Looking Back...

I know summer ended last month, but I can't help but continue to look back and think of how exciting summer was.

Last spring, I was told by several people to not be surprised if our attendance as a church went down due to people traveling. I've heard in the past that often in July there might only be a couple people showing up to church.

In anticipation of this, I prepared a sermon series called "Fun FAQS", which was intended for a smaller group-based discussion. Instead of a small group, however, I was pleasantly surprised to see our attendance stay relatively the same throughout the entire summer, which is a huge win in the church world!

Vacation Bible School

In August, I was able to see what a Vacation Bible School looks like at Bethel Church, and I told a few of the volunteers that it was very impressive. I am beyond pleased to see the quality and attention to detail that goes into our VBS program. Frankly, I'm of the opinion that it rivals a large urban church's VBS, but I could be biased.

We had over forty kids come out to VBS (or equal to half the population of Imperial School), where we had a bunch of games, activities, and awesome Bible-based lessons where they learned about how amazing and incredible our God is. I am so impressed with the VBS staff, who volunteered their valuable time to ensure that it went smoothly and successfully.

Church Picnic and Baptisms

Near the end of August, we cancelled our regular church service in lieu of a Church Picnic at the school near Watertown (east of Imperial), where a large group of us gathered for a short (but powerful) baptism service. It's exciting to see Baden, Cory, and Kelly choose to be baptized in celebration of their faith in Jesus. I'm proud of these men for making a commitment to love, worship, and serve Jesus, and look forward to seeing them grow spiritually. You guys rock!

We also had a ball game, a slip and slide, and some great food, all as a climactic close to a fun, refreshing summer for 2025!

I am looking forward to seeing what God does this fall and winter. I am beyond blessed and thankful to pastor Imperial Church, and can't wait to see more growth, opportunities, and worship of our amazing God.

Blessings,

Pastor Scott