Parish life has changed over the years but it still remains an important entity for Catholic people. Sociologists and theologians still see the parish is a “uniquely successful social and religious institution.”

       For Catholics the parish is “where the rubber meets the road.” Faith and action, worship and ministry, outreach to the poor and marginalized all come together in the parish. St. Columba Parish is crucial for us as we grow in faith and put our faith into action.

       That is the reason for our theme this year “Invest Yourself, Grow Your Faith.” It takes the investment of ourselves — our Time, Talent, & Treasure— for our Parish to be a prayerful community, at the service of one another.

       Our model for all this is Jesus Christ. He invested himself for us on the Cross dying so that we might have life. Look again at the logo above.

       Investment is also a decision for us to return to God our generous gift from all God has given to us. Over the next few weeks I invite you to give your decision to invest in God’s work prayer thought. Lay that decision side by side with other important financial decisions. God deserves first place in our decision making process. “Invest Yourself, Grow Your Faith.”

St. Columba Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat will be held on Sunday, October 28th from 1:00PM to 3:00PM in the Boucher Activities Center (the Gym) and parking lot. Anyone with a car is invited to come and pass out candy from the trunk of their car (each car is responsible for the purchase of candy). Please call 334-944-6523 if you plan to participate either as a volunteer or to pass out candy from your car no later than Friday, October 26th. There will be games and bouncy houses inside the gym.

St. Paul’s message changed the Romans’ lives forever. St. Paul wrote: “Welcome one another then, as Christ welcome you, for the glory of God (Romans 15.7).”

St. Paul’s message still challenges us today. To faithfully follow Christ, it is not enough just to receive the Sacraments. We are called by our baptism to share the Sacraments with others. They include our Catholic family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers who are not practicing our faith. They are all around us.

With school resuming, this is a great time to invite our inactive Catholics back to Mass. Tell them about Catholics Returning Home. St. Columba Catholic Church is hosting sessions starting Monday, October 1, 2018 @ 6pm in the Library. For more information, call 334-793-5802.

We will start our Wednesday Evening Group (Fr. Maher’s class) on Wednesday, August 22nd at 6:30 pm in the Conference room at the Church office.

The Wild Goose is a work of the Holy Spirit, awakening in the hearts of all those participating in God’s love and transforming power. This is a love that has been revealed to us by Jesus Christ and that leads us to our heavenly Father. As you walk through this series, pray for the Spirit to breathe life into your heart.

This 14-segment series, The Wild Goose, Discovering a Deeper Relationship with the Holy Spirit is presented by Fr. Dave Pivonka through FORMED.org. For an excellent overview, please go to the following webpage (www.the wildgooseisloose.com

Wednesday morning Bible Study begins The Bible Time-line with Jeff Cavins, September 5th, 10:00am, in Room 3 of the Education Building at St. Columba. To fully understand the New Covenant, we need to understand the Old Covenant. For example, the New Covenant says “Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets.” What law? What prophets?

Jeff Cavins answers these and other questions by sinking our teeth into 14 key books of the bible to reveal the treasury of Salvation History. Questions? Please contact Fran Weaver-Holden at 334-494-0147 or email fweaver@sw.rr.com. See you there!!!

NEW DIMENSIONS
A Classroom Opportunity for Deeper Learning

Join us on Thursday, August 16, 2018 after 9:00 am Mass when you can! Class is held in the Ed. Building Rm 3 right after Mass. We are motivated by our motto "dig deeper, reach higher and stretch more broadly to learn what we didn't know we didn't know." Working together, we use techniques that enrich our learning experience to create a "take home lesson" for each session. In our primary program this fall semester, we'll be listening in as Dr. Brandt Pitre, Professor of Sacred Scripture at Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans, teaches seminarians about the 7 Mysteries of Jesus: The Biblical Roots of the Sacraments. (Use the url to view a trailer for this series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chCLSDUNOhI )

REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS, please, so we may plan sufficient handouts and refreshments. Email or phone Jan Alig: jalig8r@aol.com or 334.699.8486

OMNIFIT...looking to improve your health and fitness? OMNIFIT is for YOU! It’s a fun, fast and faith-based exercise group designed for all levels of fitness. We meet Tuesday and Thursday at 6 am and Saturdays at 7 am in the gym. For more information call 334.797.5618.

A BIA Accredited Representative from the Immigration Program at Catholic Social Services in Robertsdale, Alabama will be in Dothan on a monthly basis to provide services and advice to the local community. For more information or an appointment please call BIA Accredited Representative Stella Knight at Catholic Social Services-Robertsdale, 251.947.3878 or Case Manager Assistant Yeya Galloway at Catholic Social Services-Dothan, 334.793.3601.

In today's second reading, St Paul urges the Corinthians to "do all for the glory of God." If we follow that advice in everything we do, we cannot help but be good stewards! 1 Corinthians 10:31