Pastor's Letter

Changing leaves, dropping temperatures, pumpkin patches, apple cider… there’s so much to love about October.  Yet this is also a wistful time.  Many people – myself included – admit to feeling nostalgic, contemplative, or even depressed as the shadows lengthen, the days get shorter, and the onfall of winter looms.  Hope mixes with heartache.  Joy and sorrow intertwine.  It is a season of groaning beauty.

That’s how I often think of the Christian faith, too: as a life of groaning beauty.  Romans 8 says that all creation groans like a mother in childbirth, yearning for adoption and redemption.  We know that things are not yet as they should be.  Grief and conflict are familiar bedfellows.  We struggle and sin.  And yet Jesus has made a way for us.  The Holy Spirit intercedes for us.  And the Father’s love will win the day.  The leaves may fall now, and the snow may come, but new blossoms will soon spring forth in our hearts and in the world like rays of light from an empty tomb.  This we believe and hold onto.

As October begins, I will be starting a new sermon series on the book of Jonah.  Most of us know Jonah because of the really big fish that appears in the first two chapters.  But it’s about so much more than that: mission, vocation, identity, prophecy, judgment, mercy, love.  This short, Old Testament book contains quite a lot!  And at its heart is a life of groaning beauty: one man living, obediently and disobediently, before the face of God.  I invite us to read Jonah together over the next two months.  It’s only four chapters – you could read it every day, if you’d like, or at least every week.

In addition, I hope you’ll join us on October 6 for a “Bless the Building” service as we celebrate our Cornerstone Campaign.  We will gather following worship for coffee fellowship in the church pavilion to give thanks for all the progress we’ve made, to ask for God’s blessing on the future of our new ministry space, and to give tours for those who’ve not yet been inside the renovated Mary Jay Patten Center.  It will be a great time to reflect, dream, and celebrate. 

Finally, I want to remind you to look at our church calendar for other events coming up in the next few weeks.  The Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth, and Families is hosting their annual Fall Festival on October 12, and the Hospitality Committee is sponsoring a Ladies’ Tea on October 26.  Our study of The Great Divorce continues and, of course, Sunday School and worship take place every week.  (You can find out more in this newsletter or on our church website: www.sylvapres.org.)  I hope you’ll join us as we practice life together in this season and beyond – trusting the Lord to lead the way.

Yours in Christ,

Blake

Cornerstone: One Year Later

One year ago, we began our Cornerstone Campaign at First Presbyterian Church.  This campaign was established with two main goals: first, to update our existing church facilities; and second, to renovate and expand the Mary Jay Patten Activity Center (MJPC) next door.  After much prayer and effort, we are pleased to report that both goals have nearly been accomplished and we are making great strides to finish our campaign.

Regarding the first goal, we have repainted walls and replaced carpet in the original building, including the sanctuary, parlor, library, and downstairs and upstairs classrooms.  An upstairs bathroom has been added, offices have been moved into the MJPC, and vacated rooms will be spruced up for general use.  Soon we will update appliances in the main kitchen and lighting in the main hallway to create a brighter church entrance.

The biggest changes we have made relate to the second goal.  We have constructed a new two-story addition to the MJPC, featuring a new pastor’s office, youth room, conference room, classroom, bathrooms, elevator, and handicap-accessible ramp.  We also added drywall, paint, and lighting to the original MJPC rooms.  Due to this, our Session, classes, staff, and other groups have comfortable rooms in which to meet, work, and serve. 

We rejoice in this progress we have made, all by the grace of God!  And we give thanks to you, for without your prayers, feedback, and financial contributions, we would not be where we are today.  To celebrate this progress, we will be holding a “Bless the Building” ceremony on Sunday, October 6th following worship to tour the new MJPC and ask God’s blessing over the new ministry spaces.  We hope you will join us.

Will you help us meet our remaining financial need?  You can do so in one of three ways:

• Return a check to FPC (memo: “Cornerstone Campaign”), using the enclosed envelope.

• Turn your gifts into a pledge using the enclosed pledge card so we can budget for our loan payments.

• Donate online by visiting www.sylvapres.org/cornerstone and following the directions to submit your one-time or recurring donation.

Your support is crucial for helping us finish our campaign and continue our mission to make disciples who love Jesus Christ, the church, and their neighbors as themselves. 

With much gratitude,
The Cornerstone Task Force

“So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household. As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord. Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.”

— Ephesians 2:19-22

Cornerstone Update 5/21/2019

The (new) Mary Jay Patten Center is open and ready for business! Last week we moved all staff offices from their original location in the main church building into the new space which has been added or renovated next door. The Session met in our new conference room on Monday night, and a Sunday School class is taking advantage of the new classroom upstairs. We still have work to do — boxes need unpacking, new furniture needs purchasing, odds and ends need to find their place — but it’s all coming together by the grace of God.

To celebrate, we are having a “Cornerstone Cookout” on June 5 at 6:30pm. We’d love for you to join us. Some men in the church will cook a variety of meat, and we encourage you to bring a side dish (chips, salad, beans, etc.) or a dessert to share, too. We will give thanks to God for all our progress, hear a report about next steps for the church, and spend some time walking through and praying for the new space.

Interested in giving towards this campaign? Visit sylvapres.org/cornerstone or drop by the church office.

Cornerstone Update 5/7/2019

May is here, and we are 95% finished with the new Mary Jay Patten Center! Recent work includes a finished deck and handicap ramp and sidewalk, interior carpet, sinks, and toilets. Next we will install the deck railing, elevator, switch plate and outlet covers, and entry sidewalk. Our hope is for construction to be all wrapped up by the first of June.

Want to help us celebrate? Come to dinner at the church on June 5 at 6:30 p.m., and give online to show your support for the Cornerstone Campaign!

Building the sidewalk

New ramp and sidewalk

New deck and ramp

Future youth space

Future youth space

New upstairs classroom

New meeting room

Carpet in stairwell

Repainted kitchen cabinets

Cornerstone Update 4/23/2019

We are nearing the end of construction on our new Mary Jay Patten Activity Center! Recent work has included lights, trim, and refinished hardwood floors on the inside, and steps, corbels, brickwork, and a cross on the outside. Soon we will add carpet and an elevator to the inside, and sidewalks and landscaping to the outside. Stay tuned for more updates, and click here to support this campaign.

Cornerstone Update 3/19/2019

Lent is here, spring is right around the corner, and we are making good progress with our Cornerstone project! The Mary Jay Patten Center continues to change, with finished siding, insulation and drywall, and a new entryway. Next we will see paint on the outside and inside of the building, light fixtures, and carpet.

Have you given to support this campaign? If so — thank you! If not, we still need your help to reach our final goal. Please click the button above to give online, and visit sylvapres.org/cornerstone for even more information. And check out the most recent pictures below.

Finished hardiplank siding

Entryway

Insulation

Drywall

Cornerstone Update 2/26/2019

We finally have a couple sunny days and the guys are hard at work on our Cornerstone project at FPC. (Well, they never stopped working, but now they can work on the outside as well as the inside!) New developments include downstairs windows, hardiplank siding, electrical wiring, and HVAC conduits. Next we will see the insulation go up, followed by drywall and the rest of the siding.

The building with the new addition is called the Mary Jay Patten Center, named in memory of a beloved church member. It used to be the pastor’s house before it was converted into multi-purpose church space. Now, with the addition, it will be the site of staff offices, youth space, and classrooms. It will feature a new entryway with an awning, ramp, and rebuilt staircase. (Notice, too, the improved expanded roof-line to match the roof on the new addition.)

The church office will move into the main room of the Mary Jay Patten Center (which used to be a living room). From there, visitors can access other staff offices, including the new pastor’s office, during the week. The main section of the bottom floor will be designated youth space, with access to a kitchen, bathroom, and backyard. The upstairs will feature two new rooms, plus a bathroom. One room will be for Sunday School and other classroom use, while the other room will be for Session and committee meetings. An new elevator will ensure that everyone has access to these new facilities. Take a look at the pictures below, and visit www.sylvapres.org/cornerstone for more info and to give online!

Admin entrance

Future reception area

Future youth space

Future classroom space

Future meeting room

Purging the building

Cornerstone Update 2/5/2019

We are over a month into the construction phase of our Cornerstone Campaign building project. James and his crew continue to work hard on renovating and expanding the Mary Jay Patten Center. We now have a second floor! Once finished, this building will house all staff offices and serve as the administrative hub of the church. We will also have more meeting space for Sunday School and youth classes.

Why is this project called the Cornerstone Campaign? Because Jesus is at the foundation. Ephesians 2:19-22 tells us that Jesus has built his church on the apostles and prophets of old, and that he himself is the cornerstone holding everything together. Grounded in him, the church can grow and flourish as a dwelling place for the Lord. And that’s how we imagine ourselves at First Presbyterian Church.

Take a look a look at the pictures below, and learn more about the Cornerstone Campaign by clicking here.

Cornerstone Update 1/22/2019

Construction continues on the Mary Jay Patten Center at First Presbyterian Church. James and his crew are hard at work renovating this building to be ready by summertime. When finished, the MJPC will house our new staff offices — including a reception area in the center — to create a new administrative hub for the church. In addition, a second floor with several new rooms will be added to allow for more meeting space to accommodate Sunday School classes and other groups. We will also install an elevator, so everyone can have access.

Take a look at the photos below, and read more about the Cornerstone Campaign by clicking here.

Cornerstone Update 1/8/2019

Construction has begun at First Presbyterian Church!

A new bathroom was recently installed upstairs in the main building, which will benefit our children and balcony-users for years to come.  In addition, work has started on the Mary Jay Patten Activity Center next door to build an addition and to create new office space.  Due to this, all classes and programs that typically take place in the MJPC will be relocated to the main church building, and the MJPC will be closed.

Check out the photos below, and read more about the Cornerstone Campaign by clicking here.

Photos will be posted here on the church blog, so check back soon for more updates.