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Dear Congregation of 1^st Presbyterian Church,

            As you heard from the pulpit in our Moment for Mission this morning, our Missions Team is still going strong in serving Jesus Christ in Casa Grande and beyond.  Thank you to each member of the team for their hard work keeping ministry going during the time of Pandemic.

            Today we signed our second Community Appreciation Letter at worship.  Again, there was hand sanitizer as you approached and left the table, and a pen for your very own (no sharing germs) - to use and take home to - sign the card.  Our “thank yous” went to another of our own members today, Deputy Sheriff James Pickett, for all of his hard work at protecting and serving our community.  You are our hero, James!  If you were not at the service, the card for James will be at the church office on Monday.

            Next week, we won’t be thanking people in the community, but we will be very community minded!

            Next week is World Communion Sunday.  The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is one area that the virus has really slowed us down at here at 1^st.  Through the ingenuity of Donita and Ron Godwin, we will be able to celebrate with the rest of the Christian world when we celebrate World Communion Sunday on October 4^th.

            The Godwins have provided for disposable “Communion Chalices” for us to use.  These are self-sealed portions of juice and bread that you will pick up as you walk into the Sanctuary next Sunday (sort of like the pens that were spread out for the Community Thank Yous!). 

You can keep them with you during the service, then when Pastor Bill and I bless the elements and instruct you, you will open the sealed compartment for the bread (out it pops – all gluten free!), and then when we share the cup the little easy to open plastic seal can be removed from the top and we share the juice together.  From the table to your hands, nobody else has to handle them.

If you haven’t decided to join us in live worship yet, there is also an option for taking communion drive-through style in the parking lot on the West side of the Family Life Center (next to the Seeds of Hope office), at about 11:30 a.m. on October 4^th. Drive up and the (masked, gloved) pastors will share the elements and a prayer with you.  If you choose to participate in this way, let the church office know so we will know how many to prepare for.

There is plenty else going on at 1^st Pres. this week.  Walking group Mondays and Thursdays in the Family Life Center at 8 a.m., 40 Days of Prayer either live in Room 17 or via Zoom on Tuesday mornings at 10:30, Women’s Bible Study exclusively on Zoom on Wednesday mornings, and Men’s Fellowship live in Room 17 and via Zoom (don’t forget to wear your masks to Room 17!) on Thursdays at 8 a.m. as we start a new study, Eternity is Now in Session, by John Ortberg.

For more information on any of these activities, please contact the church office for more information.

God bless,

Pastor Paul

p.s. just a reminder that we are being “scammed” again by somebody professing the name of Jesus Christ, trying to take advantage of our generosity.  Please don’t fall for it.  I or a church representative will never ask for money in this way (oh, we’ll ask you for your money, but in a purely legitimate way, not some scheme dealing with e-Bay cards or something).  Check to make sure my email address is real: pastorcgf@gmail.com, and call the church office if you have any questions or concerns.  At our 10:30 a.m. service, we prayed for whoever might be so desperate as to think that defrauding people out of their money using the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is a good idea.  May God bless them, forgive them, and change their hearts.  The sure way to stop this from happening, though, is to not fall for it!  They will soon move on.