From the Pastor

We are at the half way point in our summer break. Many of you have enjoyed a time apart, vacation, a rest; others will before school starts again. I am praying for your safe journeys and renewing rest. Even Jesus took time away from his ministry. Diane and I enjoyed a most relaxing adventure in the Shenandoah Mountains and on Cape Hatteras in North Carolina.

Summer is also the time for much planning and preparation in the church office. Only moments ago we reviewed the calendar through Christmas. Did I say that? Yes, Christmas! Many things are planned for our ministry through the end of the year and they all need time for preparation.

Our Boards are meeting through the summer to prepare for programs, training for various tasks and preparation of materials. I look forward to hosting all our Vestry (all board members and other appointed leaders) at my house, 3682 Mead Drive, Powell, OH on Tuesday evening, July 21st. I hope you will be able to attend for the fellowship and planning. (This replaces our regular Parish Planning Council meeting.)

Vacation Bible School is only a few weeks away. Register now if you haven’t already. I’ve been watching the leaders prepare for this special week. They’ve worked hard and had a lot of fun, so I know that it will be an enjoyable week.

Our High School youth will be leaving for the National Lutheran Youth Gathering in New Orleans on Wednesday, July 22nd. We will have a special Commissioning Liturgy for them at worship on Sunday, July 19th and a “sweet send-off” following worship at 10:15 a.m. Join us as we offer our prayers and support for a safe and most blessed experience on the journey and with the other 50,000 Lutheran Youth they will meet! I can’t believe that the three years of preparation and planning for this event has gone so quickly. It seems like just yesterday that Diane and I made the journey to San Antonio with our youth for the last gathering!

Our Web Site is in the process of being upgraded to a more interactive model. It should be online in just a couple of weeks. You should be able to access it with the same url: www.fellowshiplutheran.com. It will feature current prayer requests, updated weekly or more often. Photo albums of current and past events. Information on current events that can be updated daily and commented on by our leaders. Videos and music will be added to the site also. The new site also interfaces with Facebook, My Space, Twitter and all that stuff! Enjoy Web 2.0!