Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)
Like the prophet Isaiah, God calls each of us to be messengers of God's Word. When it comes to sharing God's message of love, and hope, and compassion in the world, let us all declare, "Here am I. Send me."
I hope everyone is healthy and doing well. If we haven't had a chance to speak lately, send me an update. I do miss greeting everyone as we leave worship. It gives me a sense of connection.
Here are a couple of quick updates for everyone.
We have new keys for the locks on the church. Anyone who has an old key - it will no longer work. Just throw it away. Our hope is to keep better track of the keys. If you need a key for some reason, let me know and I will get one to you.
In-person worship will continue outside on both Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings through the month of September (cancelled in the event of rain). Sunday worship will return to our 10am starting time on September 6 which we will continue to live stream on Facebook. Thursday worship will remain at 6:30pm, but note we now meet in front of the church, off Chapel Street. Sometime in September we will decide if we can worship inside safely or if we will go all virtual.
Thank you to everyone who has continued to give so generously to the church. Because of your generosity we have not fallen into our usual "summer debt" that we often see. And I know not everyone is able to contribute as they would like at this time due to the changes brought on by the virus, but please know your prayers and participation are still important and valued. God has been good to us and the ministry of the church carries on.
I am planning a "Faith Formation" class for this fall. It will be an opportunity to think about our faith and how it impacts our lives. It will be based on the book, "The Heart of Christianity" by Marcus Borg (but you won't need to read the book to participate). I am looking at 6-8 weekly sessions offered via Zoom and, if we can do it safely, also in person here at the church. I hope you will consider joining me. As a church we have not done enough in this regard and I would like to change that. Please let me know if you are interested.
We will also be starting Sunday school in September. This will be a combination online and at home activities. I will be reaching out to families with young children in the coming weeks.
The Non-Food Bank served 188 households yesterday that included 430 people and 103 children. The next NFB is September 16, 9-noon, drive thru only. Thanks for all the bar soap - please keep it coming!
Enough for now. Have a blessed week. I hope you'll join me for worship this weekend.
Peace,
Pastor Wayne