Ministry With Children and Youth This Summer

School's out for summer! Our children and teens finished school yesterday and are transitioning to their summer schedule. For some that means traveling to visit family, for some that means attending camps and summer sports, and for the adults in the household it often means ensuring their children have care and supervision while they work.

As we continue in our sermon series, "Generation to Generation," I am reminded that summer is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our connections to each other. Our Methodist identity gives us a beautiful framework for intergenerational relationships through our membership vows of sharing our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness with each other. Here are some ways you can live out your Methodist identity in your relationships this summer: 

• Prayer: for health and safety throughout the summer months. Pray for 4 of our young people: Marina, Tai, Sammy and Marilyn, who will all be going to a UMC camp this summer (3 of them for the first time!) and ask them about it when they get back! When you see adults with children after worship, ask how you can pray for them this week and share the prayers you are seeking so you can pray for each other! 

• Presence:  Relationships are built with time, conversation and shared memory making. so attend Co Op Events like the picnic and the baseball game! Showing up for each other is one of the holy things we can do for each other. Here are a couple of simple conversation starters: "What is something you really enjoy doing indoors / outdoors? / What is your favorite part of the worship service? / How do you like to relax?"

• Gifts/Service/Witness: Share the love of Jesus with our youngest disciples by volunteering in the nursery on Sunday mornings or talk to me about volunteering for our VBC pilot program on Saturday August 19. We are partnering with RMN to test out their very first intergenerational vacation bible camp curriculum and provide feedback. All ages are needed! 

What a gift indeed that we have so many pathways for connecting to each other, loving each other and discipling one another on the faith journey! See you around the Co-op!