another, and friends with our neighbors who don’t yet believe in Jesus.  

Blessings, 

Jeremy
 

Jeremy Vaccaro's picture
Jeremy Vaccaro
Senior Pastor

April 18, 2024

Celebrate Good Times!

Happy Thursday FPC Fresno,

   Did you enjoy welcoming the 10 youth confirmands into FPC membership on Sunday? It is an exciting season to be a part of what Jesus is doing in and through our children and youth! I always love hearing the hearts of students and how they are wrestling to make their faith their own. These students desire to grow deep and wide in their faith while receiving God’s grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit. May they continue to receive God’s big love for them that propels them to share the good news of Jesus with their families and peers. Growing in our multi-generational membership is definitely worth celebrating!

   Celebration seems to be a theme in the First Pres community these days, especially after attending the weddings of Sheriahna (FPC’s Children’s Minister) and Michael Anderson (FPC’s Technology Assistant) & Audrey and Anthony Stogner (one of FPC’s Custodians) this past weekend. We are also filled with joy over the recent engagement of Sophia Steele (FPC’s High School Minister) and her fiancé Jeremiah Guevin. Brady Crow (FPC’s Youth Ministry Assistant) has received an internship in school psychology with Fresno Unified, beginning at the start of August. He will be stepping down as paid staff, but will remain a faithful Youth Leader volunteering with Junior High ministry. I am personally grateful for this whole team and can’t help but celebrate all God is doing in their lives. They will no doubt continue to grow as disciples of Jesus and love others well for the sake of the gospel. We are blessed to have them and I encourage you to find fun ways to celebrate with them! 

   We can’t help but continue to celebrate! As many of you know, Aaron and I are expecting baby girl Cypress to come sometime near May 31st. We are excited for this new season of being parents and figuring out how to disciple a little one to know the abundant love and grace of Jesus. There is always a bit of nervousness to becoming first time parents, and it has been a complicated pregnancy, but the Lord is growing our dependance on him and remains faithful to us. I feel an intense amount of humility and gratitude for all of God’s provision, especially from the FPC community. As new parents who desire to see the next generation know and love Jesus with their whole lives, we are in the midst of praying and discerning how best to steward our gifts, talents and resources to invest in the Kingdom of God. 

   One of the ways we will be faithful stewards is through designated family leave, where Aaron and I both will be learning how to love and care for our newborn together. The current plan, which always has to be flexible because babies come when they want to, is to begin family leave June 1st and return to FPC July 14th. Then the following 6 weeks will be a hybrid of work from the office and work from home. This will give us an opportunity to figure out our new rhythms as a family of three while also returning to my call as a pastor at First Pres, Fresno. We are in the process of praying for a more flexible work situation for Aaron, who is actively looking for new employment. Would you join us in praying for God’s provision of new employment for Aaron and for this season of big changes in our family? 

   Cypress is a miracle baby and we are honored to be her parents. I’m even more excited when I think about how this community will love her and lead her to know God’s big love found in Jesus. We are not alone in raising our daughter and it is a gift to do it alongside you all. As someone who has witnessed FPC’s youth and children’s ministry for over a decade, I know this church values hospitality and discipleship. I’ve seen you love young people well and invest in their faith journeys. They have experienced the power and compassion of Jesus through this body of Christ. You’ve discipled well. Discipleship of the next generation is one way of stewarding our gifts and passions. God may be calling you to step into Youth and Children’s ministry this summer. The reality of my absence for half of the summer means we are in need of volunteers for Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, as well as hosts for events, and extra support for our Summer Staff program. Would you be willing to pray about how God may be leading you to invest in the next generation so they may know Jesus and his abundant love? How might Jesus desire to lead us in discipleship as we steward all He has lavished on us?

   Thank you for your prayers and continued support, the Kroekers are grateful to do life alongside such a beautiful, Christ-centered community! 

Meagan Kroeker's picture
Meagan Kroeker
Director of Junior High Ministries

April 11, 2024

Dear First Pres,

Growing up, this time of year was always buzzing at my house. Not just because of all the normal spring activities (we have plenty of those coming up for FPC, check out our event calendar for details), but also because my parents’ house is surrounded by orange trees. And, during this time of year, when the blossoms are out, the bees are also out in force. It was always a bit unsettling to walk outside and hear the literal buzz of thousands of bees doing their work all around our house. 

Now, we only have one tree at our house here in Fresno. But as you can see from the photo, it’s in bloom and the bees are busy. The bees may be a bit unsettling for some, but they’re also a sign of the season – a season of new life, new growth, new opportunities. It’s the season of spring.

On Sunday we launched a new sermon series called The Call to Faith. We’re going to spend the next several weeks focused on the story of God’s gracious call to Abraham and Sarah. They were called to step out in faith, to leave their country, network and household and go to the place the Lord would reveal. Walter Brueggamann, a well-known Old Testament scholar, calls it a story of promise and faith. 

“The promise is God’s power and will to create a new future sharply discontinuous with the past and the present. The promise is God’s resolve to form a new community wrought only by miracle and reliant only on God’s faithfulness. Faith as response is the capacity to embrace that announced future with such passion that the present can be relinquished for the sake of that future.”

I love this sentence about faith. Abraham was willing to leave where he was and go to the new territory, even yet unknown and unseen. He was willing to relinquish his present for the sake of God’s declared future. Why? It was because of the LORD’s gracious and promising call. 

Do you believe the LORD has a call on your life? What is it? Do you believe the promises that go with it? Are you willing to relinquish what needs to be relinquished and embrace God’s announced future? 

In the midst of this abundant spring, I pray that each of us will individually and collectively hear the LORD’s call to faith. May the opportunities for growth in Christ be pollinated by His Spirit. And may there indeed be new growth, new life and new territory as we embrace God’s promised future in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Jeremy

P.S.  You’re not going to want to miss this Sunday as 10 of our young people are coming into church membership through the public proclamation of their faith in Jesus. It’s going to be a great day.

Jeremy Vaccaro's picture
Jeremy Vaccaro
Senior Pastor

April 4, 2024

Dear First Pres,

   Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! What a wonderful celebration of the Lord’s resurrection we had on Sunday. I pray you all were encouraged as much as I was.

   One of the ways I was encouraged was by all the folks who helped to make our Easter celebration happen. We had greeters, ushers, choir singers, worship leaders, musicians, sound techs, screen techs, live-stream techs, Sunday School leaders, Nursery workers, goodie makers, the reception set-up crew, the reception clean-up crew, photo booth workers, bulletin designers, bulletin stuffers, the pew crew, the prayer team, a busy custodian and a bunch of hospitable hosts in the pews. Thank you for making it such a great morning of worship.

    I’m also encouraged because I know the Holy Spirit was at work among us. Praise God that He works in us and through us while we worship Him. I talked to one of our first-time guests who was deeply impacted by the service. She joyfully declared, “I’ll be back!” It truly seemed like God was working a new beginning in her heart. What a joy it will be to see how God brings that new beginning to fruition.
 
   One of the main questions I asked in my Easter sermon was this: what new beginning is the Holy Spirit stirring in you? Maybe something stirred immediately in your heart and mind. If that was true for you, what have you done since Sunday to lean into that new beginning? Sometimes it’s easy to ignore the promptings of the Spirit, but it’s never good. Pay attention to what the Lord was stirring in you. Pray about it. Talk to others about it. And do something about it.
 

 For others, I’m sure, you didn’t hear anything in the moment. But guess what? The Easter season continues all the way until Pentecost on May 19. If the prayer during Lent is asking the Lord what He needs to chip away in our lives to make us more like Jesus, the prayer during Easter season is asking what new thing the Holy Spirit wants to plant in us. So, even if nothing stirred during Sunday’s service, use this season to intentionally seek the Lord on this question.
 
   Finally, this coming Sunday we start a new sermon series focused on the life of Abraham and Sarah found in Genesis 12-25. The series is called “The Call to Faith.” When Abram heard the word of the Lord, he obeyed. His obedience, by God’s grace, led to an incredible new beginning in his life and for the world. Whatever new beginnings the Holy Spirit stirs in our hearts, it’s never just for us. So, may the Holy Spirit stir our hearts to faith and obedience for the sake of what God wants to do through us.
 
   Happy Easter, and may God bring His new beginnings in us and through us. 

 

Blessings,

Jeremy

 

Jeremy Vaccaro's picture
Jeremy Vaccaro
Senior Pastor

March 28, 2024

Dear First Pres,

   On Tuesday evening, our church’s oldest active member passed away. Dr. Malcom Masten was 104 years old and he’d been a member of FPC Fresno since May 31, 1953. Last time I saw Dr. Masten (as most of us called him) was at a memorial service for another long-time FPC member. When I greeted him, Dr. Masten did what he always did over the eleven years that I knew him. He looked at me with a sparkle in his eyes, gave me a firm handshake and greeted me warmly. I’m going to miss that.

  I’m sure Dr. Masten was ready. I know he missed his bride of 79 years, LaVerne, who died in 2022. He lived a long, fruitful life. And, I know that his hope was secure in Christ Jesus. Still, his death is yet another reminder that this world is not the way it was meant to be.

   When Jesus encountered Mary and the others who were grieving the death of His friend, Lazarus, John tells us that Jesus was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled” (John 11:33). Then, after telling us that “Jesus wept” (11:35), we read that when Jesus got to the tomb He was “once more deeply moved” (11:38). The words there mean that Jesus was angry and disturbed. So, what was it that got Jesus so upset? John doesn’t tell us exactly, but what seems apparent to me is that Jesus was angry at the reality of death itself.  

   Death is an intruder in this world. It was not part of God’s original design, and it will not be part of God’s restored eternal design. 1 Corinthians 15:26 says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 

   That’s why this Holy Week is such an important time of remembering and celebrating. First, we remember that the way God defeated death was for God the Son to submit Himself to it in our place. As the old hymn so elegantly begins, “‘Man of Sorrows!’ What a name, for the Son of God who came, ruined sinners to reclaim! Hallelujah, what a Savior!” But then, on Resurrection Sunday, we celebrate that Jesus truly is the One who swallowed up death in victory. And so we sing with the Easter hymn, “Crown Him the Lord of life; who triumphed o’er the grave, who rose victorious to the strife, for those He came to save. His glories now we sing, who died and rose on high, who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.”

   As a foretaste of that great victory to come and the life available through Him, when Jesus arrived at the tomb of his friend, deeply moved, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” Then, in the next verse, John simply but profoundly writes, “The dead man came out” (see John 11:43-44a).

   This world isn’t the way it’s supposed to be, the evidence of that is apparent to us all. But in the Crucified, Risen, Reigning and Returning Christ Jesus there is certain hope for His Kingdom to be on earth as it is in heaven.

   No matter what kind of evidence of our broken world you’re experiencing this week. I pray you hear the call of Jesus to live in His resurrection power, grace, victory and hope. And I invite you to join me in praying that all who join us for worship tonight and Sunday morning will heed His call to life. 

Blessings, 

Jeremy

Jeremy Vaccaro's picture
Jeremy Vaccaro
Senior Pastor