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 1 , I s s u e 1 0 : O c t o b e r 2 0 1 6
Your Generosity Helps Many by the Rev. Dr. Stuart Baskin One of the things our church does on your behalf is give money to help people in need, mostly through our partnership with PATH. What you may not know is the extent to which our church quietly but steadily helps PATH. We give to PATH out of our regular church budget and out of the Vardaman Trust. We send regular checks to PATH to support its ongoing work of helping people get back on their feet. In addition to our regular gifts to PATH, a staff member at PATH regularly emails me with special needs that arise from time to time for which PATH doesn’t have enough resources to cover. Most often, this is rental or utility assistance. Let me share just two recent requests: “Client gave birth prematurely; child was in Dallas in critical condition and passed away. Parents both took an unpaid leave from work during this time and their bills have stacked up. They are asking for $214.46 to reconnect their gas and water service. Both parents are back at work now, and just trying to get back on their feet.”
“Young couple both working two full time jobs are behind on rent because of an unexpected car repair that cost $1,000. They depend on their vehicle to get back and forth to work. They need $300 to avoid eviction.” These are heartbreaking stories, but they are just two among dozens we have helped over the last year or two. To many of us, the sums involved are trivial. Pocket change, really. But to these folks, they are tremendous sums, and they are the difference between keeping their homes or becoming homeless. We can give to PATH, as well as to other helping agencies, because of your generosity. Whether through your regular gifts to the church budget or through your bequests, this church is able to extend the reconciling love of God in Jesus Christ to many in need. I simply want to commend you on your generosity and to encourage you to continue showing what God’s love means in a world of broken and hurting souls.
i n t h i s i s s u e | h i gh l i gh t s & f e at u r e s Reformation Book Display | Pg 3
Tudor Rose Recap | Pg 5
Beairds Honored by PATH | Pg 2
Peruse engaging books on the Reformation for readers of all ages and interests.
Rev. Leach shares her experiences of this incredible choir tour abroad.
The Beairds were recently honored with the 2016 Gertrude Windsor Award. First Presbyterian Church of Tyler, Texas 230 West Rusk Street, Tyler, Texas 75701-1696 (903) 597-6317 | www.fpctyler.com