Newsletter March 2026 - First Presbyterian Ridgewood, NJ
- Bruce Ballantine
- Mar 3
- 2 min read
Dear Friends,
Come and see what I’ve found – said the Samaritan woman to her friends following her encounter with Jesus at the well.
In that spirit of invitation, from time to time here at First Pres, we schedule something called Bring a Friend Sunday. The idea, of course, is that it’s often when people attend a worship service that they are most open to God’s movement in their lives. It’s often during worship that God speaks to people through the scripture reading or sermon, through a hymn or an anthem or a prayer. It is often during worship that people sense God’s love in the midst of the community of believers. And it’s often through worship that people draw closer to God and discover God’s direction for their lives. Therefore, inviting people to attend a worship service is a good thing to do.
But today as I write this article, I would like to suggest that every Sunday can be Bring a Friend Sunday. Every Sunday presents a wonderful opportunity to say to a family member or friend, to a co-worker, classmate or neighbor: Come and see what I’ve found.
Sisters and brothers in Christ, if enough of us do that often enough during the next few weeks, our sanctuary will be filled to overflowing on Palm Sunday as we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
If enough of us invite people to join us during the next few weeks, there will be standing room only on Easter Sunday as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and triumph over death. What a joyful celebration that will be!
And not only that, I would love to meet your friends!
Grace and peace,
Bruce
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