Category: MidweekMessage

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #90

Hello and welcome to MM #90.  This is the first MM of 2020 and I am wondering where do I start?

I guess first is an explanation and a possible apology. In MM #87 I began by saying I would be “out of your hair” for the next couple of weeks. Alas, I fibbed. I can say it was because I don’t have any hair but that won’t cut it. J The truth is I ran across several ideas and wanted to share them. One of them was the story of “Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus.” What is funny is that Madi Arnett left a copy of one of the local papers on my desk for me which had the complete article of that exchange the same day mine appeared in #88.

The second week (#89) I felt compelled to give some guidance good for all of us about what we can do to make 2022 a year where our lives are changed.  I think we are all tired of the garbage floating around these days on the airwaves and social media and I wanted to give us all a break from that. If you missed out on #89 contact Diana at the office and she can send it to you or one of us can make you a copy. Not to worry, she has already given me plenty of grief about going back on my word and writing a MM both weeks. J

Good old 2022 is here and with that comes a whole new set of “worries.” (Let’s call them “concerns” in order to be more spiritual).  If I was a betting man (which I am not), I would be willing to wager that most, if not all of us, will at one time or another in 2022 ask or want to ask “Why?” No, I’m not talking about the little one who has a thousand questions and they all seem to start with the word Why?

This is much more serious. When a health event hits us our first question might by why? When a catastrophic event hits-a death, fire, destruction, or car accident-we might be inclined to ask why? When financial hardship hits we may be tempted to ask why?

We may never know the answer to that question while here on earth, but we can take comfort in the truth of One who does. Just this past Monday I finished working on a sermon from Daniel 2. In that chapter is a verse we might be tempted to pass by: Daniel 2:22- “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.”

We can take comfort in the fact that God is never surprised or afraid. He is never caught off guard. And while the event which happens has me rocking backwards on my heels or a tad bit flustered, God is not wringing His hands wondering, “What am I going to do?”

Take heart. Those moments of darkness are not dark to Him. He is the light on the head of the coal miner. He is the compass in the hand of the explorer. As the old hymn says, “There is no shadow or turning with Thee.” (Great is Thy Faithfulness)

I wrote that Tuesday morning for my blog, Living in the Shadow. There is no doubt 2022 is “up in the air” as to what we think might happen and what will happen. None of us knows. I know I certainly don’t have a crystal ball I consult. I can only go to the ONE who does know and trust Him to handle things better than I ever could.

Now for something else…As we were sitting in staff meeting Monday morning, I think we were all surprised by the volume of prayer requests which came across our plates over the past week or so. We like to pray over all the requests, and particularly the newest ones given to us. But Monday it was like “Whoosh! Look out below!”  After my short devotion, Ryan led us in prayer. Also, every Sunday I try to bring you up to date on the status of folks on our list, as well as listing new ones. So…here is a list of the newest ones I’d like to ask you to pray for:

• Law Enforcement Officers: Caleb Hutchison, Ryan White, Shauna Wetzel
• Military family and friends; Nikk Wood, Tyler Benson, Iain Ramsay, Chris Erb, Jessica Parmer, Nick Hickman
• School Related Prayer: Nate Hopf (teacher) and Kahner Welch (college student)
• David Fisher, Tim Huffman, Kirby Stogsdill, Chris Wainscott, Joe and Kelly Norris (COVID), Kylie (17 y/o with COVID pneumonia), Wendy Mader.
• Healthy pregnancies: Jimmy & Christine Chambers, Caleb & Amanda Hutchison, Elizabeth and Donovan Jones, Darren and Anitra Line, and Mitch and Shauna Wetzel.
• Deaths: Mark Murphy’s family (father); Judy Edwards family (cousin to Mike Edwards); and Frank Nichols family (Brother to Rosie Bault and half-brother to Carol Sturgeon).
• Martha Orlando-my friend from Georgia who faithfully watches our live stream every week- in hospital with COVID-related pneumonia (and yes, she has been double vaxxed and boosted). I heard about her from her husband on Monday.
• Donna Keith, ongoing chemotherapy treatment.

See what I mean? And that is not all. I realize by listing these folks I am leaving others out. That is not to be taken as others are less important. Far from it. These are simply those added or updated Sunday or Monday.  I list them so you can join us in praying for them. Thanks for doing that.

One final item: As I was praying Sunday morning with the worship team before they started practice, I prayed a simple thought which came to my mind. I have decided to make it my by-line for the year: LOVE GOD DEEPER…WORSHIP HIM MORE.  I hope you will join me in that heartfelt desire.

I pray God blesses each of you in 2022…even when you don’t see it. I also look for 2022 to deepen my love for God and for you.  Have a great rest of the week! See you Sunday!!

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #89

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #89. I know…I know…you thought I would have come up with a better opening line by now. To be honest, I haven’t really given it much thought.  Some of the shows I watch all say, “Hello and welcome to (___________).”  Or just “Welcome to the (___________). No, not jungle.  J I’m just glad you take the time to read the message.

I hope you had a good ending to a sometimes not-so-good year. I, for one, look at 2021 as being in my rearview mirror. No one got anywhere by constantly looking backwards.  Whenever I was younger I would try to set resolutions that I found out I quickly broke. So I stopped. I started asking myself “What do I need to do to make this coming year “successful?” My first thought about that success was not work, school, or those things which are normally scrutinized as being talking points. I was more concerned with my spiritual walk.

I don’t suspect I am alone, even as I ask myself that same question today. I firmly believe that if my walk with God is in the right place, where it belongs, then the rest of my world will come together.  Several years ago I clipped a page from something I was reading and filed it away. As I was cleaning out some files the other day I found it. As I read it I thought it would be something good to pass on to you as you look ahead to 2022.  The main thoughts are from the article. Any commentary is mine.  So…here we go:

1. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus Christ. I will be the first to admit the struggle with this one. Life hits and sometimes hits with a slam dunk. Have you ever seen that game where they have children, and sometimes adults, put their head on top of a baseball bat and then go in circles? When time is up then release them to walk away. Only they can’t. Their equilibrium is so messed up they simply stumble and sometimes fall. Life comes and it is like we are running in circles.  There comes a point in time when we need to stop and recalibrate. A lot of people like to do that at the beginning of a new year.  Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Let’s stop expecting the government or the school or the workout or the church to set us straight. Let’s look to Jesus.
2. Look to God in the Scriptures. We live in a confused world. There are those who deny the existence of God (as there have always been). There are those who tell us to find God in nature. Nature can reveal God’s creativity but God is not a tree or nature.  There are always whackos trying to get us to find God in drugs or some weird teaching. The Bible is where we find God for who He is. Psalm 119:18 says, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your Law.” To save space I’m going to ask you to turn to and read Psalm 19: 7-11. Those are some powerful verses to focus on for this coming year.
3. Remember all God has done for you. How easy it is to forget!  We see what we are going through now; we dream up what is ahead, and we find ourselves overwhelmed…and forgetful. Try to remember the same God today is the same God back then and will be same in the future.  Here is a great verse to remember! “Only be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and grandsons.” 4:9
4. Remain in Christian community. We haven’t talked much about this lately. With the onset of the live stream it is much easier to stay home and watch in the comfort of your recliner. I get that. But one thing live stream can’t do is offer community. It offers isolation. Unless you are involved in a small group which meets on a regular basis, it is so easy to feel like you are alone in the battle. {Note: we are going to make a more concentrated effort to have small groups in 2022}. We have got to have each other’s backs.  I’m glad live stream is available and some people are using it to feel connected. But I’m being honest when I say I miss you when you aren’t here. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day approaching.”  Just food for thought.
5. Pray continually. I don’t know how to emphasize this anymore than those two words.  Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing” in I Thess.5:17.  Jesus told Peter to “Keep watching and praying so that you do not come (fall) into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” in Mt.26:41.  Make time this year for what I call my “Encounter Time.” Make a concentrated effort to read the Bible and pray. I also do a daily devotional blog called Living in the Shadow that might help your efforts.  (You can find that on the church’s website).

This got longer than I originally intended, but I guess you know me by now. J  But I do hope it helps you as you look ahead to 2022…hopefully not with fear and trepidation but with courage and hope.

The new theme for 2022 is “For Such a Time…”  This Sunday’s sermon is from the passage where that statement is found: Esther 4. Please read ahead and you will have a picture of what the message will be about.  As Christ-followers we are here “for such a time as this…”

Have a great rest of the week. Look with hope to the future.  Let’s make 2022 the best year in OVCF’s history. I love you all.

Pastor Bill

All Scripture is from the NASB2020.

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #88       

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #88. I know I said last week would be my last for the year but this one takes little time for either me or Diana. It is an article I read last week and wanted to pass it on. Hope you enjoy it.  It is by James Emery White, the pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church.

In 1897, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon, a coroner’s assistant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, was asked by his then eight-year-old daughter, Virginia, whether Santa Claus really existed. He suggested that she write The Sun, then a prominent New York City newspaper because “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.”

One of the paper’s editors, Francis Pharcellus Church, replied in an editorial titled “Is There a Santa Claus?” More than a century later it is the most reprinted editorial in any newspaper in the English language. Here is a taste of what he wrote:

“Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished….

“No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

If given the chance, I would have answered the same, but with even more specificity.

More than a few parents wonder whether to pass on the Santa story and all its accompanying traditions. Particularly those who worry that if they tell their kids about Santa and eventually have to let their kids in on the secret, that they will undermine their child’s trust in other things they’ve been told are true.

Like the existence of God.

My wife and I told our kids about Santa and embraced the tradition fully in our home. But – and this is very important – we made sure we told them the real story about Santa, which many people do not do.

On the front end, before the big reveal, we made it clear that Santa did what he did out of love for Jesus and to honor His birthday. And at the time of the big reveal, we told them the “secret” in light of the fuller story of Santa and his love for Jesus—all rooted in history and fact.

There was no existential spiritual crisis. If anything, it resulted in deeper faith. They discovered there really was a Santa Claus who really did give gifts at Christmas, and that what parents did was in memory of Santa to keep his spirit and heart for Christ and for children alive.

St. Nicholas was a real historical figure who lived in Turkey and died around the year 350. He was a very active leader in the church and was part of the great Council of Nicaea in 325, which was one of the most important Christian councils in all of history.

Nicholas was known for holiness and for his passion for Christ. He was actually tortured and imprisoned for his faith under the Emperor Diocletian. He gave almost all of his money away to the poor, and his love for children was incredibly real.

One of the stories from his life that we know involved three poverty-stricken girls. In those days, the only way that girls could have a future with a husband was if they had a dowry. A dowry was money that a father could provide so that if somebody married his daughter, she could bring money to the marriage. A dowry-less girl would likely never marry and would often face the worst of situations because she had no other way to fend for herself.

This particular father had no dowry, and he was getting ready to turn his three girls over to prostitution. Nicholas found out about it, and he went one night and took three bags of gold and threw them down into the house through some type of chimney or opening in the house. He gave one bag of gold for each daughter to serve as a dowry for them, so that all three could be married. It was because of this (and many other acts of charity toward children) that he actually became the patron saint of children.

Over time, this led to a tradition of children being given presents in his name. The problem was that the children had trouble saying his name because “St. Nicholas” has so many syllables. It soon became “Sint Klaes” and then later “Santa Claus” by the Dutch.

Simply put, St. Nicholas was a wonderful Christian man – one of the true heroes of the faith – and all things “Santa” can and should be deeply spiritual in nature. Santa isn’t the problem—it’s how we’ve stripped him of his sainthood, motivation and story.

At the appropriate age, we told our children the fuller story of St. Nicholas and how we, as parents, kept it alive because of Santa’s love for Jesus and for children. We even have a “Kneeling Santa” figurine as part of our home Christmas décor that we’ve owned since before even having children. A “Kneeling Santa” is a figurine of Santa kneeling before the Christ child in the manger.

It’s very dear to us.

When Susan and I were dreaming about having children, while I was in graduate school, we saw a limited edition “Kneeling Santa” ceramic in a store. We had never seen this depiction before, but it captured what we wanted Christmas to be like with our children in light of the Santa traditions.

We didn’t have much money, but as soon as we saw it we knew we wanted to have it for our family. Yet it was more than $100! For us, that might as well have been more than $10,000. So, we asked the store manager if we could somehow put it on layaway. Over the next six months, we made every little payment we could until it was ours.

Many years later – not to mention four kids and now 12 grandchildren later – our “Kneeling Santa” is still a centerpiece in our home.  Why?

Because “Yes, Virginia, there is one.”

Have a joy-filled Christmas. I love you all.  Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #87

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #87.  Thanks for giving me some time during your busy holiday preparations. Alas, I will be “out of your hair” (no comments please) J for the next couple of weeks. My plan is for this to be the last MM for 2021 to give you a break, give Diana a break from her editing and sending, and you a break from me bothering you. J  So I hope you will take some time to really read this and check out what it is in it.

The big item on the agenda is a huge reminder to you. Please remember that we will have one service on the 26^th, the day after Christmas. The service will be at 10:00 and, as always, will be live streamed just in case you have those “after Christmas blues” i.e. fatigue and are not able to make it. If you do the live stream, may I encourage you to make it a family affair?  I promise I won’t preach longer than 2 hours.  Say what?  I can assure you that won’t happen under any scenario. J  Besides, Jo, Tami and I are planning on leaving after the service to spend Christmas in Ohio so I’m guessing if I preached that long they would leave me behind.  Again…one service at 10:00 on December 26^th.

I also want to remind you about our inclement weather plans. I know looking out the window it doesn’t look anything like bad weather, but we live in Indiana and you know that can change on a dime.  Here is the inclement weather information:

• We will send a mass email about any changes.
• We will post the info to our Facebook group (if you are not a member of the group, search Owen Valley Christian Fellowship and request to join) and page (you can follow it at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship-Spencer, IN).
• We have a group of volunteers who will call or text you!
• If in person services are not possible, we will plan to offer a live stream service at 10 AM via Facebook and YouTube.
• Please be sure we have current contact info (email/phone) for you if you want to be notified! Please call the church office at 812.828.9840 or email Diana at secretary@ovcf.org

Most of all we want you to stay safe and not get out in bad weather.  There are some of us who live in town (some of the worship team, Pastor Ryan and myself) who will do all we can to make sure the live stream happens.  In fact, we would prefer you stay home and stay safe than try to venture out.

The church office will be closed from December 24^th (Friday) through December 27^th (Monday). The church office be closed but we will still have worship on the 26^th.  Have I told you it will be at 10:00 that Sunday?  Just making sure. You know how old people’s memories can be. (Mine not yours).

When I asked Pastor Ryan if there is anything he wanted me to include in the MM he said, “Nothing really, except to remind the youth of the Christmas party/final ROOTS of the semester this coming Sunday.” So you have been reminded. And since I am guessing most of the youth don’t read this, I hope you parents who do will remind your Jr/Sr High students of the party. He has something good on the docket for them. Any questions? Please contact Pastor Ryan.

This past week I read an article entitled 4 Christmas Killers for Ministry Leaders. I thought it was a very pointed article for ministry leaders but as I read it I also thought it would be good for all to read. I am not going to reprint it in its entirety but I thought I would share some of the main thoughts with you.  Pete Scazzero, the author, is writing from a ministry leader standpoint. He contends that for years he preached the incredible message of the incarnation, but was spiritually dry inside. He says we can blame the culture or the expectations of people around us, but the trap of dryness is an easy trap to fall into. Here are the four “Christmas killers” he mentions:

1. Rushing. Pete writes, “As we are rushing, our family and friends get the leftovers because we are depleted physically, emotionally, and spiritually.” That really hits all of us doesn’t it?  How often have you found yourself just depleted at the end of the day and by the time Christmas day rolls around you have had enough? Slow down this Christmas season.
2. I know for me, I was always told Christmas and Easter were perfect times to see the church grow. So special events were planned to help that along. But along with that mindset comes anxiety. What happens if it doesn’t work? What happens if the church doesn’t see new people?  I have to agree with Pete on this: “Things aren’t going to be perfect this Christmas.” I am not a perfectionist, but I do like things to go well.  Relax. God’s got this.
3. Ignoring God’s limits. There are only so many hours in a day: 24.  We get weary and spend an enormous amount of energy, money and time in getting things done.  We can get so tired that we aren’t any good to anyone. Listen to the Father. Ask Him to give you the strength to do what needs to be done and to help you know when to stop.
4. Pete writes to the pastor and says, “It’s easy to forget our most important priority in ministry: to remain deeply connected with the Father, those close to you, and yourself, amidst all the pressure swirling around us.” For me, it is easy to forget what is most important during this season. Sermons to prepare. People to visit. Notes to write. Things to attend. They can all serve to “unfocus” me on what is really important. I’d like to think we all struggle with that. Let’s not forget to stop and spend time with Jesus. It is, after all, His special day and this season is to be all about Him.

Well…hope those help you this Christmas season. People are fond of saying during this season that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” I know what they are trying to say but I think differently.  I like to say, “Jesus is the Meaning of the Season; we are the reason.”  He came as a baby for me and you to save us from our sin because we were unable to do so. That makes us the reason. He gives the meaning to the season. I pray you will have a meaningful and joy-filled Christmas. I love you and if I never received another gift I would be totally content. God gave me a great gift 16 years ago when He gave me you. Merry Christmas from me and Jo (and Tami). We don’t send cards so please accept this as our card to you.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #86

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #86. I hope your week is going well and you aren’t too swamped by all the “Christmas stuff” that has to be done.  Thanks for letting me into your inbox today.

If you came in person or watched online this past Sunday, you already know that I was not here.  We went to Ohio for a couple of days to visit family. Our original plans were to be in Arizona from November 16-21 visiting with my friend, Dave, of 3 Feet Please, who retired in November after 30+ years at the company he helped start.  It really isn’t hard to understand that…Indiana…Arizona. ..November.  He texted me this past weekend to tell me it was 80+ degrees there.  I held my tongue and told him, “Ha. It’s 30-40 here. Eat your heart out.” J  Anyway, we had to postpone that trip (possibly until March) due to Tami’s heart attack and Dave’s wife’s crazy schedule at this time of the year. She teaches disabled children in a public school.  But after preaching 49 out of 52 weekends this year, I needed a break, so we made arrangements to leave town for Ohio. Jo visited her sister in the nursing home on Friday in Sandusky (where it snowed on us as we drove) and we spent a lot of time with Janna and Braden.

Sunday was a real treat for us. We were able to attend Adventure Church with Mike and Ryan Laws. After 17 years at one church they began attending Adventure last August. Some of you will remember Mike, Trisha and Ryan coming to speak the last week of August about their journey through Ryan’s kidney disease and Mike donating his kidney to Ryan. Ryan is healthy and came through COVID really well with just a minor cough.  Mike also asked me to pass along to you: “Please tell your church hello and thank you again for keeping our family in your prayers.” I told him I would.  We enjoyed our visit to Adventure and it looks like they have found a good church family. But I have to admit that I missed being here and look forward to seeing you all Sunday. It is nice to know though, that when I am gone things are taken care of.  Thanks to Pastor Ryan for filling in for me. Jo thanks Crystal and Linda for taking care of the Power Point and Ryan and Diana for taking care of communion.

With Christmas just around the corner OVCF is like about every other church. Lots of hustle and bustle. I love that our building is being used by various organizations and groups throughout the month. Monday the Owen County Chamber of Commerce used the children’s addition for its monthly meeting and Christmas meal. All this week Seven Oaks Classical School is using our building in preparation for their Christmas production Friday and Saturday.  WRE uses our building on Tuesdays during the school year. We have a play group/Bible study group using the nursery some on Wednesdays. Thursday evenings, BOLD young adult ministry meets in the children’s addition. Sunday night’s ROOTS youth group meets here. Their final meeting for this year is Sunday, the 19^th.  However, with all that activity, the church office will be closed on December 24^th and 27^th.

Please keep in mind that we will be having one service on December 26^th. We will be meeting at 10:00.  We know that could be a Catch-22 for us. We could have a ton of people which could stretch our facilities (a nice challenge to have) or people may be suffering from post-holiday syndrome and fatigue and decide to stay home.  J  The nursery and youth programs will also be happening that week!

Congrats are in order for Brock Groomer and Tiffany Frye and to Jordan Kinser and Lindsey Sparks on their recent weddings.

One more thing before I close with a word of encouragement: We will not be having the Christmas breakfast for the community this year. Maybe next year.

I cannot leave this edition of the MM without sharing something I read Tuesday morning during my morning Encounter Time. It comes from Come Let Us Adore Him by Paul David Tripp:

“It’s humbling to write this, but it’s true: Jesus did what He did not because of something special He saw in us, but because of something holy and pure that was inside Him. The Christmas narrative simply removes from every one of us any reason for boasting. There was not and is not one person who has any ability to earn or deserve the greatest gift that was ever given…In three words Paul tells us what motivated Jesus’ journey from glory to earth: ‘He humbled Himself.’ “

“You and I don’t really expect powerful leaders to be humble. We expect a bit of arrogant swagger.  We expect some boasting of accomplishments and an enjoyment of the results of acquiring power. But the Lord of glory didn’t choose to bask in His glory; instead He emptied Himself, took the form of not just a man, but of a lowly servant man. What humility!” (Pages 86-87)

I have been praying for me and for you to have a fresh view of the Christmas story, for God to take the “tired story of Christmas” we hear every year and to let it come alive in my heart and yours.  I know He is doing that for me because I am asking in faith, believing He will. I also pray for you to experience that as well. I am totally blown away by this truth: “Jesus left what was His right, to guarantee for us a place that is not our right but is a gift from his humble hands.”  (Ibid-p.88)

I hope you have a good rest of the week. I love you all and look forward to seeing you Sunday.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #85

Hello! First, did you miss me? Well…did ya? Then again, maybe I don’t want to know.  As you
probably figured, I took the week of Thanksgiving off from writing a MM but I’m back! I hope
you had a grateful Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends, but most importantly with
God, the giver of every good and perfect gift.
We had a terrific Thanksgiving dinner at the Lions Club. In case you were unable to be here
Sunday and were unable to watch or listen to the live stream, I shared some stats from
Thursday’s dinner. Please keep in mind that these stats are as close as I can get since I am
involved in lining up drivers for deliveries.

• Deliveries totaled 77! That number includes personal deliveries with multiple meals at
  the same address. We delivered as far as Quincy and even the old Gosport airport. Some
  didn’t even know Gosport had an airport. I jokingly called it the “Gosport International
  Airport” but it was an airstrip on someone’s land. Fun fact: the one who delivered there
  had also taken flying lessons years ago when it was owned by another individual. That
  total of deliveries also included all the businesses which were open (gas stations, CVS,
  Dollar General, Sheriff and Police departments and EMT’s).
• Curbside pickup totaled 5! This was the first time we tried this. The jury is out on it since
  we told them to call me when they arrived and they came in anyway to tell me they
  were there.
• Eat in/pick up totaled 24! This is where my number is a bit shaky since we had people
  coming in to eat and others came in asking if they could have a meal to go. We had
  approximately 14 come in and ask if they could have a meal or meals to go. We gladly
  fixed them for them to take. One woman came in and asked for 4 meals and said how
  lonely it was to be celebrating Thanksgiving alone. At the last minute she got a call from
  family that they were coming. When she talked about being alone, one of our young
  boys went over and hugged her. Way to go Tanner Wood!

So if your math holds up better than mine, we served approximately 107 people (not counting
the leftovers which went to the EMTs). That is the most we have ever served! And we were
thinking we might have too much food. Speaking of which, we ran out of corn, green beans and
pies. But that was quickly solved. As it was we had one pie and a few slices left and no corn and
green beans at the end of the day.

• • Thanks to Jeanna Srinivasan and her mother, Marcia Morris for spearheading the effort
    this year.
  • Thanks to all of you who worked by cooking and baking turkey, hams, and all the fixins.
    Without you we would have been sunk.
  • Thanks to all who came to help serve, pack meals and be “used” wherever you were
    needed.
  • And a special thanks to all the delivery people. This is more of my territory so I need to
    say a special thanks to each and every one of you.

We received several thank you texts and notes of gratitude (cards and vocally) for our service.
To know someone was blessed by our ministry/service makes it all worthwhile. All of you had
help in making an impact in our community.

Someone said to me Sunday, “We are doing this for Christmas also, right?” I had to tell him no,
because we don’t yet have a coordinator for the Christmas breakfast. I’m going to step out on a
limb and say that this will be the last time an offer will be made for a coordinator. That leaves
just a few short weeks to get the breakfast together. And I will also have to re-reserve the Lions
Club building. So…any takers?

Several weeks ago I mentioned Caleb Hutchison graduating to fulfill his lifelong dream of
becoming a DNR officer. We have another milestone. Congrats to Shelby Wood for completing
her work for a Masters in Human Resources. She walks the plank at Purdue this coming
weekend. This was all while holding a full-time job; being a mom and dad to three active
children (Nikk is deployed right now); and (get this!) doing it with a 4.0 GPA! (In my dreams).
Way to go Shelby!

Something you might (will) want to remember: Sunday, December 26th (the day after
Christmas) we will be having only one service at 10:00. We are unsure of the crowd for that
day so that could be a challenge. Then again, since it is the day after Christmas it might not be
one at all. Each week our Worship Team commits to two services. It is time to give them a
break as well. Please mark your calendar. The youth program will continue as it normally does-
supervised nursery and youth classes.

This past Sunday I started a new series designed to lead us to a special time this Christmas. I’m
calling it “Expect the Unexpected.” My prayer is that this Christmas will hold special meaning to
and for all of us as we think again about the Unexpected Child who became a King.
Couple of extra notes: Jo and I will be gone to Ohio this weekend to visit our daughter and
grandson. Pastor Ryan will be preaching. Also, please be praying for Lindsey Sparks and her
family as they travel to Logan, Ohio for her cousin, Bryce’s funeral.

Have a great week this week. Love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #84

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #84. I hope your week is going well as we dial in closer to Thanksgiving Day.  I hope you are taking time each day to write/say/express what you are thankful for.  I know I am thankful for you.

At this stage, I do not plan to have a MM next week since it is a short week and Thanksgiving Day and its celebration will be uppermost in most people’s minds. I’m guessing the last thing you will need is one more thing to occupy your time. J So I am going to try to get as much in this edition as possible.

I think uppermost in the minds of some is the upcoming Thanksgiving Lunch we are offering on Thanksgiving Day from 11-1:00 at the Lions Club. We had a tremendous influx of people this past Sunday who signed up to help out in some way. Thank you so much for rallying around this venture.

• I interrupt this MM to make an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. As of today (Wednesday), we have only 14 requested meals. We can add in the local workers (police, sheriff, gas station attendants, etc.) and still fall short of what we have had in the past. We, of course, have no clue how many will come to the Lions Club for a dine-in meal. We should know by Monday how many meals will be needed.
• If you are unclear about what I just said, please call the church office to ask Diana. She knows more than I do. J And if you know of anyone who might need a meal, please call the church office (812.828.9840).
• From Diana: Jeanna & Marcia have requested that the food arrive at the Lions Club between 9-10 a.m., hot and ready to be served. If you have questions, please contact Jeanna (812.821.7776) or Marcia (812.821.7786) for more information! J

Thanks again for volunteering to cook and serve in some way.

This next item is a tough one to write about, let alone explain it in writing. Except for last year’s pandemic, we have offered The Giving Tree during Christmas to make sure local children were able to celebrate Christmas. Here’s how it works: We are given names of families who are in need of help to provide gifts for their children at Christmas, and those names are adopted by folks from OVCF. It is all done anonymously, but the greater joy is found in giving. This year we have brought back The Giving Tree but as of this writing no names have been given. Diana wants the names by this Sunday so it gives her time to make the tags of items needed/desired by the children. The staff met Monday to talk about it and we are unable to explain why no names have been given, although we have our speculations.

• ANOTHER IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!! This Sunday is the last day to give names to Diana of children in need. If no names are given, we will shut down the Giving Tree for the year. HOWEVER, if you come in contact with a family who needs help for their children in the next couple of weeks for Christmas, please contact Diana. Thanks to your generosity all year long, the church will be able to meet their Christmas need.

Speaking of Christmas gifts: Monday afternoon Pastor Ryan, Diana and I took the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to Sherwood Oaks in Bloomington (the collection site this year). Final tally is 64 shoeboxes for children! That is absolutely phenomenal. Thank you so much for your generosity and making it possible for children to hear the message of the Good News of Jesus’ birth.

Tuesday morning during my Encounter Time, I read the following story. I want to share it with you:

There was once a young girl diagnosed with a rare disease. Her days quickly went from going to school and playing in the yard to lying in hospital beds tangled with tubes. The doctors ran test after test and concluded she needed an extensive blood transfusion to survive. But finding a matching donor was going to be tough. The parents were tested, but the results came back negative. She had a little brother, and he was a match because they were family. The parents kept that information to themselves until there was other option.

One night while tucking him into bed, they told him. They didn’t ask him directly to do the procedure because of the pressure that would put on him. But reading between the lines he asked, “Can I have the night to think about it?” The next morning he told his parents he would do it. Soon the siblings were sharing a hospital room with tubes running between their beds. As the transfusion was about to begin, the little boy waved the doctor over.

“Yes?” the doctor asked. The boy asked, “How soon will it be before I die?” You see, the little boy thought that by helping his sister, he would have to give up his own life. And he said yes anyway.     Live in Grace-Walk in Love, Bob Goff (#320, p. 371)

I’m thinking I don’t need to make the application. You already know it.  Can there be anything greater to be thankful for than for God’s indescribable gift? I think not.

This Sunday completes my series on Attitude Check, on making sure our attitude is one of gratitude. The Sunday following Thanksgiving Day I will be preaching a series entitled “Expect the Unexpected.”

One more thing: on behalf of Pastor Ryan, Diana, and myself, thanks to the anonymous person who blessed each of us with a card. Please accept our thanks.  We love you and are thankful for you.

Have a great and meaningful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. And please don’t forget the “Giver of every good and perfect gift.” (James 1:17)

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #83

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #83.  I hope your week is going well and you are enjoying these beautiful fall days. This will be one of those “random” messages. Lots to say but no special order in any of it.

Some very special upcoming events which need your attention:

1. This coming Sunday is the last day to bring in your Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. Monday the three of us (Pastor Ryan, Diana and I) will be taking the boxes to Sherwood Oaks church in Bloomington. As of Monday morning, there were two boxes left to be filled. If you would like to take one or both of the remaining boxes, please call Diana at the church office and she will make arrangements for you to pick them up.  I am so excited OVCF responded as we have. We will have a total number of shoeboxes for you next week!
2. Thanksgiving Day is quickly approaching where we will be serving our community a meal from 11-1:00. They have three opportunities to receive a meal. We can deliver it. We can make it available for curbside pick-up. They can come to the Lions Club and eat inside. We can really use your help though. We still have some turkeys and hams unspoken for to bake, as well as some empty spots for providing food. Sign-up sheets are on the back table for you to indicate what you would like to bring, OR you can call the church office (812.828.9840) and tell Diana what you would like to prepare. She has the list to inform you where we need help. We need several people who will help assemble the delivery and curbside meals. Also, I need some who will help with deliveries.
3. The Giving Tree is something we had to set aside last year due to the pandemic. Diana has a heart for the children in our community to have a Christmas they will remember. She gathers names of children (via their families or folks who know them) who need help in providing for Christmas. You can do two things to help make it successful. One, you can provide names of children who need help with Christmas gifts this year. Two, you can take one or several of the tags provided and purchase the needed gifts. Every year we have done this I have been amazed how much of a heart you all have for the children/families of this community. From giving names to buying gifts, your heart shows through. I anticipate this year will be no different. Look for The Giving Tree on November 28. Please start giving Diana names now if you know of a family who needs help. She needs all the info by Sunday, November 21.
4. Whether we provide Christmas breakfast is still up in the air. The deadline to let me know if you want to coordinate that is Sunday, November 28^th.

Life is a highway…or is that a puzzle? I guess that depends on who you talk to.  This is more of a personal note to you. Winter comes and it is sometimes hard to get outside. Then again, it might not be hard to get outside; it might be more of “who wants to go outside?” So we find things to do inside. For close to 20 years one of my winter hobbies has been doing 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles. Whether the snow is flying or it is just downright too cold to go out, I find my relaxation is doing puzzles. One of my favorite puzzles to assemble are train puzzles. I’ve done several Titanic puzzles over the years. I have several Back to the Future puzzles. But, and it is a seriously important “but,” there is only so much wall space. Jo is not as fond of my puzzles as I am so she has said, “No” to new interior decorating of our walls with jigsaw puzzles. Can you honestly believe she would do that to me? Wouldn’t you just love to walk into a house where all the walls are covered with train puzzles? No?  You’re no help. J Anyway, I have over 20 1000 piece train puzzles sitting in boxes. I assembled them, then after she looked at it and grunted, “Looks nice,” I took them apart and put them in Ziploc bags in the original boxes. I am looking for a good home for them. They are trains of all kinds with all different scenes. If you would like to work a jigsaw puzzle as a family or individual, I would love to give them to you. You can take as many as you want as long as you will work them. And here is the kicker: I don’t want them back. You can glue them or put them back in the Ziploc bags and save them for another day or pass them along to someone else.  And by the way, I do have some already glued that I’m willing to give to you to decorate your walls. J Just let me know and I can show you what I have by texting pictures to you.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner (do I hear some cheering from the student and teaching section as you read that?), I hope you have remembered to take some time to write down what you are thankful for.  I can choose to be grateful or to grumble. I can choose to praise or pout. I can choose to count my blessings or complain about what I don’t like.  Do you remember the scene in Forrest Gump when he is sitting at a bus stop and offers a lady a chocolate? He says, “Momma always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’”  Forrest’s momma was right. I love chocolate, but I don’t like nuts in my chocolate. I try to avoid them whenever I can.  We are hit from life on all sides. Some things we simply can’t avoid.  But I have noticed how much better life is when my attitude is one of gratitude for the simple things God has blessed me with. Family. Friends. Job. A ride on a bike. A night with friends. A good book (or a puzzle). Relaxing with Jo. Eating pizza or ice cream, especially that! J Simple things which to some people mean nothing, but to me screams, “Blessings!”  I am grateful for you, my friends. November is an anniversary for me, Jo and Diana.  Jo and I moved here in November of 2005. Diana and I started the same time (she actually shadowed MJ a week earlier). So we start Year #17 this month. I am thankful for the prodding wife and the long phone calls with Caleb Petree which started this train rolling.  (For those of you not familiar with that story, I will tell it next week in MM#84). I can hear the excitement in your breathing already!!  Anyway, back to reality.  Don’t wait until Thanksgiving Day to express your thanks to God. Start today. In the meantime, know that I love you all.  Have a great rest of the week.

Pastor Bill

P.S.  Big congratulations to Caleb Hutchison on achieving his lifelong goal of becoming a conservation officer!!

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #82

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #82.  Given the spirit of the month, I want to thank you for inviting me into your life, (or is that your inbox?). 

November and December seem to be busy months for everyone and that includes the church. While we don’t have the typical Thanksgiving and Christmas pageants and events, we seem to find ourselves really busy and occupied with various events.  I thought I would highlight a few of them for you. 

But first, something of extreme importance.  As we have announced, the offering for our 17th anniversary was split evenly between missions and the building fund, except where otherwise designated.  Now that all the figures are in, I am happy to say that we were able to deposit $3000 into our building fund and $3000 divided up between 8 missions. That equals $375/mission. My math has always been suspect and if you were here Sunday or listened online, you heard me give the figure of $350. Yeah…when God was handing out “pre-birth gifts” math was left off my list. ☺  Anyway, here are the 8 missions who were blessed by your generosity:

• Hilltop Christian Camp
• The Britt, Cook & Furr families from Chi-Alpha (IU campus ministry)
• Campus Life/Youth for Christ 
• New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center
• Revive Liberia
• WRE (Weekly Religious Education) for our elementary schools 

Thank you for your generosity in making this all possible. 

Okay…now to the “stuff” that is happening. This will give you an up-to-date as well as a future in-the-know outlook:

1. Operation Christmas Child is in full swing. Pastor Ryan, Diana and I were so excited to see all the boxes gone and many of the unassembled ones picked up. The deadline for bringing the boxes to OVCF is 11/14. On Monday, 11/15, we plan on delivering them to Sherwood Oaks church in Bloomington. Because of many of you, children around the world will not just receive some gifts, they will also hear about Jesus in their own language. I see that as a win/win. 
2. Thanksgiving Day we will be offering a FREE Thanksgiving meal to our community from 11-1:00. As in the past we will use the Lions Club as our base of operation and will offer meals three ways: in person; delivery; and (newly added) curbside pickup. This meal is free to anyone who requests it or comes in person. If you know of someone who would love a home-cooked meal for Thanksgiving, please call or have them call the church office (812.828.9840) no later than November 22nd.  We are in need of volunteers who will fix certain dishes, as well as help in other areas. The sign-up sheets for those are on the table in the back of the church auditorium. OVCF is providing turkeys and hams this year, along with the pans to bring them (and side dishes) in. Want to help cook one? Please contact the church office and we will make sure to get those to you. If you have any questions please contact Jeanna Srinivasan (812.821.7776/ daisymay85@gmail.com) or her mom, Marcia Morris (812.821.7786/ logcabincook.@gmail.com). 
3. The Giving Tree. Last year the pandemic changed our plans (as well as thousands of others) and we donated some money to Tri Kappa for their Christmas Shopping for kids effort. This year we are reinstating The Giving Tree because we want to help local children receive Christmas gifts (and many of you asked about it).  Diana is in charge of this (and it is close to her heart) so after this Sunday’s announcement, I will offer more information here next week. Stay tuned!! 
4. One last one (honest). Every year we’ve offered a Christmas breakfast for the community from 7-9 at the Lions Club. After staff meeting Monday, it was requested that we reinstate it this year. But here is the deal: there is no one to coordinate it. We need someone who will step up before the end of November to say, “I will coordinate it” for that breakfast to happen. If you would like to do so, please contact me. 

We have tried not to burn you out with program after program during the months of September through December, but these have been favorites down through the years so we want to offer them again since our community needs this help. They work because of you!! 

I read an article last week by Rebecca McLaughlin that I thought was super-insightful and very, very helpful. It is easy to get into our own worlds on Sunday morning, leaving others out, especially new people. Here is the beginning of the article:

“Sorry to cut you off!” I’d just started connecting with a close friend at church. I was eager to catch up. But as she talked, I noticed a woman sitting alone, thumbing through her service sheet. 

Honestly, I wished I hadn’t seen her. Interrupting my friend would be rude. It’s good for me to invest in friends! Someone else will likely spot that woman. These were some of the excuses that ran through my head. But the woman was clearly new, and for all I knew, not a believer. So, reluctantly, I interrupted my friend. 

As soon as I sat down with the newcomer, I thanked God I had. Raised Catholic, she hadn’t been to church in over a decade. Her fiancé had just broken up with her right before their wedding, and she needed something else in life. I took a risk and asked if she’d like to come to our community group. She said yes. She’s been coming to church and Bible study ever since.   If you would like to read the rest of Rebecca’s article, just click on this link (https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/make-sunday-mornings-uncomfortable) and it will take you there. We have all been there. Let’s change how we act when we see a visitor or someone we don’t know.   I love you all. 

Pastor Bill 

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #81

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #81. I thank you for taking the time to read this and hope you are having a great week.

Last week I gave a round-up of our 17^th anniversary celebration. One of the steps we have taken over the past several years has been giving away our Easter offerings to missions and our anniversary offerings to the Building Fund (except for the pandemic-influenced celebration in which we gave it all to missions). This year it was decided to split the offering: 50% to missions and 50% to the building fund, unless it was otherwise designated. Now that all the figures are in the elders took the step of adding a bit from our general fund to make it an even $3000 for both.  The mission offering was divided up equally with the 8 missions we support. My handy-dandy calculator tells me that each mission will receive $375 and our building fund will now be $157,151.08. Thanks to all of you for your generosity which made this possible.  J

Every year we have participated in Operation Christmas Child. This year is no different. Diana announced Sunday that the boxes to pack and the information for packing them is on one of the   tables at the back of the auditorium. The due date is November 14^th and since we are not a collection site this year, we will deliver your boxes to Sherwood Oaks.

In 2008 we started offering a Thanksgiving meal to the community.  We have had an in-person meal as well as offered delivery. Last year we had to cancel because of some virus. J  But thanks to two ladies-Jeanna Srinivasan and her mom, Marcia Morris- we will be offering the meal again. It will be Thanksgiving Day from 11-1:00 at the Lion’s Club (LC). We are also adding a new feature this year: curbside pickup. So someone can come to LC for a meal; we can deliver it; or they can pick it up. Our advertising is somewhat limited due to the lack of a paper so we will need your help. Flyers will be distributed wherever we can, but we can really use your word-of-mouth help to get the word out. Calling in advance will be necessary for delivery and curbside pickup options so tell the folks you know who would like a warm meal to call the church office (812.828.9840) to make a request by November 22.  And we could use your help in food prep. OVCF is purchasing the turkeys and hams this year, but we do need those who will volunteer to prepare them. We will also be providing you with a pan/lid to put the sliced meat in so you can bring it to the LC.  There are other ways to help. The sign-up sheets are on the back table or you can call the church office.  I don’t think I need to tell you how much this is needed in our community this year. It only takes a small amount of time to help in some way. You will be glad you did.

I have several prayers requests for you to remember:

1. Gary Cunningham, Becky’s husband, received a liver transplant on 10/17. Pray for his health and his body’s continued acceptance of his new liver. Becky says he is weak but doing well!
2. The Laws family (my friends from Ohio) have been in our prayers due to Mike’s donation of his kidney to his son, Ryan. Mike had COVID recently and despite all efforts to isolate, I found out Sunday night that Ryan has tested positive. Please pray for them.
3. Darrin and Anitra Line are expecting their first child-a son-on May 2^nd. I told Anitra we would pray for her/them. Speaking of pregnancies: please be praying for the Chambers’ and the Hutchison’s as they await their new babies.
4. Caleb Hutchison is in week #4 of his DNR training. This has always been his dream so please remember to pray for him (and his family back home).
5. Chris Wainscott remains in a rehab hospital in Greenwood from diabetes complications. He is a long way from home so please pray for him and his family.
6. Jim Markland has a co-worker whose husband had major surgery on Tuesday. She has asked for us to pray.
7. Jo and I ask that you continue to remember Tami as she recuperates from her heart attack. You might throw in a prayer for us as well.
8. We have recently had several lose loved ones. It is always a heart-wrenching time for them.
9. Are you remembering to pray for our law enforcement officers and military personnel on a daily basis?

Any church prayer list can seem endless. It is also dangerous since someone can feel left out. I would be glad to include you or your family to this list and my plan is to make this a weekly addition to my MM. And it will, of course, be as discreet as you want it.

Did you know your elders, along with Steve Pendleton, met this past Friday night for 2 ½ hours and the same amount of time on Saturday morning to indulge me?  Actually, I had read a book called A Church Called TOV several months ago. (Tov is the Hebrew word for good.) I wrote a study about it and asked to present it to them. I hope to present it to small groups of people soon. If you are interested in knowing more please let me know.  Or if you see me lurking in your vicinity you may want to hide! I may be wanting to ask you to be a part of it. J

I want to close this edition of the MM by giving my “hats off” to two people who have been going above and beyond lately. I hope you or they never tire of hearing how much I appreciate them: Pastor Ryan and Diana. Hardly any of you know what goes on all week long since it is not expected of you. You see the finished product on Sunday or Wednesday. But we make a great team and I give a large part of the credit to those two. Pastor Ryan tirelessly loves our kids and I found out at the celebration pitch-in how one family feels about him. Diana’s pay says she works from 8-1:00 each day, but I can attest to the fact that many days it goes far beyond that. BTW: check out the building display this Sunday she has put together. You’ll like it! You saw the camaraderie we have this past Sunday as we joked about my flub about Thanksgiving/ Christmas. Our respect and love for each other is mutual. I’m glad God brought us together.  I am not ashamed to say I love them both (and their families). J I know you do as well.

**Don’t forget! This Sunday is a 5^th Sunday so the elementary kids will be with us for morning worship!  Nursery and pre-school will meet as usual.**

It is time to close. I hope there is no doubt in your mind how much I love you.

Pastor Bill