Script #133

Beloved,

Always remember that you can stay tuned to His Holy Spirit moving among us in worship at 7:20 and 10:00 a.m. every Sunday and by reading the weekly worship bulletins, newsletters, and clicking on www.belvpresbyterian.org and www.bnnsradio.com.

This year's Stronghold "Golf Marathon" Benefit will be on June 6 and we need your support to exceed last year's nearly $2000 collected "extra mile" giving from First to help support the programs and ministry of Stronghold.  Billy Flott and I represented First last year and will be joined this year by family member Wayne Gustin and good friend Chuck Legvold who is senior pastor of Aurora's Westminster Presbyterian Church.  We will take one check to the event on June 6 on behalf of our family of faith at First.  As the Lord leads you to contribute, make your checks payable to "First Presbyterian Church" with a notation/memo for "Stronghold Benefit."

These are sobering days in our world, country, state, region, county, community, and all churches.  Everyone is being forced to adjust to these challenging financial times.  Simply, needs/desires exceed available funds.  While neighboring congregations have had to slash budgets, cut staff, and inhibit their missions, your generosity along with a few special gifts have enabled us to maintain most of what we believe we are called to be and do for Him.  However, we have not been immune to the challenges; and through the careful stewardship of our session through its Finance and Personnel Committees, we have made very, very, very minor adjustments juxtaposed to our real needs and evolving technology so that we have not had to severely slash our budget, cut staff, or inhibit our many continuing and new mission efforts.

Praise the Lord!

There has been one minor adjustment that has been made so easily because of technology.  Because of e-mail, texting, telephones, voicemails, answering machines, and so on, we have joined most churches in encouraging folks to use those avenues for contact and communication rather than have someone sit and answer the phone for extended periods of time. Surely, our goal is to have the church "open" 24/7/365 for care, counsel, communication, and contact; and our Mission Committee is praying and working on that.  Moreover, our membership, leadership, and staff regularly check e-mail, texts, voicemails, answering machines, and the like and respond sooner than later to every call and contact.

A fruit/proof/evidence of living in/through/for the Spirit is patience; and we appreciate everyone's Spirit-focused-filled-filtering patience as we make these very, very, very minor adjustments to be faithful stewards of what He has entrusted to us.

Blessings and Love!