Church Updates What you need to know!
FPC Family,
Wow! What an amazing Holy Week, culminating in a perfect Resurrection Sunday. I hope you were able to be with us and that you and your family had a blessed Easter season. Indeed, it has been an amazing year so far, with so much to celebrate. Below is our Top Ten for the first few months of 2024. Great things happening and even more coming up. Please take a moment to read and enjoy as we head into an exciting spring and summer.
And don’t forget to sign up for Rise Against Hunger on Wednesday, April 17. We’ll pack 40,000 meals in just over 2 hours. All ages are welcome! It’s one of my favorite events of the year, and I’d love for you to be there.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of this incredible family of faith. It is one of the richest gifts of my life to serve you as your pastor.
In Him,
Jim
#1 HOLY WEEK 2024 – Hallelujah! He is Risen! Over 1,100 people joined us for worship on Resurrection Sunday, including more than 30 first-time visitors. During the 10 a.m. hour, hundreds of kids searched for the 10,000+ eggs hidden around the church and adults enjoyed breakfast biscuits and sweet treats (shout out to the Basic Bible Class for helping serve!). Special thanks to Rebecca Easter for lending her talents and taking pictures at the Flower Cross throughout the morning.
Leading up to Easter, 52 children from our First Kids Choir celebrated Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, singing at the 9 and 11 a.m. services. We had 200+ folks at the Maundy Thursday service, which was also led by our children and youth. And on Good Friday, our Chancel Choir guided us through a powerful and reflective service, which included musicians from the Ambrosia Quartet.
#2 WEDNESDAY NIGHTS – On March 20, we wrapped up a six-week series of Wednesday Night classes. While kids practiced for their parts in the Holy Week services, adults studied the questions that Jesus asked. For this round of Wednesday Nights, the FPC staff took over dinner duties, and, each week, prepared a meal, including lasagna, taco night, and a baked potato bar! Look forward to the next Wednesday Night series coming this fall!
#3 LEPRECHAUN DASH – Our Preschool classes gathered out on the Botetourt Greenway on Friday, March 15 for their annual Leprechaun Dash! After kids ran the short race (assisted by their teachers and the FPC staff), all manner of prizes, from necklaces, to medals, to stickers, and treats, including green lemonade, awaited them.
#4 BLACK SACRED ARTS SERIES – Ten local artists came together on February 22 for an evening of inspiration and music at the Black History is American History concert. Featuring a wide range of styles and genres, including spoken word, the performers represented the powerful expressions of resilience, identity, and cultural richness that Black art brings to our collective American culture.
#5 CONFIRMATION – Beginning in February, 21 high school students began the process of being Confirmed in the Church. Over the next several months, the students will take part in 9 classes that use the Apostle’s Creed to unpack what we believe as Christians and will write their own Statements of Faith. Students are also required to participate in leading worship on Sundays and serve in other ways, including at our Soup Kitchen.
#6 JIM’S WORLD FAMOUS CHLII – This year, our youth raised $5,213 to pay for FUGE Camp this summer. Jim and 55 youth made 538 quarts of chili over 3 nights. Chili orders were picked up Super Bowl Sunday and, thanks to a generous donation of the food costs by one of our FPC families, 100% of the proceeds went to pay for camp. Cooking chili was also one of the service requirements for our Confirmation students.
#7 WOMEN’S RETREAT – Sixty-four women travelled to the Outer Banks February 23-25 for the Women’s Retreat. This year’s theme was Walk in the Light. The women enjoyed a great speaker, enriching small groups, and plenty of time for fun and relaxation. Thanks to Amy Phillips, Amy Rutledge, Sheryl Wood, Jean Farrell, Sandra Brown, as well as our small-group leaders and prayer ministers, for helping pull it all together!
#8 NEW MEMBERS & VISITORS – In the first few months of 2024, we have had 8 new members join FPC and have had 269 first-time visitors. In March we had our first FPC 101 class of the year, and we have another coming up on April 14.
#9 KENYA PILGRIMAGE – From January 20- February 2, 15 people travelled to Kenya for our first Tree of Lives’ pilgrimage of the year. The team got to learn more about our ministries, putting together hundreds of food packs for patients at the Holy Family Center, taking the Joy Village mamas on a retreat, and spending time getting to know the students at the Allamano School. More than half of the team were first-time pilgrims to Kenya, and it was a great group and a wonderful experience!
#10 PERSECUTED CHURCH – On February 18, the FPC Prayer Ministry hosted a luncheon for over 60 people to acquaint folks with the struggles and needs of the persecuted church throughout the world. During Lent, they also set up an interactive experience in the Catacombs, walking people through the underground experience of those who are not able to worship freely. An information table in the Breezeway stayed up through Lent as well.