Wilder View - September 2009

Do you feel it? There is an extra energy and a certain excitement in the air, and it happens every year. It is the beginning of the ‘Back to School Season.’ Everyone gets a chance at a new start. With this new experience, there are new changes for everyone.

As our children move into new levels of learning at school, we will be offering a new learning opportunity for our adults with our Adventures in Faith experience starting September 17th. We will meet on Thursday evenings for 6 nights and offer several choices of learning opportunities. The goal of this time together is to provide opportunities for people to connect and build relationships with each other, while strengthening our love relationship with God. There are several choices for you to choose from; Basic Bible Study, an Adult Confirmation Class, and Enough (learning to live simply in a complex world.) Please prayerfully consider participating in one of these three options to develop and strengthen your faith.

In October, I will begin a Leadership Development team training time that will help us think beyond our horizons to see how we can reach out to the people in St. Louis. We will read a book a month from October through May. We will gather to discuss the parts of the books that excite and interest us, as well learning how we can apply these lessons to the ministries of the church. I am really excited about these books. I think they can help us make great strides in connecting people with God.

Also we have some exciting new people joining us to build stronger ministries at Lafayette Park UMC. Aaron Ban will be joining us as an intern from Eden. He will be focusing on creating our young adult ministry and helping us build a connection between our church and St. Louis University. I have worked with Aaron for the last year over at The Bridge and have found him to be deep, thoughtful and creative. He preached here at the beginning of the summer and many of you told me how impressed you were with him.

We have also expanded our child care staff to make sure that we are always in safe sanctuary compliance of having two safe sanctuary certified people caring for our children during worship and other church meetings. Please welcome Latoya and Marie Claire (you will see more information on them in another article).

I am excited also to announce that Maria Lawrence has joined our staff as our new Office Administrator. Her normal hours will be 9am to noon, Monday thru Friday.

God truly is doing great and amazing things at Lafayette Park UMC! I hope you join us in this great opportunity to grow and expand the impact we can make in our community.

Happy new start!!
Pastor Kathleen