July 12, 2024
Dear Church,
How is your summer going? It’s hard to believe we are already midway through July! Summer is often a season of expansion – traveling to see family and friends or having them travel to see you. Spending long evenings outside, as the sun sets later in the day. Connecting to church remotely from weekend outings.
And I also know that, while summer can be a season of expansion, it can also be a time of loneliness and disconnection. The patterns we get used to from September to May are relaxed, which can leave us adrift. As so many travel, there might be weeks between seeing dear friends. Differences in how we live our lives become apparent. And life continues, even in summer – bringing moments of grief, and loss, and change.
As we enter this midpoint of summer, I would encourage you to remain connected. To each other, to Grace, to the various communities you are part of, and to God. We are interconnected and interdependent, loved by God, and freed to love our neighbors. While programming is slower during the summer, there are some upcoming opportunities to be connected and spend time together in a meaningful way. On July 28th after worship, we will be gathering at Kelley Park to swim, picnic together, and hang out. During the first week of August, we are partnering with Shepherd of the Valley and other local churches in a Habitat for Humanity build – more information is available on our website! And we continue to have Coffee Hour after worship, where you can get a cup of coffee, a cookie, and sit and chat!
I pray that you have been well, and I look forward to being back with you all soon!
In Christ,
Pastor Reed
Every Friday, we send an email to the congregation and any others who would like to learn more about the Grace community. The last four Friday emails are posted below.