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“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…” This beloved psalm retains its popularity because of its simple affirmation that God cares for God’s children, God pursues us in goodness and mercy, and will not rest until all God’s children are home.
An important phrase in this psalm that speaks to the ministry of the church comes toward the end: “He restores my soul.”
In the midst of a world and a lifestyle that can easily diminish our souls, God is actively seeking to restore us to life, to guide us along the path that makes for life, to lead us beside still waters. The church is a place of soul restoration. It is where we come and the people with whom we gather in order to remember who we are, and, in the worship of God, be strengthened for the journey. The church is where we come to be formed as disciples of Jesus Christ, so that we might go into the world and spread God’s restoring message.
This DVD is designed to celebrate with thanksgiving the grace of God in Jesus Christ that we have discovered through the life of this church. We have experienced growth in all areas of our church’s life in this past year. The gifts you have given in 2006 have enabled us to fulfill the call of God as we grew. Thank you. 2007 presents new growth, new challenges, and new opportunities to answer the call. Our hope is that this DVD will inspire, educate, and challenge you to engage in this ministry even more deeply, to commit yourself and your time, talent, and money to the ministry of this church.
1. Worship: God Restores Our Souls as We Worship
Font, pulpit, and table; signs of God’s presence with us in worship. Worship is the very heartbeat of the church; it is the primary reason for our existence. In worship, we discover our true identity; from worship, we are sent out to serve in the church and in the world.
The people of this church recognize and celebrate this vision of worship as the center of our existence.
When we gather for worship, we value the pealing of the grand pipe organ, the beautiful voices of our many choirs, the prayers that reflect the depth of the tradition, preaching that combines scholarship with real life issues and challenges persons spiritually and intellectually, and a focus on the sacraments as signs of God’s grace.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Book of Order states: “Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God. In worship, the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives. As they respond to God’s claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and renewed. In worship the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God’s service in the world.”
Worship is indeed the heartbeat of our congregation, the reason for our existence, and the event that empowers all other ministries. Your monetary gifts, given in response to God’s grace, enable us to cultivate worship that gives glory and honor to God and strengthens the church for service. The staff of this church, from the pastors to the Director of Music to the program and administrative staff, each contribute their skills to the maintenance of divine worship. Climate control, the maintenance of musical instruments, the purchasing of music, and the use of instrumental ensembles during special seasons are just a few of the many ways your gifts are used for the glory of God in worship each week.
2. Education: God Restores Our Souls as We Learn
Presbyterians have, from the beginning of our existence, believed that the intellect plays an important role in faith. We worship God, not only with our hearts, but with our minds as well. Christian education is for us central to the life of faith. From the moment of our baptism, we are seeking to understand the faith we have been given by God’s grace. God is present as we gain new insight into the faith, restoring our souls through education. We are interested in helping all our members and guests understand that, in baptism, they are given a new identity, and then helping them live into that identity.
Christian education is a life-long process of formation that begins in the nursery as infants experience something of the love of God in the nurturing hands and soft voices of their caregivers. From there, it expands, with Sunday School classes for all ages, classes where the pursuit of biblical knowledge and a growing understanding of the Reformed Tradition combine to create scholars that would make John Calvin proud.
First Friends, our Sunday evening program for 4th-6th graders, serves well over forty children as they explore what it means to love God and their neighbor. In recent years First Friends has expanded its ministry and we are seeing more and more children choose to take part.
Our youth fellowship for 6th-12th graders has recently experienced tremendous growth, and now serves almost 50 teens through a variety of programs. The program continues to grow, and we are seeing more and more interest in the wider congregation.
Our adult educational programs continue to expand, with the addition this year of two new adult Sunday school classes involving more than forty new class members. Interest in these programs continues to grow as our congregation grows. We also offer a variety of small groups and adult Bible studies in both the morning and the evening.
Our youth are paired with spiritually mature adult Covenant Partners for Confirmation when they enter the sixth grade. This program has grown in recent years, as more and more youth experience the power of walking the journey of faith with guides who care about them as individuals and as children of God.
We believe that God restores our souls as we become involved in educational opportunities. The world we live in today needs Christians who are thoughtful and wise. Your gifts insure that our efforts to cultivate such Christians continue through the various staff-led studies, curriculum purchase and development, and the provision of well-kept space in which to meet.
3. Fellowship: God restores our souls as we live in loving community.
God made us for community. Our fellowship with one another is a sign of God’s grace in our midst and also a powerful witness to the world of the power of love, unity, and peace. We come together, from north, south, east, and west; a people of many different backgrounds and life experiences; a people of many ages; a people of various vocations; and we constitute one body. God restores our souls as we love, support, encourage, and challenge one another in the fellowship of the church.
If you ever wander into First Presbyterian Church on a Wednesday evening from September to May, you will find ample evidence of a vibrant community of faith. Gathered around tables in Wilson Hall, well over two hundred people every week share wonderful food prepared by our renowned cooks; easy laughter; heartfelt conversations; and gentle support for our common lives of faith. Once we rise from those tables to go to our various groups and programs, we are renewed for the work ahead by the fellowship we share.
This community building also happens in a variety of ways at other times in the year. The church-wide picnic, various receptions and parties, and Breadbreakers are just a few of the many ways God works through this church to restore our souls through loving community. Your gifts provide this beautiful facility for fellowship, support the staff who work in the development of programs, and provide various needed supplies; all toward the goal of the building of Christian community.
4. Mission: God restores our souls as we serve others.
“In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.”
This statement from the Book of Confessions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) describes the mission of the church. Our congregation is known as a mission church around the denomination because of our deep commitment to spreading the good news of Christ, in word and deed, outside the walls of this particular church.
Our mission is truly global:
Guatemala, Russia, Mexico, Heifer Project.
Our mission is national:
Atlanta’s Open Door Community and the Gulf Coast.
Our mission is local:
Room in the Inn, Graceworks, Martha O’Bryan Center, Habitat for Humanity, My Friend’s House, Eastminster Presbyterian Hispanic Ministry, to name only a few.
Our giving to Middle Tennessee Presbytery and to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) national programs insures that much more can be done than we would ever be able to do alone, and shows that we are connected to the wider church in our efforts.
When we work side by side in mission, God restores the souls of others through the work, and, by God’s grace, restores our own as well. We come to realize that it is self-giving that our true life and purpose is found.
This congregation strives to give 10% of all income to mission outside the walls of this church. We believe it is important to tithe as a congregation. Your gifts enable all these missions to grow, and they allow us to give everyone the opportunity to engage in the mission of Christ here, and around the world.
Conclusion: We have truly been blessed by God as a congregation
We have a wonderful, modern facility.
We have a gifted and committed staff.
We have scores of lay persons answering the call of God to volunteer time and talent.
We have seen tremendous growth in both attendance and giving in recent years.
We have a Christian education program that is second to none.
We have a strong mission-minded presence in this community and around the world.
Now is the time for all of us to join together and answer the call of God. Please take time to review your commitment to this church, and then pledge your gifts of time, talent, and money. Through these gifts, God will indeed restore our souls, and God’s kingdom of love, peace, and justice will expand.
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