July 2024 Letter
Dear friends:
Did anyone see what happened to June? I blinked and it seems that June slipped right past! Our connection was certainly very active over the first month of summer. There was so much ministry happening.
First, thank you to Mark Milroy, Bev Gabel, Bonnie Scherger, Ginny Faeth and David Thomas who served as the delegation to Annual Conference. This delegation faithfully attended all sessions of conference, including worship and business plenary sessions. They oversaw the business of the churches of the East Ohio Conference, as well as worshiping the memorial, retirement and ordination services. We could not do the collective work of our conference without these delegates. There will be a report given in each of our churches so that you can hear about their experiences.
Youth Annual Conference and Annual Conference consumed the majority of one week in June and then we immediately launched into VBS at Sycamore UMC. We had children from many of our churches in attendance at Camp Firelight in Sycamore. But, don’t worry, if your young person missed VBS, they will have the opportunity to attend another VBS at St. Paul’s this month, July 14-18.
Our churches have hosted both weddings and baptisms this month. These holy moments in the church are such a blessing to those involved and to Pastor Amy and I. It is one of the joys of our ministries to be invited into these special moments in others’ lives.
Right after VBS, St. Paul’s was host to the Summer Arts Academy. Young people from Tiffin and the surrounding area came to be a part of this academy, learning skills and gaining tools so that they can tell their stories in a new way. The camp focused on content creation and we are so grateful to all of those professionals who poured into these young people, reminding them of their worth and in the power of their stories.
Our churches also offered opportunities for service and fellowship in our neighborhoods in June, with Faith hosting their Festival of Fun and Republic Trinity assisting with the Republic Street Fair. We even offered our vans to be used as shuttles for the street fair. We hit the road in our Be Kind shirts and offered recipes and information at our booth at the Farmer’s Market.
It is no wonder June flew by…we were busy!!
All of these wonderful acts of ministry are evidence of the fruit of our congregations. They are proof that we are better together. As we gather in these many places and show the love of Jesus to our neighbors, we are fulfilling God’s call on us to love God and love our neighbor. Thank you for your hard work!
Blessings- Pastor Charlene