Dear Members and Friends of First Church,
Many of you are settling in to your summer residences; and perhaps you have some special events ahead of you for yourself and your family in the months to come. (This is, after all, the season for graduations, weddings, reunions, etc.) Hopefully the weather is improving where you are. This is the first of several monthly letters I will be sending to you during this time when you are physically away from your church home in southwest Florida.
We at First Church, and all who are year-round residents of Collier and Lee counties, are beginning to experience our “off-season” reality. Roads and beaches, restaurants and shops, doctors’ offices and golf courses, theaters and tennis courts are all so much less crowded during these months. The weather this spring has been spectacular. We expect the heat and humidity to climb in the next few weeks, and by early to mid-June we typically begin our near-daily rain showers. The periodic infestation of “love bugs” (harmless little critters, but they breed by the millions) that results in squashed bugs on windshields and car grilles has been particularly heavy this year, but should be over in a week or two. With the periodic rains we received this past winter, the danger of springtime wildfires has been greatly reduced. There have been no indications of “red tide” in the Gulf so far.
Our church staff takes advantage of the off-season to do the traveling that we can’t do during the busy winter season. Pastor Allen Walworth has already re-located to his off-season home in Dallas (where kids and grandkids live); he continues his primary job as a church consultant, but he and Connie will return to us full-time on December 1. Pastor June Barrow and her husband Al have just returned from a trip to the Holy Land, and Pastor Steven Grant will be going there soon. Pastor Brad Rogers and his family will be with other extended family members in Hawaii in early June, and then he will go to Fuller Seminary in California for his next course in his Doctor of Ministry studies. Jeff Faux will be going with many members of our choir for a two-week trip to France in June.
A highlight of this summer for many will be the four-day Summer Reunion we will hold at the Billy Graham conference center (“The Cove”) in the Asheville, NC area in late July. Pastors Allen and June will do our Bible teaching, Jeff will lead our music, and I will be there to “emcee” and lead the closing communion. I hope you are able to join us then. (Asheville is the perfect spot for these reunions/retreats, because of its natural beauty and its central location, a convenient drive for most across the eastern half of the US.) We expect nearly 200 people to attend. If you discover that you can come to “The Cove,” there may still be a few spots open. You can contact our travel agent, Pat Hazen, at Pelican Landing House of Travel (239-948-1000) for more information.
Throughout the summer our weekly worship services continue, though at a reduced schedule: 8AM and 10AM on Sundays, and no Saturday night service. We invite you to stay connected by watching the videos of our messages and music through our website; each Sunday’s service is typically posted by no later than Monday evening.
In addition to maintenance work on our building and grounds, the one significant project we are undertaking this summer is to add a right turn “deceleration lane” on Bonita Beach Road to make access to our parking lot much safer. We have received Lee County permits and have signed a contract with the low bidder. The job will cost about $200,000 and should be done in June (we estimate 4 weeks, weather permitting). If you feel led to contribute towards this project, we invite you to do so; you can send a check to the church (marked “turn lane”), or you can give through our website. We believe this will be a great help to our traffic flow as well as our congregation’s safety.
In Southwest Florida news: the Florida Legislature completed its annual session at the end of April. The new Governor, Ron DeSantis, is getting generally good reviews for his leadership so far. (This is just a reminder that Florida achieves its government with just a part-time legislature, as opposed to the full-time politicians working in many northern states. With less government there is less waste, which may be why Florida’s taxes are lower!) Local governments are finally getting reimbursements from FEMA for work done more than a year ago in recovering from Hurricane Irma. (The “red tape” and delay at the federal level is apparently staggering!) In local political news, Lee County Commissioner Larry Kiker died April 23. The Lee County school board is squabbling again over its superintendent (some want him fired, others support him). Naples approved a major rebuilding of the historic Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Resort. Here in Bonita Springs, it was just announced that Rodes Restaurant and Fish Market on Bonita Beach Road has closed (after more than 30 years in business). In local sports, our minor league hockey team (the “Everblades”) is advancing in the playoffs. And in church news, the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Naples recently resigned. It is the largest Protestant church in our area, with a significant ministry including a large private Christian school. We are praying for the church to come through this transition and turmoil well. The congregations of Bonita Springs hosted a community leaders prayer breakfast on May 9. The relationship between the churches and non-profits of our area and our local government is generally a harmonious one, with mutual respect and support.
As we look ahead to next fall and winter, plans are already made for a very full season here at First Church. In case you haven’t heard, here is our speaker line-up so far for the Bonita Christian Forum: November 12 – Shannon Bream (FOX News anchor); January 27 – Scott Hamilton (Olympic figure skater); February 17 – Dr. Larry Arnn (Hillsdale College president); March 24 – Trey Gowdy (former SC congressman). Sponsorship information will be sent to our entire congregation in September. Don’t forget our Summer Reading Challenge books: “Rare, Medium or Done Well” by Mike Huckabee and “Eternity is Now in Session” by John Ortberg.
I would love to hear from you during the summer months, especially if you have any special prayer concerns or personal news. We look forward to your return to Southwest Florida and to First Church!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Doug Pratt