M o n t h l y N e w s f r o m F P C Ty l e r • Vo l u m e 1 1 , I s s u e 1 : J a n u a r y 2 0 1 9
Let the Conversation Begin by The Rev. Dr. Stuart Baskin Is it too obvious to say that anniversaries are important occasions? They provide us with a number of possibilities and opportunities. They can be a time to stop and reflect on where we’ve been and what we’ve done. They are almost always a time to celebrate. When an anniversary marks a milestone in the life of an institution, it provides us with an opportunity to give thanks for those who came before us and entrusted the institution to our care. And it provides us an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the basic mission of the institution. This new year marks an important milestone in the life of our church. In December of 1869, a small group of Presbyterians in the still relatively new town of Tyler begin to meet together. The next year, on April 3, 1870, the Presbytery of Eastern Texas formally chartered the group as a congregation. This means that we are on the cusp of celebrating our 150th anniversary, our sesquicentennial, as a congregation. Officially we celebrate our sesquicentennial in 2020, but since we trace our earliest roots to the meetings of those Presbyterians in 1869, this year, 2019, marks the beginning of our sesquicentennial celebrations.
Congregations do a whole variety of things to celebrate anniversaries. Some produce written histories of the church, as we did for our 125th anniversary in 1995. Nearly every church marks the occasion with a special service of worship, sometimes including a hymn commissioned for the occasion. Some churches collect funds for a major outreach effort in the church’s name. Others put together a program with skits depicting important people and events in the church’s life. Whatever else a church chooses to do to mark the occasion, the single most important element is to retell the stories that make the church what it is. Every group of people is defined by a common history. Our church has a distinct set of stories, some of which are part of a written record, and some of which exist in the memories of our members. Whatever we decide to do to mark our sesquicentennial, let us begin simply by sharing our memories with one another. I have a sneaky suspicion that these conversations will generate ideas about how best to mark this important milestone in our common life. Let the conversation begin!
i n t h i s i s s u e | H I GH LI GHT S & F E ATU RE S Chancel Flowers for 2019 | pg 2 Many dates for 2019 to donate flowers are available. Call the church office today to reserve your date.
Thanks to our Volunteers! | pg 3 A special “thank you” to all who helped with the Special Friends Christmas Party.
Souper Bowl of Caring | pg 5 Help the youth collect canned goods and monetary donations for local charities. First Presbyterian Church of Tyler, Texas 230 West Rusk Street, Tyler, Texas 75701-1696 (903) 597-6317 | www.fpctyler.com