Midweek Message 8-20-2025

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #259

Hello, everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #259. I already anticipate a jam-packed edition with so many things going on, but before I get to that I want to say thanks for taking the time to read this (I KNOW you do!). 😊

Jo and I had a nice visit with our daughter in Ohio last week. Janna’s birthday is this coming Saturday but we knew last week was the only time we were going to be able to celebrate with her. Thanks for praying for our safe travel.

Our school-related prayer this week is for Kris Samick. Kris and her husband, David have three grown children and a grandson they adore. Kris has been the Director of Communications for S-OCS for the past couple of years but has taken on an additional new role: Interim Principal at Patricksburg Elementary School. Pray for wisdom and stamina and God’s strength as she takes on this double role.

Don’t forget tonight is our church pitch-in. For this one month we changed the date of the pitch-in. It will start at 6:00 and I look forward to seeing all of you there. Our last pitch-in had 70 people. I’m looking for even more this week! 😊

YOUTH NEWS:

• • • Several of our young athletes competed in the cross country invitational in Terre Haute this past weekend. The heat and humidity took its toll on several of the runners-not just on ours. I’m glad none of it was life-threatening. Congrats, to Alli Anderson for a personal best at this meet.
    • Did you know some of our young people are involved in Upwards soccer? Devotions are at 10:00. Practice is from 10:15-10:45 and then games are from 10:45-11:15. We have 6 young people participating this year: Hudsyn Biggs, Alexander and Isabella Chambers, Conrad Keene, Jordan Mangia and Barrett Zigler. Upwards is sponsored by the Spencer Nazarene Church and is a good program for the young people to learn sportsmanship and teamwork in a very casual environment. The dates left, if you would like to watch them play, are August 23, September 6, 20, and 27. The  field is the future home of SNC just past the intersection of 46/43 on your left. There is no cost.
    • ROOTS Kickoff is this Sunday from 5-7:00. All Middle School/High School students are invited to join in the fun! Pastor Ryan has Fall Youth Schedules/calendars available for you to get in on the fun and study!
    • PLEASE REMEMBER THAT SUNDAY, AUGUST 31ST IS 5TH SUNDAY FAMILY WORSHIP! Our elementary students will join us for worship and the nursery and pre-school classes will meet at 10:45 as they normally do. The second service worship time will be led by the kids’ worship team.

Ladies, there is something coming your way! The Fall Ladies Bible Study, Now and Not Yet by Ruth Chou Simons will be Monday evenings, 5:30-7:30 from September 15-October 27. To make it even more inviting there will be a themed pitch-in each week. Please sign up by September 7th so books can be ordered. The cost of the book is $15. If you have any questions please see Macy Carlson or Hope East.

Do you consider yourself a Young Adult? Yeah…I know. Some of us want to be that age again or at least feel like it. But I’m talking recent HS graduates-25 year olds. Sorry. Everyone else is an “oldie”. 😊 The Young Adult Group (YAG) will begin meeting weekly on 9/14 at the East’s home. Contact Pastor Ryan (youthpastor@ovcf.org/812.585.0545) if you have any questions.

What do you believe? What kind of church is OVCF? Are you (Pastor Bill) the boss of OVCF, i.e. do you make all the decisions about the church? (Hint: NO!!!!). What motivates the decisions OVCF makes about its present and future? If you have ever wondered about questions like these and others, now is your chance to find answers!

• • • I’m offering An Introduction to OVCF on Sunday, September 7th, following the second service.
       Lunch of sandwiches and snacks will be provided.
    • Two of our teens have offered to provide daycare, if you need it. I just need to know.
    • What to expect? An informal, small group setting that will last about 1- 1 1⁄2 hours. No lecture. Definitely no preaching! 😊
    • There is a sign-up sheet at the info table if you are interested. I’m limiting the number to 12 since I want to maintain that small group feel and also because I plan to offer this about once/quarter.
    • If you have any questions, please feel to contact me.

It hardly seems possible that we are into the middle of August already. Things sure have been ramping up in the “things to be involved in” category. Forgive me but I’m going to throw a few other items onto your plate so you can begin to think about them.

• • • For the “I can’t wait to see” department. If all goes as planned, we should begin seeing the shell of our new addition sometime in the middle of September.
    • For the “If-that-is-true-about-the-addition” department, we could conceivably celebrate our 21st church anniversary in the new facility. The date we have scheduled is October 26th. An alternate date is November 2nd at Abram Event Venue. We will keep you informed.
    • For the “Seriously, we are already talking Christmas?” department, we will take part in Operation Christmas Child during the month of October-November. More info coming.
    • For the “We didn’t do that last year” department, we plan to offer the Thanksgiving meal to the community this year. My knee surgery sort of put the nix on that last year. I hope to come back with a roar this year.
    • For the “community outreach” department, we will plan to collect snack items for our school children in late November-early December. We will deliver them to Backpack Buddies in time for Christmas Break. 😊

My sermon Sunday is Profound Truths to Live By from Jeremiah 38-Lamentations 5. I’ll look forward to seeing you there. Until then, just know you are loved.

Pastor Bill