Britt's Comments from the Kick-Off Banquet

(A few people suggested I post my comments from the Kick-Off.  I do so with the caveat that I intended this as a speech and do not normally write in such fragments.  Also, I usually like to keep blog posts shorter... but here it is.)

For me, there been a fascinating tension in the Christian church between the “physical” and the “spiritual” – and with so many things we must figure out how to balance them:  giving each attention and recognizing how one impacts the other.  And there is no better time to contemplate the relationship between the physical and spiritual than during Lent…  God took physical form, to teach us about spirituality.  And through Jesus’ death, we have New Life… our physical bodies can be used by God to bring God’s Love into the world.

Therefore, we have a responsibility to our physical bodies – The physical is related to the spiritual.  We all have personal experiences--  like going for a run or walk,  going to yoga class, putting in a few sweaty hours in the garden or flowerbeds, working on a Habitat House, or scouring a crusty pan at the soup kitchen – that physical labor, somehow, also seems to align us spiritually.

This project too, (while the emphasis my seem very much on the physical aspects of our church), it speaks loudly about the spiritual nature of First Presbyterian:

The New Life Capitol Campaign comes out of our sense of responsibility to do God’s work in this community – Our building is not empty during the week, but in alignment with the mission of education that brought the Presbyterian church to Burnsville, we allow our facility to be used by not only the Church Street Preschool and Al-Anon, but other groups as well.  And we have a responsibility to maintain the facility we have been blessed with.  Because many people in the community are blessed by what happens in our church.  We see our church as a “home base” from which we go out and do God’s work…

In a sermon a few weeks back, Dr. Bill challenged us, (a congregation that identifies itself as being welcoming) to welcome people unlike ourselves…  Spiritually, we sat in the pews and said YES…  And now, physically we say YES – with handicap accessible bathrooms, with a safe walkway into the church for may be less agile …  All are welcome here.

The Church Information Sheet the Pastor Nominating Committee worked so hard on describes us as a congregation that values Christian fellowship.  (Like at the Kick-Off.) With our last, very successful capitol campaign, we saw how adding the Laughrun House increased opportunities for fellowship… Adult Sunday School (run simultaneously with choir rehearsal), picnics, Carnival, youth group volleyball with other churches… It was subsequent to adjoining the Laughrun House, that our very successful Wednesday Night programs began.  

Many of the New Life projects will also have a positive impact on our Christian education programs, fellowship time, and our Sunday Morning services – which is when people looking for a church come to meet us, the time we invite people to be a part of God’s community here with us…  We want our building to re-enforce that message they hear:

We hope you considering making First Presbyterian your Church home.