First Presbyterian Church of Bismarck
Pastor Leanne's Message for the month of August 2025:
-Talking About It-
“North Dakota Nice” is, in fact, truly authentically nice. People chat in a friendly way when one stands in line at a store; neighbors really do bring one cookies when one moves to a new house. If one is stranded on a roadside, someone will stop to help; a perfect stranger will return one’s lost billfold right to one’s door. These are my experiences of “North Dakota Nice” – one can’t say better than that.
But, there is one thing about “North Dakota Nice” that has the potential to backfire on a person: I suppose because of our frontiersperson legacy, North Dakotans are wed to a rugged individualism that is loath to ask for help. We are too kind to burden one another with our problems; we are private people. Many times, we keep our troubles and struggle to ourselves. We would be ashamed to have anyone know that our lives are less than perfect, or that we are less than strong.
When I encounter this in the church, I am always taken a little back, even now. The tradition in which I was raised always had “testimony time” every Sunday evening… an opportunity for individuals in the church to stand up before the congregation and share what God was doing in their lives. Often that meant talking about what they were experiencing – and what God was teaching them through heart attacks, family struggles, financial crises, and one time, yes, what an elderly woman in our church learned when her lawn man accidently ran his mower through a bunny’s nest. My point is – we knew each other. We knew what hurt, who was angry at a sibling or child, who was scared about the future and who was lonely and feeling left out. There was (and is) never any shame in this – this is the nature of church, and we are most healthy when we know each other well so we can love each other efficiently.
I hope by now you know this one thing about me: I am pretty open, and love to be around pretty open people. Once it a while, someone one will tell me, “you’re going through so much yourself, and I didn’t want to burden you,” but that isn’t how this works for me. I WANT to know, I value the sharing, human openness and vulnerability helps me accept my own and other people’s stories inspire me to be strong. This is how God works in our lives, through the church. Love is produced in the honest sharing of our life stories.
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ,” the Apostle Paul said, and that law of Christ is love. So, let’s talk about it. Let us tell each other the stories of how we are walking with Christ through good and bad. In this way, we can do each other a world of good.
Leanne
2025 SCHOLARSHIPS
The Scholarship Committee of First Presbyterian Church is pleased to announce the
availability of a limited number of scholarships for our church community.
To be eligible for consideration to receive a scholarship,
a student must be an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Bismarck
or must have been an active participant in the
life of First Presbyterian Church of Bismarck for at least three years.
The awards are given for students at any level of study beyond high school.
Four years is the maximum for receiving scholarships: these need not be consecutive years. Graduate students may apply for scholarships,
providing they are within the four year maximum.
The deadline to apply is Friday, May 16, 2025
ARE YOU WILLING TO HELP?
We encourage you to continue to love your neighbor well at this time. Hebrews 13:16 challenges us to “dowhat is good and to share, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”Thank you for being the Church.
WAYS TO GIVE:
For those who are unable to worship with us in church, here are a few ways that you can continue to give:
1. Online bill pay with your banking institution.
2. Click on the "Give Now" button above to donate today.
3. Mail checks to First Presbyterian Church, 214 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501.
SECURE METHOD TO DONATE Now Available!!
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CHECK OUR CALENDAR FOR UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES/SERVICES
First Presbyterian Church
is a Community called to love God through Worship and Prayer, receiving and serving our neighbors with the compassion of Christ, open to new beginnings and the spiritual growth of children, youth and adults.
First Presbyterian Church
214 E. Thayer Ave. Bismarck, ND
Phone: (701) 223-6091
OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8:00AM - 4:30PM
Email: firstpresbyterian@fpcbismarck.com
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First Presbyterian Childcare Center - (701)-258-7490
childcare@fpcbismarck.com OR cccasst@fpcbismarck.com
Here and now
We welcome you all to come worship
You can visit us at 214 E Thayer Ave. or
tune in at 10:00am Sunday to our Live Feed on Facebook
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