Dear Church,

Summer is a gorgeous time here in NE Ohio where all is green. As the poet Joe Pintauro wrote, “Green is a God color.” Summer is also a very busy time for pastors. We’re busy planning for the fall, and we have a lot of cool things to look forward to!

  Rev’d Up With Meghan and Luke:  Meghan and I will launch a podcast! A podcast is like a radio program on the internet. We’ll post the link where you can listen to it. We hope to launch in September. Meghan and I will be talking about things that get us rev’d up like church, the bible, and all things religious. We’ll bring back our Defense Against the Dark Arts classes we had last winter, but we’ll rename it Reading with Pride. We’ll talk about the clobber passages and how to read the bible and be an ally to the LGBTQ+ folks.

More Than Church on Sunday worship series: Starting August 27 at our Alive on the Square worship we will begin the “More than Church on Sunday” worship series. This phrase comes from our 2013 Mission statement and it is designed to explore the significance and practical application of the Epistles in the Christian faith. Going beyond the routine of attending church on Sundays, this series aims to delve into the richness of the Epistles, which are letters written by the apostles and early Christian leaders to various churches and individuals.

Throughout the series, attendees will get into the flow of church through discovery, delving into the timeless wisdom, teachings, and guidance found within these letters. The series will emphasize the Epistles’ call to live out our faith beyond Sunday gatherings, encouraging attendees to become true disciples of Christ in every aspect of their lives.

We will emphasize our small groups, bible studies, and host a few cool events. We hope to organize a “dining around” series where church members can sign up and then dine in one another’s homes. Lots of fun coming up with this series.

No More Tears: A guide to life after life: The “No More Tears: A Guide to Life After Life” worship series is designed to explore the concept of the afterlife and provide biblical guidance and comfort regarding what lies beyond this earthly existence. Spanning every Sunday in October 2023, this series seeks to provide a safe and inclusive space for individuals to engage in meaningful conversations about life after death and to discover hope in a loving and inclusive God.

We will have an accompanying Bible Study through the Bible For Normal People and their work on the afterlife. These will be held on Mondays in October at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Meghan and I really dig these series logos and may even have t-shirts made of them if y’all are interested. Fall 2023 is going to be amazing! Let’s savor summer and be present to it’s joys and also know that good things are coming!

Yours in Christ,

-Pastor Luke