Category: MidweekMessage

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #178

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #178.  I hope your week is going well. It has been a doozy for me and Jo and I plan to fill you in a little bit later in this MM. But there are much more important things to consider.

THIS IS THE SUNDAY!!

I don’t know about you but this is the Sunday I have been looking forward to for the past couple of months. It is OVCF’s 19th anniversary!! Just in case you didn’t know that I thought I would remind you…again. ☺ One more time:

• • Two services this Sunday at 9:00 and 10:45
  • Recognition of our amazing volunteers at both services
  • An update on our planned building addition at both services
  • A pitch-in dinner following the second service.
  • All giving that day (unless designated) will go to our Building Fund.
  • The young people will be having their own classes even though it is a 5th Sunday. All that is needed right now is your attendance, excitement and food (if you signed up). And even if you did not but want to join us, we invite you to do so.
  • If you have any questions please contact the church office (812.828.9840)

Please be praying for the following people each day:

• • Cara King. Cara is a Kindergarten teacher at MCES. She is married to Brad and has two teenagers, Cooper and Cambria (Cammie). Cara worked at SES from 1993-2000 and at MCES since it opened in 2000.
  • MaryRose Farmer. MaryRose is a student at Indiana State and is majoring in General Ed with Phys Ed as her specialty.
  • Jacob & Mia McCall. Jacob and Mia work with Freedom International Ministries in the Dominican Republic.

Cori, Cassidy F. (their last name cannot be used for safety’s sake) and their children serve with Team Expansion. They’ve spent 10 years working in the Middle East, and are now transitioning to Europe. They will be with us to share of their new mission at both services on November 5th.

HERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN ALL DO! On Thursday, November 14th, the Patricksburg Elementary School (PES) PTO is flipping pancakes as a fundraiser for Maverick Pendleton’s ongoing medical care. It will be at the PES gymnasium from 5:00-6:30.  This will be a great way to help Josh and Becky with medical costs. Cost is $5/person. More info in next week’s MM.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD has already started. As Jo and I watched the live stream this past Sunday, we saw the display on the stage and we were excited to see some of the boxes were taken already. I am writing this part of the MM on Tuesday afternoon and I can’t find hide nor hair of any boxes! I have to say I am astounded at your generosity! More shoeboxes will be available this Sunday! They are due back by Sunday, November 12th.

In last week’s MM I shared with you my desire to serve our community by offering a Thanksgiving Meal. The sign-up sheets of what food items we need will be on the info table the first Sunday of November.

• • Here is a list of the food/drink items which will be needed (so you can be thinking about it): turkey/ham (the church can provide one for you, if needed), mashed potatoes, corn or green beans, stuffing, rolls, pie, cookies or brownies (consider making a sugar free offering of the last three items), ice, tea, (sweet/unsweet), lemonade.
  • The meal will be served at the Lions Club from 11:00-1:00. We will also deliver during that time.
  • If you can’t help the whole time, that’s okay. Just let us know how and when you can.
  • If you know of someone who could use a meal, please let Diana know. She will need their name, address and phone number.
  • Delivery drivers are also needed.

I’d like to fill you in on what has been happening with us. As many of you know and have become aware, Jo’s sister has been in a nursing care facility in Sandusky, OH for several years. Diabetes and dementia (now Alzheimer’s) has taken its toll. She is also on dialysis three times a week. On our way to Ohio Friday to watch our grandson, Braden’s last football game this season, Jo got a call saying Vicki was going to possibly need surgery for a detached retina and that Jo (as her POA) would need to be there. Originally scheduled for Tuesday, I asked for it to be moved to Monday since we were going to be in Columbus. They then scheduled it for Monday afternoon at 2:30. To make a very long and complicated story short, the surgery was cancelled and we may have to make our way back there in the future. Several things:

• • Prayers for this whole saga would be appreciated.
  • My thanks to Pastor Ryan and Diana for taking care of things back on the ranch. ☺
  • Even the Kindergarten teachers at SES rearranged their schedules to accommodate my coming Wednesday to read, instead of Tuesday. Thanks ladies!
  • A super special shout out goes to my Wednesday night 66 class. They were so gracious when I had to cancel class this week due to my lack of preparation for class. I shudder at a half-baked job and they were overly supportive.

You would have thought I was gone for a year with this much information. ☺ It is good to be home and I look forward to celebrating with you-people I dearly love-this Sunday.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #177

Hello! After a week’s break due to Fall Break, I hope you are looking forward to another edition of the Midweek Message. If not, please don’t tell me! ☺

I hope the Fall Break was good for you and to you. We all need a break from time to time, a break from the routine (or is that rut?). I know many of you traveled and visited places you have wanted to for quite a while. I trust that your time with family and friends was refreshing and will give you the oomph to jet toward Thanksgiving.

Let me remind you to pray for our Teacher of the week, Hannah Morse. She has been teaching 4th grade at Gosport Elementary School for 6 years. She is married to Cole and they have twin boys, Tripp and Cohen.

Our college student of the week is Meilynn Dow. Meilynn is a sophomore at the University of Southern Indiana where she is studying nursing.  Her parents are Chad & Terri Dow and she has an older brother, Dalen, and a younger sister, Annalei.

You can also add the Britt and Furr families to your prayer list for the week. They minister to the IU students through Chi Alpha as one of the missions we support.

We have a very important event coming up really soon. We are quickly coming up on the date for OVCF’s 19th anniversary.  In fact, when you get this it will be exactly a week and a half away.  So if you haven’t already done so, please mark your calendar for the 29th of this month.  Here again is a quick recap of what to expect:

• • Two services at 9:00 and 10:45 as usual.
  • Pitch-in dinner following the second service. If you plan to come to the first and return for the second, plan for about 12:15 for setting up tables and the food.
  • Recognition of our phenomenal volunteers during both services.
  • We plan to make a presentation of the proposed building addition that Sunday.  We will do that in both services so those unable to make it to the dinner can see how things are progressing.
  • Keep in mind parents that even though that is a 5th Sunday, the young people will have their own classes that morning.
  • There are sign-up sheets to let us know what you plan to bring. It is never too late to sign up and if you aren’t sure what to bring, come anyway.  If you are unable to bring anything, come share in our joy. There is always plenty of food.

The past couple of weeks some really cool things happened that I thought you might like to know:

1. 1. Travis Floyd, who plays bass for us on Sunday mornings, had his Senior Recital on Thursday, the 5th. Travis is a senior at IU in the Jacobs School of Music. His instrument of choice was the trombone. Fantastic job Travis!
   2. Congratulations to Jacob and Sydney Schunk who became husband and wife on Saturday, the 7th. They were married at Trestle Valley Farm Event Venue in Greene County. After their honeymoon in Jamaica, they will be living in Aurora, IL where Jacob is employed by Grainger in Chicago.

Operation Christmas Child (OCC) will kicking off this coming Sunday. We have been participating in OCC for more years than I can remember.  When we reevaluated several years ago what we participate in from October through December, there was no question we wanted to continue with OCC.  Shoeboxes and brochures telling you what to pack will be available this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please call the church office and Diana can answer any questions you may have.

If you have been a part of OVCF for any stretch of time, you know we have offered a Thanksgiving meal for the community for the past umpteen years. (That is Bill speak for I’m not sure how many). We were still meeting in the sports complex when we started. For the newbies ☺, we offer a full meal for those who want to come into the Lions Club and we also deliver meals to those who request them here in our community. Last year, we served over 125 meals to various people, including those who work on Thanksgiving Day (EMS, police, gas stations).  I believe so strongly in the purpose of the meal and the benefit to the community that I plan to head it up this year. I would like to give those who took the lead over the past few years a break. Here are more details:

• • We will need help in the kitchen, assembling the meals for delivery and to be served. Gail Kempe has already stepped forward to offer her help in the kitchen.
  • FYI: food/drink items we will need are: turkey/ham (the church can supply one for you, if needed), mashed potatoes, corn or green beans, stuffing, rolls, pie, cookies or brownies, ice, tea (unsweet/sweet), lemonade. There will be sign-up sheets at the info table with the quantities of each item needed the first Sunday in November.
  • We will serve and deliver the food from 11-1:00. If you can only help set up that morning or clean up or say, only work for an hour that would be helpful.
  • Delivery drivers are needed.
  • It is an absolutely fun way to serve our community. An added benefit is getting to spend time with others as well.  And as the time gets closer, if you know of someone(s) who can use a meal, please turn their name into Diana. 

I know Thanksgiving time is busy for many of you.  Anything you can do will be a big help. I’ll give you more information as we get closer.

That’s all for this week. I hope you are having success getting back into the swing of things. But you should never have a question about being loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 176

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message 176. The week leading up to a vacation, or in this case, Fall Break, is always a hectic one. So, thank you for taking the time to read this MM.

Please be in prayer for Gabrielle Corder.  Gabby, as she is known, teaches Kindergarten at Gosport Elementary School. This is her first year teaching in the S-OCS school system. She has settled in nicely and loves teaching here. Gabby has been married to Caleb for 9 months.

Our college student this week is Kaedence Beckwith. She attends Oakland City University and is majoring in Business. Kaedence is also a cheerleader for the school.

Our college student for next week will be Emily Bray. Emily is the sister of Caylan (Bray) Akerson and is attending Ivy Tech for nursing.  (See next comment as to why she is mentioned here.)

Since Fall Break is next week for the S-OCS system, I thought I would let you know that there will be several changes involving the church family.

• There will not be a MM next week. I know, I know, I can see the disappointment factor reaching 1 on the Richter scale, so great is your disappointment.  ☺
• To all of you 66ers out there! (That is not age 66 but those who are taking my Route 66 class on Wednesday night). We will NOT be meeting the week of Fall Break. Enjoy your time away or with family and try not to miss 66 too much.
• Our prayer focus will change next week. Since the school teachers will be on break, I’m asking you to pray for Valarie Akerson. Valarie is a Professor of Science Education at IU. Her focus is primarily on early childhood and elementary teachers teaching the nature of science. Valarie has been married to Wayne (one of our elders) for 24 years and they have one son, Alec, and a daughter-in-law, Caylan. Interesting fun facts: she has written several books. Valarie is also a world class power lifter for her age group. She and Wayne will soon travel to Coventry where she will compete in the World Invitational.
• Roots (MS/HS youth group) will continue to meet during Fall Break.

One other item to pray about: I asked you in last week’s MM to pray for Maverick Pendleton and his parents, Josh and Becky. Maverick has a glioblastoma and was to have a shunt put in to help his body absorb spinal fluid leakage. They were not able to do the surgery and decided to do an MRI instead. The MRI showed the tumor has spread. I personally cannot imagine the pain his parents are experiencing right now. Please pray for the family this week.

Have you highlighted, circled, put stars on, marked, or anything else you can think of on your calendar for October 29th? ☺ In case you were not aware, that is the date of our 19th anniversary celebration here at OVCF.  Here are some particulars to bring you up to date:

• There are sign-up sheets at the info table for you to indicate what you would like to bring to the meal. This has always worked well so we can make sure we have enough of everything.
• All giving that day (unless designated otherwise) will go to the Building Fund. This has been a “tradition” we have done for several years. Our Resurrection Sunday offering goes to missions; the anniversary to the building.
• Even though it is a 5th Sunday, the young people will be meeting in their classes that morning.
• We have been having pretty regular correspondence with our architect the past week or so about the building addition. We plan to give you an update on our building project that morning.
• THE CHURCH IS PROVIDING ICE CREAM AND ALL THE TOPPINGS IN HONOR OF OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS. Since I tend to have this fondness for ice cream and subscribe at times to the adage “Life is short; eat dessert first” I may head over that way before having the main course. ☺

We are going to have an amazingly good time. This is for the whole church family. And even if you don’t know what to bring, please don’t stay away. You are invited to share in our joy. We always have enough food and since I’m eating dessert first you can have my share. What a sacrifice I’m making!! ☺ ☺

I’d like to ask you to put a couple of upcoming events on your radar. More information will be given when we get closer.

• Operation Christmas Child.  Every year for the past umpteen (that is Bill speak for “I don’t have a clue”) we have taken part in this effort. Diana has already ordered the shoeboxes and flyers that tell you what to pack so look for this real soon!

• Thanksgiving Meal for the community.  The Lions Club has already been secured for Thanksgiving morning. Last year we served/delivered over 120 meals all over Owen County. There will be sign-up sheets on the info table soon.

• Backpack Buddies- As many of you know, many Owen County students would go without food on the weekends if not for BB.  We have tried several other gift giving ideas for the Christmas holidays but this one seems to be the most well-received. Diana is gathering information and will share it as it gets closer to collection time.

That’s it for the holidays. We decided a few years ago that we were loading up too much on you in November and December, as well as adding to the stress level of the staff, so we decided to cut back on what we did.

My space is up for this week. Have a great rest of the week. You are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #175

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #175. I hope this finds you having a great week and enjoying these Fall days.

I’d like to remind you to pray for our school-related personnel of the week: Kim Floyd. Kim is a nurse at MCES.  Kim’s husband, Tony, works for the Spencer Street Department and they have three children: Tori, Travis (and Sierra), and Trevor.  She has been with S-OCS for 7 years.

Remember to pray for our college student of the week-Colby Beckwith. Colby is a Junior at St. Mary of the Woods majoring in Business and minoring in Web Design.

Congratulations to Grace and Gloria Chandler. They were baptized Sunday by Pastor Ryan at the Y. Love, love, love seeing folks, especially young people, deciding to be obedient and follow Jesus. But don’t let these identical twins fool you! They love playing tricks on a pastor (who shall remain nameless) who thinks they are one and exchange glasses so the other is wearing them.  As long as they don’t fool said pastor by changing glasses (they are both wearing them now), I have them figured out.  ☺

Congratulations is also extended to Don and Shelby VanDerMoere who were married on Saturday, September 23rd.  They left Sunday for a short honeymoon trip to St. Pete.

Our sympathy is extended to Sara Roberts and her family upon the death of her father, Tim Thacker. Tim was diagnosed with cancer just over a month ago. He fought hard and his family took great care of him but he passed away Sunday morning about 7:30. Please be in prayer for the whole family.

While we are on the subject of prayer, please be praying for Maverick Pendleton and his parents, Josh and Becky. Maverick is their 4 year old son who has a brain tumor (a glioblastoma). He is having a shunt put in Friday to help his body absorb the spinal fluid. Maverick has been a real trooper through all of this and he, and his parents, could use some extra strength these days.

One BIG praise!! Nolan Miller, the 15 year old son of Paul and Kelsey Miller (members of the homeschool coop and personal friends of Pastor Ryan and his family) found out that his leukemia is in remission. He still has quite a regimen to complete so please keep praying for God to work in his life and health. Pray for his family as they go through this with him.

Important announcement!! Jo needs your help.  She and I are going to be out of town the weekend of October 22nd. She needs someone who will help do the Power Point that weekend. It will be all typed up and ready to go on the computer. She has had someone step up and say they would do the second service, so the first service is open. If you would like to help, she can show you the ropes in the next few weeks.

She is also looking for someone who will volunteer to prepare the communion trays for that weekend. Again, she will be glad to show you what is done.

I hope you have your calendar marked for October 29th. Before you know it OVCF’s 19th anniversary will be here!  Here are some things to remember besides what we have been announcing:

• There will be sign-up sheets on the info table this Sunday for you to let us know what you plan to bring. This is one way to make sure we don’t all bring the same thing. ☺
• Even though it is a 5th Sunday, the young people will meet in their classes as usual.
• The offering that day, except for anything designated, will go toward the Building Fund. We hope to give you an update on the progress of our proposed addition.

My sermon this upcoming Sunday is God is Great…God is Good? Knowing, talking about, and affirming the goodness of God is easy; living it when life drags you down is something else. My desire is that we all see the goodness of God in all things.

Have a great week. I trust you know that you are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #174

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #174. As always, thanks for reading.  I don’t take it lightly that you take a little bit of time to read this.

Remember to pray for Tami Grandi, our Educator of the Week. Tami teaches Kindergarten at Spencer Elementary.  I just happen to know this person. ☺

I found out we had another college student that I didn’t know about. Tori Floyd is attending IU to get her Masters in Epidemiology. Tori currently works for the Owen County Health Department.

Congratulations is extended to Travis Curry who graduated from Western Governors University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. He will be in Chicago this weekend to receive his diploma. Travis works for the Engineering Firm Curry and Assoc. (no relation) as a Construction Inspector.

Here is a complete list of our college students and where they are attending.  For their privacy, we have decided not to publish their addresses. HOWEVER, if you’d like the information so you may send them a note, please pick up a copy of list at the info table or contact the church office. ☺

• Caylan Akerson, Indiana University
• Kristi Arnold, Indiana University
• Colby Beckwith, St. Mary of the Woods
• Kaedence Beckwith, Oakland City University
• Emily Bray, Ivy Tech
• Meilynn Dow, University of Southern Indiana
• Mary Rose Farmer, Indiana State University
• Tori Floyd, Indiana University
• Travis Floyd, Indiana University
• Cayden Paquette, Blackburn College
• Grace Pendleton, Indiana University
• Mollie Wainscott, Milligan University

I hope you might put this list on your fridge or next to your Bible so that you will remember to pray for each one of these students. If you get a chance, perhaps you can drop them a note to let them know you are praying for them.

We have been blessed the past two weeks to have Robert Herrington and Logan Cain back home for a short stay. Please continue to keep these two young men and our other military personnel in your prayers. Both are trying to shine the light of Christ in their respective jobs. Robert is currently stationed in Fort Mitchell, AL and Logan is stationed in Quantico, VA. Interesting tidbit about Logan: at lunch last week he was telling me about his job protecting the president’s helicopters.

Don’t forget the church’s 19th anniversary celebration on October 29th!

Hope you have a great rest of the week. My sermon this week is Our One True God. I look forward to seeing you! I love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #173

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #173. I appreciate you taking some of your valuable time to read the Message. I’d like to say it is the “happening place” for all things OVCF but that would be overkill. ☺ However, I do say thanks for reading.

I’d like to remind you to pray for Karen Fisher this week as our School related prayer. Karen is the bookkeeper at OVHS and she and her husband Bruce are part of our OVCF family.

Also, please remember to pray for Caylan Akerson, our college student of the week. Caylan is a student at IU, majoring in Accounting and Finance. She is married to Alec and is Wayne and Valarie’s daughter-in-law.

After a rather uneventful summer, things are starting to pick up at OVCF.

• Last Wednesday, the 6th, Deeper started back up for the school year. Deeper-which is for Middle & High school students-meets at the East homestead from 4-5:30 every Wednesday. If your student would like to attend, but doesn’t have a ride, please let Pastor Ryan know.
• This past Sunday, the 10th, ROOTS, the Sunday night program for Middle & High school students began meeting again after their summer hiatus. ROOTS meets every Sunday night from 5-7:00. If you would like to provide snacks for the teens (and yes, they like to eat) there is a sign-up sheet on the info table.
• This Wednesday, the 13th, “66” starts. The last couple MMs have told you about that study. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. We meet from 6-7:00.
• Ladies Bible Study also starts this week on Thursday nights from 6:30-8:30. For more info see Sally Carlson, Macy Carlson, Marilyn Hill or Hope East. The study is The Names of God taught by Melissa Spoelstra.

Focusing on our college students again this week, here are a few more to pray for:

• Emily Bray- Ivy Tech, Nursing (Emily is Caylan Akerson’s sister)
• Meilynn Dow- USI, Major in Nursing
• Mary Rose Farmer- ISU, Major in General Ed with Phys Ed as her specialty.
• Cayden Paquette- Blackburn College in Carlinville, IL.  Major in Business Management and Marketing/Minor in Coaching.

I will give you the full list next week and will include their mailing addresses if you would like to send them a note that you are thinking of them and praying for them.

I mentioned in last week’s Midweek Message that Josh Henson would be at the shelter house after both services selling mums. In spite of the Apple Butter Festival this weekend, he has made arrangements to be here this Sunday after the second service if you would like to purchase a mum from him. Cost: $10 each

This past Sunday I gave a list of my sermon titles for the next five weeks. I had several thank me for the sermon and tell me they cannot wait to hear the rest. That honestly makes my heart feel good. As I was giving the sermons for the next five weeks, I saw several writing furiously trying to get them all down. Just in case you missed them or were unable to get them all down, here is where we will be going for the duration of this series:

• September 17- Our Unchanging God– Heb.13:8; James 1:17; various others
• September 24- Our One True God– Deut. 4:15-40
• October 1- God is Great…God is Good?– Romans 8:28-29, 31-32; James 1:16-18
• October 8- The Good Father– Matthew 6:9; Mark 14:36; Ps. 103:13
• October 15- The God You Can K.N.O.W.– Psalm 18
• October 22- Pastor Ryan preaching while Jo and I take a Sunday off

I hope that helps you in preparing for the next few weeks. The sermons during the months of November and December will follow the theme of the season-Gratitude and Christmas.

Now to close on a more serious note: it should not have escaped you the importance of this past Monday: 9/11. I seriously doubt there is anyone of us who could ever forget what we were doing or where we were when we heard the news of the planes hitting the towers; the plane going down in the Pennsylvania cornfield or the plane hitting the Pentagon. Conversely, I doubt any of us can forget our emotions and actions of the next several days as we watched, cried, and stared in disbelief at the pure hatred exhibited and reckless abandonment of caring for human lives that unfolded. Twenty-two years later we still can see the towers burning. We still hear the ramifications of those actions. For those who lost loved ones, the pain will always be there.

But let’s take a twist from something said Sunday. Bobby Anderson gave a communion thought on the love of Christ and he talked about dying for his child, his wife, even his friend. But which one of us would die for one of the terrorists of that morning, or ever since? I am hard-pressed to raise my hand. But I know ONE who did. “But God demonstrated His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom.5:8). I have no doubt that probably all of us would die for a family member or a friend, but die for an enemy, someone with that much hate? Probably not. AND YET, that is exactly what Jesus did. And that was one of the great points from Bobby’s meditation Sunday. The love of Christ led Him to the cross, as well as, to stay on that cross.

So…never forget what happened on 9/11 and remember to show your appreciation for those who sacrificed and those brave men and women who stand in line behind them. But more than that, allow yourself to ponder the great and magnificent love of Jesus lived out in the shadow of the cross.

Have a great week. I love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #172

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #172. Well…Labor Day is now in our rearview mirror. The next big holiday is Thanksgiving. Fortunately, between now and then is Fall Break. ☺ Teachers (and students) rejoice! I hope you had a nice Labor Day weekend.

Remember to pray for our Educator of the Week-Mary Beckwith. Mary is a Special Education teacher in the Cloverdale School System.

I’d like to continue with listing our college students. This will be an ongoing list for the next few weeks so I will only list 3 or 4 a week. At the end I will list all of them for you so you can have a handy-dandy list to refer to. Here are the ones for this week:

• Caylan Akerson- IU, Majoring in Accounting and Finance.
• Colby Beckwith- St. Mary of the Woods, Majoring in Business/Minor in Web Design. Colby is a Junior and plays on the Golf Team.
• Kaedence Beckwith- Oakland City University, Majoring in Business. Kaedence is also a cheerleader.
• Grace Pendleton-IU, Majoring in Interior Design. Grace left Monday to spend the semester in Italy. Her parents would appreciate your prayers.

Look for next week’s MM to read about more of our college students.

I’d like to remind you again that I am starting my “66” class on Wednesday, September 13th from 6-7:00 P.M. in the youth addition. You might be wondering, “What in the world is ‘66’”? In case you missed last week’s MM, it is a study of the 66 books of the Bible. I will be starting the New Testament that week.  Here are some helpful tips for you:

• There is no charge. All you need to do is show up with a heart to learn.
• I have materials printed up for our study. It is a teaching/discussion type of approach so there is not a “hurry up and get through this lesson” approach.
• All ages are welcome, but there is no child care provided.
• It would be helpful if you would sign up so that I will know how much material to have prepared. The sign-up sheet is on the info table in the auditorium. I use this to communicate with you as well.
• We do take breaks for any school breaks and holidays.

Even if you missed the Old Testament study you are more than welcome to come. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions.

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT I NEED TO MAKE HERE (because some pastor just may have forgotten to announce it, even though he had made himself a note).  All summer long you may have noticed that someone was growing flowers just beyond the east side of our parking lot. That someone was Josh Henson growing his mums. Josh asked me to announce that following both services this coming Sunday he will be in the shelter with samples of his mums. You can choose what color you would like and he will go get them for you. They will be available for $10 each.

Pastor Ryan is back from sabbatical! It was good to have him back in the office last Thursday. We (the three of us) had a short “catch up” meeting, synching the calendars, and then spent some time at lunch just hanging out. With him being back it is a good time to make sure you know of some upcoming youth news!

• Deeper begins this Wednesday, the 6th. If you have a student in Middle or High School and they are interested in going “deeper” into the Bible, this is for them! It meets at the East’s house from 4-5:30. If your child needs a ride, please talk to Pastor Ryan. 
• ROOTS, the Sunday evening youth program for Middle and High School students begins this Sunday, the 10th! ROOTS meets Sunday nights from 5-7:00 PM at OVCF. 

If you would like to know more about either of these activities please contact Pastor Ryan.

Robert Herrington was home on leave this past weekend and was more than willing to give the communion thought in both services. Something he said struck home with me, possibly because I just finished reading the book Nine Common Lies Christians Believe. Robert talked about surrendering our lives. Jesus calls us to come and die, to surrender our lives to him on a daily basis. But what it means is that we lose control of our lives and put them under the daily control of the ONE who knows us better than we know ourselves. One of the short couple of sentences Shane, the author of the book said was, “As good as it sounds, ‘Believe in yourself’ is a lie. Don’t believe in yourself. Believe in Someone bigger than yourself, knowing that same Someone will give you the power that causes you to live differently everywhere you go throughout your life.”  You see…when Jesus was talking about denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Him, He was talking about a different way to live. Not just different; opposite. What the world offers us is just cheap knock-offs from what Jesus offers us. The world offers temporary; Jesus offers permanent. The world offers surface; Jesus offers depth. The world offers fake; Jesus offers real.  {Side note: that book just may find its way into a sermon series for 2024. ☺ }

This coming Sunday I start a new series on The God We Worship with a sermon titled The Search Is On! The Scripture is Exodus 2-3; Isaiah 40:12-14, 18-23, 25-26; Job 38-41:11. Be prepared by reading ahead. I look forward to spending some time Sunday with you. I love you all!

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #171

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #171! I know you were super excited to open your email and find this week’s MM just waiting for you to say, “Hmmm. I wonder what sort of stuff Pastor Bill will be talking about this week.” No? Well…please don’t tell me. ☺

A friendly reminder: please remember to pray for our very own, Kris Samick, this week. Kris is the Director of Communications for S-OCS. I know she will appreciate your prayers.

Did you know we have several of our young people who are off to college this year? I would like to list them in the MM. The next issue of the MM will include several more of our college students. If you have a college student, please make sure we know!

• Kristi Arnold is at IU, studying to be a Pediatric physician. She is currently a Human Biology Major in the pre-med department.
• Travis Floyd is at IU’s Jacob School of Music and will soon graduate with a degree in Music Education with a desire to teach Band. Travis has also been playing bass for our Worship Team.
• Mollie Wainscott is now attending Milligan College in TN.  Her desire is to become a Physical Therapist.

Sunday, the 27th, was a great day for Jade Sturgeon. I had the privilege of baptizing her in a small, private baptism that included her parents, her grandparents, a great grandparent and an uncle and aunt…and Jo. It also included her 4 month old daughter, Sage. Congrats Jade!

I hope you have marked your calendars for October 29th! OVCF will be celebrating our 19th anniversary. That’s all I’m going to say in this week’s MM about it.

I will restarting Route 66 on Wednesday, September 13th from 6-7:00 p.m. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with “66,” it is a journey through the 66 books of the Bible. Due to various glitches in the schedule, it took over 2 years to go through the OT. I’m happy to say that we will be starting the NT. Here are some particulars that I think will be helpful:

• There is no cost.
• All you need to do is show up.
• I have materials printed up for our study. It is a teaching/discussion type of approach so it is not a “hurry up and get through this” type of study.
• There is no age limit, however, there is no child care provided.
• It would be helpful if you would sign up so I can know how much material to have prepared. The sign-up sheet is on the info table in the auditorium.
• We do take breaks for any school breaks and holidays.

I would love to have you join us. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. Send me a text, give me a call, or ask me in person. ☺

Some of you asked how our weekend visiting family went. I hesitate talking about it from the pulpit since your time is precious, so I thought I would fill you in here. We had a great time with our family. Janna had a migraine so we took Braden out for supper on Thursday (that was super cool!) Friday we made our way to Sandusky to see Jo’s sister. She did not know me and barely knew Jo. I feel for anyone who has to deal with dementia or Alzheimer’s in their family. We were able to watch Braden play football Friday night. He played well. Made some great tackles and even intercepted a pass. It was televised on ABC 6 out of Columbus, OH so we were able to see it. It happened right in front of his bench and out of our sight. But Jo and Tami do have a video if you would like to see it. ☺ Would you expect anything less?  My weekend was made complete by being with you on Sunday.

This past weekend I began reading a book by Pastor Shane Pruitt called 9 Common Lies Christians Believe…And Why God’s Truth is Infinitely Better.” It is a book about one-liners we often hear. The very first one is “God Won’t Give Me More Than I Can Handle.” Pastor Shane’s story of their adoption of a boy from Uganda, of it not being what they thought it would be, is heart-breaking. But the clichés people tossed at them were the worst. This was one of them. Here is what he wrote concerning the situation:

God chooses what to reveal to us and what not to reveal. The primary truths He has revealed to us are that He loves us, is with us, and can identify with us. No matter what we’re going through, He can handle it. We can’t, but He can. One of the main reasons He can handle whatever we’re going through is because He is a God who can identify with His creation. (p.24)

Pastor Shane would be the first to admit that it was not easy to come to that conclusion. His honesty is refreshing. My take: as followers of Jesus we have a tough time with tough situations because we tend to think we “deserve” a better outcome due to our “follower of Jesus” mentality. But truthfully, we are never promised an easy time of life, no matter what some religious (“send me money”) teachers want us to believe. Life is hard no matter who you are or what you do. I’m looking forward to reading more of the one-liners we hear and give.

Pastor Ryan’s sabbatical ends this week and his plan is to be back in the office Thursday. It will be good to have him back. ☺

This coming weekend is Labor Day (I’m sure you don’t need reminded of that). My sermon this Sunday will be on It’s Off to Work I Go. It is a sermon dedicated to the privilege of working, but also why we work. It will be a standalone sermon because September 10th starts a series on The God We Worship. Please be safe this weekend if you travel or if you simply stay home to enjoy the weekend with family and friends.  If you are in town, I do look forward to seeing you. I love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #170

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #170. I hope you are surviving this heat and having a great week so far.

Please remember to pray for Matt Taylor this week. Matt is the new Curriculum Director at

S-OCS. He has a pretty big job catching up with his responsibilities after a late hire. I’d like to ask that you especially pray for his travel. Matt lives in Avon with his wife and two children. One is a freshman in college this year and the other is a senior in high school.

HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS YET? OVCF’s 19th anniversary will be celebrated on October 29th. The plan is to have two services, a pitch-in following the second service, volunteer recognition, and a special dessert. We also hope to give you a more complete update on our building addition (if available).

Speaking of the building addition: the architect came out this past week to go over some ideas and strategies for his next steps. He will be talking to a civil engineer to come look at the property where we plan to build. After that…?  ☺

I have expressed before how hard it is for me to watch commercials about children like St. Jude’s. I have Jo mute commercials when I watch TV with her (she controls the remote!), but the ones about children really get to me. I know I don’t normally single out people for you to pray for but I have a couple that most definitely need prayer:

• Nolan Miller is the 16 year old son of Paul and Kelsey Miller. He is a fine young man and his parents are super people. While the Millers don’t attend OVCF, they have many friends here, especially in the home school co-op. Nolan has been diagnosed with leukemia and will have to undergo an intense regiment. He will be at Riley for at least 8 days, then chemo treatments will begin via port. He will have to go to Riley each week for a treatment, which is to last 2-2.5 years. They look for him to go into remission in about a month or so.  Update: Nolan came home yesterday (Tuesday).
• On the other end is an adult: Tim Thacker. He is the father to Sara Roberts, one of our ladies who attends second service. His other daughter, Amy, works with Linda St. John. He has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Pray for his healing and for the family.
• Each week we publish a rather long list of prayer requests in the bulletin. Many of them I suspect neither I, nor you, know. And yet, they have been put on our prayer list to be prayed for by someone who knows them. May I suggest that you use the bulletin’s prayer list as a guide to pray for people? I believe in a God who does far more than we can ask or think (Eph. 3:20).

Within the past week Jo and I said, “See you later” to two dear friends from a church we served at in the past. It is a fact of life that the older one gets the more it happens. ☺ Try to reach out to people you know who have lost someone close to them recently or in the past. Certain times of the year are a little bit harder than others. I say that because this past week someone texted me something they saw. It goes along with the church being a caring and loving place where people can find Jesus and friends. It is easy to criticize a church and say, “It’s not very friendly or caring.” Diana has worked her “magic” to be able to get it into this MM (the rumor is that I am technologically challenged).

I know you are busy so I won’t take up more of your time with my ramblings. I’ll close by saying that our daughter, Janna’s birthday is Wednesday so we plan to head to Ohio on Thursday to celebrate, to visit Jo’s sister on Friday morning, and to watch Braden, our grandson, play high school football Friday night. We will be back Saturday. If an emergency arises, you can reach me through Tami (who is staying here) or Diana. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday for my last sermon on Revelation in this cycle called The Underdog Wins. Love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #169

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #169. I know you are busy with a lot of school stuff, work stuff, and family stuff (that word “stuff” sure is used a lot isn’t it?), so thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope your week has been going well.

Let me remind you to pray for Andy Cline this week. Andy is the Superintendent of the S-OCS system and I have come to the conclusion that I don’t envy him one bit! ☺

I failed to mention last week about John Hess needing our prayers. On Wednesday he had a heart procedure done to either repair or replace a leaflet in his heart. The repair was more desirable and that is what they were able to do. His recovery has been a little rocky but the latest report is that he is improving. Pray for a complete recovery.

Switching gears for a minute: I have been asked several times in the past week or so, and twice Sunday, about the progress on the proposed addition to our building. Here is the latest:

• • First, after a lot of delays (I consider it “God delay”) and prayer we have decided to stay local. We had originally tried several other companies and had even been in serious talks with one, but the price they quoted was so much higher than we could afford…and that was just for an unfinished building shell!

• • The decision was made to go with Tabor Bruce for our architectural drawings and J.L. Benton (local builder) as our contractor. We signed a LOA (Letter of Agreement) with Doug Bruce and are now waiting for him to get back to us with some preliminary drawings. It is my hope (and I believe the other members of the Building Team) to be able to give you a more complete report on our Anniversary Sunday, which is October 29th. 

• • Jerry Benton was the contractor on our youth addition and we were happy with his work. Since his office is local that will be a big plus for us as well.
  • So…how much is in our Building Fund? With a generous gift we received, in addition to your faithful giving, we now have $305,142.67! Just keep praying and giving and our dream will be a reality. For those who are new to OVCF, we have made the decision to pay cash for our addition. The goal of this addition is to have a space where we can meet together in one service, plus have room to continue to serve our community.
  • If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the church office.

It was good to see Anna, Caleb and Rachel East yesterday. They got back home from their “East Meets West” vacation on Wednesday. I think they all grew some while they were gone. They had a great time. And for those who missed the end of the second service, Pastor Ryan and Hope came to pick them up and visited some. While the young ‘uns will be here, Pastor Ryan and Hope will be taking time away over the next 3 weeks to refresh and refuel personally. Pastor Ryan will return to the office at the end of August.

There has been a lot of talk generated about the movie Sound of Freedom starring Jim Caviezel. It is the true story of a government agent, Tim Ballard, who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex traffickers. (I consider sex trafficking a scourge on our society). You can tell it is a good, hard-hitting movie when the media pans it and spins lies about it. SoF is playing at the Tivoli August 17-20. Please be advised that it is raw, in that it depicts the ugliness of the sex trade, so it is not advised for children under 14.  Check the Tivoli for show times.

As a young boy I had a dream of playing professional baseball. Most young boys growing up near Pittsburgh dreamed of either playing football or baseball. I latched onto baseball. I loved it when my dad would take a Sunday and we would go to Forbes Field to watch a doubleheader between the Pirates and whomever. It didn’t matter. I was at the baseball field. That dream soon disappeared when I realized I wasn’t good enough. (Basketball was the same way. A cranky back and two old knees show you where that got me! ☺ ). Several years ago my brother, Rob, gave me a book called Sermon on the Mound and I recently pulled it off my shelf to read it in its entirety. Shortly into the book Mr. O’Connor wrote something that struck me:

“Organized religion, ironically, had a hand in my spiritual undoing. I think God is as comfortable with religion as the Rockettes are in Levi’s. That’s because, although He is interested in our buildings, our financial stewardship, our liturgy-all those things that hold an appropriate place within the fellowship and kingdom of God-He’s not hung up on them. God is primarily concerned with relationship. He loves us, not our stuff. He longs for us to return to Him that same love.” (p.20-21)

There are discussions about religion vs relationship going on all the time. For or against. While religion is a term used in church vernacular, it carries a weight around with it that is hard to bear. It speaks of rules and regulations, of heavy-handedness, of misery.

Relationship, on the other hand, carries with it a freshness, a closeness, an openness determined not by “have to” but by “want to.” Because of that thinking, I would most definitely agree with Mr. O’Connor. I would much rather have a relationship with Jesus than a religion.

This week’s sermon is entitled The Word Everyone Dislikes from Revelation 11. Please read the Scripture beforehand. It will give you a better handle on the message.

Have a great rest of the week! I love you all.

Pastor Bill