Leaders Following Jesus' Lead
This week's eNewsletter feature was written
by Rev. Raymond Hylton,
FPCE senior pastor.
Dear friend,
This Saturday morning, a group of our church leaders will gather in room 213 to learn about discipleship and spiritual formation. The training is limited to leaders because, if we hope to build a disciple-making culture at First Pres, our leaders will need to be our greatest champions, people known to be fully prepared to lead.
The principle of “being before doing” is an established practice in Scripture. Long before Jesus called others to follow him, Jesus first lived a life of obedience to his Father. So it makes sense that our leaders would be and do the same.
Have you ever wondered about the how of Jesus’s spiritual formation? Since he is the second person of the Godhead — born of a virgin, the One ancient prophets said would redeem the world — we naturally assume that Jesus came into the world prepackaged, fully spiritually developed, with no need to undergo spiritual formation.
The thinking may be that he was a “little God” who did not need to develop as a person in his earthly life. And if he exercised any spiritual practices, they were already baked-in and came naturally to him. To hold such a view is borderline heresy (think Apollinarianism) and makes Jesus’s humanity inconsequential.
Luke 2:40 and other scriptures capture his humanity and deity. Jesus underwent real spiritual growth and development: And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
|
|
Sunday Worship Service
May 22 | 9:30 a.m.
In person and online!
We continue our new sermon series, "Created for Community" with teaching from Rev. Raymond Hylton. The sermon, "Healthy Soil, Healthy Growth," draws from scripture in Mark 4:3-9,10,13-20.
|
|
Sign up for a Koinonia meal!
Connect with the FPCE community by participating in a Koinonia meal group this summer!
Groups will meet once over June, July, or August. All you have to do now is sign up. Groups will decide later what time and where they want to meet to share their meal.
If you can’t host, no problem! If you don’t like to cook, no problem! If you need childcare, no problem! These meals are designed to be easy for everyone to participate. Help us reach our goal of having 150 FPCE members and friends say yes to gathering in community!
|
|
Transition to summer worship schedule
Starting June 5, Sunday worship services will start at 10 a.m.!
|
|
Register for Family Camp by May 29
June 24 – 26 | Camp Stronghold; Oregon, IL
|
|
Communion at Home available June 5
If you would like to receive the Sacrament of Communion in your home, or you know someone who might, please contact Steve Takushi at Steve.Takushi@gmail.com to arrange it. At-home Communion usually takes place the first Sunday of even-numbered months, but the Deacons are happy to arrange a visit at any mutually agreeable time.
|
|
Nourish Women's Group:
Thursdays | 9:30 a.m.
Room 213 and on zoom.
Childcare available.
Loop Bible Study:
Fridays | Noon
1 N. LaSalle St. (25th floor) and online.
Saturday Men’s Breakfast
Knit, Eat, Laugh, Pray
Life Together Class
Sunday, June 5 | 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Pentecost Sunday International Potluck
|
|
Parish Nurse Book Club
June 7 | 1:30-3p.m.
Calling all First Pres bibliophiles! Book club will meet again next month, location to be determined. Our new book is “The Mystery of Mrs. Christie” by Marie Benedict.
|
|
Monthly Saturday Morning outings from New Life Shelter resume June 4
First outing: Saturday, June 4 | 9 a.m.-noon
FPCE returns to the New Life shelter for women and children! After a four-year hiatus, we're restarting our Saturday morning trips for the Children living at New Life (part of Good News Partners). For our first trip, we'll take the kids to the wonderful James Park at Oakton and Dodge in Evanston. In the event of rain, we'll bring them to Roy Hall, the church gym. Both were favorite destinations for the kids in the past!
|
|
|
|
Employment Opportunities at First Pres
First Pres is now hiring a part-time weekend receptionist as well as youth and children's ministry interns. To view a full job description and application details, click the button below!
|
|
Pray this week for Pastor Younan
Please pray for a member of our community who is also one of our partners, Pastor Younan. He left on Wednesday May 18 for a 21-day trip to Oman, Iraq, and Turkey. He will be looking at both schools and opportunities for employment in Oman and Turkey in order to be able to establish residency in one of the countries so his family and he may live and minister there as well as in his home country of Iraq. Currently, the areas he wishes to serve in are too dangerous for his family. Please pray for Pastor Younan as he travels, that he would be led by God and have his eyes open to the opportunities God would have him pursue. He will spend seven days in each country, beginning with Oman. Pray for traveling mercies, for wisdom and discernment, and that the Lord's will for Younan and his family would be revealed. In addition, ask God to protect his family here while Younan is gone.They rely on him in many ways. May “the Lord watch over his coming and going both now and forever more.” - Psalm 121.
|
|
No clothes donations being accepted
We are not accepting donations for the Deacons Clothes Closet at this time. Donations left at FPCE (other than new face masks), will be discarded. CLICK HERE for alternative giving locations!
|
|
View March 2022 Session notes here.
The most recent summary of the Chicago Presbytery Meeting is available here.
Paper copies are also available in our literature racks.
|
|
1427 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-1472
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
