From the desk of Dr. Gary Stratman One of the privileges I have had as your Interim Pastor was to work with those who were prayerfully selected to be on the Mission Study Committee. They in turn led you through the process of discerning the key elements of First Presbyterian’s Mission as you move into the future. What encouraged me was that the committee was a diverse group that didn’t all look at things in the same way. They disagreed… more than once. Really, this did encourage me, because they had a greater goal than agreeing on all “the issues.” They kept coming back to discern who we were being called to be. Those folks often got back to that point through prayer and even mutual confession and forgiveness. That could catch on. Another thing I noticed in our work together is that we didn’t have to invent an all new Foundation for our unique mission. There were some phrases that had served us in the past and pointed to who we wanted to be in the future. A good example is, “Christ Centered.” What a reminder that we are not self sufficient, we need a Savior. We are not formed into disciples by the most effective programs, or charismatic leaders. Rather it is by drawing close to the one who invited us to take up our cross and follow him. It is Christ who will not let
Praying with Jesus
us get too comfortable decorating home base. He keeps sending us out to love our neighbors. I watch people in our church serving neighbors in very practical ways and asking them “How can I pray for you?”
“ ...the one who died for us, also prayed for us.” That reminds me of another emphasis of the mission study – growth as a praying people. We face big challenges and decisions. Where does prayer fit in? How do we learn to pray? When we think of “Christ Centered” it is often related to his unique place as Savior and Lord. Yet the one who died for us, also prayed for us. The disciples did not ask him, “Teach us to heal,” or “Teach us to teach.” They asked him to teach the way of prayer, because they knew it was the center of his
Dr. Gary Stratman ministry. It was the way he lived his whole life before his Father. This Lent we will be engaged in a Sunday worship series on “Praying with Jesus.” What can we learn about how and when he prayed? In his practice of and teaching about prayer what do we learn about prayer being personal and a part of community? What disciplines can we adopt from praying with Jesus that fit our time and culture? -Gary Stratman
Our Church Family Marriages Audrey Walton and Max Uphaus, December 25, 2011 by Rev. Keith Vandegrift Memory
Ralph Bachus, January 8, 2012 Bill Lloyd, January 7, 2012 Hazel Hockett Vanderkooy, December 25, 2011
THE FLAME | FEBRUARY 2012
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Hats, heritage, and help
Salt and Light needs your help as tour approaches program. Even back in the mid 70s, when I started teaching at Fairview High School, I knew then about the rich musical heritage the Lord had provided through his people here. From the Richmonds, to the Crawfords, to the Grahams and before, the music has flowed from First Pres. I am excited to continue in the tradition of sharing our musical heritage on tour with Salt and Light this year!
by Jim Keller, Director of Music Hats Hats, hats and more hats! We all wear many hats from time to time; mom, dad, brother, sister, student, employee, owner… the list is endless! As I begin my third year at First Pres this month, I have the great honor to put on the new hat of Salt and Light Director. My how time flies “when you have the right hat on!” Praise the Lord. This Spring Break, March 24–31, Salt and Light will be taking a Southwest,
U.S. tour. Our plan is to head to Grand Junction, then on to Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and then return back home. That’s counter-clockwise – unless you have a digital watch! The tour will be a service and singing tour. We will be stopping along our way to help out in soup kitchens and food banks, as well as singing for churches, retirement homes, and any other gatherings we may run across that can use a little uplifting in song. Heritage One of the most wonderful things about First Pres has been its abundant music
Help Salt and Light needs your help. As we plan our tour, we would greatly appreciate any contact information you may have. Please let us know if you have any contacts in Grand Junction, CO; Moab, UT; Cedar City, UT; Las Vegas, NV; Sedona, AZ; Flagstaff, AZ; Farmington, NM; or Santa Fe, NM. Please leave any information with me at 303.402.6420 /
[email protected] , or with Maggie Fries at 303.402.6408 / mfries@ fpcboulder.org . Salt and Light, and the music department, thank you for your continued support of our efforts. We are blessed by such a giving and caring congregation and community; we couldn’t do it without you. The Lord is truly praised, and we owe him our very best.
Something to celebrate FPC meets $250,000 Glory Community Challenge Grant We did it. First Pres raised $277,292 toward the matching grant for Glory Community (GC). The challenge by anonymous donors was anything up to $250,000 so the total raised came to $527,292. Amazing. This remarkable effort accomplishes what we set out to do: push GC over the threshold for the construction of the first house of their five proposed houses in Broomfield for adults with intellectual disabilities. With the first house completed with no debt sometime in 2012, with operating experience under their belts in the
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future, the GC leaders will be able to pursue new avenues of funding that have not been open to them heretofore. It’s hard to say enough thanks, but to any and all who contributed money, time, prayer, pancake cooking, garage sale stuff – whatever and whenever – thank you and God bless you. So, you may ask, is that it? No it isn’t. While the GC effort in 2012 will have a lower profile around FPC this year, we will continue our partnership. We’ll have some more pancake breakfasts, a few fundraisers, and we’re working toward a conference to educate our congregation on “special needs families” so that we THE FLAME | FEBRUARY 2012
might better partner with GC in the long haul. GC will need many long-term volunteers as they become operational and especially as they grow in the future. This year was just the beginning of what we hope is a long-term affirmation of families and individuals who have been given a bigger challenge than most of us have in life. It was an encouraging start to “spur one another one to love and good works” and, as Jesus said, to care for “the least of these my brothers and sisters.” -Rev. Keith Vandegrift
