From the FIRSTbearing Newsletter...

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am wondering, as many of you are, when the snow will disappear and spring will arrive. Even though the snow is beautiful and the ski hills are being used, income is being generated by the tourists … but ENOUGH already! On the flip side, it reminds us what an absolutely beautiful part of the country we live in. God has blessed us with a great region of the world, a great church in which to worship, great friends and family within that family of faith to have fellowship with and the list goes on and on. We need to give God thanks for the blessings we have. Spring is close and that means our friends in the south will be returning to our family of faith and that is always an exciting time. Let’s keep a watchful eye out for their return and welcome them with a warm reception. I haven’t had the pleasure to meet many of our snowbirds, so I am looking forward to meeting many new friends. Spring also means that my wife, Debbie, and Jeremy will soon be moving here to join me and our church family. This has been a difficult transition, but so many of you have made it easier to handle with your visits, inviting me to your homes, sending cards of encouragement and just your friendly, warm smiles of welcome. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your care and concern during these times of separation. Deb will be seeking employment as a nurse when she arrives, and Jeremy has already found a job working with his first love—horses. He graduates from high school on June 1, and they will be here that week. One of the aspects of this church that attracted me here was the mission statement. It is so wonderful to know a church actively seeks to make God’s Word relevant and strives to be a Christ centered ministry. I challenge you to look at our mission statement and find ways in which you can personally fulfill that statement. Are there ways you can make God’s Word relevant in your personal life? Are there ways you can be more Christ-centered? How can we be amore missional church? Many times we just allow the individual teams to discover ministry opportunities, but challenge yourself to discover ways to serve His people. There is much to do for the kingdom. Happy Spring everyone!