First Blog

Dear FPC-Asheville Members and Friends,

This is my first attempt at blogging (see the footnote below) so I will ask your forbearance as I learn on the go. I hope to use this blog site as a communication tool in this transition toward starting as your pastor on April 5, 2010. I plan to keep the tone informal and personal and would love to get your feedback (constructive and otherwise).

As you can imagine, the past few weeks have been a bit of a blur! We celebrated the exciting news of my election as pastor at your congregational meeting on January 17 but then had to break the news to our church family here in Los Gatos of our impending departure. Talk about mixed emotions! On top of the transition news, we have also experienced some difficult times here in Los Gatos with some significant losses in our church staff, including the unexpected death of our Music Director, Dan Hooper. I want to thank all of those in Asheville who have offered kind words and prayer support.

As I write, we are less than four weeks from the date that the movers show up at our door to start packing up all of our stuff. My wife Pat is on a break this week (she’s a middle school guidance counselor), so we are planning to get a lot of the “to-do” list knocked out. I’m also busy wrapping up all of the many loose ends here (good-byes, exit interviews, house/home issues, meetings and more meetings).

I will make my best effort to keep this blog updated regularly, and would love to get comments and suggestions along the way. In the mean time, I am very thankful for the wonderful church staff in Asheville and for their hard work in this transition time until Easter. Please continue to pray for them and for your Session.

Blessings as we being our journey into Lent.

Grace and peace,

Mark

Note: “A blog (a contraction of the term "web log") is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog)

Comments

[Barbara and Gene Earnhardt]

We think you did just fine first time out, and are doing fine, all of you. We have no good words much for moving, except to observe this: once you're here, and you find the spoons, you're home!

We did take in sympathetic gasps on learning of the two sudden deaths of two people so important to your church. Not fair any time, but less fair during this transition for everybody. "Fair" isn't the right word, but still--we'd have voted no for those events and their timing for everyone in your church.

(Owell--I see we HAVE to identify ourselves...so, okay.)

So--we send deep breaths for all of you. We know you know you're not alone, with all the kindly thoughts and prayers from one side of the continental US to the other! The net's at work! :-) And we won't sign this, so you don't have to feel as if you have to respond. We're sure we represent many on this side of the continental US, with much good will to the four of you coming to lst Prez, Asheville!

[Larry Fincher]

Mark:

Pleased to see your use of an electronic communications tool. I hear that you are a Mac user, so you may find iWeb to be an application that will offer a blog page as part of a personal website. Or, maybe you will prefer to evolve your Facebook page as the best choice.

Looking forward to your joining the 1st Presbyterian "family."

Larry