July

       Summer is up and running here in Kewaunee!  We decided to get Joe and Megan involved in sports here, as a way to get to know people and become part of the community (and the kids love it :)  Megan is playing in the county soccer league with five and six year olds from the city of Kewaunee -- go Vipers!  We've been able to interact on a social level with other parents and her coaches, who are teachers in both the public and parochial schools here.  Megan was very excited to see one of her teammates at church recently, and we learned that the girl's family are born-again believers just up the road!  They attend a church in Green Bay, but have gotten involved in some of our ministries at Lakeshore, and we look forward to another family of Christian friends.  Joseph is back in baseball this season, playing for the Algoma Wolves little league.  This is a special opportunity, as Algoma is a neighboring city in which about half our church attenders are living. God has opened the door for Ray to get to know the coaches and kids by helping with practices and as base coach at the games.  Practices and games keep us busy, but our family can have fun together, and we can meet people and minister all at once.

        In mid-May we began both men's and women's Bible Studies at the church on Sunday nights.  Men and women alternate Sundays, so that we can involve everyone without needing to staff a nursery.  The men are reading the book, The Resolution for Men and have a core of four to six men attending regularly.   The women's study has been very well recieved.  We have twelve to fourteen ladies from the church coming to discuss and study Elizabeth George's book a Woman After God's Own Heart.   Both studies now have attenders from outside the church as well, including our own neighbor.

       Our Sunday morning services continue to grow, filling our pews almost to capacity the past few weeks.  Please pray for wisdom, as we look into short-term answers to our overflowing facility.  We continue to have fellowship potlucks about every six weeks, and were excited to finally have the whole church at our home for the fellowship in June.  It was nice to have a place large enough for the children to run and the adults to visit.  The afternoon brought just about everyone together, and gave us the opportunity to get to know each other in a more casual setting.  Because Ladies Bible Study met that afternoon, our neighbor and her husband joined us for lunch, and realized they have an outside connection with two families in the church.  We hope to be able to spend more time with them before they sell their home and move out of the city.  

       July 14th begins Kewaunee's big annual event Troutfest.   Our church is working together to provide a free children's penny carnival at Troutfest, inlcuding games; inflatables; a dunk tank; snowcones; and popcorn.  Our purposes include serving the community and inviting children to our own Vacation Bible School July 16th -19th.  We are very excited about the level of involvement from our congregation for both of these events.  Please pray that we'll be prepared, and that God will work through us to reach more of the area for Him.