Give Back . Make an impact 2014 A Publication of First Pres
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Dear Friends, We are excited to share this year’s commitment message with you. It’s really about the stories we hear from people around us. Think of the people and relationships that called you to First Pres. Do you remember how God touched your life, maybe for the first time, through First Pres? Now imagine the rest of the story as we partner together in the year ahead To prepare all generations To IMPACT lives for Christ. The stories throughout First Pres tell of our loving God nurturing us together so we can venture out and share His love with a world in need. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says to his disciples: Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. — John 14:12 This promise is given by Jesus to all who follow Him. It encourages us to believe in our potential to impact lives for Christ. The pages of this magazine show you just 20 ways out of the hundreds of ways that First Pres impacts our city and world. In some stories the impact is obvious—we provide shelter to homeless families several times in a year. In others, the impact is personal; it is about living out our relationship with God and the impact that comes through our faith journey. We hope these stories fill you with wonder as you learn more about God’s love reaching out to people in our city and beyond through the life of First Pres. It’s our prayer that these stories inspire you to extend the impact of First Pres ministries in new and innovative ways. Please pray with us that Jesus impacts our lives to offer a greater gift to First Pres and that our gifts expand our church vision in 2014. We look forward to your prayerful commitment on October 20th. Thank you for all you do in service to our Lord and Savior and for your commitment in faith to our First Pres community. Peace and blessings,
Jim Martin Stewardship Committee Co-Chair
Mike Albright Stewardship Committee Co-Chair
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen — Ephesians 3:20-21
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things we love about First Pres and the impact they have on all of us!
oof things we love about First Pres. It’s our home, our community, our refuge in the storm. We hope that something
nly 20 things we love about First Pres? Ridiculous, isn’t it, to even think there would only be 20! There are hundreds
below would be in your personal 20 things you love about First Pres. Consider this list for a start and then add your 20 on the First Pres Facebook page. We look forward to reading yours!
Praise His Holy Name We love worship at First Pres. Whether it is a blended traditional service of worship or the contemporary format on Sundays, we love to worship. We worship at different times and in different places. On Sunday mornings at 10:15 a.m. join 20 residents of the Inn at Garden Plaza as they gather to watch our worship services on DVD. At 9:45 a.m. join our high school ministry in the Aspen Room. There are 300 people on our Livestream broadcast each week and 1,200 people turn on the radio to KGFT 100.7 to listen to the Sermon from the week before. At lunch on Thursdays you can find a respite from the day in our Oasis service. On the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, join our Young Adults in worship at 225. Every day during Holy Week we engage in the act of worship. We engage in worship for health and healing once a quarter. Don’t forget Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday when more than 5,000 people come to First Pres to worship our Lord. How many acts of worship is that in a year? More than 200,000. What is the impact of that? Only God knows!
“Here am I. Send me!” Did you know that there are 2,300 volunteers working with 21 partners in local mission activities in a year?
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What activity takes up the Survey Says entire building once a week? “Sunday Communities!” On Sunday mornings, every room in all our buildings are in use. We even rent two rooms at the YMCA and there are two groups meeting at 225 N Weber Street. We love our Sunday Communities. These are the places where we spend time in the Word. Where we have celebrated and cried over our children and grandchildren, met our spouses, supported each other with casseroles and friendly shoulders. There are 20 Adult Sunday Communities to choose from. If you would rather teach Sunday School, more than 150 volunteers can be found in our preschool, elementary, middle and high school ministries. A vital part of the First Pres family, there is a place for you on Sunday mornings! “We read to know we are not alone”- C.S. Lewis There are 96 books in our First Pres Library written by C.S. Lewis. And 13,256 more books lovingly cared for by 20 volunteers under the leadership of Janet Wilcox. The First Pres Library is open every day. We have everything from Mere Christianity to Calvin’s Commentaries. Our children’s section is great with children’s Bibles and Bible stories as well as titles for our pre-teens and teens. For parents raising children, check out our annex in the Weber Street Center. The library also has great materials and DVDs for homeschooling families. If you need a quiet place to read and hear God’s Word in your life, the First Pres Library is your spot.
Our cup o’ Joe! Two months from celebrating its second anniversary, Café 225 is hitting its stride. “What’s not to love? Café 225 is one of the few coffee shops in town where you can sit, talk, bring your toddler, access WiFi, find a quiet spot or a vibrant conversation, all with a great cup of coffee. It is now the place of choice for many who work, minister and live in downtown,” says General Manager Reneé Brown. Café 225 now provides office space for fledgling entrepreneurs and churches. The second floor of the Café is currently home to two new churches, New Life Downtown and Passion City, a Web design company, a radio company broadcasting the Gospel and an entrepreneur in the Fair Trade space. During the week, find Young Life on Mondays, Worship for young adults on Tuesdays twice a month, on Wednesdays, First Pres GTW, Restoring Hope service of worship on Thursdays, local musicians and other gathering events on Fridays. You might find a wedding or a seminar there on Saturdays. Sundays, Café 225 is home to the Anchor Sunday Community in the morning and Passion City Church service of worship in the afternoon. Regular hours are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop by for coffee or a salad or sandwich for lunch and witness meetings, moms gathering after MOPS, local pastors meeting with members of their congregations, non-profits meeting in the Board Room and even business people having lunch. The impact? A casual third place, firmly in current culture, connecting people to Jesus.
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things we love
God is our
refuge and our strength Most of us know that the Weber Street Center, or Weber Street as we affectionately refer to it, houses our Student Ministries, serving students, 5th to 12th grade and their families. Weber Street is a busy place and this last 12 months has been even busier than usual. Weber Street is also a Red Cross Shelter when the city is in need of a place for people to find refuge. The Red Cross activated Weber Street two times this past two months and put on standby a dozen times due to the floods from the Waldo Canyon Burn Scar into Manitou Springs. If the Red Cross needs to open Weber Street, the call is placed to First Pres and the First Pres Response Team led by local missions associate, Michelle Swanson. With 35 trained volunteers, our shelter is open day or night depending upon the needs of the city.
Home away from the Street
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Weber Street is not the only place at First Pres that provides refuge from life’s storms. First Pres hosts homeless families four times a year on the third floor of the main First Pres buildings. More than 200 First Pres volunteers provide laundry, food, stay overnight, mentoring, a friendly listening ear and minister to these families who are trying to return to self-sufficiency.
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I was a stranger and you invited me in. More than 1,300 visitors make their way to First Pres in a year. Our faithful volunteers at Guest Central are there to meet with each and every one of them. “We welcome any person who comes to First Pres who is looking for a friendly face, a place to connect and an anchor in this busy and big place on a Sunday morning. Whether they need to find our Nursery, a Sunday Community, a cup of coffee or are in need of prayer, we are here to help,” says Belle Brown, regular volunteer after the 8:20 a.m. service. “It’s a thrill to meet people, see where they come from and how they make their way to our community.”
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Small Communities There are many small communities at First Pres. They meet in coffee shops, homes and at the church. They meet for fellowship, to knit, to study the Bible and to find friendship. Form your small community today and see where God leads you! Will you pray for me? There are three prayer walls in the Weber Street Center filled with more than 100 prayer needs. These are our students, our youth who are in need of an older adult to take their heartfelt longing, pray over it and offer it to our Lord. Dana Pollitt regularly takes these prayer requests and prays over them. Dana asks, “Are you called to impact these students’ lives by praying specifically for their life journey?”
ABCs! 90 preschoolers and their families showed up in September at the First Pres Preschool to learn the ABCs of education and their faith. Singing songs, being kind, learning to read or simply playing in the sand box, this school provides great basic fundamentals for success in Kindergarten. Lifeline Six years ago a young woman named Joy and her two children walked into our 5 p.m. service of worship. Obviously battered and in need of help, First Pres met her right where she was. Within days, her youngest started Preschool at Get Set. Joy started working in our Nursery and her eldest child was back in elementary school. This family of three precious souls, stayed with us until they were able to put funds and courage together to get to family back East. Get Set was her lifeline and her support through this transition time. Get Set is in its 44th year! And every year it continues to bless 37 preschoolers and their families and the 90 volunteers that come alongside these children. From families that can’t afford the costs of a traditional preschool program, Get Set’s goal is to provide a solid preschool education and an opportunity for kids get to know their best friend for life — Jesus.
A break for Moms & Dads! Recently renamed Parent’s Morning Out, our First Pres Nursery provides stay-at-home Moms and Dads a couple of hours to run errands, visit with a friend and attend Bible study. Parents’ Morning Out is available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
14. Teen
Moms
working
it out Young Lives, a ministry of Young Life, offers teen moms friendship, parenting advice, mentorship and, most importantly, hope. This ministry meets weekly in the Weber Street Center and is a refuge in the storm for these teen moms.
Something Significant for Christmas Our favorite Christmas Catalog is Something Significant for Christmas compiled every year by our Missions Ministries. For the couple that has everything, you can gift a ministry instead. Whether it’s a bus pass for a recently arriving refugee in Colorado Springs, Alpha Marriage Course for Cuban pastors, Mission Medical, local outreach to foster families, supporting the seminary education of future pastors in Mongolia, among many, many other options. This is a very special catalog. Impact? Priceless. www.first-pres.org | 7
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Keeping Christ in Christmas! More than 3,500 people attend Christmas Joy every year. The concert features our own Big Blue and musical artists from around the country. This is the First Pres gift to our community — a great celebration of the Faith.
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Neither snow nor rain nor
heat nor gloom
of night . . . . Where would we be on a Sunday morning or when we have large events without our Parking Ministry. This faithful group in their yellow vests is there every Sunday, rain or shine, directing us in and out of the parking lots.
The Grilled Cheese The First Pres signature dish. More than 600 sandwiches served weekly to 500 Palmer High School Students by a dozen First Pres volunteers. Impact? “I love being around this vibrant group of young people, keeping Jesus alive for them,” says five-year grilled cheese veteran, Dave Patton.
Our High School ministries Did you know you pour more than 12,000 volunteer hours into our 5th to 12th grade youth in a year. Thank you! Check out the event schedule www.first-pres.org/students or follow on Facebook.
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For we are co-workers
in God’s service; you are
God’s field, God’s building. We are God’s building and we find our home in two city blocks of bricks, concrete and mortar. It’s our church, our corner from which we have launched ministry to this city and the world for more than 140-years. On Sundays, every one of our 70 rooms is filled with the sounds of children learning songs, teens in Bible study, coffee in the plaza, more than 2,200 people in Worship and 20 Sunday Schools absorbed in study. It is home to 122 full and part-time devoted ministry staff doing the work in the field with this congregation. We host 22 different support groups from AA to Al Anon, Parkinson’s and Alzheimers, to name a few. Every day you find teenagers finding a place to hang out after school. There are children’s choirs, handbells, tax preparation classes for the AARP, English classes for US State Department-sponsored refugees. There are women’s and men’s Bible studies. Bible studies for working folks, stay at home folks and young mothers. There are events of all kinds, mission meetings, planning and ministry development meetings, brainstorming meetings and spiritual formation meetings. There are grief workshops and programs to help folks through the holidays. There are kick-off Sundays, seminars, workshops, brass bands, prayer meetings, plays and the creative arts. It’s God’s representative on earth, and the church and its buildings can’t be ignored. It’s here we learn about Christ, learn the stories of the Bible, find friends and future spouses. It’s here that we celebrate lives well-lived for Christ through memorial services and it’s here that we celebrate infant baptism. Our little corner of concrete in this world means everything to us. Ministry starts here!
“ Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6:9
W
hen Jesus looked upon the hungry, weary crowd He had compassion on them, multiplying a simple offering until all were fed with plenty left over. It is only in the Gospel of John that we learn this miracle started with a boy. A child. The least of these. An insignificant member of culture in Jesus’ day. It was a small boy who provided the loaves and fish to feed so many on the lakeside. This small boy who gave what he had to Jesus. What can we learn from the Gospel writer John in this story? Is it faith? Is it trust? Is it that our God is all powerful and if we would just lean into Him, experience the greatness of the God who we follow, all things are possible? Is it that every person, every child can make a difference in God’s Kingdom? Is it that God, the King of the Universe, has chosen in His economy to use our humble offerings to extend His reign and demonstrate His love? Every person, from the youngest to the oldest, brings gifts to God. As we head into our ministry planning for next year, 2014, we ask if we can trust in the Lord’s provision for First Pres? The answer has to be a resounding yes, for we are a community of great faith.
All that you have read in the previous pages, is just a tiny fraction of all the things First Pres impacts in the name of Jesus in any given week. There is still more work to be done. There are more people to bring to Christ, more families to heal, more children to teach, more youth to engage in a life well-lived, more young adults desperate for real connection in our disconnected society. There are more students to send to seminary, more mission trips to help real suffering, more water to clean, more Compassion kids to support. There is more work to be done in the City of Colorado Springs, more youth to get off the streets, more homebound to visit, more elderly to comfort, more justice to be done, more people to serve. We do this in the name of our Lord. And to it all, we say. “Yes, Lord.” Draw us into more of Yourself and more of Your work in this world. Help us to lean into You. Our goals this year are two: To raise $6,500,000 to support ministry in 2014; and for every person who regularly attends First Pres to participate in the ministry of First Pres. Is God calling you? Every extra hour served, every prayer, every thank you, every hug, kind word, invitation to church, extra meal made and every dollar lovingly given extends the ministry of First Pres. As the Psalmist says, “God, We praise you because we are fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, and we know that full well.” God made us wonderfully and He asks us to give in faith. One fish, one loaf, a thousand fish. Whether it’s your first year giving or a life-time of giving. Answer the Call. Lean in. We may be amazed at what the Lord does when we simply lay what we have at His feet.
And to it all, we say, “Yes, Lord.” Draw us into more of yourself and more of your work in this world. Help us to lean into You.
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comm i tment
in
Fai th 2014
Let’s celebrate just for a moment! For 141 years, the First Pres family has faithfully served this City of Colorado Springs. As we approach Commitment Sunday, it is exciting to think about next year and the impact this community of faith will have in the name of Jesus. New Commitment in Faith Card! Opposite is a picture of our new Commitment in Faith Card. It looks different and this year you can do some different things too. There are three different ways to let First Pres know your Commitment in Faith for 2014. 1. Commitment in Faith Card In this magazine, find your Commitment in Faith Card, return envelope and an instruction card. Follow the instructions and return your card in the mail or bring to the First Pres Commitment Sunday Celebration on Sunday, October 20, 2013. 2. Complete your Commitment in Faith online Complete your commitment online by either: • Go to www.first-pres.org/commitment and complete the online version of your Commitment in Faith Card. • Go to https://giving.first-pres.org to set up recurring or one time gifts using a credit or debit card. By setting up a profile in this secure website, you can check your giving statement 24/7 and maintain all of your First Pres giving information and instructions at your fingertips. 3. Directed Giving This year, designate 10 percent of the total of your annual gift to up to five different ministries areas. Future Generations. Supports ministry development and activities focused on children and youth, aged infant to 22 years old. Mission. Supports outreach activities both locally and globally. Worship. Supports development of worship activity including associated communications technologies such as video, Livestream and worship arts. Discipleship. Supports adult ministry development and transformation including materials, conferences, books and teaching. Buildings & Infrastructure. Adds to the Capital Reserve Fund to provide monies for future infrastructure repair and replacement.
Check one box and 10 percent of your Commitment goes to that one area. Check more than one box, 10 percent of your Commitment will be split equally between the areas you checked. First Pres thanks you for all the years you have supported the ministry of this church family. We thank you for your prayerful consideration of how you will support the ministry for next year whether this is the first time you will gift this amazing ministry, or a reflection of a lifetime of support. Thank you!
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comm i tment
in
Fai th Card 2014
Complete the reverse side, provide phone number and we will contact you.
Total gift for the year
Designate how often you will give
Will you help First Pres make a huge impact for Christ? Yes, I will support God’s work through First Pres to make an impact. $__________ per week
$__________ per month
$__________ per quarter = $__________ total annually
I would like to serve in the Church, please help me find a place to serve. Yes, I direct 10% of my commitment above to specifically support: Future Generations
Mission
Worship
Discipleship
Buildings and Infrastructure
Signed: ___________________________________ Print name ______________________________ Continue over
Thank you, too, to those who give to First Pres throughout the year. Visit www.first-pres.org/commitment to submit your commitment in faith online Visit https://giving.first-pres.org to set up your regular giving online All financial commitments are confidential and may be adjusted if unforeseen circumstances arise.
Check the box. 10 percent of your total gift will go to the area you select. If you check more than one, we will split your 10 percent evenly between your choices.
To set up recurring giving
To fill out a commitment card online
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