M o n t h l y N e w s f r o m F P C Ty l e r • Vo l u m e 1 0 , I s s u e 2 : F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 5
A Congregation of Priests By the Rev. Dr. Stuart Baskin As most of you know, over the last three years we have been in the process of changing our governing structure. Whereas we used to have a session of 25 elders, we now have 12. And where we used to have a board of deacons of 24, now we have a 6-member board and 8 individually commissioned deacons. I have written about this change a number of times, and we have talked about it during our annual meetings, so I won’t go into detail about the new structure itself. (If you would like more information, you can find the Report of the Governance Task Force from November 2013 online at www. fpctyler.com/resources, or you may contact Robyn Files, any of our elders, or myself.) Now that our new structure is fully in place our work is not done, but we move into a new, more exciting phase of work. The promise of our new sys-
in this issue |
highlights
&
tem is that less time and energy will go into the task of governing, and more time and energy can go into handson ministry. But therein also lies the peril. What will we do with this newfound resource of time and energy? I am convinced that everyone in the church has a ministry to offer. And I know that everyone in the church has needs that the church can fill. Perhaps it’s help with becoming better parents. Or perhaps it’s help learning how to cope with aging parents who have to rely on adult children for care. Or perhaps it’s help with coming to terms with being widowed after many years of marriage. These and many other needs are present among the members of our church. At the same time, we have the human resources to meet many of these needs. My dream is that our church will become a place where every member can Continued on page 6.
f e at u r e s
Souper Bowl of Caring | page 5
Lenten Study | page 2
Kirkin’ Flag Orders Due | page 2
Help the youth collect canned goods and donations on Sunday, February 8.
Contemplate forgiveness in a small group setting during Lent.
Annual Meeting | page 2
Mardi Gras 2015 | page 4
Sponsor a banner and represent your clan at the annual Kirkin’ of the Tartans procession, coming up on April 19.
FPC’s annual “State of the Union” is on Sunday, February 8, after worship.
King’s Cake, gumbo, po’ boys, music, masks, and beads. Need we say more?
First Presbyterian Church of Tyler, Texas 230 West Rusk Street, Tyler, Texas 75701-1696 (903) 597-6317 // www.fpctyler.com