PBPC Announcements

PBPC Family, Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Meeting this Sunday. Here is a quick recap of all that happened for those who missed it. We approved changes to our Bylaws.  Here is the Annual Report for 2024. Please review it and celebrate all that God has done this last year. We discussed some priorities that Session has set for this next year - more on that next week! We elected officers, both for the congregation and the corporation. We reviewed the Budget for 2025. We approved Pastor Calvin's terms of call for 2025. Starting in February, he will be working 80% time (32 hours/week) and has begun working for Project Peace as their Church Network Director. His reduction in time at PBPC helps get our expenses close to our projected income. If you would like digital copies of documents provided at the meeting, please reach out to me and I will send them to you. We'd prefer not to post them on the internet. Final Note: I will be out of town January 30-February 7. If y...

PBPC Family, When it comes to entering more deeply into prayer, it's helpful to clarify what prayer is not.  Prayer is not wish fulfillment. Prayer is not a tool God gives us so we can get what we want - like an Amazon Wish List we periodically update with our latest desires. Prayer is not transactional - we say the prayer and then God does our bidding. But I understand why people see prayer as transactional. Jesus explicitly teaches that his followers are to ask God for things and they will receive what they ask for. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.   For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."           Matthew 7:7-8 I remember my first youth ministry job (I was 18 at the time), we were studying this passage and a student said, "I want a Lamborghini. So according to Jesus word's, I should ask and God will give it to me." (The...

PBPC Family, This year, I want to use these newsletters to provide thoughts, teachings, quotes, reflections, and practices on prayer. I hope to share things I've learned (or am constantly learning) about prayer, wisdom from those who have lived lives of prayer, prayers from throughout Christian history, and invitations for us to practice different types of prayer together. One resource I will be drawing heavily from is Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home  by Richard Foster. I have been deeply shaped by his writings and have found him to be a helpful spiritual guide. If you have not read Prayer  by Richard Foster, I encourage you to pick up a copy .  As we embark on this journey of prayer together, I would love to hear from you. What practices of prayer have deeply shaped your own spiritual life? Who are guides that have taught you how to pray? What prayers have impacted you? What do you find yourself praying in recent days and weeks? I'll leave this week with a quote fro...

PBPC Family, I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Addis Feleke, a member of PBPC and missionary in Ethiopia. Addis sent along a video report on some of the work he's been doing - you can CLICK HERE to watch it. It is so encouraging to see the work that God is doing in and through him. In the last year or so, his church has planted 11 churches. Their denomination, the Assemblies of God in Ethiopia, set a goal to plant 1,000 churches by February 2025. In November, they were at 600+ churches, including 23+ in South Sudan. All of this is happening in the midst of instability in Ethiopia - some regions, though accessible by vehicle, must be traveled by plane due to safety concerns. Addis also reported that he is fully recovered and healed from his kidney issues - praise God! Please continue to pray for Addis and the work God is doing in Ethiopia. He will be traveling to southern Ethiopia later this month and appreciates prayer for safe travels and open hearts to the Gospel. He ...