Sunday, August 7 is a BIG day at Good Sam! Some changes are coming, a beloved event takes place, a wonderful class begins, and to cap it off - a wonderful parish-wide lunch!

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The annual Blessing of the Backpacks takes place at both services this coming Sunday. All children, youth, and teachers are invited to bring their backpacks and bookbags for a blessing; you'll receive a colorful tag to hang on your backpack/bookbag to remind you of God's love and presence all the time.

Beginning Sunday, August 7 at 9:30 AM, The Adult Lectionary Class resumes! This class was suspended during the pandemic, but IT IS BACK! The Lectionary Class will meet in the church library each Sunday at our NEW formation time of 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM.

NOTE: Other Christian Education and Formation classes for adults, children, and youth begin on Sunday, September 11 at our new time - 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM.

After the late service, join us for a Parish-Wide Lunch, prepared by our own Karen Sproles (you know how yummy her food is!) and served with love by our Vestry Fellowship Committee. Grab one of the bagged lunches, (drinks will be provided) and sit in Henslee Hall or find some shade outside to enjoy lunch will fellow parishioners.

Also In This Issue...

Sun., August 7 - 9th Sunday After Pentecost

The Bible is a living document, kept alive by our understanding and putting into practice its teachings. The lectionary class takes a closer look through insightful discussion of that Sunday's lectionary readings. In a complete discussion format, discover what the readings meant to their original readers and what they mean to us today. The class is lay-led and everyone is welcome to join in at any time.

PLEASE NOTE: All other adult, children, and youth formation begins on September 11. Only the Lectionary Class is beginning on August 7, which is also the Sunday we begin our NEW Service Schedule time of 8:15 AM for the early service and 10:30 AM for the late service.

Join us in August for Ministry Month.

On these three Sundays, we'll have the opportunity to learn more about the many ministries and programs we offer at Good Sam - and to sign up to serve and support those ministries: from the ministries that make our Sunday morning worship possible to the ways that we pray, give, and serve one another and the wider community.

Many of our ministries need new and revitalized support. From Sunday to Sunday, you may have noticed the same small rotation of people greeting, acolyting, reading the lessons, and running the A-V equipment.

Ministry Month will allow us to highlight the joy and gift of our various ministries - and to invite you to prayerfully consider participating in that joy and finding the gifts that await you as you serve.

Please bring your own meal.

Our selection for August is Memphis by Tara Stringfellow. 

Summer 1995: Ten-year-old Joan, her mother, and her younger sister flee her father’s explosive temper and seek refuge at her mother’s ancestral home in Memphis. This is not the first time violence has altered the course of the family’s trajectory. Joan tries to settle into her new life, but family secrets cast a longer shadow than any of them expected. Unfolding over seventy years through a chorus of unforgettable voices that move back and forth in time, Memphis paints an indelible portrait of inheritance, celebrating the full complexity of what we pass down, in a family and as a country: brutality and justice, faith and forgiveness, sacrifice and love" [excerpt from Amazon description].

Future selections include Gilead by Marilynn Robinson in September, Matrix by Lauren Groff in October, and Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro in November. Please join us!

Where are you being called to serve?

The Diocese of East Tennessee welcomes the return of the annual Grace Point Day, an East Tennessee tradition featuring fun activities for adults, youth, and kids alike. Who wouldn’t want to experience just one more day of that summer camp experience, to see the progress made at Grace Point, and to celebrate the continued ministry of Grace Point to the Episcopal community in East Tennessee?

Activities will range from splashing in the pool, hiking on Grace Point’s 280 acres, kayaking to the eagle’s nest, arts and crafts in the art barn, and more. Lunch and drinks will be provided.

Mark your calendars now for Sunday, August 28 after the late service - we're planning a Party on the Pavement!!

All children, youth, and their families are invited for an informal gathering, right after church. We encourage you to pack a picnic lunch, bring your bikes, scooters, or skates and we'll have some fun. More details will follow soon. Oh, and Popsicles will be served!

The Cash In The Plate For August goes to Kentucky Flood Relief.

Our neighbors just north of us in Kentucky are dealing with the aftermath of the worst floods in the state’s history. Too many lives have been lost or forever changed. Lives, homes and livelihoods have literally been swept away. Our diocese here in East Tennessee is linking with the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington in accepting donations for the relief and care of those whose lives have been turned upside down. Thank you for being agents of healing and hope.

You can make an online cash plate gift to the cash in the plate on the Good Sam online giving page. There is an option on the giving page to give to the "Cash in Plate". As always, you may also send a check to Good Samaritan. (Please designate that it is for "KY Flood Relief" in the memo line).