by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Jan 12, 2024
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: THE NEXT STEP OF THIS JOURNEY Friends, as we enter the new year, I am very excited about the opportunities that are before us as a congregation! Specifically, I am delighted that our efforts at the strategic redevelopment of our...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Jan 5, 2024
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: RISE AND SHINE This Sunday, we will be celebrating Epiphany Sunday. As I have said before, Epiphany is often an afterthought of the Christian calendar in the United States, since observance of the season of Christmas is largely...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Dec 23, 2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: A VERY SPECIAL SUNDAY Christmas is almost here! The busyness of the season is in full swing, I know, and that is certainly the case here at First Pres over the next few days. But in the midst of that busyness, I hope that you will...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Dec 15, 2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: A BUSY AND FRUITFUL SEASON A lot is happening at First Pres in the next week! First, a reminder about this Sunday. The Rev. Ruth Santana-Grace, former associate pastor here and current Co-Moderator of the General Assembly of the...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Dec 8, 2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: A SPECIAL VISITOR It’s my privilege and pleasure to announce that the Co-Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has accepted my invitation to preach in worship at First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Dec 1, 2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: ADVENT – IT’S ALREADY HAPPENING When I was a child, Advent always made a lot more sense to me than Lent. In the Christian church, we typically talk about Advent as a season of waiting, and that’s exactly what Advent felt like:...
