August 18:  Young and old students are invited to bring their backpacks and leave them on the alter to receive a blessing for the start of the new school year.  During the service, we will also present Bibles to our 3rd graders and 1st year acolyte pins to those who were new last year.  The event continues after the service as we move to Peterson Park for our annual picnic.  The picnic is sponsored by our Men's Group and members of the congregation are asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share.  Hope to see you there!

Aug 28 & Sept 17: New studies begin for both our Wednesday morning and Tuesday evening Women's Bible Studies.

Wednesday mornings (9-11 am) beginning August 28:  We will be starting a 6-week study, Defiant Joy, by Candace Payne.
 
Do you feel tempted to give up on your dreams?  Joy stays the course.  Do your knees knock when thinking about the future?  Joy hopes for what can be.  Do you feel unseen and unnoticed?  Joy is content whether backstage or center stage.  Do you feel crushed under the weight of regret?  Joy loves you enough to weep with you, but also enough to help you move on.
 
Join Candace to learn about the gift God has given us all to lead us into the full life you were always meant to live.  All you need to do is answer yes when joy, who Candace personifies as a friend, calls you to come and play.  When life punches you in the gut, it can be difficult to muster a smile--much less a laugh.  But Candace believes we need to take off our masks and re-discover the simple joys of life.  With humor and power, wit and wisdom, Candace lights the way forward to a life that is free indeed.

We will be meeting in the Fellowship hall and all women of the congregation and community are invited to attend.  Please feel free to invite a friend and join us for this study.  Study guides will be available for purchase at the first session.
 
Please let Joann Berggren know (contact information available in the August newsletter) if you have any questions, would like to attend, and if you would like a study guide.

Tuesday evenings (6-8 pm) beginning September 17:  The Christ-centered Woman: Finding Balance in a World of Extremes by Kimberly Reisman.
 
In this six-week study for women, based on Ephesians 3, Kimberly Reisman provides a guide to finding balance at every age and stage of life.  She leads us to the biblical answer to stress and imbalance: living a Spirit-filled and Christ-centered life.  Using a wheel as a metaphor for the journey, she identifies barriers to balanced living and explores what the Bible teaches about Christ-centered living,
 
All women of the congregation and community are invited to attend.  Please feel free to invite a friend and join us for this study.  Study guides will be available for purchase at the first session.  Please contact Aprile Snyder (contact info available in the August newsletter) for additional information.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

August 21 & Sept 4:  Please plan to attend the parent meetings as appropriate for the programs your child(ren) are in.  These meetings are designed to provide you with information for the upcoming year along with volunteer opportunities and other ways you can support the program.

August 21 at 6:00 pm:  Mission Possible Kids (grades 1-5)

August 21 at 6:30 pm:  Team 4:12 Open House (grades 6-8)

September 4 at 8:00 pm:  SWAT (grades 9-12) following youth meeting

August 12 at 5:30: 4th through 8th graders interested in serving as an acolyte (candle lighter) during our Sunday and special services, please plan to attend this one-time training.  Each acolyte will be scheduled to serve one or two Sundays in a 3-month period or as needed/available.  Please contact Carol Doolittle if you're interested or need additional information.

August 10 & 17: Volunteers are needed as we prep (Aug 10) and paint (Aug 17) the house of an elderly or disabled member of our community.  This year "our" house is located in NW Omaha near 108th and Fort St.  We need 10-20 people each day in order to get everything accomplished in about 6 hours.  Please sign up in the Fellowship Hall or contact Marcia Whitmore or Trent Fuller for more information.

Brush-up Nebraska Paint-a-thon is a public service project designed to help low income elderly and permanently disabled homeowners by painting the exterior of their home.  It takes several hours of your time and is extremely rewarding to help someone who does not have the physical ability to paint their home and cannot afford to pay someone to do it for them.  It's a great way to work with others, help someone in need, and have fun along the way.  Hope you can join us!