Pastoral note, from Garrett

Last week we had a great time at our first Compassion and Justice Night. We had a great selection of soups and breads. We raised enough money for the Food Bank to provide 3,129 meals, and we wrote 73 letters, 5 plate notes (letters drawn/written on paper plates), and 5 kids' notes to Congress advocating for an end to hunger in our country. 

This September I’ll be teaching a class on the life of David. We’ll use David’s story in the Bible to unpack the stages of life. We are planning content for all ages. We’ll have a meal together at 5:30 p.m., followed by an hour-long interactive class starting at 6 p.m. This class will meet for 4 Wednesdays starting on September 9. You can RSVP here.

We just enjoyed our third Sunday in the renovated sanctuary. We’re still learning the space and tweaking things. For one thing, we are not propping open all the entries. It’s actually against fire code to prop open fire-rated doors. But this is ok, I think that might encourage more people to enter from the center doors in the foyer. 

We have also discovered that when the center doors close, they shake the camera that’s installed above them. Those of you watching online might wonder why the screen shakes sometimes. Most likely it’s because someone either went in or out of those doors. This too is something we’re sorting out. 

I’m in North Carolina for a few days with my pastoral colleagues. My Dear Friend Courtney Allen Crump was installed as the pastor of Knollwood Baptist Church in Winston-Salem on Sunday. This gave our cohort a chance to get together. The “Dear Friends” are my pastor friends who have been getting together 1-2 times per year over the last decade to share life and ministry. We work on sermons, discuss leadership, and tailor the time to the needs of the group.

 Grace and peace, 
Garrett Vickrey