Rally Day Recap and Next Ups!
Everything was ready for Rally Day - charts, colored table tents, sentence starters, pens, and paper. Mr. Boswell was well positioned in the kitchen, all barbeque items warming and ready to roll. Sue Sames had tables set with bright coverings and silverware. There was even a somewhat elaborate process to ensure that people were making connections across our Quad (Copper Hill, North Canton, SUM, and Washington Hill) - congregants would gather by interest and discuss current missions and future possibilities. We had thought of everything. Pastor Gene’s message, per usual, was great - Connections among Christians. There was no better way to kick off a sermon series, bring us together in communion with God, and begin anew as we returned to worship in the sanctuary.
When the luncheon finally began (the wafting smells called to our stomachs), grace started to unfold before my eyes. Chairs and tables filled rapidly. Hospitality scrambled to set up more places for fellowship. Members from the Quad started to mix and take seats with new faces. Introductions were made, stories were shared, and God’s hand became visible in Wesley Hall. I made my way over to Pastor Gene. “Look at this. There is not an open seat in the hall. People are talking. Connections are being made. God is blessing this Rally Day. I think I'll ditch my charts.” PG nodded in agreement, and we decided that, just as it was, Rally Day was a success. Our theme, “We are Better Together,” came to life among us. We are a people of connections, and they were made across spaces, faces, and places that Sunday. Thank you to all who participated, and if something else called you to spend your time differently, no worries! Let’s connect on Sunday and continue the conversations. Amen!
So what’s next, you ask? Please set aside Sunday, October 13th, after the 10:30 service. We will have a full Council Meeting as we enjoy a potluck luncheon. Congregants will hear the most pertinent updates from Finance, Trustees, Staff Parish Relations (SPR), and the Council seat. We will also take a look at a drafted Welcoming Statement for SUM, hear what the SUM youth are up to, in addition to highlighting our groups of exhorters who are growing in number and preaching the Good News among the Quad. Please bring a dish to share, questions you have, and an open heart to God’s grace once again working among and through us. May it be so! See you in the fellowship hall!
Sue Lemke, Church Council Chair