The months of July and
August are supposed to be slower, months not marked by the frenetic pace that
fills our lives the rest of the year. Certainly in the church we have our busy
seasons: Advent, Lent, the month of September as we gear up for a new program
year, the month of May as programs and the school year wind up.
But July and August are
busy months around the church as well. We start the month of July with the
whirlwind of Vacation Bible School. Churches have been offering VBS programs in
one form or another since the late 19th century, a reminder that our
calling to learn doesn’t end when the school year ends.
Our Vacation Bible School
programs are designed to be ecumenical, and it is always a thrill for me to see
children from throughout the community fill our classrooms as they laugh, sing,
play and learn together. The purpose of VBS isn’t to convert or even add to our
own membership, but to provide an opportunity for children to come together to
learn of God’s love given them in Jesus Christ.
As soon as we finish up our
VBS program, the sound of children’s voices will be replaced by hammers and
saws as construction crews take over our Sunday School wing. The classrooms and
bathrooms date to the construction of the building 36 years ago and are long
overdue for renovation. Our Property Ministry Team is overseeing the work that
will freshen up and brighten the rooms both for our Early Learning Center and
our Sunday School.
In mid-July eleven young
women and men from our High School Youth Group will spend a week on the campus
of Purdue University in Indiana participating in the Presbyterian Church
Triennium. As its name suggests, it is an opportunity that happens every three
years for high-schoolers from across the country to gather to explore their
faith, make new friends, and have fun. Our young folks will spend the week with
6,000 other young people from across the country and across the world.
The program’s website tells
us, “Triennium participants will explore each day one of the significant “I am”
metaphors from the gospels. Jesus used the “I am” images to help the
rookie disciples understand his purpose, depth of care, everlasting presence
and wide redemptive love. We hope to do the same in hearing and seeing
and praying these stories at Triennium! It is a theme all about identity– the
identity of God and our identity as children of God. … We also hope
youth participants will wrestle with their own sense of self as young
Christians in today’s world. We hope that through the event these youth
will hear God saying, “I AM with you. I AM calling you. I AM preparing
a place for you and a path for you. I AM challenging you to be my eyes,
hands, and feet in the world.”
We are thrilled that we’ve
got such a large group attending this year. We’ll ask them to share their
experiences and what they learned after they return, but while they are away,
please do keep them in prayer.
Now it is your turn: what
do you have planned this summer to help you grow in faith? Reading? More time
in prayer? Perhaps you’ve thought about a retreat either on your own or with
others. Perhaps you’d like to form a prayer group/reading group/study group.
Summer may be a time for slowing down, but it is also a wonderful time to renew
and refresh yourself as you grow in faith.
Grace & peace,
Pastor Skip
