June 30th Update
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Messiah,
Thanks to everyone who helped make last week's Vacation Bible School such a success! We are grateful to God for enabling us to share His Word with more than 80 children last Monday through Thursday, and we are so appreciative of all the volunteers and supporters who contributed their time, talents and resources to VBS and to our concluding Fun Fair.
July is typically a quieter month at Messiah; however our mission of knowing Jesus Christ and making Him known through worship, education, fellowship and service continues in the weeks to come. Click on a heading below to jump directly to a topic!
WORSHIP AND CLASS SCHEDULE
Our regular Sunday schedule:
Livestreams of our Sunday services can be found at:
Our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/messiahgr
The most recent livestreamed service is viewable on our website's front page, www.messiahgr.org
Monday night Divine Services will also be held through August 31st at 7:00 pm. One exception: there will be no service on Monday, July 6th.
JULY NEWSLETTER PLUS WHAT'S NEW & NEXT
Our July newsletter is now online; click here to view or download a copy! Paper copies are available at the Welcome Center. We post the newsletter (including monthly calendars) and our weekly announcements online at www.messiahgr.org; calendars are also online separately at www.messiahgr.org/calendar. Be sure to check these sources regularly for updates on the events listed below and more!
NEW! The church office will be closed on this Friday, July 3rd, in observance of the Independence Day holiday.
The new online Women's Reading Group: A Feast of Fine Things continues. The group is reading Parents and Children by Charlotte Mason over the summer. Particpants are also welcome to post favorite Scriptures, poetry, quotes, art, pictures and music. Contact Allison Black for details about the Band app, group participation and answers to your questions!
NEW! Carpet Cleaning will take place on Wednesday, July 8th. If possible, please wait at least a day before entering the carpeted areas of the building, as carpets will still be wet. Furniture will be moved off the carpeted surfaces and will need to be returned to place for services on July 12-13 and other upcoming activities. The Trustees appreciate your patience, and maybe help, during this time. Contact Carol Mushong if you have any questions.
NEW! Brainstorming Meeting for younger members of Messiah on Wednesday, July 8th at 7:00 pm in the fellowship hall. We would like to discuss events and activities that would be of interest to you! See Dave Ahrens or Kurt Veitengruber for more information.
Church Safety Sunday: after the service on Sunday, July 12th, the Board of Trustees' Safety Team will present recommendations in four key areas of concern: Medical Emergencies, Fire Safety, Weather Safety and Security Awareness. This informational session will include input from the Kent County Sheriff's Department. Everyone is encouraged to attend! Contact Rick Domine, Rick Cunningham or Joe Buss with any questions.
A special Voters' Meeting to take action on some of the Safety Team's recommendations is planned for after the service on Sunday, July 19th.
The Safety Team is also planning to offer First Aid/CPR/AED Training on Saturday, July 25th. Stay tuned for more details!
Yours in Christ, Rick Krueger
FROM PASTOR ERIC
'Above all, [summer] is a time to recall who the Lord of the Sabbath is. It is not us. It is our Savior, who died and rose for us, and for His entire creation. All the good, true, and beautiful things we should take time to enjoy, we only see dimly here. Here we sit on the lake shore and see a glorious sight, and yet the Lord of the Sabbath promises the best is truly yet to come. Here we enjoy time together, but also know that such time is fleeting. The Lord of the Sabbath promises us an eternity of such joy, with all those who love Him, including all who have departed in the faith. Here, our time of rest sometimes is not all that restful, and we return to work that is occasionally toilsome, burdensome, or draining. The Lord of the Sabbath says this to us,“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
'As you take time to rest this summer - even if it is a very active rest that still counts! - do not forget that our ultimate rest is only found in Christ. Find a local church near the cabin. Take a devotional book, or something of the sort. Take your Bibles and read them! Listen to God’s Word, given to you, written for you, shared with you. Reflect on the many blessings of God, especially the peace and salvation we have in Christ alone. Avail yourselves of this gift of God - rest, true rest - and let Him draw you that much closer to Himself. Amen.'
JULY'S HYMN OF THE MONTH
“God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It” (Lutheran Service Book 594) is a forceful, direct expression of the comfort and joy given in Holy Baptism. German pastor Erdmann Neumeister’s poetry, translated by Canadian pastor Robert Voelker in 1991 and set to a Swiss melody, reminds us of our baptism’s benefits and confronts sin, Satan and death with the repeated words “I am baptized into Christ!” We hope you enjoy listening to it (as sung at a Lutheran youth conference) below, as well as singing it and taking it to heart throughout the month!