Newsletter - June 2022

Newsletter – June, 2022

Greetings from the desk of the Pastor! I feel like I blinked and suddenly summer has arrived. May was jam packed and FULL of celebrations. We are not a huge church, but boy do have we some vibrancy within these walls. As we shift towards summer I, for one, am looking forward to those sunny days and a (slightly) lighter schedule full of enjoying all the good things God has given us.

When I was a kid, I remember it was always so hard to focus in school for those last few weeks. The rain and mess of Spring melts away and the outside world becomes so beautiful – it can be hard to focus on your studies! I think even as adults, we get a similar mentality as the seasons change. Even writing this newsletter from one of my favorite downtown coffee shops is taking twice as long as it probably should because I keep staring out the window at the blue sky and our wonderful downtown life.

However, as we gear up for the months of summer fun, filled with vacations and time outside – I want to encourage you to stay vigilant in your walk with God! The world is loud and noisy and distracting, but there are so many wonderful ways to grow closer to God – even in the summer months. If you want to be outside – bring your bible! (or your favorite bible app). If you go for a walk on the flushing trail, maybe take a moment to praise God for the magnificence of the trees and the splendor of the river babbling as it flows by. If you are physically able – please come join us in worship every Sunday! If you are unable (whether through sickness or vacation distance – please join us digitally! The modern world is full of fantastic resources for Christians and if you want to grow closer to Jesus – you can! Let your faith become a firm foundation on which you stand, no matter where you find yourself in the summer months.

Vacation and travel is a wonderful thing – but that doesn’t mean we should move God to the back burner of our life. Whatever you do and wherever you go – make sure you carve out time to make God a priority in your life.

Summer may be a time of many vacations, but our church will still be a bustling place! We have some wonderful events coming up that I wanted to draw your attention to.

Summerfest 2022! – Flushing’s annual summer celebration kicks off with a parade on June 8th, and our church is having an ice cream social to follow. Then there’s Kid’s Day on June 9th (where we will be providing our portable Gaga Pit). The beloved local rock band “1Fifty” will be performing on Friday evening (at 5pm) AND Sunday afternoon. Put it all together and our church is involved in almost every single day!

Worship On The Riverfront! – W//R is returning for their FOURTH year of Sunday evening outdoor worship experiences. Our very own 1Fifty will be kicking us off on June 26th at 6pm. We will have games, music and maybe even some gift card giveaways! What I really love about this is that it’s a chance for different churches to come together and offer worship to the entire community.

Nursery Graduation! (June 5) – This is a brand new event in our church. We have a number of students who have “aged out” of the nursery over the course of the pandemic. Our amazing nursery staff have been very understanding and flexible (even allowing the kids to stay when they were a little too old). However, we want to officially recognize their graduation from nursery and their entrance into our worship experience! They will also be able to enjoy Kid’s Church during the sermon, instead of heading back to the nursery. I see this as a celebration, but also a call to action! The number of little’s in our church is growing – and so we have a need to expand our children’s ministries. Please consider volunteering for the Nursery, Kid’s Church or even Sunday School. Contact Melissa Whalen for more details.

Our church will be a bustling place full of life in the next few weeks, but until then – I’ll see you on Sunday.

Pastor JJ