MOTHER - May 2025 Newsletter

Aug 26, 2026

May 2025 newsletter centers on the meaning of “MOTHER” and a church-wide reflection on how different families and motherhood paths shape community life. It includes Pastor Leslie’s message using a Bluey episode to emphasize that families can be different yet still valid, and it broadens the concept of mothering beyond one model. The issue also features a profile of Molly Coston, plus announcements, calendar items, and giving reporting details for the month.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Pastor Leslie's Message

Meet Molly Coston

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Giving Report

Mother’s Day

Lending Library / Upper Room

Spring Has Sprung

Pope Francis

Memorial Day

May 2025 Calendar

May 2025 M is for the million things she gave me, O means only that she's growing old, T is for the tears she shed to save me, H is for her heart of purest gold; E is for her eyes, with love-light shining, R means right, and right she'll always be, Put them all together, they spell MOTHER A word that means the world to me |
In This Issue Pastor Leslie's Message 2 | | --- | | Spotlight on Molly Coston 3-4 | | Birthdays & Anniversaries 5 | | Giving Report ~ March 6 | | Mother’s Day 7-8 Dress A Girl 9 Lending Library/Upper Room 10 | | Spring Has Sprung 11 | | Pope Francis 12-14 Memorial Day 15
May 2025 Calendar 16 | Pastor Leslie's Message Dear Church, As a parent of a preschooler, I watch a lot of kid shows. Luca’s all-time favorite (and the most streamed show of 2024) is called Bluey. It is about a family of anthropomorphic dogs called the Heelers and their dog friends who live in Brisbane. One of the episodes is called “Mums and Dads,” in which two of Bluey’s friends (Indy and Rusty) are playing a game of mums and dads during school. The problem comes when Indy announces that she is going to work and hopes Rusty has a good day with their baby. Rusty is shocked and declares that dads go to work and mums stay home to take care of the kids and house. Indy retorts that mums go to work and dads stay home to take care of the kids and mow the lawn. The argument gets so heated that the wise teacher decides they need a bit of a break. I like this episode because it highlights that different families aren’t wrong or right, they are just different. Indy and Rusty are convinced that their experience of the world is the only right one and someone else’s experience is a wrong one. It seems we often fall into this trap. By the end of the episode, Indy and Rusty realize that families can look different. May is the annual Month of Moms. We are doing better as a society of recognizing that mothers are not monoliths. You don’t have to grow a person inside of you to be a mother, you don’t have to stay home full time to be a good mom, you don’t have to work outside the home to be an inspiring mom, you don’t have to be amom to have worth as a woman. I grew up mostly with a stay-at-home mom who homeschooled her children. My husband grew up with a mostly full-time working mom who sometimes did dinner at a drive thru. Both of our moms loved us very much, both of us had parts of childhood that we didn’t like, both of us turned out okay. Both of those moms are now grandmas who are so much sweeter to their grandkids than we remember them being to us growing up! Most of us want to have the kind of family God wants us to have. Having a “Biblical” family can be tricky. Abraham and Sarah were half-siblings. Moses and Zipporah were interreligious. David’s father-in-law tried to kill him. Solomon had a haram. The 12 tribes of Israel had 4 different mothers, 2 of whom were forced into simply being extra wombs in a baby race. The prophet Ezra promoted divorce. 1950’s America the Bible is not. But we must remember that the Bible is both descriptive (what DID happen) and prescriptive (what SHOULD happen) . And in prescription, we ﬁnd not a singular model to ﬁt into, but a concept. Paul writes, “So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household.” (Ephesians 2:19) . The family of God is not made up a mom/dad/2 .5 children; it’s made up of everyone. Across the nations and through the cultures. Not many families but a family together, with all our quirks and differences. And the command we have as a family is to love each other (John 13:34) . This month, I hope you are able to love a mother in your life. The one who is mom to lots of kids and themom who only has one. The mom whose kids are grown and the one who is in the midst of daily bedtime meltdowns. The mom whose kids have passed and the mom who never got to see the dream of motherhood realized in the

FAQs

What theme does the newsletter emphasize for May 2025?

The issue highlights the meaning of “MOTHER” and encourages recognizing that mothers and families come in many forms.

What lesson does Pastor Leslie connect to the Bluey episode?

He explains that different families aren’t simply right or wrong; they are different, and people can avoid judging others’ experiences as wrong.

Who is featured in the spotlight section?

Molly Coston is profiled, including her upbringing, career history, family life, and experiences across multiple fields.

Aug 26, 2026

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