As one of my pastor colleagues responded recently to a question I had asked, “We’re deep into August here.”  That’s one way of saying that we’re experiencing the calm before the storm.  We haven’t begun our full fall program yet, and the vacation Bible camps, youth mission trips, summer camps at Kirkwood – all of those – are now part of the summer’s history.  It’s a time when pastors fill in for one another to allow much-needed vacation and study-leave time away.  August is a good month for those things.

“The impact of camp is not program or facility but people…long after games and adventure are forgotten, campers will remember their counselors.” –Lloyd Mattson, The Camp Counselor

I believe there was an essential reason that Jesus “would withdraw to deserted places and pray” (Luke 5:16). There is something about getting out of our usual routines and surroundings that helps us to get in sync in our walk with Jesus. Disconnecting from our cell phones and other devices also enables us to connect with God in a fresh way. When we are clear of distractions and renewed in our faith, we can also forge relationships that last a lifetime.

I’ve been engaged in some form of Bible study for more than 30 years. Ever since I attended a small study group for young mothers at Selwyn Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC in 1978, I’ve been hooked. I’ve regularly participated in Bible study since then because I often find it difficult to understand scripture on my own. Too often, I’m left wondering, “What’s the point? What does this really mean – especially in the context of today?”

What do serving hot meals to seniors, cleaning up Central Park, and sorting clothes at a homeless ministry have in common? The Middle School Urban Plunge in NYC! From our mission base at Brick Presbyterian Church, this year's middle school mission trip has taken place in the city that never sleeps, with our group of youth tirelessly serving a number of organizations.

How are you settling in? This is the question that we are hearing again and again these days as we meet so many folks from the congregation. It is hard to really express how much more smoothly this transition to this new call, this new city, and this new life has been for our family compared to what it meant for us to move to Egypt just a little over two years ago in the midst of the 2013 revolution.

It’s a common expression to describe a highly involved, deeply committed church leader as a “pillar of the church.” Derived from an architectural feature, the idiom translates easily. A vertical column upholds the building; people called by God to special roles in the community of faith uphold the congregation’s witness as a supporter and stabilizing influence.