First Presbyterian Church Homecoming: "A return to one's home." Christmas season is always a time of Remembering; remembering good times, remembering old friends, remembering Christmases past, remembering your past First Presbyterian Church of Benton has been a home for many of us for a very long time. We have come, then gone, then returned. We remember the fellowship hall in the basement, the seemingly too small sanctuary, the motel" classrooms, even the house next door used for Sunday School classes. For some who came later, we remember the newness of the new sanctuary, the abundance of classrooms, the fire, the rebuilding, the feeling of accomplishment. But most of all, we remember the people. The people who influenced us, who taught us what it meant to be a Presbyterian, who laughed with us and who cried with us We look around in the sanctuary and we don't see those people. Some are the saints we remember on All Saints Day and are not here but still influence us by who they were and how they were loyal to the church and to their faith. And we now have other people there when we look around in the sanctuary. But there are people who have been there and are missing. That's where the word homecoming" comes in. We need you to come back, to come home to your church. Some of you have grown in wisdom (and possibly in age) and we need your wisdom. We have young members who need your influence, need to be guided by your wisdom. Some of you are younger and we need your fresh ideas and your enthusiasm If you need a home to "come home" to, we invite you to visit us and Try us out". We are a loving congregation, we are traditional but not stuffy, we are open, meaning that you don't have to be Presbyterian to "give us a try." Our services are open, our communion is open. Our table is the Lord's table, not a Presbyterian table. In the Presbyterian church we believe that corporate worship is an important part of ourfaith. Certainly, we can walk alone in the woods and see God's work and feel that we are worshiping God in the setting, and we are. However, part of our understanding of our faith is that we are to worship and serve and by doing that we gain a deeper understanding of what we believe. And we become a family, supporting each other, worshiping together, We have sent this letter to everyone on our churches mailing list and, now, we are sending it out to everyone in Saline County. If you have a church home, we are glad you do and encourage you to attend that church. If you do not have a church home, we would like to make you feel at home with us. We want to share with you the special events of our church and the regular services on Sunday. Christmas is a time of remembering and a time for family. The Advent season is upon us. Come worship with us as we celebrate the anticipation of the birth of the baby Jesus. Come to our regular service on Sunday, December 23, and then come to our special Christmas Eve service on Monday, December 24, at 6:00 p.m. WELCOME HOME!!! First Presbyterian Chur ch 501 N. East Street. Benton 501-315-7737 fpcbenton.com