The month of August is flying by, the kids are back in school, and fall is just around the corner!  We’ve had an amazing summer here at Auburn First UMC—here are just a few of the things that have been happening around here over the last few months:

• We brought in five fabulous interns from the Great Plains Annual Conference, and they helped us host a great week of Vacation Bible School for 35+ children in our community.
• Seven children and youth from Auburn FUMC attended summer camp at Camp Fontanelle—and four of them had all or part of their tuition paid by our congregation’s camp scholarship fund (which is supported by your generosity!)
• The UMC/Presbyterian youth group hosted two fundraisers for their Heifer International “Ark”; they have raised almost $3,500 so far this year!
• We’ve enjoyed hearing from local painters, musicians, dancers, and other artists as part of our “Beautiful Things” sermon series. What a joy to worship God by celebrating the variety of artistic gifts in our community!
• We had our biggest school supply drive yet! We worked with APS administration, and our congregation provided 21 full sets of school supplies to 6^th-8^th grade students in need (plus, we provided pocket folders for the entire 6^th grade class!) I am still blown away by this outpouring of generosity from the people of Auburn FUMC, and I’m thrilled that our congregation is able to support our local schools in this way!

In short, it’s been a whirlwind summer full of music, joy, laughter, and ministry…and there is even more of that coming our way as we kick off fall and the Sunday School season at Auburn FUMC!  Here’s a quick preview of what’s coming up in September:

A new sermon series!

            On October 1^st, a few of our youth will be taking the United Methodist membership vows and becoming full adult members of the congregation.  In preparation for Confirmation Sunday, we will spend the month of September looking at the five promises that we all make when we join the UMC—to serve God with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.  Join us in September as we explore what it means to be an active United Methodist, and as we learn how to serve God more fully!

Sunday School for all ages!

            Sunday School Kickoff is on Sunday, September 10^th. There will be four Sunday School classes this year—an adult class, a youth class, and an elementary class will begin meeting at 9:00, and a toddler/preschool/kindergarten class will meet after Young Disciple’s Time (during the second half of the church service.)  Contact Sarah Hanika for more information.

Choir returns!

            Choir begins rehearsing again on Wednesday, September 6^th at 6:30 pm.  All adults and all youth aged 6^th grade and up are welcome to participate—no auditions needed!  Contact the church office or choir director Carol Ehmke for more information.

Weekly youth group meetings!

            Our youth have stayed active all summer, and now that school is back in session, we are back to our regular weekly meeting schedule.  We’ve got lots of great meetings planned—game nights with the residents at Long’s Creek, movie nights, Bible study nights, game nights, etc.  All youth between 6^th-12^th grade are welcome to join us! (And we always have snacks!) Contact Pastor Emily or Kim Beger for more information.

Thanks for a great summer, church—here’s to a fantastic autumn!