BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:icalendar-ruby
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260531T103529Z
UID:220-401125@mcphersonfirst.org
DTSTART:20260823T133000Z
DTEND:20260823T163000Z
CLASS:PUBLIC
CREATED:20260519T154435
DESCRIPTION:A new school year carries hopes\, nerves\, fresh notebooks\, an
 d questions about what the months ahead will hold. On Sunday\, August 23\,
  we pause in worship to ask God’s blessing on everyone heading into the 
 school year\, and to celebrate the educators who shape it.\nDuring both wo
 rship services (8:30 AM and 10:15 AM)\, students from preK through college
 \, teachers and school staff\, and educators in our congregation are invit
 ed to come forward for a prayer of blessing. Bring a backpack\, a lanyard\
 , a clipboard\, or simply yourself. Parents and caregivers walking alongsi
 de students are part of this blessing too.\nThis is also the delivery Sund
 ay of Honoring Educators Month\, our August thread of holding teachers and
  educators in prayer. Educators in our congregation will receive a particu
 lar tangible thank-you as part of the blessing. If you serve as an educato
 r in any context and want to be included\, please email Karen Jonas or Sar
 ah Hendricks by Wednesday\, August 19. We already know many of you\, but a
  quick email helps us make sure no one is missed.\nThis Sunday also falls 
 inside our sermon series The Good Life. We’ll be in Exodus 20\, explorin
 g how the first commandments invite us to love what matters most\, a fitti
 ng word as families re-order their weeks around school\, sports\, and home
 work.\nAll are welcome. Bring a friend\, a neighbor\, a teacher you love\,
  a student you pray for. We would be honored to pray over your school year
 .
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T154435
LOCATION:Sanctuary at McPherson First UMC (1200 E Kansas Ave\, McPherson\, 
 KS)
SUMMARY:Blessing of the Backpacks
URL;VALUE=URI:https://www.mcphersonfirst.org/events/blessing-of-the-backpac
 ks/2026-08-23
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR