https://youtu.be/LNNV_uNAlNw Wael Melek, who is completing his studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, recently joined First Pres as a pastoral intern. He will be completing an internship through the end of the year. We recently did a Q&A with Wael to...
I want to consider one of the great evangelism questions we find in scripture. This question comes from Acts 8:30, where Philip asks an Ethiopian eunuch, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The best definition of evangelism is one beggar leading another to food,...
In John 5:6 Jesus asks, “Do you want to get well?” It is a great evangelism question because it prompts a bunch more like: · What does it mean to be “well?” · How do you define the “good life?” · Are you living it? · Is it marked by the Fruit of...
As many of you know, I’m very Socratic in my thinking and love questions, so when my friend and mentor Jim Singleton mentioned that there are six great “evangelism” questions in scripture, I took notes. One of these questions is in Genesis 3:9, where God asks Adam and...
We were outmatched. Game after game, we just couldn’t get a win. We’d come close – within a point or two – but the losses had piled up, and we were discouraged. Even though we told the kids that it wasn’t about winning, we coaches knew that a win really would lift...
Your first introduction to the Gideons was likely in a hotel room during your travels as you noticed a Bible placed in the room by the international group. We asked Russ Lawrence, a First Pres covenant partner who volunteers with Gideons, to share more about the...
On most Sundays these days, you will see a balcony full of college students at the first service. However, you will also find some serving in the nursery at the same time. After worship, college students briefly fill the hallway outside the sanctuary as they begin to...
“It’s more important today than it’s ever been.” That’s Ginger Brubaker’s assessment of the need for Weekday Religious Education, which students can attend during the school day with parental permission. “We have kids that are hearing that God loves them for the first...
I could see the weariness in her face. She was tired. She was exhausted from working hard to serve her family. But here she was, just like other days, ready to serve us with a smile and a contagious laugh. She didn’t complain. The extra work was just what she had to...
Raise your hand if you’ve played Wordle. Better yet, hit share and show us your squares. For those who haven’t gotten on board the global word craze, Wordle is an online word game that gives you six chances to guess a five letter word, with hints along the way about...