Pastor’s Keyboard

           No one needed to remind us that Fall officially arrived on September 23^rd, the same day as the autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Trees have a way of stunning our vision with daily transformations of colour. On the first Sunday of October we are offering a Worship, Lament, and Prayer service at 5:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon to give us an opportunity to pray our lament for nations in trouble and at war; for lament around the environment and climate change; for lament around the global and local church; and for lament around struggling relationships in illness, addictions, brokenness, and mental health.

           The Evangelical Ministerial is putting on a Love Grey Bruce Community Fall event this Sunday, October 1^st at the Harrison Park Picnic Shelter from 2-5 p.m. with races, face painting, cotton candy, balloon animals, bobbing for donuts, hot coffee, colouring, a fall photo booth and pie. They are planning to offer a piece of pie to everyone in Harrison Park and are inviting each church in Owen Sound to drop off ten pies each. The Love Grey Bruce Community event extends throughout the week to next Saturday, where they have invited as guest speaker, Kim Phuc, the “napalm girl” who was photographed running down the street naked in 1972 near the end of the Vietnam War. She will speak at the Harmony Center at 7:00 p.m. as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, with a tremendous testimony to give.

           Next weekend plans are in place for an Open House in the New Life Center from 4 till 6 celebrating our 75^th anniversary followed by a Gala Dinner in the Fellowship Hall. Sunday morning, we will have a worship service that includes communion and Monday morning a Thanksgiving Service at 10:00 a.m. We are planning to build a Thanksgiving Tree and will hand out leaves cut out of construction paper where we will ask each of you to write down what it is that you are thankful for, looking back at God’s faithfulness in your life. We will collect these leaves after both services, stick them on a large trunk in our foyer, and give thanks to our God for his faithfulness throughout the years.

           On Sunday, October 15^th, Central Westside Church in Owen Sound will host a Hymn Sing at 4:00 p.m. as a fundraiser for OSHaRE. On October 21^st, Calvary Church is offering a Women’s Conference on Trauma in Mental Health; Being a Biblical Woman in this Changing World; and Pelvic Health from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30.

           There is much to take in throughout Owen Sound and Grey Bruce. May you be blessed in the work of the Lord’s harvest throughout.