This Sunday is going to be a great day in our fellowship. It is the Sunday of “The Blessing of the Backpacks.” We will invite all our students to bring their backpacks to the altar area so that we can pray for them as they begin a new year of school on Monday. We will recognize our upcoming kindergarten students and their families as we pray for their entry into school. In addition, we will pray for all our teachers and leaders of the various school systems in our area. We will focus on this idea: “Do you need a light?” I hope you will be in your place for a great day of worship on Sunday morning.

Sunday evening will be a great opportunity for you to invite others to know our fellowship as we gather at the Aquatic Center from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. We are aware that school starts the next day but this was the best date we could get. So bring the kids and grandkids out to let them swim and go home ready for a new day and a new year of school. We will have a great time.

Thanks for your faithfulness all summer. Now we get back to work along with our kids. This Sunday will be the launching pad for a great new church year,

Marvin Cameron

Our class’ Sunday School lesson this week was on anger and how Americans are angrier now than we were a generation ago. The writer theorized that the advent of 24-hour news and social media contributed to this rise in anger. What do you think? When you watch news for a long time or read adversarial comments on social media, do you feel calmer or more anxious?

The pastor who is President of the Southern Baptist Convention recently returned from a 30-day mission trip in a third-world country where social media and 24-hour news are rare. He commented about that change and the reduction in tension he felt while he was there. Do you think that might change the way we feel? Is it easier to “lash out in anger” on social media than it is in face-to-face communication?

What might happen if we invested our time in doing something more productive than consuming huge volumes of news or social media? Might it make a difference in how we feel about ourselves and each other? It just might be worth a try!

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we worship the One who gives us reason to rejoice!

What a wonderful job our children did on Sunday evening with their presentation of “The Star Factor.” The Sanctuary was electric as they shared with us the fruits of a week’s labor on their part and the part of all their leaders. It was a fantastic week of energy, enthusiasm and growth. THANKS to all who made this a splendid week in the middle of the summer!

I am working on sermon series for next winter and I want your help. I am working on a series from the gospels on “Questions people asked Jesus.” As a parallel to that, I want to ask you what sort of questions you would ask God today. Maybe you have said, “when I meet God I want to ask him this question.” If you have ever said or thought that I want to ask you to send me an email at marvincameron@fbckpt.org with your questions. I will try to pull some of those together for a part of the larger sermon series. We will find our answers from the scripture and look together to see how God continues to move in our day.

Thank you for your faithfulness in attendance throughout the summer. You are an encouragement to me and a witness to our congregation of your desire to worship God with others. Thanks for all you are doing in the name of the Lord,

Marvin Cameron

This week I want to take this space to say “thank you” to one of our valuable staff members who is celebrating 25 years of service to our church this month. Patsy Morales serves as our Special Ministries Assistant. In that capacity Patsy wears a multitude of hats. Some of the things she does include the preparation of the weekly e-newsletter and the print newsletter that some still receive. She also puts all my daily devotionals in emails to more than 1,200 people every day. Patsy works with our Music Ministry to prepare music for rehearsals and performances. She does the “Sunday screens” which show the scripture I am using and various other points during the sermons. She also coordinates our video camera security system which covers our campus.

The above list is just a fraction of what Patsy does in her role as a part of our ministry team. Above all, Patsy loves her Lord and this church. She expresses that through her faithfulness in worship and discipleship whenever she can. Every day Patsy shows the love of Christ to all who enter the office area. She has a warm smile and a friendly greeting for all.

Twenty-five years is a long time to remain in one job these days. I am grateful that Patsy has not only been in her job for a quarter of a century, but that she has continued to grow in her job and in grace and awareness of our Lord. Be sure to drop Patsy a note at patsymorales@fbckpt.org to thank her for great work. Thanks, Patsy, for a job very well-done!

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we gather again in the light of the resurrection!