Cars used to be rated on how little time it took to go from standing still to 60 miles per hour. I don’t really know whether they still are, but I do know that every September I get the Lutheran equivalent of whiplash as the school year starts up, and this year is no exception. So this column will cover a little bit of everything.

Sunday school and confirmation have begun and I’m very grateful to Vicki Williams who continues to amaze me with her calm and her sheer capacity for work and for leadership. We are very lucky to have her. She leads the seventh-grade confirmands (who are just wonderful youngsters!) as well as the Sunday school teachers. By the way, you may have noticed we’ve already given out bibles to the 3rd graders. We did this because they’re having classes on how to use the bible! We gave out a new version of the children’s bible that is more youngster-friendly and includes stories and pictures – parents are not allowed to filch the children’s bibles for your own use! J I’m also grateful to Kathy Dangin for helping out with the 8th graders, who are also a great bunch of young people. Parents, please try to get the confirmands to every class --- we meet on the first and third Sundays of the month from 12:30 to 2:30.

Adults, most of our new Sunday school classes have been put on hold until we can get into the North Wing (see below), but some are available right now. Let me recommend Nancy Campbell’s new class, Writing Our Faith, offered on Thursday evenings – check the calendar for the dates. Not only is she a wonderful teacher, but the group attending is exciting and lively!

Thanks, also to Nancy for organizing lay people to do the children’s sermons (who will ever forget Andre’s remote control helicopter sermon?) Creative children’s sermons are the best way to tell our children that we care what they learn and experience in worship.

The In Crowd is meeting on the first Sunday of the month at the same time as confirmation, and Lauren Wawroski and Tim Schwartz lead this wonderful group. I’m expecting big things from them this year after the way they bonded and grew at the Gathering.

The North Wing is nearing completion, very close to schedule given the delay we introduced by adding the sprinkler system very late in the game. I can’t say enough good things about our contractor Dennis Anderson – he has been patient and helpful and has worked hard to deal with the changes we have thrown at him. Many thanks, too, to Tim Schwartz who has been our on-site rep and to John Regner who has done a wonderful job heading the Building Committee. But we all know that the prime mover behind the North Wing is our president, Ann Wolfgang, for whom I give thanks every day.

Thinking about the North Wing, I know there is lots of excitement about moving in – goodness knows I’m excited, too. There’s also a lot of enthusiasm to raise funds to complete and equip the kitchen – I’d like to suggest that we wait a few months until we know how we want to equip it and how much money we have left to take that job on. Let’s first get moved in and get comfortable in the new spaces (and thank God for all his generous gifts to us!) Remember to save the date for the dedication ceremony – a single-service Sunday, December 6, starting at 10:00am.

Everyone is back in school and some of our young people are new drivers. Please drive carefully! It is easy to get distracted and the roads here are difficult even for experienced drivers. Take your time, there’s no hurry, get where you’re going safely!

Finally, God has been sending visitors to our worship services, people who are seeking a church home that is welcoming and engaging. Please, reach out to make people you don’t know feel welcome – and this especially applies to young people. You know how hard it is to be a stranger in a new place. Saint Nicholas is full of the nicest people I know. Make others feel welcome here, as you were made to feel welcome.

Pastor Greg