Midweek Message 11/03/2021

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #82

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #82.  Given the spirit of the month, I want to thank you for inviting me into your life, (or is that your inbox?). 

November and December seem to be busy months for everyone and that includes the church. While we don’t have the typical Thanksgiving and Christmas pageants and events, we seem to find ourselves really busy and occupied with various events.  I thought I would highlight a few of them for you. 

But first, something of extreme importance.  As we have announced, the offering for our 17th anniversary was split evenly between missions and the building fund, except where otherwise designated.  Now that all the figures are in, I am happy to say that we were able to deposit $3000 into our building fund and $3000 divided up between 8 missions. That equals $375/mission. My math has always been suspect and if you were here Sunday or listened online, you heard me give the figure of $350. Yeah…when God was handing out “pre-birth gifts” math was left off my list.   Anyway, here are the 8 missions who were blessed by your generosity:

  • Hilltop Christian Camp
  • The Britt, Cook & Furr families from Chi-Alpha (IU campus ministry)
  • Campus Life/Youth for Christ 
  • New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center
  • Revive Liberia
  • WRE (Weekly Religious Education) for our elementary schools 

Thank you for your generosity in making this all possible. 

Okay…now to the “stuff” that is happening. This will give you an up-to-date as well as a future in-the-know outlook:

  1. Operation Christmas Child is in full swing. Pastor Ryan, Diana and I were so excited to see all the boxes gone and many of the unassembled ones picked up. The deadline for bringing the boxes to OVCF is 11/14. On Monday, 11/15, we plan on delivering them to Sherwood Oaks church in Bloomington. Because of many of you, children around the world will not just receive some gifts, they will also hear about Jesus in their own language. I see that as a win/win. 
  2. Thanksgiving Day we will be offering a FREE Thanksgiving meal to our community from 11-1:00. As in the past we will use the Lions Club as our base of operation and will offer meals three ways: in person; delivery; and (newly added) curbside pickup. This meal is free to anyone who requests it or comes in person. If you know of someone who would love a home-cooked meal for Thanksgiving, please call or have them call the church office (812.828.9840) no later than November 22nd.  We are in need of volunteers who will fix certain dishes, as well as help in other areas. The sign-up sheets for those are on the table in the back of the church auditorium. OVCF is providing turkeys and hams this year, along with the pans to bring them (and side dishes) in. Want to help cook one? Please contact the church office and we will make sure to get those to you. If you have any questions please contact Jeanna Srinivasan (812.821.7776/ daisymay85@gmail.com) or her mom, Marcia Morris (812.821.7786/ logcabincook.@gmail.com). 
  3. The Giving Tree. Last year the pandemic changed our plans (as well as thousands of others) and we donated some money to Tri Kappa for their Christmas Shopping for kids effort. This year we are reinstating The Giving Tree because we want to help local children receive Christmas gifts (and many of you asked about it).  Diana is in charge of this (and it is close to her heart) so after this Sunday’s announcement, I will offer more information here next week. Stay tuned!! 
  4. One last one (honest). Every year we’ve offered a Christmas breakfast for the community from 7-9 at the Lions Club. After staff meeting Monday, it was requested that we reinstate it this year. But here is the deal: there is no one to coordinate it. We need someone who will step up before the end of November to say, “I will coordinate it” for that breakfast to happen. If you would like to do so, please contact me. 

We have tried not to burn you out with program after program during the months of September through December, but these have been favorites down through the years so we want to offer them again since our community needs this help. They work because of you!! 

I read an article last week by Rebecca McLaughlin that I thought was super-insightful and very, very helpful. It is easy to get into our own worlds on Sunday morning, leaving others out, especially new people. Here is the beginning of the article:

“Sorry to cut you off!” I’d just started connecting with a close friend at church. I was eager to catch up. But as she talked, I noticed a woman sitting alone, thumbing through her service sheet. 

Honestly, I wished I hadn’t seen her. Interrupting my friend would be rude. It’s good for me to invest in friends! Someone else will likely spot that woman. These were some of the excuses that ran through my head. But the woman was clearly new, and for all I knew, not a believer. So, reluctantly, I interrupted my friend. 

As soon as I sat down with the newcomer, I thanked God I had. Raised Catholic, she hadn’t been to church in over a decade. Her fiancé had just broken up with her right before their wedding, and she needed something else in life. I took a risk and asked if she’d like to come to our community group. She said yes. She’s been coming to church and Bible study ever since.   If you would like to read the rest of Rebecca’s article, just click on this link (https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/make-sunday-mornings-uncomfortable) and it will take you there. We have all been there. Let’s change how we act when we see a visitor or someone we don’t know.   I love you all. 

Pastor Bill 

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