But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

 ~Galatians 5:22-23

Bearing Fruit Together

This week, Saint John's is full of energy.

The halls are filled with music, laughter, and the excited voices of children as we gather for Vacation Bible School. Throughout the week, our children are discovering what it means to live by the Spirit and bear the Fruit of the Spirit in their everyday lives. They are singing songs, hearing Bible stories, making crafts, playing games, and building friendships, all while learning more about God's incredible love.

Just a few weeks ago, many of our high school students experienced something similar on their mission trip to Flagstaff. They spent the week serving alongside community partners, learning from the people they met, and discovering that following Jesus means showing up with open hands and open hearts. They returned home with stories of hard work, meaningful conversations, and moments where they saw God at work in unexpected places.

At first glance, a mission trip and Vacation Bible School might not seem to have much in common. One serves in work gloves, the other with fruit-themed decorations and energetic songs. But both are inviting people to the same way of life. Both remind us that faith is more than something we believe, it is something we live.

When our students choose kindness while serving someone else...
When our children learn about patience through a Bible story...
When volunteers welcome every child with a smile...
When our church prays, gives, and serves together...

...the Spirit is bearing fruit among us.

One of my favorite things about serving at Saint John's is watching people of every age grow in faith together. Children, youth, and adults each have something to teach one another about what it means to follow Christ. As we celebrate all that God is doing this summer, I hope you'll join me in praying that the seeds planted this week, and those planted on our mission trip, continue to bear fruit in the days and years ahead.

Thank you for being a congregation that invests so generously in the lives of children and youth. Whether you volunteered, donated supplies, prayed for our teams, or simply encouraged a young person, you are part of this ministry. God is at work in and through this church, and it is a joy to witness.