Pg 03 Doug’s Desk (May 2019)
Dear Members and Friends of First Church,
Sir Isaac Newton, the great Enlightenment scientist, once deflected the praises offered to
Pg 04 Ira Hawk: A Lifelong Legacy
The family of Ira and Clarice Hawk have given a special gift to the First Church Communications Ministry in memory [...]
Pg 05 May Memory Verse
“I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful one-hundred percent!” These words are from [...]
Pg 06 Bonita Before the Boom
What would it be like to step back in time and see Bonita Springs in earlier days? Not as far [...]
Pg 08 First Church History: 1960s
Aerial shots of Bonita Beach in the ’60s show very few homes in the wake of Hurricane Donna. But soon, [...]
PG 08 First Memories: the ’70s
The Epistle would like to thank: Bill and Judy Oehler for providing the historical interview transcripts; Leslie and Harry Durling [...]
Pg 09 First Church History: 1970s
As another decade began, the Presbyterians were still holding services at Pittman Funeral Home. In May of 1970, Sam McCammon, [...]
Pg 11 First Church History: 1980s
With the mortgage on the first sanctuary paid off, new construction plans moved forward. In 1982, a second sanctuary (currently [...]
Pg 11 First Memories: the ’80s
The Epistle would like to thank: Bill and Judy Oehler for providing the historical interview transcripts; Leslie and Harry Durling [...]
Pg 13 June Memory Verse
This verse is said to be the supreme personal relevance of Easter. God has promised us clearly that if His [...]
Pg 14 First Church History: 1990s
The congregation moved into the newly expanded sanctuary in January 1990 as membership grew toward 750. The 1990s were a [...]
Pg 15 Musical Outreach
One casual remark spoken over 20 years ago started a ripple effect that is still changing lives. During a spontaneous [...]
Pg 16 The Warmth Cluster
First Church is committed to walking alongside parents on their journey through parenthood. This philosophy has undergirded the Family Ministry [...]
Pg 17 First Memories: the ’90s
The Epistle would like to thank: Bill and Judy Oehler for providing the historical interview transcripts; Leslie and Harry Durling [...]
Pg 18 Accepting the Call
Rev. Harry L. Price 1970-1979 One of 13 children, as a boy Harry Price would milk the cows before heading [...]
Pg 20 Faithful Servants
The lay staff of First Church is a team united in the challenge of growing God’s kingdom on earth. Each [...]
Pg 22 A Living Church
More than 20 years ago when I was searching for a church home, I visited a different church every Sunday. [...]
Pg 23 Pastors’ Perspective (May/Jun 2019)
Tell us about your most memorable moments in ministry since you have been on staff at First Church. Pastor June [...]
Pg 24 First Church History: 2000s
At the dawn of the 21st century, First Church broke ground on the nearly $6 million sanctuary to accommodate a [...]
Pg 25 God Bless Our Shop
My wife Eleanor and I became members when Paul Kirbas was Senior Pastor. Back then, we volunteered together during the [...]
Pg 26 My First Changes
I arrived at First Church 15 years ago this month to begin my service as Senior Pastor. In the months [...]
Pg 28 First Church History: 2010s
Entering the second decade of the 21st century, First Church continues to flourish and serve as a beacon in the [...]
Pg 30 BookCenter: The Evolution
When Pastor Doug Pratt first arrived in 2004, he began working closely with the Christian Education (CE) Ministry to initiate [...]
Pg 31 God’s Heart through Counseling
After teaching at a Christian school for 14 years, Ruth Ann Bruce was called to minister in a different way. [...]