Your Commons Summer Guide
The weather is warmer, flower boxes are full of fresh blossoms, and we're thinking about summer at Commons. Here are several ways to connect this summer, along with a prayer. Enjoy!
Stampede Breakfast: Volunteering
July 6, 9AM-12PM
The Commons summer begins with Stampede Breakfast. If you've never been, we close down the street in front of the church and replace our services with a block party. There's live country music, hay bails for seats, and cowboy hats bobbing in the crowd. We set up a kids' play area, complete with a petting zoo, face painting, and bouncy castles, in the parking lot. We welcome nearly 2,000 friends and strangers to our take on Calgary's two-week-long summer party. It takes 100 volunteers to make it happen, and it's incredibly fun. Jump in and join a team. https://www.commons.church/stampede
Camp Commons: Waves of Wonder
Grades 3-6, August 11-15
We're diving into our first summer day camp for children going into grades 3-6. Through worship, Bible exploration, science, art, and games, kids will discover the significance of water imagery in Scripture. They'll splash around in the Creation story in Genesis, with the Israelites and the Red Sea in Exodus, as Jesus calms a stormy sea in Mark, and more! Together, we'll celebrate and delight in God's creation through the importance of water for life on earth, as well as how we use water responsibly and compassionately.
https://www.commons.church/camp
Pub Nights: Sevenpm + Everyone Else
June 8, July 20, August 17 at Original Joe’s Kensington
After every Sevenpm service during the school year, we head to the pub to carry on the conversation. It’s the perfect mix of Commons staff, young adults, and folks who call the Sevenpm their Commons community. While the Sevenpm service takes a break for the summer, we’re keeping a few pub nights and opening them to everyone. Join us to catch up and carry on the conversation of our Summer Series: Sacred Practice and Reads a Classic. Register here.
Kid-Friendly Hikes: Alexandra is your guide!
July 12 (Moose Creek Loop) and August 18 (Cat Creek Waterfall)
Here are a couple of great hiking adventures for families. These are opportunities for beginning hikers and little legs. We'll be hiking trails that don't have a ton of elevation and moving at the pace of kids. Learn more about meeting times and locations, and register here.
So Many Summer Events
Be sure to peruse Commons Events and register for other gatherings, such as the Banff to Johnson Canyon Bike Ride, Men's Fireside Nights, LGBTQ+ BBQ, and additional great Hikes and Walks, as well as Pickleball.
https://commons.churchcenter.com/registrations
Discord
Stay connected and up-to-date with conversations and event posts on Commons Discord.
A Summer Holy Spirit Meditation
Pentecost Sunday, June 8
HOLY BEST FRIEND
What if Spirit
is the kind of holy best friend
you always hoped for?
When you wake up, Spirit is texting you
to say, “Come out and play!”
When you notice the apple blossoms,
laugh at a joke,
ride your bike with glee,
Spirit is with you
to say, “Isn’t living wonderful?”
When you're afraid,
disoriented, unsure,
grieving levelling loss,
Spirit knows when to listen
and when to speak.
Come to think of it, Spirit's more likely to listen.
Finally, don’t forget the friend
who gets fired up when someone wrongs you.
There’s a feisty side to Spirit.
Scrappy but never doing harm.
Always tugging you (and the one who hurt you)
toward God’s good embrace.
Amen.
Enjoy your summer!
Bobbi :)
Commons Stampede is our summer kickoff. Explore opportunities to serve here.