Let’s celebrate with gratitude the response we had to our Hospitality House offering on August 29. Hospitality House (HH) has been under duress from COVID restrictions and complications that have reduced their income and restricted their volunteers. The result is that they have been forced to do more (since their clientele has increased) with less (since their income and staff has been reduced). Pastor John was able to deliver goods donated at the last Drive-Thru Food Drive and over $4000 in donations that you gave to help alleviate the shortages and care for a group of people who struggled to care for themselves. Thank you for your caring and generous response.

SISTER’S CLOSET. One of my favorite community events we offer is Sister’s Closet, and it’s coming up October 9. This is a time where women and teenagers can come and shop for free to augment their wardrobe for the Fall and Winter seasons. My heart is so moved each time we offer this event as I watch many women and girls shop with joy on their faces as they peruse the wonderful clothing items, shoes, and accessories donated by the generous women of our church. What an opportunity to bless others out of the blessings we’ve been given. It’s a joyful and even tear-filled frenzy. If you would like to help with set-up or tear-down or during the shopping, please get in touch with Mare. She will help you find a way to serve the women of our community and church who need our support.

FALL FAMILY FESTIVAL. One of our largest community service projects each year is FFF. This year’s theme is Animal Adventures. We’re going to spread out and utilize as much of our facility – indoors and outdoors – as possible to create a fun and irresistible environment where families can come and enjoy the inspiring opportunity we provide as they relax and play together. FFF is such a FUN event, and we’re beginning signups for a whole army of volunteers to help make sure that every family who attends will feel welcomed, have fun, and leave with all the candy they could ever have imagined. You can sign up to serve on our website or by contacting Mare or John. Many families in our community get their first real contact with our church through this event. That makes FFF a high-impact investment as we get to have a personal touch with the families of our community.

LIFE GROUPS FALL LAUNCH. We’re entering a new season with a time of clarification as we launch our small groups. 2021 was a time for us to sharpen our focus as a church to be more intentional in our approach to discipleship and be clearer in our vision to engage together to lead as many people as possible into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We have four pillars to build on – Share Life, Strengthen Faith, Serve Others, and Spread Hope. The Share Life pillar includes our relationship with Jesus and how He calls us to Share Life with Him and each other. The natural outflow of that is that we want our small groups to be intentional in sharing life with each other, therefore we are going to call our small groups – LIFE GROUPS. If you're going to become part of a LIFE GROUP or want more information on what it means, please email Laura or Mark, and they will help you get connected. Our goal is that we will all find a place where we can know and be known, love and be loved, serve and be served, and celebrate and be celebrated as we grow to become more like Jesus.

GOSPEL ILLUSION SHOW. Children’s Ministry is inviting everyone, children and adults, to join the fun and illusions on Sunday, September 26 in the Student Room. Bernard Bradshaw’s Gospel Illusion Show has been bringing the message of God’s love for the past 21 years. He grabs people’s attention through the gift of illusions helping them to better understand and remember the stories of Jesus. Bring a picnic to eat right after church at 12:15pm. Children’s Ministry will be providing free Taco Bell soft tacos. The Gospel Illusion Show will begin at 1:00pm.

SUNDAY, we get to start our RADIATE LOVE series based upon the New Testament book of 1 John. John writes to correct error that had seeped into some of the second-generation church teachers in the region of Ephesus. He writes to encourage the Followers of Jesus in that region to live in such a way that exemplified the words of Jesus when He said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John, who was known as the “Disciple of Love” wrote it this way in 1 John 4:7-8, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” I’m really looking forward to this series because our world is desperate to know a love like that.

COMMUNION IS THIS WEEK. Make sure to be prepared for Communion whether you are here on site or engaging online from home.

Here are the links you’ll need to be fully prepared for Sunday’s Service:

• Message Notes and Study Guide
• Weekly Spotify Playlist
• Children's Ministry
• Student Ministry 

Joyfully living everyday life on mission in intimacy with Jesus and others,

CANCER SURGERY UPDATE. (This is the same as last week, but since people keep asking, I’m going to repeat myself.) I find myself in a place where I cannot predict or plan the date for my surgery. I am at a new moment of trust as I WAIT for an extensive hospital system to guide me to the surgery schedule. I’m a planner, and it’s hard for me to wait. In a prayer gathering last week, one of the women who spoke to God on my behalf reminded me that Jesus is with me in the waiting as much as He was with me in the days of chemo/radiation treatment and recovery. Would you please pray that I can wait with faith? Please pray that I can grow stronger as I wait because I’m still weak and fatigued from the chemo/radiation treatment I underwent. Please pray for God’s favor because ultimately, He is responsible for schedules and plans. I want to be in the center of His will. As I’ve shared with you, Psalm 27:13-14 are the verses God gave me for this phase of my journey. “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. WAIT FOR THE LORD; Be strong and take heart and WAIT FOR THE LORD.” 

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