Where everyone is welcome!

 

Discover Providence!

 

"THE Hal Hopson is coming to Yulee?"  I wish I had counted how many times I was asked that question as we planned and prepared for last weekend's choral music event with Mr. Hopson, yes in Yulee.  "I thought Providence was a new church.  How can you be doing things like this?"  That's another question I didn't count.  Glorifying God was, of course, the primary reason we decided to host this event.  Offering opportunities for enhancing the choral music skills of singers in our area was another goal.  Somewhere down the list of reasons we listed for doing all the work involved in the event was the opportunity it provided to help people in our community Discover Providence!  I'm pretty sure God was glorified in the music we learned and performed with Mr. Hopson.  I know that everyone who participated learned important things about choral technique and about the role of music in worship.  And I'm also happy that people who didn't know much about our ministry here at Providence now do.  Singers and choir directors from our Presbytery got to know one another.  People in our community learned more about our work here.  A couple of folks have even promised to come and visit to learn more about our church.

I'm not sure what big thing we'll do next to help people Discover Providence.  But I do know that the things you do to continue to invite and encourage people you know to Discover Providence are a lot more important than one- time events like this one.  If you know someone who doesn't already sing praise to God in another congregation, then invite them to join their praise to ours, to Discover Providence, and to glorify God with us.

 

A Word from Our Pastor

 

I'm glad I'm not God!  I have a piece of calligraphy hanging over my desk that is very special to me.  It was a gift from a friend years ago.  It says, "God's God, and you're not…Get over it!"  It's a good reminder every day.

God knew that we needed a big turnout for our Hal Hopson choral music concert on Sunday afternoon.  We had done everything we knew how to do to draw a crowd.  The choir that gathered over the weekend worked hard all weekend to prepare.  We had advertised.  We had encouraged everyone to invite friends and whoever else they could to attend.  God knew we needed a good turn out.  God also knew that we here in this part of Florida needed rain and were about to need it desperately.  Lawns are drying out.  Sprinklers on golf courses are working overtime.  Crops need water.  Those of you who live here know (and those who don't have probably figured out) that our need for rain trumped our need for a big crowd on Sunday afternoon.  Just about the time we were welcoming the people who did get out for the concert, the wind picked up and the bottom fell out of the sky.  Rain poured!  (Just ask John Stephenson and Dennis Juds who were directing traffic in the parking lot!)  We put ourselves on a delayed schedule, and some additional people did brave the weather, but many either stayed at home or decided to turn back at the bridge when they saw that wall of clouds.  Those who attended received a wonderful gift.  We missed those who couldn’t make it.  I'm definitely glad I'm not God and didn't have to decide which gift we'd get on Sunday. I'm trying to be thankful for the one we did. 

 Steering Committee

 The Steering Committee held its regular meeting for May on the 24th at the church.  All members were present.  Actions taken at the meeting include:

 --devotional from Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Robert Schnase related to

   Risk Taking Mission and service.

--approval of minutes and financial statements.

--received Bob and Mary Hills as new members. 

--reviewed the calendar of upcoming activities.

--heard reports from Ministry Teams.               

--discussed a Task Force to meet to formulate plans for using the recently awarded New

   Church Development Grant funding. (Watch for more information about this important

    work.)

 

The Steering Committee meets monthly.  The June meeting will be on the 14th at the Church.  Please remember to pray for these leaders of our congregation as the direct our ministry and plan for the future.

 

Remember our Summer Campers

 This summer we will have four children attending summer church camp at Montgomery Presbyterian Center, the camp and conference center of the Presbytery of St. Augustine.  Lexie Anderson, Kozi Bryant, Kioni Harmon, and Hannah Sloan will all attend Discovery Camp the week of July 11-16.  Remember them in your prayers as they learn and grow with children from other areas of our Presbytery.  Summer church camping experiences have been extremely important in the spiritual formation of children (as some of us remember) for generations.  Keep the staff of Montgomery in your prayers all summer.

 

In Plenty and in Want:

A Stewardship Reminder

 Wherever your summer travels take you this season, remember your pledges in support of the ministry of the Church, which goes on even when some are not here.  In addition to remembering your own pledges of giving, the best thing you can do to help our church grow and expand its ministry is to invite friends to come and see who we are, how we worship, and how we serve in the community.  Then invite them to come and be a part of the growing ministry of Providence Church.  In addition to the pledges we all made last fall, a percentage of our expected income for the year comes from new people who become a part of our community.  As we all work and serve together, we can accomplish great things in Jesus' name in this community and beyond.

Thank you for your faithful support of the ministry of Providence Church!

 

Summer Worship

 Worship continues, of course, throughout the summer.  Our 9:30 am worship time enables us to gather to praise God together and still enjoy some Sabbath time during the remainder of the day. This week's service will feature Sing Praise, our children's choir and a song setting of Psalm 8 they recently wrote.   Worship between now and mid July will form around texts from Paul's New Testament Letter to the Galatians.  This is not the happiest letter Paul wrote, but it focuses on some important issues about our faith, issues we will hear about all summer.  We'll be trying some different kinds of things with liturgy and music this summer, so don't be surprised if things change around some during these weeks.  Invite friends to join us for summer worship from Galatians.  Another special treat this summer will come when the Rev. Alisun Donovan, Associate Presbyter for the Presbytery of St. Augustine, whose work includes New Church Communities, will preach on June 27 while Bob and Deanna are away at the Music and Worship Conference at Montreat.  Plan to be a part of summer worship at Providence!

Our Mission:  Helping Others

Weekly Barnabas Food Pantry collection continues:  Many things change gears during the busy summer months, but the needs of people do not.  In addition to our regular offerings every Sunday, we continue to collect canned and other non-perishable food every Sunday.  Please place your gifts in the basket near the entry door.  They will be brought up and blessed with our monetary offerings during worship. 

 

Interfaith Dinner Network:  Planners are still negotiating for use of facilities in the former Yulee Middle School, and are lining up volunteer help of various kinds to be ready to begin serving meals to the hungry of our community later this summer.  Three new churches have recently joined this planning process which meets here at Providence.  We'll keep you posted as volunteer opportunities develop.

Summer Events to Remember

 

Music and Worship Week at Montreat,

June 26-July 3.  (Bob and Deanna will attend.)

 

General Assembly of the PC(USA) in Minneapolis, July 3-10.  Please remember this important meeting in your prayers.

 

Enrichment 2010, with classes and workshops on a variety of topics, Saturday, August 28, at Montgomery Presbyterian Center near Starke.  Registration information is available at the church.

 

There is also an Enrichment option for spending Friday night, August 27, at Montgomery to participate in a Faith and Film Movie night.  Complete information about costs for the event, meal, and lodging is available in the registration brochure.

 

Check out the Sign-Up Board

 

Volunteers are essential to everything that happens here at Providence.  Sunday morning is no exception.  Stop by the sign up board located near the coffee pot soon and check out the various ways you can help on Sundays.  We are always in need of people to open up and close the building, serve as worship leader, provide refreshments for our after-worship community time (Try signing up in groups as attendance increases.), serve as greeters and ushers, and to bring flowers for worship.  When flowers are presented in celebration of an event or in memory or honor of a loved one, please let us know.  Thanks to all who help with all these important things and to others who will with this reminder.

 

Terri Speer also coordinates volunteers for our time with children during worship on Sundays.  She can always use some backup helpers, so please contact Terri (terrikorn@hotmail.com) if you can help with this important ministry.

 

Providence Worship Schedule and Contact Information

 

Worship is at 9:30 am on Sundays.  Everyone is welcome!  Other programs occur at various times throughout the week and are announced in the bulletin and on the church website at www.providenceyulee.com.  The website also includes recent sermons and links to other helpful information.

 

You can also contact us by e-mail at providenceyulee@comcast.net or by phone at 904-432-8118.