Lent is the 40-day liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial—for the annual commemoration of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, as celebrated during Holy Week, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In Western Christianity, Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday until Holy Saturday.
The 40-day period is symbolic of the 40 days spent by Jesus in the desert. The number 40 has many other Biblical significances: the 40 days Moses spent on Mount Sinai with God; the 40 days and nights Elijah spent walking to Mount Horeb; the 30 days and 40 nights of rain in the Noah’s day; the Hebrew people wandered 40 years traveling to the Promised Land; Jonah in his prophecy of judgment gave the city of Nineveh 40 days and 40 nights time in which to repent. When Jesus retreated into the desert, he fasted for 40 days, and was tempted by the devil. After Jesus overcame all of Satan's temptations by citing Scripture, the devil left him, angels ministered to Jesus and he began his ministry.
FAQ about Lent
Do we give up stuff for Lent?
Lent began as a period of preparation for baptism. In the early centuries, adults who felt drawn to the Christian church were welcomed into something like an apprenticeship during which they were mentored in Christian belief, worship, prayer, and practices. The final weeks led directly to baptism, which was celebrated at Easter, the great day of resurrection. Part of the preparation for baptism included the discipline of fasting—for example, doing without meat or abstaining from food for one or more meals. In an act of solidarity, those who were already church members joined those who were fasting. This is probably the origin of the custom of giving up something for Lent. The point was to enter voluntarily into a spiritual exercise intended to deepen one’s prayer life and heighten anticipation of the great festival of the resurrection. If “giving up stuff” raises spiritual consciousness and serves as an aid to prayer, to meditation on dying and rising with Christ, and to reclaiming one’s baptism, go for it! Fasting, undertaking some other spiritual discipline, or giving up something are simply means toward the end of deepening the spiritual life. If it hinders one's relationship with God, makes one feel like a martyr or contributes to a sense of spiritual superiority—then it’s better not to do it.
What do I do on Holy Saturday?
The early church had only one annual celebration, which was called “Pascha,” drawn from the Hebrew Passover. It was sort of Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter all in one, and it was most likely celebrated on the night and morning of what became Easter day. When those days became separated, the major service of Easter continued to begin in the dark of Saturday night and reach its climax on Easter morning. This service of darkness/light, readings, baptism, and Eucharist has been recovered in recent years in many churches. We call it the Easter Vigil.
After 30 minutes of prayer and discussion, the Session approved the 2010 Operating Budget at a special called meeting on Monday, January 25. The Session agreed that God is calling this church to maintain a strong ministry program and to continue making benevolences a priority. In order to accomplish this, we will continue to emphasize the spiritual imperative of giving and we trust that God will speak to those who can do more. As an example, this week, a family who made a significant pledge for 2010, paid that pledge in full, increased that amount by 50% and they will continue to give throughout the year. Additionally, those who had not previously pledged continue to send in their 2010 pledges and some have revised their pledge upward. With this type of spirit, we believe God will bless our ministries as we bless others in his name.
Click HERE for details on the specifics of the budget as passed. Contact Quinn Edmondson, Church Administrator, at 210.271.2751 or
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for a copy of the budget or if you have questions.
Some of you have let us know that you received the January 5-18 issue of the First Press newsletter "late", or in one case on Saturday, January 16. Some of the events that were publicized in that issue had already passed. You should be aware that the reason we now put a range of dates on the front cover is to let you know that the newsletter is always mailed on the first date listed (in this case, January 5) and covers the period between that date and the last date listed. The U.S. Post Office is not obliged to deliver bulk mail in a timely way, or in fact at all. Sometimes newsletters arrive very quickly and very often they do not. The church always mails the newsletter on time and we encourage you to share your complaints about late arrivals with the Post Office. In the meantime much of what appears in First Press is available on this website, and an e-mail version of the print newsletter arrives in your inbox instantly if you subscribe for free HERE.
And Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Luke 18:16
Family Ministries offers quarterly baptism seminars for families seeking to have a child baptized. These seminars will serve several purposes:
To provide an opportunity for the families to build relationships with each other and learn about baptism through a small group community experience.
To challenge parents to think through their responsibility as the primary Christian educators of their children.
To articulate for parents what we offer for nurture and discipleship for both themselves and their children.
Ruthie Seidersleads these sessions for families seeking to have a child baptized during the summer months. Childcare is available. Babies are welcome to join their parents. The content of the seminar includes the meaning and mode of baptism, what baptism is and what it is not, as well as the questions that are asked of parents at a baptism and the question asked of the congregation. Parents may request any of our pastors to baptize their child/ren as well as choose the service and date.
Future baptism seminar dates are:
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Contact Jennifer Quintero at 210.226.0216, ext. 258, to register.
Seminar registrations are coordinated through Jennifer Quintero, Administrative Assistant in Family Ministry. All parents seeking to have a child baptized are encouraged to contact Jennifer Quintero at
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or 210.226.0216, ext. 258, to register for the next seminar, and reserve their baptism date/venue and preference of pastor to officiate. For more information, contact Ruthie Seiders at ext. 214 or
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.
In July the Session appointed a committee to serve as the Interim Pastor Search Committee (IPNC). The IPNC met weekly—and sometimes more often— to review resumes, listen to sermons, talk to numerous references, discuss and pray about who they believed God was calling here to serve as our Interim Senior Pastor. In late November a Special Session meeting was called to receive the report of the IPNC. They enthusiastically recommended that the Rev. James (Jim) A. Capps be contracted to serve as our Interim Senior Pastor. The Session voted unanimously to invite Jim to serve in this capacity and the Committee on Ministry of Mission Presbytery has concurred.
Jim Capps was born in Michigan City, Indiana and grew up in Southwestern Michigan. His faith journey began in a little country church when he was nine years old. He graduated from a small high school where he served as the president of his class as well as president of the student council and won letters in four sports.
Jim is a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Indiana Central College, Indianapolis and the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He has done doctoral studies at LPTS as well as Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. He is the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri. Jim took interim pastor training at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
In more than 40 years of ministry, Jim served as a youth director of a church in Indianapolis while attending college and his first year of seminary before becoming the student pastor of a small church in Southern Indiana his last two years of seminary. He served as an assistant, associate, and co-pastor of the First United Presbyterian Church, Belleville, Illinois before serving as the Senior Pastor of the Bonhomme Presbyterian Church, Chesterfield, Missouri and the Southport Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis.
Elected to the first national Board of Directors of Presbyterians for Renewal, Jim served as both vice-president and president during those early years. Jim has served on the Board of Kairos Prison Ministry International and was a spiritual director on two Kairos events in Maghaberry Prison just outside of Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has served as a spiritual director on approximately 80 “Cursillio” type weekends. Jim has helped give leadership to 13 building campaigns in the churches he has served.
Jim and his wife, Alice, a graduate of Indiana University, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in the summer of 2009. They are the proud parents of Becky, who is a graduate of Wheaton College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and has been an associate pastor of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina for nearly six years. Becky will be married in Spartanburg on April 24, 2010. Jim and Alice are also the proud parents of Minnie, a 5½ pound Yorkie they inherited last summer from Alice’s mother.
As an avid sports fan, Jim served as president of the Board of Directors of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in St. Louis. He did chapel services for the St. Louis Baseball Cardinals and the then St. Louis Football Cardinals. From his boyhood he has been a loyal fan of the University of Michigan Wolverines and has become a die-hard Indianapolis Colts fan. Jim also enjoys reading and movies.
Many thanks to the IPNC (Charles Smith – Chair, Cynthia Robinson, David Rogers, Ron Tefteller and Jane Watson) for their hard work on behalf of the Session and for the congregation. Please welcome Jim when you see him at First Presbyterian.
In the event that inclement weather forces First Presbyterian Church to close, please either call the main phone number at 210.226.0215 or check the homepage of this website. Notifications will be posted online by 6 a.m.
The 2009–2010 First Presbyterian Church directories are here. Because of financial circumstances, only a few hundred copies are available at $10 each in the first printing. Many people have already signed up to receive a directory and those people must be prepared to pay when they pick up your directories. There will probably be a limited number of additional print copies available for purchase; call 210.226.0215 to inquire.
You can now access addresses, pledges and more with FPC Member Login!
With FPC Member Login, you can go online and easily search for addresses and other contact information for members of First Presbyterian Church. Register and pay for church events online with a click of your mouse. Update your own contact information so you can be sure the church always has your latest information on file. You can also give tithes and donations online and view your contribution statements. Thanks to technology from Access ACS, everything you need is as close as your computer! You need to have a correct e-mail address on file with the church. If you don’t, contact the church at 210.226.0215 and ask us to set one up for you. Click here and log on to your account. Under “search” type your last name/first name. Click search. Again, if you have trouble logging in, contact us at 210.226.0215 and we will assist you in ensuring your e-mail address is correct.
It is with great enthusiasm that the Children’s Ministry Committee announces the beginning of a brand new ministry called highfive.5@fpc here at First Presbyterian Church, and it is just for our preteen/tween 5th graders!
What is a preteen or tween? Children who are 10–11 years old are now being categorized as tweens. These are students who are not yet teenagers, but not really children. Tweens are often forgotten, overlooked, or just endured until they can move up into the middle school ministry. They are forced to wear the too-small programs in the children’s ministry, or they are swallowed up by the hand-me-downs from youth ministry. "While our intentions with elementary Sunday school have been strong, it is not engaging this age group," said Kathy Timberlake, Director of Children's Ministries. "We feel they deserve to have more intentional and focused attention to their spiritual development."
Our goals for the tween ministry will be:
· To give them a place of their own where they can grow in their relationship with Christ and with one another.
· To guide them to discover the ‘why’ of their faith, and the ‘what’s it all mean to me’ point of being a Christian.
· To actively engage them in the church and faith development at a critical time in their lives developmentally, socially, emotionally and spiritually.
· To give them a group where they can form deeper relationships, as they deepen their faith and transition into the youth ministry the following year.
"I have been researching this idea for over 18 months by attending several workshops, talking with other churches and children’s ministry directors who have this kind of ministry already in place," said Kathy. "They love it, the students love it and the parents love it. We feel the Lord’s timing is right to launch this new ministry here at FPC."
SO…what is to come?
Some entrances to classrooms/supply rooms will need to be moved because new security doors are being installed on the first floor. This will allow us to convert the current drama room into a brand new room for the tween ministry/class. We are in the process of designing it more like a youth room setting so it the tweens will feel they have their own space and place.
Anytime highfive.5@fpc will gather, meet or attend special events or outreach projects we will refer to this name! Our faithful shepherds with this class for the past several years, Marti and Richard Taylor and Gina and Bob Stevens have agreed to stay and help teach/lead this year as well as Gayle Timberlake-Frey will join the teaching team.
The students will not be joining the other elementary classes in the rotation classes, but instead will come straight to their classroom. Each Sunday’s class will begin with intentional interactive games/activities to provide social time together (very important for tweens). This will be followed by scripture teaching, discussion and a “challenge’ for the week. We will end class in small groups for prayer time.
Kickoff for all Sunday classes this fall will be on September 13 at 9:30 a.m. We invite all parents of 5th graders to come and meet the teachers on this day, see the classroom (still possibly in the painting stage) and get a copy of the fall’s planned schedule of curriculum as well as special events planned for this group. "It is going to be a GREAT year for our 5th grade," Kathy said.
Contact Kathy Timberlake by e-mail or 210.271.2721.
Struggling to read the weekly Scripture that accompanies God’s Redeeming Story sermons and Life Group studies? Remember that the bi-monthly First Cup readings prepared by First Presbyterian Church member and elder Sandy Sturch include everything from the God’s Redeeming Story survey plus other readings that add context. First Cup is a great way to stay in step with God’s Word and learn the entire sweep of Scripture. First Cup is on the First Presbyterian website at fpconline.org and a print version goes out every other month in the church newsletter, First Press, and is also available at the church.
Usually held on the "last" Sunday at "First" Presbyterian. This group enjoys monthly fellowship and fun through activities like bowling, skating, outreach outings and much more! Parents are needed to help carpool and chaperone. Contact Gina Stevens at
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It is with great joy and anticipation that our JOY ministry for special needs children is expanding into the middle and high school youth program at First Presbyterian.
We have students now in the middle school age range that need their own space and place. Using one of the conference rooms not being used next door in the New Covenant Building, we are creating a JOY ministry classroom just for teens/youth. This summer Carrie Jowers, our JOY Ministry Coordinator, has been researching and purchasing materials, curriculum ideas, and special needs toys/games and puzzle activities for this classroom. Our intent is to provide these students a classroom to gather in and meet with their adult JOY shepherd each week. The shepherds will then assist the students as they participate in youth Sunday school classes.
We currently have about 10–12 students in the JOY ministry program from preschool through high school age, with several about to graduate into the middle school next year. We continue to seek volunteers to serve as a JOY shepherd/buddy with children on Sundays and Wednesday nights.
If you are interested in learning more about JOY ministry, please contact Carrie Jowers by e-mail at
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or Ron Baker, chair of the Special Needs Ministry Committee, at
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.
Over the next few weeks we want to answer any questions about how the church finances work and how we pay the bills. In our households, we may have several ways of paying bills and the church is similar but in one respect very different. The way it is different is that we account, or keep track of our funds, in a very specific manner. In a home, there may be many bills paid from say one common checking account. In the church we keep different checking accounts based on the way our donors direct us to use their gifts. Yes, these accounts and our accounting records are verified each year by outside auditors and we are required to use this accounting method to be audited. Yes, just like at your home, we invest funds that are not needed immediately so as to be good stewards of the money.
Gifts to the church are made in a number of ways that are convenient for our donors. In general those gifts fall in three categories.
First, gifts made to the operating budget allow us keep the doors open, provide program ministry and distribute gifts to our mission partners.
Second, donors often gift funds to the church for non-specific uses but are not used “to keep the doors open”. We call these gifts non-restricted and they are also known as “special funds”. An example would be a memorial gift. The third general type of gift is a donor gift given for a specific purpose and has some type of restriction as to use or to maintain the corpus and spend only the earnings.
This is a very simple explanation of a rather complex process, but we want you to have the opportunity to ask any question you would like to have addressed as we prepare for our upcoming stewardship campaign in October.
Is First Presbyterian Church “okay” financially, given the leadership changes that have occurred?
Yes, we are okay and will be okay. We have challenges, however, in faith and in acting on our faith. But God will be sufficient for our needs. First, none of leadership change is a surprise to God. Second, this is the time, more than ever, to demonstrate and exercise our complete faith that God has a wonderful plan for us and we need to be faithful to Him in our giving, even when we do not know what He has planned for us. FPC has indeed been blessed and is a blessing, not only to our own congregation, but to thousands of others through our mission work. For a time such as this, God has given all of us the opportunity to remain faithful and undaunted as we face change that we did not want, but allows us to exercise our love and obedience to return a portion of what He has already given to us. We are indeed blessed with elders who have the skill sets to analyze where we are going financially and communicate that to you.
Do we have all the answers exactly? No, because if we did there would be no opportunity to exercise faith. As we remember all we have belongs to God, please remember this is our opportunity to have a faithful response to him in our giving as we exercise our faith.
If you have a question you would like us to explore in a future newsletter, please contact Quinn Edmondson, Church Administrator, at 210.271.2751 or
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What story do you find yourself in? Where does your story fit in with God’s larger story? And what is God’s Story?
The Bible is dominated by story. From beginning to end, God’s redeeming story reveals the great lengths to which God has gone in order to rescue lost and hurting people. That’s what God’s story is all about: the story of the Bible, God’s great love affair with humanity. But do we really know and understand God’s story? Increasingly, we are becoming a biblically illiterate society, and it’s important not only for Jesus’ followers to have God’s words written on our hearts, but to be able to share God’s love with others by retelling his story.
Even when we think we know the Bible, sometimes we only know parts of it or isolated verses, and miss the larger context of what God is telling us. Sometimes we don’t really know God’s redeeming story because we lose sight of the big picture.
Continuing until June 2010, First Presbyterian San Antonio reveals the unfolding, grand narrative of the Scriptures in a series called God’s Redeeming Story. As a church, we’re spending a full year digging deep into God’s Story. Allow yourself to be swept into the unfolding progression of Bible characters and events from Genesis to Revelation. We’ll study the Scriptures in Sunday worship services and in Life Groups. We’ll hear lectures on the Scriptures on Wednesday nights or Thursday mornings. We’ll prayerfully meditate on the Scriptures together using the First Cup readings.
The series takes as a point of departure the Zondervan–published book, The Story, which uses the clear, accurate and easy–to–understand text of Today’s New International Version (TNIV). Reading The Story makes the stories, poems and teachings of the Bible read like a novel filled with intrigue, drama, conflict, romance and redemption. But of course, while copies of The Story will be available for purchase in the First Presbyterian Bookstore or at Amazon.com, you don’t need to buy the book to get the most out of this experience; you can simply follow along in your own Bible, in any translation.
For children ages four and up—and for parents reading to their children—First Presbyterian recommends the new Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Available in the First Presbyterian Bookstore or at Amazon.com, this book paints a beautiful portrait of Jesus and invites children to see that not only is he at the center of God’s great story of redemption – he is at the center of their story too. Parents and children will enjoy The Jesus Storybook Bible for its simple, page-turning narrative and its original and unique illustrations by accomplished artist Jago. Lloyd-Jones’ gift as a storyteller draws the reader into the greatest of all adventures, with the greatest of all heroes. Parents (or anyone in a teaching position) will find that it is a unique tool to help them explain the gospel in all its fullness.
The following letter was mailed to parents recently.
Dear Family Ministry Parents,
At its June 8 meeting, the Session received a report from Buddy Johnson of the Property Committee concerning security measures desired for the first floor of our building. It came to their attention that we have 11 different entry points into the first floor where our children spend most of their time. Research shows that churches are “soft targets” for people seeking to victimize children. We, the committee and staff in Children’s Ministry, feel it is time we shore up our area to minimize any risks, and appreciate Buddy’s hard work and attention to this matter.
I want to assure you there has not been any incident that has precipitated this discussion, but rather, thanks be to God, we have experienced virtually incident free ministry to date. However, it is time we become wise in our care for our littlest ones and our Property Committee has taken the lead in securing a plan. Buddy, along with Quinn Edmondson our church administrator, visited other metropolitan churches to see what they are doing to ensure children’s safety. Working closely with the church architect and the Fire Marshall, they have drawn up a plan. Once approved, two major changes will be put in place downstairs.
Similar to storefront glass doors, security doors will be installed in various places downstairs. For the first few months these doors will simply be in place so we get used to them being there. Once activated anyone entering the area will need a security code.
Soon you will find special kiosks and computer stations where you can check in your family, indicate any allergies of which their caregivers need to be aware, enter where in the building you will be in case you are needed, and any other information which is important for us to have. As you check in your child each week, you will receive the code for that Sunday to get through the doors. While during the first few weeks this will take some time to get used to, we have found that large churches like ours have learned to use these systems quickly and efficiently. For detailed information on the location of the kiosks and security doors, there will soon be a detailed map on the bulletin board in the lobby area of the first floor.
Please know that we are aware that implementing all of these changes to our building and to our routines, may be frustrating at first. We ask for your understanding as we add another layer of security for our littlest ones. As Buddy said to the Session, “Once these little ones enter our building, they are ours, part of our family, and we want to protect them as best we can!”
There is a new ministry opportunity in all of this. If you have the gift of hospitality you will be needed to assist us as greeters, kiosk helpers, and receptionists. The more we are able to assist people in this transition, the smoother it will go and the sooner everyone will be comfortable with our new system. I am deeply grateful to the folks who have researched and done the work to make our church home the safest it can be for our most vulnerable members. If you have any questions over the summer, please do not hesitate to call, email, or stop by and visit me. Summer blessings to you and your family.
On Monday, June 8, the Personnel and Property Committee and Session of First Presbyterian Church approved expanding the Rev. Tim Galligan's responsibilities to include serving as a pastoral leadership resource for the Adult Education and Discipleship Committee as well as providing oversight of First Presbyterian Church's initiative with Life Groups. Tim will continue to guide the Contemporary Worship Service and ministry to young adults.
At First Presbyterian Church, senior adults continue to experience the abundant life of Christ through a variety of programs and services and with each other. As a contributing force in our church, they are encouraged to remain active in all church activities. First Presbyterian provides our senior members with large-print bulletins for worship services, ministry to shut-ins, assistance with docuement and legal plans for the later years, access to conferences on aging, and much more.
In addition to participating in regular church activities, KEYS members (Keeping Everyone Young in Spirit) seeks to foster the spiritual, intellectual and social needs of older members and provide resources to enrich their lives. KEYS programs include opportunities for learning, fellowship, travel and service to others in the church and in the community.
Their weekly Friday program includes a fitness class and thought-provoking speaker presentation, followed by lunch and bridge. Other KEYS activities include tours to local San Antonio places of interest, monthly birthday luncheons at area restaurants, attending plays, chartered bus trips, sponsoring defensive driving classes, delivering lunches for Habitat for Humanity, providing Christmas baskets for needy families, and other volunteer activities.
Friday, March 5, 11:00 a.m.
KEYS Adults invite you to come and hear George Washington, aka Jack Cowan, Director of “The Texas Connection to the American Revolution Association” (TCARA). He will appear in costume and speak on the Texas Involvement in the American Revolution. Bridge will be played after lunch!
Tuesday, March 9, 8:00 a.m.
Tour of Toyota Plant – for members with paid reservations, the bus will leave the church promptly at 8:00 a.m. Don’t forget your picture ID and the dress code.
Friday, March 12, 11:00 a.m.
Come and hear Dr. Ann Hutchinson Meyers, Vice President of Transformational Services at Haven for Hope and FPC member. She will be talking about the exciting vision of Haven for Hope—what they do and how they will work to change the lives of the homeless in San Antonio. Learn about the opening of the campus and the services available.
Friday, March 19, 11:30 a.m.
Spring is in the air so KEYS ADULTS will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and March birthdays at the Carriage House Bistro located at the San Antonio Botanical Garden on Friday, March 19, at 11:30 a.m. We’ll enjoy the weather eating outside in the large tent. Browse the gift shop after lunch or stroll through the Garden. RSVP to the church office no later than Tuesday, March 16. Cost $10/person.
March 25 (Thursday) 11:30 a.m.
It’s time again for the delicious Lenten Lunches at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. $10.00 includes a complete meal (including entrée, drink & dessert). Van transportation will be provided—walking is also an option and a way to get your exercise! Please make your reservation with Pat by Monday, March 22.
Friday, March 26, 11:00 a.m.
Join KEYS Adults to learn about beautiful Mitchell Lake Audubon Center located on the 600-acre Mitchell Lake—215 acres of wetlands & ponds, and 385acres of upland habitat. Director Susan Albert will present the program. Stay & fill Easter Eggs after lunch!
Pat McCleary
Director of Senior Adult Ministries
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210.271.2726
First Presbyterian Church now has a Twitter account. Just visit Twitter and follow FirstPresSA. Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? Please let us know if you have suggestions as to how we can improve this great resource by contacting Judson Taylor, Director of Communications, at
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or 210.271.2728.
An employment prayer telephone voicemail box, 210.271.2725, has been established and the administrative support group will pray on Tuesday afternoon for any messages left before noon each Tuesday. We encourage calls for both prayers for employment and praise for a job found.
If you have questions, please call Quinn Edmondson at 210.271.2751.
Presbyterian Global Fellowship has a primer on its website that explains how mission funds flow to and through the PC(USA). Many congregations also support mission through other mission agencies. God is at work in exciting ways around the world, and many Presbyterians share Presbyterian Global Fellowship’s commitment to partnerships in mission that include but are not limited to denominational efforts and traditional PC(USA) partners. Check it out here.
If you are on the Facebook social utility (www.facebook.com), consider joining the brand new First Presbyterian Church Facebook group, HERE. It is a great way to stay connected with important announcements regarding the church and its ministries, as well as share news and ideas with one another. You can post photos and videos, start or participate in discussion groups, or comment on the Wall. We hope that people will also use ithis group as a way to converse about what it means to be missional as individuals and as a Body of Christ. Lots of people have already joined, and it is completely open to anyone with a Facebook account. Please let us know if you have suggestions as to how we can improve this great resource by contacting Judson Taylor, Director of Communications, at
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or 210.271.2728.
Would you like to know more about Lay Leadership Institute, a program open to all laity in Mission Presbytery? This is an opportunity for you to visit the various resources throughout our large Presbytery such as Presbyterian Pan American School, Su Casa de Esperanza, and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. These visits take place on one of five weekends throughout the year and coincide with areas of study and learning such as church polity and church history. The institute also provides opportunities to make lasting friendships with members of the class from diverse scattered congregations. For over twenty years, the Trull Foundation has made this program possible. There is so much more to know about LLI and Charlotte Hains would love to tell you about it; call her at 828.2048. The class for 2008–09 has several openings.
Your correct e-mail address is needed to communicate with you! More and more, First Presbyterian Church will communicate with members and friends via e-mail and through the website, rather than primarily through print mailings. This saves paper, ink and printing expense, and allows us to communicate more rapidly than ever before. However, we do not have updated e-mail addresses from the majority of the congregation. We need your help! Please send your correct, preferred e-mail address to Margaret Henderson at
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as soon as possible so we can update our files. Thank you!
Grab the Easter basket and head to First Presbyterian Church! Hear about the true story of Easter and enjoy searching for egss and candy with other families and friends and their little ones.
Kaye E. Wilkins, MD, Professor of Orthopedics and Pediatrics at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and a renowned pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, will discuss his recent mission trip to Haiti at the Men's Breakfast at The Quarry Golf Club Tuesday, March 9, 7-8 a.m.
First Presbyterian is participating as a church on several specific days over the next few months. The build officially started on January 29, and will be every Friday and Saturday through March 13, with a landscaping day on April 17.
The Haitian Red Cross says hundreds of thousands of people likely have been killed in the quake-shattered Caribbean island nation. Teams of international relief workers are racing to bring supplies to the estimated 3 million people in need of aid. Find out what you can do to help the people of Haiti following the devastating earthquake.
The Youth and Global Missions ministries are teaming up for the 2010 DR trip. We will work with Food for the Hungry on several Christian community development projects.
Come experience your extended family as FPC gathers for our All-Church Retreat at the beautiful Mo-Ranch June 18-20. Through our One MO Story theme, we will explore stories of individual encounters with Jesus in scripture as well as listen to each other as members of our church family share their personal stories with us!
Moms’ Group is for moms of all ages and stages who are interested in deepening their relationship with Christ while enjoying fellowship with other moms. For our study, we use the Mom to Mom Ministry’s Heart Talk curriculum as we grow in our faith.
Thursday Bible Study's survey of the entire narrative of God’s Word continues until Easter 2010. Join us as we dig deeper into the greatest love story ever told: of a God who passionately pursues his children and gives us his Son, Jesus Christ. Click HERE to get Bible Study questions.
News
Learning About Lent
After 30 minutes of prayer and discussion, the Session approved the 2010 Operating Budget at a special called meeting on Monday, January 25. The Session agreed that God is calling this church to maintain a strong ministry program and to continue making benevolences a priority. In order to accomplish this, we will continue to emphasize the spiritual imperative of giving and we trust that God will speak to those who can do more. As an example, this week, a family who made a significant pledge for 2010, paid that pledge in full, increased that amount by 50% and they will continue to give throughout the year. Additionally, those who had not previously pledged continue to send in their 2010 pledges and some have revised their pledge upward. With this type of spirit, we believe God will bless our ministries as we bless others in his name. 
And Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Luke 18:16
In July the Session appointed a committee to serve as the Interim Pastor Search Committee (IPNC). The IPNC met weekly—and sometimes more often— to review resumes, listen to sermons, talk to numerous references, discuss and pray about who they believed God was calling here to serve as our Interim Senior Pastor. In late November a Special Session meeting was called to receive the report of the IPNC. They enthusiastically recommended that the Rev. James (Jim) A. Capps be contracted to serve as our Interim Senior Pastor. The Session voted unanimously to invite Jim to serve in this capacity and the Committee on Ministry of Mission Presbytery has concurred.
In the event that inclement weather forces First Presbyterian Church to close, please either call the main phone number at 210.226.0215 or check the homepage of this website. Notifications will be posted online by 6 a.m.
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Struggling to read the weekly Scripture that accompanies God’s Redeeming Story sermons and Life Group studies? Remember that the bi-monthly First Cup readings prepared by First Presbyterian Church member and elder Sandy Sturch include everything from the God’s Redeeming Story survey plus other readings that add context. First Cup is a great way to stay in step with God’s Word and learn the entire sweep of Scripture. First Cup is on the First Presbyterian website at fpconline.org and a print version goes out every other month in the church newsletter, First Press, and is also available at the church.
It is with great joy and anticipation that our JOY ministry for special needs children is expanding into the middle and high school youth program at First Presbyterian. 
Over the next few weeks we want to answer any questions about how the church finances work and how we pay the bills. In our households, we may have several ways of paying bills and the church is similar but in one respect very different. The way it is different is that we account, or keep track of our funds, in a very specific manner. In a home, there may be many bills paid from say one common checking account. In the church we keep different checking accounts based on the way our donors direct us to use their gifts. Yes, these accounts and our accounting records are verified each year by outside auditors and we are required to use this accounting method to be audited. Yes, just like at your home, we invest funds that are not needed immediately so as to be good stewards of the money.
What story do you find yourself in? Where does your story fit in with God’s larger story? And what is God’s Story?
On Monday, June 8, the Personnel and Property Committee and Session of First Presbyterian Church approved expanding the Rev. Tim Galligan's responsibilities to include serving as a pastoral leadership resource for the Adult Education and Discipleship Committee as well as providing oversight of First Presbyterian Church's initiative with Life Groups. Tim will continue to guide the Contemporary Worship Service and ministry to young adults.
At First Presbyterian Church, senior adults continue to experience the abundant life of Christ through a variety of programs and services and with each other. As a contributing force in our church, they are encouraged to remain active in all church activities. First Presbyterian provides our senior members with large-print bulletins for worship services, ministry to shut-ins, assistance with docuement and legal plans for the later years, access to conferences on aging, and much more.
First Presbyterian Church now has a Twitter account. Just visit 
Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 14. Please be sure to set your clocks FORWARD one hour before you go to sleep Saturday night.
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Your correct e-mail address is needed to communicate with you! More and more, First Presbyterian Church will communicate with members and friends via e-mail and through the website, rather than primarily through print mailings. This saves paper, ink and printing expense, and allows us to communicate more rapidly than ever before. However, we do not have updated e-mail addresses from the majority of the congregation. We need your help! Please send your correct, preferred e-mail address to Margaret Henderson at
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as soon as possible so we can update our files. Thank you!
Come join us on “La Via” (the Way) to the Dominican Republic!
