Last month I reflected on the topic of “mission.” I’d like to continue in that vein this month. Fall is a season when so many of us go back to school, back to work, back to routine – so it’s an important time to buckle down on what we’re called to do and why we’re called to do it. We’ve also just started a four-week study of our church’s mission statement, so I hope this topic is fresh on your minds already. Truthfully, there’s never a bad time to talk about mission, just like there’s never a bad time to check your compass to make sure you’re headed in the right direction.
The mission of First Presbyterian Church is to make disciples who love Jesus Christ, love the church, and love their neighbors as themselves. That’s what we’re all about. This mission is rooted first and foremost in the good news of Jesus Christ, which is nurtured in the context of Christ’s body, the church, and which is expressed out in the world for which Christ died. As your pastor, my deepest hope is that you would believe in this mission, live it out, and teach others to do the same by the power of the Holy Spirit.
As a concrete invitation into this mission-centered way of life, I want to invite you to recommit yourself to our church family for this fall season. Maybe you have traveled a lot this summer and have been out of the swing of things; maybe you’ve been busy with work or hobbies or simply sleeping in on Sunday mornings; maybe you’ve been coming to worship but have been looking for other ways to serve and grow. Regardless of where you are, let this be the beginning of a new season of ministry for all of us. Come check out a Sunday School class. Enjoy food and fellowship at Family Night Supper. Join us on our campout at beautiful Smokemont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Sign up to help the hospitality committee bring a meal to someone in need (and join the hospitality committee – or another committee – while you’re at it!). Give financially to support the “Cornerstone” campaign. And, of course, come to worship and lift your voice to the Lord. We need you and your gifts among us to fulfill this mission together, to the glory of God.
Yours in Christ,
Blake