VIEW FROM THE MANSE 2.0 - January 2026

 

This past fall was a blur. It is hard to believe that we are already putting out the welcome mat for 2026. I am so grateful for all those who taught our Sunday school classes this fall and those of you who started Bible studies this year or joined Bible studies for the first time. It is obvious that the Lord is doing something in our community and I am so grateful to partner with you in that work.

          Laurie McWhorter and Lou Hoffis did a wonderful job connecting with women and men in our congregation. I am amazed at all the creative ways the women found to come together and encourage each other in the Lord this year. In 2026, Laurie is stepping down from her role as Women’s Ministry Coordinator. I am very grateful for how she hit the ground running with this position and continued to encourage the women in our church in all the things that they felt called to do. When Lou and Laurie and I got together, I invited them, not to plan everything, but to facilitate those of you in the congregation who have an idea and need help getting it off the ground. I saw Laurie do that time and again. I hope whoever steps in to this role in the coming months will have a similar impact. Thank you for all your hard work, Laurie. If you are interested in the Women’s Ministry Coordinator position, please talk to me or another elder. (see Laurie’s article on page 4)

          Some of you have noticed that 1 or 2 Monday nights a month, there is a group of teenagers upstairs in the church. This meeting is called, “Teen Prayer’, and includes teenagers from our church and others from around Washington County. With a chaperone present, they gather together from 6-8 pm and sing and pray. They rotate their meeting locations between our church, Adamsville, and New Creation (in Granville). If you have a teenager who would like to participate, reach out to me and I will connect you with their leadership.

          Typically, our Sunday school classes take a sort of break for the 6 weeks from Christmas to February. However, I will lead a short, two-week class in the middle of January. This year, that class will be on the 11th and the 18th. The subjects will be on baptism and communion and each class will be 20-25 minutes long. My hope is to make this class accessible for all ages (I would love for children to attend with their parents). I hope to answer questions such as ‘what is baptism?’ and ‘how do I know I am ready to take communion?’ and ‘what am I doing when I take communion?’ If you have not yet been baptized, this class is for you. If you were baptized years ago and have taken communion dozens (or hundreds) of times, I hope that you will come to this class and get a blessing from it.

          In the new year, I hope to spend a few weeks in the Psalms before turning to the story of the Exodus in the Old Testament. I am looking forward to looking at the rescue of Israel together.

In Romans 15, Paul writes, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” I am praying for overflowing, Spirit-empowered hope for each of you in the new year.  

Bryan Fitzgerald, Pastor (bryan@argylepresbyterian.org)

 

 

 

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