Heat advisories are still very much in effect, but summer at COTC is drawing to a close. The staff spent all day Tuesday praying, talking, and planning for the year ahead. We have some fantastic events and activities on the horizon!

This Sunday we’ll celebrate the advancement of many of our children into new grades at school, mark their promotions in the Garden, and pray for the educators in our congregation. The fall kickoff begins in earnest on Sunday 8/25 with a BBQ potluck and…wait for it…line-dancing. I trust many of you are as excited as I am to see Peter shed his Canadian reticence on the dance floor.

Neighborhood Groups (NGs) will also start back up again in the coming weeks. I met with many of the NG group leaders over the last week. I am so encouraged by their dedication to the people they serve and their vision to create environments where people can share life together in the goodness of God. I like to think of NGs as expressions of COTC in microcosm. They’re places to make friends, have fun, and pattern our lives after Jesus through our four values: celebration, consolation, transformation, and participation.

We describe the different NGs on the back page of our Sunday bulletin. You can also read about them here. If you’re new to COTC, or have not yet joined a group, be encouraged to take that step this fall! They meet at different times during the week in different neighborhoods throughout Austin. You can contact NG leaders directly to learn more. I would also love to talk with any of you about any questions you have, or about what group might be a good fit.

See you Sunday!

Nick