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Hello Lord of Life, 

September is a time of a lot of changes. Kids and teachers are back in school, summer will turn into fall, the weather has already gotten cooler at night, and pretty soon, God’s beauty will be on full display in the changing colors of the leaves in the trees.  Like the month of September, we ourselves at Lord of Life  are in the midst of several changes. Coming this September 11th, we will be changing from two services to one service at 10am. I am excited about this because being all together will help us to feel more connected as a community. Instead of “9 AM people” and “11 AM people” it will just be “us”.  The fuller feeling of the sanctuary I’m sure will transfer into the way we praise God with our voices. With combined services, we will sing praises to God in one unified voice. 

Another change you might notice is in the back of the sanctuary. All our Christmas decorations that occupied the space behind the pink wall divider have been safely stored allowing us to free up the back corner of the sanctuary to create a young people's space. In its beginning stages, we have put a bookcase with books, puzzles, a few toys, and coloring supplies. The space will continue to evolve with the needs of the youth and young people who use it to guide us. By dedicating a specific space for kids in the worship space, we are striving to follow the example of Jesus who loved children and tells us of their importance in the Gospel of Matthew. “[Jesus] called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “...Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

Another exciting change taking place at LOL in September is the beginning of the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) process. “The purpose of the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Program is to ensure the welcome, inclusion, celebration, and advocacy for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; work for racial equity and commit to anti-racist work and support the national program.” As we continue to do this work of living into the values we already share as a church - We Share God’s Love - we keep building a bigger table for all God’s people, especially those who haven't always been welcomed by the Church. If you would like a leadership role in this process or have any questions, please reach out to me. 

We humans are constantly changing and growing just like the leaves on the trees outside. Just as we love to watch the season change, God loves to watch us grow and change as well. In the midst of this change we rest in the knowledge that the only thing that never changes is God’s love for us. 

Blessings,

Pastor Adam