From our Minister, Rev. Jill Sullins
Jill's Jottings

February 2012

She said, "I just think church needs a little more humanity." My thought, as she said it was, "We get any more human and I'm not sure we will survive." There is no doubt that the institution we call church has been plagued for centuries with the failures of humanity. In a sermon about the survival of church, Dr. Fred Craddock once said, "It is only by the grace of God we go." And nothing could be more true. From bishops taking money out of the pockets of poor peasants, to raging revolutions and wars between Catholics and Protestants, to the ever increasing battle of morality and values between Fundamentalists, Moderates and Progressives today......the Church has faced its humanity head on and failed tremendously at times in being the Good News in the world.

Post Modernists today write books called, unChristian and Psycho Bible, arguing against the perils of church life and the downfall of the institution......like many in the history of Church, they say the church is Godless, while the golf course is full of "spirituality." All the "spirituality" they need. And like many battles of the Church in the past - conflict, sinfulness, systemic evils, monetary downfalls, poor leadership, differences in worship styles - the Church always wins. "It is only by the grace of God we go."

So how do we, as Church today, allow the grace of God to move us past the perils of our own humanity and into the fruitful living out of the Gospel of Christ? How do we reach a skeptic culture of young people who are free to move about the cabin and who view the Church as unnecessary to the spirit?

In our next sermon Series of February: "Preaching for Atheists", we will aim questions and discussions towards these ever challenging obstacles looming before the church of the 21st century. Together, we will discover how to speak to a culture of skeptics and how do we, ourselves, find the grace of God in the midst of our skepticism and mistrust of Church. I hope as we ask these questions, you will invite others around the table of worship. Some might be hesitant to walk in the doors of a church, and others are just waiting to be asked and eager to see......be gentle, loving, and full of grace and remember no matter who you are....everyone belongs.

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

January 2012

Hey All! Hope the holiday was well for all of you and that God's Holy Spirit was a part of your joyful celebrations! It's time for a new beginning and a fresh year.....almost like baptism, we look at the year ahead and think....this year, I will be a better person. I hope and pray that every day we strive to be better people.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself." - Luke 10:27

I just want to make that the motto of our church and of our individual lives. It seems things would be much simpler that way. Perhaps the new year should be full of questions before we act? Questions like: Does this really show my love for God or is this really loving my neighbor as I would want to be loved? I'd love to see a world like this, where we simply just live by this commandment. I would love to see a CHURCH like this, where we simply just live by this commandment.

Some of the greatest ways to love one another is to get to know one another before we pass judgment. So as my first effort to follow through on my commitment to be a better person and to start following the greatest commandment....is to get to know you. In the next few months, we will be hosting various gatherings at various homes of church members, where you will have the opportunity to get to know your ministerial staff, especially me. And through the month of January (except Jan. 3)....every Tuesday, I invite you to meet me at Cafe on the Square at 8am for breakfast....ALL are welcome. Let's sit down and chat...so you can know me and I can know you and we can follow through on what it actually is like to love each other as we would want to be loved.

Happy New Year, FCC....

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

December 2011

Merry Christmas, FCC Family,

Eric, Maddie and I would like to wish our congregation a very happy holiday and beautiful Christmas season. We pray you find joy, friendship, love and peace - all of the things that are beautiful gifts of God and gifts from the child in the manger. As your receive these gifts of God, may you then Tell it! Tell how beautiful and full of love our God is and how the birth of Christ has changed all of our lives!

As a short Christmas devotion, I wanted to share this writing with you - I wrote it as an advent devotion for another DOC Congregation, but definitely want to share it with you:

Scripture: Psalm 30:11 - You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.

She bounds down the center aisle of the church every Sunday morning. Although she hides behind my legs at even the slightest, "Hello". There is no doubt by the very look on her face, through the coy grin, that being in the midst of the body of Christ clothes her with joy. We may have argued over the shoes, the dress.....I may have had to wrestle her down to get a brush through her red locks....but once we enter that sanctuary and her body prances to the front of the church, all arguing and angst dissipates, and joy radiates from her soul. This particular morning, she managed to find her way to a hot microphone where she prays, in her very 3 year old way, "God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food." That's right, Maddie, for our food and this daily bread of worship where joy can always be found.

I find in the moments of suffering, of hardship...in the moments of agony when lack of love or understanding take over my restless mind.....there is something strong in the body of Christ that frees my soul from the grip of deep sorrow. That although there are moments of restlessness and moments of seemingly unending tears....that in the stability of the body of Christ; there is a quiet joy that never allows darkness to overcome its light. Maddie has taught that to me....with her joyful welcome of worship and her acceptance of people to fill her exuberant spirit. In her shadow, I've found the body of Christ as more than just a once a week moment....but that it is the very presence of the Emmanuel still with us - full of life and joy. The body of Christ is both the vulnerable child in the manger and the strong Father. Both the fleeing 12 year old boy Jesus and the nurturing rabbi welcoming the little children. Both the freeing Jesus who unbinds the dead Lazarus and the healing Jesus who lays hands upon our blind eyes and grants us vision.

The body of Christ is the One who came and dwelt among us. He removes our chains and black garments of mourning, and clothes us with joy. He is you and me, and the Body of Christ in all places....and you can find him bounding down the aisles of our churches, leading us to dance in his always present Spirit.

Prayer: O Holy One, Giver of Life, lead us into dancing with your child. Lead us to be that presence of joy in the midst of sorrow. Open our eyes to your present Spirit in our brothers and sisters, our children....our churches. May our bodies be one with yours leaping towards freedom and grace and light in a dark world. We pray as one people, Amen.

Merry Christmas, FCC! From my family to your family! God bless you all this Holiday Season!

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

October 2011

With Summer’s end (although the weather has not gotten the news about that yet), seems things at church are really starting to pick up.

Mattie Howard did a wonderful job putting together a great promotion Sunday as we blessed the kid’s backpacks, gave the 3rd graders Bibles, and bumped kids up to new classes. What a blessing to watch them grow.

Our Youth Groups are back in full swing! Starting with new sponsors for Chi Rho age and a pool party....there are exciting things in store for the youth - a surprise event Sept 25 and TCU Day in October! Lots of stuff and they are going strong. Our youth will also be starting a fundraiser soon selling Tell IT! T shirts! So keep your eye out for new FCC tees that proclaim our theme and goal for the year!

The Young adults have found themselves growing, studying the book Love Wins by Rob Bell, eating fabulous meals so far provided by the Stapp's, the Swenson's, the Pfeiffer's, and the Bostwick's. What a blessing the hosts have been...although I think they've been blessed as well by the energy and enthusiasm our young adults have to Tell It to our Community. They are planning events like serving in Soup Kitchens, and outreach to the college in providing a safe place for studying here at the church! Great ideas that I can't wait to see come to fruition!

Saturday Discovery Classes have been wonderfully attended, we are still waiting on baptism dates for those who attended the pastor's class, and while we have had some changes in leadership in our board, our board continues to remain strong and healthy, and have also challenged themselves in making spiritual decisions, working together for unity. So things are GREAT as we head into the fall semester!!!

We have a healthy core for a Vision Team to help FCC San Marcos TELL IT! to our community.....team members so far include Connie Burke, Bonnie Wilson, Barrie Breed, Paul Sutphen, Frances Mitchell, Janet & Max Schlotter , Karin McArdle, and Layne Cape. We are a little short on men so if any of you men out there want to join us....there's still time!!!! The vision team will be meeting every other week...discerning God's call for FCC....figuring out who we are, who you are and who our community is.....from this we will come up with a statement, a plan...and a way to implement that plan so that FCC is doing what God has planned for this congregation! I'm EXCITED to see where we are headed! And how God wants us to TELL IT! Many did not volunteer to serve on the team, but they DID volunteer to pray...Lets hope the entire congregation commits to prayer for this important process. And we did get some AMAZING ideas so far!!!!

Speaking of TELLING IT!!!!!! Sign up to tell it to your congregation! By video or in person on Sundays....we want to hear your personal testimonies as to how God has changed your life!!! We want to know how the church has changed you! We want to hear the Gospel as it has come to life in your personal experiences! Let's move deeper FCC.....and let's TELL IT!!!!!

Our CONGREGATION is full of love and vitality and a Gospel heart!!! I know we are on fire for the future and what that looks like! I know that I am! "How Good and Pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" Indeed it is!!! Be on the lookout for more ways to TELL IT! And BE SURE to join us for 21 DAYS OF PRAYER! And thank you for a wonderful FIRST year! I'm soo looking forward to the years ahead!

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

July 2011

Panda Mania: Where God is Wild About You! I truly hope we know God is wild about us whether it is VBS week or not, but during VBS Week, I KNOW that God is wild about us and about what we are doing!!!

I have never seen a church so into VBS, with volunteers so excited to serve and so ready to step up to the plate! It makes my heart happy and I'm sure it makes God's heart happy!!! To hear our children singing and celebrating God's love for them...and children we have never met feel a sense of home at FCC....that's the Gospel!!!! It's refreshing, it's hopeful, and it's life giving!!!!

I know Mattie will thank the volunteers for all their work, but I just want to say here and now, Mattie is a Godsend to FCC and her leadership, her ability to let go of herself to lead VBS, and her organization is to be applauded and recognized as the Spirit working through her!!! Thank you, Mattie Howard, for being such a blessing to me and to FCC!

It's July, and things slow down I know in this month. However, I am not slowing down. I am making a big effort to try and talk or meet with all of you by the end of the summer either by phone or face to face! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...email me or call me so we can set something up! If you are interested in giving me an ear full, or needing someone to chat with, or us just getting to know one another....call me and let's make some time! I want you to know I'm here for you, for the long haul, so we might as well start really getting to know one another!!!

Hope everyone is having a great summer, and even though you might be on vacation.....be sure and work on your Spirit.....on prayer, on study, on life with God!!!!

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

June 2011

My daughter said to me the other day, "Momma, put your stuff down. I want to give you proper lovin'." She's two and a half and sometimes says the most brilliant things. I know I'm biased. I know she's my child and I think she's the smartest and most gorgeous child in the world, but this time....I am pretty sure she hit the nail on the head. "Put your stuff down. I want to give you proper lovin'." I don't even know what she meant by that - "proper lovin'". I just know that in order to be the recipient of that, that I had to put my coffee and my cell phone down and make myself available for whatever it was she needed to do...which, by the way, was this amazing hug and sloppy kiss on the cheek!!! Proper lovin' was a great thing!

Put your stuff down, the first of what was a brilliant sentence from my brilliant child. Meaning, mom you have too much in your hands and I can't get to you the way I want to. I wonder how many times God has said that to me. I can't get to you, Jill, you have too much stuff. I can't get to you, Jill, your hands are too full, your time too managed. I can't seem to sneak my way in.

I want to give you proper lovin', the second part of the sentence out of my brilliant child's mouth. Proper lovin'...meaning... mom, I don't want to just do a side hug or a handshake or a kiss that lasts maybe less than a second. I want to give you a full hug; my arms all the way around you and my lips firmly planted on your cheek so a little while later you will know I was there! I wonder how many times God has wanted to give me proper lovin', embraced me, kissed me, held me, but my hands were too full and my ego too distracted to know my need for God's full frontal, head on hugs. And a kiss from God so that later in my life I will know God was there.

Recently at a women's clergy retreat...I let go of my stuff. I emptied my time slots. I made myself available. And today, I can tell, God has definitely been here.

Put your stuff down!!!! God wants to give you some proper lovin'!!!!

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

May 2011

It is Easter time.....still. And while we aren't nearly as apt to say "He is Risen" on Sunday morning or sing "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" like we do Easter morning, it is the message and the Good News we proclaim for our lives - for the rest of our lives and all the time for our lives.

For in the midst of death - there is always life.

There is much to reflect upon at this time in the life of the church. I could reflect on the departure of our Associate Minister and find myself desperate to fill that position, or I could say - In the midst of death, there is always Life. I could reflect upon the resignation of our board chair and stammer in the midst of uncertainty and desperate reaching for a new chair, or I could say - in the midst of death, there is always life.

It is essential to proclaim ourselves as Easter people. There is a blessed assurance in claiming the Good News as central to our living. There is something positive and affirming and life giving about saying in the midst of transition and change and uncertainty - that in the midst of this time, there WILL be new life. I could reflect upon the death of Osama Bin Laden and after nearly a decade of searching and clamoring for justice, say that justice has finally been served and I could say AMEN for that....or I could say - in the midst of death, there is always life.

After all, I am an Easter Christian. I believe that Jesus died for me and for the world, and was resurrected from that death to give hope and peace and life to a dying, desperate and dark world. There is only one death that gives us peace. There is only one death that offers us hope. There is only one change in life that should cause us to stammer, or reach or become desperate and that was when the God who made us good, became human to show the world the worth of our own humanity and that through his death, we were given life. Should we become desperate, or searching, or clamoring for something....it should be for the one who overcame powers and principalities and even death to become one with us in this life and the next. HE is our hope and our strength and our help in times of trouble. In the midst of death - there is always life.

The resurrected one is the one who changes things....and the one who brings us through change. He transforms us. He heals us. He reveals to us. He gives us what we need. And no matter the statistics of a changing church or a changing world.....it is him who gives the breath of life to us all. And that's the Good News. Praise be to the RISEN one.

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

April 2011

It's our FIRST EASTER TOGETHER!!!!! How exciting! I mean, we have lots of "firsts" happening between us over the coming years, but this one is, by far, the BEST ONE! Between preparations for the Stations of the Cross, Palm Sunday, the Choir Concert Palm Sunday evening, Maundy Thursday service, Good Friday, then Easter...wow...this is the best time for us to be together happy and in love and in good relationship with each other! I know that sounds funny, but isn't that what this is? The beginning stages of a relationship...a honeymoon...an exciting time where we are just enjoying every moment together as pastor and congregation? So HAPPY EASTER FCC!!!! I love you and am so excited to spend this Easter with you...this Easter... Where we will praise God for the empty tomb!

Where we will worship the Lord on High for defeating death!

This Easter...

Where we will show up on Sunday excited and positive and uplifted! Where we will make room for visitors, families, friends to see the Glory of God!

This Easter...

Where we will experience hope and joy unmatched by any other day! Where we will celebrate the RISEN CHRIST!!!

What an amazing God we worship together! God's mysteries know no boundaries and wow are we amazed and in awe of what God has done and will do!!!! Let us rejoice and praise Jesus for miracles and blessings of new life! Happy Easter FCC!!!!!!

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

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March 2011

Lent begins this month!!!! Why am I so excited about Lent? Because it's that one time of the year when the focus really is upon God....or at least it should be. It's not Christmas when we are distracted by gift buying and parties. No one really has a Lent party. It's not Fourth of July where we bombard ourselves with BBQ and fireworks (although we love those). Or Halloween where we dress up and get candy. It's Lent. Not particularly festive, but yet important and intentional.

Lent gives a chance for us to reflect on our inner lives with Jesus. What does he mean to us? Why do we need Jesus? What has Jesus done that we feel so compelled to worship him? There's intentionality to Lent that gives space for us to really work on our lives....spend time in the desert...commune with God and really get to know the impact of that relationship on who we are.

We are offering Vespers services throughout Lent to guide us through that process of getting to know where we are at in our relationship with God. The services will be meditative, reflective, and offer space for us to just be for a while with ourselves and our God who created us. I really hope, as we journey to the cross, that you will join us for these services. That they will impact your life. That together as we pray and meditate and worship we will all come through Holy Week as stronger, more faithful people.

We cannot celebrate the empty tomb without stopping at the cross.

May our Lenten Season take us to the cross as a people prepared to encounter the one who suffered and the one who lived again.

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

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February 2011

Left in my office have been various treasures from ministers' past. I have no idea which minister they belong to, but I'm beginning to get to know who they were and what they believed. Various car stickers from various organizations, some breath strips, hand lotion, pictures, books, cd's.....all of them leave me with an idea of what previous ministers of FCC were working on and a little about what they saw as essentials to work. I'm encouraged by the vast array of Bibles and hymnals, all letting me know where their roots were. And it's left me wondering, after we are gone, what will people be rummaging through and what will they collect about who I am and who you are? Reminds me of a woman who was struggling with cancer, inevitable that she would be leaving this world....in one of my visits with her, she was sure to tell me that ALL of her belongings were marked with labels as to where her treasures would be left and to whom they belonged. She was determined that she not be a "bother" to her family and that they could use her labeling system as a means to memories and happiness, rather than argument and discontent. She wanted to keep it neat and clean, no clutter for anyone to rummage through and then be left with the wrong idea about who she was. I thought it was a nice gesture.

We rummage through half of our lives, really. Some of us try and label things to get control. Some of us leave piles of stuff here and there claiming we know it's there and how it's organized. Others don't bother to sort through anything and just live in the mess. Mike Yaconelli wrote a great book called, "Messy Spirituality: God's annoying love for imperfect people." Messy spirituality. No matter how we compartmentalize our lives, when it comes to being human it comes with just quite a mess left for grace to sort through. Even if we have it labeled or in piles or all over the floor, it is always touchable by grace and love. It's comforting that no matter the stuff we've compiled over the years in our hearts, and our rationale.....God's annoying love can reach it, even clear it away for awhile. The refreshing thing about being a child of God is that God just doesn't disown us, but claims us, names us, and always holds hands out like the father waiting for his prodigal son. While we think about the coming season of Lent, this is where we are.....in between the God with us and the God in front of us.

Blessings church family!

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

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January 2011

Happy New Year, FCC Family! Eric and I want to thank everyone for such a wonderful Holiday season. We were humbled and so blessed by your generosity and love expressed to us. For those who came to the open house, and the cards and gifts, without any doubt we were made for this congregation and you were made for us to do ministry together at this time. Not a day goes by that the two of us don't praise God for bringing us here. Thanks to the staff for all of their hard work and the many people that participated in various things, even if they were roped into it at the 9th hour!!! You all are wonderful!

There is so much to do in our future. As I think about my normal resolutions - losing weight, keeping in better touch with my extended family, and cleaning more - I also think about resolutions for the church. What do we wish to accomplish this year? I have a list, do you? Here's mine:

1. We need to start on process towards a vision for FCC

2. We need to do more hands on mission in our community

3. We need to become better organized

4. We need to become even better at worship and allowing room for the gifts/talents of the congregation to shine in its worship of God

5. We need to reach the students at Texas State

6. We need to be a 100% church, where 100% of the people are doing 100% of the work!

7. We need to build an endowment - a financial cushion for us to fall back on in times of stress

8. We need to continue such amazing work with our children

9. We need to become a more spiritual church with our men's group/women's group and all of our groups engaging in prayer and spiritual discipline

10. We need to engage in events with the BlueBonnet Area and the Southwest Region, making sure that our voice is heard in the Disciples of Christ Denomination

So that's only 10 resolutions and it might be a lofty goal for just a year.....but if you were to write a list......of resolutions that God might have for this church, what would it be? Perhaps God is inspiring you right now to move FCC forward into 2011.....let's use this year for prayer and listening to the Spirit of God. Sound good?

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

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December 2010

Merry Christmas! I know we're not there yet, but since this is the newsletter for the month, I wanted to get that out! And yet before we get there, truly, we walk this walk of advent.

Advent is one of those beautiful times in the church year when we can take our time in walking to the manger. As everyone else is running around gathering presents, decorating trees, and baking cookies, it's this HOLY TIME where we pause and contemplate exactly why it is we are so excited for Christmas to come. It's a pause, every Sunday morning, to really look at the manger and who that child is that lies inside. What does he mean to our lives? What does his birth really do for our humanity and the humanity of the world?

God in the flesh....it lends some importance to our human figure. It lends some validity to why we are here on earth. It sheds light on how much God thinks of human beings and how much God believes we can accomplish. We pause at the manger and see how vulnerable the great and powerful God becomes in order to give us light.....God enters into poverty, into the human realm, and by that action, we are thrown into a meaningful life. So perhaps our scattering around might look like everyone else's, but because we take time to wait, and to be in advent, we know that it is, in fact, not like the world's, but it is a scattering of holy cheer, gifts given from love and heart, lights hung out of joy and hope.

That pause for advent, as we light the candles and sing the advent carols, beckons us to a season of true and sacred wonder and peace. So, Happy Advent, FCC! May your holidays be filled with the image of the baby born to save you.

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

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November 2010

Oddly enough, we are about to embark on an advent journey....I Hear the Prophets Callin'. What? Might be the word you're looking for. Considering this is the November newsletter and advent starts the last Sunday of the month....I guess I feel compelled to say....that I LOVE advent and think it's the most important season of the year. Not because I'm a Christmas junkie, but because the task of waiting requires my discipline, my reflection, my intention to create a sacred space for the Spirit to be made real to me and to our congregation in a season when the Spirit often finds itself lost. That being said.....all of this begins with one beautiful holiday, filled with more than just stuffing and turkey, but with thanksgiving.

Grateful living is our topic for November. What does it mean to live as people of gratitude? Even when the chips are down, how do we live as people who are abundantly blessed by the living God? Considering that all of Hebrew history and Christian history is draped in the fabric of blessing, so much so that altars were built on the spot to recognize the living God, it's clear to us that we often fail to see how and when we are grateful and we often don't know how to express ourselves when we are grateful. In our congregation, we have experienced much loss, tragic loss. We have experienced moments of disbelief when God seemed absent. We have experienced hurt and pain and brokenness. And with all of those moments of suffering, hope has been brought forth and unity has remained and strength and healing powered through. In the month of November, let us think about how we are grateful and by that, grace full.

FCC-SM - I LOVE worshipping with you and sharing in this amazing faith together. I am grateful and thankful for this church who cares and loves so much.

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

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October 2010

There's a place for you here - to work, to serve, to figure out who you are as part of God's Kingdom. Everyone belongs - that's what the shirts and the website say. So how do you belong? If you're a part of the FCC community or WANT to be - what's your role in this congregation?

"You are Christ's body - that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your 'part' mean anything. You're familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his 'body': apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, helpers, organizers..." - 1 Corinthians 12:27-29 (The Message).

"Try to live a life worthy of the calling you have received" - Ephesians 4:1 Someone once said church membership is not a spectator sport. It's cliche' and silly and quippy, but it's kinda true. Being committed to a body of Christ, means being committed to the whole. Not allowing others to do more than their part, but chipping in, giving what you have, holding nothing back. We do what's best for the good of the entire community. Part of "belonging" means not being content with just sitting back and watching how things work, but allowing God to move us to action, to experiment, to find deeper ways of living out our faith. WHO has God CALLED you to be at FCC? HOW do you belong?

And if we don't know who or how yet, let's figure it out together, because part of what it means to be a part of a church is that Grace is abundant and no matter the fools we make of ourselves, the people of God will either join in the foolishness (because we've been there before!) or offer a hand to guide the way! It's but by the grace of God we go!

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters) work together in unity." - Psalm 133

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

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September 2010

The prophet Isaiah spoke the words of God saying, "I will do a new thing in you." A few years back I went to new church training in San Francisco, at that time, the KC Region was trying to groom me to start a new church in KC and I later realized that new church ministry was truly not what I was called to....I like our old churches way too much! At the training we learned a song and the lyrics were, "I will do a new thing in you, I will do a new thing in you. Whatever you ask for, whatever you pray for, nothing will be denied, says the Lord." There's something problematic in the last part of the song, that nothing will be denied....we've all definitely had many things denied even when we've been incredibly faithful....but that first part, "I will do a new thing in you," was certainly a message I needed to hear....WE need to hear.

Above all things, God is a creative and creating God. Always handing out new possibilities, always searching for ways to use us, always parting waters, shutting doors, opening windows, doing everything God can to make something new happen. The walls are talking at FCC, the murmurs are beginning to get louder, and excitement is brewing..... hearing things like "There were so many people on Sunday" and "Did you see how many kids were in the children's sermon" all around. God is doing new things. And many of us might find ourselves saying, "But I like the old thing." And there is some value to that.....but bear this in mind, in with the new, does not always mean out with the old. In with the new simply means new life, new vegetation, new color, new opportunity, new creation in addition to the life and beauty already formed. Of course there are times when the things we hoard might need a good dusting or even might need throwing out.....but as a growing church, FCC, as a church making changes.... let us be excited....GOD WILL DO A NEW THING and that new thing might be the very thing to bring the lost, lonely, and hurting into the love of God once again.

Looking forward to many years of ministry with you!

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

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August 11, 2010

It's so exciting to be here at FCC! We have already felt so much love and support and people are eager to get on with the business of being church! It's encouraging and promising and hopeful! A Great place to be when embarking on a faith journey!

Through the month of August, I will be doing a sermon series called, "Getting to Know You." I will be sharing with you some of my favorite Scriptures, giving you some oversight as to who I am as a faithful Christian and as a called minister. However, Getting to Know You, also means I need to hear about your journeys and struggles! This Sunday, August 15, there will be an insert in the bulletin asking for information.....it can be kept confidential or you can put your name on it. Either way, I hope you will use it as an opportunity to share with me who you are as a Christian and where you are on your faith journey.

The vision God has for FCCSM starts with who we are in the here and now! I'm looking forward to many years of ministry with you and I cannot wait to see what wonderful things God will do with us!!

In Christ's Peace,

Senior Minister
First Christian Church of San Marcos
512-585-1132

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