Weekly Update // Pastor Will

 Hi friends,

This week marks the start of a new school year for many of the local schools. If you joined us on Sunday or watched our service online, you may have participated in our back-to-school blessing. We made sure to include not only the students but also parents, teachers, administrators, and all school staff because we recognize the vital role each plays in ensuring our schools run smoothly. I’m especially grateful for our school here at Asbury, the Asbury Early Learning Center, and our Director, Morgan Dixon, for her leadership. This is particularly meaningful for our family, as our youngest, Alex, started this week, and Liam will begin VPK next week. Naturally, there were a few tears, including from Alex, but after a few minutes, everyone settled in and had a great time.

Someone asked for a copy of the prayer we shared, so I wanted to pass it along:

Heavenly Father,

As we begin this new school year, we seek Your guidance and blessing for all involved.

We lift up the students returning to their studies. Bless them with curiosity, resilience, and a heart eager to learn. May they face challenges with courage and find joy in their achievements. Surround them with friends who uplift and support them, and help them to be kind and compassionate to others. Guide them to grow not just in knowledge, but in wisdom and character, becoming the young people You’ve called them to be.

We pray for the parents and guardians. Grant them patience, strength, and peace as they support their children through this new season. May they trust in Your care and nurture their children’s growth with love.

Bless the teachers with passion for their subjects, compassion for their students, and creativity in their instruction. Give them endurance and joy in their important work. 

We lift up the administrators and school leaders. Grant them wisdom in their decisions, fairness in their leadership, and a commitment to creating environments where learning and respect thrive.

Finally, we pray for all the workers who keep our schools running smoothly. Bless them with good health and safety, and may they find fulfillment in their essential roles.

Lord, we place this school year in Your hands. May Your presence be felt in every classroom, hallway, and home, guiding us all in Your truth and love.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen. 

This prayer helps me remember God’s sovereignty and the peace that comes from placing our trust in Him. I encourage you to include this prayer in your time with God this week, asking for continued blessings on our little ones.

This week in worship, we’re beginning a mini-series on being imitators of Christ. We’ll explore Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he offers practical advice on living together with Christ as our guide. We’d love for you to join us at either our 9:30 AM Celebration/Contemporary service or our 11:00 AM Traditional service. If you can’t attend in person, both services will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube.

In the meantime, have a fantastic weekend, and we’ll see you all on Sunday!

Thanks!

Pastor Will