In most churches in the summer, congregations face the dreaded \u201csummer\u00a0slump.\u201d This is usually a reference to giving \u2013 people go away, get busy and\u00a0as a result, the offering tends to go into a slump. And while that is true for\u00a0us this summer, there are still good things to be celebrated. In June, we\u00a0changed the Sunday morning schedule for the summer. Any time leaders\u00a0make a change to the schedule there is a risk that the change will be met\u00a0with disagreement, usually shown in the form of absence. In reviewing our\u00a0attendance records for the last three years, we\u2019ve learned that in spite of\u00a0making this change, the attendance has not dropped.<\/p>\n
We also launched a refreshed website. If you have not been to\u00a0www.ctpres.org<\/a>, I urge you to do so. We have a new look, new content and\u00a0a new feel to the site. This may not seem like a big deal, but some of our\u00a0summer visitors have indicated that the website is the reason they visited.<\/p>\n Our youth group went on a mission trip at the end of June. Since\u00a0Christmas, the youth have been planning a mission trip, and they partnered\u00a0with YouthWorks to serve near Charleston. The youth plan to share more\u00a0about their trip during worship on Sunday, September 11, which is also\u00a0Rally Day.<\/p>\n In July, we had a great Vacation Bible School. So many people were helping and making the week great for kids. We were able to share the gospel\u00a0in a fun and exciting way with a great curriculum and an awesome\u00a0program. We even had a parenting class three out of the five nights. This\u00a0weekend we are hosting one of the missionaries we support. \u00a0Drake\u00a0Williams, who serves at Tyndale Seminary in the Netherlands will be joined\u00a0by his family to preach at worship and lead a Sunday School class to\u00a0explain how he is seeing God work.<\/p>\n Finally, why have one mission trip when you can have two? We are sending\u00a0a small team to Webster Springs, WV, to help with the aftermath from the\u00a0flooding earlier this summer. They will serve August 28-September 3. The\u00a0deadline for signing up is Monday, July 25.<\/p>\n Summer slump? I don\u2019t think so! God is at work in a variety of ways in and\u00a0through our congregation!<\/p>\n Blessings,<\/p>\n Pastor John<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Summer Slump? Continue reading