During July, I will be leading a Summer Bible Study every Monday evening in the Prayer Garden. Each week, we will meet at 7:00 PM and work through the book of Philippians. I hope that you will be able to join us! Just show up on Monday evening with your favorite Bible. If the weather doesn’t hold up, we’ll move to the Parlor.

On the first Sunday of the month (July 6), we will continue our conversation about Galatians. We will be focusing on Galatians 6:1-10 and thinking about how we can nurture our own faith and the faith of others. We will also celebrate the sacrament of Communion which is always a wonderful way to start a new month.

We will begin a four-week sermon series on Sunday, July 13, looking at Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In the Colossians series, we will be focusing on who we are called to be and how we can live into that life. The first week of the study will focus on Paul’s opening to the people of Colossae. What does it mean to send grace and peace to others? We will also be installing our new elders and deacons during our worship service.  What a wonderful way to extend grace and peace to our congregation!

The third Sunday of the month (July 20) will bring us to Colossians 1:15-28. In this passage, we will learn what it means to be a servant of the gospel. We are all called to different vocations in life and we have different skills and talents. That diversity is beautiful and creates a stunning mosaic of life experiences. We all, however, are called to be servants of the gospel.

We will hold our Summer Healing service on Thursday, July 24. This is always a wonderful opportunity for people to pause and connect with God.

On the final Sunday of the month (July 27), we will focus on Colossians 2:6-19. After spending the past few weeks developing our spiritual practices, we will put them to use. How does having a deeper understanding of God and an ear attuned to the Spirit help us to be aware of our motivations? There are times in our lives we need to be on the lookout and our faith can help us to be alert in today’s world.

This month promises to be full of the Spirit, and I am looking forward to seeing you in worship.

I hope you will join me for the Summer Bible Study and Healing Service!

Pastor Emily

We will be having a Service of Healing and Wholeness at Thursday, July 24 at 7:00 PM.

If you are not familiar with healing services, they are an opportunity to gather with others for a time of prayer, reflecting on scripture, listening or joining in the singing of hymns, and seeking God’s peaceful presence. We all have different backgrounds and different comfort levels when it comes to worship. This service is designed to meet everyone’s needs.

After a time of gathering, some scripture, and hymns, we will continue to worship in a few different ways:

• We will be offering anointing with oil in the Sanctuary. This will be a brief moment of prayer and being anointed either on your forehead or hand with oil.
• The labyrinth will be set up in the parlor allowing for a quiet and contemplative walk with God.
• Finally, the prayer garden will be available for folks to sit in nature and either pray on their own or with someone waiting to join them.

You can participate in each of the stations, some of them, or simply sit in the sanctuary for a while.

It is our desire that folks encounter the Divine’s healing presence in this time of worship. We hope to see you there.

We are looking for candidates to help with this year’s Summer Program at the GPC Early Learning Center.

The program starts June 9 and ends August 22.  There will be 4 working days per week from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Experience in childcare is a must.

To apply, or for more information, please contact our Early Learning Center director Fawn Pignoli or our pastor, the Rev. Emily Cooper.