Saturday, January 3, 1998

Survey of congregation produces sermon series

By LORETTA FULTON / Senior Staff Writer

A survey of concerns of the congregation at First Central Presbyterian Church revealed some surprises and led the way to a series of sermons and sessions to be held in January.

Sermons will focus on the question, "Where does the gospel of Christ touch us as we deal with each of these areas?" said the Rev. Clifford Stewart, pastor.

Members were given a list of concerns and asked to check the ones that most affected their lives. Surprisingly, Stewart said, the number one concern was marriage and divorce. The next four were depression, stress, drugs, and death and grief.

Those topics will be dealt with under the umbrella of "Old Problems, New Beginnings," starting with the 8:30 and 11 a.m. worship services Sunday.

A new topic will be discussed each Sunday through Feb. 1. The schedule will be marriage and divorce, Jan. 4; depression, Jan. 11; stress, Jan. 18; drugs, Jan. 25; death and grief, Feb. 1.

Also on Wednesday of each of those weeks an expert will talk about that week's topic from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the church.

On Wednesday, Jan. 7, Cindy Fitzhugh, casework manager for Family Outreach of Abilene and Taylor County, will discuss marriage and divorce.

A dinner will be served at 5:45 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling the church office at 677-3501.

A special guest on Feb. 1 will be Verdell Davis, who wrote a book titled " Let Me Grieve, But Not Forever" after her husband's death in a plane crash in 1987.

That Sunday's topic will be on death and grief. Davis' husband was flying with a group to a retreat sponsored by James Dobson's Focus on the Family organization based in Colorado Springs, Colo. The plane crashed and all on board were killed.

Her husband, Creath Davis, was a graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Seminary. He had been a pastor 10 years and was in other forms of ministry for 23 years.

In addition to speaking and writing, Verdell Davis works with the pastoral ministries division of Focus on the Family. She is involved in planning, presenting and speaking in conferences nationwide for ministers' wives as well as assisting in other events.

Before her sermon on Feb. 1, Davis will lead a women's retreat at Christ the King Retreat Center in San Angelo, sponsored by First Central Presbyterian Church. The retreat will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, and conclude at 1 p.m. Saturday.