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:...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Nov 22, 2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: A DAY OF GRACE I think I’m right in saying that Friday is the only “Day After” holiday that we celebrate in the United States. Some other countries, particularly those with ties to Great Britain, have Boxing Day (the day after...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Nov 17, 2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: GIVING AS AN ACT OF GRATITUDE It’s that time of year once again: the time when Thanksgiving has to fight for its place among our holiday celebrations. Stores shift over almost immediately from being defined by Halloween to being...
