Dear Friends,
Our bags are packed and we’re ready to go on vacation to the seaside. But as I always say, “the best thing about going away is coming back home”. And before we know it, we’ll be back for a new school year and all the new programs and beginnings that September promises.
I am excited as we approach the renewal of programs here at UPC Flanders. The women and men’s ministries, Sunday School, Confirmation Class and the Book Group are just some of the things emerging in September. But most of all, I am looking forward to the Welcome Back Brunch on September 10.
The Welcome Back event is an opportunity for you to bring a friend, a neighbor, a colleague, or someone else you know who would like to be part of our church family. If you are a young Christian, perhaps you would like to invite one of your friends from VBS or Summer Camp, just make sure both sets of parents are aware. Whoever you bring, we will be excited to meet them and give them a chance to see that “God’s house is a home for all”.
I was listening to a radio feature about how loneliness is a growing problem due to the isolation that many people feel. Solitude can be a good thing, and many of us who are sometimes too busy need a little time alone to recharge. But it is never God’s intention for us to suffer loneliness. No one should ever be left out in the cold or made to feel that they are an outsider or unwanted, especially when they are struggling under the strain and pressure of life in a cruel and unforgiving world.
Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30)