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Family Matters
I am in prayer for and deeply concerned about: each of our families, whether it is a family of one individual, a family of a husband and wife, a family of parent(s) plus children or a family of grandparents, parents and children. It has been my observation over many years of ministry that the family is in crisis. Therefore, I have been praying and preparing a series of sermons around the family. Three will be preached during the month of May and one on Father’s Day, June the 20th. The title of the series will be Family Matters. We will begin with Family Matters: Raising Children: Faith or Formula? from Proverbs 22, move on to Family Matters: Forgiveness, Restoration and Healing around the life of Joseph. Next is Family Matters: When a House Becomes a Home from Proverbs 24 and on Father’s Day from Ephesians chapter six…Family Matters: The Father Factor.
Let me share with you a few matters of family interest for our congregation. We continue to progress with the Acts 16:5 Initiative. As you know, the Session voted in March of 2009 to engage our congregation in this three year journey. After this initial approval, the Acts 16:5 Vision Team was created. The team consists of Alison
Cannon, Mark Coffey, Larry Hendon, Patty Hill, Brenda Pickens, Bob Shettler and Andy Vloedman. In November 2009, after much prayer, the Vision Team presented to the Session a proposed Purpose
Statement. The Session took unanimous action on November 24, 2009 and the Purpose Statement for First Presbyterian Church is Glorify God, Make Disciples and Meet Human Needs.
As we continue this journey, the Vision Team is in prayerful consideration of our next steps. I would like for you to take a look at the article below from Alison Cannon, one of the Vision Team members for your reflection, prayer and action as we move forward together.
Can I Be A Part of the Acts 16:5 Initiative? YES!
by: Alison Cannon
First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville’s Purpose Statement is “Glorify God, Make Disciples and
Meet Human Needs.” If our congregation is going achieve this vision – our ministry must reach across
generations while at the same time show honor to members who have invested their lives and helped sustain our church. Truly, we must find a way to continue to evolve the ministries within First Presbyterian Church that have blessed so many members in the past and also grow ministry opportunities to address the shifting needs of our congregation and community around us.
Our Session and other church leaders are committed to the Acts 16:5 Initiative and believe in the wonderful opportunities that lie ahead for First Presbyterian Church. Many members of our church are already participating in the Acts 16:5 Initiative by serving as prayer partners with other members of the congregation. Several have shared they feel a new personal connection to their prayer partner and feel blessed to know someone else is praying to God on their behalf. We hope this type of ministry will continue, making First Presbyterian Church a place of belonging for many more members.
Numerous committees and Sunday School Classes have participated in the Acts 16:5 Initiative through Word-Share-Prayer – yet another opportunity to share God’s Word with one another and pray for specific needs of members in our congregation. With God’s grace we are building on the
foundation we already have and we want to keep the momentum going.
We are asking each of you to help us continue this transformation. The Acts 16:5 Initiative shares with us six practices that will help our congregation in its journey towards our vision. They are Witness, Prayer, Care, Word, With-Me, Send. The first thing we need to do is think about how we do each of these things
in our individual lives. Consider asking yourself these questions:
† Am I bearing witness to myself by taking notice of how the Lord is working in my life and around me?
† Am I praying for myself to grow as a disciple of Jesus and for the needs in my life and for those around me?
† Am I caring for myself – physically, emotionally, and spiritually?
† Am I reading and studying the Word of God regularly?
† Am I spending time with those who encourage my faith and me?
† Am I sending myself to serve Christ? At home? At work? At church? In my community?
† Am I sending myself by sharing the spiritual gifts and abilities God has given me?
Hopefully by now some of you are asking, “How can I be a part of the Acts 16:5 Initiative?” If you have never attended a Sunday School Class consider visiting one and if you do attend a Sunday School Class,
consider inviting someone new to visit the class. Do you desire to gather with a few other people who have similar interests to worship God and share life experiences? Pray about starting a Small Group. Our church has wonderful resources to assist you in forming a group. If you have children in preschool through high school, please think about letting them attend LOGOS on Wednesday evenings and be a part of the
numerous choirs. The camaraderie is evident at Wednesday evening dinners and friendships are formed through sharing a meal in fellowship. Maybe you would like to be a part of our church’s local missions and help feed and clothe the disadvantaged in our community. Simple ways to be a part of the Acts 16:5
Initiative might include inviting a friend to worship service, encouraging the visiting college student sitting next to you at worship service to attend College Café and enjoy a home-cooked meal and meet new friends, or asking another member of our congregation to be your prayer partner for a few weeks. The opportunities to practice witness, prayer, care, word, with-me, and send are endless. And, each of these deeds helps us grow in Christ together.
The Acts 16:5 Initiative Vision Team is made up of Patty Hill, Andy Vloedman, Brenda Pickens, Dr. Mark Coffey, Reverend Larry Hendon, Reverend Dr. Bob Shettler and myself. We welcome your questions, thoughts and ideas about the Acts 16:5 Initiative. Please share with us when you see us in person or contact us through email. Mine is alisonwcannon@bellsouth.net and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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