Interim Pastor Carl Thomas: 

The vast array of eager and talented leadership staff and helpers that comprise SAM (Staging a Miracle) “launched” itself the second week in July and everything is humming along nicely. 

Also, this week sees the first meeting of the recently designed Leadership Team that we voted on in June; trustees are watching the progress on the repairs to our alley wall;  middle school youth held a hike at Folsom Lake this week. The July-August calendar (when posted at firstumcsac.org/news-events) will show you what’s scheduled for August; and already the finishing touches are being made on Adult Class offerings for the fall. lots of goings-on in these parts this summer. It’s great to be among you while all this ministry and ministry support is happening.

Meanwhile, many of you have told me how much you’re enjoying the music groups that have joined us every Sunday in July so far.  Even the little guys seem to be having a good time with it; you may have noticed that we’ve rearranged the order of service so that our really-young set can hear all of the music before going upstairs to classes.

Kathi McShane has returned from a 12-day retreat at a Jesuit retreat center outside of Denver and is gearing up for the next phase of her renewal leave – this time in the south part of our state.

Choir returns on the 8th; Staging A Miracle performs on the 15th; high school youth are planning a multi-church event here in our building in September, and soon—summer will be gone.

Fast, isn’t it? One “smart mouth” has said that time is God’s gift to humankind that prevents everything from happening at once.  Recently I’ve been wondering whether the gift is working effectively.