I am excited!  I have had a marvelous summer and I do feel refreshed and renewed.  There is a lot that is getting ready to get started in September.
 
Youth Group - will get restarted (I’m not sure when yet).
 
Confirmation Class - open to youth grade 6 and above - will start 9/8 at 9m.  This class will be in place of regular Sunday School.  Aiming for Confirmation on 5/31 (Pentecost). 

From umc.org: “Confirmation includes three aspects,” This Is Your Baptismal Liturgy summarizes. “a) God confirms the divine promise to those who were too young to grasp what God was doing in their baptism, b) they respond by professing their own acceptance of the grace they have received and their own faith in Christ, c) the Church, as represented by this congregation, confirms the commitments they make.”  Confirmation is not a destination.  It is more of a way station, a place where we renew our commitment to the journey we have been traveling under the care of others.  “It is the first time that persons publicly declare their intention to live out the vows of the baptismal covenant,” Burton-Edwards teaches.  “It is not intended to be the last time.  It’s just that confirmation is the label we put on the first time.”  It is also a time for a congregation to celebrate their young people’s commitment to “live as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ,” and to renew their commitment to do the same.
 
Adult Book Study - Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World:  Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life, by Joanna Wever.  We will begin 9/5, 12:30.  I am reading this on my Kindle.  It is available in paperback as well, and on Amazon for $4.99.  Study guides are also available  for $10.99 for a 10 week session.  Let’s all get the book, study guide is optional.  If you are interested in this (or a different book study) and would prefer/need to meet in the evening - PLEASE reach out and let me know!  I am available for studies in the evenings, but I haven’t received any requests for them!
 
 Also going on - we will be meeting on 9/8 after the service, before the Church Leadership meeting, to discuss our visits to other congregations.

I am reminded that with each breath, with every prayer, with every new moment - there comes an opportunity for renewal and a fresh start.  Our loving God continually provides invitations for new life and forgiveness.  It seems we are most likely to recognize this at the start of a calendar year or at the beginning of a school year - whether or not we are preparing for school in any way.  Know that you are always welcome at Alplaus and in the universal community of living faith for a fresh start and new forgiveness today and every day.  Thanks be to God!

Blessings,
Pastor Kristi

 Pastoral Message
It’s summer!  Bees will buzz, kids will blow dandelion fuzz and I’ll be doing what everyone does in summer!

Yes, I’ve just come back from a Disney vacation where I sang a LOT of Frozen songs!  Kylie and I are taking two vacations this summer: most recently to Florida where my cousin got married, and next a camping trip in Yellowstone.  I’m looking at summer as a time of renewal - is  that possible in all this heat? 

Sabbath rest and renewal are eternal themes in scripture and I encourage all to find a way to renew your spirit.  Perhaps you don’t require travel for this renewal - and escaping into the pages of a good book will fill your cup to overflowing.  Maybe you would rather take some time to rest waterside: pool, river, lake or ocean.  Remember that taking time to rest and keeping that commitment to rest is a holy commandment (#4).  So if your Sabbath days have included work - take some time to let your soul rest.  Find a healthy way to revive your spirit.  And rejoice for the opportunity to remember that your loving creator wishes you physical and spiritual wellness.

Blessings,
Pastor Kristi