We're delighted to introduce John Epps as our new Office Administrator/Finance Secretary. A retired music educator with 40 years of experience, John has been part of Dayspring for eight years. He is active in Church and Society, Stephen Ministry, our music program, and many other ministries. John brings valuable skills in event and program management, committee facilitation, and database work, along with enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, and a heart for service. We are so happy to welcome John as the newest member of our Dayspring team!

Sunday, August 17, is Step Up Sunday! Our “official” return of the school year, all children and youth advance to their next classes on this date. Please email Jessica with questions or if you are interested in helping assist in one of our Children’s Sunday school classes. 

Join us this Sunday at 11:15am in the sanctuary to meet our new Children’s Coordinator, Jessica Nuñez-LaMarre! We’ll review the current program, explore volunteer opportunities, and dream together about what the future of Children’s Ministry at Dayspring could look like. All are welcome!

Do you love to sing? If you’ve ever wanted to sing with the Dayspring Choir, summer is the perfect time to jump in. Our Summer Choir sings at the 10:00am service on the first and third Sundays of the month—with no weekday rehearsals! Just come at 9:20am on the morning of the service to learn the song and warm up. The summer choir sings for the last time this year on this Sunday, August 17, and we’d love to have you with us. Interested? Email David for more details!

We are hosting three families with four adults and five kids, ranging in age from 9 months to 15 years old. Volunteers stayed each night and the families enjoyed bracelet making and board game fun so far. We can always use help cleaning up this Sunday morning at 7am. Be on the lookout for more information when we host again in December. As always, we have been blessed by a generous congregation as we help share God's love with these families!

📣 Got the social media spark? Ever think, “I could totally crush this influencer thing”? Dayspring’s starting an Influencer Team—and we want YOU on it! Help us share the messages of progressive Christianity and the fun, inspiring, and downright awesome things happening in our church and community.

Not into writing or being on camera? No problem. If you’d rather capture the energy of our congregation in photos or videos for others to share—we need your creative eye too.

We’ll kick things off with our first Influencer Team meeting on August 24th at 11:15am. You can join in person or online. Can’t make it live? We’ll send you the recording or notes so you won’t miss a thing.

Interested? Contact Ryan King at  ryan@dayspring-umc.org.

Join us for our monthly Taizé Service next Sunday, August 24, at 4:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Step into a space of peace and stillness, where soft candlelight, simple chants, scripture, and silence create a gentle, reflective atmosphere. Rooted in the tradition of the Taizé Community in France, this contemplative service offers a chance to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the presence of the Divine. Taizé services are designed to be peaceful and spiritually nourishing, making them especially meaningful for anyone seeking quiet renewal in the midst of life’s busyness. All are welcome—come as you are, and find rest for your soul.

Our handbell choir, the DayspRingers, meets on Tuesday evenings from 6 – 7:30. The first rehearsal has been pushed back a week to August 26, and we always welcome new ringers! Email Cindy Van Vleet for more information.

We are reintroducing our memory tree along Juniper Street—now called the Compassion Tree. Bright ribbons and tree labels will be available for names and prayers to tie to the branches, joining those first placed during the early days of COVID when our sanctuary was closed. Back then, it became a way to share love and prayers for those who were ill or had passed, and it soon filled with messages that touched both our congregation and neighbors.

Though time has frayed ribbons and taken a few branches, new growth has brought fresh space for messages. This living symbol of Dayspring’s compassion continues to shine in our Tempe community. Ribbons, labels, and markers will be in the little house by the tree—stop by soon to share a prayer or blessing for someone you love.

Please bring in water bottles, electrolyte drinks, and nutritional snacks to support Tempe Cooling Centers this summer. We're also collecting hygiene products, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, socks, board games and books through the end of August.