Midweek Message 9/18/2024

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #219

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #219! I think it is safe to say that the Fall weather of a week or so ago was just an anomaly. We kicked it up a notch this past week. Jo and I went to watch some of our young people cheer and play football on Saturday and I can attest to the heat. The good part was the humidity was way down. Thankfully, someone came to the 11:45 game with a tent and invited us under it. (Thanks Ryan and Katie for that reprieve!) It sure made that game much more bearable in the shade of the tent. If the weather report is accurate (which is always questionable) we can expect more of the same this week. Hmmm. I just might have to cancel any and all lunch appointments, or at least make them later. I hear the distant call from a bike!😊 No matter what, I hope you have a good week.

Please pray for our educator of the week: Matt Beckwith. Matt has been teaching at OVMS for two years. He teaches robotics, carpentry, design and modeling. He is also the boys and girls golf coach. Matt is married to Mary (our educator a few weeks ago) and is the father of Kaedance, Akaydia, Kayliana, and Aksel. Fun fact: Matt, Mary and family are hosting Adriana, a foreign exchange student from Madrid, Spain this school year. She is a senior at OVHS. In his spare time Matt likes to fish.😊

I have an urgent request I need to share with you. One of the ministries/missions OVCF supports on a monthly basis is New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center. I received a text from someone from OVCF about the desperate need NB has. Here is the text sent to me in its entirety:

• • • We need your help! We are in dire need of diapers sizes 4, 5, and 6 and all sizes of Pull-ups! We are serving more and more families each month and desperately need these diapers! If you could help us with some donations, please message us or drop them off at the center!

A day or two later I received this text:

• • • Did you know that we served 90 different families in the month of August? And in one day, we served an all-time record of 33 families? We are growing! And struggling to keep up with the opportunities in front of us! Could you help us with some donations? We are looking for diaper donations of sizes 4, 5, and 6 and all sizes of Pull-ups! Message us for more details or drop off your donations at the center Mondays or Thursdays, 12-4 pm.

Suffice it to say, New Beginnings needs our help. If you would like to help, contact the center or you may reach out to some of our ladies who volunteer there: Becca Anderson, Sally Carlson, Vicki Hogan, Cindy Shipley, or JuliAnne Wiegand. You can also order from Amazon using the New Beginnings Wish List and it will ship directly to the Center or, due to the hours of operation, you can have them sent here and we will make sure they get to the Center.

Don’t forget our 20th Anniversary scheduled for October 27th at Abram Event Venue!

After the summer lull, our building will be a beehive of activity for the next few weeks.

• • • Ladies Bible Study kicked off its fall study this past Monday. They are doing a 6-week study of Acts: Awakening to God in Everyday Life by Melissa Spoelstra. If you would like to know more please see Macy Carlson, Sally Carlson, or Hope East.
    • My Wednesday Night Conversations began last week and will meet weekly through October 16th. You are more than welcome to attend. We meet from 6-7 pm. It has been requested that we do a study on some of the cults and religions and what they believe so for the next two or three weeks that will be our focus. If you would like to know more about this topic but are unable to attend, we will be using a book called A Field Guide on False Teaching. It is available on Amazon for $6.

This Sunday is the B-Town Worship Night at Switchyard Park in Bloomington. Food trucks will be there at 4 PM, Worship from 6-8 PM. There is parking and a shuttle from Bloomington South HS. Bring a lawn chair, cooler and blanket and spend the night in worship with brothers and sisters from area churches.

• • • September 29th is a 5th Sunday. The elementary kids will join us for morning worship. The
      nursery and preschool will meet as usual at 10:45.

BIG DAY AHEAD!! Sunday, October 6th the Building Team plans to make a building update! We have received our plans, which have been approved by the state. You won’t want to miss this!

Have I told you not to forget our 20th Anniversary scheduled for October 27th at Abram Event Venue? Did you also know there will be a pitch-in lunch immediately following the service at the venue? All giving that day (unless designated) will go to our building fund.

Sometimes I just can’t believe myself! No, this is not a pat-on-the-back thing. Right after Diana sent last week’s MM, I realized I had forgotten to say anything at all about the significance of that day. She sent the MM on September 11th. I wrote something about it on my Living in the Shadow blog (https://livingintheshadow.ovcf.org/2024/09/11/september-11-5/) but then failed to even mention it here. Such a significant day in our country’s history and I totally spaced it. First, I apologize for forgetting and not asking you to remember those who were innocent bystanders of a cowardly act, as well as those who responded. Second, while I know this country is not perfect, I would not want to live anywhere else. Pray for America, its leaders, and for a spiritual revival. Third, reflect on your freedom-in our country, but mostly in Christ.

I’ll continue my series Feels Like Home this Sunday with The Gospel is Preached. If you would like to read ahead: Colossians 1:3-14 and I Cor. 1:18-25. I look forward to seeing you. You are loved.

Pastor Bill