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September 2008 Pastoral Letter

 
Dear Members and Friends of First Church,

You have probably already learned that southwest Florida was spared most of the damage from Tropical Storm Fay in late August and Hurricane Gustav on Labor Day weekend. Other than receiving several inches of rain, we were spared any significant winds and storm surge. Our lakes and water table are full, and some of the golf courses even had to close for a few days due to high water. But the biggest local consequence of those storms has been some flooding of low-lying areas east of I-75 in Bonita Springs. The large “Manna Christian RV Park” (our local sub-standard housing for migrant workers and other Hispanic families) has been under water for a week and counting, and hundreds of families had to be evacuated to a local shelter. Our church and others of the area have been helping, along with the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and similar service organizations, to provide for their needs. Thrift Shop Manager Mimi Holly and her staff of volunteers have done a great job of delivering lots of clothing and other goods to those who were displaced. We have worked closely for several years with the “Super Kids Club” that provides after-school tutoring for Hispanic kids, and that ministry has adapted by shifting its work to the shelters as well.

Hurricane Gustav’s blow to the upper Gulf Coast on Labor Day has drawn much attention across the country. We had planned, weeks before this storm struck, to send another of our volunteer teams to Mississippi to help with continuing rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. That team will still head to the Gulf Coast in late September, but may revise its plans to help with more immediate needs. We work in partnership with churches and Christian organizations that offer effective and holistic Christian ministry. If you would like to join up with our hurricane response team in September, call or email Pastor Paul Fahnestock; those interested are certainly welcome to rendezvous with our volunteers for this work week.

Even as it has been a busy storm season in Florida, it’s also been a busy season of renovations to our church building. The City of Bonita Springs granted our zoning variance request, allowing us to proceed with the planned project to enlarge and enhance the current Thrift Shop. The new nursery and other improvements to our Preschool wing are nearly complete. This will allow all of our children’s ministries and programs to be located together in that part of our facility (and will thus open up some classrooms off McClure Hall for adult meeting space). Construction of the new Book Center will begin within the month; this will include enlarging the current library, opening doorways into the Narthex, and expanding our offerings with retail sales of books and DVD’s. Further improvements, which will include enlarging McClure Hall, are being developed by the architect and the Renovations Committee. The actual work on McClure, however, is not expected to begin until after next April, due to the heavy demands on our facility during peak season. It would be impossible for our church to function during those busy months (November through April) if McClure were closed and sealed off for construction!

This coming Sunday, September 7, we will celebrate our annual Community Servants Recognition Day by welcoming local firefighters, paramedics and law enforcement officers to our worship service. As part of this celebration we hold a “cookie shower” in which church members contribute home-baked cookies and other pastries; these are then delivered to the local police and fire stations. This is a great way to say “thanks” to those who stand ready to serve us in time of need.

I want to invite you to keep in touch with your southern church home during the time you spend elsewhere by visiting the church website. We have continual updating of current information, including news of church members who have been hospitalized or had other personal needs. The website also contains the recent messages presented by me and the other pastors. These are available in both print and audio versions (you can listen to recent sermons on your computer by simply clicking Podcasts at the top of the home page). I would especially commend to you the message by Director of Sacred Arts Jeff Faux on August 17 on what it means to truly worship God, as well as my sermon of August 24, entitled I Can See You, about the constant presence of God with each us.

If you have any personal news, updates, or prayer concerns for yourself or a loved one, I would love to hear from you. We all look forward to welcoming you back to First Presbyterian Church when your travel plans bring you again to beautiful southwest Florida.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Doug Pratt