It’s hard to believe it’s here but…it’s VBS week!

Tonight through Friday night from 6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m., the building will be filled with kids and volunteers who are excited to come to Camp Firelight and learn to trust God!

If you haven’t registered your child or know of someone who may be interested, registration will be available at the door this evening. If kids can’t make it all 5 days, that’s ok! We still want them to come and spend time at Camp Firelight.  (VBS is for kids age 4 through 5th grade)

Due to VBS, all other evening activities are canceled for the week.

Next week is Rise Up Camp at Highland Park. There are still a handful of spots available; please reach out to Pastor Brian for more information. Rise Up is for kids ages 4-12.

Sunday, July 14 we will welcome the Altoona Community Band at 3:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public! Join us in the air conditioned sanctuary for a wonderful afternoon.

The monthly free luncheon will be held Saturday from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.. All are welcome.

We will respond to emails and messages sent on Thursday and Friday by Monday, July 8. 

Come celebrate Holy Communion with us on Sunday at both services as we present the “Now What?” message. Zechariah 2: The Man With The Measuring Line. 

VBS starts on Monday! We appreciate everyone who donated snack items for this coming week. If you have a tag and haven’t brought in your items, please do so on Sunday. If your items are perishable, please place them in the kitchen or refrigerator and mark them for VBS. 

The ladies’ breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, July 13 at 8:00 a.m. at Valley Dairy, which is located in the Walmart Plaza.

This Sunday, July 14 at 3:00 p.m., there will be a free concert featuring the Altoona Community Band. You’re all invited! Enjoy some incredible music while escaping the July afternoon heat. 

Rise Up Camp will be held at Highland Park from July 15 to 18. Children aged four (potty trained) to twelve are welcome. See Pastor Brian for more information. 

The Youth Group will travel to Chesapeake, VA for a mission trip from July 22 to July 26. If you would like to make a financial or snack donation, please contact Nic Harclerode. 

Tomorrow, July 2, the office will be closed briefly between 10:15 and 10:40 so that I can go pick up blueberries at the HUB. 

If you picked up a tag for VBS snack items, please bring them in this week if they are non-perishable, and on Sunday if they are perishable. 

VBS registration is still open! All children aged 4 (must be potty-trained) through 5th grade are invited to attend July 8-12, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 

Rising Up Camp registration is also still open. Kids aged 4 (must be potty trained) to 12 are welcome. Camp will take place at Highland Park from July 15 to July 19. See Pastor Brian for more information. 

Save the date! On Sunday, July 14, at 3:00 p.m., the Altoona Community Band will perform a free concert. Everyone is welcome.

This week, the office will be closed on Thursday and Friday due to the holiday. Messages will be returned on Monday, July 8th. 

As we kick off a new sermon series called “What Now??” on Sunday, we hope you can join us. This week’s sermon is from Zechariah 1, Life After the Exile.

In order to give our volunteers a break, the nursery is not staffed in June, July, or August. But, it is available as a cry room for parents or guardians to take their 3 and under children when needed (no one under the age of 18 is allowed to be in the nursery alone with children under the age of 3). To ensure that the nursery is staffed all year round, please get in touch with Ashley if you would like to volunteer.

Because it’s July 4, the office will be closed on Thursday. We will reply to any emails or messages sent on Thursday and Friday on Monday, July 8.

Just a reminder that the church office will be closed this week while Pastor Brian and Jill are on vacation. Phone and email messages will be returned during the week of July 1. 

If you have a pastoral emergency, please contact Wendy Lucas, who will notify the on-call pastor.

A few other reminders:

• VBS is just a few weeks away! July 8-12 for all fourth through fifth graders. Kids are encouraged to bring a friend along!
• If you took a tag to donate a VBS snack, please bring all non-perishables in by July 3 and perishables by July 7. Please contact or see Ashley if you have any questions.
• Pastor Brian will begin a new sermon series, “What Now?” on Sunday, June 30, with services at 8:15 and 10:45.

Join us this Sunday as we welcome Pastor Arlene Collins as our guest preacher at both services. Join us for Sunday school or coffee hour starting at 9:30 a.m. 

Emails sent after today will not be returned until July 1. Any phone messages left from Thursday afternoon to June 30 will also be returned on July 1st.

Don’t forget to sign up your children and grandchildren for VBS! Encourage them to invite a friend for a week of fun. VBS will run from July 8 – July 12.

Thank you to everyone who took the VBS snack tags yesterday! Please bring non-perishable items by July 3 and perishable items by July 7; if you have any questions, please contact Ashley. 

Reminder! If you want to order blueberries, please place your order and pay by tomorrow, June 18. To place an order, please call or fill out this online form.

Due to vacation, the church office will not be staffed from June 24-28. Calls and emails received during that week will not be returned until at least July 1. If you have a pastoral emergency, please contact Wendy Lucas (Chair of the Church Council). If you want her phone number, please let Jill know.

Blessing of the Pets will take place on Sunday, June 30 at 3:30 p.m. All friendly, leashed, caged pets are welcome. If you are uncomfortable bringing your pet, you can bring a photo of him or her. The blessing will take place at the 2nd Street lot.

VBS and Rise Up Camp are now accepting registrations. Both activities are open to children aged four (potty trained) through fifth grade. For questions about VBS, contact Ashley, and for questions about Rise Up Camp, reach out to Pastor Brian.

Save the date!

• The Altoona Community Band will perform here on Sunday, July 14, at 3:00 p.m.
• Our next combined service will be Sunday, August 18th, which will also be our Blessing of the Backpacks.
• The Block Party will take place on Saturday, August 24, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 

Thank you for understanding yesterday’s closure due to a power outage. It appears that Penelec completed all of their work on Thursday, so the church office will be open as planned on Monday. 

A reminder that tomorrow, Saturday, June 15, the Ladies Breakfast will begin at 8:00 a.m. at Eat N Park, followed by our monthly luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

If you want to, you can hear two different messages on Sunday!

At 8:15, Pastor Brian will deliver the message “We Witness Boldly” from Acts 3:1-10, continuing the sermon series “Why Global Methodist?”. 

At 10:45, we will be blessed to hear Rodney Cornelius’ testimony. 

We invite you to both services if you are able!

Sunday school is held from 9:30 – 10:30, and Jr. Church is held at 10:45 for children in grades 4-5. (Please keep in mind that there is no staffed nursery during the summer months, but an adult may bring a child aged 3 or younger if necessary, no one under the age of 18 is permitted to be alone with a child in the nursery.). 

Blueberry order forms will be available on Sunday, with orders and payments due no later than Tuesday, June 18.

A reminder, this coming week the office will be open normal office hours, however the office will be closed the week of June 24-28 as several staff members are on vacation. Wendy Lucas (chair of Church Council) will be the emergency contact for any urgent needs. If you need her phone number, please let Jill know .

Thursday Bible study has been moved to Wednesday this week.

The office will be closed Thursday 6/13 for a planned power-outage from 7:30-3:30. We have been made aware that if they cannot complete the work, they will be finishing it, and therefore we will have no power, on Monday, 6/17. We will keep you updated.

This Saturday is our Soup & Sandwich Luncheon, it is free and all are welcome. 11:30 AM-1 PM. Our Hope Chest will also be open as well at this time for free children’s clothing

Sunday, 6/16 is Father’s Day–we will have a small gift for all the dads, grandfathers, uncles, and other special men in your life. The gifts will be in the Gathering Place in a basket

Please take note: the office will be closed the week of June 24-28. Wendy Lucas will be your contact for any pastoral emergencies (she will contact the on call pastor). Any phone messages and emails will be returned the week of July 1st. 

Vacation Bible School will be here before we know it. We are less than a month away! Please consider donating snack items that are listed on the board in the Elevation Room by the registration table. VBS would not be possible without volunteers and donations…we THANK YOU in advance! Please reach out to Ashley with any questions ashelymiller1228@gmail.com

We hope you’ll join us. Sunday will feature the second message in our “Why Global Methodist?” series. We love extravagantly (Mark 14:1-11). Services start at 8:15/10:45 a.m. If you haven’t already started attending a Sunday School class, we invite you to do so, or come to the Gathering Place for Coffee Hour and fellowship! 

Saturate Altoona will take place on Sunday in Heritage Plaza downtown. Join us for a time of fellowship and blessings from 5:30 p.m. -6:30 p.m., followed by worship at 6:30 p.m. Please bring a lawn chair. 

Next Saturday, June 15, there will be a Ladies Breakfast at Eat N Park at 8:00 a.m., followed by the Soup & Sandwich Luncheon here at the church from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

We are hosting Team Effort for dinner on Tuesday, June 18. We need volunteers to help prepare and serve; clearances are required. See Pastor Brian for more information.

The church office will be closed June 24-28 for vacation. Please contact Wendy Lucas with any pastoral emergencies during this time, and she will notify the on-call pastor. 

VBS is just a little more than a month away. Registration is open for children aged four to entering fifth grade; Ashley is also looking for some Youth age volunteers; please contact her for more information! VBS is in need of snack donations, which are listed on the bulletin board in the Elevation Room. If you want to donate any of the items, please take a tag (or two or three!).