Amid all the doom and gloom from the chaos in our country and world these days, there are some rays of sunshine that offer hope for the future. Three experiences over the past several weeks have inspired such hope for me. The first is the group of students from the University of Maryland who spent last week with us on their spring break so that they could work with Renewing Homes Augusta. They ate and slept here at the church and worked on projects during the day, building a porch and installing a ramp for neighbors in our community. Rather than basking on a Florida beach or chilling at home, they chose to spend their free week here, helping strangers in need in a community that none of them had ever visited before. They are great young people, and their commitment to give of their time and themselves in service to others is inspiring. Our thanks to all who helped to make them feel welcome in their brief time here! The second experience was the baptism of little Ellie last Sunday with the host of our young children all around her. In baptism we welcome a new child into our family of faith, and we commit to show her the love of God and to teach her the stories of Jesus. We made the same commitment to most of those kids gathered on the steps near the font, and their enthusiasm for church and their embrace of a new sister in Christ remind us that the good news is passed on from generation to generation in just such ways – through loving and welcoming the next generation of the children of God! And the third experience was Youth Sunday when our youth led the service and shared their favorite stories from the Bible. Some of those kids grew up in the church and some came later in their lives and some came as friends of friends. But they came, and they keep coming and learning and sharing. They are the present and future church, and the nurture of the faith in them week in and week out is important ministry in which we all participate. For, that work happens not only in Sunday School, Youth Group, and worship; it happens too in your encounters with them in church and in the community. Keep your eyes open for such rays of hope for the future of our church, our community, and our world. For God is at work in and through their lives, as in our own, binding us together as one family of faith – the church – and blessing us one and all!
— John Peterson
