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We hope you find this weekly newsletter informative on the many happenings at The First Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg.

We hope each day, you will learn the power of grace to transform lives, families and communities.

We invite you not only to worship with us on Sunday as we seek to learn more the glory, joy and Word of God, but also to serve with us around our city and around the world.

-The First Presbyterian Church of Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Grace Transforms
From Dr. Sean Michael Lucas, Senior Minister

My dear friends:

Last night (Tuesday night), I had the amazing opportunity to preach at St. Paul's Missionary Baptist Church in Starkville, MS. The church is pastored by one of my RTS students, John Johnson, who is himself remarkable. John has served this church nearly 15 years in two different stints. Called to preach when he was 18, he became pastor of the church when he was 29. Four years later, he was called to Chicago to serve a church on the southside. But as a result of the violence in that city and an earnest call from St. Paul's, he returned to Starkville ten years ago.

One of the things that John determined to do when he returned was to pursue a theological education. And so, for several years, he drove EVERY DAY to Birmingham, Alabama, where he attended Southeastern Bible College (that's a 2.5 hour drive, one way). Once he received his undergraduate degree, he decided that he wanted more education. And even though this man is an experienced pastor and preacher, he enrolled at RTS-Jackson last year in the Master of Divinity degree program. He drives to Jackson three times a week (1 hour and 50 minutes one way) in order to pursue graduate theological education. His ultimate goal is to go to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and get his PhD in preaching so that he might effectively train African American pastors free of charge through his church. How impressive is that?

Anyway, John invited me to participate in a week of meetings that he was holding at his church. In my class, he read the history of the PCA book that I had written; it occurred to him that he needed to do something to foster racial reconciliation in his own community, like we were trying to do in the PCA. And so, instead of holding a revival this year, he invited white and black pastors, mainly from Starkville, to preach. Each night, a white pastor and a black pastor would preach, not necessarily on racial reconciliation, but always on the Gospel. John's point: we share the same Gospel, the same faith, the same Christ; how can we be divided in ministry and relationship?

And so, last night John and I preached. He preached a powerful and doctrinally rich message from Romans 5:6-11 (where he gave his people the doctrines of election and justification!); I preached on Romans 14:1-15:7 on how the Gospel enables us to deal with our differences with charity and grace. On a Tuesday night, St. Paul's had around 100 folks out, hungry for God's Word; the vast majority stayed engaged the entire 90 minutes and afterward came to the front to hug their pastor and me.

It was an amazing time, a picture of what the Gospel does and what the Kingdom of God produces. All sorts of people with significant differences in race, culture, class, and education gathered around King Jesus and his Word. I wish you could have been there with me. But in a sense, you were--because I carry you in my heart and I represent you to others. They blessed you and prayed for you during the service. It was a picture of transforming grace.

In the grip of God's grace,

Sean

Grace Gift

From Caroline Grubbs,
Women's Ministry President

The Grace Gift is an offering designated each year by the Grace Presbytery Women's Ministry. The purpose of the Grace Gift is to provide an opportunity for the ladies of Grace Presbytery to join together in helping meet a specific need in our region of the United States. The Grace Gift for the year ending September 30 is the Mid-South Church Planting Network whose mission is to plant PCA churches in Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The area in which Mid-South is planting contains 12 million people. Currently, there are church plants in Lafayette, Louisiana, Little Rock, Arkansas, Bryant, Arkansas which is a suburb or Little Rock, and Horn Lake, Mississippi. The prayer for the Network is a planting in the immediate future on the Mississippi Gulf. Our church as well as 28 additional PCA churches is a partner churches for Mid-South. How can we as members of the Women's Ministry help? There are three ways we can be involved! Bring your offering for the Grace Gift to the morning Bible study on Tuesday, September 13, at 9:30 a.m. or to the evening Bible study on Monday, September 19, at 6:00 p.m, pray for this ministry, and stay informed by reading the monthly e newsletters that are available by contacting Hunter Brewer, Ministry Coordinator, at Midsouthnetworkpca@gmail.com.

Women's Ministry Bible Studies
From Caroline Grubbs, Women's Ministry President

When school used to begin in September, it was considered the month of

new beginnings! It still is for our Women's Ministry Bible studies. Mark your calendars and don't miss an opportunity to study and discuss God's Word with Christian women! The Weekly Bible Study begins at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 8. Books are available for $12 for the study of I Peter in the Fellowship Hallway on Sunday Morning and in McIntosh Hall on Wednesday evenings. The morning Monthly Bible Study begins on Tuesday morning, September 13, at 9:30 a.m. The study book, Unlikely Heroes, cost $16 and will be available on Sunday morning, September 4 and 11, before and after Sunday School. The evening Monthly Bible Study begins on Monday evening, September 19, at 6:00 p.m. The evening Bible study meets in the Loft of Currie Hall, and the study will be The Life of Peter. The weekly and monthly Bible studies meet in the Fellowship Hall. Child care is provided for all women's Bible studies; however, the evening monthly Bible study requires a reservation by contacting Kathy Young at kyoung@fpcpca.net. If you have not participated in our Bible studies before, this is the time to begin! We look forward to you joining in the joy of studying and learning together.

Hope For Hattiesburg 5K - Online registration available

From Bobby Blass

Please mark your calendars to participate in the H4H "Run For Literacy" on October 15 at the Longleaf Trace Gateway at USM. Proceeds from this event will benefit the literacy program at Grace Christian Elementary School (HPSD).

See HopeForHattiesburg.org/run for more details including online or mail in registration
Please register early and help spread the word!
Business sponsors and event day volunteers are needed. Contact Bobby Blass at 770-315-2356 or rlblass@gmail.com

Missionaries in Focus

From Missions Committee

Betsy Christiansen is a Registered Nurse who serves with MTW as a Medical Missionary in the Disaster Response Team, an international ministry MTW developed to help meet the medical, emotional and spiritual needs of lives devastated by disasters. Last September she took a 12 member team to the Dominican Republic, including a pediatric therapist who was able to help several children with disabilities as well as teaching their mothers how to help them. In January, 2016, she took 19 medical personnel to Trinidad. The pharmacist who went with them summer up the trip as "amazing". She said she witnessed how God answered their prayers; the team was of one Spirit(loving each other and the people of Trinidad) and the devotions they had each morning were uplifting spiritually in encouragement of the present Word and testimonies of those who shared their lives with them. In April Betsy and 13 others went on a team to Kenya headed by Cheryl Crocker and then Betsy took another took to El Sallvador in May. Betsy has excellent 2 page summaries of her trips that are very interesting and available to read in the church office. Betsy remarried in Mary 2015 and is now Betsy Aeschliman. As of March, 2016, her husband(a retired pastor) is now an official MTW missionary. Pray for the good health and safety of all these team members who serve; that they would show grace to each other and to those for whom they care and that their patients would see Christ in their actions and hear Jesus' love in their words.

Upcoming Birthdays

September 4 - Debra Baird, Betsy Starns, Maggie Starns

September 5 - Will Rester

September 7 - Rachel Dews, Kristin Parsons, Alex Borganelli

September 9 - Amber DeHuff, Matthew Caulfield

September 10 - Lily Boyd

The First Presbyterian Church

The First Presbyterian Church proclaims and practices the Gospel of God's transforming grace for God's glory alone. We invite you to join us on Sunday mornings in seeking truth from the Word in Sunday School at 9:45 and in worship at 8:30 and 11:00.

The First Presbyterian Church
4901 Hardy Street
Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39402
Office: 601-268-0303

Fax: 601-268-0778