Happy Monday family!
I pray that you had a safe and restful weekend. If you’re like me then you definitely spent some time outdoors, especially in the yard, doing some much needed gardening. If not, then whatever you did, I pray that it brought you great satisfaction. As I mentioned in last week’s update, although Covid-19 is here and showing no sign of going anywhere in the foreseeable future, we need to take make sure that we take advantage of every opportunity to enjoy the simple things in life.
Believe it or not, our VBS for this year is finally over. Despite this year’s event being virtual, it did not diminish the enthusiasm from the nearly 10,000 children along with their families who were able to tune in each day to the program provided by the NAD. A special thank you to Pastor Marroquin and her entire team of volunteers for the amazing job they did to overcome the obstacles that COVID-19 presented them with. I had an opportunity to take part in the Sligo VBS after-party on Sabbath afternoon and all I can say is that it made me wish I were a kid again.
By now everyone should have received an email from Pastor McFarlane on Sunday with all the information that you will need to take part in our first Sligo Connect Meet and Greet scheduled for this Sabbath at 4:00 p.m. This promises to be a special time for us to connect as a Sligo family on a grand scale. In preparation for this Sabbath, we want you to begin thinking about the ways in which the pandemic has helped you to become better, stronger and, yes, wiser.
I am happy to announce that on Sabbath, July 25th at 1:00 p.m., we are planning another Grab and Go food event for our community. As we have learned from the last two events, there are many in our community who, because of this current crisis, are in need of a helping hand, and we here at Sligo are more than happy to be that hand. If you would like to volunteer to help us distribute food to our community, please contact Pastor McFarlane at <dmcfarlane@sligochurch.org>
While on the theme of community, AIM (Action in Montgomery) is planning a virtual county-wide Action Team Meeting and press conference tomorrow evening, commencing at 7:00. I, along with other Faith Leaders, will be speaking during this event. The purpose of the meeting is to ratify a new agenda for AIM that responds to current events in our county and country. The proposed agenda covers housing, education, health and employment. Please plan to attend this important event. Information on how to be a part of this important event can be found on on the AIM website: <actioninmontgomery.org>
As always, please take a moment and review the opportunities of how we can continue to do life together while we are apart:
Sligo Church Presents – Hope when It Hurts: Experiencing God’s Peace In Trying Times with Dr. Cheryl Wilson-Bridges. The event takes place July 10 – July 25, every Monday through Saturday, at 7:00 p.m. The next two Wednesdays, July, 15 and 25, in lieu of a Prayer Gathering teaching and discussion, Pastor Bridges will share ways to walk through the pages of Scripture to learn about Jesus Christ’s plan to restore and redeem. To take part in this Sligo outreach event and to invite a friend, go to: <https://Media.sligochurch.org>
Children’s Ministry: Each Sabbath at 10:00 a.m., you can connect your children to one of our 3 weekly Zoom Sabbath School Sessions: Little Friends, Kindergarten or Juniors. The new weekly link is emailed out on Fridays, via our Pathfinder, Adventurer, and Parent (parents of children 14 years old and under) email groups. Parents, if you have not received an email, and would like to be included, please contact Pr. Hazel Marroquin at <hmarroquin@sligochurch.org>
Youth and Young Adults – If you are a youth or young adult and you’re looking for ways to remain connected with other youth and young adults, just click the link to get started on your journey. <sligoyouth@sligochurch.org>
Journey Groups – If you are a member of a Journey group, or would like to be part of a Journey group that will meet through an online platform, such as zoom or Skype, please just click on the link to receive more information. <http://sligochurch.org/journey>
Assistance – If you are aware of a member of the church that has lost his or her means of livelihood as a result of the pandemic and needs assistance, please contact one of the pastors about this. We will certainly do our best to provide them with whatever support we can.
Giving – Thank you for your continued faithfulness during this time of unparalleled crisis. While many of you are continuing to return your tithes and offerings online, others are either mailing their contributions to the church or bringing them directly to the church office, and for this we are eternally grateful. <adventistgiving>
Stay Committed!
Charles A. Tapp
Senior Pastor