The calendar is nearly to September, and we have many exciting things happening here at Shades. To hear all about them, check out this week’s video update!
Hello, church family!
This week brings us to our fourth and final emphasis for ONE Month. This focus during the month of August been an incredible time of challenging and encouraging us to live sent! We have focused on ONE Street, asking God to use us as we prayer walked our neighborhoods; ONE School, asking God to be at work where learning takes place; and, ONE Place, asking God to guide us in conversations in those places we frequently visit outside of home, work, and school. Thank you for praying! Now this week we are turning our attention to ONE Moment. I want to encourage you to move from praying about conversations to initiating them. We each need to be intentional and step into a moment with someone to have a conversation that leads to the gospel. This is a big step for some of you, but hey we have three weeks of prayer behind us, so you can do this! Not sure how to do it or what to say? We got you covered! Just go to shades.org/one and click on the ONE Moment blog link. We have an amazing opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with those around us. Let’s look for those moments andmake this week all about the ONE!
As we wrapped up our worship service this past Sunday, I asked you to pray for a meeting that Tim, Chad, and I had at McElwain Baptist Church that night. It was an important time as we pursue the possibility of adoption, and expanding our church family. We met for over an hour with a majority of the members at McElwain. We had a chance to share our vision for that community, but most of our time was spent fielding questions from those who were there. Our leadership team is still working through the due diligence process, as we get a better understanding of the current church position with finances, facilities, and leadership structure. We’ll keep you updated as things progress, but ask that you continue praying for wisdom and direction as we move forward with this great opportunity.
For the past couple of weeks I’ve shared with you some schedule changes that are coming in September. For those of you who are able to attend gatherings in person, we want to be sure that you know when to show up where on Sundays. And for those who are still worshipping online, you’ll want to make note of our live service times.
Next Sunday, September 6, is Labor Day weekend. We will have one service at 10 a.m., with no Worship Care, Children’s Worship, or Sunday School. Then the following Sunday, September 13, we will begin our new Sunday morning schedule with worship and Sunday School at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Registration is required for preschoolers and children participating in Worship Care, Children’s Worship and Sunday School. This registration closes at midnight this Sunday, August 30, so don’t miss out! You can go to shades.org/together for registration details and additional schedule information.
As we take this exciting step in resuming Sunday School for all ages, it is going to require flexibility and a willingness to serve from all of us who attend. Our greatest need continues to be in our preschool ministry. We need volunteers at both 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to invest in the youngest in our church family. And, for us to be able to offer Sunday School for all ages, these needs must be met. And let me just say that we have one of the best preschool ministry teams out there! They make it easy and a joy to care for these little ones. Just go to shades.org/volunteer for more information and to sign up to serve.
This Sunday, we will wrap our series Go With Me. I’m really looking forward to worshipping with you and studying God’s word together. It’s going to be a great morning – I’ll see you either in person or online!