MIDWEEK MESSAGE #239
Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #239! Thanks for joining me this week. I’m going to let you know from the start that there will be no MM next week since it is Spring Break. That gives everyone a break. You from hearing from me; Diana from editing my sometimes incoherent words; and me from writing said words. 😉Enjoy your time away from school and (some of you) from home, and from having your week interrupted, I mean blessed, by the MM.😄
Our educator of the week is Dr. Michael Robison. He is the principal at Patricksburg Elementary. Pray for Dr. Robison to have patience and wisdom this week. I’d like to remind you to pray for all the school personnel, as well as the students this coming week. Pray that this Spring Break will be the much-needed time away everyone needs. 🙂
Please pray for our team heading to east Tennessee next week (Mar. 17-22)! The service trip volunteers are partnered with IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services) to help those affected by Hurricane Helene last year.
I mentioned in last week’s MM about Tom Mangia being considered as an elder of OVCF. I also said that our practice has been to suggest an elder, then give you two weeks to respond yay or nay. If you choose to disagree with our suggestion, we ask that you put it in writing, sign it (No anonymous letters will be accepted), and give it to one of the elders (Wayne Akerson, Bobby Anderson or David Robertson), to Pastor Ryan or to me. March 19th is the deadline for your response. We will be confirming and praying for Tom and his family on the 23rd.
I often use this opportunity to give you updates on events involving the whole church family, as well as news about the young people. I want to take a side road for a moment and tell you about some prayer needs I have been asked to specifically pray for and mention. I have received the okay to include them in this week’s message.
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- Tim Huffman has been in the hospital since Saturday, the 1st. They have been unable to locate the source of his infection. Monday they went into his heart to see what or if they could find anything there. I spent this past Sunday afternoon with him and Cathy visiting and praying with them about the procedure. UPDATE: No infection was found in his heart or the area around his pacemaker! He may be released to go home this week. {Tim and Cathy are Sarah Schneider’s parents. 🙂}
- Christine Chambers told me after 2nd service was over that she heard from Kaitlyn Anderson’s mom that the hospital in Nashville, TN is sending her home. The doctors said they will be able to do for Kaitlyn at home what they were doing for her there. She also related that all scans show no cancer! That’s a praise!! 🙌They are still unsure what is causing the weight loss and lack of energy so keep praying for a solution.
- I found out that Charli Wood was to have her tonsils and adenoids removed Tuesday (yesterday). Pray for a quick recovery. UPDATE: Charli’s surgery went well!
- Eliza Chambers’ MRI showed a stress fracture to the growth plate of the tibia. Mom (Christine) asks for prayers for it to heal properly.
- On the lighter side: Brayton and Zoe Wyatt leave Wednesday (today) for a 5 year belated honeymoon trip. They had planned to go in 2020 but I think we all know what happened then. They will be spending 3 weeks touring parts of Europe. Pray for their safe travel and safety while there. And pray for their daughter, Hazel, who will be staying with her Nana and others. And congratulations to Brayton who was sworn in last Friday as the new detective for the prosecutor’s office.
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I know there are more prayer requests. If you have one and give me permission to include it here I will be glad to do so.
March 26th is an evening you need to put on your calendar. That is the date of our next pitch-in. It starts at 6:00. The first two were hits and it was so exciting to see and hear the buzz that took place during the meal. We had close to 70 (preacher count says 100 😄) this past month. I was excited to hear from a couple who attended my Wednesday Night Conversations this past week that they had been visiting with someone at the last pitch-in.
Speaking of Wednesday Night Conversations: tonight’s lesson will be on “Follow Your Heart.” We are diving into 9 Common Lies Christians Believe. We will take a two week break (Spring Break and the pitch-in) then be back on April 2nd. I would love to have you join us.
We started telling you this past Sunday about our Resurrection Sunday service being at Abram Event Venue (AEV). April 20th will be here before we know it, so please put it on your calendar to worship with us that day. One service + One heart = One God to be praised and honored together. We will start at 10:00 so begin reminding yourself of that. Meeting at AEV always requires extra work on our part, but it is worth it when we all get to worship together as ONE. Over the next few weeks expect to hear more information coming your way!!
I have been surprised as to how much I have enjoyed preaching through the OT and using the Everyday Gospel devotional as a help. I know it has not always been easy to read and it certainly hasn’t always been easy to prepare and preach. This week we move from Deuteronomy into Joshua with my sermon entitled Say Yes!! With Spring Break beginning I anticipate a lot of people being gone. May I ask you to make sure you watch online? I welcome your input as well, not just on the sermon, but the whole online experience. Even when we move into our new building, we will continue offering our live stream service online. It has proven to be a real blessing. An added blessing this week for me is, Lord willing, our friends, Dave and Susan from
Arizona will be here visiting!
Have a great rest of the week and Spring Break week. Just know whether you are here or not,
you are loved deeply.
Pastor Bill
