Dear Friends in Christ,
Next Sunday, worship will resume at 10:00am. I’ll be away on vacation, but you’re in good hands as the worship team has recruited guest preachers and has considered the need for urgent pastoral care. Watch for details.

While I’m away, the Wednesday evening book club will begin meeting, and Kindness Keepers will meet on the evening of Thursday, September 25th . Again, watch for details.

Your Generosity Team has planned and begun work on the Annual Fall pledging drive. Pledging Commitment Sunday will be celebrated on October 26th.

Your Church Vitality Team has met twice with consultant and coach, Rev. Paul Nickerson, and is developing a plan of action steps. You’ll be hearing more about this in the Fall as we shall be taking some of these steps together. It takes all of us in covenant with one another to change a church’s culture and adapt 20th century habits and practices to 21st century human needs.

Your Search Committee is busy interviewing candidates interested in serving as your Designated Term Pastor. And, your Vision & Leadership Development Team will be meeting in September with intentions of focusing more on the “V” in its name and purpose.

While I don’t know how many more months I’ll be serving as your interim pastor, I look forward to returning to New Hampshire on September 26th and leading worship on Sunday, September 28th. On that Sunday, we’ll begin a new sermon series entitled, “On Earth as it is in Heaven: Jesus’ Parables About the Empire of God.” It promises to be a timely topic for us who are living through troubling days in our nation, and I’ll offer you more details about this upcoming series in the September 24th church E-newsletter.

In the meantime, I wish you blessings as we transition from a long, hot summer into Nature’s Fall and the second half of Pentecost Season.

Sincerely in Christ, our wise teacher and compassionate savior,
Pastor Ed