MIDWEEK MESSAGE #114
Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #114. It is hard to believe the summer is about ½ over. I hope yours has been a good one so far.
Due to the 4th of July being on Monday last week, I did not write a MM. Other than spending time with your family and possibly enjoying fireworks, I do hope you took the time to reflect on this great nation and the freedoms we enjoy being a part of it. I also hope you took the time to thank God for those freedoms and to ask Him to put His hand on our nation as we struggle with several issues which attack the moral fiber of our nation.
Let’s veer away from that for other important items. I’d like to bring you up to date on some (what I consider important) news items. I’ll just list them as they come on the calendar.
First, I mentioned this past Sunday about our trip to Graber Post Buildings (GPB) in Montgomery, IN. This past Thursday, the 7th, nine of us made the early morning trip to Graber’s. We really didn’t know what to expect but, man, was it informative! We spent close to an hour and a half sitting around a table, asking questions and being asked questions. We showed them a preliminary drawing of something that we would like and talked through the whole process of building, permits, type of building, and just about everything else we could think of. WE GOT SOME ANSWERS WE WERE LOOKING FOR. Perhaps a back pedal would be good at this point. The Building Team (BT) started meeting before the pandemic hit and like many other meetings came to a halt during that time. After we got back together we had several meetings with someone who helped steer us in the right direction, but a change of jobs took him out of the picture. Our next meeting after that was like spinning our wheels. We were going in circles and getting nowhere. That is when it was decided to contact Graber in order to get some direction. Hence, the excursion by the BT. As I write this it is Monday morning and this afternoon Diana and I are to meet with a rep from Graber who will look over our plans and our grounds to see what is feasible. I’ll keep you posted on what he says. In fact, if possible I will include it at the end of this MM.
Second, your response to the youth service trip to KY and the funds needed for that to happen has been nothing short of phenomenal. Saturday evening they had a Mac & Cheese bar and also sold T-shirts, all for the purpose of raising funds for the trip.
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- The trip to KY is not for the purpose of having a good time. Do you remember when the tornadoes ripped through Mayfield, KY last December and virtually wiped out the town and the surrounding area? The big organizations focused on Mayfield and have since pulled out. But the devastation in the surrounding area was huge. Pastor Ryan has been trying for months to find a way our young people could help. He was finally able to hook up with an organization that is still working there. Our young people will be helping people they don’t know get their lives back together. They are, at this point, unsure what they will be doing. They just know to go with a servant’s heart and a willingness to get dirty.
- The trip is scheduled for July 18-22 (next week).
It is not too late to donate for the trip. As of this point, there has been $4438 given to their trip! ☺ Each young person is giving up some of their summer and also paying some of their own cost to go.
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- I said it yesterday from the pulpit and will say it again here: many youth ministries are all about fun and games. And I know Pastor Ryan loves the fun and games. But one of the things I really appreciate about his ministry to our young people is his desire to have fun, but also to teach them the joy of ministering to others. Whether it is helping pack meals for IDES; or going to Hilltop camp to work; or working in a clothing store; or going to KY to help with disaster relief, he has them focusing on the fact that being a young person who follows Jesus is not “all about me.”
- The church leaders are excited about that. The church staff is excited about that. I believe the parents are excited about that. And you should be excited as well. (Can you tell we are excited?) ☺
The one big thing you can do is pray for them while they are on the trip.
Here is your update: Monday afternoon Diana and I met with Marty from GPB. He spent close to ½ hour looking at the site, talking with us and answering questions we had. He took measurements and a closer look at what we might need to do with excavation and utilities. He will take his thoughts back to our rep at GPB and we will need to make some contacts ourselves. Your generosity in giving, to both the General Fund and Building Fund, has allowed us to finally put some “feet” to our dream. I promise we will keep you informed whenever we have an update. One thing you can do that is vital: please pray for the BT, for wisdom in our choices and being able to follow God’s leading. We definitely DO NOT want to get ahead of God! And as a reminder to you and for those who are new to OVCF: we plan to do this debt-free. We believe God wants that and will honor our commitment. Thanks for praying, and again, for being so generous. As of today, we have saved $212,299.85 for a building project! ☺
You will get this after the fact but I would still like to ask you to pray: My first post-op appointment is today (Tuesday) at 8:20. As is normal, I have no clue what to expect (no comment from the peanut gallery). Jo asked me the other day what I was thinking and other than hoping I can have some restrictions lifted, I have no thoughts one way or the other. It will be what it will be and I have no control over what the doctor might say. I’m just praying for continued healing and for me to accept whatever “comes down the pike” today. As I write this I also know of two others having surgery this morning. I’m not at liberty to say who but I know they would appreciate your prayers for their recovery.
I’d like to give a big and virtual High Five to Allison (Alli) Anderson and Kysen White. They made a decision to follow Jesus and then were baptized at the Y on July 3. Pastor Ryan baptized Alli and Ryan, Kysen’s father, baptized him. What a great way to celebrate the 4th with some really good news!
I’m out of space for this week. Have a really great rest of the week. I love you all.
Pastor Bill
