FirstNac family,

Over the past several months, with the counsel of our pastors, church leaders, and ministry volunteers, I have been shaping a vision for Family Life Ministries at FirstNac UMC. FirstGrowth is the fruit of that work. “First” is, of course, a reference to our identity as First United Methodist Church, Nacogdoches, and “Growth” affirms that a life in Christ is a life of generation and regeneration made possible by God’s sanctifying grace. Together, FirstGrowth represents a vision rooted in the belief that God’s prevenient grace is already at work—and it is our calling to nurture that growth in children, youth, and families so they may claim a life in Christ for themselves.

Every stage of Christian education—from nursery through high school—has been audited and prayerfully scrutinized to discern what still serves our mission today. While we can’t offer everything we once did, we move forward with intentionality. Regeneration often begins small with humility and gratitude for our progress at every step.

A tree does not appear fully mature. It starts from a vulnerable seed, and as Jesus shared in his parable, the fruitfulness of the tree depends on the ground on which the seed lands (Matthew 13:1-23). With FirstGrowth, I pray that we are preparing good soil for a fruitful harvest.

This work would not be possible without your support and prayers. I appreciate your patience as I’ve taken time to get to know Nacogdoches and FirstNac. I’ll continue to lean on your prayers as we step into this next chapter—together.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Melissa