Hopefully by now you are all aware of the Leadership Retreat in Moyer Hall on Saturday, September 11. Originally, I had planned that this retreat be for the current Elders and members of the Council. After discussing it with the Council I am inviting all members of our church family. If you have not picked up a copy of The Post Quarantine Church please do so prior to the 11th. They are available in the church office.

The purpose of the retreat is to explore what kind of church we are going to be coming out of the pandemic. There is no doubt that there will be changes in store. As a church, we want to plan proactively as we explore the possibilities. Much of the work that you will be doing will be extremely helpful to our Assessment Team and to the search committee as they seek out a settled pastor.

The start time for the retreat is 9 AM. We will be finished no later than 3 PM. Lunch will be provided.

This retreat is very important. I hope to see you on Saturday, September 11 as we do the work of being a strong and healthy Body of Christ.

Blessings,
Pastor

After three years of waiting, I will return to Ghana. Many of you have heard stories about my experiences in
Ghana over the past 30 years. On this trip, there are three people who have been to Ghana before. They are
Norman and Mary Southerly, members of Mill Creek Church of The Brethren in Port Republic, Virginia. Mill
Creek is the church of my childhood and youth. This will be their 9th trip. Joining the Southerly’s will be their
pastor, Rev. Glenn Bollinger and his wife Debbie. The Bollinger’s have been on mission trips before, the
latest was Haiti. They have traveled to Israel as well. This is their first trip to Ghana.

Jenn Hoffman from St. Paul’s UCC, Fleetwood has been once before. Jenn is our IT guru having set up a
computer lab in the town of Kpando in 2018. Joining Jenn is her 15-year-old son, Jacob. This will be his first
visit.

Clark Fredrick is the third member at St. Paul’s who will be going to Ghana for the first time. Clark is a
seasoned traveler as a result of his job at Deka.

​Rev. Ed Rawls is taking his first trip. Ed was my pastor when Sharon and I were still on the farm. Ed was
instrumental in guiding me as I began my journey to ordained ministry. Ed is the senior pastor at First
Congregational UCC in Stratford, CT.

Rounding out our travelers are our own members, Tom Lloyd and Nancy Leneweaver. International travel is
not new to Tom. This will be his first trip to Ghana. Nancy will be traveling to Ghana for the first time.
I share this information with you because the 11 of us will bring with us our own expectations. Mary,
Norman, and Jenn know what to expect. Regardless of past experience all 11 of us will be blessed because of
our visit. There is no way I can give you a clear understanding of Ghana unless you have been there.
I ask you to pray for us daily. I will keep you updated as to our activities on the St. Luke’s Facebook page. I
leave you in the familiar and capable hands of the Rev. Ann Few. We look forward to telling you our stories
upon our return!

Blessings,
Pastor Pat