As we prepare in this season to bid farewell to our beloved pastor and welcome a new one to get to know and love, we want to extend an opportunity to our children and families to give you a way to show your love and appreciation to these pastors! We are making gift baskets of special things to give to them, mostly things we make, and a few things that we collect. Here is how you can help with this project:

1. We would like each family to e-mail one or two (or more) Scriptures you will pray over our pastors or promises you want them to remember. These Scriptures will be collected and turned into a "Promises in a Jar". Our goal would be at least 52 verses/passages, one per week, but we can even go up to 365, giving them one per day to read!

2. We are collecting spare change for a small treat for them. There is a basket in The Park that will be used for this purpose each week.

3. Special events will be taking place over the course of the next few weeks: receptions, special prayer times, etc. Please pick up your children from Worship in the Park or other activities and allow them to be a part of these gatherings! You never realize just how much a childhood pastor means to you until later in life, so give them as many opportunities as possible to make memories during this time. Because SURGE is scheduled on the same Sunday as one of these special event times, SURGE will begin after the reception has taken place (so children can eat at the reception and visit for a bit). SURGE will meet in The Park for its last meeting of the school year on May 21 at 12:45.

4. Wear clothes during the month of May to Worship in the Park that won't cause tears to fall if paint or other art supplies happen to spill. We will be making special art and memories to include in the gift baskets! We will take every precaution possible to spare clothing, but please pardon any accidents that may occur as we create artwork for our clergy.

5. Any notes, cards, words of encouragement, written prayers, etc. that you would like to include in the baskets, please have them in to Courtney no later than the first Sunday of June. We will be giving this to him on June 11, which is Pastor Charles's last Sunday.