This Week
City Kids Parent/Volunteer Training May 13th
Parents and volunteers are invited to a training and informational Zoom breakout session as part of our normal Life Group on Thursday, May 13th, to discuss City Kids procedures and address any questions that parents/guardians may have. We are looking forward to seeing you at the Parent/Volunteer Meeting!
Grocery Distribution May 15th
Please join us on Saturday, May 15th, to assist with our grocery distribution in the parking lot behind the Waverly YMCA (The Weinberg Y) on 33rd St. We are activating the network of more than a dozen non-profits and churches to ensure that the food gets to people in need. We need volunteers to greet people, direct traffic, carry boxes, and drivers to deliver boxes to homes or nearby assisted living facilities. We ask that volunteers arrive at 9:15 am to help unload the truck. Please bring your own mask, drinking water, snack, and work gloves. The grocery distribution will begin at 10:30 am, and 575 pre-sorted boxes of groceries will be given away. Please continue to pray for our efforts in organizing this continued effort.
In-Person Sunday Church Service May 16th
Please join us on Sunday, May 16th at 9 am, for an in-person church service at the church facility. We are so excited to worship together again!
Please enter through the main doors at the top of the stairs. There is a ramp located to the left side of the building that you may use to enter instead if needed. Please remember to wear a properly fitted mask and remain physically distanced from people not in your household. Childcare will be provided for ages 4 through 4th grade (more details below in the May Ministry Spotlight).
Upcoming Events
- May 13th, 7pm All-Church Life Group and City Kids Parent/Volunteer Meeting
- May 15th Grocery Distribution
- May 16th, 9am In-Person Sunday Church Service
- May 20th, 7pm All-Church Life Group
- May 21st CHC Youth Meeting
- May 23rd, 9am In-Person Prayer Meeting
- May 27th, 7pm All-Church Life Group
- May 30th Outdoor Fellowship Gathering
- June 3rd, 7pm All-Church Life Group
- June 6th, 9am In-Person Sunday Church Service
Good to Know
Transitioning to In-Person Church Meetings
Our Safe Place Team has determined that we are ready for in-person church meetings, using safe practices (considering we now have a vaccinated majority). See below for a quick overview of our in-person and virtual events for the next three months. We will be communicating in more detail about these events shortly.
- Sunday Morning In-Person Church Services: May 16th, June 6th, July 4th, August 1st
- In-Person Prayer Meetings: May 8th, May 23rd, June 20th, July 18th, August 15th
- Outdoor Fellowship Gatherings: May 30th, June 27th, July 25th, August 22nd
- Life Group (on Zoom): You can continue to join us on Zoom every Thursday night at 7pm for prayer, fellowship, and discussion of the daily Bible readings.
Outdoor Meetup Ideas
Now that the weather is getting warmer, we are looking for more opportunities to meet up outdoors together. If you have ideas for outdoor, physically distanced, and masked activities that the church can plan, please share your ideas with Pastor Ben.
Church WiFi
For your future reference, there’s a new Wifi at the church building. The password is HampdenChurch3449
May Ministry Spotlight: City Kids
History
City Kids has been an integral ministry of our church since its beginning. When Pastors Ben and Rebecca were laying the groundwork for our church, they envisioned a children’s ministry that prioritized Biblical teaching and helped our youngest members connect with Jesus on a personal level. Over the years as our children’s ministry has grown exponentially, that vision remains the same: a safe place for children to learn, grow, and play.
City Kids Volunteers
We have had so many faithful City Kids Volunteers over the years! While the church was virtual only, Pastor Rebecca continued to minister to the kids through engaging weekly video lessons, paired with crafts and activities for children to complete at home. Now that we are transitioning to in-person church services, we need volunteers who can serve in the City Kids class. If you are a parent/guardian of a child who will be attending City Kids, we ask that you join the volunteer rotation. Parents, guardians, and anyone else who would like to volunteer, will need to go through the City Kids training, that will be held as a part of Life Group this Thursday, May 13th, at 7pm.
In-person City Kids Class
What will the in-person City Kids class look like? More detailed information will be given during the City Kids Training Meeting, but here is a quick overview of what to expect: There will be one City Kids class for children age 4 through 4th grade. The class will meet in the Fellowship Hall from 9:30-10:00 am. Children and teachers will wear masks, stay physically distanced from people not in their household, and have their temperatures checked before entering City Kids. Each household will have their own box of supplies to use each week. Initially there will be a 10-student limit for the class, so please make sure to register your children on the CK Sign-Up Form. All families/households must complete a Consent Form before their child(ren) can attend City Kids for the first time (we will have paper copies available on Sunday). Each week, all families/households will complete a Household Questionnaire Form during check-in. We will go over the check-in and check-out procedures in detail during the CK Training Meeting. We will also answer any questions you may have.
Pastor’s Weekly
In John chapter 6, we see that Jesus calls the crowd of people following Him to seek new spiritual life through Him, and not be distracted by temporary natural things. The crowd wanted the benefit of Jesus’ miracles without relating to Him as Savior. It seemed that they also wanted to have the ability to perform miracles themselves, possibly more than they wanted Jesus as Messiah. Jesus explained the desire of Father God that they receive this new life by recognizing Him as Savior and responding with belief. Sadly many of them had become more attached to a religious experience than they were to a personal relationship with God.
For more encouragement from Pastor Ben, click here to view his daily devotionals. Click here to subscribe to receive his daily posts via email.
City Harbor Church is a safe place to find and follow Jesus. Click here for more information about us and what we believe.