Hello Church,
My name is Megan Blackburn, and I serve as the Charter Organization Representative here at PTCUMC. My role is to help keep our church connected to our Scouts. Scouting, both for boys and girls, has a rich history rooted in faith, philanthropy, and character growth. It encourages young people to develop real world skills that help them enter society with conviction in their faith, strong character, and a passion for helping others.
Scouting became part of our family’s life five years ago when my oldest son joined Cub Scouts. At first, it was simply an activity that held my son’s attention and that he looked forward to doing with his peers. About a year into our Scouting journey, as we were leaving a meeting one evening, Elijah said, “Mom, I think we should go to church.” At that time, we had not found a church home, nor were we really searching for one. Our lives weren’t void of our faith, but it wasn’t a priority either. Hindsight has given us a better vantage point, and we can now look back on that conversation as God nudging us to fill a half empty cup in our lives.
That very Sunday, we attended our first service as a family at PTCUMC. It was Easter Sunday, Pastor Sean was preaching, and it became one of many reasons we continued coming back.
As we fast forward a few years, we celebrated our first Scout Sunday with our unit at our charter church. It was a wonderful experience getting to connect our scouting home with the church that we are in every week. It sparked me thinking about PTCUMC and the Scouts right here on our campus. The following year, we celebrated Scout Sunday here in our church home. Being able to welcome our Scouts into our church and connect with them as a congregation felt like a full-circle moment for me. While many of the Scouts who meet in our lodge each week already have a church home, many do not. By opening our doors throughout the year, we hope those without a church family might find the same sense of community and faith that we have found here.
On February 1, PTCUMC will once again recognize Scout Sunday. While the official birthdays of Scouting differ for the boys and the girls, this celebration falls right at the beginning of another philanthropic mission dear to us all. Feeding God’s people. Scouting for Food is a week in which Scouts collect non-perishable food items to support our local food pantries.
This year, I would love for our congregation to partner with our Scouts to help share God’s abundance with those in the community who need extra support. As you shop in the coming week, remember the story of the Feeding of the 5,000 and how one boy’s generosity opened the door for many to witness one of Jesus’ miracles. We will be collecting non-perishable food items on February 1 in honor of Scout Sunday and in remembrance of God’s love for all His people.
