Pastoral note, from Garrett

Happy February, everyone. The Welsh call February "y mis bach," which means "little month.” The shortest month of the year is here. Congratulations on making it through January. 

Bring rice and beans for our Souper Bowl of Caring food drive this Sunday (there's a list of other food needed below). Blue barrels are around the church to receive donations. If you need help loading the food, please let us know. The youth will collect the food and take it to the Baptist Temple food pantry during their Disciple Now weekend retreat next week. 

Our Renovation committee meets this Thursday to receive a report from the architects about the construction documents. They are 75% through with the construction documents. We are still on course to begin the renovation work in June. 

This Sunday will be the first Deacons meeting of the year. Lee Weems will chair the deacons for 2025 and 2026, and Linda Mason will serve as vice chair. Woodland deacons focus on pastoral care. For the past two years, Lee Weems has worked diligently with the previous chair, Martha Morse, and others to create the Building Bridges of Care ministry, which connects Woodland members who cannot attend church in person. 

The San Antonio Youth Chorale (SAYC, pronounced SAY-see) will perform in the choir loft this Sunday. SAYC is a community-based student choir that engages students from across San Antonio and well beyond. Its mission is to share the beauty of choral music, teamwork, cross-cultural convergence, and inclusiveness with any student who will benefit from the program.

Grace and peace,
Garrett Vickrey