Aug. 17:       
                         12:00 PM Trustees.
Sept. 8:       
                         6:00 PM Exec. Comm.

Sept 15:      
                         5:30 PM Finance

                         6:30 PM Church Council     

Oct. 13:      
                         6:00 PM Exec. Comm.  

Nov. 10:    
                         6:00 PM Exec. Comm.

Dec. 1:      
                         6:00 PM Trustees

Dec. 8:        
                         6:00 PM Exec. Comm

Dec. 15:     
                         5:30 PM Finance

                         6:30 PM Church Council

Youth week was a great success, we had fun hanging out with everyone! School has started and as y'all get back into a routine know that we are praying for you and are looking forward to seeing everyone and hearing how school is this semester.

We are continuing with two groups we had for the summer, the running group and band practice. We hope that you join us if you are interested in these two things!! Please be aware that band practice was pushed back to 7 o'clock!

A meeting is being held this week to determine the calendar for the semester, so we hope to get that out to you soon! If you have any questions or concerns about anything until then please don't hesitate to contact us!

THIS WEEK:

• 6th graders:  We will meet in the confirmation room, the room at the top of the youth staircase. We will start getting to know one another and prepare for the beginnings of confirmation!
• 7th & 8th graders: Meet in the media room for announcements and then the classes will split!
• 9th -12th graders: Meet in the Media Room and we will do announcements then start our lesson!

 
Peace of Christ,
 
Sammy and Philip
[email protected]   
[email protected]  

We invite any 6th grader, or older youth who hasn't gone through confirmation, to join the confirmation class for this year. Confirmation will begin on August 17th for Promotion Sunday and will meet during the Sunday school hour from 9:45-10:45 AM in the youth area in the room at the top of the stairs. Stew Craig will be teaching the class with the assistance of Rev(s). Miller, Bookter, Civils, and Sutton.

Parents of the confirmands are invited to join their child for the first Confirmation gathering on Sunday, August 17 during the Sunday School hour. This will be an introduction to Confirmation as well as an overview of what the confirmation class will be doing for the next few months.

What is confirmation?

• Confirmation is the continuation of one's faith journey (a journey begun at baptism) and the beginning of one's covenant relationship with the church-not an end unto itself.
•  Confirmands should emerge from their confirmation experience prepared for a life of Christian discipleship.

The goals of Confirmation include:

• Prepares confirmands (if they choose) to take the confirmation vows and to live lives of Christian discipleship.
• Teaches confrimands the story of their faith, as contained in the Old and New Testaments and in the history and traditions of Christianity and the United Methodist Church.
• Explores basic understandings of Christian theology-including the doctrine of the Trinity, creation, sin, grace, redemption, etc.
• Develops a habit of participating in Christian education.

Our 6th graders are being promoted to the youth group, as well as starting Confirmation. They will still participate in Asbury & Wesley Choir to provide strong voices and leadership, but we also hope that they will join us for youth group every Sunday night from 5:30-7PM. We hope that our 6th graders and their parents will consider making a faithful commitment to be at Confirmation Class each week. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions about Confirmation, please contact Rev. Colleen Bookter by email ([email protected]) or by calling the church office.

It has been quite some time since we last traveled, but now is the time.  Shreveport may not be the world's best-known tourist attraction, but there is plenty to see in Louisiana's third largest city.  Natchitoches has a relatively new state museum which should be an excellent experience.  So, our next trip will be an overnight trip to Shreveport and Natchitoches, Tuesday and Wednesday, September 16 & 17, 2014.  Plan to go; you'll enjoy it.

We'll start at our usual place, St. John's United Methodist, at 9375 Highland Road - loading the bus at 7:45-8:00 a.m. on Tuesday.  Then, off to Shreveport for lunch, a talk and a chance to walk around our good Methodist institution, Centenary College.  (www.centenary.edu) Afterwards, around mid-afternoon, we will go to the R. W. Norton Art Gallery.  Shreveport people talk about how great this museum is, both the art and the gardens.  (www.rwnaf.org)

After being absorbed by great art, we will move to the Clarion Motel for check-in and a brief rest.  Then, the evening, doing something we do best, eating out.  We'll go to a fine Italian restaurants, where our hunger will hopefully be satiated.

Wednesday morning will start with breakfast in the motel, check out, and travel to the Barksdale Global Power Museum.  We will be able to see airplanes used and made famous at Barksdale Air Force Base.  There is also a field of planes where one can walk around planes that have been retired.  And, it looks like there is a gift shop.  ONE IMPORTANT ITEM:  entry requires that you have an up-to-date ID, like a current driver's license or passport.  Double-check your documents.  (http://barksdaleglobalpowermuseum.com)

After Barksdale, we'll make a quick trip to Natchitoches for lunch.  Natchitoches is known for their famous meat pies and we will have a chance to indulge.  Of course, there will be other options as well.  We will eat in the well-known Natchitoches eatery, The Landing Restaurant.  (www.thelandingrestaurantnatchitoches.com/)

Then, to the final stop of the trip, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum.  As the name implies, we will be able to catch up on our knowledge of Louisiana sports as well as some of Louisiana's history.  (www.lasportshall.com) After this stop, back to Baton Rouge.  We should arrive around 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Details:  cost is $170.00 per person for double occupancy.  ($220 for a single, $155  each for 3 in a room, and $145 each for 4 in a room.)   Because of keeping up with the number of rooms, roommates, etc., all reservations will be made by contacting Frank Carney, 766-4916.  Checks need to be made to UUMC, and sent to Frank Carney, 1151 Pastureview Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70810.  The deadline is Friday, August 29, 2014.  Payment is due upon registration. Because of the large cost of reserving the bus and other expenses, once you commit to go, there can be no refunds.