First Presbyterian Church of

Mount Vernon Ohio

106 North Gay Street

Mount Vernon OH 43050

740-393-1326

Office Hours: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. M-F

Pastor's Message

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

                                  I am accepted...

                 John 1:12 I am God's child.

                 John 15:15 As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.

                 Romans 5:1 I have been justified.

                 1 Corinthians 6:17 I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.

                 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.

                 1 Corinthians 12:27 I am a member of Christ's body.

                 Ephesians 1:3-8   I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.

                 Colossians 1:13-14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.

                 Colossians 2:9-10 I am complete in Christ.

                 Hebrews 4:14-16 I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.

                                   

                                  I am secure...

                 Romans 8:1-2       I am free from condemnation.

                 Romans 8:28         I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.

                 Romans 8:31-39   I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated

                                           from the love of God.

                 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.

                 Colossians 3:1-4   I am hidden with Christ in God.

                 Philippians 1:6     I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.

                 Philippians 3:20   I am a citizen of heaven.

                 2 Timothy 1:7       I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.

                 1 John 5:18           I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

                                   

                                  I am significant...

                 John 15:5               I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.

                 John 15:16            I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.

                 1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God's temple.

                 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation for God.

                 Ephesians 2:6       I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.

                 Ephesians 2:10     I am God's workmanship.

                 Ephesians 3:12     I may approach God with freedom and confidence.

                 Philippians 4:13   I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Who I Am In Christ

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus

Spring is definitely springing here at the church!  The calendar says that it is already here, and the crocuses agree.  (Personally, I am a little more in sync with the tulips.  They have begun to put shoots out of the ground and they are definitely green, but they have not yet trusted the weather with any blossoms.  Today I decided to risk coming to the church without a jacket – I am hoping that the weather will agree with my decision.)

I am excited to see the reawakening of world in the springtime.  It reflects some of the truth of Easter: God brings life from death, God gives hope where there was sorrow and God redeems things apparently beyond hope.  As the flowers push up through the apparently barren ground I believe that our congregation is also in the midst of an awakening. Mirroring the glory of God’s work in Easter (as well as spring), we are putting forth new shoots and seeing life springing up in a variety of places.

The first “new shoots” that I would like to point out are tangible.  Financially, we finished 2007 in a strong position (For those present at the recent congregational meeting this will be a repeat).  We ended the year with a surplus of nearly $25,000. 

This surplus was partially due to some cost savings, but it was primarily due to an unexpected level of generosity in giving.  The vast majority of the surplus came from unpledged giving while those who had pledged honored their pledges.  This is being mirrored by faithfulness to the building pledges made for the renovation of our front entrance.  We are currently on track to being able to retire the mortgage taken before the end of the year.  That will be a wonderful 200th anniversary present to give ourselves and those who will come after us in ministry.

Other tangible signs of new life are evident throughout the Christian Education wing of our building.  Not only is the new Youth room being transformed (check out Kyle’s article for more information) but the Children’s Ministry team has decorated the hallways and classrooms with items related to each lesson that they are doing.  There is currently a display in the large group meeting room of different group art projects including two renditions of the parting of the red sea.  The best part is that the art in the hallways is a reflection of the new energy present in the volunteers and children who are taking part in this vital ministry!

Another “new shoot” that I believe is going to bear much fruit for our congregation and the Kingdom of God is the new Prayer Partners Ministry.  This ministry began as a simple book study last fall and has already evolved into a life changing ministry.  For the last few months a group of folks have been praying for me, our church, our congregation’s leadership and our ministry.  They have been praying on assigned day each week, as well as praying for our weekly worship services.  Since the beginning of this ministry on March 1st, I have personally seen or heard about more answers to prayer than in my previous two years of ministry.  The prayer partners are interceding for our church and it is already paying observable dividends in lives.  If you are interested in learning more about this, you can contact me or Deacon Deb Paxton who is coordinating this ministry.

Speaking of Deacons, the entire group of Deacons is experiencing a renaissance of sorts.  At our February congregational meeting, we decided to modify the way in which we structure Deacon’s ministry (see below for the full text of the By-Law change).  We have moved away from the idea of having a set number of Deacons who serve as a board.  We are now in the process of individually commissioning Deacons to specific ministries that are a match for their giftedness and the church’s need.  One description of this change is that our Deacons are moving from being an army on the parade ground to an army in the field.  The implications of the change in structure will be great.  We will be moving away from any possibility of forcing individuals in to roles that are not a fit.  I have been meeting with our Deacons and there is a lot of excitement about the ministry potential that exists in our new structure.

I am excited about all the new growth that is happening in the life of our church.  I have not touched on all the ways that I have observed God at work, only a small percentage.  I hope that you will join me in prayer and praise to God for His goodness and His goodness to us as a church.  I believe that God will do great things through us as we move forward in faithfulness during our 200th year of ministry.

In Christ,  Jonathan