Dear First Pres,
As we continue in the spirit of Sunday’s “Love Our Schools,” please join me today in praying over all our Fresno Unified Schools that started today. Central Unified schools started yesterday. Clovis schools start on Monday. Our local schools hold such an important place in our society. They can be places of tremendous good and tremendous evil. This is all the more reason for us to be praying regularly over them. I encourage you to consider getting in the habit of praying for schools whenever you pass one in your daily comings and goings. Pray for all the adults who work there. Pray for students. Pray for families connected with the school. And pray that the school would be a place where God’s Kingdom is made known through the good work of God’s people there.
Knowing how important the work of schools is to the health of our community is another reason we are giving particular encouragement to the employees of Lowell Elementary School, School of Unlimited Learning, and Kepler Neighborhood School. If you missed this last Sunday, we launched a campaign of encouragement for these three schools. We’ll be accepting generic cards of encouragement and gift cards (best would be cards $25-50 in value) through Sunday, August 29. We need 127 gift cards to cover all the employees of these three schools. So, look for a table on the lawn after our worship services to pick up and/or drop off cards. If it’s easier for you, you can also simply give through your MyFPC account directly to the “Love Our Schools” fund. We’ll close this fund on August 30, and use the funds to purchase gift cards. When you’re writing your cards, I encourage you to include a prayer of blessing or encouragement. Let’s make sure they know we’re doing this in the name of Jesus.
As we’re thinking about kids in our local schools, let me also invite you to begin thinking about kids on the other side of the world, in Ethiopia. I’m very excited to announce that in October we’ll be partnering with World Vision to help advance their work in Ethiopia through child sponsorship. You’ll be hearing a lot more about it next month, but I just wanted to get it on your radar. Diane and I have loved partnering with World Vision through child sponsorship for more than 20 years. It’s been a big blessing to us and our family. How fun will it be for us to do this together as a church family? Answer: FUN!
May the Lord continue to use FPC Fresno to share Christ’s love and kingdom with kids in Fresno and around the world.
Blessings,
Pastor Jeremy
P.S. One of our downtown partner churches, On Ramps Covenant Church is celebrating their 10 year anniversary this month. Hallelujah! Some of you may remember when Phil & Rici Skei stood in front of our church to talk about the vision God gave them for On Ramps. Now the Lord has given them ten years of fruitful ministry, and we want to help them celebrate. Remember how the Clovis Lions Club blessed us this summer by showing up to our All Church Breakfast? Now we get to pay it forward by supporting On Ramps in their celebration. We need 6 folks willing to help with food and hospitality on Sunday, August 29 from 2 - 5pm at the Impact Center (1955 Broadway St.). If you are willing and able to volunteer, please contact Terry Jaurena, 485-6460.
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