Last summer, the church office began sending out a weekly Mon-day email titled “What’s Happening This Week at CongoPres.” This mes-sage is one way we stay connected as a church family — sharing oppor-tunities for worship, service, fellowship, and ways to pray for one anoth-er.
If you are not currently receiving these emails, please check your junk or other folders, as your email provider may have filtered them there. If you still do not see them, please contact Anna in the church office so we can update your contact information in the church data-base.
It is our hope that these weekly updates help us remain united in heart and purpose as we continue serving Christ together.
Scripture is a way we can know Christ. Scripture- whatever translation of scripture we have opened in front of us or pulled up on our phones- is not just an instruction manual for faith, or about God or how to live. It can be read a number of ways. As winter lingers on, I want to invite you to consider scripture as a way of prayer. Like the Eugene Peterson quotes I’ve included above, prayer is about growing in Christ, about God’s work happening within us, about knowing God’s love for us so it can overflow out into the world.
I’d like to recommend the practice of “praying scripture”. It’s an ancient spiritual practice where certain passages can be read not just as words on a page, but as our words back to God.
Here’s what I mean: take a passage, whether a psalm, the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6, Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23, or 3:14-2, or some other passage.
Read the passage slowly, whether silently or out loud. Maybe read it a few times if it’s helpful.
Turn the words of the text into a prayer. Replace pronouns with “I” or “we” or add specific names. Personalize it by putting it into your own voice, and make it your prayer to God.
For example: Psalm 23:1- “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”
A way you could pray this might sound like “Lord you are my shepherd. Guide me today. When-ever I feel anxious, or I feel like I’m lacking, help me to trust that You will provide what I truly need”.
This is a way that scripture guides and directs our prayers, which can be very helpful if you’re unclear what to pray. It forces you to slow down and dwell in scripture, and might even help a familiar passage sound fresh.
I say this to remind you that being a part of a church, being disciples of Jesus, is not just about outward doing, but also what the Spirit of God is forming, correcting, teaching, healing, and even birthing within us.
If you want to go deeper into this, let me know and I’ll put a group together or we can meet one on one to pray together. This is important, and something I’m passionate about, so feel free to reach out!
It is a blessing and privilege to be your pastor. As your pastor, I’m here for you.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Adam
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Friends and family of Congo-Pres, Happy New Year!
God decided long in advance.
God has intentions and plans, so far reaching, it's even before the creation of the world!
God loved us.
God chose us in Christ.
God adopted us into a family God wanted to adopt us.
God is pleased by adopting us.
God pours out grace, is rich in kindness, and freed and forgave us, and says that in Jesus we are faultless before God.
God wants to give us wisdom and understanding.
Friends may this be a reminder of who we are and why we're called: to be a sign of God's plan, a first fruit of God's new creation shown to us in Jesus. God loves this world, no matter the year, and wants to use us to love it. No matter the year, God has a plan long before.
Blessings! Pastor Adam
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To the family, friends, and members Congo-Pres,
Peace to you in this advent season. And hope and joy and love as well. Those are the themes of advent these next four Sundays, where we wait for Christ’s arrival. The word “advent” means waiting. We remember with the the church when Christ came to make his home as one of us, as God become man. He was the one they were waiting for. For us, we wait and look for Christ’s arrival. The Nicene Creed, the second oldest statement of faith that the global church has put out, puts it like this: he shall come again in glory, to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. As we look to Christ’s arrival, I think you can say no more, and no less than that. Anything more is speculation for entertaining novels and movies.
In the in-between, Christ comes to make his home in our lives today. Christ came to be with us and so he is. In this season of advent, we have two ways that we’ll focus on and remind ourselves that I want to invite you to consider joining us for.
The first is our no-rehearsal children’s Christmas pageant. All children, whether those in your home or your grandkids or neighbors or friends, are welcome to join us for Sunday worship on Sunday, December 14. They’ll be invited to take a costume piece and will call them up as we tell the Christmas story to include them as well. We’re serious: no rehearsal necessary!
The second is our Longest Night Service, on Sunday, December 21, at 3 p.m. As the days keep getting shorter, this can be a tender time for peo-ple. Whether you might be going through grief, through struggle, or just feeling fear about our world, we have this service that testifies to Christ being the light in the darkness, no matter what. The service will have ele-ments of lament, of prayer, and song. If you know someone who is going through a hard time, perhaps this could be something to invite them to.
We’re not at Christmas yet, but we live with Hope, and with peace, and with joy, and with love.
Looking forward to seeing you, this advent season,
Pastor Adam
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To the Friends and Family of Congo-Pres,
Grace and peace!
As summer ends, we have so much to be grateful for. Our church continues to gather for meaningful worship, small groups, classes, and studies. We support organizations and ministries near and far, and we do ministry with people of all ages and stages of life. This year we’ve hosted quilting events of all kinds, staged a play based on the early Church, shared Summer Faith and Fun with our kids, and welcomed London Meredith as our Summer Intern and Justin Derting as our Director of Next-Generation Ministry.
Worship, community, service, and ministry: these are the ways Congregational-Presbyterian Church has been called, and you have responded so faithfully!
As we enter the final quarter of the year, you’re receiving this letter at the start of our Stewardship season. Before making any request, we want to say thank you. Every gift matters — no matter the size or frequency — and we cannot fulfill our mission to know Christ, become like Christ, and share Christ without your generosity.
Your giving supports our staff, our programs, the upkeep of our building, and our outreach in the community and beyond. None of it would be possible without you.
As we plan for next year, would you prayerfully consider making a financial pledge for 2026? Regular, committed giving helps us plan faithfully for what God is calling us to do. We ask that pledge cards be returned by Monday, November 10, 2025, so that our Board can plan for the coming year.
Please know that pledges are confidential and known only to our Financial Secretary, Keesje Mills. If you have questions or need to adjust your giving, you may contact her at treasurer@congopres.org or 208-743-4444.
Along with your pledge card and return envelope, we’ve included pictures from this past year as a joyful snapshot of our life together.
Thank you for even considering a pledge — your generosity sustains and strengthens our community of faith.
Blessings,
Pastor Adam
