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Ah yes, it’s Summertime. For me at least a lot of stuff was completed in the last month—Confirmation, Pentecost, First Communion, a wedding, some baptisms, a funeral, and another baptism this Sunday. On the personal front, we had our anniversary (27 yrs), I got a back injection, and I helped my son Eric and his family move back to Phoenixville.  Elliot, my grandson, is 1.5 miles away now!!  Ahh, now I can rest a little. 

In the life of the church things slow down as well, but don’t mention that to Craig Miller, our Youth director, he’s up to his ears planning the Appalachia Service Project trip and looking ahead to the Fall already. In the last 3 years, St. Matt’s average worship attendance is up about 20%—from 75ish to 100ish—during the program year (Sept. – May).  The kicker is that the number of volunteers has stayed about the same. We do have some new people (Thank you!!) , but we could use more. 

Sooooo… why not use the summertime to “test the waters”?? Volunteer to read a scripture reading, help set up the altar with bread and wine, make happen a Summer “Sunday school” during the summer, help Patrick Miller organize the Golf Outing, attend an Outreach Meeting, get Youth Protection Policy training so we have a deeper bench of volunteers for youth activities (Craig will love you for it)…The beauty of helping out, even on a one-time or occasional basis, is you get to know people. The vast majority of people really are good people! St. Matt’s is a “No judgment” zone; I know it can be tough meeting new people. Please let me or Sara know if there’s something you might be willing to do (she’ll love you for it). I would like to ask all of you personally what might interest you, but time and the introvert in me hasn’t done that yet. 

It’s summertime. Test the waters! Come out to something other than worship (worship is good by itself too), and if Sun. morning doesn’t work because you’re out of town, check out the Evening Service (1st and 3rd, 6:30pm).  As Uncle Sam says, “We need you.”

Peace, Pr. Christian