Early in ministry, faced with trying to figure out pastoring, I came up with a typology of Christians. There were, I thought, a few different kinds: Bible Christians, Prayer Christians, Service Christians, Calling Christians, Singing Christians, Stewardship Christians. Okay, there are...
Read more
The Old First office has requested relaxed parking for 2020, for Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings (for choir). If you want to print off a new parking placard for the year, you can use this link: parking. You can also find a link to the placard on the Old First website, on the...
Read more
My choices for service music include personal favorites–two based on Psalm 23 and another composed by a friend of my grandfather. The Prelude is a setting of the hymntune Consolation by American organist/composer, Gilbert Martin, from a collection of pieces by graduates and...
Read more
Below are the 2019 reports that we’ve received thus far for the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 26, 2020, after worship. There will be printed copies of the Action Items (agenda, election slate, 2020 proposed budget) for everyone present at the Annual Meeting. There will also...
Read more
Curiously, I am not often asked by people how they can grow their faith lives. Perhaps that’s because Old First is some kind of spiritual Lake Wobegon “where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Or people are...
Read more
Midday Meeting really should have been this week; it’s traditionally on the second Wednesday, which was the 8th. But with the holidays, my vacation and the 1st being a Wednesday, that just snuck up on us too quickly. So we are going to push it back a week and meet in the Social...
Read more
Our Congregational Annual Meeting is scheduled for January 26, following worship. We will enjoy a potluck lunch, and the church is providing the main dish, after which we will have our meeting. Please be sure to put it on your calendars to attend, because we will be approving the...
Read more
While the Creche has been up in the front courtyard, Old First has been encouraging visitors to write and share “what Christmas means to them this year.” We have received many wonderful responses that we want to share, as the Christmas season winds down. “Came here...
Read more
Below is a song that was sung at last Sunday’s Carols for a Cause. The event, which took place at Christ Church, raised money for Old First’s Saturday Breakfast and Clothing Cupboard and Winter Homeless Shelter. Carols for a Cause ultimately raised $8,000 for our Outreach...
Read more
Mr. Mayor: The new Police Commissioner and the Police Contract must promote transparency and accountability to the public. To accomplish this we need: Adequate funding for an independent, civilian-run policy oversight agency. Reforms to the broken grievance arbitration system that...
Read more