“We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.”
-1 Thessalonians 2:8
It’s time to take hold of your summer for the glory of God. As we face the constant bustle of activity during the year it’s easy to run out of time for building relationships in our families and in our church. Have you ever lamented:
- “I wish we had more quality time together as a family.”
- “I wish I had more quality spiritual friendships in the church.”
- “I wish I had more opportunities to eat breakfast for dinner.”
- “I wish I had more chances to throw water balloons at our pastors.”
I give you a single solution to all of these issues:
Summerfest
Summerfest is our Wednesday night all-church food, fun, and fellowship spectacular. We’ve purposefully designed it to be friendly to all ages, and to have a spiritual focus. Summerfest is a great way for us to spend quality time together focused on three goals:
- Building relationships in the church– Come and meet new people! Get to know them in a relaxed atmosphere. Find out who those new families are. Catch up with those friends that you haven’t been able to spend time with recently.
- Families spending time together– Come as a family. There’s a little something for everyone at Summerfest, from toddlers to teenagers to big kids. Create some great memories as a family together.
- Growing in the grace of knowledge of the Lord Jesus– As we spend time together, we want to focus on a topic of spiritual benefit from the Bible. This year our theme is “Creation Redeemed: The New Heaven and Earth.” We will be looking to the Bible to find out how we will be spending eternity. We will have a special teaching time for our young children focused on the same topic. This will be a great way not only to spiritually encourage Christians, but also to share the gospel with those who may not yet know Christ.
The Details
Summerfest is Wednesday evenings during the month of July (July 5, 12, 19, and 26) at Green Pond Bible chapel (1083 Green Pond Rd., Newfounldand, NJ 07335). Here’s the rundown:
- 6ish-7 PM: Dinner. The church will be providing the main dish (7/5- Pasta, 7/12- Tacos, 7/19- Breakfast for Dinner, and 7/26- Subs). Please bring a side or desert to share. Weather permitting we will eat outside so bring a lawn chair or blanket if that’s how you roll. Bonus: we’ll have an always epic game of 9 square going during dinner.
- 7-7:30 PM: Creation Restored Teaching Time. Children ages 5-9 years will separate out to hear a message specifically designed for them. Ages 10 and up will head into the sanctuary for an interactive lesson from the Bible (candy-catching, anyone?). Our nursery will be available for children ages 0-4 during the teaching time.
- 7:30-8:00 PM: Family Friendly Game Time. Imagine your family trying to win a competition. What could go wrong?
- 8:00- 9:00 PM: SYG bonus activity. High schoolers—stick around for a some extra special games and fun.
The Challenge
Don’t let the summer slip away without investing time in you and your family’s spiritual growth. Set aside Wednesday nights in July for Summerfest. Even better—invite your neighbors to come too. There’s no better way to love people for the glory of God than by spending time together.
Making and Maturing 