August brings many travelers through our community. Some come seeking adventure, others come simply to enjoy the beauty of the Black Hills. As followers of Christ, we’re reminded that we’re all on a journey – and every person we meet is someone God Loves.

Whether you’re welcoming a visitor, serving a neighbor, or simply sharing a smile, may we reflect the love and grace of Jesus in all we do.

“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” – Romans 15:7

May we be a light in our community this month and every month.

Lisa and I would like to send a note of thanks to all of you who have welcomed us into the Sturgis UMC family with gifts of food, prayers, and gracious smiles. As most of you know we have been putting out a weekly list of signup times for us to meet over a cup of coffee (or whatever you drink) at the church, or a coffee shop, or your home, to get to know you all and hear a little about your life stories and faith journeys. So far, we have met with several of you and have enjoyed our conversations, but we are also looking forward to meeting with all of you at some point. It may take a while, but we really desire to engage with all of you in more of a one on one setting than is possible for a few minutes before or after worship. Having said that, please look for the signup sheet in the coming weeks and look for a time that works for you.

In addition, we have also announced the new app based (and printable) church directory we are in the process of putting together. Many of you have already taken pictures (for which we thank you) but we still have many more to take. It’s as simple as standing in front of a wall in the entryway or fellowship hall while one of us (myself, Lisa, Crystal, or one of the leadership team) takes your picture on a cell phone. We then crop the picture and upload it to the directory. This will certainly help me in the process of learning all of your names, but it will also help current members who struggle with names to remember as well. In addition, it will help you all get in contact with one another more easily, whether over phone, text, or email. So as your new pastor, I’m asking you all to play along nicely as we work to take all your pictures and complete this project as soon as possible.

Again, we are so grateful to be here with you in Sturgis and we look forward to continuing the tremendous legacy of this church ministry together. During this month of August (especially during the coming weeks of rally) may you all remain safe, healthy, and blessed.

Your brother in Christ,

Pastor Mark

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is just around the corner, and so are our Annual Rally Breakfasts for the Sturgis City Workers!

There are still several opportunities to help with this meaningful outreach. Sign-up sheets are available in the Fellowship Hall.

There will be a volunteer meeting on Wednesday, August 5, at 6:30p.m. for all cooks and servers.

Rally Breakfasts will be served August 7–14, and everyone helping with food preparation or serving should plan to arrive by 5:45a.m. each morning.

Thank you for helping us serve and welcome those who work so hard to make Rally a success!

The drawing will be held on November 7th during the UWF Fall Bazaar.

Prizes include a beautifully handmade quilt, grocery gift cards, a gas gift card, and more!

Raffle tickets are $5 each.

If you're interested in purchasing a ticket, please contact a member of United Women in Faith.

Join us after worship on August 16^th for our monthly Church Community Lunch!

We'll be sharing a potluck meal and enjoying fellowship together.

If you're able, please bring a dish to share, but most importantly, bring yourself—your presence is the most important thing. Invite your friends and family, and come enjoy good food and great company.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Treehouse Afterschool Program is looking for a dedicated and caring individual to serve as our Afterschool Program Director.

This position will be once a week during the school year, beginning when school resumes. They will help lead and support our afterschool program as we provide a safe, welcoming, and meaningful space for children in our community.

If interested, please reach out to the Leadership Team or email the church office at sturgisumc@hotmail.com.

We are excited to begin creating a new online and app-based photo directory for our congregation!

This directory will include members' names and photos and will be available to everyone in our church family. We are working on taking photos for the directory. This resource will help our new pastor learn names and faces more quickly while also making it easier for all of us—whether you've been here for years or are new to the congregation—to get to know one another.

We hope everyone will participate so our directory can be as complete and welcoming as possible!

As summer begins, some of our church programs will be taking a short break for the season. We are so thankful for everyone who participated this year and helped make these ministries such a blessing to our church family! We look forward to gathering together again this fall and hope you will join us when programs resume.

Watch for future announcements and start dates in the coming months.

Have a safe, joyful, and blessed summer!

Programs on Summer Break:

• United Methodist Men’s Fellowship Breakfast
• Alter Youth Group
• Sunday Morning Children’s Church
• Sunday Study Group
• Treehouse After School Program

If you or someone you know has been hospitalized, moved, become homebound, or transitioned to a care center, please let us know.
Staying connected helps us extend prayers, visits, and support during important life changes.

You can contact the church office at 605-720-5578 so we can include them in our caring ministries. Thank you for helping us look after one another with love and compassion.

Do you have something you’d like to share with the church family? Whether it’s an upcoming event, ministry opportunity, fundraisers, or special announcement. We’d love to help spread the word in our monthly newsletter!

To ensure your information is included, please submit all newsletter items by the 25^th of each month. This allows us time to prepare and publish the upcoming issue.

You can send your details to the church office at sturgisumc@hotmail.com. Please include dates, times, locations, and contact information. Thank you for helping keep everyone connected!

Sunday, August 2 - 10:00 am,
Communion Sunday

Wednesday, August 5 - 6:30 pm,
Rally Breakfast Volunteers Meeting

August 7th - 14th
Rally Breakfast for Sturgis City Workers

Sunday, August 16 - 10:00 am,
Church Community Lunch/Potluck

Monday, August 24 - 6:00 pm,
Leadership Team Meeting

8/2        Deb Holland
8/5        Rod Hampton
8/7        Robin Korth
8/10     Linda Chaplin
8/10     Asher Linn
8/14     Brent Walker
8/17     Cindy Ferguson
8/20     Elisabeth Jackson
8/25     Lisa Johnsen
8/31     Aislin Svara
8/31     Allen Svara

8/6        Martin & Therese Ennis
8/8        Terri & Paul Anderson
8/9        Dwight & Karlene Griffee
8/17     Aaron & Thea Holt
8/20     Jerry & Mary Nedella
8/31     Rod & Linda Hampton