We have several ministry opportunities coming up in the near and longer term. Most immediately, we have our Fourth of July Celebration. From one angle it looks like pure fun: fireworks, a car show, music, food trucks. From the ministry angle, it's a time to connect with our community.
Rev. Richard

We'll have our church t-shirts, so Hardy people will stand out. We'll have an opportunity to meet, greet, serve, and pray with many people that night.

Less than a week later we have our biggest children's event of the summer – Vacation Bible School. Some of you serve face to face with the kids. Many more of you serve behind the scenes. All of us can pray for the kids and those who are leading them. All of us can be inviting kids we have connections with, either from our own families or from our neighborhoods.

Looking a little farther down the line, Sue Jones and I met with a Amber Galvan and Shardell Torrence (That's Shardell & Sue in the picture). last week at Texas A&M Texarkana and explored ways we can connect with students there. The near-term project will be partnering
with them to keep their student food pantry stocked. A project that will take more work to get going is building relationships with international students. Coming from all over the world, these students normally don't have anywhere to go during breaks and holidays. My vision is that our Hardy Memorial families could host them for meals and build relationships with them, to perhaps even become a home away from home. Think of the long-term fruit that could come from our witness for Christ in these relationship!

At Annual Conference last week, I learned that there will be a day long evangelism workshop offered Saturday, August 24. It'll feature Bishop Scott Jones (who was a professor of evangelism before he was a bishop) in addition to other speakers. Some of you will want to take advantage of this opportunity. Finally, the New Room Conference is coming to The Woodlands, September 18-20. This event is a contemporary take on "old time revivals," featuring great preaching, teaching, and worship, centered on pursuing life in Christ together. I have a $60 off coupon code, so let me know if you're interested.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Rev. Richard Heyduck 2