"After these things, God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" and he said "Here I am."  Genesis 22:1

This Sunday, June 28, we welcome Reverend Rebecca Laird as our worship leader. Please give a warm welcome to Pastor Rebecca. Remember that we are on summer worship schedule and will have one service at 9am. You may join us in person, on Facebook live at 9am or by our You Tube channel after worship is over. Any way that you join in, we are glad to have you part of our worshiping community!

Next Sunday, July 5, we will welcome Pastor Ben and his wife Alyssa to our church family. We will celebrate by sharing the Sacrament of Holy Communion during worship together.

Our Snowball Mountain Challenge VBS registration is open now.  Visit here for information and to register.

 The church office will be closed on Fridays for the months of July and August.

After the service on July 19th, we will be having an ice cream social to welcome Pastor Ben and his wife Alyssa. Mark that date on your calendar!

Soon you will have the opportunity to sign up for a small group Meet and Greet with Pastor Ben. These will begin mid-July and take place throughout the summer, both at church and in people’s homes. We will offer them during the day and in the evening, so hopefully everyone will find a time and place that works in their schedule! Keep an eye out for those sign ups!

Blessings from the church office.

"To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven."   Ecclesiastes 3:1
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• This Sunday, June 21 will be the first day of our summer worship schedule. We will worship at 9am in the Sanctuary from June 21 through Sept. 7, 2026.

• This week we welcome Pastor Rebekah Solar as our worship leader.  

• Also this week, we will receive contributions for Peace with Justice Sunday, one of 6 special Sunday offerings of the larger church. These funds are used for Peace and Justice work by the UMC in the US and around the world. Special offering envelopes will be available in the Narthex for your use. Please mark checks with a memo "Peace with Justice."

• The July/August edition of the Upper Room is available on the table under the office window.

• It is not too late to return your M2 estimate of giving form. If you need a form, please contact Shelley. We are grateful for all the ways you support the work of our great church.

• Registration is open for our Snowball Mountain Challenge VBS held on Wednesdays in August from 6-8:30pm.  Please click here for registration information.

Blessings from the church office.

Another week has come and gone here at Immanuel! Today we hear some words from Psalm 91...
 
           "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of
             the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress,
                                           my God, in whom I trust."
                                             (Psalm 91: 1-2 NIV)
 
Since we live in an area prone to severe winter storms, we know that sometimes it's unwise and unsafe to venture out, even for a short time, when the snow is falling, the ice is forming, and the wind is howling. Common sense should guide us to the best decision for that day: Stay sheltered indoors where it's dry and warm.
   
The writer of Psalm 91 understood well the importance of remaining sheltered in the Lord, especially in times of difficulty and danger. He knew that God never promised him a trouble-free life (verse 15), but he also was convinced that his best hope was to dwell "in the shelter of the Almighty."
   
God hasn't changed one iota since Psalm 91 was penned all those centuries ago. Today, we still have the privilege of resting in the shelter the Lord provides. When we purposefully take shelter in our loving heavenly Father's shadow, we put ourselves in the place to receive an amazing blessing: God's protection and comfort. 
 
Lord Jesus, thank you that because I belong to you, I can take refuge under the Father's shadow today and every day. May I never stray, for even one moment, from that shadow. Amen. 
 
+++ We worship on Sunday at both 8:30am and 10:00am. This week we will hear, once again, the Great Commission from the end of Matthew's Gospel account and my message is entitled, "Comings and Goings". Following our 10:00am worship service it will be time for our annual Church Picnic! We have lots of people signed up and will have lots of fun, as well. And, of course, it is always a tasty treat when Methodists gather for a picnic. During the picnic take a few moments and get your car washed at the Youth Car Wash! All of the proceeds will be split between the Golisano Children's Hospital and Devin's Rec Room here in Camillus. We will also be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at the 10:00am worship service. If you can't be here in person, look for us on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am for our "live stream" or after the worship is completed on the church's YouTube channel.

+++ Also on Sunday we will make our commitments to Immanuel's M2 campaign. This program provides needed support for our Maintenance and Mission work! We will have extra pledge cards available if you forget yours and we hope you will pray about supporting this important work. 

+++ Next Sunday, June 21st, we switch to our summer worship schedule with one worship service at 9:00am. This schedule will continue through the Labor Day weekend. We will welcome Rebekah Solar, from our conference staff, as our preacher next Sunday.   
 
Make this day a great day and always rest secure in God's protection and comfort.  Pastor Jack 

Happy Friday, Friends!  

Here are some words from Mark's Gospel account....
 
             "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up
                              their cross and follow me."         (Mark 8:34  NIV)
 
When asked if we'd be willing to die for Christ, many of us are eager to raise our hands. Hearing stories of missionaries who are killed by natives, we feel inspired and ready to face death for a cause we believe in. But why does it seem we're often more willing to die for Christ than we are to LIVE for Him?
   
At worst, it might be because deep down we all know how improbable such scenarios are, so we feel safe in plugging ourselves into the stories. But maybe the answer is something less cynical. Maybe it's because the act of making a sudden, dramatic decision is easier than living a quiet, consistent life. When it comes to the daily grind --- the consistent refusal of temptation in a world that mocks us, the willpower to show kindness toward those who annoy us, and the quiet dedication that drives daily devotions --- noble sentiments tend to fade fairly fast.
   
But this is exactly the kind of life to which Christ calls us --- a life born not of emotion or a sense of self-importance but of dedication to the one who dedicated His life to saving us. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?  
 
              Lord, fill me heart not with shallow notions of grandeur but with a deep longing for Your righteousness.   Amen.   
 
+++ We have a great Sunday of worship planned for this weekend! It is the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost and we will be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion at each of the worship services at 8:30am and 10:00am. At 8:30am my message is entitled, "Outside In and Inside Out" and I am thinking about the call Jesus places on our lives to lead others to a relationship with God, from both the inside and the outside. At 10:00am we will celebrate the Rite of Confirmation for 5 of our wonderful young people and we will be meeting them and hearing from them, as well. The Choir is also back with another beautiful anthem and the confirmands will be serving Communion at this service! We will, of course, be "live-streaming" on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am and then "uploading" the completed worship to our YouTube channel. We hope to "see you" in worship on Sunday!

+++ We welcome Hae Kue Gay Moo this Sunday as our new Nursery Supervisor. Hae Kue will be available in the nursery for both services each week to care for our littlest members. Please stop by and welcome her to our church family.

+++ Hopefully you have received your M2 estimate of giving forms in the mail. We invite you to prayerfully consider supporting our Missions and Maintenance for the upcoming year. We will return our forms during worship on June 14th. If you need a form, please see Shelley or contact the church office.

+++ Our Finance Team meets on Tuesday night at 6:00pm and then the Administrative Council meeting follows at 6:30pm. Members please try to be here for these important meetings. Thanks!

+++ Next Sunday is our annual Church Picnic. Please make sure you sign up this Sunday so we know how many people to prepare for. As we picnic our young people will be offering their annual CAR WASH with this year's proceeds being donated to help the work of Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse. Plan to get your car washed next Sunday and we encourage you to be generous in your donation to support the important mission work of our young people.  

+++ Remember to mark your calendars... as we switch to our summer worship schedule of one worship service at 9:00am starting on Sunday, June 21st. We will also be celebrating Peace with Justice ministries on this Sunday. So look for the special offering envelopes when you enter the Narthex on that day.  
 
Make this day a great day and  always be willing to take up your cross and follow Jesus!   
​Pastor Jack