I have two very important announcements this month...

First, have you noticed that the 10:30 am worship service is nearly full to overflowing every Sunday? Maybe you come to the 8:00 am service and have noticed that there is room for more. Last Sunday, April 24, attendance at the first service was 80 while attendance at the second service was 195. It seems obvious that the later service is a better fit for the needs and preferences of most worshipers. But we have a problem: the attendance at the later service cannot grow we're already full! So what do we do - after all - God wants us to keep growing!

Solution: We adjust the times of services to accommodate the growth.

Beginning the first Sunday in June, our new year-'round worship schedule will look like this:
- First service: 9:00 am
- Second service: 10:45 am

Next - beginning in September we will add Christian Education classes during the 9:00 am worship time. During the 10:45 service, we will offer 'Children's Church' for children in Kindergarten up to 5th grade. Our Early Childhood (nursery) ministry for infants and toddlers will be available during all services. Adult classes can meet, if space is available, during either hour. We will also offer a Saturday service on the first Saturday each month. Attend a class during one hour and worship during the other, or teach one hour and worship during the next. Or worship, with reduced distractions, while your small children are in Sunday School or Children's Church.

This should help to balance the attendance at the two services so that each has room to grow.

Second we've noticed that ifs about this time of year that children's Sunday morning attendance starts going down. In the summer we sometimes don't see families at all. We've wondered what we can do to change that trend.

Solution: Remind parents that developing 'good habits' in themselves and their children - like regularly participating in Worship and Christian Education activities (Sunday School, AWANA, BLAZE, small group studies, etc) is important. They are far more likely to hold on to these good habits throughout life if they're developed now at a young age. Likewise, the bad habits will stick, too and are more difficult to change later in life.

Next - to encourage families to participate in church life over the summer months we're planning a "Focus on the Family Summer" with special worship themes, inter-generational activities, and we're offering families the opportunity to usher together, greet together, host fellowship time together, do special music together, lead parts of the services together, share your testimonies get creative!

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen" 2 Peter3:18