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 4 : A p r i l 2 0 1 9
The Grass Is Greener When You Share It by The Rev. Dr. Stuart Baskin When our current Sanctuary building was built in 1950, the church could not afford to finish it. Portions of the building, notably the 2nd floor where our adult Sunday school classes now meet, were left as an empty shell for several years until the church could afford to finish it.
yards and brought them to the church. I’m sure it took some time for the entire lawn to fill in, but the grass on the church’s lawn is the grass that church members brought almost 70 years ago. I’m very sure there was a certain pride each member felt who shared the grass from their lawns.
I think there is a lot to be said for that. Dream big. Make plans for the long haul. Stretch. Challenge. That’s just what they did. One of the consequences of this plan was that the church couldn’t afford landscaping, at least not at first. But with as beautiful a building as they built, our forebears couldn’t simply let the front lawn grow up with weeds. As a result, a plan came into focus, a plan that would unite the church in a common purpose. Can’t afford to buy grass? No problem. Let’s share our grass. Literally. A plan was hatched that enabled the church to have a lawn. Church members were asked to share a portion of their own lawns. It’s not entirely clear to me whether there was enough grass to cover the entire yard, but church members took up squares of grass from their own
i n t h i s i s s u e | H I GH LI GHT S & F E ATU RE S Holy Week Activities | pg 3 A listing of events and activities for holy week that lead to the ultimate celebration of our Lord’s resurrection!
Kirkin’ of the Tartans | Pg 4 Make plans to attend this celebration of our church’s Scottish heritage.
Dr. Baskin’s Sabbatical | pg 5 Read about the details of Dr. Stuart Baskin’s sabbatical this summer. First Presbyterian Church of Tyler, Texas 230 West Rusk Street, Tyler, Texas 75701-1696 (903) 597-6317 | www.fpctyler.com