1️⃣ This Week’s Highlights
- Camp Kroc’s final week is underway! Thank you to our campers and staff for an incredible summer filled with fun, friendship, and memories.
- Camp Kroc Summer Send-Off: Join campers, families, and staff on Friday, August 14 from 6–8 PM for a FREE celebration featuring food, slip ‘n slide fun, face painting, yard games, popsicles, sidewalk chalk, and more!
- Fall 1 session program guides are out and registration is now OPEN!
2️⃣ Program Updates
- Summer 2 Session Week 3
- Fall 1 registration is now open
- Camp Kroc Week 10 (36 campers) – the final week!
3️⃣ Facility Notices 🛠️
Facility Updates/Closures
- ERV Replacement: August 18th.
- Please refrain from going into Fireside. The amphitheater sidewalk will also be blocked during this time
- Upcoming Holiday: Labor Day – September 7
- The Kroc Center will be CLOSED.
- Shutdown Week coming soon: September 6–12
- The Kroc facility will be CLOSED for annual maintenance and deep cleaning. Shifts are available in Sling to pickup! The outdoor campus will remain open and outdoor fitness classes will be offered to members throughout the week.
Rentals
- Monday and Wednesday: Alliance Soccer Practice – Fields
- 5:30–8:30 PM
- Tuesday through Friday: Grace Christian University – Fields
- 3–5 PM, 6–8 PM (8/11 only)
- Friday: Fishbeck GR – Art Room
- 5:30–7:30 PM
- Saturday: AYSO Super Camp Fireside – Music Room
- 6 AM–4:30 PM
- Sunday: Lifeguard Inservice
- 12–5 PM
4️⃣ Staff Announcements 🎉
👋 Welcome New Staff
Green Dot Moments & Staff Shoutouts
- Shoutout to everyone involved in planning the Camp Kroc Summer Send-Off to celebrate with camp families this summer in place of the Block Party.
- Shoutout to everyone for helping Cadet Chris feel welcome during his time here.
- Shoutout to the day camp staff and Allison for helping make camp successful this year.
- Shoutout to Lily who has been covering all the marketing needs.
- Shoutout to Ray for helping get the wood chips back to the playground.
- Shoutout to Lily and Allison for helping Bram with a new project that has had success.
- Shoutout to Pam for helping with check refunds.
- Shoutout to Sammie for helping with last minute camp sign-ups.
- Shoutout to Dave and Jessica for helping out with some last minute requests for the Women’s Auxiliary Monday morning.
- Shoutout to the leadership team and admin staff for trying to keep communication going despite current staffing gaps.
- Shoutout to Ray for keeping our outdoor campus clean and presentable.
📌 Open Positions at the Kroc Center
- Aquatics Lead
- Executive Assistant
- General Manager
- Lifeguard
- Swim Instructor
- Water Fitness Instructor
- Welcome Desk Attendant
Apply here: grkroccenter.org/learn-more/careers
5️⃣ Reminders & Resources 📌
🙌 Missional Moment
Historical Missional Moment: Serving Those Who Served
The Salvation Army’s ministry to military personnel and veterans has deep roots. During World War I, approximately 250 Salvation Army volunteers went to France to serve American troops near the front lines, providing food, supplies, rest, and spiritual encouragement. The famous “Doughnut Lassies,” including Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance, became symbols of this ministry as they served coffee and homemade doughnuts, listened, prayed, and reminded weary soldiers of home.
That commitment did not end when the soldiers returned home. The Salvation Army continued supporting military personnel and veterans, and Commissioner Edward Parker later helped champion the formation of the United Service Organizations, better known as the USO, as organizations joined together to serve troops during World War II. Today, Salvation Army veteran ministries continue through housing assistance, practical support, fellowship, and spiritual care.
This history reminds us that mission means going where people need us most. The Doughnut Lassies did not wait for soldiers to come to a church building—they carried the love of Christ to them, and that same calling continues as we serve veterans today. Sometimes mission looks like preaching a sermon, and sometimes it looks like a cup of coffee, a warm meal, a listening ear, or simply saying, “Thank you for serving. You are not forgotten.”
✝️ Note from the Pastor
Can I Trust God?
Romans 8:28–39
Romans 8:28–39 speaks directly to one of the most important questions of faith: Can I trust God when I do not understand what He is doing? Paul reminds us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). This does not mean everything that happens to us is good. It means that even in disappointment, loss, uncertainty, and circumstances we would never choose, God is still at work. What looks unfinished to us is not beyond His ability to redeem.
Our confidence in God is not based on our circumstances; it is based on His character. Paul asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The greatest evidence that God can be trusted is Jesus Christ. God did not spare His own Son but gave Him for us, demonstrating the depth of His love and commitment to us. We may not always understand God’s plan, but we can trust the God who holds the plan.
So when life causes you to ask, “Can I trust God?” remember Paul’s answer: nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38–39). Not trouble, hardship, fear, failure, uncertainty, or even the unknown can remove us from His hands. This week, instead of allowing what you cannot understand to determine what you believe, choose to trust what you already know: God is faithful, God is for you, God loves you, and God is still working.
🙏 Prayer Requests
- April — Pray for my husband as he searches for a job.
- Cosoto Family — Pray that we can get through these difficult times.
- Ashlee — Pray for guidance and support during a difficult time with finances and family.
- Irene — Pray for a healthy and safe winter break.
- Elizabeth — Pray for my mom, Veronica; my dad, Meundo; and the rest of my family.