Stay cool friends!Hope you’re enjoying what may be our last blast of magnificent summer warmth...sorry to break it to you, but it’ll be cold soon. Enjoy the shorts and flip flops while you can.A quick word about what’s happening this weekend, but before I do that, I want to make sure you’re aware of next weekend’s party. We’re hosting meal event after our 10 AM gatherings on Sunday, the 28th – check out the details below. We’re wrapping up our Summer in the Psalms teaching series next week with a unique service featuring original songs, poems, psalms, and prayers from several in our congregation. And when we’re done on Sunday, you’re all invited to join in outside for food, play, and even handful of baptisms (not too late to take the plunge yourself! More here).This weekend I’m going to teach my favourite Psalm, #139, a Psalm attributed to King David. It’s wonderful prose with soaring descriptions of God’s intimate knowledge and presence. It’s a Psalm I read or describe in pastoral care settings as much as any. And there’s a section close to the end that I don’t always read in hospitals and homes, because it’s quite a plot twist. I’ll try to help you stickhandle the rather shocking section during our services on Saturday night and Sunday morning, both online and in person.If you do make it out for one of our in-person gatherings, we’ll have the auditorium cool and the coffee hot!Take care everyone,Greg Hochhalter | Lead Pastor A 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 [email protected]. 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. Baptism Prep Classes will be offered: Saturday August 20/27 immediately after the service. Sunday, August 21 immediately after the service. Plus August, 21 at 1 pm online. See spac.ca/baptism for more information.Summer Youth Drop-In!Attention Youth!! It has been an awesome summer of Youth Drop-In nights with Luke the Intern! This Tuesday, August 23 from 7-9 PM, join us for our Summer Wrap-Up! Youth going into grade 7, and those who recently graduated are all welcome. This event will be held outside and focus on building community through fun activities, so invite your friends! For more details, please follow us on Instagram (spacsrhigh and spachjrhigh). 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!Fall Service TimesAs we move into the fall, we have decided to keep our summer service schedule going and stay at 2 services - 7PM on Saturdays and 10AM on Sundays. We are exploring what possible changes to this schedule could look like - and we will be engaging with you later in the fall about this as we want to make thoughtful informed decisions if we are going to make any changes - so for now... we will keep going as is!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.