♦ We celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
Pastor Jody Beth will preside and youth will serve. All are invited to the table to partake of the bread and juice by intinction.
♦ Food pantry collection day
♦ Live Oak worship service at 1 p.m.,
led by Pastor Jody Beth and Jane Capsis
The Rev. Bert Tuggle, retired minister,
Presbytery of South Alabama,
and a former pastor of Swift Church
♦ Vacation Bible school Sunday
The Rev. Keith Cardwell returns to the pulpit from sabbatical
♦ “Two cents a meal” offering for snacks for children
♦ Session meets to welcome new members
The Rev. Keith Cardwell preaches.
WORSHIP REPORT Greg McNair | worship elder
Youth Sunday is July 7, and our young people who attended Montreat Youth Conference in North Carolina during the first week of June will lead the one service of the day at 10 a.m. We look forward to supporting our fine young Christians. The session has given them approval to serve the Lord’s Supper. This year’s youth conference theme was “Let Love Lead” and we expect that will have a big influence on the worship service.
■ On July 14, the Rev. Bert Tuggle, a retired pastor in the Presbytery of South Alabama, will preach at Swift. He is a former pastor of this church and has many connections to our church family. Bert and Bev worshiped with us at 10:00 on June 2.
■ Pastor Keith Cardwell’s sabbatical is in its final weeks, and he will return to the church office on July 15 and to the pulpit on July 21. We have missed him and we look forward to having Pastor Keith in our midst again.The session will meet after both services July 21 to welcome new members.
■ Vacation Bible school starts Friday, July 12 and concludes the next day. (See separate story.)
■ In June, we progressed through some important dates in the church year, including the last Sunday of Easter, the Day of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday and Father’s Day, and now we are back in Ordinary Time. We are grateful to the Rev. Julian Walthall, the Rev. Lauren Peters, and our very own Philip Melton for preaching for us.
■ Once again, I commend all of our outstanding worship volunteers for jobs well done. Thank you so much. It means a lot to have people who are committed to serving the Lord and this church and willing to step up and do what is needed and do it well. If you would like to help in some way, please let me know. We can fit you into the schedule for the upcoming quarter that starts in October or let you fill in as a substitute before then as needed. We always need a person or two to help collect the offering and we need folks who are willing to lead “time with the children,” read the prayer for illumination and the scripture, and watch over babies and young children in the nursery. We can also use help in keeping the pew racks stocked with cards, pencils sharpened, etc. We could use some additional acolytes to bring in and take out the light, too. There are no age restrictions for that, although the older children seem to feel that is for the younger kids. Adults can do it, too — and sometimes we do. Is God calling you to help?
■ Happy Birthday, America. July the Fourth is Independence Day, a time to celebrate the United States of America and our independence and freedoms. We celebrate with family, friends, parades and fireworks. It’s also a good time to thank God for the many ways he has blessed this country in its 243 years of existence. He continues to bless us.
■ The calendar says summer has just begun, but the seasonal break is already halfway over for our school students. We hope they are spending some time reflecting on God and his love for us all. And we hope they are having some fun and making good memories with their families and friends. School will start Aug. 14 for students in Baldwin County public schools, and on Aug. 11 we will have our annual blessing of the backpacks for students, teachers and other school employees at both services.
Radical hospitality
‘TWO OR MORE’ FELLOWSHIP LUNCH Will not meet in July — would fall on the Fourth of July.
See you on ... Thursday, Aug. 1 • 11:30 a.m. O’Charley’s — 3060 S. McKenzie St., Foley
BUTTERFLY GIRLS/GUYS’ NIGHT OUT Thursday, July 18 • 6:30 p.m. Boggy’s— 12825 Fish River Road, Foley
Butterfly Girls and Guys’ Night Out will be at Boggy’s on U.S. Highway 98 west of Magnolia Springs, just before reaching the Weeks Bay/Fish River bridge. It offers a Southern-style buffet that includes choice of meats, hot vegetables, soups, salad, dessert and drink for $12. Please confirm with Mary McNair at 251-295-5267 by that morning to guarantee being included in the head count for reserved seating. Come enjoy some wonderful fellowship.
Couples or singles are welcome. Join us and suggest new places for us to try.
DINNER ON THE GROUNDS
Mark your calendars for Sunday, Aug. 11, for a time of food and fellowship
after the 10 a.m. worship service. More details to come.
Mission and service
MISSION REPORT Pate Cardwell and Al Sprouse | mission elders
Food pantry
Our Swift Food Pantry is USDA-certified to distribute to the less-fortunate. As part of that certification, we now ask how many family members are assisted. On June 12, our food pantry served 25 families (consisting of 57 individuals in these families), and on June 26, we served 31 families (consisting of 59 members). Feeding the Gulf Coast made its first delivery to our food pantry June 20, and we would like to thank the people that helped make short work out of unloading and storing more than 1,100 pounds of food: Lee Mansell, Jody Beth Melton, Linda Morrison, Jim Runtz, Gail Skinner, and Tina and Al Sprouse. By using Feeding the Gulf Coast, we purchased these grocery items for approximately $300. These same grocery items would have cost well over $1,000 purchased at a retail store. All things are possible through Christ.
Our commitment in this direction will need a few more people to donate a few hours each month to achieve this goal. Helping at our food pantry can be accomplished in several ways: filling bags with groceries, distributing filled grocery bags, assisting grocery recipients with signing for the groceries, unloading a pallet of groceries when delivered by Feeding the Gulf Coast, or stocking the pantry with the delivered groceries. Please prayerfully consider assisting with our food pantry. If everyone that voted on the survey for maintaining our food pantry would donate one hour per month, the success of the food pantry would not be dependent on a few people. Please call Tina Sprouse at (251) 510-5444 to offer your time and talents for our food pantry. Continue to pray for the work that is being done with the food pantry in God’s name.
UKirk South Alabama
On June 9, we were honored to have the Rev. Lauren Peters to deliver the sermon for Swift. We collected a special offering of $134 to help Rev. Peters with her ministry at UKirk South Alabama.
Local community support
Our newest mission, providing snacks for the students at Elberta Elementary School, will begin Aug. 12. In the meantime, please continue to support our “two cents-a-meal.” Our pennies to “two cents a meal” will provide daily snacks for the less-privileged children in our community.
We have extended an invitation to the faculty and staff of Elberta Elementary School to Swift Presbyterian Church for a back-to-school luncheon. This is tentatively planned for the week of Aug. 5.
Living Waters for the World
Living Waters for the World will be our next mission on Aug. 4. Last year Swift donated $2,499.69 to assist with this remarkable mission to provide clean water to the world.
UKirk South Alabama
On June 9, we will be honored to have the Rev. Lauren Peters return to Swift to deliver the sermon. In as much that she is the minister for UKirk South Alabama and our current mission is for UKirk, we will have an opportunity to make a donation to support the good works of UKirk. Our donations that are above and beyond our normal tithes and offerings should be clearly marked to go to UKirk.
Local community support
Our newest mission, providing snacks for the students at Elberta Elementary School, really doesn’t get underway until August. However, this mission will be supported with our “two cents a meal” donations. Our pennies can provide daily snacks for the less-privileged children in our community.
We have extended an invitation to the faculty and staff of Elberta Elementary School to Swift Presbyterian Church for a back-to-school luncheon. This is tentatively planned for the week of Aug. 5.
FELLOWSHIP TIME AFTER 10:00 WORSHIP
We will take the months of July and August off.
After that, fellowship time will begin again Sept. 8 after the 10:00 worship service.
Thank you to everyone who helped provide sweet and healthful snacks this past year.
‘ROAR!’ VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
COMING UP JULY 12 AND 13
Vacation Bible school is coming up soon at Swift Church. Join us for “ROAR! Life Is Wild — God Is Good!” on Friday, July 12, from 5:15 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, July 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This epic African adventure engages the whole herd. At Roar, kids explore God’s goodness and celebrate a ferocious faith that powers them through this wild life. We are going to have classes for preschool through sixth grade. The older youth are going to help.
We will have a water slide for the kids to fellowship and play Saturday afternoon as VBS finishes up, and then again Sunday after the children sing during the worship service.
Thank you to the many volunteers who have already signed up. Other ways you can help:
■ Be a storyteller, using materials we provide.
■ Volunteer to help decorate.
■ Give cash or check contributions toward snacks and decorations.
We will have sign-ups before the weekend for the students.
Please contact Brett Cardwell at (251) 747-4036 or brett_0721@yahoo.com for more information and to volunteer.
NEEDED FOR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL — empty paper towel tubes. You can bring them to church or church office at any time.
ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL Cheryl Jensen | leader
The class meets from 9 to 9:45 a.m. in room 2 in the annex. We are studying the New Testament in chronological order, led by Cheryl Jensen.
We continue to join Paul on his second and third missionary tours, approximately 56 A.D. Topics of discussion will include “The Glory of the Gospel,” “Generous Giving,” and “Christ’s Righteousness in Us.”
If you feel God is leading you to dig deeper into His Word, or you just want to check us out, we would love for you to visit our class.
SNACKS WITH SUSAN AND DARYL Susan and Daryl Pichoff | leaders
The class normally meets in the fellowship hall on Sundays from 9 to 9:45 a.m. and is led by Susan and Daryl Pichoff.
It is taking a seasonal break and will resume Aug. 25.
BIBLE STUDY AND FELLOWSHIP
FOR ADULTS AT A GLANCE
We are blessed to have so many people who would like to be part of Bible study and fellowship at Swift Church. Here is a listing of the groups that are meeting. All of them are open to people visiting and/or joining the group, whether you are a member of Swift Church or not. For more information, contact the leaders or the church office.
Weekly:
•Sundays, 9 to 9:45 a.m., adult Sunday school class, room 2 in the annex, continuing a chronolgical study of the New Testament. Led by Cheryl Jensen
•Sundays, 9 to 9:45 a.m., Snacks with Susan and Daryl, fellowship hall, led by Susan and Daryl Pichoff; topic varies. The class usually watches a DVD and discusses informative topics. The class is taking a break and will resume Aug. 25.
•Sunday evening and Thursday morningBible studies are not meeting for the summer. If you are interested in studying a particular book of the Bible, or a topical study, please contact Pastor Jody Beth or Adult Christian Education Elder Andrew King.
•Thursdays (first Thursday of month), 11:30 a.m., “Two or More” fellowship lunch at O’Charley’s in Foley on South McKenzie Street. Contact is Lee Mansell. No meeting on July 4.
•Thursdays (third Thursday of month), 6:30 p.m., Butterfly Girls and Guys’ Night Out fellowship dinner at area restaurants, different place each month.
Extravagant generosity
WE APPRECIATE OUR JULY VOLUNTEERS
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,
faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” — 1 Peter 4:10
GREETER/USHER TEAMS
July 7 — Jane King and Lee Mansell
July 14 — Paula and Danny Brewer
July 21 — Debbie and Norm Schmidt
July 28 — Sue Ann Lay and Lynda Walden
ACOLYTES
July 7 — Lainey Thomas
July 14 — ZoeyLynn and Zadie Grace Barnwell
July 21 — Sully Curry
July 28 — Cadi Cardwell and McCoy Cooper
NURSERY VOLUNTEERS (if needed)
July 7 — Jane King and Carlie Sims
July 14 — Ginny Kleinschmidt and Tara Morrow
July 21 — Megan Curry and Debbie Schmidt
July 28 — Pate and Brett Cardwell
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN
July 7 — Montreat Youth Sunday
July 14 — Cathy Rogers
July 21 — Pate Cardwell
July 28 — Debbie Schmidt
CHILDREN’S CHURCH (Will resume in September.)
ELDER OF THE MONTH
Pate Cardwell
PROJECTIONIST
Bridgit Gosa
SANCTUARY FLOWER SCHEDULING Please contact Susie Alexander to reserve your date.
Flowers can be offered for a special occasion, birthday, anniversary, in memory of someone special, or just because you want to. They don’t have to be an expensive bouquet or arrangement, but something out of your own garden can be just as beautiful. We keep a calendar in the office so that you can check to see if your date is available.
You may have noticed this box in your bulletin. Using your “smart phone” and this box you can connect to the church’s online giving page. You can set up for automatic donations of your tithes or one-time gifts to a number of funds benefiting ministries of Swift Church. Use this by either entering your credit/debit card information or your checking account information. Of course, this is a secure website.
You can also do the same thing by clicking a donation link on the church’s website.