Jen's Blog
Ordination and Installation
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- Written by Jen Evans Jen Evans
Sunday, January 22nd was an important day in the life of those ordained, those installed, FPC, the church universal, and the world. Before the worship service, I had the privilege of hearing faith statements from our elders who are currently serving. It was a sacred space to hear the beliefs and testimonies of the individuals who are leading this congregation.
Being a ruling elder in the PC(USA) church isn’t about “ruling over” others (Matt. 20:25); it’s about being called by God and chosen by the congregation to exhibit wisdom, maturity of faith, skills in leadership, and a compassionate spirit. Ruling elders, together with ministers of word and sacrament, exercise leadership, government, spiritual discernment, and discipline. They have responsibilities for the life of a congregation as well as for the whole church, including ecumenical relationships. These servant leaders, with the Spirit, discern and work to strengthen and nurture the faith of the congregation, reconciliation, and vision.
Pray for the leaders of FPC. Pray for our congregation. Pray for all.
Pastor Jen
Advent - Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love Are Coming
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- Written by Jen Evans Jen Evans
Church family, it's that time of year where we bustle around and are supposed to be happy and energetic. Today, hear this: you aren't supposed to be anything but you. It's okay to not be okay. It's okay to be joyful one day and have a hard day the next. Trust God and lean on each other. Hope, peace, joy, and love are coming...again and again.
Pastor Jen
Buckle In!
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- Written by Jen Evans Jen Evans
Who’s ready for some fun? Buckle in because it’s November which means the season of gratitude, grief (for some), and gifts is quickly approaching. The orange, yellow, and brown colored leaves are swaying from the treetops and floating to the ground until limbs are bare. The days grow shorter, but the list of demands grows longer. As we travel these days together through our “firsts” of this season, may we remember that God is calling us to the path and will travel with us. The presence through the Spirit of the living God will remain steadfast. As we travel together during this holy season, let us remember grace, humility, hospitality, openness, and compassion. Wondering about the itinerary? You’ll find it here on the website and in the newsletter. You can expect more details and information coming out soon!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jen
Our Money Story
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- Written by Jen Evans Jen Evans
Our lives tell stories about who we are, our history, and priorities. Our stories are deep, varied, and holy. I recently got lost in the stories of the history of this congregation as I flipped through photo books from the 70s, visitor logs from the 60s, church communications from the 50s, and finance statements from the 40s. As Madeline (interim office admin) and I browsed the artifacts, we saw current and extended family of members attending today, a faithful congregation, and a missional church. I read the wisdom from previous leaders and can understand how this congregation has survived and remained faithful over the years. The collection of stories of this congregation and community is bound together expressing deep rooted faith, vision for the future, outwardly focused ministry, and trust.
Our individual stories are still being woven into a larger narrative for our congregation, one that includes the strong foundation formed through challenging times and the shared triumphs. We grow by articulating and learning from our stories. What stories does your life tell?
For example, let’s think about a kind of story that we’d rather not discuss - our money story. I can feel the tension of you reading this as I’m still writing it! We all have a money story, whether we recognize it or not. Perhaps we are living from a story of fear or shame. Or a story that the church prioritizes differently. Or a story that our actions won’t have an impact. Or a story that we don’t have enough. We so quickly want to avoid the whole conversation. But it’s time we reframe this.
Money and possessions are one of the most common topics in scripture, and Jesus talked about money more than faith and prayer. Our money story, therefore, is a spiritual story. Thinking about God’s money story should be liberating, inviting, and transformative.
Over the next month or so we are going to explore our own stories about gratitude, our God-given gifts and talents, and faith practices. Individually and collectively, we will begin to reimagine how God might be speaking a new narrative into the limited ones we have told ourselves.
The Spirit is moving! Hang on!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jen