Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott!For you non-German speakers (like me!), that’s the opening line of one of the best-known hymns of the Lutheran tradition and among Protestants more generally. Some of you know the line from its English translation, which doubles as the hymn’s title: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” What you may not know is how this week’s Psalm influenced Luther as he composed the lyrics and melody. Psalm 46 is our focus on Saturday and Sunday as we continue our Summer in the Psalms teaching series.Psalm 46 is a bold declaration. It’s a defiant prayer. It’s a statement of unwavering confidence in a God who has promised to prevail and restore what’s broken. After a couple laments and last week’s focus on confession and restoration (Psalm 51 – if you missed Kiara Moshansky’s first weekend teach at SPAC, be sure check it out), this time around we lean into the promise that God’s power is complete and ultimate victory certain. Hope you can be with us in person or online, and if it helps to know in advance, it’s a communion weekend where we’ll gather around the Lord’s Table.Please don’t ignore the rest of this newsletter! We’ve got a fun summer’s end party in the works for August 28 with Kids activities, great food, and outdoor baptisms! As summer winds down watch this space for multiple invitations into community as well as opportunities to join ministry teams and be informed!May God be your refuge and strength today,Greg Hochhalter | Lead PastorA Summer in the PsalmsWe hope you are enjoying our A Summer in the Psalms series so far. It has been so wonderful to partner with Jason Hildebrand and his team at Jason Hildebrand Creative Arts to share with you some of their Psalms Microfilms. These scripture-based microfilms welcome heart engagement and connection with God, encourage us to reflect on how these living ancient texts can speak to us today.We invite you to write and create your own Psalm this summer - share it with us at psalms@spac.ca. We love seeing these creations come in.BaptismBaptism says I believe that Jesus died and rose to new life for me. I want to publicly declare my faith in Him and my commitment to follow Him. Baptism is a celebration of this commitment and a time to share how God is transforming us.On Sunday August 28 we are celebrating baptism a little differently and will be celebrating this immediately after the service outside. Looking for more info on baptism? Click here.Volunteers Needed - Monumental VBSDo you love hanging out with kids and sharing the love of Jesus? Come be a Crew Leader at our Kids Ministries Elementary VBS Camp. As a Crew Leader, you will have an opportunity to build relationships and share the love of Jesus with our campers, as you move activities and stations. We are looking for leaders that are 16 years old and up. The camp will run at Sherwood Park Alliance Church, from August 22 - 26, 2022 and the volunteer time is 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. If you can come for only part of the week, let us know, we would love to have you join us still. For more information or to sign up please go to spac.ca/serve or email Pastor Kent at kids@spac.ca. Summer Youth Drop-In!Attention Youth!! We are please to let you know we will be holding Youth Drop-In nights with Luke the Intern this summer, on Tuesdays, 7-9 PM, for Junior and Senior High! Youth going into grade 7, and those who recently graduated are all welcome. All events will be outside and focused on building community through fun activities, so invite your friends! For more details on specific events, please follow us on Instagram (spacsrhigh and spachjrhigh). Please see spac.ca/youth for more information and drop-in dates.Summer BBQSAVE THE DATE!!! Sherwood Park Alliance Church is hosting a picnic on Sunday August 28th at 11:30 AM, after the 10 AM service which will include a free hot dog and hamburger BBQ lunch. All food and drinks will be provided (gluten free and vegan options will be available). There will also be games for all ages! Please bring your own lawn chair or blanket to sit on.Come celebrate together, with your church family, as we wind down the summer!Online Ministry EnhancementThe public weekend gathering is no longer the front door - the digital presence and online experience of church is overwhelmingly our first point of connection with the spiritually curious, and an essential method for initiating and fostering discipling relationships within our congregation. Streaming online is more than a broadcast - it's a platform with which to nurture meaningful connections with online viewers.The hybrid church is the new normal.To help support this new normal, we are launching an Online Ministry Enhancement campaign. For more information please see spac.ca/online.