Midweek Message 5/28/2025

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #248

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #248, your source for all good things happening at OVCF. 😊 I hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day celebration and along the way took some time to be grateful for the men and women who have served our country. Remembering them is one of the greatest ways to honor their service.

Many of you have asked how our trip to Ohio went. We left early Saturday morning because we found out Braden, our grandson, played a ball game at noon. The weather was great, even though the score didn’t quite turn out like we would have liked. I didn’t realize that it was the first time Tami has had a chance to see him play a high school baseball game. Then it hit me: she is always in class teaching while he is playing. I’m glad we were able to make it.

Graduation went well. Well…relatively well. There were over 400 students in his graduating class. Sadly, acoustics were horrible and it was really hard to hear many of the remarks the speakers made. Here is why we are button-popping grandparents and aunt: Braden graduated with academic highest honors (4.2 GPA)! He received several other honors: 2024 All OCC scholar athlete (football); 2nd team All OCC and 1st team All District (baseball); Gold Key, Keith Noble Jr. scholarship.

Okay… let’s move on to some other important things! 😁 I hope you have made plans to attend the OVCF family pitch-in tonight. I look forward to seeing you tonight at 6:00.

The New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center’s Change for Life fundraiser is happening now! There are baby bottles on the info table for you to take and fill with your change, $, or check and then return by June 15th (Father’s Day). All proceeds from Change for Life work to help the Center’s work to help families in our community.

YOUTH CORNER:

The end of the school year always brings a flurry of awards, the biggest, of course, being that students move up a grade. Here are some others:

• • • Draven Stahl was given the Top Cat Award for 2nd grade.
    • Tad Nicholson received 5 academic awards and was presented with the Best Defensive Player Award for the A-Team, due to his work behind the plate (He is a catcher for the baseball team)! I won’t say anything at all that his mom may have posted that on Facebook.

The VFW hosts the Illustrating America Art Contest for kids grades K-8. We had several who were winners in their age group.

• • • Grades K-2: First place was Alexander Chambers
    • Grades 3-5: First place was Sophia Kropack; second place was Deanna Cain; third place
      was Isabella Chambers
    • Grades 6-9: Second place was Eliza Chambers
    • In a separate category, Creative Patriotic Art, Brodie Sutton, a graduating senior, took first place at the local VFW level and fifth place as State of Indiana winner.

MORE SCHOOL RELATED NEWS:

• • • Kristine Mangia was honored for her 25 years to S-OCS as a teacher
    • Kim Floyd celebrates 5 years as a school nurse.

School is out for the summer so I thought it would be good to acknowledge and remind you to pray for those who were a focus of our weekly prayer list. A LIST OF ALL THE ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS WHO ARE PART OF THE OVCF FAMILY: Mary Beckwith, Matt Beckwith, Gabrielle Corder, Karen Fisher (bookkeeper), Heather Herrington (secretary), Kim Floyd (nurse), Tami Grandi, Hannah Morse, Cara King, Kristine Mangia, Angela Mayle (inclusion), Rachel Nicholson, Kris Samick (Admin) and Jenn Zigler (OVMS

counselor). Homeschool moms are Christine Chambers, Rebecca Chesser, Hope East, Jenny Hess, Michelle Lippert, Jeanna Srinivasan, and Shelly Sutton.

I checked, double checked, and triple checked this list so I hope I have not left anyone out. If I have please let me know and I will include you in next week’s MM.

Welcome to Kathy Wisley! This past Sunday, after studying the First Steps study with me a couple of weeks ago, she made the decision to be baptized. Kathy was baptized this past Sunday at the YMCA. It was a pleasure to baptize her with her family there to witness it.

In MM #245 I mentioned that we have hired Hannah Pendleton as a part-time Children’s Ministry Director. She is fitting into her role rather nicely and will be a big asset to our youth ministry as time moves on. What I failed to mention is that we have also hired Bob Kropack as a part-time maintenance man. Ever since Dick Hogan retired from that position, we have been without one. There have definitely been some things that needed to be taken care of. Bob will work when the need arises and he has already helped make a difference. Welcome, Bob!

A reminder to you about Serving Owen County Together scheduled for June 21st. A rain date (a definite possibility) is June 28th. We have taken part since its inception 4 years ago. It will be located at the front parking lot at OVMS/OVHS this year.

One last thing: have you had a chance to see the progress on the addition? They were finally able to get in and begin putting the stem wall forms together. Good weather will help us this week to see progress with that.

Sunday’s message is When All Seems Lost from Esther 6-Job 21. I look forward to seeing you then. Just know you are loved.

Pastor Bill