Greetings my brothers and sister in Christ. I have just finished walking the sacred grounds of our church, and I do not recognize the place of my memories I saw one year ago. Our sanctuary has been made new inside and out physically, our services are Spirit filled, our leadership is growing, our discipleship is becoming apparent, and we have declared that by the power of Jesus we shall become God’s hope and joy!
What a year 2008 was for First Presbyterian Church, but no longer do I wish to dwell on the past for 2009 presents new opportunities for glorifying God. You as members and friends of this church need to know what will be going on this year so that you can figure out how God is calling you to action. As many of you already know the session has been reorganized to better meet the needs of our church and our community, and the deacon board has been established to ensure that in our church there is none in need. If you have not already filled out the time and talent sheet please do so that we can work the work of Jesus the Christ together.
We have many goals for this next year. To begin with your session will work to come up with a mission statement for our church. Our mission statement shall proclaim to all what our church does and is to ensure that we are becoming God’s hope and joy!
Many people are asking me how to join our church and what it means to be a Presbyterian. To meet the needs to these people we will begin a 5 week course entitled, “First Connections” that will help people figure out what we are all about. The first class will be held in February and continue on every week thereafter. We will then have it again sometime in the summer. If you are interested in membership, are already a member but want to know more, or just want to know more, please be on the look out for First Connections!
Our goal for membership in 2009 is to have 140 active members by the end of the year! Some say this cannot be done, but I believe in a God who declares, “For me nothing is impossible!” When we reach this mark we will have grown by 200% in two years time! Therefore become ambassadors to those who need to know Christ by inviting them to our church, because the more we grow the more we can do for the glory of God.
In 2009 we will be studying how to begin children’s ministries, we will work with other churches to ensure that a hot meal is served for the needy every day of the week in downtown Albany, we will set a date for international mission work where members from this church spread God’s hope and joy across the world, we will open the doors of our church to other people and groups so that people know First Presbyterian Church is where community happens, we will grow the choir so that the loft is full, we will complete our website so that people throughout the world can connect with us, and we will continue our journey on becoming God’s hope and joy!
This is just a snap shot at what we will be doing in the coming year. To quote a recent sermon, “Can you feel it yet?” Can you feel the Spirit which will keep us moving forward to become a light to the community and then to the world! I can and so can many others. I recently received a letter from a pastor in the Philippines who has heard about our church. In it he thanks God that there is a place so devoted to doing the work of God, and he speaks of the work his church is doing wondering if we can work together. God is at work here in such a way that a church in the Philippines has heard of the work God is doing in Albany and wants to work with us!!! Can you feel it yet?!
I know that by this time next year I shall consider what this church looks like now, and thank God that we have come so far. Join with me in becoming God’s hope and joy for 2009.
Riding the wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett
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