Dear CPC Family,

What a Sunday it was last week! And what a week it has been this week as well. I hope you were able to be a part of what has been going on around here lately. It is remarkable to see what our Lord is doing. There are two words that come to mind: Fruit and Fight. I say that because there was a lot of fruit these last few weeks, but we are always reminded that there is always good fight to be had as gospel people. The invitation to engage the gospel work and gospel struggle together is always there. Let’s start with the fruit.

Here is the fruit that we saw:

• Our women’s retreat appears to have been a resounding success. The planning, the execution, the content, and the fellowship all seem to have been a win. I keep hearing good news. The momentum that is being created is leading to some potential new avenues for investing in Women’s Ministry at CPC.

• We were able to do our first bilingual baptism at CPC. But more importantly, that is fruit from having invested in several families through our Columbia Future Forge/Mowtown ministry over the last 4 years. There was a party at the Beacon House with 50 people the rest of the day. After the service another family approached us asking if they too could have their children baptized.

• Later in the day the father in a third family who was involved in the baptism approached me to tell me that he and his family would be back because their “hearts were moved” by the service and particularly by the invitation to come to the table and follow Jesus again.

• We were able to sunset our Presbyterian Women ministry in a way that I think was meaningful. It felt like an appropriate thank you to the good, steady work they have done over the decades.

• Mowtown cemented a new partnership with Open House Ministries to tend to some of their landscaping! It’s another overlap with Open House, who is a critical mission partner with CPC.

Here is the Fight:

On Tuesday I met with Emily Straw, who is the new president of the Clark County Food Bank. She really does love and respect CPC and its witness to the Food Bank and the Heritage Farm project over the years. I wanted to meet with her, as a member of the Missions Team at CPC, because I wanted to hear about how recent funding reductions have affected the Food Bank and hear about the plans for Heritage Farm. It was a wonderful conversation. And yet they are having to fight.

While the Food Bank is staying calm in this time, there are significant impacts on their bottom line due to funding reductions. Emily let me know that they are facing roughly $900,000 in lost grants as a result of recent reductions. This represents 6-8% of their overall budget. I was also informed that the Food Bank lost all 15 of their Americorps employees, who work at Heritage Farm and at the Food Bank in various capacities. Perhaps more frustratingly, the Food Bank had already pre-paid for these employees but are being told that the funds will not be returned. These are significant challenges for a partner of ours who is fighting food insecurity. And yet I was impressed with their determination to figure out how to accomplish their mission and execute their programs with what they have. I don’t know what the answers are, but I want you to know that our Missions Team will be discussing this challenge and how we can help as a church.

I say all this to remind us that in any given week as a disciple we see both things: fruit and fight. We celebrate where God shows us His power and loving work. And we determine those areas where we need to harness our creativity, imagination, and love to do what needs to be done to give glory to God. I hope that we can be the kind of people who are energized by both signs that Jesus is with us. The fruit and the fight.

God bless you with the living presence of Christ this week.

Pastor Matt

Read John 20:24-29 to prepare for this week's message.