It’s been a while…
“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5
We have so much to be thankful for in the life of Providence Presbyterian Church.
In the past 8 months since my last update, we’ve received our first members, led men’s and women’s Bible studies, organized several fellowship events, and celebrated one year since launching our first worship service.
We received our first members
We are thrilled to have 67 new members at Providence! The Lord continues to bring more people into the covenant community of our church and it's been a joy to walk through the membership process these past several months. We also baptized several covenant children along with our first adult baptism in June!
The first step of the membership process is our Inquirer's Class. We’ve hosted four classes and in them I’ve shared Providence’s origins, beliefs and values, and goals.
After each Inquirer’s Class, we conducted member meetings where myself and an elder from our temporary session met with each person to hear their testimony of faith.
Our first members took public vows before the congregation on Easter Sunday, which was especially encouraging given that we launched our first worship service the previous Easter Sunday. What a blessing to see all that the Lord has done in one year!
We led men’s and women’s Bible studies
We alternated weeks for our men’s and women’s Bible studies in the spring and it worked out really well. The men studied the New Testament books of Colossians and Philemon, and the women studied the Old Testament book of Joshua. The studies took place in members’ homes and we were encouraged by the attendance and discussion.
Some women from the church have begun a new morning women’s Bible study and we will soon begin men’s and women’s book studies on Reformed Theology by Jonathan Master this fall.
We organized several fellowship events
We’ve continued to host and organize many fellowship events: monthly Saturday Mornings at the Park, potlucks after our quarterly evening worship services, and Mornings with Moms. We had a Valentine Gathering to make valentines for residents in a local nursing home, we met in each other’s homes for our “Spring Souper Supper,” men enjoyed dinner together at Twisted Track, ladies caught up over drinks and appetizers at their Snack & Sip, and we all had a night at the ballpark at the Salem Red Sox game.
We prayed that we would have a genuine, rich community at Providence and those prayers have been answered. While the events and gatherings have been fun, it doesn’t really matter what we’re doing; we always have a great time together!
Giving update
The Lord continues to provide for Providence in every way. By God’s grace, our giving has been incredibly strong. We are on the cusp of being a self-sustaining congregation and we’ve even started a building fund. Praise the Lord!
Prayer requests
We are continually grateful for your prayers! Here are a few more specific things you can be praying for Providence:
The men serving on our temporary Session. Please continue to pray for wisdom, strength, and protection as they serve and guide our church.
Our next book studies. We are looking forward to our next men’s and women’s book studies this fall! Please pray that these studies would deepen our understanding of God’s Word and increase our love for Him.
Our congregation. Please join us in praying for continued unity, love, and care among the people of Providence as we worship together and serve alongside one another each week. Pray also that we would see more people come to a living, saving faith and join our body of believers.
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