Thank you to everyone who helped at our Food Pantry yesterday; our volunteers in this ministry are a huge blessing to the community. Just a reminder that we always accept donations of non-perishable food; you can bring them on Sundays or during office hours. 

Please sign up to volunteer at the Block Party on August 24, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The sign-up sheet is on the round table in the sanctuary.

August newsletters and calendars are in the mail and will be emailed on Monday morning. Physical copies are also available at the sanctuary.

We’re thrilled to announce that 2nd Ave will have a float in the downtown Altoona Christmas Parade! The parade will take place on Saturday, December 7, at 1:00 p.m. Beginning this week, please place suggestions for the float theme in the box on the circular table. 

The August Ladies Breakfast will take place on Saturday, August 10, at 8:00 a.m. This month, the breakfast will be held at Cracker Barrel. 

Jill in the office until 10:30 today (Monday) and then will not be in until Wednesday as Jill attends freshman orientation with her daughter. Jill will be able to check emails this evening and tomorrow evening, but any phone messages will not be returned until Wednesday.

Our Youth Group left this morning for their mission trip.  Please keep the kids and their leaders in prayer for travel mercies and a safe week. Pastor Brian is with the group, so he will be out of town until Saturday. 

This coming Friday is our Food Pantry. If you plan to volunteer, please be here around 9:45 a.m. to the Narnia Room (inside the glass entrance). 

Sign up sheets will be coming on Sunday for volunteers for the Block Party as well as for those who plan to attend our church picnic. They will be located on the round table. 

Join us on Sunday for the next message in our series “Now What?”–Ears to Hear (Zechariah 7) offers services at 8:15/10:45 a.m., Sunday school from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., and coffee hour from 9:30 – 10:30.

This Sunday will be our organist (Anastazia’s) last day with us at 2nd Ave; she has accepted a music directing position at a school several hours away and will be moving there. We wish her great success and happiness, and we will pray for her!

*Reminder* The nursery is available as a cry room for an adult to take their child aged 3 and under during the service, but it is not staffed during the summer.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered, participated, and prayed for Rise Up Camp. It was a fantastic week of outreach and sharing God’s love.

On Monday morning, the Youth Group and Pastor Brian will leave town for a mission trip to Chesapeake, Virginia. They will spend the week doing volunteer work for World Changers. They could definitely use your prayers for a wonderful and safe week. To assist the Youth Group with gas and dinner expenses, please place cash or a check in an envelope marked for the Youth Group and place it in the offering plate this Sunday.

The office will close at 10:30 a.m. on Monday and closed on Tuesday to allow Jill to take her daughter to her freshman orientation at college. Any email or phone messages will be returned on Wednesday.

Thank you once again to Ashley, all the volunteers and all the kids & families for making VBS a wonderful week!

This week is Rise Up Camp at Highland Park. Please keep this ministry in your prayers for good weather, lots of fun and kids finding Jesus’ love through our volunteers!  (Any rain/bad weather days will be held here at the church, please keep this in mind if you have a child attending)

This upcoming Saturday will be our monthly Soup & Sandwich luncheon. Free and open to all! 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

The 22 through the 26, our Youth Group, along with their leader, Nic, Pastor Brian, and other amazing adult volunteers, will be headed to Chesapeake, VA for a mission trip. If you’d like to donate snacks or money toward meals, please see Nic Harclerode. 

We are currently seeking an organist for our 8:15 service. If you know of anyone with availability on Sunday mornings from 8:00 a.m. until around 9:30 a.m. with this gift and who may be interested, please have them email their resume to office@2ndavechurch.org. Other musical talents a plus but not required. 

Sunday we will also welcome the Altoona Community Band at 3:00 p.m. Free and open to the public! Beat the heat in the air conditioning and listen to some wonderful music. 

Next week is Rise Up Camp being held at Highland Park.  Please keep this ministry in prayer for a wonderful week of showing Jesus’ love and please pray for good weather!

Saturday, July 20th is our monthly Soup & Sandwich lunch at 11:30 a.m. All are welcome! If you’d like to make a soup, please sign up on the round table in the sanctuary. 

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.