Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2022 - 02 Link
2022 - 02 Link
I am very excited about how our season of revitalization has begun. If you haven’t had a chance
to participate, in simplest terms, what we’ve been doing is inventorying our strengths and
weaknesses and our needs and abilities. This has been very helpful for Pastor Tom, the Session,
and the revitalization team to get a glimpse of the feelings of the congregation. The church is
abuzz with energy as we continue along in each step of the process. All this energy needs to be
rightly focused so we do not lose focus of the center of our faith: the Word of God.
In God’s Word we learn much. We learn about Christ and His mediatorial work in our
redemption. We learn about God’s covenantal promise to remain steadfast to His elect, who in
turn will remain faithful to Him. We learn about our duties as children of regeneration, what God
expects of us and what we should expect of ourselves. There is more that we learn but space does
not allow it and you get the picture that without the Bible there is no Christian faith.
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is not a trite slogan or vague directive. It is a clear
and concise command for every church in every age. Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of
all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the
end of the age.” Notice Jesus introduces this commission by restating “all authority has been
given [Him].” If all heavenly and earthly authority rests in Jesus, then you better believe any and
all commands He gives are given with the full weight of that authority. Therefore, the Great
Commission is not a pithy motto, general suggestion, and certainly not optional.
There are four elements to the commission: “Go,” “Make disciples,” “Baptizing them,” and
“Teaching them.” These are fairly self-explanatory, but we’ll unpack these four in fullness on
February 20th when I interrupt my Genesis series to speak on this important imperative.
FEBRUARY
Birthdays Anniversaries
2 Al Smith
5 Alex Eubank
15 Ivey Janiak
16 Shirley Jefferson
18 Charlotte Mabry, Margaret Gafford
22 Dianne Emmett
27 Kiernan deBernard
off-series sermon
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
10 AM Worship 10 AM Bible Study 8 AM Men’s Bible
Children’s Church Study
Communion
Collect Two Cents-
A-Meal Offering
5 PM Youth Group
Mtg. at the Church
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
10 AM Worship 10 AM Bible Study 8 AM Men’s Bible Presbytery Mtg.
Children’s Church Study
Noon - Men’s
Revitalization Lunch at Mama 1 PM DAWN
Luncheon after Rosa’s Board Mtg.
Worship
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
10 AM Worship March Link 10 AM Bible Study 8 AM Men’s Bible
Children’s Church Deadline Study
Session Meeting
after Worship
5 PM Youth Group
Mtg. at the Church
27 28
10 AM Worship 5:30 PM C.E. Mtg
Children’s Church
7 PM SPARKS
Mtg.
Altavista Presbyterian Church
Session Highlights
January 23, 2022 meeting
• Revisited the Nursery Worker line item in the 2022 Operating Budget. That line
item ($2,600) was determined to be adequate.
• Approved minutes of the November 21, 2021 Stated Session meeting, the
November 28, 2021 Congregational meeting & the December 12, 2021 Called
Session meeting as presented.
• Joys & concerns of the congregation were identified. Moderator Ed prayed for
those listed & to close the meeting.
December-2021 YTD
Pledges 6,380 99,760
Non-Pledges 2,384 21,873
Plate Offering 32 281
Total Expenses 15,077.26 149,153.12