We're already halfway through July which means we're gearing up for fall. There's now a calendar on our site but it's pretty bare. We'll keep adding to it so in the future it will be a great place to get information about upcoming events. For now, I want to tell you about five important events we have coming up... 1. July 28-30Next weekend Bret Testerman will be here to consult with us about our upcoming worship minister hire. You can learn more about him HERE. Bret will lead worship in both of our services on Sunday, July 30. 2. Saturday, August 5On Saturday August 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. we're going to have a training event for Family Group leaders. This event isn't restricted to those who are currently leading a Family Group. If you think you want to lead a group at some point, if you're a spouse of a leader, if you're a group member, or if you just want to grow in your leadership ability, this is for you, too! We'll give more information, including the location, once we finalize the details. 3. Sunday, August 6We're calling Sunday, August 6th Commitment Sunday. We'll start Family Group signups on that day and we're going to offer numerous service opportunities for you to commit to. This will be the kickoff to an exciting fall! 4. Saturday, August 12On Saturday, August 12 we're going to have a congregation-wide workday at the building. On Sunday I went back through our attendance numbers for the past decade or so. We've always exceeded our yearly attendance average in August and September. That means we're likely to see a bump in attendance and some new faces in the next few months. Because we want to be hospitable hosts who make the most of every opportunity, we're going to take a few hours to spruce up the building. We'll need trucks, trailers, and strong backs. But, there will also be something for everyone to do. 5. Sunday, August 20On Sunday, August 20, the weekend students move in at UA, we're having our 11 a.m. worship service on campus at Lloyd Hall! We're going to host a meal at the building after worship that day, too. We're going to need everyone's help to pull it off. It's going to be a great day for UCC and for UCM as we launch our campus ministry for the 2017-18 school year. UCM's theme for the year is "Win the Campus" so worshiping together in the heart of UA's campus seems like a great way to start. In the weeks ahead you're going to hear more about how you can serve on August 20. For now, contact Preston if you have any questions. 6. Sunday, August 27Our Family Groups will officially kickoff on Sunday night, August 27th with an event called Group Link. This is an event designed to help get as many people involved in Family Groups as possible. More details are coming soon but go ahead and put it on your calendar! That's it for now. I'm hopeful and expectant about the days ahead. I love you and I'm honored to have the opportunity to serve you. See you Sunday!
Neil |