Dear , 
  
                            TO UNDERSTAND AND TO BE UNDERSTOOD!
Communication is the bottom line to understanding anything or to being understood. It is true in conversations, one on one, as well as announcements in the church. No matter how many times announcements are made in worship services, in the printed Newsletter or Bulletin, or on our website, there are several who still have not heard the information or do not understand it. Somehow communication deteriorates, either at the tongue of the one making the statement or at the ear of the one who is the receiver. Clear communication is so important! We may be like the persons in the story recorded below:
                                   COMMUNICATION DETERIORATION
A school superintendent told his assistant superintendent the following: "Next Thursday morning at 10:30 Halley's Comet will appear over this area. This is an event which occurs only once every seventy-five years. Call the school principals and have them assemble their teachers and classes on their athletic field and explain the phenomenon to them. If it rains, then cancel the day's observation and have the classes meet in the auditorium to see a film about the comet."
 
Assistant Superintendent to school principals: "By order of the superintendent of schools, next Thursday at 10:30 Halley's Comet will appear over your athletic field. If it rains, then cancel the day's classes and report to the auditorium with your teachers and students where you will be shown films, a phenomenal event which occurs only once every seventy-five years."
 
Principals to teachers: "By order of the phenomenal superintendent of schools, at 10:30 next Thursday Halley's Comet will appear in the auditorium. In case of rain over the athletic field, the superintendent will give another order - something which occurs only once every seventy-five years."
Teachers to students: "Next Thursday at 10:30 the superintendent of schools will appear in our school auditorium with Halley's Comet; something which occurs once every seventy-five years. If it rains, the superintendent will cancel the comet and will order us out to our phenomenal athletic field."
 
Students to parents: "When it rains next Thursday at 10:30 over the athletic field, the phenomenal seventy-five year old superintendent of schools will cancel all classes and appear before the school in the auditorium accompanied by Bill Haley and the Comets."  
 
DID YOU GET ALL OF THAT? Let's see if we can get this right-This Sunday August 30, we will meet at Isle of Hope United Methodist Church for worship at 8:45 and 11:15 AM in the Sanctuary or at 11:15 AM for "The Anchor" worship service in the Fellowship Hall. Sunday School will meet at 10:00 AM in all the classrooms in the main building, the former Youth Building ("Fountain of Youth") and the Green House. There is a place for YOU!
I hope to see you in your place, as we try to "get it right" together.                                                                                                                       
 
                                                                             Dick Reese