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Hey Sturgeon Alliance  

So, I was 17 years old and in grade 12. I was asked to teach a Sunday school class for the first time and immediately FEAR creeped into my heart!  I felt a lot like Moses trembling at the burning bush in Exodus 3. Who am I to teach? What am I supposed to say? Are these kids even going to take me seriously? But slowly God nudged me into this calling and I accepted the challenge. I grabbed the curriculum and pondered the Bible story I was supposed to teach – “The Walls of Jericho” it was called. In my spare time that week I read through my lesson wondering how this was going to materialize? - how I was going to fill 40mins? - how I was going to engage a bunch of grade 3 kids in the truth of God’ word? I arrived early that Sunday and built a huge model of the Jericho and the walls out of old hymn books.  When the kids arrived, I started into the lesson telling the story of how the people of Israel marched around the city for days and nothing happened. Then on the final day God in his almighty power made the walls come crumbling down. At that point I encouraged the kids to smash the neatly stacked hymn books into a mess. The loved it! They listened and hopefully they learned something in that whole process too! The lesson took all of 20 minutes and then we played Bible trivia the rest of the time.  That was my first time actually leading a group of people in the church…and it wasn’t my last. Each week God continued to give me the strength to lead this Grade 3 Sunday School class. The fear was real but God met me in that moment and started crafting something amazing in my heart and the heart of the kids. As I reflect on my life, I’m aware that there have been countless of children’s ministry workers who did for me what I did for those grade 3 kids. They stepped into something big. They stepped into something a bit scary all because God called them.  And I am glad that they did! I am here today because courageous people gave of themselves in service for God. I tell you all this because this fall we have a BIG NEED here at Sturgeon Alliance. We need Sunday Morning Children’s Ministry workers!

We need courageous people to serve our kids! It is not just teaching roles either, there are “helpers” needed too for our 3 Sunday morning Children’s ministries

-       Our infants in the Nursery

-       Our Age 3-4 program called Sonburst

-       And our K-Gr.4 program called G-Force.

So, would you consider serving!  All workers serve on a rotation so there are plenty of weeks off and you have the ability to switch with others to accommodate your schedule too. Please contact our Children’s Director Kelly Kozak at kkozak@sturgeonalliance.org if God is tugging on your heart.  

Here is the loop

1.     Back to 2 Sunday AM services this Sunday – Don’t forget that we launch back into 2 Sunday AM services this coming Sunday - 9:15 & 11:00am

2.     Ladies Night Out – Oct.12. Serena Klassen and Esther vanCuilenborg are organizing a night out for our ladies.  What lady doesn’t need a break and a chance to connect with other ladies! It will be a meaningful evening built around fellowship, food, worship and discipleship. The topic for the evening is: Encourage. And, we have a special speaker - Teresa Rilling scheduled to share about having a “Renewed Heart”.  Tickets for the evening are $10. Contact the church office for tickets. office@sturgeonalliance.org

3.     GriefShare – Starts Sept.17. 7pm at the church. GriefShare is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. Built around a 13-week video curriculum, GriefShare support groups meet weekly to help you face the challenges of grief and move from mourning to joy. GriefShare is specifically designed for help if you're grieving the loss of a loved one. If you would like to be part of our Griefshare program please contact Daryl & Wilma Dalby at dwdalby1@shaw.ca 

4.     Alpha – Starts Sept. 26. 7pm at the church. Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that explores the basics of the Christian faith. It runs for 12 weeks and it allows anyone to explore life, faith and God in a friendly, open and informal environment. In each session there’s food, a short video, and discussion in small groups.  It is great for those just looking into the Christian faith or for those who are looking for an introductory course about Christianity.  Contact the church office to sign up.  office@sturgeonalliance.org

5.     Small Groups – Launch Sept. 16th Small groups are an opportunity for you to grow in your faith with a group of caring believers. They meet weekly throughout the year for a time of bible study, prayer and connection. Some of the best memories and heartfelt discussions are made within these groups. Don’t miss your chance to grow. Come this Sunday to learn more and sign up! Speak to our small group coordinators Annamae & Darren Ruth aruth@strugeonalliance.org  for more info.

6.     Dinner On Us – Sept.17 at 6pm.  Our monthly community free meal is back this fall! It will typically fall on the third Monday of every month and is a FREE meal open to anyone.  All you need to do is RSVP to the church office by the Friday before the meal. This month please respond by Friday Sept.14th. Life can be difficult sometimes – Come have a meal with friends. I’ll be there - Hope you can make it too! *Also – We are looking for a few financial sponsors for this important ministry. Last year we had a few generous people help in this regard.  If you would like to cover the cost of one or even a portion of one of these meals please contact Annamae Ruth at aruth@sturgeonalliance.org (each meal costs about $200-$300).

7.     Marriage Course – Starting Sept 26 at 7pm (every Wednesday for 6 weeks) – We have a couple coming in from Sherwood Park Alliance to host a 6-week marriage course this fall. Rudy and Louise Froese will be leading a number of our married couples through the ups and downs of married life.  They are calling the course “Making Marriage Work” If you want to be part of this course, please speak to our small group coordinator Annamae Ruth at aruth@sturgeonalliance.org

8.     Scripture Reading for Sunday – I’m looking for a few people who would be willing to read scripture on Sunday mornings for our next Sermon Series. Each Sunday this fall we are going to start our service by reading a short Psalm. This is an important role because this is the very Word of God! This is open to anyone in the church 10 years old and up and wants to put in the preparation time! If you want to be part of this ministry please contact Monique at office@sturgeonalliance.org and we can find a week that works for you.

9.     From Pastor Josh - Youth Ministry

Details for Parents Friday Night Launch: We're kicking off our FUSE Friday Night time together on Sept. 14th at 7pm. Doors will be open at 6:40pm to get registrations completed. As well parents, make sure to stick around for the beginning of the night: we'll be having a parent information session from 7pm-7:45pm to give you guys a snapshot of the year ahead for our Youth Ministry. 

The Gathering: The Gathering is a two day youth conference at Sherwood Park Alliance Church focused on discipleship and fellowship. Sept. 28-29th. Drop off is  at SAC at 4:30pm FRIDAY & 9:00am SATURDAY ... Pick up is at 11:30pm both days from SAC. Cost is $85. Reach out to Pastor Josh if you have any questions or want to register for this event!  

10.  Overwhelmed – Sometimes life can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Struggles, pain, worry, fear, guilt and stress.  It all leaves us in a place where we don’t feel we have the tools to cope. But what if that is the point? What if those things that overwhelm us are meant to drive us to God? And when we run to God we find that God is more than enough to help us overcome those things that overwhelm us? Perhaps it is when we truly get a picture of this overwhelming God in all His glory that those other things melt away. Join us this fall as we are overwhelmed not by the things of this world but by our glorious God! *Don’t forget to share this on Facebook too! Many in our community may need to be part of this. Let’s not miss the opportunity to invite others to church!   Phew! That’s it. See you Sunday at 9:15 & 11:00 Blessings Brent