In This Edition:

• ONA Surveys - Last Call!

• Summer Fellowship Hour Host Signup

• Pan Mass Challenge

• Church Campout

• Sermon Snippet

• Holding in Prayer

ONA Surveys - Last Call!

Thank you to everyone who has filled out the online survey for the ONA Task Force. We would like to collect any additional responses by the end of this week (Sunday 7/20), so that we can begin reviewing the results and taking next steps. If you have a hard copy of the survey, please return it to the church office.

-The ONA Task Force

Summer Fellowship Hour Host Signup

Pan Mass Challenge

The Pan-Mass Challenge will be returning again this year to the Norfolk
Agricultural HS on August 3, 2025. The Aggie is looking for volunteers to hand out water & cheering riders on.
 
Pan-Mass will be using the area in front Kemp Gymnasium as a water stop. The riders enter from Fisher street, stop at Kemp and ride out back to 1A.  The event will be from 6am - 11am. 
 
If you are interested in volunteering 1-2 hours ( or more) to help out with the event, please reach out to [email protected]

Church Campout

Want to spend some quality time with your church family out in the beauty of God’s creation? Then come camping with us August 15-17 at Massasoit State Park! You can reserve a campsite by clicking here (the Shepherd family will be in site D74). Located just 30 minutes down the road, Massasoit State Park offers opportunities for swimming, canoing/kayaking, and hiking trails, or simply relaxing by the campfire! For more information or to let us know you’re coming, contact Pastor Shepherd.

Sermon Snippet

One of the most popular Christian books of the past half century was Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life. This collection of 40 daily devotionals has sold over 50 million copies since its publication almost 30 years ago, which speaks to the deep desire of so many for an answer to the question, “How can any of us know our purpose here on earth?” That’s this week’s sermon question, and to answer it, we’ll hear the story of Jesus’s visit to the home of two very different sisters, Martha and Mary, and what he has to say about who they are and how they ought to live.

Holding in Prayer

This week, as a community of faith we pray:

• with sorrow, for those who mourn the death of Sue, a classmate of Nancy, Judy, and Shirley’s.

• for the Feeleys, as they said goodbye to their cat Mookie, but welcome a new dog named Mingo into their family.

• for Shirley’s niece Karen, who is receiving palliative care, and for the comforting times with family.

• with joy, for Laurie’s great nephew Turner, who celebrated a birthday

• for Laurie’s sister-in-law Jan, who is recovering from surgery.

• for Pam’s friend Cookie, as she battles cancer.

• for Lew’s friend Dan, as he faces kidney disease

• for Margie’s friend Barbara, who was recently hospitalized

• for George, who is fighting metastatic cancer after surviving a transplant, and with joy, as he gets a visit from distant family members

• for flood victims in Texas

• for Lynn’s coworker Adrian, who is recovering from spinal fusion surgery

• for Mike, Nancy’s classmate, who is having a lengthy recovery from surgery

• for Nancy and Jane’s friend Donna, in need of healing for her broken hip

• for Kathy, Shirley’s friend, recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s

• for Jim and Justin as they travel to Japan

• for peace in the nation, and for an end to political violence