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...
In his recent autobiography, Bono, the lead singer of U2, describes himself as “a follower of Jesus who can’t keep up.” This calls to mind Jesus’ words in Luke 9:57-62 about what it takes to follow Him. First, in that passage, a man offers to follow Jesus, and...
The First Pres family kicked off summer with our annual cookout on Court Square, with games in the Courtyard and lots of food and conversation. Here are some scenes from the cookout. Hover over the photos and use the arrows to scroll through.
It's time for our regular youth programs to get started again at First Pres. Here are some highlights. Sunday Morning Discipleship Starting, on Sunday, Aug. 27, our discipleship groups and Sunday school classes are back between the worship services (10:15-11 a.m.)....
Most of your posts on social media probably point out all your best moments. Rarely do any of us post our worst moments. Given that our instinct is to highlight the best and downplay the worst, we really should see the Gospel-writers inclusion of Peter’s denials of...
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. These traits, listed in Galatians 5, make up the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit, the evidence of being followers of Jesus. Who doesn’t want to have these attributes defining their...
One of the most important tasks and opportunities of covenant partners at First Pres is to select the three to six at-large members of the Nominating Committee each year. These members of the 2023 Nominating Committee will be elected by you in February. The Nominating...
If you were to guess, what is the all-time most popular Christmas song in the world? The one that has been translated into more languages than any other? It is a song called the “Magnificat” and it is sung by Mary as recorded in Luke 1:46-55. Now I’ve done multiple...
What a mess! In the thick of reading through the Old Testament accounts of the various kings who ruled God’s people, the bleakness of a life without God is on full display. Over and over, you read that king after king “did what was evil in God’s sight,” and that those...
Skyrocketing prices for homes and rent has caused a housing crunch across the country in Harrisonburg, where city leaders are looking for ways to alleviate the need. Habitat for Humanity's central Valley chapter is working on the problem by "putting God's love into...