Hi Friends,
Two weeks ago at Kids Camp, we took a hike and looked for "wonder" (anything that sparked awe and wonder in us) on the trail. As we were walking, one of our campers came to the realization that "Everything is wonder if you look hard enough!" He is so right—God has given us so much to awaken the wonder inside us, and equally awesome is how the practice of wonder helps us grow in kindness, love, and joy. Even though kids camp is over, God is still teaching us all about the power of wonder and curiosity, and we hope you will lean into wonder, too!
We want to share with you a special gift that came out of camp. Pastor John Jay invited the campers to his office one of the days to experiment with the wonder of sound. The kids recorded various words and sounds with their own voices as well as beautiful handbells. John Jay did some magic with their recordings and paired them with Astyn singing, "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me." That song is significant to our campers because each day at camp they learned the motions for sign language to the song with Kevin. The final creation is a gift of sound that holds wonder and love as an intergenerational offering. We hope you enjoy listening to all the layers of sound!
Pasadena Youth Coalition Event
Our next event with other youth groups from the Pasadena area will be Saturday, August 27, from 5:00-9:30 pm at PazNaz church campus. We'll have food, bonfires with s'mores, a movie, and water games. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks, but save the afternoon and evening of that Saturday for this fun hangout!
SUNDAY
KIDS
Please check in your precious kiddos with the iPad near the Connections Desk in the lobby as you enter. Someone will be there to help you navigate our online system if that is new to you. It will print out a name tag for your child and a parent tag that matches. Online check-ins are one more way we keep our kids safe and help our leaders do their job well, too. Thanks!
Our nursery room is open this Sunday for babies and toddlers four years old and under. Childcare will be open starting at 10:15 AM.
Our kids five to ten years old will join us in the sanctuary for the start of worship and then they will be dismissed with their leaders to their classrooms. They are welcome to sit with Pastor Mary and me or with their parents. This week we will explore the ways we are wired for wonder and experience some hands-on sensory stations together. You might consider asking the following questions the next time you share a meal or family time together.
Discussion Questions for the Table at Home:
What does wonder "do" for us—how does it help or change us?
When have you experienced deep wonder and awe?
How does wonder help us encounter God?
YOUTH
We will have our regular youth lunch gathering this Sunday. Youth can meet in the lobby and then head up to the youth room together. We'll wrap up at 1:30 PM, and parents can text when they are at Union Street or the front gate for pick up.
Special thanks again to our youth for their awesome help during kids camp—y'all truly showed up and made such a wonderful difference for everyone at camp!
Have a wonderful weekend!
With love and gratitude for you,
Pastor Lindsay