So hello there. Finally I’m in a spot to contribute to this regular newsletter about what’s going on in First Presbyterian Church. As the new guy in a transitional setting, it seems appropriate to start off with some questions.
I have had the chance to talk to some members about the book “Interim Ministry in Action: A Handbook for Churches in Transition,” by Norman B. Bendroth (Lanham, MD: Rowan & Littlefield, 2018). Unlike most books in this area that are targeted at folks like me in interim pastoral situations, “Ministry in Action” is directed primarily at the congregation facing a time of change and seeking a way forward. (The three questions posted around the church building – Who are we? Who is our neighbor? What is God calling us to do and to be? – come in part from this book.)
I’d like to suggest that folks who are interested can go ahead and order the book (it should be available for ordering from your usual sources). Since summertime is frequently interrupted with vacations and such (and I’ll be gone two different weeks for continuing education myself), we might delay the start of the reading group until late July or early August, or even to after Labor Day. We can decide that later; I invite those interested to get in to the book now, even if you’re not sure you’ll be able to be part of the study group meetings.
Now a second question: who likes movies? I couldn’t help but notice that mini-theater upstairs. What I’d like to try doing is getting together to watch the occasional movie and to talk about what it might have to say about the world we live in, even if it is set “long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” (yes, that’s a clue to what genre of movie I’d like to start with, if there’s interest). Those who are familiar with the Star Wars saga might be surprised by which movie I’d like to start with, but that whole movie galaxy has an awful lot to say about faith and practice, even if it is clothed in different language and actions. What is a good night for movie night? When might we start?
Meanwhile, Sunday mornings will bring a deep dive into the book of Romans. I’ve never preached from this letter of Paul in a town that has several businesses with that name, so that will be new for me. Not only is Romans the longest epistle in the New Testament, it also works as about as close as we will ever come to a comprehensive understanding of what the church is and how it works in the world from the point of view of those who were first being the church. Hope you’ll be ready to dig in.
Charles
(NOTE TO MEMBERS OF FPC: If you are interested in getting a copy of the book, Alberta will take orders during the month of June and order the books the first week of July. There is still funds in the donation from Ethan Temple to cover study books, so the book will be free. If you want to purchase your book yourself, it can be found on Amazon.)