Pastor’s Blog

April 2023

Dear First Presbyterian Family, Easter will be upon us in April. We will mark the joy of Palm   Sunday on April 2. We will remember the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, April 6.  We will honor the crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday, April 7. We will celebrate the resurrection on Easter, April 9. There are many faithful ways to approach Holy Week. We can use this time to reflect on the crucifixion. We can focus on God’s love for us. We can lean more deeply into our faith. We can find joy in the victory of resurrection. Music plays a significant role in the way we mark, remember,   honor, and celebrate. Music aids us as we reflect, focus, learn, and find joy in significant milestones of faith. Below are lines of Easter hymns and hymns inspired by moments of Easter for your inspiration. Reflecting on the Crucifixion: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood. Focusing on God’s Love: In Christ Alone In Christ alone my hope is found, is my light, my strength, my song. This Cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm Leaning on Faith: Blessed Assurance This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long. The Joy of the Victory: Crown Him with Many Crowns Crown Him the Lord of Heav’n One with the Father known. One with the Spirit through Him giv’n From yonder glorious throne. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Jones Doughton

FEBRUARY 2023

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

I wrote these words on January 31, 2023. A Wintry Mix has many of us at home. I pray that you all are safe and warm at this time.

I want to share just a few thoughts that come to mind. First, as we are in the midst of a winter storm-pray for those who need to be outside. Please pray for Sharing Life and W.A.R.M-the emergency shelter. Second, as this is the month of love, be sure and pray for family and friends. Maybe this is a time to reconnect with a friend you have not seen. Third, as this is the shortest month of the year, it makes me think of time. Pray for good use of time. Shelter from the cold, connection with friends and loved ones, and good use of time-these are three needs that are on my heart and mind at this time. Take care and see you on Sunday!

 JOIN US FOR 2023 Holy Week

April 2: Palm Sunday

April 6: Maundy Thursday

April 7: Good Friday

April 9: Easter Sunday

We have several Worship highlights in February. We will celebrate Communion on Sunday, February 5 at both services. The choir will present at both services on Sunday, February 12. We will hold our Ash Wednesday Service at 7 PM on February 22.

We will gather again for Fellowship on Sunday, February 26. We will hear a Men’s Choir from an Adult Program of Teen Challenge. This is a Christ-based program of recovery. They will present songs and stories. We will gather again on Sunday, March 19. We will celebrate the Mission of the church as part of our program. Speaking of Mission, we will host a Blood Mobile on March 19. Also, remember, we continue to hold our 100 Can Challenge for each month.

Christian Education continues to take place on Sunday mornings in our Sunday School Classes. Dr. Carol Stephenson will continue to lead a study on Wednesday Night Live February 8 and 15. We will offer a meal on February 22 before the Service. A Lent Study will take place on March 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support,

Jones Doughton

OCTOBER 2022

Please note what we have in store for the months ahead.

For Worship, we will celebrate World Wide Communion Sunday on October 2. We will mark All Saints Day and Reformation Sunday on October 30. November 6 will serve as our Dedication Sunday as well as Communion    Sunday. November 13 we will have a moment for Remembrance Sunday. This will be a time to thank those who have served in the Armed Forces.

We had a good time of Fellowship at our September 18, Lemonade on the Lawn. Our Church Picnic returns on  October 2, at the Town Center Park in Sunnyvale. The Men’s Council will prepare another Thanksgiving Meal on Sunday, November 20. We also can fellowship as we engage in mission and outreach. We will have another opportunity for outreach through Addressing Mesquite Day on October 1. Then, many will be able to give the Gift of Life on October 9, at the Carter BloodCare Mobile Unit. Then, on Saturday, October 29, the Fall Festival will take place under the leadership of Suzanne Ivy.

October 2, also marks two big steps for the congregation. First, the congregation will elect new Church Officers. Please be in prayer for our Elder nominees: Roger Foltz, Linda Fricke, John Kusewitt, Paul Luce, Gina Villafana, and Bennett Doughton (Youth Elder). Those nominated for Deacon: John Futrell, Rodney Graham, Patty Kim, and Alberto   Villafana (Youth Deacon). Our nominee for Trustee:  H. C. (Pete) Allen, Jr.  Also, we will launch our Stewardship Season “The Art of Gratitude” on October 2.

We continue our Discipleship Journey through Christian Education.  Wednesday Night Live will continue through the month. Rev. Doughton will offer Episode Two of his Four Part Holy Land Presentation. The month opens with “Sepphoris”: The City Jesus Never Mentioned…But Must Have Seen.” Brenda Greer will lead the youth and children on a culinary adventure on October 5. November 2 will be the time to prepare the College Care Packages. Our youth will host the Eastminster Presbyterian Youth on October 16. Also, looking ahead, Youth Bell Practice will return Sunday, November 6 at 9:30 AM. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support, Jones Doughton

JUNE / JULY 2022

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

“Summertime and the living is easy.” That song comes to mind as I approach June and the year’s summer block. I also return to that line from Ecclesiastes, “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”    Summer is upon us and the pattern of life changes again.  During June the youth will go on their mission trip with other Grace Presbytery Youth. We will have our Vacation Bible School.

July will be our “Sabbatical Month”. There will be no called meetings for any committees or Church Officers. While I will use some of that time for a family vacation, I also want to use that block to plan, to read, reflect, and prepare for the fall. My prayer is that we will take time this summer to rest truly. May this be a summer of great fun and great rest for you. 

Worship: We will mark Pentecost on June 5. Rev. Krueger will return to preach on June 12. Rev. Doughton will be with the youth on the mission trip. We will look at some of the Beatitudes this summer. After my trip to the Mount of the Beatitudes, I have much to ponder.

Christian Education: Exciting opportunities, Vacation Bible School will take place June 26-30. The Christian Education Committee is also exploring a unique format for Sunday School for Youth and Children over the summer. Rally Day, the Blessing of the Backpacks, and a celebration to kick off the new school year and Church School year will take place in August. 

Mission: We continue to exceed our 100 Can Challenge each month. The youth are currently raising funds to cover the Presbytery Youth Mission Trip. Our youth will join with the youth of at least five other Presbyterian churches. We will stay on the campus of Menaul School. You can learn more about the school at this link:  https://www.menaulschool.org/ We will do needed upkeep repairs during the week of June 12-June 18. Thank you for your continued support.

Fellowship: We have enjoyed many formats for Fellowship over the past several months.  During the summer there will be opportunities to fellowship at VBS. There will also be an after-church social in August to mark the re-opening in full of       Wilbanks Hall and Rally Day.

Mission Support: “Moving Ahead” is our goal for the summer months. The Property Committee has had the sprinklers repaired. We can water the grounds and the foundation again. The committee is looking into better locks for the sanctuary entry. There are other improvement projects on the horizon. Our goal is to complete the final punch list items for Wilbanks Hall by the end of July.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Jones Doughton

Sermon Schedule:

June 5: “Power”, Acts 2:1-8; Pentecost

June 12: Guest Preacher, Rev. Craig Krueger

June 19: “The Poor in Spirit”, Matthew 5:3

June 26: “Those Who Mourn”, Matthew 5:4

July 3: “The Peacemakers” Matthew 5:9

July 10: “The Little People”, Matthew 5:5

July 17: “Those Who Hunger and Thirst”, Matthew 5:6

July 24: Guest Preacher, Rev. Craig Krueger

July 31: Guest Preacher, Rev. Craig Krueger

May 2022

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

By the time this article goes to print, I will be in the Holy Land. This trip is part of a three-year Learning Cohort. The sponsoring ministry is now called The Ministry Collaborative  https://mministry.org/. Back in 2018, I learned that a friend nominated me to participate. These ministerial learning cohorts gather ministers from different backgrounds, perspectives, and denominations to learn in a group setting over three years. We began in 2019 and we planned to take this trip in the spring of 2020. Since the pandemic began we met by Zoom until December 2021. Since then we have met by Zoom or in person based on the current status of the pandemic. This trip will now be part of our conclusion.

We will fly out of Dallas/Fort Worth on Monday, April 25. We will return on Saturday, May 7. Our trip will take us to Tel Aviv, the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and      Jerusalem. It will take some time to fully process all that will have taken place. After a season of reflection, there will be much to tell.

As we enter May I reflect on the past four months. We have returned to more typical worship services for Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. We have continued to ease back into regular Fellowship Gatherings. We continue to plan more regular events for Christian Education. Our Easter Egg Hunt not only ministered to our children, but we were also able to reach out to the community. I saw Easter Sunday as a celebration on many levels. We have restored much to our lives as a church family. Now we can reinvent. The next several months should be very exciting indeed. See you all on May 8! 

Worship will be diverse in May. Rev. Jim Witherow will lead in worship and celebrate Holy Communion with you all on May 1. The Jubilate Ringers will present special music again. The Confirmands will join the church on May 8. We will honor our Seniors on May 15. Our traditional “Memorial Day Service” will take place on May 22. Rev. Craig Krueger will return to the pulpit on May 29. We will mark Pentecost on June 5. Rev. Krueger will return to preach on June 12. Rev. Doughton will be with the youth on the mission trip.  

Christian Education: Our Faith Builders and L.I.F.E Youth have active plans for the spring and early summer. Both groups plan for some “End of School Year Fun” during the May 22 fellowship event. Vacation Bible School will take place June 26-30. The Christian Education Committee is exploring a unique format for Sunday School for Youth and Children over the summer as well. Stay tuned for further updates.

Mission: We continue to exceed our 100 Can Challenge each month. The youth are currently raising the funds to cover the Presbytery Youth Mission Trip. Our youth will join with the youth of at least five other Presbyterian churches. We will stay on the campus of Menaul School. You can learn more about the school at this link: https://www.menaulschool.org/ . We will do needed upkeep repairs during the week of June 12-June 18. Thank you for your continued support.

Fellowship: Mark your calendar now for May 22. We will enjoy lunch after the 11 AM worship service. Events for Faith Builders and the L.I.F.E. Youth will take place in connection with the event. This will be a big day to mark the final countdown to the end of the school year.

Mission Support: “How many Presbyterians does it take to change a light bulb?” As you can see from the pictures, we had a “committee” to oversee a new light bulb in the steeple. Our Spring Clean Day on Saturday, April 9 went well. Restoration Solutions continues to knock out the last steps on Wilbanks Hall. Again-thank you for your support. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Jones Doughton

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

Sunday, March 20 we welcomed Spring 2022. I am writing on the first official days of the season. We have had warmth and cold,  sunshine and rain, fair weather, and foul-and all in just a few days. The days are turning and new seasons are upon us. Currently, we are in the midst of Lent. I want to commend the following prayers to you for Holy Week (April 10-April 17). They come from the Book of Common Worship.

April 10-Palm Sunday: Merciful God, as we enter Holy Week and gather at Your house of prayer, turn our hearts again to Jerusalem, to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that united with Christ and all the faithful we may one day enter in triumph the city not made by human hands, the new Jerusalem, eternal in the heavens, wherewith You and the Holy Spirit, Christ lives in glory forever.

April 11-Monday: Gracious God; Out of Your love and mercy, You breathed into dust the breath of life, creating us to serve You and our neighbors. Call forth our prayers and acts of tenderness, and strengthen us to face our mortality; that we may reach with confidence for Your mercy; in Jesus Christ our Lord.

April 12-Tuesday: Almighty God, Whose Son fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are but did not sin: Give us grace to discipline ourselves in submission to Your Spirit, that as You know our weakness, so we may know Your power to save; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

April 13-Wednesday: God of mercy, You are full of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, and always ready to forgive. Grant us grace to renounce all evil and to cling to Christ, that in every way we may prove to be Your loving children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

April 14-Maundy Thursday: Holy God, source of all love, on the night of His betrayal Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment, to love one another as He loved them. Write this commandment in our hearts; give us the will to serve others as He was the servant of all, Who gave His life and died for us, yet He is alive now and forever.

April 15-Good Friday: Merciful God, You gave Your Son to suffer the shame of the cross. Save us from hardness of heart, that seeing Him who died for us, we may repent, confess our sin, and receive Your overflowing love, to  Jesus Christ our Lord.

April 16-Holy Saturday: Eternal God, in Jesus Christ You have given the light of life to all the world. Sanctify this new fire and inflame us with a desire to shine forth and the brightness of Christ’s rising, until we feast at the banquet of eternal light; through Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness.

April 17-Easter Sunday: Glory to You, O God, Who on this day won victory over death, raising Jesus from the grave and giving us eternal life. Glory to You, O Christ, Who for us and for our salvation overcame death and opened the gate to everlasting life. Glory to You, O Holy Spirit, Who lead us into the truth. Glory to You, O blessed Trinity, now and forever. Amen.

Worship: Will be vibrant in April. We will have a Lent Cantata on April 3. For the first time since 2019, we will have a procession of children, youth, and choir members at both services on Palm Sunday, April 10. The choir will share music at both services. We will observe our traditional Maundy Thursday again in the Fellowship Hall on April 14. We will gather in the sanctuary on April 15 for the Good Friday Service.  On April 17 we will mark Easter. Students from the MISD will share music with their brass instruments. On April 24 the youth will lead us in worship at both services. May 1, Rev. Jim Witherow will lead in worship and celebrate Holy Communion with you all. We will also hear the Jubilate Ringers again.

Christian Education: The Easter Egg Hunt will take place on April 16. Our interim Sunday School format will continue through the late Spring. Our Faith Builders and L.I.F.E Youth have active plans for the spring and early summer. Vacation Bible School will take place June 26-30. The Christian Education Committee is exploring a unique format for Sunday School for Youth and Children over the summer as well. Stay tuned for further updates.

Mission: We continue to exceed our 100 Can Challenge each month. Over 20 people showed up to give blood on March 20. We enjoyed a fellowship meal in March that highlighted some of our mission support. The youth are currently raising the funds to cover the Presbytery Youth Mission Trip. Our youth will join with the youth of at least five other Presbyterian churches. We will stay on the campus of Menaul School. You can learn more about the school at this link:  https://www.menaulschool.org/. We will do needed upkeep repairs during the week of June 12-June 18. Thank you for your continued support.

Fellowship: We have slowly reengaged with fellowship events since October. Mark your calendar now for May 22. We will enjoy lunch after the 11 AM worship service. Events for Faith Builders and the L.I.F.E. Youth will take place in connection with the event. This will be a big day to mark the final countdown to the end of the school year.

Mission Support: Our Spring Clean Day is Saturday, April 9 at 9 AM. This will be a time to tidy up the grounds. Also, we had the land surveyed behind the former manse for sale. Surveyors are in high demand these days. We lined up the survey over two months in advance. We should be able to proceed with the sale in the next few weeks. Finally, Restoration Solutions continues to knock out the last steps on Wilbanks Hall.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Jones Doughton

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

Lent will begin for us on Wednesday, March 2. I want to suggest three strategies for this season: Give Up, Give Out, or Give In. First, there is Give Up. People often give up such things as sweets or caffeine. Some people give up Social   Media. An alternative is to use social media in a very limited way. This could mean one only checks in for birthdays. Some people give up television. Ideally, one uses that as self-discipline and self-reflection.

Second, there is Give Out. I once heard a pastor encourage people to do something for others during this season. These could be acts of service for others. It could be a time to write letters to representatives about policies near and dear to your heart. One person made a list of ten friends. During Lent, this person prayed for each person every day. After Easter, each person got an “I prayed for you during Lent” letter. One person told me that he made a list of people who had helped him along the way. Then, during Lent, he wrote each one a letter thanking him or her for the special investment.            

Third, there is a Give In. This can overlap with the other two I mentioned. By this, I mean that one takes on a special discipline. Instead of spending an hour on Social Media, one prays through a special list. Instead of spending money on soft drinks (or soda as some call it), that money is given to a mission. One can read a book on faith reflections. I can make suggestions for reading material. One can take prayer walks-just a ten-minute stroll on your street or a stroll during lunch break.

As you can see, there is an overlap between these three approaches: Give Up, Give Out, and Give In. I encourage you all to find a path during Lent that involves one or more of these strategies. My hope and prayers are that each path will lead us closer to Jesus Christ.

Worship: We will mark the beginning of Lent with our Ash Wednesday Service on March 2. It will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.  This will be our first such service since 2020.

Christian Education: We continue to offer Sunday School in our transitional format. Faith Builders and the Youth have good spring schedules. You can find their events listed in the newsletter. As we approach Lent, let me ask this question: Are you interested in a short-term mid-week Lenten Study? If the interest is there, I will lead a five-week Lenten Study on the following Wednesdays: March 16, 23, 30, April 6, and 13 at 10 AM. If you are interested, please respond with “yes, I will make that commitment” to the church office. We need at least six people to commit for the group to launch. 

Mission: Our next Blood Mobile will take place on March 13. We continue to exceed our monthly goal with the 100 Can Challenge. Fellowship and Mission will work together on March 20. Our Fellowship Meal will focus on some of the Missions supported by this church. We will have speakers and displays from Sharing Life here in Mesquite; Evergreen, a ministry serving the mentally challenged; and Rev. Rob Leischner of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian-Dallas will speak about the East Dallas Partnership with El Norte Synod in Guatemala. 

Mission Support: As I write these words (on a Wednesday on an Ice Day) we are looking to a completed Christian Education Building and Wilbanks Hall. There remain some punch list items. However, we should be able to use the Fellowship Hall in full soon. Furniture and supplies are ordered. By late spring we should be able to use the building in full. 

We approved the sale of two acres behind the former manse back in October. This land will go to Open Door Baptist. We will use the proceeds for improvements to the buildings and grounds. Presbytery approved the sale in principle. The land will be surveyed on March 22. If the way be clear a contract can be written and signed by the end of April.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Jones Doughton

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

Ground Hog Day is upon us! February 2 is the day where we “learn” if Spring is on the way or if we have six more weeks of Winter. Though February can be a brutal month for us (remember Snow-mageddon?), this month does mark a turn to spring. I could tell a real difference in the morning light during my running days in Virginia. Come February 2 “O Dark 30” was not as dark as it had been. In fact, in some cultures, February 2 marked Spring. For such times and places, February 2 was the day to put away the old of winter and fully embrace the new year.

However, we all know that February is known for the big day in the middle: Valentine’s Day. That leads me every year to the famous “Love Chapter”-I Corinthians 13. I have copied it below this paragraph. I heard a speaker share a great insight about this chapter. The chapter describes love in its ideal state. This chapter also describes God’s love for us. You can read through this passage and insert the phrase “God’s love for me is” when you see the word “love”. “God’s love for me is patient.” “God’s love for us is kind.” “God’s love for First Presbyterian Mesquite bears all things and endures all things”. I encourage you to read through this chapter again with that understanding. Give yourself time to reflect on that truth.

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 

12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

January is behind us it is time to move forward into 2022 full on and full out!

Keep in mind these developments for February and the first weeks of March. For Worship, we will continue our look at Revelation. March 6 will be our First   Sunday in Lent. Ash Wednesday will take place on March 2. There will be a Special Service in the Sanctuary at 6:30 p.m. Christian Education: Sunday School continues in its current format. Faith Builders will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 27. They will have an adult-led photo scavenger hunt around the square in downtown Mesquite. We have set the dates for Vacation Bible School: June 26-June 30. The next Fellowship event will be a dinner on Sunday, February 27. Mission includes the Souper Bowl of Caring on February 13. On that day, please bring a can of food or a dollar (or any amount of money). All proceeds will go to Sharing Life. We have good news on the Mission Support front. It looks like we will have full use of Wilbanks Hall by the end of the month. For other updates-please see my Annual Report in this newsletter.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Jones Doughton

PASTOR’S REPORT FROM THE 2021 ANNUAL REPORTS

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

Greetings, I first spoke at an Annual Dinner on January 28, 2018. I stood perched on a new chapter in the Great State of Texas. That year I had it easy. We simply looked at the 2017 report written by Harry. I also shared a few thoughts for the coming year. Now I stand before you all on January 30, 2022, for my fourth “State of the Church” presentation as we begin our fifth year together.

Two biblical images come to mind as I look back on 2021. First, there is the call of Abraham. The story has a       prologue. First, his father Terah heard the call to leave the great city of Ur and move upriver to Harran. The family faithfully moved to that place. Later, Abraham heard the call to leave Harran, and his familiar culture, to go to The Promised Land.

Second, I think of the Return from Exile. The Return took place over 90 years and as our different groups came to the Promised Land from the Place of Exile in Babylon. Two major projects took place during the Return. They are recorded in the Bible as first, the Rebuilding of the Wall by Nehemiah. That project took place fairly quickly and neatly. The second recorded project was the Building of the Second Temple. We read of the start of the project in Ezra. It took twenty years to complete the project. It took place in fits and starts and for some years nothing took place. The prophet Haggai encouraged the people to finish the work. 

What does this mean for us?

Like Abraham, we have spent time in a Harran, maybe even two or three “Harrans”, over the past two years. We went to shelter in place in 2020. We began to cautiously re-engage in a different setting later that year. That model developed to a new pattern in the middle of 2021. As we enter 2022-we are making some deliberate efforts to move to a new place. In each instance, we were in a faithful place. Then, at the appointed time we made a move. Abraham lived faithfully in Harran. Then, he followed Divine Direction and he went to the Promised Land.

Like the Second Temple, our return to the Promised Land is coming in fits and starts. The ongoing repair work in Wilbanks Hall has taken time. Fellowship events took place in Wilbanks Hall. Then we realized we needed to back off until more work is done. We have begun to make plans for other gatherings-and then we have had to pivot and turn in light of developments. Below are other examples of what we have done and what we hope to accomplish.

Worship: We have transitioned from three services to two in July. We held our traditional Lent/Holy Week series of services. Through technology, we heard the choir sing the Hallelujah Chorus on Easter.  Over this fall the choir returned. We had a Christmas Cantata. Handbells will rise again. The younger disciples have presented special music in January. They will do so again in the late Spring. We plan to have special music at Easter.

Christian Education: The Youth and Faith Builders met during the year. We held a modified Vacation Bible School in August. The youth volunteered each morning at Sharing Life. This July Sunday School returned. As I write these words the Christian Education Committee is making plans for the New Year, among other things.

Mission: We met our Benevolence Goals for the third year in a row. We had exceeded our 100 Can Challenge every month. We continue to sponsor Blood Mobiles. We supported the WARM initiative of Sharing Life. This emergency cold weather shelter housed eighty people during “Snow-mageddon”. The Garage Sale supplemented our benevolences again. We hosted a successful daytime Fall Festival. The Mission Committee has set some impressive goals for the new year.

Fellowship: We fellowshipped again in October at the park in Sunnyvale. We had a wonderful time. The church gathered again in November, under the leadership of the Men’s Council. The Fellowship Committee hosted a gathering after the Christmas Program in December. We plan to have a full slate of gatherings when Wilbanks Hall is finished. The Women’s Retreat will return in March. The Men’s Retreat at Mo-Ranch is on schedule in May.

Mission Support: We had a good response to our Fall Stewardship Campaign. We are poised for a strategic advance in 2023. My vision is to see us re-enter Wilbanks Hall in the next few months. We should close on the sale of the two acres behind the former manse. We will put that money to work. The Property Committee will develop a list of repair and upgrade projects for the year ahead. We will continue to strengthen the support system for this outpost of Mission and Hope on this corner in Mesquite.

The Conclusion: The Temple project continues as we journey to a new Harran. We will establish new or tweak existing patterns. For example, the Session and Deacons returned to meeting separately in January. For eighteen months they had met together in a Joint Officers Meeting. Now they are learning how to meet as single bodies again. In many ways, we at First Presbyterian will learn, yet again, how to respond to our new environment.

Thank you all for your continued support. 

Rev. Dr. E. Jones Doughton

AUGUST NEWSLETTER

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

Greetings!!! After a July sabbatical (hence a June-July issue), our newsletter returns.

We began “Back to Church 2.0” on July 4. We returned to two services. We offer Summer Sunday School. We are mask optional. During the weeks to come we will, if the way be clear, relax the  precautions we have used now for just over a year. During the next several weeks we will begin again in so many ways.

In the meantime-reflect on this: August can be more like a suburb of September rather than a summer month. It is easy to get caught up in back-to-school and the start of related activities. It will take effort to enjoy the gift of this month. I encourage you to take some moments to use August as a summer month. To take time to rest. Take time to remember the past, to re-evaluate your present, and to reflect on the future.

From The Prayers of Peter Marshall:
“Thanksgiving-on a Summer’s Day”

“We give Thee thanks, Lord of heaven and earth, for the promise of summer, for the beauty of this day
-a day that shall ripen grain, that shall provide good things for the table,
that shall make all growing things rejoice, that shall make more sweet the music of the birds,
that shall make more beautiful the gardens which Thou has planted and watered.
We thank Thee for the fertility of the land that encourages us to sow and to plant.
We thank Thee for the dependence of the seasons, for all Thy sustaining providence by which men (and women)
work today and harvest tomorrow. We well know, our Father, that we are not worthy of Thy bounty, but help us to be good stewards of that bounty. We thank Thee for the endless delight of our lives on this lovely earth. Amen.”

Thank you all for your prayers, support, and encouragement.

Jones Doughton

April 2023

Dear First Presbyterian Family, Easter will be upon us in April. We will mark the joy of Palm   Sunday on April 2. We will remember the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, April 6.  We will honor the crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday, April 7. We will celebrate the resurrection on Easter, April 9. There are many faithful ways to approach Holy Week. We can use this time to reflect on the crucifixion. We can focus on God’s love for us. We can lean more deeply into our faith. We can find joy in the victory of resurrection. Music plays a significant role in the way we mark, remember,   honor, and celebrate. Music aids us as we reflect, focus, learn, and find joy in significant milestones of faith. Below are lines of Easter hymns and hymns inspired by moments of Easter for your inspiration. Reflecting on the Crucifixion: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood. Focusing on God’s Love: In Christ Alone In Christ alone my hope is found, is my light, my strength, my song. This Cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm Leaning on Faith: Blessed Assurance This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long. The Joy of the Victory: Crown Him with Many Crowns Crown Him the Lord of Heav’n One with the Father known. One with the Spirit through Him giv’n From yonder glorious throne. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Jones Doughton

FEBRUARY 2023

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

I wrote these words on January 31, 2023. A Wintry Mix has many of us at home. I pray that you all are safe and warm at this time.

I want to share just a few thoughts that come to mind. First, as we are in the midst of a winter storm-pray for those who need to be outside. Please pray for Sharing Life and W.A.R.M-the emergency shelter. Second, as this is the month of love, be sure and pray for family and friends. Maybe this is a time to reconnect with a friend you have not seen. Third, as this is the shortest month of the year, it makes me think of time. Pray for good use of time. Shelter from the cold, connection with friends and loved ones, and good use of time-these are three needs that are on my heart and mind at this time. Take care and see you on Sunday!

 JOIN US FOR 2023 Holy Week

April 2: Palm Sunday

April 6: Maundy Thursday

April 7: Good Friday

April 9: Easter Sunday

We have several Worship highlights in February. We will celebrate Communion on Sunday, February 5 at both services. The choir will present at both services on Sunday, February 12. We will hold our Ash Wednesday Service at 7 PM on February 22.

We will gather again for Fellowship on Sunday, February 26. We will hear a Men’s Choir from an Adult Program of Teen Challenge. This is a Christ-based program of recovery. They will present songs and stories. We will gather again on Sunday, March 19. We will celebrate the Mission of the church as part of our program. Speaking of Mission, we will host a Blood Mobile on March 19. Also, remember, we continue to hold our 100 Can Challenge for each month.

Christian Education continues to take place on Sunday mornings in our Sunday School Classes. Dr. Carol Stephenson will continue to lead a study on Wednesday Night Live February 8 and 15. We will offer a meal on February 22 before the Service. A Lent Study will take place on March 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support,

Jones Doughton

OCTOBER 2022

Please note what we have in store for the months ahead.

For Worship, we will celebrate World Wide Communion Sunday on October 2. We will mark All Saints Day and Reformation Sunday on October 30. November 6 will serve as our Dedication Sunday as well as Communion    Sunday. November 13 we will have a moment for Remembrance Sunday. This will be a time to thank those who have served in the Armed Forces.

We had a good time of Fellowship at our September 18, Lemonade on the Lawn. Our Church Picnic returns on  October 2, at the Town Center Park in Sunnyvale. The Men’s Council will prepare another Thanksgiving Meal on Sunday, November 20. We also can fellowship as we engage in mission and outreach. We will have another opportunity for outreach through Addressing Mesquite Day on October 1. Then, many will be able to give the Gift of Life on October 9, at the Carter BloodCare Mobile Unit. Then, on Saturday, October 29, the Fall Festival will take place under the leadership of Suzanne Ivy.

October 2, also marks two big steps for the congregation. First, the congregation will elect new Church Officers. Please be in prayer for our Elder nominees: Roger Foltz, Linda Fricke, John Kusewitt, Paul Luce, Gina Villafana, and Bennett Doughton (Youth Elder). Those nominated for Deacon: John Futrell, Rodney Graham, Patty Kim, and Alberto   Villafana (Youth Deacon). Our nominee for Trustee:  H. C. (Pete) Allen, Jr.  Also, we will launch our Stewardship Season “The Art of Gratitude” on October 2.

We continue our Discipleship Journey through Christian Education.  Wednesday Night Live will continue through the month. Rev. Doughton will offer Episode Two of his Four Part Holy Land Presentation. The month opens with “Sepphoris”: The City Jesus Never Mentioned…But Must Have Seen.” Brenda Greer will lead the youth and children on a culinary adventure on October 5. November 2 will be the time to prepare the College Care Packages. Our youth will host the Eastminster Presbyterian Youth on October 16. Also, looking ahead, Youth Bell Practice will return Sunday, November 6 at 9:30 AM. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support, Jones Doughton

JUNE / JULY 2022

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

“Summertime and the living is easy.” That song comes to mind as I approach June and the year’s summer block. I also return to that line from Ecclesiastes, “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”    Summer is upon us and the pattern of life changes again.  During June the youth will go on their mission trip with other Grace Presbytery Youth. We will have our Vacation Bible School.

July will be our “Sabbatical Month”. There will be no called meetings for any committees or Church Officers. While I will use some of that time for a family vacation, I also want to use that block to plan, to read, reflect, and prepare for the fall. My prayer is that we will take time this summer to rest truly. May this be a summer of great fun and great rest for you. 

Worship: We will mark Pentecost on June 5. Rev. Krueger will return to preach on June 12. Rev. Doughton will be with the youth on the mission trip. We will look at some of the Beatitudes this summer. After my trip to the Mount of the Beatitudes, I have much to ponder.

Christian Education: Exciting opportunities, Vacation Bible School will take place June 26-30. The Christian Education Committee is also exploring a unique format for Sunday School for Youth and Children over the summer. Rally Day, the Blessing of the Backpacks, and a celebration to kick off the new school year and Church School year will take place in August. 

Mission: We continue to exceed our 100 Can Challenge each month. The youth are currently raising funds to cover the Presbytery Youth Mission Trip. Our youth will join with the youth of at least five other Presbyterian churches. We will stay on the campus of Menaul School. You can learn more about the school at this link:  https://www.menaulschool.org/ We will do needed upkeep repairs during the week of June 12-June 18. Thank you for your continued support.

Fellowship: We have enjoyed many formats for Fellowship over the past several months.  During the summer there will be opportunities to fellowship at VBS. There will also be an after-church social in August to mark the re-opening in full of       Wilbanks Hall and Rally Day.

Mission Support: “Moving Ahead” is our goal for the summer months. The Property Committee has had the sprinklers repaired. We can water the grounds and the foundation again. The committee is looking into better locks for the sanctuary entry. There are other improvement projects on the horizon. Our goal is to complete the final punch list items for Wilbanks Hall by the end of July.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Jones Doughton

Sermon Schedule:

June 5: “Power”, Acts 2:1-8; Pentecost

June 12: Guest Preacher, Rev. Craig Krueger

June 19: “The Poor in Spirit”, Matthew 5:3

June 26: “Those Who Mourn”, Matthew 5:4

July 3: “The Peacemakers” Matthew 5:9

July 10: “The Little People”, Matthew 5:5

July 17: “Those Who Hunger and Thirst”, Matthew 5:6

July 24: Guest Preacher, Rev. Craig Krueger

July 31: Guest Preacher, Rev. Craig Krueger

May 2022

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

By the time this article goes to print, I will be in the Holy Land. This trip is part of a three-year Learning Cohort. The sponsoring ministry is now called The Ministry Collaborative  https://mministry.org/. Back in 2018, I learned that a friend nominated me to participate. These ministerial learning cohorts gather ministers from different backgrounds, perspectives, and denominations to learn in a group setting over three years. We began in 2019 and we planned to take this trip in the spring of 2020. Since the pandemic began we met by Zoom until December 2021. Since then we have met by Zoom or in person based on the current status of the pandemic. This trip will now be part of our conclusion.

We will fly out of Dallas/Fort Worth on Monday, April 25. We will return on Saturday, May 7. Our trip will take us to Tel Aviv, the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and      Jerusalem. It will take some time to fully process all that will have taken place. After a season of reflection, there will be much to tell.

As we enter May I reflect on the past four months. We have returned to more typical worship services for Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. We have continued to ease back into regular Fellowship Gatherings. We continue to plan more regular events for Christian Education. Our Easter Egg Hunt not only ministered to our children, but we were also able to reach out to the community. I saw Easter Sunday as a celebration on many levels. We have restored much to our lives as a church family. Now we can reinvent. The next several months should be very exciting indeed. See you all on May 8! 

Worship will be diverse in May. Rev. Jim Witherow will lead in worship and celebrate Holy Communion with you all on May 1. The Jubilate Ringers will present special music again. The Confirmands will join the church on May 8. We will honor our Seniors on May 15. Our traditional “Memorial Day Service” will take place on May 22. Rev. Craig Krueger will return to the pulpit on May 29. We will mark Pentecost on June 5. Rev. Krueger will return to preach on June 12. Rev. Doughton will be with the youth on the mission trip.  

Christian Education: Our Faith Builders and L.I.F.E Youth have active plans for the spring and early summer. Both groups plan for some “End of School Year Fun” during the May 22 fellowship event. Vacation Bible School will take place June 26-30. The Christian Education Committee is exploring a unique format for Sunday School for Youth and Children over the summer as well. Stay tuned for further updates.

Mission: We continue to exceed our 100 Can Challenge each month. The youth are currently raising the funds to cover the Presbytery Youth Mission Trip. Our youth will join with the youth of at least five other Presbyterian churches. We will stay on the campus of Menaul School. You can learn more about the school at this link: https://www.menaulschool.org/ . We will do needed upkeep repairs during the week of June 12-June 18. Thank you for your continued support.

Fellowship: Mark your calendar now for May 22. We will enjoy lunch after the 11 AM worship service. Events for Faith Builders and the L.I.F.E. Youth will take place in connection with the event. This will be a big day to mark the final countdown to the end of the school year.

Mission Support: “How many Presbyterians does it take to change a light bulb?” As you can see from the pictures, we had a “committee” to oversee a new light bulb in the steeple. Our Spring Clean Day on Saturday, April 9 went well. Restoration Solutions continues to knock out the last steps on Wilbanks Hall. Again-thank you for your support. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Jones Doughton

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

Sunday, March 20 we welcomed Spring 2022. I am writing on the first official days of the season. We have had warmth and cold,  sunshine and rain, fair weather, and foul-and all in just a few days. The days are turning and new seasons are upon us. Currently, we are in the midst of Lent. I want to commend the following prayers to you for Holy Week (April 10-April 17). They come from the Book of Common Worship.

April 10-Palm Sunday: Merciful God, as we enter Holy Week and gather at Your house of prayer, turn our hearts again to Jerusalem, to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that united with Christ and all the faithful we may one day enter in triumph the city not made by human hands, the new Jerusalem, eternal in the heavens, wherewith You and the Holy Spirit, Christ lives in glory forever.

April 11-Monday: Gracious God; Out of Your love and mercy, You breathed into dust the breath of life, creating us to serve You and our neighbors. Call forth our prayers and acts of tenderness, and strengthen us to face our mortality; that we may reach with confidence for Your mercy; in Jesus Christ our Lord.

April 12-Tuesday: Almighty God, Whose Son fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are but did not sin: Give us grace to discipline ourselves in submission to Your Spirit, that as You know our weakness, so we may know Your power to save; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

April 13-Wednesday: God of mercy, You are full of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, and always ready to forgive. Grant us grace to renounce all evil and to cling to Christ, that in every way we may prove to be Your loving children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

April 14-Maundy Thursday: Holy God, source of all love, on the night of His betrayal Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment, to love one another as He loved them. Write this commandment in our hearts; give us the will to serve others as He was the servant of all, Who gave His life and died for us, yet He is alive now and forever.

April 15-Good Friday: Merciful God, You gave Your Son to suffer the shame of the cross. Save us from hardness of heart, that seeing Him who died for us, we may repent, confess our sin, and receive Your overflowing love, to  Jesus Christ our Lord.

April 16-Holy Saturday: Eternal God, in Jesus Christ You have given the light of life to all the world. Sanctify this new fire and inflame us with a desire to shine forth and the brightness of Christ’s rising, until we feast at the banquet of eternal light; through Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness.

April 17-Easter Sunday: Glory to You, O God, Who on this day won victory over death, raising Jesus from the grave and giving us eternal life. Glory to You, O Christ, Who for us and for our salvation overcame death and opened the gate to everlasting life. Glory to You, O Holy Spirit, Who lead us into the truth. Glory to You, O blessed Trinity, now and forever. Amen.

Worship: Will be vibrant in April. We will have a Lent Cantata on April 3. For the first time since 2019, we will have a procession of children, youth, and choir members at both services on Palm Sunday, April 10. The choir will share music at both services. We will observe our traditional Maundy Thursday again in the Fellowship Hall on April 14. We will gather in the sanctuary on April 15 for the Good Friday Service.  On April 17 we will mark Easter. Students from the MISD will share music with their brass instruments. On April 24 the youth will lead us in worship at both services. May 1, Rev. Jim Witherow will lead in worship and celebrate Holy Communion with you all. We will also hear the Jubilate Ringers again.

Christian Education: The Easter Egg Hunt will take place on April 16. Our interim Sunday School format will continue through the late Spring. Our Faith Builders and L.I.F.E Youth have active plans for the spring and early summer. Vacation Bible School will take place June 26-30. The Christian Education Committee is exploring a unique format for Sunday School for Youth and Children over the summer as well. Stay tuned for further updates.

Mission: We continue to exceed our 100 Can Challenge each month. Over 20 people showed up to give blood on March 20. We enjoyed a fellowship meal in March that highlighted some of our mission support. The youth are currently raising the funds to cover the Presbytery Youth Mission Trip. Our youth will join with the youth of at least five other Presbyterian churches. We will stay on the campus of Menaul School. You can learn more about the school at this link:  https://www.menaulschool.org/. We will do needed upkeep repairs during the week of June 12-June 18. Thank you for your continued support.

Fellowship: We have slowly reengaged with fellowship events since October. Mark your calendar now for May 22. We will enjoy lunch after the 11 AM worship service. Events for Faith Builders and the L.I.F.E. Youth will take place in connection with the event. This will be a big day to mark the final countdown to the end of the school year.

Mission Support: Our Spring Clean Day is Saturday, April 9 at 9 AM. This will be a time to tidy up the grounds. Also, we had the land surveyed behind the former manse for sale. Surveyors are in high demand these days. We lined up the survey over two months in advance. We should be able to proceed with the sale in the next few weeks. Finally, Restoration Solutions continues to knock out the last steps on Wilbanks Hall.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Jones Doughton

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

Lent will begin for us on Wednesday, March 2. I want to suggest three strategies for this season: Give Up, Give Out, or Give In. First, there is Give Up. People often give up such things as sweets or caffeine. Some people give up Social   Media. An alternative is to use social media in a very limited way. This could mean one only checks in for birthdays. Some people give up television. Ideally, one uses that as self-discipline and self-reflection.

Second, there is Give Out. I once heard a pastor encourage people to do something for others during this season. These could be acts of service for others. It could be a time to write letters to representatives about policies near and dear to your heart. One person made a list of ten friends. During Lent, this person prayed for each person every day. After Easter, each person got an “I prayed for you during Lent” letter. One person told me that he made a list of people who had helped him along the way. Then, during Lent, he wrote each one a letter thanking him or her for the special investment.            

Third, there is a Give In. This can overlap with the other two I mentioned. By this, I mean that one takes on a special discipline. Instead of spending an hour on Social Media, one prays through a special list. Instead of spending money on soft drinks (or soda as some call it), that money is given to a mission. One can read a book on faith reflections. I can make suggestions for reading material. One can take prayer walks-just a ten-minute stroll on your street or a stroll during lunch break.

As you can see, there is an overlap between these three approaches: Give Up, Give Out, and Give In. I encourage you all to find a path during Lent that involves one or more of these strategies. My hope and prayers are that each path will lead us closer to Jesus Christ.

Worship: We will mark the beginning of Lent with our Ash Wednesday Service on March 2. It will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.  This will be our first such service since 2020.

Christian Education: We continue to offer Sunday School in our transitional format. Faith Builders and the Youth have good spring schedules. You can find their events listed in the newsletter. As we approach Lent, let me ask this question: Are you interested in a short-term mid-week Lenten Study? If the interest is there, I will lead a five-week Lenten Study on the following Wednesdays: March 16, 23, 30, April 6, and 13 at 10 AM. If you are interested, please respond with “yes, I will make that commitment” to the church office. We need at least six people to commit for the group to launch. 

Mission: Our next Blood Mobile will take place on March 13. We continue to exceed our monthly goal with the 100 Can Challenge. Fellowship and Mission will work together on March 20. Our Fellowship Meal will focus on some of the Missions supported by this church. We will have speakers and displays from Sharing Life here in Mesquite; Evergreen, a ministry serving the mentally challenged; and Rev. Rob Leischner of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian-Dallas will speak about the East Dallas Partnership with El Norte Synod in Guatemala. 

Mission Support: As I write these words (on a Wednesday on an Ice Day) we are looking to a completed Christian Education Building and Wilbanks Hall. There remain some punch list items. However, we should be able to use the Fellowship Hall in full soon. Furniture and supplies are ordered. By late spring we should be able to use the building in full. 

We approved the sale of two acres behind the former manse back in October. This land will go to Open Door Baptist. We will use the proceeds for improvements to the buildings and grounds. Presbytery approved the sale in principle. The land will be surveyed on March 22. If the way be clear a contract can be written and signed by the end of April.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Jones Doughton

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

Ground Hog Day is upon us! February 2 is the day where we “learn” if Spring is on the way or if we have six more weeks of Winter. Though February can be a brutal month for us (remember Snow-mageddon?), this month does mark a turn to spring. I could tell a real difference in the morning light during my running days in Virginia. Come February 2 “O Dark 30” was not as dark as it had been. In fact, in some cultures, February 2 marked Spring. For such times and places, February 2 was the day to put away the old of winter and fully embrace the new year.

However, we all know that February is known for the big day in the middle: Valentine’s Day. That leads me every year to the famous “Love Chapter”-I Corinthians 13. I have copied it below this paragraph. I heard a speaker share a great insight about this chapter. The chapter describes love in its ideal state. This chapter also describes God’s love for us. You can read through this passage and insert the phrase “God’s love for me is” when you see the word “love”. “God’s love for me is patient.” “God’s love for us is kind.” “God’s love for First Presbyterian Mesquite bears all things and endures all things”. I encourage you to read through this chapter again with that understanding. Give yourself time to reflect on that truth.

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 

12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

January is behind us it is time to move forward into 2022 full on and full out!

Keep in mind these developments for February and the first weeks of March. For Worship, we will continue our look at Revelation. March 6 will be our First   Sunday in Lent. Ash Wednesday will take place on March 2. There will be a Special Service in the Sanctuary at 6:30 p.m. Christian Education: Sunday School continues in its current format. Faith Builders will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 27. They will have an adult-led photo scavenger hunt around the square in downtown Mesquite. We have set the dates for Vacation Bible School: June 26-June 30. The next Fellowship event will be a dinner on Sunday, February 27. Mission includes the Souper Bowl of Caring on February 13. On that day, please bring a can of food or a dollar (or any amount of money). All proceeds will go to Sharing Life. We have good news on the Mission Support front. It looks like we will have full use of Wilbanks Hall by the end of the month. For other updates-please see my Annual Report in this newsletter.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Jones Doughton

PASTOR’S REPORT FROM THE 2021 ANNUAL REPORTS

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

Greetings, I first spoke at an Annual Dinner on January 28, 2018. I stood perched on a new chapter in the Great State of Texas. That year I had it easy. We simply looked at the 2017 report written by Harry. I also shared a few thoughts for the coming year. Now I stand before you all on January 30, 2022, for my fourth “State of the Church” presentation as we begin our fifth year together.

Two biblical images come to mind as I look back on 2021. First, there is the call of Abraham. The story has a       prologue. First, his father Terah heard the call to leave the great city of Ur and move upriver to Harran. The family faithfully moved to that place. Later, Abraham heard the call to leave Harran, and his familiar culture, to go to The Promised Land.

Second, I think of the Return from Exile. The Return took place over 90 years and as our different groups came to the Promised Land from the Place of Exile in Babylon. Two major projects took place during the Return. They are recorded in the Bible as first, the Rebuilding of the Wall by Nehemiah. That project took place fairly quickly and neatly. The second recorded project was the Building of the Second Temple. We read of the start of the project in Ezra. It took twenty years to complete the project. It took place in fits and starts and for some years nothing took place. The prophet Haggai encouraged the people to finish the work. 

What does this mean for us?

Like Abraham, we have spent time in a Harran, maybe even two or three “Harrans”, over the past two years. We went to shelter in place in 2020. We began to cautiously re-engage in a different setting later that year. That model developed to a new pattern in the middle of 2021. As we enter 2022-we are making some deliberate efforts to move to a new place. In each instance, we were in a faithful place. Then, at the appointed time we made a move. Abraham lived faithfully in Harran. Then, he followed Divine Direction and he went to the Promised Land.

Like the Second Temple, our return to the Promised Land is coming in fits and starts. The ongoing repair work in Wilbanks Hall has taken time. Fellowship events took place in Wilbanks Hall. Then we realized we needed to back off until more work is done. We have begun to make plans for other gatherings-and then we have had to pivot and turn in light of developments. Below are other examples of what we have done and what we hope to accomplish.

Worship: We have transitioned from three services to two in July. We held our traditional Lent/Holy Week series of services. Through technology, we heard the choir sing the Hallelujah Chorus on Easter.  Over this fall the choir returned. We had a Christmas Cantata. Handbells will rise again. The younger disciples have presented special music in January. They will do so again in the late Spring. We plan to have special music at Easter.

Christian Education: The Youth and Faith Builders met during the year. We held a modified Vacation Bible School in August. The youth volunteered each morning at Sharing Life. This July Sunday School returned. As I write these words the Christian Education Committee is making plans for the New Year, among other things.

Mission: We met our Benevolence Goals for the third year in a row. We had exceeded our 100 Can Challenge every month. We continue to sponsor Blood Mobiles. We supported the WARM initiative of Sharing Life. This emergency cold weather shelter housed eighty people during “Snow-mageddon”. The Garage Sale supplemented our benevolences again. We hosted a successful daytime Fall Festival. The Mission Committee has set some impressive goals for the new year.

Fellowship: We fellowshipped again in October at the park in Sunnyvale. We had a wonderful time. The church gathered again in November, under the leadership of the Men’s Council. The Fellowship Committee hosted a gathering after the Christmas Program in December. We plan to have a full slate of gatherings when Wilbanks Hall is finished. The Women’s Retreat will return in March. The Men’s Retreat at Mo-Ranch is on schedule in May.

Mission Support: We had a good response to our Fall Stewardship Campaign. We are poised for a strategic advance in 2023. My vision is to see us re-enter Wilbanks Hall in the next few months. We should close on the sale of the two acres behind the former manse. We will put that money to work. The Property Committee will develop a list of repair and upgrade projects for the year ahead. We will continue to strengthen the support system for this outpost of Mission and Hope on this corner in Mesquite.

The Conclusion: The Temple project continues as we journey to a new Harran. We will establish new or tweak existing patterns. For example, the Session and Deacons returned to meeting separately in January. For eighteen months they had met together in a Joint Officers Meeting. Now they are learning how to meet as single bodies again. In many ways, we at First Presbyterian will learn, yet again, how to respond to our new environment.

Thank you all for your continued support. 

Rev. Dr. E. Jones Doughton

AUGUST NEWSLETTER

Dear First Presbyterian Family,

Greetings!!! After a July sabbatical (hence a June-July issue), our newsletter returns.

We began “Back to Church 2.0” on July 4. We returned to two services. We offer Summer Sunday School. We are mask optional. During the weeks to come we will, if the way be clear, relax the  precautions we have used now for just over a year. During the next several weeks we will begin again in so many ways.

In the meantime-reflect on this: August can be more like a suburb of September rather than a summer month. It is easy to get caught up in back-to-school and the start of related activities. It will take effort to enjoy the gift of this month. I encourage you to take some moments to use August as a summer month. To take time to rest. Take time to remember the past, to re-evaluate your present, and to reflect on the future.

From The Prayers of Peter Marshall:
“Thanksgiving-on a Summer’s Day”

“We give Thee thanks, Lord of heaven and earth, for the promise of summer, for the beauty of this day
-a day that shall ripen grain, that shall provide good things for the table,
that shall make all growing things rejoice, that shall make more sweet the music of the birds,
that shall make more beautiful the gardens which Thou has planted and watered.
We thank Thee for the fertility of the land that encourages us to sow and to plant.
We thank Thee for the dependence of the seasons, for all Thy sustaining providence by which men (and women)
work today and harvest tomorrow. We well know, our Father, that we are not worthy of Thy bounty, but help us to be good stewards of that bounty. We thank Thee for the endless delight of our lives on this lovely earth. Amen.”

Thank you all for your prayers, support, and encouragement.

Jones Doughton