Have you seen the #10yearchallenge, where you post a pic of yourself 10 years ago now, and everybody gets to see how much you've changed (of for the fortunate ones, how little you've changed). That got me thinking about how grateful I am that though my hair gets gray...
The leaders of First Pres read a lot of varied books in 2021, so we wondered what some of the best were. Here's what they told us. "Pursuing a Heart of Wisdom" (John C. Kwasny) Associate Pastor Billy Craig: This book was about counseling teenagers biblically and by...
We asked our worship team what music drew them closer to Jesus in 2021. Here's what some of them told us. Take a listen and let this worship music propel you into 2022. "House of the Lord" (Phil Wickham) One of my favorite praise songs from the past year was “House of...
Facilities committee chairman Marshall Price updated Session recently on the progress of the new courtyard. While the courtyard project has encountered numerous unexpected delays, progress continues, and the committee is hopeful that completion is nearing. In addition...
Faith-growing groups for men and women will begin again in September. Women The weekly women's Bible study begins Tuesday, September 14. The group meets Tuesdays at noon in Showker Hall, and a Zoom option is available. This year, the women will be studying the two...
We have reasons for hope. It is easy to forget that when we look at what happened in Afghanistan and Haiti this last week. But when I look to Scripture and history, I can find reasons for hope. A text that renewed my hope this last week was Lamentations 3:21-26. This...
Students from James Madison University are returning to Harrisonburg, and we're ready to welcome them. First Pres has two upcoming opportunities to do just that. JMU Freshman Move-in On Saturday, Aug. 21, we will partner with campus ministries CRU and RUF to help...
Starting Sunday, August 29, you'll be seeing some of your favorite faith-building opportunities return to First Pres as we get back together to study the Bible, grow in our walk with Jesus and build community. On that day, children's Sunday school, youth discipleship...
I have a love-hate relationship with social media. I love the way it connects me with people and lets me stay in touch with friends and family all over the world. I also love the way it connects me to information at the touch of a finger (or a "Hey Siri!"). I hate,...
“WE will sing unto the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with US.” Wow. This last year has been quite a marathon of experiences. In June, we celebrated a full year of being back in worship together physically every Sunday. Over the last few weeks, we have slowly...