I'm trying these days to receive some of the things I take for granted as new, precious gifts. At Saint Paul's, one of these gifts that we too often take for granted is our physical location. We are set in the midst of a dynamic, changing downtown neighborhood, with activity all around us all the time. Some of the most exciting activity in our neighborhood is happening later this month: Arts in the Heart on the weekend of September 15-17, and the Augusta Ironman the weekend of September 24.

We have for several years embraced Ironman, welcoming athletes and guests into the church both on Saturday night and throughout the day on Sunday. This year on a much smaller scale, we're adding hospitality for Arts in the Heart, too. Every year, our parking lots fill with arts enthusiasts during Arts in the Heart, but most of us miss all that activity (unless we, too, take advantage of the free parking downtown provided by the faithfulness of Saint Paul's). This year, we're just very simply going to set up a tent with some water to greet the neighbors using our parking lot on Friday night and Sunday afternoon. (We can't offer parking on Saturday because of outside events in the building.) We're imagining friendly faces, preferably in Saint Paul's t-shirts, offering water and welcoming people as they park and walk out to the festival. If you'd like to help welcome our neighbors, please email me and I'll sort out a schedule that also lets us get some time in the festival.

And then on the following weekend, we'll have our much more robust hospitality for Ironman. There are many opportunities to serve that weekend. Please see details here and sign up! 

We are blessed by our physical location, and that location gives us a chance to bless many of our neighbors. Help us share the love of Christ through a smile, a kind word, a cup of water, a simple meal, access to a bathroom. If we can show that we are a church that cares about our neighborhood, our neighbors will know that we are also a church that cares about them.

Eric+