summer's coming

Sunday afternoon there were ten high schoolers and their parents in our living room.  That adds up to a rather large group, but we squished in around the fireplace and the TV.  I stood in front of the fireplace and told everyone about my great experiences on over a dozen summer mission trips.  They are life-changing in so many ways.  I have great memories of trips to Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Arizona, California, Mississippi and Alabama.  The memories are of relationships built with people of those communities and watching the youth group grow closer together.  Elisabeth and I could both heartily endorse going on a summer mission project.
We gathered around the TV to show a video on a mission project to West Virginia with an organization called Experience Mission.  After some technical difficulties with our laptops, we made it work.  The images of the beautiful mountains and the smiles of children made everyone ready to sign up.  If all goes according to plan we will leave on June 23rd for a week of road trips, home repairs, playing with children and growing closer to God and each other.
I'm looking forward to summer for lots of reasons.  I love driving my convertible and barbecuing on my deck.  But this trip to West Virginia promises to be the highlight.

Pray that it comes together.

2013 Confirmation Class

Youth Group at the Manse

A Growing Church

This Sunday was a great way to start off the New Year (well the second Sunday of the New Year).  At our new member meeting in the library we welcomed three families into membership.  While we welcome new members of any age, it is wonderful to see more young children coming into our church family.  The three families together accounted for nine children!  And the three elders who were present are also young parents adding four more children represented in that room!
I am so grateful for the priority that children's ministries have received here at PCMK.  The word is out.  This is a great place to bring your kids to learn and grow in faith.  They obviously are having fun too!  The challenge will be to find the right person to continue this excellent Christian Education program into the future as Angie Kung and Lynn Lucas are retiring in June :(.
Tim Byrne (another young parent) is the elder in charge of Christian Education and he has put together a great search committee to begin the process of looking for that next director.
If you know someone who loves kids and has skills for the position, please talk to Tim or me.  We would be interested in talking to anyone who may have potential for this.
In the meantime we are having a great winter term of Sunday School, youth group and confirmation.  I just had the first "official" confirmation class on Sunday and these are 10 great young people coming early to learn and grow in their faith.
This is going to be a year of growth for us at PCMK--in more ways than one!
Pastor Dale

It's Still Christmas

Remember the song, "The Twelve days of Christmas?"  While it takes a long time to sing, it has an important message.  It reminds us that Christmas is a season of 12 days, not just one day!  It is a season that doesn't end with Christmas day--in fact that is the beginning of the Christmas season.
Today is the last day of that 12-day season and I am ready.  I am ready for Christmas to be over.  I am ready to take down the tree and all the decorations.  I am ready to get back to routines and to begin our new  year with communion in worship tomorrow.
I am ready because it was such a wonderful Advent and Christmas season--our first here at PCMK.  I am ready because I have reflected on each event and I feel renewed spiritually as I think of them.  So I thought I would do a quick review of Advent/Christmas 2012 before we move on to 2013.
Christmas Fair  The season began with the hustle and bustle of the annual women's Christmas Fair that brought out seasonal items, gifts and food to get us in the season.  It also raised significant funds for our mission and social justice outreach.
Family Fun Night.  On the first Sunday of Advent we gathered in the evening to eat together and make Advent wreaths for family worship.  I love those opportunities to get to know children and their parents a little better.
Advent Worship.  Each Sunday of Advent I enjoyed planning with Terry Flanagan.  Each week the themes of Hope, Love, Joy and Peace were proclaimed in music and message.  I particularly like watching the families light the candles on the Advent wreath as the excitement built week by week.
Christmas Pageant.  What more can I say?  Watching those kids sing, dance and act their hearts out as they told the Christmas story once more before a packed sanctuary.  It doesn't get much better than that.
Lessons and Carols.  After months of planning and preparation by our musicians we had a beautiful evening of hearing the story in Scripture and song.  One comment afterwards was, "This was our first time to attend and now it will be a Christmas tradition for our family."
Christmas Eve.  After all the waiting and anticipation Christmas had finally arrived.  There were over 50 excited children (I know because I had 50 ornaments to hand out) and hundreds of adults present to share the light of Christmas with the singing of Silent Night as we held candles.  It's just not Christmas without that moment.
As we left that service there were beautiful luminarias lining the sidewalks all around the sanctuary.  Then it began to gently snow.  As worshipers arrived for the 10 pm service our church looked like something out of a Christmas movie.  I went home to celebrate with my family with a sense of true peace.
It had been a busy Advent season, but a truly blessed one as well.  I can't thank enough our office and custodial staff, our musicians and Christian Ed team, and all the other volunteers who made it happen.
I then spent most of the 12 days of Christmas enjoying my son and daughter before they needed to get back to their busy lives.
Be sure to check out the pictures of the Christmas pageant on the front page of our website (Click on the slide show at the bottom of the page).
I leave you with some picture that taken by Lisa Flanagan on Christmas Eve.