Dear Members and Friends of First Church,
I was blessed to enjoy a wonderful six-week sabbatical in the months of August and September, returning to the office on September 16. this was my first sabbatical in eight years. It was granted to me by the Session just after reaching the milestones of my 15th anniversary of coming to Bonita Springs (May 2004) and my 40th anniversary of ordination as a pastor (June 1979). It was a relaxing several weeks of reflection and renewal. Jeanne and I did some traveling, played a lot of golf, and I had the opportunity to read more than a dozen books (and come up with some fresh ideas for future messages). the net result of my time away from the day-to-day demands of pastoral ministry is that I feel refreshed, my batteries recharged. I don’t know how many more years I have ahead in ministry, but I want to finish strong—and a time away like I just experienced is a great help in doing that.

While I was gone, the professional staff and lay leadership did a great job of managing the everyday work of the church, as I knew they would. I am so blessed to be serving with such dedicated and skilled men and women. the pastors (Steven, Brad, June, and Allen) each gave thought-provoking messages on the Sundays I was away. The music staff, the program staff, the support staff, the elders and deacons, the ushers and other volunteers, all kept First Church working smoothly and effectively. Nothing could have pleased and satisfied me more. It’s so nice to come back aer several weeks away to find that everything is in order.

We are at the starting line of another exciting winter season here at First Church. The initial waves of our seasonal members and friends have already returned, and many more will be coming soon. It promises to be an exciting time. Some inspirational speakers and concerts are scheduled; we will have some new and plenty of ongoing opportunities for study and growth, fellowship and service. Each weekend from now until May we will be offering four worship services (Saturday at 5:30PM and Sunday at 7:30AM, 9AM and 11AM).

The anticipated right-turn, deceleration lane into our parking lot that we had hoped to complete this past summer was delayed by several factors (government permitting and contractor issues among the primary causes). We are rescheduling that work to begin May 1 of next year to avoid traffic issues on Bonita Beach Road during season. We recently added enhancements to our Resurrection Garden (located behind the chapel, at the northwest corner of our church property) and I encourage you, the next time you are at the church, to stop by and see what has been done.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Doug Pratt

“Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”
– Rev. Billy Graham, Evangelist from Hope for a Troubled Heart (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011), p. 179