We’re winding down the school-year activities, but here are the LATEST quick bytes to keep you in the loop:

• Please thank our middle school intern Dani Oelschlager for heading up our Confirmation Middle School activities during the last 3 months!  Dani is off to serve as a camp counselor this summer at Koronis near Paynesville, one of our United Methodist camps.  She has done a great job to handle lots of things on Wednesday nights, she has done lots of work in putting the Minneapolis mission trip together, and most importantly, she has been there for the middle school youth so that they know that they are loved and cared for!  Thanks also to all of our great adult leaders for all of their love and leadership this year!!!
• Mark your calendars for Confirmation Sunday, which is Sunday September 16 at the 10:30 service.  This is the Sunday after Welcome Sunday, just like last year.  Come support the rising 9th graders as they are confirmed in their faith!
• When Pastor Whitney comes on board, she and I will schedule a day apart to spend with the rising 9th graders to prep for Confirmation Sunday!
• Come and say goodbye to our Pastor of Pastoral Care Melanie Homan Sunday June 3 at the 9:30 service & reception afterwards or at The Well at 5:00 as we thank her for her tremendous ministry of 9 years among us, and wish her well as she goes on to be the pastor of St. Anthony Park UMC, AND--
• Come and say hello to our new full-time associate pastor Whitney Starkey Sunday June 24 at the 9:30 and 5:00 Well services.  Whitney graduated last weekend from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, one of our 13 United Methodist seminaries.  Whitney will be in charge of middle school ministries, will be co-pastor of The Well with me, will be doing outreach & mission ministries, helping preach & lead worship in the morning, and doing pastoral care throughout the congregation.  Whitney will be one of the leaders on the July 22-28 Minneapolis mission trip with 16 middle schoolers & 6 sr. highs.

We’re winding down the school-year activities, but here are the LATEST quick bytes to keep you in the loop:

• Did you get the chance to meet our brand-new half-time senior high youth director, Jonathan Coward, on Wednesday night at the end-of-year party for the youth?  Maybe if you’re a parent you got the chance to meet him as you dropped off your youth or picked them up!  Jonathan will be taking over these weekly updates to the parents, and really looks forward to meeting you all and working with the youth. 
• We’re in this together—growing in faith with our youth and with our youth leaders.  Pray every day for each other.
• Please thank all of our great adult leaders for all of their love and leadership this year in putting together Wednesday night LOGOS, all the fun weekend events, the brunch for the grads this past Sunday, and planning the June 29-July 7 West Virginia mission trip!!!
• Mark your calendars for Confirmation Sunday, which is Sunday September 16 at the 10:30 service.  This is the Sunday after Welcome Sunday, just like last year.  Come support the rising 9th graders as they are confirmed in their faith!  This sounds like a middle school item, but it’s the pivot from middle school to senior high group here at Centennial’s youth ministry! 
• Come and say goodbye to our Pastor of Pastoral Care Melanie Homan Sunday June 3 at the 9:30 service & reception afterwards or at The Well at 5:00 as we thank her for her tremendous ministry of 9 years among us, and wish her well as she goes on to be the pastor of St. Anthony Park UMC, AND--
• Come and say hello to our new full-time associate pastor Whitney Starkey Sunday June 24 at the 9:30 and 5:00 Well services.  Whitney graduated last weekend from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, one of our 13 United Methodist seminaries.  Whitney will be in charge of middle school ministries, will be co-pastor of The Well with me, will be doing outreach & mission ministries, helping preach & lead worship in the morning, and doing pastoral care throughout the congregation.  Whitney will be one of the leaders on the July 22-28 Minneapolis mission trip with 16 middle schoolers & 6 sr. highs.