Several weeks ago, I asked the question, “What makes First Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church?” Meaning, what makes us unique or sets us apart from other churches? To put it another way, why should someone attend or join First Presbyterian Church rather than another church in Lewistown?
The response I heard from members and leadership alike was “our people.” It is our people who make us First Presbyterian Church of Lewistown, MT.
So, if it is our people who make us who we are, then what do we do that highlights and celebrates that uniqueness?
And I’ve thought about a lot of things, but for the moment, there is one thing I want to highlight. Our church is truly an intergenerational congregation. We have members and participants ranging in age from just a few months to well into their nineties (I won’t get too specific).
It’s a beautiful picture of a family.
If we’re being honest, sometimes we wish that our family looked a little different. Perhaps we wish that our family included more kids and youth. Perhaps we wish that our family included more young adults. Perhaps we wish that our family somehow defied the odds and didn’t grow older each year.
But at this moment, none of those things are true. And yet, we are who we are, because of our people.
And so, what would it mean to embrace who we are? What would it mean to celebrate what our family looks like right here and right now?
I believe one way we can do that is by engaging in meaningful ways across the generations. That is by engaging as a whole family, rather than separating ourselves based on age or life stage.
So, we’re trying something new! On Sunday, I will be leading Building Faith Sunday School based on the classic Pixar movie, Toy Story. It’s a fun, family movie, but it also has something to teach all of us about the life of faith, specifically about what it means to belong in the family of God.
Here’s the catch, everyone is invited! From youngest to oldest, we’ll be in one room, part of one discussion, together.
And don’t worry if you’ve never seen the movie, we’ll show a few clips and share the story line so that everyone can participate. Or you’re always welcome to join us THIS Friday at 6:00pm to see the movie for yourself!
An all-ages Sunday School experience might feel a little bit strange. It might even be a little bit uncomfortable. But I invite you to come and try it out. Come and celebrate who we are as a church family right now. You never know what you might learn or who you might meet.
Building Faith will meet in the Adult Sunday School classroom around noon THIS Sunday, September 25 (it will be about an hour). I hope to see you there!
Grace and peace,
Kimmy