This week we are enjoying an excursion to Outrigger Island, one of the biggest, most energetic Vacation Bible School programs our church has hosted in years. All over our campus little surfer dudes and dudettes are meeting new friends, singing the music of the islands, and learning stories from the Bible. Faith is being cultivated right before our eyes.
As we continue to Catch a Wave during the summer months, I invite and urge you to sit tight, travel light, and give right.
Sit tight! During the weeks following Vacation Bible School, our Chapel Choir will be on tour, mission teams will be away on mission trips, and families will be traveling on vacation. That means fewer people will be present in worship on those Sundays. You can help foster a warm and welcoming atmosphere in worship by being present every Sunday that you are in town, and by sitting closely together as church family during our worship gatherings. When guests enter our worship areas, whether Chipley Hall or the sanctuary, our personal welcome and our proximity to each other both communicate something to our guests about our growing faith and friendship.
Travel light! These are tough and challenging times. Our nation is still engaged in a military conflict. This is a crucial election year. And we are in an economic recession. All of these factors and more puts a strain on our budgets, extra stress on our relationships, and seriously tests our faith commitments. If you are over weighted with burdens, you will lose your focus and your joy. During seasons like this we learn qualities of patience and perseverance, and we learn the importance of taking our burdens to the Lord. Travel light!
Give right! Speaking of the recession; businesses, industries, governments, schools, and churches are all being adversely affected by the downward economic trends. Gifts to churches and nonprofits are down between 15-20% nationwide. However, we believe that if God’s people honor God by giving their tithes, the first 10% of their earnings, to the storehouse, then God will bless and multiply our gifts. As we put proactive Christian stewardship principles into practice in every area of our lives, God will guide our families and our church through the challenging economic maze of this recession.
This Sunday we move from our focus on Outrigger Island to a message about Survivor: Shipwreck Island from Acts 27:27-44.
Summer is a great time to Catch a Wave by inviting a neighbor to join you as we gather for worship and Bible study.
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