Jill is back in the office this week, Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. She plans to catch up on emails and phone messages today and tomorrow. Also a reminder that Pastor Brian is away on the Youth Group mission trip this week; if you require pastoral care, please contact her and she will contact him.

Starting in September, Jill looking for help running slides and sound at 10:45 a.m. If anyone in the Youth Group or over 18 wants to help operate slides or run sound, please contact us; it’s quite simple and we’ll show you everything you need to do.

If you’re going to Faith Night with the church group, remember that sign-ups and money are needed by 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. If you need any other information, please let Jill know. The game is on Sunday, August 24^th, and the buffet will begin at 5:00 p.m.

The church picnic will be held on Sunday, August 17^th at 1:00 p.m. at the home of Matt and Tiffany Stuckey. There is a sign-up sheet available at the church. Lunch will be served later in the afternoon. Bring your swimwear! If you have never been baptized and are interested in immersion baptism, please contact Pastor Brian.

Reminder: The office will be closed until Monday, August 4^th. Emails and phone messages will be returned thereafter. Please contact Pastor Brian for any pastoral concerns.

The August newsletter and calendars are provided below. Copies are also available for collection at the church.

August Newsletter

August Calendars

On Sunday, we will hold a combined service at 10:00 a.m. Sunday school will not be held on this day. Additionally, we will be hosting a neighborhood cookout at 6:00 p.m. this Sunday. All are welcome to attend. Food and beverages will be provided by 2nd Avenue. (If inclement weather occurs, the cookout will be held indoors.)

Rise Up Camp will be held this coming week, Monday through Thursday, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the church. This camp is open to children aged 4 to 12 and is free of charge. For further information, please contact Pastor Brian.

The Youth Group and Pastor Brian will be embarking on a mission trip to Williamsport from August 4^th to August 8^th. If your teen is participating in this trip and you have not yet submitted their permission slip, please do so promptly. For any inquiries, please contact Nic Harclerode or Pastor Brian.

We had an amazing week at Magnified VBS! We want to express our deepest gratitude to Ashley for all the hard work she put in preparing for last week’s event.

Tomorrow evening, we’re hosting the Team Effort meal for the teens and leaders. We need desserts, so please drop them off during office hours (8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.).

Faith Night at the Curve is coming up, and we’re here to remind you that payments and sign-ups are due by August 7^th. This all-you-can-eat picnic buffet will be held from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ chicken, and more, along with soda and water. The cost is $32 for those aged 13 and above, while kids aged 3-12 can enjoy the meal for $24, and children under 3 are free. This picnic ticket is the only option, so if you want to attend the game but don’t want to sit with those who bought the picnic ticket, you can purchase a ticket at the gate. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Next Sunday, July 27^th, there will be a combined service at 10:00 a.m. There won’t be a luncheon afterward, but we’re hosting a neighborhood cookout that evening at 6:00 p.m. If you plan to attend and didn’t sign up at church yesterday, please let me know by Wednesday so we can get a count to the people preparing the food. All food and beverages will be provided by 2nd Avenue.

Phone messages and emails received after this Thursday, July 24^th, will be returned on Monday, August 4^th. The office will be closed during this period as Jill will be on vacation. If you have any urgent matters that require attention during this week, please contact Pastor Brian or Ashley directly.

August newsletters and calendars will be mailed and emailed out towards the end of the week. Copies will also be available here at the church starting Sunday.  

We’re hosting a neighborhood cookout next Sunday, July 27^th, at 6:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome, and we’ll provide everything. However, we kindly request that you sign up either at the table in the sanctuary or by calling the church office. This will help us estimate the number of people we need to prepare for.

Next Sunday, we will also have a combined service at 10:00 a.m. A missionary and his family from Algeria will bless us. However, to ensure the safety of the family, we will refrain from recording and posting anything that day.

Join us this Sunday for our message from Matthew 5:27-48, titled “But I Say To You.” Services will be held at 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. 

A friendly reminder that any emails or phone messages received after next Thursday, July 24^th, at 12:30 p.m. will not be returned until Monday, August 4^th, as Jill will be on vacation. In the meantime, please reach out to Pastor Brian directly for any pastoral concerns.

August newsletters and calendars will be mailed and emailed out before the end of next week. Please keep an eye out for them so you don’t miss any upcoming events at 2nd Ave GMC!

This evening marks the beginning of one of our most significant children’s events of the year: VBS! If you have a child in your life, aged 4 (must be fully potty trained) through 5^th grade, they are warmly invited to join us from Monday to Friday, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., for MAGNIFIED! 

Join us this Sunday at our 10:45 a.m. service, as the kids will be singing several songs they’ve learned this week!

If you’ve taken a snack tag but haven’t returned the item yet, please bring it in during office hours today so Ashley can check if she needs to buy something.

Please be informed that there are no evening activities scheduled at the church this week due to the VBS program. We kindly request that unless you are a VBS volunteer, you refrain from visiting the building between 5:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. to ensure compliance with the Ministry Safe guidelines.

This Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., we’re hosting our monthly soup and sandwich luncheon. Everyone is welcome!

On Sunday, July 27^th, we will have one service at 10:00 a.m. We will be welcoming a missionary and his family from Algeria. However, we are unable to record or share any information about them to ensure their safety.

Jill will be on vacation from July 27^th to August 2^nd. Please contact Pastor Brian or Ashley directly if you have any needs. Phone messages and emails to the office from Friday, July 25^th, to Sunday, August 3rd, will not be returned until the week of August 4^th.

This marks the final year of Rise Up Camp at 2nd Ave. (Our plan is to send as many kids as possible to GMC Camp in the future). The camp will be held from Monday, July 28^th to Thursday, July 31^st, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Children aged 4 through 12 are welcome to participate. Please contact Pastor Brian to register.

Vacation Bible School is just days away! Please bring in snack donations on Sunday or during office hours on Monday. Ashley would like you to check out the decorations throughout the building, but please refrain from touching them. If you’re volunteering and can’t make the brief meeting after the 10:45 service this Sunday, please let Ashley know.

Join us this Sunday as we continue the sermon series, “The Sermon That Changed Everything.” This week’s message, entitled “The Goalpost Has Moved,” is based on Matthew 5:13-26. Services will be held at 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

A friendly reminder that there will be a service at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 27^th. Unfortunately, there won’t be Sunday School that day. Pastor Brian will be having a conversation with a missionary from Algeria. For safety reasons, we won’t be able to record this day or share any information about the missionary or his message. (There won’t be a luncheon this day, but there will be a neighborhood cookout in the evening.)

Rise Up Camp will be held here at 2nd Avenue for children aged 4 to 12. The camp will run from Monday, July 28^th to Thursday, July 31^st, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. To sign up your child, please contact Pastor Brian.

A friendly reminder to all those planning to attend Faith Night at the Altoona Curve: please ensure that your sign-ups and payments are completed by Thursday, August 7^th.

The church is bustling with preparations for VBS, which is next week. Additionally, there are ongoing renovations in both the men’s and women’s restrooms. If you’re in the building this week, please avoid using those restrooms and instead use the one upstairs outside the office. Next week, all evening activities are canceled. We kindly request that anyone who is not a VBS helper refrain from entering the building during the evening hours, as the entire building will be occupied.

This week, Pastor Brian is at GMC camp with several kids from 2nd Ave. Please keep them in your prayers for a safe and enjoyable week!

This coming Sunday, July 13^th, there will be a short VBS meeting for all volunteers after the 10:45 service. If you’re unable to attend, please contact Ashley before then.

If your child is attending VBS and would like the songs so they can listen to and practice them, please let Jill know. She’ll send them your way! The music class at VBS will be about 15 minutes long, and the kids will be performing at the 10:45 service on July 20^th. We want them to be as prepared as possible!

A friendly reminder: Jill will be on vacation from July 27^th to August 2^nd. During this period, the office will be closed. Therefore, any emails or phone calls received after 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 24^th, will not be returned until the week of August 4^th.

If you missed yesterday’s service, it is available for viewing on YouTube. Please click here to access it.

Pastor Brian is away this week. If you encounter a pastoral emergency, please contact Jill during office hours or Wendy Lucas after hours.

The office will close at noon on Thursday. Messages and emails received after that time will be returned on Monday, July 7^th.

VBS is almost here! If you’ve taken a magnifying glass with a necessary snack item, please return it to the church by Sunday, July 13^th. The program, titled “MAGNIFIED: Discovering the bigness of God, in the smallest of things,” will be held from Monday, July 14^th, to Friday, July 18^th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It’s designed for children aged 4 (who must be potty trained) through entering 5^th grade. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley.

On Tuesday, July 22^nd, we will host a dinner for Team Effort. Both teens and adults are welcome to assist in serving this meal. Kindly contact Vicky Plummer or Pastor Brian if you are interested in volunteering.

Rise Up Camp will be held at 2nd Ave this year, from Monday, July 28^th, to Thursday, July 31^st, from 9:30 AM to noon. Children aged 4 to 12 are welcome. The week will kick off on Sunday evening (July 27^th) with a neighborhood cookout.

Don’t forget that if you’d like to join us for the Faith Night at the Curve, tickets must be ordered and paid for in advance (by Thursday, August 7^th). The game is scheduled for Sunday, August 24^th, and it includes an all-you-can-eat buffet from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Adult tickets are priced at $32, while children aged 3 to 12 can purchase tickets for $24. Children under 3 are complimentary. 

 

On Sunday, we’ll have one service at 10:00 a.m., followed by a potluck lunch in the social hall. Steve Moore will be present and will share the message “Relationships” from Ecclesiastes 4:7-12.

We’re looking for some volunteers to assist in preparing the deposit on Monday mornings. We’ll provide comprehensive training, and it takes about half an hour to master the process. Once trained, you’ll be scheduled for a month every four months. To be eligible, you must be a church member for over a year and meet other requirements (contact the church office for more details).

Pastor Brian will be on vacation this coming week. If you require urgent pastoral care, please contact Wendy Lucas or Jill. We will then contact the pastor on call.

The church office will close at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 3^rd. Any messages or emails received after that time will be returned on Monday, July 7^th.

Copies of the July newsletter are available on the table in the sanctuary. They were emailed out last week and are also posted on the church Facebook page. Please take some time to review it so you don’t miss out on any important information.

Seven additional Hershey Park tickets are being offered by the Youth Group at a steep discount. They must be used by the end of July and cost $40. We’ll make sure to put some back for you if you visit by during business hours or respond to this email. Additionally, a complimentary lunch plan ticket will be given to the first three tickets sold.

Our Food Pantry opens on Friday. If you would like to volunteer, please arrive at the Narnia Room approximately at 9:30 a.m. (elevator entrance).

Friday also marks our outdoor movie night, which is sponsored by 2nd Avenue Kids. The movie “King of Kings” (animated, PG) will be screened about 8:00 p.m. Please bring a lawn chair and snacks if you wish. Ashley will prepare popcorn, and there will also be a s’mores station set up. If it rains, the movie will be shown indoors. If you want to help prepare popcorn or run the s’mores station, please contact Ashley.

As there is a heat advisory for the next few days, please stay safe and hydrated. If you need somewhere to cool off, please stop by during office hours to sit in the Gathering Place with air conditioning (Monday and Wednesday 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Tuesday 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.). The Salvation Army is also offering a cooling center at 1813 6th Avenue today through Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. for anyone in need.

If you’d like to help Ashley prepare decorations for VBS, please meet her here Wednesday, June 25 at 6:00 p.m. The glass elevator entry will be open, so please come in and go upstairs.

VBS is quickly approaching! All children ages 4 to entering 5^th grade are invited July 14 – 18, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Register your children here!

The office will be open 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday this week.