May 15th, 2018

Summer Fun

The weather lately promises us that summer is not far away! With it, summer brings picnics, graduations, and plenty of time outdoors. So we are planning some summer fun here at Port Church for June. 

On Saturday, June 2, we are gathering for a fishing trip with the kids. Tom and Dorcy have arranged for us to use a private pond so there is no need for a license. We will meet at the church at 8 am, and then make the short trip to the pond for a couple of hours of fishing. If you have a kid who is interested sign up on the bulletin board at church or let me know. We only have ten spots available for kids.

The next day, June 3, we will gather for our annual Praise and Potluck at the Park at 10 am. We will not have Sunday School after worship but will stay for a potluck picnic in the park. Bring a lawn chair, enjoy the great outdoors, and praise God! We will also be recognizing our graduates as a part of our celebration that day!

And who can forget about Vacation Bible School at the end of the month? See below for an update on our VBS plans.

Hope you can join us in some summer fun!

Blessings on the journey, Jim

Sunday's Sermon Snippet

Character: The Roots of a Disciple
The Love of Neighbor (1 John 4:11-21)
The love of God, the strength of joy, the spirit of thankfulness, the life of prayer - these are all marks of what makes a disciple. They all have to do with our relationship with God. Yet being a disciple of Jesus is not just about how we relate to God but also how we relate to one another. When Jesus was asked about which of the 613 commandments was the greatest, he answered the first was to love God but a second was like it - to love our neighbors as ourselves. All the others, he said, hang on these. In this way, these two "love" commandments are like the poles of a clothesline. Everything else we do relies on these two things. If we only have pole, however, everything we do falls to the ground and becomes dirty laundry. We need to love God and one another. John affirms this in his first letter. After talking about the importance of loving God, he claims we must love one another as well. We cannot love God who we have not seen, he claims, if we do not love one another who we do see. This challenges us to love everybody always (the title of a recent book). If we want to love God, we have to love even the most difficult and different of people. This means overcoming our fear. Fear is the opposite of love and tries to hold it back. When we fear the judgment of others or what someone might do to us, it is impossible to fully love them, but God's perfect love for us can overcome our fear and open us up to love others. Disciples love others just as much as they love God!

Vacation Bible School Update

The dates for VBS at South River are now confirmed: June 25 - 29!

We would typically host a Kickoff Party on the Saturday before VBS, but this year that would conflict with the Fire Department's Lawn Party. So instead, we will entering a float into the parade on Friday, June 22! We will decorating a trailer and will need children on board our Shipwrecked float. We also will need folks to walk alongside our float. Talk with Lee if you are interested in being a part of the parade!

We still need Kindergarten leader and assistants, 3rd grade leader, plus assistants for PreK,  4th, and Middle School. Please see Dinah, Angela, or Hannah if you are interested in working with these classes as leaders or assistants.

Living in Community

Prayers of Christian sympathy for Courtney on the passing of her uncle.

This Week at Port Church

Wednesday, May 16
9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours
Thursday, May 17
9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours
​Sunday, May 20
9:30 am - Worship: Pentecost
​11:00 am - Sunday School
12:00 noon - 2 pm - VBS Training

Looking Ahead

Kid's Fishing Trip - June 2, 8 am
Praise in the Park/Graduate Recognition - June 3, 10 am
VBS Float in Parade - June 22
Vacation Bible School - June 25-29