An Amazing Celebration Sunday Today!

Praise be to God for the worship experience we had today! It was the "5th-Sunday Celebration Service," which was led by our youth who served as missionaries to a week-long mission trip in Denver, Colorado this past summer.

They showed us a very special call to worship God... called the Boogaloo! (You had to be there to be amazed by it!)

We all really got into the special praise music. And then Emily Jessen led the Children's Time, with the help of her cousin Kelsey Arrington (who looked stunning in her boa... by the way)!

The Wesley Four were in perfect harmony; their music inspired us all!

The message was about what they youth and their leaders did during their week-long mission trip. We were shown a fabulous PowerPoint presentation which included some wonderful pictures of all of them in fellowship and service. Accompanying the presentation were a couple of awesome songs by modern-day hymn writers. Afterwards, they shared with the congregation what were the highlights of the week and what they learned from the experience.

Then Pastor Charles asked Bill and Bea Dinkel to go to the front of the church, so that he and our youth missionaries could place their hands on them and pray for their safety and the success of their upcoming mission trip to the Indian reservation at Shiprock, NM, at the end of this week. They will be taking a big shipment of clothing and goods to their Thrift Store on the reservation. (They do this twice a year.... so if anyone else wants to/ can go with them and take items to them, they are MOST welcome!) It was so wonderful to see the youth participating and leading today's worship service! They taught us; they inspired us; and they challenged us! Praise God!!!

Lisa Bickford and Pastor Charles gave special recognition to all the Christian Education leaders in the church. We are SO blessed that they are willing to serve in this capacity!

More prayer shawls were dedicated for future service in God's Kingdom. Our prayer is that whoever might receive one will feel and know that God loves him/her... and so do we! What a great witness!!!

We had five adults join the church: Belinda Alkula, Courney Beach, Amy Craig, Beau Mathewson and Mary Yahn. AND two children were baptized into The Faith: Kaylee Sue Barnett and Grace Elizabeth Draper. (Baby Grace Draper's daddy who is a professional photographer shared the picture he took while Grace was being baptized.) Both children baptized today were so beautiful, and their parents, family and friends and the congregation all committed to helping to raise them up in the Faith. Praise be to God!

During the last hymn, "How Great is Our God," some of us couldn't help but get caught up in the Sprit's movement and love. We poured out into the aisles and linked arms and prayed/sang the hymn. GOD IS SO GOOD!

After the service, we really enjoyed all the delicious desserts which were featured in our dessert potluck. One word describes it all: Yummy!

God bless Janet Rosenbaum for training six of us in the "Safe Sanctuary Training" this afternoon. It was an eye-opening training for all of us who participated in it.

And tonight, Pastor Charles led a group of us in "The Wired Word" current events Bible study. What a great group of folks is that which assembles each Sunday to search God's Word for understanding about what is happening all around us each week!

Thank you, God, for a most amazing and awesome day... a day when we could worship You and praise your Holy Name!!! It truly was a Celebration Sunday!