Dear First Pres,

    June has been a month that's been full -- very full -- of good things that seemed to fly by at record speed! I officiated the wedding of a family member in Washington, moved into a new house, then went right away to General Assembly. After lots of activity and travel, I'm ready to be home, to slow down and spend some quiet time reflecting on all that's happened. It's good timing because this is the first Sunday in July and we'll celebrate Communion together. I'm reminded of I Corinthians 11:28 and the way it tells us to examine ourselves before we partake of the Lord's Supper. So I'm going to set aside some time to prepare myself for communion -- through solitude, prayer, reflection, and thanksgiving. Would you join me in preparing in some way for Sunday's Communion service? I'm looking forward to celebrating with you all. 

     After worship and communion, we will have two very different opportunities to engage in Christ's work using our hands and feet. First, remember to wear your sneakers and come ready to step out into the neighborhoods around First Pres to pray and serve by picking up trash.  We'll supply the trash bags and gloves, place you in groups and give out maps so that we cover the areas effectively. For those who aren't physically able to participate, I would invite you to spend some time driving through the neighborhoods and praying -- you can even holler encouragement to First Pres folks you'll see along the way! When we finish, we'll come back to FPC for a brief sharing and treat time. Second, you'll see listed below that City Bible Adventure is only a week away.  Margie and the CBA team expect 150 or more children to attend and they need your help. They've just completed their "needs list" and I hope each one of us will go to the table on the lawn and sign up to donate something. The needs range from typical items like newspaper, pencils and markers, to eggs and lifesaver candies. One of CBA's project stations is a Construction Zone that will require specific wood items, glue, nails, screws, and other things to be donated. Building wood projects means they will need to borrow hammers, drills, drill bits, and some other tools that will be returned when the week is finished. As you can see -- there are loads of ways to help. Margie tells me that if you're a person who doesn't shop, a monetary donation will be welcomed and put to good use by one of the team members. Look for the next Weekly to hear what the kids who attend City Bible Adventure will be learning about God, themselves, and God's world.

     Being gone so much, I've missed seeing folks and some of you have checked in, asking if I'm okay. I am so grateful for your care, and just want to reassure you all that everything's fine and I'm back for several weeks. Now that I've actually lived in our new digs for a few days, I'm starting to know where the light switches are.  I'll let you know when I figure out how to program the AC system! All kidding aside, we are so grateful to finally be in our new home.

Lord Bless & Keep You,