From the Study...

Dear Friends,

The change of the season from summer to fall always brings on new beginnings, especially around the church, and all those new beginnings take a lot of organizing and planning and announcing before they can take place. This flurry of activity carries its own challenges, but when it comes accompanied with a few cases of COVID (though mostly milder now, thank you Lord) and other seasonal maladies as well as the beginning of a turn-over process in church office personnel, it becomes particularly challenging. For at least those reasons this will need to serve as your September Providence newsletter. Below are some things I want to bring to your attention.

• Last month Jessica asked to extend her stay with us until her family could make relocation plans. We agreed with the hope the extension would be a long one. Sadly, it wasn’t to be so. Her parents recently found and bought a house in their hometown of Statesboro, Ga., and the whole family will be moving there at the end of September. Her last day here will be September 30. Jessica has been a bright spot in our lives, and we pray for God’s blessing to go with her. Pray also for the search committee as we begin the search for a new Administrative Assistant, which will begin right away. Debbie Pardue has very graciously agreed to serve on a temporary/interim basis, so the office will be well covered.

• This Sunday is a “must come to church” Sunday. It is a celebration of our Child Development Center and the beginning of the church program year. We will be commissioning all the people who volunteer their time in Christ’s work in this place including CDC and Providence teachers, singers, ringers, Presbyterian Women leaders, Elders, ushers, readers, Holy Casseroley cooks and deliverers, and live streamers in one group-commissioning liturgy. Then we’ll have our Blessing of the Backpacks, the kids will show you what we do each week in Chapel and follow it all with the Lord’s Supper. A Fellowship Lunch in the Fellowship Hall will follow. This is one of the few chances our Church Family and CDC families have to share some time and a meal. Please, make an extra effort to join us at church this Sunday!

• Holy Casseroley Sunday is next Sunday, 9/18. If you can bake a few, freeze them, and bring them to church by next Saturday, that would be great.

• On Tuesday of next week, 9/13, Providence Men of the Church will meet in the parking lot of the church at 6:00 PM and carpool to the Home Works of America warehouse and office. They will feed us that night, give us a tour, and tell us how we can work up with them in doing home repair projects in the Columbia area for people who can’t otherwise do them. If you would prefer to drive there on your own, the address is 3823 W. Beltline Blvd., Columbia 29204. Let’s have a good turnout!

That’s it for now. Mark your calendars and let’s get busy.

Grace and peace,

Mike