​Besides the indoor spaces we have appreciated for years, Prince of Peace is blessed with outdoor spaces that have helped us navigate this pandemic.

Last week over 40 PoPpers and friends gathered in the courtyard for an Octoberfest-themed meal.
Earlier in the day, over 100 people had gathered to celebrate the life of Loretta Welch, then mingled in the courtyard sharing memories.
The choir regularly meets on the patio for rehearsals under lights installed by the Wednesday crew.
On the Saratoga side, there is a lovely fountain surrounded by the names of loved ones.

Prince of Peace is blessed to have so many spaces that can be used to care for one another and spread God's love. The property is an asset to the community.

With the possible exception of Christmas Eve, which this year falls on a Friday, this is the busiest weekend we will have at Prince of Peace this year – and Pastor Sara, the staff, and I all want to take a moment to say thank you to the many hands and hearts that have given time their time, efforts, and thoughts to making things meaningful and enjoyable for so many people this weekend.
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• Karen DeHart’s whole family has been working hand in glove with Maria Jorgensen and Andrea Puck in planning Loretta’s Celebration of Life service. And so many members of Prince of Peace have responded in loving honor of Loretta by baking some of her amazing bars and cookies to honor and celebrate her as she honored so many by her own efforts with her delicious desserts.

 

• The Long family and Roy family have organized with Pr. Sara and Darcy Dutcher to make Saturday’s Oktoberfest another joyous and celebratory way to step away from the near constant stress of these days. And, again, more volunteers from Prince of Peace are bringing in other special treats to add to the festivities – in particular we’ve just found out that there will be a special cookie decoration station for the kids (or children at heart if you like beer with your cookie…) thanks to Ulrike Hoehler!

 

• Worship together in person and online happens because volunteers like Dave Birdsall, Yildray Hazir, David Laudenslager, Jim Wilzcak, Todd Hauschildt, and Susie Camp, not to mention the fantastic Coffee Hour hosts have regularly given their time and energy to plan and organize various parts of what it takes so that the rest of us can arrive without concerns about availability or order.

 

• And this Sunday afternoon the Stroms are inviting Council into their backyards for our annual Council Retreat – where we will be working through a Strategic Vision Plan that Pr. Sara and Todd Hauschildt have been working with a small army of volunteers to hone over the last few months.

These are just some of the contributions volunteers are making at Prince of Peace this weekend’s events. If I listed everyone you could read this for an hour.

These volunteers are not only making this weekend’s events special for members of Prince of Peace and the guests on our campus. They are making their connection to this community stronger and more meaningful. When we give our time to a community we care for, we care for that community even more. That reality is part of what makes organized religion so very special – and why the companies we buy things from are trying to tap into that same reality. But is there really a product you can buy that substitutes for making someone feel happy and included or honoring someone’s loss? I don’t think so.

There are many, many ways to be engaged at Prince of Peace. If you are looking for ways to bring more meaning and enjoyment into your life, I cannot recommend engagement here highly enough. We worship a gracious and loving God, and this is just about the best community I’ve ever met for living that out on a day to day basis.

With love and gratitude,
Pr. Nate