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September 2010 Pastoral Letter

 
Dear Members and Friends of First Church,

As we enter September, we are coming into the weeks that are historically the peak period for tropical storms in Florida. So far this summer has been ideal for us weather-wise in Bonita Springs and surrounding Lee and Collier Counties: plenty of rain to fill our lakes, but no harsh winds. The current storms in the Atlantic look like they’re going to steer far away from us as well. As I write, there is some danger that a storm named Earl may graze the northeast coast, so we are praying that it will head further out to sea, and that the rest of this month is placid. And very soon we will be enjoying the return of many of our friends who have spent their summer months elsewhere.

Life in much of America is transitioning this week from “summer mode” to “fall mode.” Some of that is happening here in Southwest Florida as well, though the weather will still be summer-like (highs of around 90 each day with afternoon showers) until early October. Our local schools have been in session now for a couple weeks. With the completion of the primary elections last Tuesday, our politics are shifting full-gear to the looming general elections in November. The big state races are for Governor, where Republican Rick Scott goes against Democrat Alex Sink, and for the US Senate, where current Governor Charlie Crist tries to gain a seat as an Independent against Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Kendrick Meek. These are obviously important contests – just as all the congressional elections across the country will be critical to the future course our nation takes. In Florida we are all completely sick of the negative campaign commercials and mud-slinging rhetoric, yet we still have over two months of it to go!

In less than two weeks we will celebrate a special day that has become a cherished tradition for us at First Church. We call it Community Servants Recognition Day. If you haven’t been here in September, this is what we do. On the second Sunday of the month (the weekend closest to the September 11 anniversary of the attacks on our country) we invite representatives of the local firefighters, law enforcement officers and paramedics to our worship service. We take time in the service to recognize all the members of our church who have ever served in one of these roles, and we also interview the local representatives and express our corporate gratitude to them. In addition, we hold what we call a “cookie shower” for our Community Servants. Each family from the church is asked to bring a dozen or more fresh-baked cookies (or other baked goods) to the church, and our Board of Deacons distributes them to the local fire, ambulance and police stations as our way of saying “thanks” to those who help us in times of need. It’s been a great experience for us, and we’ve gotten wonderful positive feedback on it. If you are involved in a church somewhere that hasn’t done this, you might want to suggest it to the pastor or board members to consider.

I hope that you have been able, at least occasionally, to connect to First Church through our website (which is, by the way, currently undergoing some upgrades and improvements that will be unveiled soon). Just a reminder: both printed and audio versions (podcasts) of my messages are available here on our website. If you haven’t yet read or listened to it, I’d like to commend the message from August 22, entitled When God Says “Wait”.

And speaking of long distance access to our church: Thanks to all of you who offered your feedback in the past month on the possibility of providing a video version of our sermons over the internet so that people can worship with us when they can’t be here physically. The Session is now discussing this possibility. If we go in this direction, we believe we will need to invest in one or two more video cameras and the proper equipment and operators to do a quality job of switching between live shots and PowerPoint images. I have watched some sermons on video from other churches, and my conclusion is that a single stationary camera makes for very boring television, no matter how good the preacher is! We are so used to the very best whenever we watch network and cable TV, and I would not want to provide a product with our church’s name on it that is less than professional and first-class in its appearance. We will be asking an expert to give us recommendations on the kind of equipment we will need. Since the cost may be substantial, we may also need to ask for some special donations to cover the set-up and operations of a weekly video service.

We continue to grieve for the struggles and turmoil that have arisen within St. Leo’s Roman Catholic Church, our neighbor congregation in Bonita Springs. What we know from public information and local media accounts is that the priest was involved in a moral transgression, that the bishop has alienated some members by removing him from office and taking a strong role in directing the congregation, and that some members of the church are withholding financial support in response. The timing is very disruptive, as St. Leo’s is in the midst of a multi-million dollar facility expansion that is only partially completed. The church has been a partner with ours and other congregations in the area to found Love INC. We hope and pray that our brothers and sisters at St. Leo will find their way through these difficult times.

Speaking of Love INC: Pastor Paul Fahnestock has been doing a great job in guiding the board of our local cooperative ministry. The organization hired its first-ever Director in May, and will be opening its office and volunteer space later in September. The office is located in the Sunshine Plaza on Bonita Beach Road, just east of US 41. When you return to our area you’ll be hearing in church services about various volunteer opportunities through Love INC.

This fall at FPC will bring some beneficial options for us. McClure Hall is fully renovated, cleaned from last February’s fire, and “open for business” for the First Stop on Sunday mornings. It is also a wonderful meeting space throughout the week (as is the new Lightner Conference Room that adjoins McClure Hall). We are also opening a “café” with gourmet coffees and pastries available at a very modest cost throughout the week. Tables, chairs, couches and “wi-fi” service have been installed in the Art Gallery area, adjacent to the Book Center. Stop by the café anytime Monday through Friday, as well as on Sunday mornings.

Fall of 2010 also brings with it the resumption of our early morning Sunday service we call First Light. It will start in mid-October (weekly, at 8:00 AM). We will also enjoy the resumption of our Bonita Christian Forum and the Concert Series. You should be receiving soon in your mailboxes separate brochures that give the dates and events, along with ways you can participate as a sponsor.

As always, I would love to hear from you. And I look forward to seeing you again soon as you return to beautiful Southwest Florida.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Doug Pratt