​     Six months ago, at the beginning of the fall of 2022, a group of church members and our pastors took a pilgrimage to Montreat, NC. It is a beautiful place with gorgeous mountain scenery and lots of interesting people from all over the country, all of whom are doing a variety of things, but at the heart of all the things that are happening in Montreat are relationships...relationships with each another and relationships with our Creator.

     We have just returned from yet another pilgrimage to Montreat to continue our work with the leaders of the Thriving Congregations Initiative. This work has been made available by a grant that Pastor Neeley discovered through a relationship that she had with the staff at Montreat. Relationships are at the heart of who we are as a people and they make opportunities like this one possible!

     In the days ahead we will continue having one-on-one conversations so if you haven’t yet enjoyed one of these discussions, contact Dan Walden at and we’ll get you hooked up with a team member at your convenience. We will also begin digging into the history of Newton County and Covington so we can understand our historical context. And soon we will begin organizing “House Meetings” to bring folks together over these same topics. So be on the lookout for your opportunity to have your voice heard. We are just 6 months into a two year process, so we have lots to learn from each other.

Our FPC Thriving Congregations Cohort is heading home from Montreat today!

​Want to know more about the grant funding this opportunity for our church? Visit montreat.org/thriving-congregations

    In short, we will begin a process of getting to know one another and the community that we minister to, and we will use this knowledge to focus our resources on meeting the needs of our church and community in ways that will make a real impact. Our involvement in this initiative has begun with training of our Core Team (pictured). Sometime in the next month or two you should receive a call from a team member to schedule a brief conversation so that we can add your voice to this important conversation. In the meantime, you may contact either of our pastors, or our team leader Dan Walden with any questions that you have. 

​    We look forward to thriving together as a church family that is truly the hands and feet of Jesus in the world!

Through our work on our strategic planning team and endorsement of our session, FPC is participating in a two year process funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. to explore how the Spirit is moving our church and community to action! 

Our core team includes Dan Walden, Debra Arnold, Pat Harper, Jodi Atkins, Jay Lanners, and our pastors. 

This exploration of Spirit led action discernment is through Montreat Conference Center and Black Mountain School of Theology. 

​Soon you will see opportunities to hear about our experience and what is to come!! We are grateful for this opportunity!