Category: MidweekMessage

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #164

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #164. After a week’s hiatus due to the holiday and other stuff (how’s that for an educational word?) I’m back. I know you missed me. If not, please don’t tell me. ☺

Our Military Person of the week to pray for is Robert Herrington. Robert is a 2nd LT and just graduated the infantry officer basic leadership course. His desire is to complete both ranger and airborne school before moving to Ft. Johnson, Louisiana in December, where he will be part of 1st battalion 509th infantry regiment Geronimo.

As most of you are aware, Pastor Ryan & Hope, and their children, Anna, Caleb and Rachel leave for a 7 week sabbatical this week. He will be incommunicado during this time. If you have any questions please direct them to Diana or me. I could say just Diana since she know a whole lot more than me about what is going on. ☺ We will try to answer any questions you may have. With that in mind, Pastor Ryan asked if I would include the following in my MM and I told him, “Sure.” So here is a “send-off note” from Ryan:

As you read this, it’s very likely that we are somewhere in the flatlands of Iowa, Nebraska or South Dakota making our way west in our grand “the Easts go West” road trip. Our anticipation at this stage is set on the sites of grandeur that await in the beautiful western national parks. I’m looking forward to Friday’s sunrise peeking over the pinnacles at the Badlands in SD.

Recently, one of our students, who is a football player, commented on how summer conditioning is going. It’s hard, hot work meant to yield mental toughness and physical strength and endurance. Its benefits compound, meaning the more regularly you do it – the greater the payoff over time. Conditioning done once yields little results, but conditioning done over time leads to great endurance and much gain.

Back to that SD sunrise… watching God doing something beautiful and AWEsome, majestic and wondrous – doing that once is great, but over time, done daily will yield a compounding kind of AWE and praise of God. It is to the soul of a Christ-follower what summer conditioning is to a football player. We are praying that God would condition our hearts to be AWED by Him and to love Him and praise Him and give thanks to Him – over and over as we repeatedly take in the majesty of what He’s created.

This leads me to a last thought. It is easy to praise God in such circumstances, natural even. But what about in the less-beautiful parts of life, in the daily grind, in the normal stuff, in the busy calendar, in the pile of dirty dishes and laundry to be done, when the uncut grass reminds you there’s still normal work to be done, responsibilities to be attended to? What about an attitude of praise and thanksgiving when the bills pile up, when others let you down, when prayers seem to go unanswered, even feel unheard. In those times, praise doesn’t come easy and thanksgiving feels unnatural. In all these circumstances, lean hard on the TRUTH: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again rejoice. Does your heart need the kind of conditioning that only rejoicing can bring?  I want to practice this truth daily, regardless of circumstances. Will you join me in that practice? May God reveal his love and favor to you as the eyes of your heart search for him through praise and thanksgiving! May his abundant grace be yours!

We love you. We are grateful for this season. And we are praying for you! Thank you for your prayers, love and support. -Ryan

My guess is that it will seem a little different around here. In our Monday staff meetings, Ryan is the one who normally brings the Dry Bar Comedy video to make us laugh, or the scene from The Chosen to make us think, or the video to make us shed a tear. It will seem strange not seeing him on the drums. It will seem odd not hearing a foreign accent (British, Scottish, Australian, Russian, etc) not coming at random times. We were talking this past Saturday, when he stopped in at the office, about making memories. I can still remember the anniversaries spent at camp when I was a dean in Ohio, or Tami’s face when she found out she had been tricked and that we were going through Dyersville, Iowa to stop off at the Field of Dreams in 1993. (I can also remember Janna’s face and demeanor when she found out we were in Illinois and almost home on that same vacation. ☺ She is a homebody). And I can also still remember Janna’s hesitation and ultimate joy when she shared that she really wanted to go back to Lincoln Christian University for her Sophomore year and I said, “We will make it happen.” Memories are the building blocks of family life that last forever. Pray for Pastor Ryan and Hope and their children to make lasting memories…even when the “fun” of being in a van for what seems like forever becomes a chore. I told him I would pray they would all survive and still like each other at the end of their trip. ☺

As I stated this past Sunday, I have returned to the series on Revelation after the two month hiatus on Anxiety, Worry, Fear, and Depression. My sermon this week will be Here Comes Trouble from Revelation 6:9-17. My plan is to be in Revelation until the end of August and then do a series on The God We Worship.  I’ll give more details as I firm them in the future.

We have one camper this week: Trevor Floyd will be going to Hilltop for the first ever Paintball Camp. Yeah…I probably won’t make that visit. Trevor might decide to “welcome” me. ☺  Next week we have two campers: Julian Carson and Cooper Wood for the Junior II week.

Jacob and Mia McCall will be with us at both services on July 23rd to tell us about their work in the Dominican Republic. I will still be preaching that morning as well.

One more thing: Move-Up Sunday is the 30th. I will share more in upcoming MMs.

Have a great rest of the week. I hope you are enjoying your summer. I miss seeing some of you on Sundays but I hope you are watching our live stream. This past Sunday Christine Chambers texted to say that she had to work at the restaurant but, when it was time for church to start, Eliza (age 10) asked her to sign in so she could watch. That is so cool! One more thing: never forget you are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 163

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #163. We have hit the longest-day-of-the-summer point (June 21) and if the previous month has been a harbinger of things to come, we are in for a doozy the next two months. But I’m not complaining. I enjoy the heat much more than I do the snow. Did I just say that nasty word? Forgive me and I hope you will still keep reading.

Remember to pray for Le’Von and Ashley Griffin. Ashley is Dawn Murphy’s daughter. She is an inspector for the University of Texas and Le’Von is a police officer for the city of Austin, TX. They have 4 children: Quinlan, Sterling, Jacyn, and Ilam.

This past Saturday was the Serving Owen County Together event. One word describes the day: H-O-T! But it was also very fulfilling.  Aaron LaGrange, the organizer of the event, sent out an email Saturday evening. All told there were 112 volunteers. We served 1054 people- 577 adults and 477 children. That is not including the food given to the Lions Club for their free lunch program; Backpack Buddies, which serves our S-OCS students with food to take home on the weekends; and the Spencer Food Bank (Mark Mission). I know others received the same comments Jo and I received of how grateful they were and thankful for the food and clothing they received. (Everything was provided free of charge). I truly feel we offered some hope and help to people who needed it.

“A pox upon me for a clumsy lout.”  Those words by George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life to Mary were strange to my ears. Still are. I think he meant “I really messed up.” Well, I have to say that as well if that is the meaning. When I was mentioning in last week’s MM the young people who were campers last week and this week, I left out some names. (Insert forehead slap here). Anyway, I failed to mention that Sophia Kropack was a camper at Day Camp II on the 22nd, and then Sophia and her friend, Loran Lewis, and Amelia Borders were campers on the 23rd at Wilderness Day Camp II.  I also failed to mention that Alli Anderson is a camper this week at the Sr High Wilderness Camp.  Abby and Anna Bales are also campers.  You know what is even more sad (or possibly scarier) is that I had their names written down with check marks (I wrote them a note) right in front of me! ☺

So…here are the campers at Hilltop this week: (Dorm side-Jr. Girls) Charli Wood and Bella Madorin.  (Wilderness) Mackenzie Adams, Alli Anderson, Abby and Anna Bales, Anna East, Caleb East, Meilynn Hess, Nolan Miller, and Hannah Pendleton.  Faculty: Pastor Ryan & Hope East (Deans), Macy Carlson, Brandon Chandler, Anna Katz, Westin & Cassie Linville, Linda St John, and Mollie Wainscott.

Your campers to pray for next week (HS week at the dorm side): Kathryn Anderson, Maddie Miller, Noah Pendleton, Evie Willen, and Keely Wills.

I missed all the action Sunday afternoon! Not that I’m complaining after getting back into town. I was visiting someone in Hendricks County Hospital (Danville) when on my way home I started getting phone calls and texts from Jo and also having my music interrupted by a voice telling me a thunderstorm warning or tornado warning was so many miles from my current location. As I drove home the sky looked really ominous. I had maybe 5 minutes of rain the whole trip. I kept looking at the sky and looking for places to possibly pull over if necessary but I didn’t have to. However, I saw some of the damage hail can cause when I got back into town.  I hope you were and are safe from this latest round of “weather events.” It sure has been a weird weather season hasn’t it?

This coming Sunday is my last in the series of Faith Over Fear.  Confession time: this has been an interesting series to study for and to preach. I have never done one like this before so, in total transparency, it was sort of daunting to start with. I realize I am not an expert and did feel somewhat inadequate, but just hope and pray it gave some help and some perspective to some folks. Sunday, July 9th, I will be back in Revelation, starting at chapter 6 with “Here Come the Horses!” I’ll fill you in more as it gets closer but at this point I do plan to go to the end of August with this series. That will by no means be the end of it, but I may take another break to focus on something else. I’m praying about that right now. Like I said, I will keep you updated.

This Sunday is considered to be a part of the Fourth of July celebration. While I won’t be preaching on politics (never), I do want to encourage you to celebrate the birth of our nation and the sacrifices that were made when those early colonists and their ragtag army took on the British army and secured our freedom. The price many of those early signers of the Declaration of Independence paid can never be minimized.  I could list what kind of sacrifices the signers of the DoI made, but here is a complete listing for you: https://www.nhccs.org/Destiny.html  It is worth your while to check it out.

With that being said, it leads me to this next thought: With July 4th being on Tuesday and the office closed, there will not be a MM next week.  I know you will miss me but try not to cry too much. ☺ Since there will not be a MM, please add Logan Cain to your prayer list. Logan will be our military person to pray for next week. Logan is a Lance Corporal in the USMC, working as a military police officer at Quantico, VA.

Remember to celebrate our nation’s freedom next week, but always keep in mind the greatest freedom of all was purchased on a cross over 2000 years ago by the perfect Son of God.  I love you all, but He loves you more and deeper. Have a great rest of the week.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #162

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #162! After surviving last week’s introduction of the MM (world famous, much-read and ever popular MM) I didn’t think I ought to try for another grand entrance. J  So, I’ll simply say, thanks for taking the time to read this edition of MM.

Please remember to pray for Nikk Wood as our Law Enforcement Officer of the week. Nikk serves with the Bloomington Police Department as well the Indiana National Guard so he gets double duty from time to time. He is father to Charli, Cooper, and Tanner.

By the time you get this, the Ice Breaker camp at Hilltop will be over. It started on Sunday and was over on Tuesday. It is the camper’s first foray into overnight camping. Campers this week were Cohen Frye, Oakley Groomer, and Tanner Wood. It is never too late to pray for their time at camp to have a lasting effect on them. Reports from last week’s Jr. High Wilderness Week were very positive. I believe that is not only due to the planning and work of the faculty, and the campers’ cooperation, but also the prayers made on their behalf.  Let me encourage you to never stop praying for a camper even though the week is finished.  The Bible is very clear about planting seeds and the harvest that comes as a result.

Jo and I are grateful to all of you who sent us cards celebrating our 50^th anniversary. We are very thankful for the thoughts expressed in each card and felt very loved, appreciated and celebrated. I understand there were some partners in crime I need to thank, primarily our daughter, Tami, and Diana, who sent out an email making doubly sure our names were deleted from the list. J We were able to take a few days and make a trip to Ohio to watch Mike, Janna’s significant other, play softball; then watch Braden play 3 ballgames. It was a wood-bat tournament. If you know anything about baseball these days, they normally use aluminum bats. This was “old school” in that they went back to wooden bats (the kind I used when I played oh-so-many-years-ago). His team lost by 1; came back to win the next game by 3 or 4; then lost by 1.  The good thing for us is that no game was cancelled because of rain. Last year, every game but one was rained out, and then it was so cold it froze my face off. We enjoyed our time with our family, but it is always good to get back home and sleep in your own bed.

Father’s Day 2023 is history. We had a good day with nine different men sharing their thoughts on the man in the Bible whom they most look up to. A big thank you goes to Wayne Akerson, Andy Wood, Scott Herrington, Terrie MacMorran, Joe Pavich, Jeff Carlson, Westin Linville, Ryan White, and Steve Pendleton. Tony Roberts was unable to take part due to a knee injury.

Father’s Day was also the official end to New Beginning Pregnancy Resource Center’s Change for Life fundraiser. If you were unable to bring your change-filled baby bottle to the church building, you may turn it in at OVCF or take it directly to the NB building on Main Street in Spencer.

I thought I would practice the old adage “The early bird catches the worm.” Due to the MM coming out midweek, camp is already underway, so I thought I’d be proactive and give you a heads up about the upcoming Sr. High Wilderness Week at Hilltop. There are…get this…40 campers! Add the faculty to that and it promises to be a whopper of a week!! Faculty is Pastor Ryan and Hope, Westin and Cassie Linville, Anna Katz, Brandon Chandler, Linda St. John, and Mollie Wainscott. Campers and friends of students from OVCF include McKenzie Adams, Anna and Caleb East, Meilynn Hess, Nolan Miller, and Hannah Pendleton.  To add to your prayers, there is also Jr High Girl’s Week on the dormitory camp side with Charli Wood and Bella Madorin taking part.  That is a lot of campers to pray for!!

This Saturday is Serving Owen County Together at the OVMS/OVHS parking lot. I’ve been sharing you with the past month or so the details, so at the risk of being overly repetitive, let me just say we can use your help. The event goes from 7:00-4:00. I’ve said this all along: it is a great way to serve our community.

I just finished reading The Church in Babylon by Erwin Lutzer. He tells the following story:

Bishop Samuel, who died in a hail of gunfire when Anwar Sadat was assassinated in Egypt in the early 1980s, told a friend of mine how Christianity conquered North Africa. Christians were marginalized, and, at best, were given the hardest jobs, such as working in the fields or collecting garbage. When the plagues came, dead bodies were stacked up and burned. Whenever possible, the Christians washed the bodies and buried them, arguing that in light of the resurrection, even the wicked have a right to a decent burial.

They didn’t have abortion like we do, but unwanted babies were left out on the streets or in alleys to starve, unless someone wanted them. The church organized “baby runs” to find these abandoned babies. Of course, there were no baby bottles in those days, so the babies were brought to nursing mothers to nurse them as if they were their own.

And the pagans asked, “Where is all that love coming from?”  (Pp.262-263)

He goes on to make this point: “It’s true the world can outnumber us, out-entertain us, and out-finance us, but let it never be said they can out-love us, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given unto us.” (p.263)

“They will know we are Christians by our love” the old chorus says. And may you always know you are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #160

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #160. Well…with the temps already in the August range, sort of makes ya’ wonder what August will be like. But I’m not complaining. I like it hot. It makes it easier on these old joints. ☺ Anyway, I do hope you have had a good beginning to your summer so far.

Let me remind you to pray for Ryan White this week. Ryan is the Sheriff of Owen County. Pray for him to be a good leader, a fair one, and a good team leader for the deputies. As you can imagine, his job is not easy. He is married to Karen and they have two sons, Kaden and Kysen, who a-l-w-a-y-s get along. ☺ Last week’s LEO, Caleb Hutchison texted me to tell our church family thanks for praying for him!

We celebrated Grad Day this past Sunday. All told we celebrated three college graduates.

• Abigail Herrington graduated from Taylor University. After a wedding on June 17th at Abram Event Venue, she and Jonathan will be moving to East Lansing where she will teach 5th grade language arts and science.
• Kelci Wood graduated from Goucher College in Towson (near Baltimore), Maryland. She attended there on a swimming scholarship. Kelci has accepted a job as special assistant to the Deputy Mayor of Baltimore.
• Jacob Schunk graduated from IU/Kelly School of Business and has moved to Illinois to work for Granger in Chicago. We honored Jacob two weeks ago because he was moving the week of May 22nd.

We do pray for God’s blessings upon Abigail, Kelci and Jacob as they continue to follow His path. My prayer for them comes from my favorite chapter in the Bible-Psalm 37: “Trust in the Lord, and do good…Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” (Verses 3-5).

Father’s Day is just around the corner and there are men lined up to speak at each service about the man in the Bible they most admire. Last year I had enough men willing to speak to have one service. This year I am super excited to let you know that I had enough men respond to fill two services!  Here are some of the men from the Bible they chose: Cornelius, Daniel, Jonathan, Job, Ananias, Joseph, Solomon, Stephen, Adam, and of course, Jesus. That last one was an expected one for obvious reasons. But…you knew that, right?! Those were names the men gave; not all will be spoken about.

When I mentioned Serving Owen County Together (SOCT) on Sunday, I said that I would have more information in the MM. We have helped and been involved since its inception 3 years ago. For those who may not have a handle on what SOCT is, here is a short rundown. SOCT involves several different organizations and vendors providing free shoes, socks, clothes, baby supplies, some furniture and a whole lot more! Here are more particulars for you:

• The date is June 24 from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  (The rain date is scheduled for July 1, but let’s hope we don’t need it). The event itself is from 9-3:00.
• It takes place in the front parking lot of the middle school/high school complex.
• Help is needed especially during the set-up and tear down times.
• You may stay the whole time to help or take a shift.
• Snacks and drinks will be provided for volunteers and pizza will be brought in for lunch.
• Here is the link to sign up to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050d4dabae29a2fc1-2023#/

This is a good way to serve the community. This is a big undertaking and we need your help.

Switching Gears: Several weeks ago Pastor Ryan told us about the sabbatical he, Hope and their children were taking from July 12-August 30. As we was speaking he told us about a Sabbatical Prayer Guide which would soon be available so we would know how to pray for them while they are gone. It was available this past Sunday on the back table, but when I looked there was only one left. Since I know there were many who were not able to be here; forgot to pick one up and remembered when you were outside or on your way home; or had children to corral, I talked with Ryan and he said more will be available this Sunday.

This past Sunday during my sermon on Bringing the Giant to Its Knees, I spoke about worry being a choice and also a liar. It isn’t just a bad habit; it is the enemy’s tactic-a strategy built on lies. Those lies are designed to tear our mind to pieces and to take away our peace and joy. Our immortal enemy (Satan) will stop at nothing to accomplish that. Monday morning I was reading from Anxiety…Knowing God’s Peace, the 31 day devotional I recommended to you. On Day 28 the author made a comment about Martin Luther’s song, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” He said, “God is our fortress; He is a military stronghold-an impenetrable building where we can run and hide. He is our bulwark; He is a stockade-a wall of defense against earthly and spiritual enemies.” (p.79) Later in that same devotion he says, “Anxiety hinders our faith and clouds our focus. It disables us. It doesn’t want us to see the good works of the Lord.” (p.80).

To go along with that, someone sent me a quote via text this past week: “Appeal to God’s presence when fear begins to overtake you so that the emotion of fear doesn’t become a spirit of fear.” (Quote by Tony Evans)

My prayer for you this week is that you will know the truth of Psalm 27:1. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (ESV)

And may you always remember you are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #159

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #159.  I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day celebration with family and friends and took time to remember the men and women who served, and now serve, our country. No matter what some may say, this is still the greatest country to live in.

During summer break, we will put our prayers for school personnel on pause. We will begin praying for our Law Enforcement Officers. This week please pray for Caleb Hutchison. Caleb works for the Department of Natural Resources. Like all LEOs he carries a big responsibility on his shoulders. Please include his wife, Amanda, and their two children, Addi and Owen in your prayers.

This coming Sunday is Graduate Recognition Sunday! We will be acknowledging the remaining two college graduates-Abigail Herrington (Taylor University) and Kelci Wood (Goucher College). I will have more details of their degrees and future plans after Sunday. Look in next week’s MM for those details.

Just an FYI: I am really, really, (did I say really?) excited about Father’s Day (FD). I will give you more information as we get closer, but let me just say that the number of men who have responded to my request to participate has exceeded my expectations. The number of men who have stepped up to do Communion Thoughts and now to take part in FD has shown me that there are some men who are serious about taking leadership in their home and in the church. I think you will be just as excited about FD as I am. More information to come!!

Another FYI: It is not too late to register your child to attend Hilltop Camp for a week that will change their life. I do not know at this point how many of our young people have signed up to attend camp, but I do know that Pastor Ryan and Hope have two full weeks of Wilderness Camp. One week is totally filled and the other is close. Ryan showed me the improvements which are being made to the wilderness camp area and they are beautiful. Just this past week we had some visitors who had children they were inquiring for about camp. If you would like to know more about Hilltop or about signing up your child, please call Diana at the church office. She can give you a code to use when you sign up. Just so you know: the elders of OVCF have made a commitment to pay scholarships for all campers. But we can’t do that unless you contact Diana to get the scholarship code. And I know this added bonus will convince you for sure! Ryan and I have made it a practice to visit the weeks of camp in which we have young people to let them know they are being thought of. We usually go in the afternoon, embarrass them in front of their peers by being the old geezers who come to visit (at least me), then leave. ☺  Hey, that alone is worth the price of admission!!

Did you also know that we have a ton, and I mean a ton of young people, who are participating in summer ball at the Sports Complex? I’m not even going to try to list them all, there are so many. Jo and I have tried to attend as many games as we can (Tami has also joined us as some of the kids were in her kindergarten class at school) and have spent many-a-night walking from one end of the complex to the other and back again. We come home and our legs and feet are sore, but man, have we had fun!! It sort of takes me back to my days as a youth pastor when I attended game after game. It was easier on my body back then, but I gotta tell you, we have had a blast!

Remember in past MMs how I told you that Pastor Ryan and I were reading to the kindergarten classes in the S-OCS system? Two new kindergarten teachers are being hired to cover new classes at GES and SES. What an exciting future for the schools! I can’t wait to see what that will bring when it comes to reading to the classes.

I’d like to share a story with you. I have been reading No Reason to Hide by Erwin Lutzer. Pastor Lutzer was the pastor at Moody Memorial Church in Chicago for an amazing 36 years. He now writes some very insightful books. One other I read during the pandemic was We Will Not Be SILENCED.  Anyway, here is the story:

Millions of mothers can be called heroes. One such is Sonya, who entered into an abusive marriage at 13, and later separated from her husband. She never did learn to read, but she was passionate that her children learn to do so.

She had two son, Curtis and Benjamin. Ben was 8, his brother, Curtis, was 10 when their parents divorced. Sonya worked 2-3 jobs at a time, leaving their small apartment at 5:00 a.m. to go to work, and not coming home until midnight.

When the brothers came home with poor grades, she instituted a strict change. She limited her sons’ TV time and they couldn’t go outside until their schoolwork was done.

Sonya could not have predicted her son Ben would become a famous pediatric surgeon. He performed the first reported separation of twins who were joined at the back of the head. He was an esteemed professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery, and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Ben Carson always paid tribute to his mother and credits her fervent dedication to him and his brother for their success. {Pages 230-231- Edited for space}

More could be said about parenting and schools (but I’ll refrain), but I leave you with this: we may never know the influence we have now, or down the road. But let’s make sure it is a good one.

Have a good rest of the week and remember you are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #158

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #158, and welcome to summer vacation! S-OCS graduation is history. Congratulations is in order for all the 2023 graduates. For the first time in the time I have been at OVCF, we had no high school graduates. But we do have three college graduates: Jacob Schunk (IU/Kelly School of Business); Kelci Wood (Goucher University) and Abigail Herrington (Taylor University).  We will be recognizing Kelci and Abigail on June 4th. We recognized Jacob this past Sunday since he leaves Friday for his job with Granger in Chicago. He will return to be married to Sydney Stockman in October and then they will moving there for possibly two years. Jacob graduated with three degrees from IU: 1) Information Systems Management; 2) Supply Chain; and 3) Business Analytics. I will give the details about Kelci and Abigail after the June 4th recognition. Congratulations again to all the 2023 high school and college graduates.

It is now officially known! If you were here Sunday, watched via livestream, or heard by word of mouth, Pastor Ryan and his family will be taking a 7 week sabbatical from July 12-August 31. As Ryan mentioned, he will not be in the office for that period of time, nor will he be answering phone calls or texts. Methinks mine and Diana’s summer just took on an air of “what-will-all-this-mean-for-us?” As Ryan expressed, we (the elders, Diana, and I) have known about this for several months and it has allowed Diana and I to kick around some things already. Ryan has also done a great job of delegating responsibilities for different classes and youth-oriented programming. It will mean a lot of people involved in the youth program and helping where needed. It will also mean Diana and I (her especially) will be the contact person for different questions which may arise. I ask for your patience with all things youth. I’ll talk more about that as the sabbatical happens.

One thing it may affect is the Midweek Message. It is possible I will not write one every week. They may be sporadic this summer, depending on Diana’s and my workload. I’ve said this before, but she is the one who really makes the MM palatable. ☺ I write it; she edits it. I say things that she rewords to make more sense or to even make them “softer.” I sometimes forget that the MM goes to more than just OVCF folks. It is on our website; our Facebook group; the Chamber offers it; and it is sent to a ton of people via email. I even send it to several people separately. All that to say that the MM may be hit or miss this summer. But who knows? No one has ever accused me of being at a loss for words. ☺ ☺

Don’t forget New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center’s Change for Life fundraiser that started on Mother’s Day and has a target stopping date of Father’s Day (June 18). Here again are the ways you can donate:

• You may take a baby bottle to fill and return with your change or check.
• Mail a donation to the Center (PO Box 313, Spencer)
• Give online through their website: http://newbeginningsowen.org
• Use the link on their Facebook page/our Facebook group

The ministry of NB is so essential, especially in our community. During the Mother’s Day presentation, Becca Anderson told us about a client they were able to smile with about pregnancy news; grieve with when she lost her baby; then rejoice with when a healthy baby was born just a few weeks ago. NB made a difference in that family’s life. There are more stories like that which I’m sure could be shared. Your donation makes a difference!

This coming weekend is Memorial Day weekend. I found the following story in my files and I’d like to share it with you.

One day a poor boy, who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only a dime left and he was hungry. He decided to ask for a meal at the next house but lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead, he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked hungry, so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly and asked, “How much do I owe you?” “Nothing,” she said. “Mother taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”

Howard Kelly decided then and there that his life had meaning and his faith in God and others was restored. He would somehow “pay back” to others.

Years later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled and finally sent her to a big city hospital. Howard Kelly was called in for a consultation and he recognized the town’s name. He also recognized the patient.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it but finally looked at the edge and read the words…”Paid in full with one glass of milk.” (signed) Dr. Howard Kelly (edited to fit)

This Memorial Day remember those who served so that we might be free. They have often never heard a “Thank you” for their service. If you know someone who served in the military, tell them thanks. Also keep in mind this Memorial Day that Christ has paid the debt-IN FULL! THAT is what we ought to be most thankful for.

My sermon series on Faith Over Fear continues this week with Three Essentials You MUST Believe.” The Scripture is Psalm 13:1-2, 5-6. See you then! You are loved!!

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #157

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #157. I hope all of you ladies had a great Mother’s Day celebration in your honor. I dare not forget the best part of me: Jo, my soon-to-be-wife of 50 years. I also have fond memories of my mother’s and grandmother’s influence, as well as other ladies-like Sunday school teachers; Miss Kutzer, my 4th grade school teacher whom I had a crush on; Mrs. John, who opened her home with iced tea and chocolate chip cookies for a teenage boy who just moved to a new home; a college teacher or two who challenged me; and so many more-all who played a part in helping me grow. I do hope you expressed your love to those women who have made a difference in your life.

I owe a great big huge thank you to the following ladies for taking part in our Mother’s Day service: First service-Tara Brinson (Mary, the mother of Jesus); Meshelle Roberts (Deborah); and Gail Kempe (Lydia). Second service- Becca Anderson (Sarah); Nannette Edwards (Hannah); Stacy Wood (Tamar); and Sydney Stockman (Mary of Bethany). I am so grateful to these ladies for their part in making our Mother’s Day service a little extra special.

Our school-related prayer is for April Walker this week. April is an Executive Secretary for the S-OCS school system.

It is hard to believe that the 2022-2023 school year is coming to a close this week. That, of course, doesn’t mean the work is done. Graduation. Report cards. End of the year reports and so much more are still ahead. Graduation is on the minds of many, and that includes the church. This coming Sunday, the 21st, is the final day to let us know of any graduates we need to recognize from the church family. At this point- you may find it hard to believe- but we have no high school graduates. But we do have three college graduates. I cannot ever remembering that happening. Once more: please let Diana or Pastor Ryan know if there is a graduate we need to know about.

Mother’s Day is traditionally the start of Change for Life, the annual fundraiser for New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center (NB). It runs from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day. I’ll repeat what I wrote in last week’s MM: There are several ways you can donate to NB:

• Take a baby bottle (available at OVCF or the Center) to fill and return on or before Father’s Day.  You may fill it with your loose change or simply choose to include a check.
• Mail a donation to the Center (PO Box 313, Spencer, IN 47460)
• Give online through their website: http://newbeginningsowen.org
• Use the link on their Facebook page or our Facebook group

Several years ago I was on the board of NB and I can honestly say a lot goes on behind the scenes than you or I will never grasp. They have only one paid staff person (the Director, Stacy Kristoff). The rest of the work is done by some very faithful volunteers of all ages. Many of those volunteers are ladies from OVCF. I make no apologies for being a supporter of the sanctity of life and of New Beginnings.

I took the time to go back and look for the last time I made any mention of the progress on our building addition. It was MM #144 (you can do the math as to how long ago that was. Just remember I have written a MM almost every week since I started). ☺  Currently, we are still in the gathering facts and information stage. We met virtually with a company several weeks ago to talk through some items and nothing has been decided yet. I know that the desire for an addition and being together is important to many, but we also need to proceed wisely. I’d like to reiterate something I have said several times before: going into debt is not something we consider an option. The wisdom of not having debt played itself out during COVID when churches, schools, etc. had to shut down. Many churches had to close up shop, lay off staff, cease doing some much-needed ministries and more, simply because they could not afford to continue operating. Due to having no debt and your faithfulness that did not happen to OVCF. We don’t want to be one of those casualties in the future, so we are operating with extreme caution. There is no doubt it will take longer to come to fruition but it will be worth it! Thanks for being patient with us as we try to make the right decisions.

After the one-Sunday reprieve due to Mother’s Day, I will be back on schedule preaching about Worry and Anxiety. This Sunday’s sermon is Who Me? Worry? I’d like to ask you to read Matthew 6:25-34 ahead of time and to come “prayed up” for God to speak through His Word to you.

I read an interesting tidbit recently. In 1953, a fledgling business called Rocket Chemical Company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust preventing solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry. The original secret for WD-40-which stands for Water Displacement, 40th attempt-is still in use today. In a recent year, WD-40 had sales of more than $380 million.

Let’s ask an interesting question: what if they had stopped at #39? What if Joshua and the children of Israel had stopped at Day 6 or even Day 7 walk-around #6? They would have missed #7 and the opportunity to watch the walls fall. We often quit too soon. The Bible says, “Those who wait/hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Don’t wallow in self-pity. Use whatever is happening as an opportunity to grow.

Have a great rest of the week. I look forward to seeing and spending Sunday with you. Until then, please remember you are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #156

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #156! I hope your week has been going well and that the rest of the week will be even better.

Please be praying for Jennifer Schmitter, our school-related person for the week. Jennifer is in charge of the Food Service and Technology Reporting for S-OCS.

I owe a great big debt of thanks to the men who were involved in giving the Communion Meditations the past three months. In Midweek Message #148 I gave the names of the men who served during the first month and a half. Here is a list of all the men who went out of their comfort zone and gave a meditation thought: Bobby Anderson, Robert Herrington (now stationed at Fort Benning, GA), Bruce Davis, Steve Pendleton, Charley Shipley, Brad Brinson, Joe Pavich, Bruce Fisher, Jacob Schunk, Andy Wood, Mike Edwards, Ryan White, Matt Beckwith, Wayne Akerson, Westin Linville, Dave Keith, and Terrie MacMorran.  The good news is that many of them have said they would do it again, and I been able to add a couple more to the list! That excites me to see men step forward.

This Sunday is a big deal for several reasons.

1. 1. The first and biggest deal of all: it is Mother’s Day. It is certainly a great day to celebrate the women who have had and still do have an influence on our lives. ☺
   2. This Sunday also starts the Change for Life fundraiser for New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center. Change for Life runs from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day. There are several ways you can donate:

• • • Take a bottle (available at OVCF or the Center) to fill and return on or before Father’s Day
    • Mail a donation to the Center (PO Box 313, Spencer)
    • Give online through their website: http://newbeginningsowen.org
    • Use the link on their Facebook page or our Facebook group (once available)

This is a great way to make a difference for the sanctity of life in Owen County.

One of the worst things a person can do is forget acknowledging the achievement of someone, especially when that achievement is a milestone. One such milestone is graduation-high school or college. Unfortunately, I have been on the end of forgetting someone’s name and it is not a pretty sight. YOU CAN DO US A GREAT BIG HUGE FAVOR! If you have a high school or college graduate we need to know. But time is of the essence. Deadline is May 21 and Graduate Recognition Day is June 4. Please call the church office (812.828.9840) or contact Diana or Pastor Ryan. Thanks.

In Midweek Message #143 I mentioned to you that Pastor Ryan and I have been reading to the Kindergarten classes in the Owen County school system. Ryan has been reading to the two K classes at McCormick’s Creek Elementary School (MCES), as well as a pre-school class. I have been reading to the three K classes at Spencer Elementary (SES), as well as at Patricksburg (PES), and Gosport (GES). We had, in the past, both taken part in the Real Men Read program that originated out of Monroe County United Way. COVID sort of shut that down, except I was able to read to Mrs. Lee’s class at SES when we were able to go outside. With Tami teaching Kindergarten at SES this year, I asked about starting the program again. The three teachers there were fine with it, and when I contacted the teachers at PES, GES, and MCES they were all on board as well. Since Ryan had a connection with MCES I asked if he would continue there and I took the others since it was too late to ask other men to be involved. It has been one of the most fun things I have done all year!! But, for me, this week ends reading to the kids for this school year.  It has been interesting working all the schools into my schedule, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. Special thanks to Tami, Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Glaze at SES; Mrs. Hensley at PES; Mrs. White at GES; Mrs. King, Mrs. Potts and Miss Bougher at MCES. I understand things will be even more challenging next year with some additional classes. (The emoji I can’t insert is one with eyes and mouth wide open). ☺

The laminated bulletin inserts from Sunday’s sermon on God’s Desire for You are still available. We had some left and they will be on the back table or you can call or text me to ask for one. To stay with Sunday’s theme, here are the books I recommended to you:

• • Winning the War on Worry and Putting An X Through Anxiety by Louie Giglio
  • Attacking Anxiety by Shawn Johnson
  • Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace by Paul Tautges (31 day devotional)

The two by Louie are easy reads with sections to fill in. The one by Shawn is his coming-to-grips with panic attacks, depression and anxiety from the standpoint of a sufferer (who also is a pastor of a megachurch in Colorado). The latter book speaks for itself. You can purchase them from Amazon or Christianbook.com.

This Sunday’s sermon is not a sermon at all. Several women have agreed to share their hearts with you about a woman in the Bible whom they admire. I look forward to hearing the women speak and seeing you Sunday. I love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #155

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #155! After being gone this weekend, I’m a little behind the 8 ball in getting this done. But hopefully it won’t be too disjointed (especially since I am after being gone). I suspect some of you are thinking “And that is different how?” ☺

Before I get into anything else, let me remind you to pray for Ann Cooper, the personnel secretary for the S-OCS system. I’m sure she would appreciate your thoughts and prayers, especially as the school year winds down and soon a new one will start. (Did I just say that?)

Jo and I had a nice weekend away visiting Janna and Braden in Ohio. We left Friday morning and found out on the way there that his ballgame for Friday night was cancelled. So we took him to his favorite place to eat-a place called Roosters. I have to admit it has become one of my favorites as well when we are visiting them, especially since the closest one to us is in Clarksville. He did play on Saturday and it was a nice, sunny day. Saturday evening we went out to eat. Sunday we attended Adventure Church in Delaware, OH with Mike and Trisha Laws. Ryan joined us after the service had started. Mike, Trisha and Ryan were our guests several years ago telling their story of how Mike donated his kidney to Ryan. At lunch (yes we ate again!), Mike and Trisha expressed how much they appreciated the opportunity come here and share their story. I told them I had been considering asking them to return and give us a follow-up to their incredible story and they said they would love to do that! God has taken them on an exciting journey and they give Him the credit for how it has turned out. So, I am working on finding a date when they can return to share their story.  Sunday night we had a chance to be with Janna, Braden, and her friend, Mike. And yes, true to form we went out to eat. (How does a spinach and smoked salmon salad sound? The answer: very good). We left early Monday morning to come home.  Several observations:

• I texted Janna Sunday night to thank her for letting us crash her weekend. We left tired (weary), stuffed, but contented.
• Going to Adventure Church with Mike and Trisha was a different experience. I had nothing to do so it was nice to be on the other side of things. I absolutely love what I do and wouldn’t want to do anything else, but it is always good to see “how the other side lives.” I have to admit neither Jo nor I knew any of the three worship songs they sang. They had baptism Sunday, and I think they baptized a total of 15 people. What they did was really cool. They announced each one of the people and then put their names with a short statement from each individual on the screen. They didn’t have a baptistry, but used one of those inflatable pools. It was rather unique to witness.  All in all it was a pleasant visit.
• I realized how much I missed seeing you all. We were able to listen for part of the time to the live stream, but then had to leave. Jo listened to it while we were driving as well. But I missed being here, even though it was necessary to be away. Thanks to Pastor Ryan for preaching for me and making it possible to leave.

This is a reminder! This Sunday starts my series on Faith Over Fear. I’m excited to preach a series that seems to be so welcomed and needed. Sunday’s sermon is “What We All Want” and you can prepare ahead of time by reading Mark 4:35-41. Struggling with fear and anxiety is nothing new, but living in 2023 has ramped up the anxiety. Some struggle because of their mental health. Some struggle because of events of the past. Some struggle because it has always been a part of their personality. And some struggle because it is new and it has been brought on my certain “life events.” Will you find hope? I certainly pray so. Will you find answers? I certainly hope so. Will you find peace? Again, I certainly hope so. In fact, even as I type those words “hope so” I really should be saying, “I pray so.”

I’d like to ask each of you do something, not for me, but for yourself. Please prepare yourself by reading the Scripture ahead of time. But more than that, please pray that God will speak to you through His Word and that one morsel (or many of them) will hit home. Pray that your life and those you love will find hope and answers for the fear and anxiety that is tearing at the fabric of so many lives today. I firmly believe God will answer that sincere prayer.

When I came to the office Monday afternoon, Pastor Ryan was just getting ready to leave. He deserves a big shout out for all the work he has put in to serve the tornado victims. He showed me the number of texts and phone calls he has had to place to deal with the “shed issue.” (It was a delivery issue). On Monday I told him how much I appreciate him taking this ministry and running with it. In my mind, I’m convinced he is uniquely gifted to do this. His familiarity with IDES and his know-how with building materials is way beyond my ability. And by the way, it is not too late to sign up to help, nor is not too late to pray for all involved.

Again, it is good to be back. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. May you always know you are loved more than you can imagine.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #154

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #154-your go-to for all things OVCF! Well, not quite but almost. ☺ Thanks for letting me into your life and for taking the time to read this issue.  I hope your week is going well so far and the rest of the week will be even better.

Please pray for Annette Brown this week. Annette is the S-OCS Treasurer. Knowing my lack of “numbers smarts,” I’m glad for someone like Annette taking care of the books for the school system.

Congratulations to Travis Floyd and Sierra Willis. They were married this past Saturday at LaCampagne by yours truly. They have known each other since high school. Travis is a music major at IU with a goal to teach music in high school. Sierra just recently started working at Community Natural Gas Co. in the office. Pray for their new life together. Travis, his mother, sister and younger brother attend OVCF, as does Sierra.

For those in my “66” class. This Wednesday, the 26th, we will finish with the OT and begin the NT in the fall, after school starts.

Jo and I will be out of town this coming weekend. Braden, our grandson, plays a game on both Friday night and Saturday afternoon. With a very hectic summer about to hit, we decided it was a good time to get away. Pastor Ryan will be completing the series on To and From the Cross this Sunday, speaking on The Road to Emmaus.  I know he has been working hard on his message so you won’t want to miss it.  Meanwhile, Jo and I will be watching Braden play ball, visit with Janna, and attend church on Sunday with Mike and Trisha Laws. Mike, Trisha and their son, Ryan, were here a couple of years ago talking about God’s faithfulness through Ryan’s kidney transplant at the age of 15. He received his kidney from his dad. Jo and I met Mike and Trisha, and their new daughter, Brooklyn, when they attended the church in Sandusky. Mike joined the Dublin Police Department and moved to Dublin where we were able to introduce them to Janna. We heard from Janna about Ryan’s health crisis, so I got back into contact with them and told him OVCF would be praying for them. We have stayed in contact and they have invited us to attend church with them. Adventure Church in Delaware, OH has just begun worshipping in their newly built church building so I am excited about joining them. We will be heading back Monday morning. We will miss being with you, but it will also be a good break for you and for us. ☺

UPDATE! ALERT! This coming Sunday is a 5th Sunday. That means the young people, except for the nursery and pre-school will be with the parents in the adult worship. We failed to announce this the past several weeks.

We have tried to keep you up-to-date on the efforts we are making to help those who were devastated by the winds and tornado from a few weekends ago.  It is hard to believe it has been four weeks since that happened, but those affected are still sorting through things. This past Sunday Pastor Ryan told you about the sheds which IDES (International Disaster Emergency Service) is providing. Sign up link: https://forms.gle/YSzkvMea92gi3br68

As I have been sharing with you over the past several MMs, my series on Faith Over Fear will begin on Sunday, May 7. I have finished with the schedule and wanted to let you know where we will be going with it.  I shared some of this in last week’s MM, but I have changed a couple of things so here is an update:

• May 7- What We All Want- Mark 4:35-41
• May 14- Mother’s Day special
• May 21- Who Me? Worry? Matthew 6:25-34
• May 28- 3 Essentials You MUST Believe!- Psalm 13:1-2, 5-6
• June 4- Bringing the Giant to its Knees- Phil. 4:6-9
• June 11- Go Back to Go Forward- Joshua 4:5-7
• June 18- Father’s Day special
• June 25- Drive a Nail Through these Truths- Joshua 1:9; 3:15-16:6

Please be praying for me as I continue to prepare. Please pray for yourself and others you know who may be struggling with fear and anxiety. I’m no expert in this area and certainly not a professional counselor but my hope and prayer is that this series might be an encouragement and the start of healing some folks want and need.

Again, please pray for Jo and me as we travel this coming weekend. We will miss being with you, but will pray for a great worship service while we are gone. I close as I always do: I love you all. I look forward to seeing you when we get back, Lord willing.

Pastor Bill