First Presbyterian

Games Camp - Ages K-5th

Date:    June 1-4, 2021

Time:   9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cost:    $40 per person (Scholarships available upon request)

VBS Camp - Ages Pre-K-5th

Date:   June 8-11, 2021

Time:  9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Both camps will take place at Whispering Winds Camp.

Questions? Call Liz Norris at 214-4318 or

Geri Doll at 737-8855.

Click on the link below to print out the registration form. 

https://firstchurchwichita.org/assets/documents/camp_registration_2021.pdf

Every Christian has a responsibility to care deeply about the natural world. As a church we emphasize the ecological responsibilities of Christians as stewards of God's earth. Beginning with Genesis 1:26–28, God instructs humanity to manage the creation in a positive way.

"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." 

The Biblical emphasis is on stewardship and not ownership. The earth remains the Lord's and does not “belong” to its human inhabitants. As a result of this view, Christian environmentalists oppose policies and practices that threaten the health or survival of the planet. Of particular concern is the current widespread reliance on non-renewable resources, habitat destruction, pollution, and all other factors that contribute to climate change or otherwise threaten the health of the ecosystem.

In the past, the foremost responsibility of our Stewardship Committee was to plan and promote the annual financial pledge campaign. Over the years we have attempted to expand our definition of “stewardship” to include nonfinancial stewardship along with the ecological perspective. We have sponsored an annual churchwide Earth Day celebration for the last five years. It was our hope that members would not only enjoy getting together in the spring at a public park for an all church covered dish dinner with games and ice cream, but they would use the opportunity to recommit to engaging in practices that help sustain our environment.

This annual Earth Day Celebration event has grown way beyond our expectations. It is our most well attended activity away from the church building itself. Because of the COVID situation we had to cancel the event last year and we are postponing it until Wednesday, September 1st at Minisa Park this year. Please mark your calendar with this tentative date.

Nevertheless, the Stewardship Committee would like to suggest that you consider how you might continue to practice environmental stewardship. You already know, and probably already practice, many energy saving ideas such as: using LED lightbulbs, combining car errands, checking your tire pressure, using a set-back thermostat and recycling.

Here are a couple of more ideas that you might not have thought about. You can lower the temperature of your water heater until you have just enough hot water to fill your family’s needs but not much more. I suggest that you keep lowering the temperature of your water heater in small amounts every few days until someone in your house complains. Then tweak it up a little and call it good. Also, do not waste energy keeping your water hot while you are on vacation. You can turn your water heater way down when you leave and turn it back up when you return. It takes less than an hour and a half to completely heat up a tank of water.

Finally, while recycling curbside is the most efficient way to recycle, you should really plan to visit the PRoKansas Recycling Center if you have not already done so. It would make a great field trip with your kids or grandchildren. Lots of activity and you will leave with a sense that recycling on such a large scale represents our Christian obligation to the environment. Hours are limited so check their website before going. It will be like a trip to the zoo.

Do You Have Questions About Your Salvation?

“Are our imaginations of salvation too narrow, self-obsessed, and self-justifying for the nature of the gospel?” 

“We should dare to hope that salvation is wider and broader and higher and deeper than we ever might imagine.”

These are the words of Tom Greggs, PhD. called one of

today’s leading Christian theologians, and author of the

recent book "The Breadth of Salvation." Through the

generosity of the Durfee 360 Lecture Series, Dr. Greggs

will be at our church (virtually) to present four lectures

during March. Dr. Greggs, FRSE, holds the Marischal

Chair at the University of Aberdeen, where he also serves as the Head of Divinity.

Click the link below to access a link to the Four Lectures.

Session Motions passed March 16, 2021 to begin on March 22, 2021.

• Reopen the church to all groups (of any size) beginning Monday, March 22, 2021. 
• Requirements for all church functions:
• No shared food, practice social distancing and wear face masks that cover the mouth and nose. 
• In addition, due to the cleaning/sanitizing that will be necessary after a meeting, meetings must be scheduled through the office at least 2 days in advance of the desired date/time.
• Temperature checks will no longer be required to participate in Sunday morning worship.

Click on the link below for the Weekly News!

https://firstchurchwichita.org/assets/documents/Weekly_E-Blast_April_15,_2021.pdf

https://firstchurchwichita.org/media/sermons/view/150th-anniversary-documentary

Matthew 25 Church Initiative:

At the September meeting of Session, we became a Matthew 25 Church, committing to congregational vitality, addressing issues of poverty and race.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Brent