Shippensburg First Church Of God Blog Site: Plans! SFCOG update for 8/6

Sunday is Coming, and we've got lots of things Planned for the future!

Have you ever wondered about God's Plan for your life? Do you have your own goals and dreams and plans?

I find the end of summer to be the time of year that I often stop to think about plans. As Fall approaches, it would seem that calendars start to fill up. Maybe your last few weeks of summer you try to pack in as much summer fun as possible: last minute vacations, afternoons at the pool, back to school shopping, home projects, etc… When Fall comes, our days and weekends may fill up with many other activities. Depending on our place in life, planning can take a lot of different forms during this time of year.

Sometimes in life we also face difficult seasons, like health struggles, searching for a job, or finding a new home. In those seasons, planning for doctors' appointments, job interviews, or meetings with realtors & bankers might dominate our schedules.

We've all got plans & schedules that we must manage & maintain, and things that we hope to look forward to.

I know here at Shippensburg First Church of God, we've got some exciting things planned—two important seminars, back to school Sunday, the return of community night, a church picnic, and an ongoing renovation project, just to name a few.

As we consider all the plans and schedules in our lives, there is one verse in particular that is often quoted related to this topic—Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

If you go to Hobby Lobby or shop online, you can find this printed on canvases, framed art, wall decals, stickers, pillows, coffee mugs, and more! Maybe you know that verse, or have it memorized… But do you know the context? Who was the Lord originally "declaring" this to through his prophet? What was going on in the world around the People of God at that time?

Over the next few weeks, we will take a deeper dive into the context of this influential verse. It is a beautiful promise indeed, but as with any passage of scripture, it's meaning is best appreciated when you understand the whole story around it. When we handle the Word of God, we must always consider context—the historical and spiritual setting.

We will see that this verse is indeed a promising and hopeful and optimistic message for the People of God—including you and me if we trust in Jesus—but it also carries with it some challenges and expectations, especially regarding how we use our time and fill our schedules and make our own plans! I'll look forward to considering all of this together in August!

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬

Here is some more information about some of those things we are planning--

This Saturday, August 5, is the next Outreach hiking trip to the Abandoned Turnpike Tunnels. See the Gathering Place or your Sunday School classrooms for more information and to sign up. A group will meet at church parking lot at 9:00 am to carpool or caravan. Bring your friends & neighbors!

This Sunday Morning, we will hear a report from our Youth Missions Team about their trip to Kentucky.

They also wish to express their THANKS to all of you who supported them through prayer and financial giving as well!

We will be hosting a Seminar for all Youth & Parents, ministry leaders who serve Children & Youth, and Anyone who would like to learn more about the Biblical View of Identity and how to care for people in a culture of confusion. This will be Sunday, August 13 beginning at 2:00 PM in the Sanctuary. There will be a similar session for youth during their Sunday School time that morning. More information was put in church mailboxes and has been distributed by our Youth Ministry to parents. Feel free to ask myself or Pastor Gary for more details.

Childcare will be available Sunday Afternoon, but please let us know if you will be bringing children so we can plan accordingly. You can reply to this email.

On August 27th, we will include Child Dedication as part of our morning worship. If you would like to have any children in your family presented before the church as a part of this special prayer time, please reply to this email for more information, contact me at the office or on Sunday, or sign up in the Gathering Place.