What an out of this world experience we’ve had this past week during Vacation Bible School! Throughout the week, our kids and volunteers learned that they can explore where God’s power can take them by His power at work within them! Each day they went beyond with faith, boldness, kindness, thankfulness, and hope, while having fun learning about bible stories such as Queen Esther, Daniel and the Lion’s den, and how Jesus comforted his friends on his way to Emmaus by means of science, crafts, games, snack, music, and bible storytelling. Our adult and teen volunteers modeled what it means to follow Christ by helping the younger kids to learn, pray, and know Jesus.

We asked our church adults, teens and community volunteers to step up in a big way, and wow, did they ever!! To Mars and Beyond was an amazing VBS experience for over 185 kids, supported by more than 80 adult and teen volunteers! I am incredibly grateful for the volunteers, both adult and teens, who gave up a week of vacation from work, a week of hanging out with their friends, or catching up on cleaning the house, to help share God’s love with our kids. They made this week fun, exciting, and a lasting memory for so many kids, some of whom this is their first experience with our church, and hearing about God!

Kimberly stepped up as our VBS Director this year and did an over the top job organizing so many kids and volunteers with contagious enthusiasm and positivity! New this year, we launched a double session VBS, adding in an afternoon session for elementary aged kids due to the overwhelming registration response that we’ve experienced in previous years. Kimberly rose above and beyond this occasion, meeting every challenge with a smile and a creative solution. I am deeply grateful for Kimberly and our volunteers! VBS would not be possible without you, and it is a joy and honor to work with people who truly exemplify what it means to live out Jesus’s call to us and share His love. If you see Kimberly or any of our wonderful volunteers this week, PLEASE join me in thanking them for equipping children during VBS to see where God’s power can take them, and spreading so much love and joy along the journey!

-Sara Dyson, Children & Family Minister

It is with great joy that we share with the news that we have hired Michelle Galdames-Henry as our Children and Family Minister and Jon Galdames-Henry as our Youth and Family Minister.

As you have hopefully heard, Sara Dyson, our current Children and Family Minister, has decided to step down from her 30 hours a week position in order to focus her time and energy on being a mom. We will celebrate her ministry with us on Sunday, July 21 and look forward to continuing to have her and her family as part of the Abiding Presence faith family. After much discernment, research and prayer, the church council decided to move forward with two full time positions – a Children & Family Minister and a Youth & Family Minister.

We launched a national search for these positions and had the opportunity to interview several qualified candidates. What stood out to the interview teams about Michelle and Jon was their ability to articulate their faith and what it means to be followers of Christ in the world today. Jon talked about coming to faith in middle school when he started attending youth group for the first time and the profound impact youth ministry had on his life. Michelle talked about growing up in the church and realizing in high school that working in a church was a career possibility. Both of them have a passion for engaging children, youth and families in hands-on service to help us live out our core value of being “God’s hands and feet in the world.” They have experience, both independently of each other and together, in organizing ministry, leadership and working with volunteers.

Michelle and Jon graduated from Eastern University with degrees in Youth Ministry. They are recently married and moved to Springfield within the past month. Jon grew up in Centerville, Virginia, so he knows the area well.

We extended formal employment offers to Michelle and Jon this past Sunday afternoon and they started first thing Monday morning so they could experience Vacation Bible School (VBS). Following VBS, Michelle will then have the opportunity to overlap for two weeks with Sara Dyson, our current Children and Family Minister, in order to facilitate a smooth transition. Jon will be able to chaperone our confirmation youth at confirmation camp later this month. We’re grateful for their willingness to quickly jump into ministry with us.

Please join us in welcoming Michelle and Jon to the congregation and to these positions.

Jul 17, 2019 06:00 pm
It's time to have some summer fun! Confirmation youth will participate together in the congregation-wide hot dogs and s'mores event (bring $4/person or $10/family for the donation). From 6:45-8:00 p.m. they will play games (Capture the Flag?) and have fun. Wear shoes in which you can run! Please RSVP to Jon at jon@abidingpresence.net.    
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Jul 17, 2019 06:00 pm
Join us for Wednesday Night Hot Dog and S'mores. 6:00 p.m. on the patio. This is a fun event for the whole family! Roast hot dogs and marshmallows over a fire pit and enjoy fellowship with other adults and families. Everyone is welcome to come and all food and fixing's will be provided. There will also be bubbles and chalk for the kids, and the playground is always open for parents to take their kids to after dinner. In the event of rain, the decision will be made on the morning of as to whether it will be cancelled or not. There will be a freewill offering basket, with a suggested donation of $4/person or $10/family.
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Jul 21, 2019 08:45 am
Sara Dyson, Children & Family Minister, is stepping down from her position at the end of July and stepping back "into the pews" as a church member and mom. We will celebrate Sara's ministry with us next Sunday, July 21 with a send off during both services and a reception between the services at 9:45 a.m. Please join us as we say "thank you" for Sara's work.  
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Jul 25, 2019 05:00 pm
Make a difference by serving at our neighborhood food pantry! Contact Pastor Heidi to help out!
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