MIDWEEK MESSAGE #216
Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #216. I hope you are having a fantastic week as you lean into the Labor Day weekend. It is always sort of bittersweet isn’t it? Labor Day is a time to be thankful for working and the ability to do so, but sadly, it is also a sign that summer is over. Most pools are made ready for the winter. School is definitely in full swing and it is a signal that it is time to get serious. For many it is the last time an outdoor barbeque will happen when the whole family is present. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this MM.
I have to start out with an apology. My first mistake this year😊was misrepresenting someone
for the State Fair. In the “Orange ribbon for Creative Writing” department, I had the wrong East
young lady. I said Anna and it should have been Rachel. Sad part of that is I had it right in front
of me. I just hope Rachel doesn’t go All-TKD on me. She could take me out in a heartbeat.
Congratulations Rachel! And thanks to Cassie Linville who alerted me to my mistake. Just please
don’t tell Westin. He will not let me live it down! 😊
Jo and I will be leaving for Ohio this Friday for Braden’s (our grandson in case you don’t know) Friday night football game. It is also Grandparent’s Night and it will be his last season of football so we can’t miss it!
Pray for our Educator of the Week: Mary Beckwith. She teaches at Edgewood Early Childhood Center. Mary is married to Matt and they have four children: Kaedence, Akaydia, Kayliana, and Aksel.
I spent this past Sunday in Kid’s Church. What a treat! I had a chance to sing with the kids and was even tapped to lead the motions in Father Abraham. Yeah, it was a hoot! Then I visited and spent time with each of the classes. I even went outside with the Pre-K bunch and had one of the kids decide I was the sidewalk for his chalk. The worship team (with some help from a few of the kids), the teachers and assistants all did a wonderful job! Thanks for letting me be a part of your morning!
This coming Sunday Pastor Ryan will again be preaching and will conclude his two-part series on the Mission and Vision of OVCF. I will begin a two month series on Feels Like Home on September 8th. The title for that first sermon is “What is a Home?” and the Scripture is Ephesians 2:19-22. The whole series will be an updated version of a series I preached at the very beginning of 2024 (and I’m sure you remember all of it!). With the addition of a sermon on Ruth, Philemon and the Loving Father/Lost Son, the emphasis will be on the church as a home. In October of 2023 I introduced the following and then used it as the basis for that sermon series in January and February:
WELCOME HOME where…
The Gospel is Preached
Jesus is Honored
Grace is Offered
Lives are Changed
Obedience is Encouraged
In the next MM I’ll tell you more. I’m excited about preaching this series and look forward to seeing what God is going to do in our lives and in our church family as we study.
Wednesday September 11th is the date for the start of Wednesday Night Conversations. My dream for the class is that it be a time of study and conversation on “What the Bible says about…” My plan is to take an informal approach of discussion and study. There is a sign-up sheet on the info table. I promise a time frame of 6-7:00. Snacks are optional.😊
Two other soon-to-start events to be aware of:
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- ROOTS has already begun with its first meeting this past Sunday evening. It will not be
meeting this coming Sunday due to the Labor Day weekend but will resume on Sunday,
the 8th. Pastor Ryan has schedules available for you to take. A sign-up sheet is also on the
info table if you would like to provide snacks for them. - Ladies Bible Study will start September 16th and will meet for 7 weeks. The registration
deadline is this Sunday the 1st! If you have any questions please see Macy Carlson, Sally
Carlson, or Hope East.
- ROOTS has already begun with its first meeting this past Sunday evening. It will not be
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THE big event for the OVCF family is our 20th anniversary celebration on October 27th at Abram Event Venue. We will be meeting as a family at 10:00 with a pitch-in lunch to follow. Things will be different that Sunday! I hope you are already planning on attending and celebrating with us for this milestone.
I’d like to close this edition of the MM with the saying we have used in the past and will repeat it several times over the next couple months. It is something I wrote in the early part of this year. I would like it to be something we absorb into the DNA of the church.
WE’RE GLAD YOU ARE HERE!
If you are happy we want to celebrate with you.
If you are tired and need rest;
If you are hurting and need comfort;
If you have failed, feel guilt and shame and wonder if God still loves you;
If you feel you are at the end of your rope and need a lifeline;
If you think you are too great a sinner and feel hopeless;
If you are here but can’t raise your eyes, head, or hands in worship…
That’s okay. We want this to be a place where you find strength to go on. Let us pray for you, stand beside you and even carry you to God’s throne where you can find new hope.
I will miss seeing you and being with you this Sunday. Just remember you are loved.
Pastor Bill
