River Baptism, Youth Updates, & Fall Rhythms

Dear Friends,

Our church is growing! This Sunday, we welcome nine-year-old James W. into “the fellowship of the Church” as a baptized member of our community. This is a kind of numerical growth, but it is also a kind of spiritual growth: in the journey of faith, James and his family are taking one (big) step forward. Each of us, whether we’ve been baptized or not, is on a similar journey. We are always being invited to move “farther up and further in” to the life of Christ, in response to His grace.

This fall, our middle and high school students are growing in their understanding of and engagement with the Bible: for six weeks, we’re doing a deep dive into the Bible’s history, narrative, and relevance to modern Christians. It has deeply blessed me to learn from their questions, observations, and experiences of following Jesus as tweens and teens in 2025. Thanks to them, I am growing!

As you settle into fall rhythms, I encourage you to consider how Jesus might be inviting you to grow in your own faith. Is He inviting you to participate in a small group study or a volunteer ministry? Is He calling you to a renewed commitment to regular worship, or perhaps—just as countercultural—a committed season of rest from leadership? Whatever it may be, know that you are not alone. Until we see Him, we are all on a journey of transformation into His image.

What a gift to be on that journey together.

In Him,

Hannah+

PS The baptism this Sunday will take place in a local river immediately after our worship service, which will be shorter as it extends to our baptism at the park. Please join us at Vance Street Park with a picnic dinner and a camp chair/blanket. It takes a church to baptize, and we hope you will join us in welcoming James into this fellowship!