August 7, 2005

Dear Friends,

The summer has flown and already some of the children in our state are back in school. I have just returned from a week-long trip to Iowa to see my daughter and her family and am preparing to welcome another new grandbaby into my life the end of August. What joy there is in my world! I hope your summer had moments of magic in it as well.

There is much afoot here in the office. Beginning in September we will be making the full District packet available electronically to anyone who wants it. Enclosed in this month's packet there is a list that we ask that you to post and pass around your board and councils, asking those who would like to receive the packet electronically to let us know their names and e-mail addresses. We will still send a copy to your office and your denominational concerns chair. We want to reach many more people in a timely way than we can with snail mail and the slow chain of passing the copies around that many of you experience now. The details will be in the September Packet, but it is not too early to get your contact information into the office so you are the first to know when September arrives.

Also, in September, I will no longer be writing a synopsis of the contents of the packet but will be writing a “Hot Topics” note that I will send electronically to your president and /or minister that will be a short essay and discussion possibilities on different topics of significance to our leadership and our congregations. These will be appropriate for your board or Program Council to use as short discussion starters. As with everything we do, please let us know how these changes help you and how we can connect more fully.

Please look through every item in your mailed packet so that you and your congregants do not miss one exciting moment of the year we are planning for you. Next month you can forward the contents to whomever you think would appreciate them.

In Faith,

Mary Higgins