Greetings Everyone
Greetings Everyone.
Acts 15 presents a very interesting picture of the earliest Christians.
The early church had started in Jerusalem. Because of the death of Stephen (Acts 8), the beheading of James and the imprisonment of Peter (Acts 12) the church had dispersed around the ancient Mediterranean world using the Roman road system. Part of that dispersion included the calling, equipping and sending of the Apostle Paul as a missionary to the Greco-Roman world.
Paul’s mission had been a success. But, such success also opened the door to a lot of questions. How does a primarily body of orthodox Jewish Christians accept and incorporate a non-Jewish body of believers? What requirements do we insist that a non-Jewish believer follow? How do we treat those who are different from us in national origin, religious history and behaviors and expectations, in looks, in culture? What do we prioritize? Of what do we let go and trust the leading of the Spirit?
The result of these questions was a meeting of the leadership of the church. All the mission cards were put on the table. Some heated conversations took place. There were those who disagreed with the direction that was chosen but they chose to live within their disagreements. And why? Because the ultimate goal of spreading the Gospel and growing the Church and developing disciples of Jesus Christ was the highest priority.
This raises the question for us: What is (are) our highest priority? Why do we exist as part of the Body of Jesus Christ? What do we need to do to advance the specific mission the Lord has given us? How are we doing?
This Sunday, following worship, we will have a congregational meeting that will give some insights into the answers to those questions. We will hear reports on what has happened this past year. Some may produce a “Hallelujah!” Others may raise some questions about how we can do better. We will look at the finances we have received. We will review the finances we need to receive. In the midst of it all, we will need to keep at the forefront of our thinking, the mission that we have been called to fulfill as the people of God who worship at FPC Whitefish, love one another as Christ loved us, and live to share that love with a community in great need.
See you all soon.
Pastor Paul
News & Events
Sunday, February 4th
9:00 a.m. Bible Study in the Chapel, Romans 2: 1-16
10:00 a.m. Worship Service with Pastor Paul Hayden
11:00 a.m. Annual Meeting of the Congregation
Monday, February 5th
5:30 p.m. Handbell Choir
7:00 p.m. Choir Practice
Tuesday, February 6th
7:00 a.m. Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study
Wednesday, February 7th
10 a.m. Ladies AM Bible Study (LAMBS)
6:00 p.m. FPC Youth Meeting
Thursday, February 8th
10 a.m. Bible Babes bible study
Check out the Events Calendar for more upcoming events.
FPC Youth Group’s next meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 7th, 6 p.m.
4th – 8th grade students join us the first and third Wednesdays of every month, from 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm. Our gatherings begin with a shared dinner, setting the stage for fellowship and connection through an intentional topic for the evening that will be introduced, applied to our daily lives, supported by scripture, and experienced in a fun-loving atmosphere. Meetings will take place in Fellowship Hall. Enter the glass doors on 3rd Street and take the stairs up.
