A Successful Session Retreat!

On Saturday, January 25, 2020,
your entire Session gathered at the Broadax Ranch (near Tivoli)
for a Spiritual Retreat
in order to pray and plan for the spiritual vitality of
First Presbyterian Church of Victoria, Texas
as our church continues its worship and
its service to one another and the Victoria community
in a Christ-honoring manner.

We opened with prayer,
 we closed with communion,
and, in between,
we enjoyed one another’s fellowship and
the hospitality of our hosts
while we worked hard to discern the
way forward for our church
as guided by the Holy Spirit.
(At the end of this article, below,
please enjoy some pictures that
sample our day’s activities.)

We focused on many topics that we believe are near and dear
to the hearts of our congregation:
an enhanced music ministry;
increased attention to our home-bound members;
greater involvement of young people in our Sunday worship;
and greater efficiency in our committee system
to lead the work of our church in God’s kingdom.

Plans are wonderful of course,
but it is action that matters.
Just as you prayed for the Session
to have a successful Retreat (which we did!),
please continue to pray for the church’s leadership
as we seek to test our plans,
try out new ideas,
and discern what is effective and what is not.

As you pray,
please also be prepared to help us,
to be patience with us,
and, most importantly,
to bring us your own good ideas
as how best to move our church forward
in growth and service to the Lord.

Nowhere in the Bible
do we find that
God’s work is clear and failure-free.
We do, however, find Christ’s promise
in Matthew 11:29-30:

 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

As we move into a New Year,
full of enthusiasm and promise,
let us take up Christ’s yoke
and learn from him.
We have no other choice.