July 2018 This 'n That

​Hard to Believe
    It is very hard for me to write this newsletter today. Why, you ask? Simple, we have already gone through the first six months of 2018!!!  This past year has truly flown by way too quickly and before we know it, 2019 will be here.


Wednesday Supper and Studies
    Wednesday Night Suppers and Bibles Studies wrapped up in mid-May and I want to thank everyone who were a part of the wonderful fellowship and sharing, both around the dinner tables and in our class discussions. I look forward to getting started back again after Labor Day and will plan on more actual studying of the Bible itself instead of the primary use of books. I also want to say THANK YOU to Debbie Andrews for your service and hard work in preparing our delicious meals for us every Wednesday night.

Vacation Bible School Recap
    We just recently wrapped up another Vacation Bible School, with more than forty kids
attending. Thanks so much to Amy Standard for her great leadership of VBS and to the many, many volunteers who helped out in a variety of ways. I would also like to thank Anita Anderson for her creativity and work in the stage production along with Carol Rodock helping to secure all of the things needed to make our VBS this year a success.

These were a few of the wonderful things we've enjoyed at Salem. But that was the past; there is still plenty for us to do in 2018!!!

Summer Lunches for Hungry Kids
    Starting this coming week for the month of July, we will once again begin to make and to deliver lunches a couple days a week for the children who live in the mobile home park behind the church. We have also committed to Action Ministries to team up with Shiloh UMC for the second week of July to provide lunches for the children of the Nelson Heights community in downtown Covington.

A New School Year
    And speaking of children, schools in Newton County will be starting back on August 1. I would love for Salem UMC to continue its partnership with West Newton Elementary School located on Brown Bridge Road. I will be contacting the principal there in the coming days to see where we can be of assistance to the students, teachers, and administrators of West Newton.
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Summer Combined Worship and Snafus
    I want to close today by thanking all of you for being so supportive of the joint church services.  We are planning to send out the damaged sound board for the sanctuary soon and hopefully have it back by the first Sunday in August. It is my prayer that we will be back to our normal worship schedule by then. The only possible holdup to this is the damage to the ceiling that fell in the sanctuary a few weeks ago caused by the birds. We are in the process of getting bids to repair the ceiling and also hope to have it done by the first Sunday in August. I would like to ask you for your prayers for the Trustees as they negotiate a fair price and quick resolution to this issue. I will keep you advised of any information that I receive from them. It is my prayer that all of this will be kept with a minimum of financial costs and inconvenience for all. 

                                                                  Pastor Dan

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