We’d like to create a xeriscape garden, which requires little to no watering, and hopefully use native plants that will attract pollinators. We hope to install benches and create a lovely sitting area for conversation or contemplation, while also fostering pollinator diversity. This project begins November 8th when we will prepare the ground for planting next spring. Grab your gloves, maybe a rake or shovel, and please join us as we create a lovely new garden. All help is appreciated.

A  project to recruit volunteers to raise heirloom seeds of vegetable varieties for the CDA Library seed program is being discussed. More projects, on a bigger scale, will likely follow in partnership with Lake City High School.

The Earth Care team is starting to gain momentum in several areas in the church. We now have new recycling bins in Kreuger hall. Our team was involved in the Fall Festival outreach event in the church parking lot. We had our first Backyard Bird Basics class last week, which included Bible verses referencing birds and their significance.

Maintaining my little vegetable garden, a few fruit trees, and flower gardens means a little “work”, but as Pastor McLane said, work is part of our calling. In planting a garden, we are following in God’s footsteps. Genesis 2:8 tells us that: “God planted a garden in Eden in the east and there placed man whom God had created”, and commanded him to keep and till it. Creating sustainable places where biological diversity can flourish is one way we can do that. Genesis reminds us that it involves sweat on our brow! A small price for the wonderful flowering of God’s miraculous world.

If you are a person inclined to garden, or even if not, and you would like to be involved, just let me know, and we will find a place for you; we can use your help. My contact information is in the church directory. I would love to hear from you.
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In His Name, George 

We are blessed that our church Loves First and is a congregation of action. The Feeding Families Fund Drive running throughout the month of November uses your donations to purchase food gift cards. These cards help put food on the table for families that visit our 1st Pres Neighborhood Closet, which is a part of our Community Outreach Committee. Our volunteers make sure that each family that comes to our closet receives a gift card at the end of their shopping experience. During conversations and before a prayer at the end of the shopping experience, a volunteer asks if the 1st Pres congregation can bless them with a gift card to support their family in the purchase of food items. To date our volunteers have given 72 families gift cards and expect by year end we will serve up to 90+ families. Looking toward 2026, we anticipate our numbers to grow as more and more families are finding that their food dollars are not going as far as they previously have. 

Through your action of Love 1st you have blessed so many families. Here are some of the heartwarming stories shared by our volunteers.

before we jumped into parenting. We loved Scotland so much that we decided to name our second child, Skye, after the Isle of Skye, which we both felt was one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

I have some Scottish heritage in my background. In fact, my grandparents' home in Seattle they named “Glencoe Manor”; they had a plaque on the fireplace and everything. I grew up knowing that I was a MacDonald of Glencoe - if you’re familiar with the sordid history of this bunch, these are the MacDonalds that were famously (infamously?) massacred in the middle of the night by the neighboring Campbells. In 1692, King William was adamant that all the clans recognize him as their rightful king. The MacDonalds were stubborn and delayed their profession of allegiance to him (as a true MacDonald would do!), and in the meantime, the Campbells — having already professed their allegiance to him — were put to the task of proving their allegiance by killing their neighbors in the middle of the night. Good times. 

The first time we went, one of the first places we went to was Glencoe. This was the first place we felt and heard this truly deafening silence. We both keenly remember the feeling of the silence and the almost reverent nature of it. Dalton aptly described it as an “ancient silence”, which is such a beautiful description. 

While the Glencoe MacDonalds are a stronghold of my ancestry, the “Seat of Donald” is on the Isle of Skye at the Castle Armadale. The Seat of a clan is effectively where their headquarters were and are. 

Skye is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Our daughter Skye has truly lived up to her name in her beauty and in her stubborn, ancestral MacDonald-ness. Dalton joked that we could have named her Braveheart. 

There’s just no denying that when I am in Scotland I can deeply feel my ancestry, and I feel a real kinship with the Scottish people and, certainly, the topography of Scotland. 

I have always loved being out in nature and the sense of calm and quiet that accompanies a long hike in the mountains. Link that with not only an incredibly beautiful location but a deep sense of belonging in some weird, indescribable way, and Scotland holds a dear piece of my heart. 

While we were on Skye this time, we went on a quiet hike away from all the tourism (that’s another blog). Early on in the hike, we both had to stop and listen around us for the sound we, perhaps without discussing it, had been hoping to hear. Silence. Ancient silence. There it was. Well, except for the clickety-clack of the rammed sheep across the loch over there. 
It was beautiful. It was profound. It was reverent and it was majestic. For the brief moments we stood there, I think we both felt a refreshment and a peacefulness that we were hoping to find again in Scotland. 

I have carried that refreshment home and the silent moment we both shared. The whole trip was magical and a wonderful memory and “reset” for us in our fast-paced, blessed world we inhabit on a daily basis. But that moment was a gift to us from God. A reminder that, not only is the world stunningly beautiful, but sometimes the most profound moments in our lives and the ones we carry the longest are the most quiet. 

In His Name, Jennie

Our mission is simple and powerful: “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The Harvest Festival is more than just an event; it is a living expression of that mission. Every smile, every handshake, every shared cup of cider is a reflection of God’s love poured out into our community.

This year’s festival will be filled with activities for all ages:

But the heart of this festival is not just the activities — it’s the people. It’s the warm welcome at the front gate, the laughter of children trying something new, the joy of neighbors meeting neighbors, and the shared spirit of Christ’s love that make this event so special.

To bring this vision to life, we need you. Volunteers are essential for setup, takedown, decorating, and hosting booths. Whether you can give an hour or the whole day, your presence will help ensure that everyone who comes through our doors feels the love of Christ in tangible ways.

As Paul reminds us, “Serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13). When we come together as a church family to serve, we not only bless our community, we are blessed in return.

So come join us on October 18th as we celebrate the harvest season, the beauty of creation, and most of all, the God who calls us to love first. Together, let’s make this festival a joyful and memorable experience for all!

To volunteer, please sign up in Krueger Hall or visit register ONLINE.

In His name, 
Donna Brundage, 1st Pres Community Outreach Chair