VALLEY VINE Valley Presbyterian Church
September 2016
Volume 61, Number 8 Therefore , since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith . Hebrews 12:1-2a
Dear friends, The 2016 Olympics are over. The races have been run. The medals have been awarded. The national anthems have been sung. The crowds have gone home. The media has moved on to cover the next event. The athletic venues have fallen silent. But now, all over the globe, new quests begin. Athletes dream of Tokyo 2020. Goals are set around lofty visions—to improve the score, lower the time, achieve a personal best, make a national team, win a medal, set a world record. In gyms, on fields, in pools, the work begins. Men and women shape their lives around their hopes. Diet, time, energy, location, resources, relationships— everything is organized and focused on a future result. Every lap is swum, every mountain is climbed, every mile is run, and every move is practiced with the dream in mind. Olympic dreams are admirable, but Kingdom dreams are more significant! What dream do you have for VPC? What do you imagine will be achieved in four or five years? In ten years?
This fall our staff and leadership are setting goals for our congregation. As we celebrate our past, the themes of our worship will center on how all of us can join together on behalf of tomorrow. What will it take to write a wonderful new chapter in our story? It will require deeper devotion, wider witness, richer relationships, greater generosity, purer praise, stronger service, and closer caring. The early chapters of the Book of Acts will provide our inspiration as we see how the first community of believers met their challenges. For seven weeks, we’ll examine key areas of our common life. On the eighth weekend, November 6, we will celebrate our 60th birthday. Please share your ideas and dreams with Session and staff. Jesus is calling us beyond mainline malaise, to come together on behalf of tomorrow! See you in church. Blessings,
As we celebrate 60 years of ministry here this fall, we remember the tremendous spiritual competitors who came before us, part of the great cloud of witnesses now cheering us forward. So what goals will we set? What records will we aim to break? How well will we run the race set before us? And most importantly of all—will we organize our lives around a holy vision? Will we focus our time and energy and resources, as individuals and collectively, on a Kingdom building dream? Will we put aside the weights that hinder us and run with perseverance toward Godly goals, looking to Jesus as our pioneer and perfecter?
Valley Presbyterian Church 6947 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253-5342 Phone: 480-991-6424 Fax: 480-991-6427 Email: church@vpc.church Website: vpc.church