Monday, May 28, we will set out for Missouri to help rebuild Joplin, the town devastated by tornadoes last year. We will travel to Joplin, spend two days working in various tasks needed by the community, and then travel north to Kansas City to explore, then head home. We will sleep in churches and travel in vans. To register, return registration form and $20 deposit. Total cost is $75. Forms are available from Pastor Caroline by May 21st or here on the church website:

Documents to download, print and fill out for the Joplin, MO mission trip:

Americorp Release Form

Permission and Medical Release Form

Volunteer Release Form

May 2012

Dear Friends in Christ,

The seasons have been a little “off” this year:  June weather in March,  February weather in April, April weather in February.  We’ve been relatively unscathed -- parts of our country have been ravaged by violent weather.  But “weather” or not the climate has been unseasonable, the great news is that we are in the season of Easter:  Christ has risen!  Christ is risen indeed!  We can trust our lives, and the lives of those we love, to Jesus’ care, now and forever!

It is also our congregation’s “season of discernment” -- we are continuing the process of listening to God’s voice as the Spirit speaks through scripture and the people of our congregation.  At the Conference on the Past, we looked back to see ourselves more clearly, especially what in our history we valued the most dearly.   At the Conference on the Present, we took a look at ourselves - our strengths and the challenges we are facing as a church family and as a community.  That was our Season of Discovery, discovery of what’s going on around us and what’s going on with us.

With our Lenten Bible Study, and continuing with our Vision Retreat (the one with the sun glasses) we started our Season of Discernment.  Now we are working to discover what’s going on inside each one of us, discerning who God is calling us to be as we move into the future.