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Meet First Pres’ commissioned lay pastors

Meet First Pres’ commissioned lay pastors

First Pres has commissioned six lay pastors for service during the coming year. These commissioned lay pastors have received additional training for their roles, which are renewable annually. Here are the covenant partners who will be commissioned. Scott Dove As part...

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Blog Archive

12 Books to deepen your faith in 2025: Take the challenge!

12 Books to deepen your faith in 2025: Take the challenge!

Are you busy thinking about the hope and promise that a new year holds? Are you planning for ways that you can challenge yourself and grow in 2025? How about reading? Whether you're an avid reader or an "I never read" kind of reader, the Adult Discipleship committee...

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Isaiah 117 House helps defend the fatherless

Isaiah 117 House helps defend the fatherless

Isaiah 117, a national ministry that has recently gotten a local chapter, is First Pres' local missions focus in December. We want you to know more about the group, and on the final Sunday of the month you can contribute to its work during our missions offering. We...

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Photos: Live Nativity in downtown Harrisonburg

Photos: Live Nativity in downtown Harrisonburg

Here are some scenes from the Live Nativity at the First Pres Courtyard in downtown Harrisonburg. We enjoyed meeting so many of our neighbors as we celebrate Christmas together. Special thanks to the Pugh family and the Hannah family, whose contributions in memory of...

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Where to go if you need some perspective

Where to go if you need some perspective

There is something about sitting in the sanctuary and being in worship that puts things in perspective. Maybe you've experienced it, or maybe you need to. The Psalmist did. He starts Psalm 73 proclaiming God's goodness, but then quickly adds a "but": He almost slipped...

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Unplug to put things in perspective

Unplug to put things in perspective

I was recently in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho where I’d joined my brothers for their mule deer hunt. Being in the mountains and being disconnected from the news – family, church, community and the world alike, as we had no cell service –  put things in...

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An update from our sister church in Ethiopia

An update from our sister church in Ethiopia

We recently received an update from Solomon at our sister church in Ethiopia. Here is the letter he sent. As you may know, September marks the start of the new year in Ethiopia, as well as the opening of schools for student registration. We took this opportunity to...

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