Lots of Beginnings

Hey y’all,

Though it is far from the first of the year, September marks many new beginnings: a new school year, the first day of Fall, pumpkin spice latte season, and for us here at SFBC, a new program year. Often in our culture, we see January as a beginning. We make resolutions. We set out to try new things. We hold hopes of bettering ourselves in one way or another. However, we know that those very admirable intentions fall by the wayside come February (or at least they often do for me).

I mentioned in my August letter that I’ve been listening to a new-to-me artist, Nathan Evans Fox. He has another song off his album, Heirloom, that I’ve also been listening to on repeat. It’s called “Lots of Beginnings.” It’s the song that opens his album. It’s a love letter to his newborn daughter. He sings his hopes and prayers over her, committing himself to raising her the best he can. The refrain throughout the song is, “There’s lots of beginnings.” He’s right. There are many beginnings over the course of our lives. There are many opportunities to start anew. Often, it can be scary. Other times it can be exciting. Sometimes, quite frankly, it can be annoying and exhausting. Beginnings are many things. Beginnings are also sometimes endings, and those endings can be good, bad, or somewhere in-between.

As we set out, at the beginning of SFBC’s program year, I wonder if we could see it as a good beginning—an opportunity to begin again, to try some new things, to recommit ourselves to the work God calls us to, and show up for our community inside and outside the walls of our church.

We have several exciting things beginning this fall. Of course, we will kick things off with our Homecoming service on September 13th at 11:00am in the sanctuary and a lunch afterwards. This will be an opportunity to see SFBC members past and present. We will also celebrate our beloved church administrator, Darren Hochstedler, who is retiring this month.

Also on Homecoming Sunday, we will begin a 4-week Pastor-led Bible study on Acts 2:42-47, called “Building Beloved Community.” We will meet at 9:30am in the Parlor. We will explore how the early church was the church together. We will discuss what we can learn from the early church and how we can be the church together, building a beloved community.

Starting Wednesday, September 16th, we will gather together in the Parlor for a bring-your-own-dinner at 6pm. Over the years, we’ve heard folks say they miss the opportunity to gather in the middle of the week and, specifically, that they miss Wednesday night dinners. Though, the church will not be providing dinner, we hope this will be a meaningful time of fellowship over a meal together. After dinner, we will gather in the chapel for a Vespers service at 6:30pm. We hope these Wednesday night gatherings will be a meaningful time with your church family during the week.

Starting Sunday, September 20th, after worship, all children ages infant through 5th grade are invited to children’s church in the chapel. We will gather and share a snack, song, and Bible story before children join their parents and caretakers at coffee hour at 12:30pm.

As you can see, “there’s lots of beginnings” at SFBC this September. My friends, let us begin once again and commit ourselves anew to the church Christ calls us to be in this world.

Peace,

Rev. Leigh