Category: MidweekMessage

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #238

Hello everyone, and welcome to Midweek Message #238! I hope your week is going well so far and you see God working in your life. Thanks for allowing this visit from me this week.

We had another fantastic day this past Sunday. Caleb and Gabrielle Corder were baptized at the YMCA immediately following the second service. Caleb is an engineer and Gabby is a kindergarten teacher at Gosport Elementary. Their daughter, Charlotte, is a real cutie.

Your educator of the week to pray for is Matt Cazzell. Matt is the principal of McCormick’s Creek Elementary School. Matt has been the principal at MCES for several years now. Pray that he will lead with wisdom and grace.

Are you sitting down as you read this? You may want to because this next news item just might blow you away! Our pitch-in for February happened after last week’s MM so I had to wait to share this with you. We had…wait for it…almost 70 at our pitch-in last week! I tried to count everyone but you know how moving parts are. I did count 67 but I may have missed a few who were out of the room at the time. But WOW!!! But what made it even “more better” 😊 was watching all the interacting that was taking place. I stood around and heard people introducing themselves to people whom they had never met. I heard some trying to remember names. I saw laughter and chit-chat taking place. Someone came up to me afterwards and said, “Thank you for doing this.” It was a staff idea and we will be constantly evaluating as we proceed into the future. What makes it fun to watch is I see people every week because I’m in both services. But many who come to first service never have a chance to see or meet those who attend the second and vice versa. The next pitch-in is scheduled for March 26th at 6:00 pm. Please mark your calendar.

YOUTH CORNER

Another event that happened last week but too late to include in the MM was the Voice of Democracy (VOD) program for the Spencer and Gosport VFW. Several of our young people participated and won. The VOD involves Grades 9-12 where the students have to put together a 3-5 minute speech on the theme of “Is America Today Our Forefather’s Vision?” Here are the results:

• • • Spencer VFW: 1st place-Anna East. 2nd place-Eli Wood
    • Gosport VFW: 1st place- Haley Amador

Other youth news:

• • • Did you know that Caleb and Rachel East have learned how to swing dance?
    • Brodie Sutton, one of the seniors in ROOTS, is an amazing artist. His mother might have been proudly showing a drawing/watercolor of three dogs he did at the pitch-in. 😊They looked almost lifelike. Well done, Brodie! I thought about asking him to do one of me and making me look  handsome but I didn’t want to deflate him for the impossible. 😉
    • Eliza Chambers took 2nd place at the world’s largest gymnastics meet the weekend of February 21st. Way to go, Eliza! Mom may have said something about this.😊
    • I heard we had a number of first time wrestlers this past week at the elementary wrestling camp that took place at OVMS. The names I know of at this point are Rob Anderson, Hudsyn Biggs, Aiden and Emma Collier, Jordan Mangia, Charlotte, Margaret and Thomas Pavich, Lincoln VanDerMoere and Tanner Wood. Am I missing any? Please let me know.
    • Did you know Charli Wood was a cheerleader for the 7th & 8th grade basketball teams this past season?

Did anyone see the mini excavator at the back of the lot by the parking area this past Sunday? That can only mean one thing! Let’s hope for dry and decent weather this week! Further update: they brought in some cement drains/tile/culvert on Monday morning. They removed the playground fence because they will be moving utilities in that area and installing the new electrical panel. Man, am I excited! Do you think we can put a bubble over the property to keep things dry? 😊

Usually the elders meet on the first Monday night of the month. This past Monday was no exception. We had a good meeting and something really good came out of that meeting. We have been in a transition of sorts, seeking to do some things differently. One of those is giving the men a sabbatical from serving as elders. Jeff Carlson was the first. He had been an elder since the inception of OVCF. His year off began in November. This April/May Wayne Akerson will be stepping down, especially since he has taken on a more intense role at work that will require a lot of travel. David Robertson will be next. But for that to happen we have needed men to step up and consider the role of being a leader. Three months ago, Tom Mangia approached me about being an elder. Our procedure is to invite them to sit in on and take part in a couple of elder’s meetings. They get to see how we operate and it also gives us a chance to see how they will fit as an elder. I also wrote an “Elder study” the elders work through. This past Monday Tom expressed an interest to us of coming on permanently as an elder. He has prayed about it and also talked to his family. He and I have had discussions and yes, one of them was over lunch. 😊 The policy at OVCF is to tell you of his desire. You now have two weeks to let us know if you approve or reject his name. If the latter is a concern, you are required to put it in writing and sign your name. NO ANONYMOUS LETTERS ARE ACCEPTED. If after two weeks there are no
glaring reasons why Tom should not be an elder, at the second service on March 23rd the current elders will lay hands on him and pray for him, his family and his service to OVCF as an elder. Please be in prayer for Tom and the elders as we continue to be good servants of Jesus and to OVCF.

Sunday’s message is “Remember…” from Deuteronomy 8-29. Wait until you hear the surprise I have for you Sunday! I look forward to seeing you then. Love you all much.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #237

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #237! It is good to have you join me. Thanks for taking the time to read it!

WAIT! BEFORE YOU GO ANYWHERE ELSE!!
Don’t forget tonight is the pitch-in at 6:00 at OVCF! Someone has graciously volunteered to buy chicken for the meal tonight so come and enjoy it, as well as all the other food people will bring! Most of all, come enjoy the fun and fellowship with your church family.

Remember to pray for our educator of the week: Carol Watson, the principal at Gosport Elementary School. Once a month I have the opportunity to read to the kindergarten class taught by Gabby Corder, one of our OVCF family. GES is a good school with a lot of nice people. Pray for a good week for Mrs. Watson and for the school.

I’d like to officially welcome Jerry and Carol Sturgeon to our church family. Jerry and Carol have been attending and involved with OVCF for many years and recently transferred their membership. They have a daughter, Jade and a son, Hunter. They’re also grandparents to Sage (they might be just a little bit crazy about her!). 😊

This coming Sunday, Caleb and Gabrielle Corder are going to be baptized in the YMCA pool at 12:30. Someone asked me Sunday if I can let people know if a baptism is taking place so they can attend. Sometimes we just arrange it that week; sometimes we know a week or so ahead of time. I am happy to be able to let you know about Caleb and Gabby. Feel free to join us to celebrate the occasion with them! (We have plans for a baptistery of some kind in the new addition. I’m looking forward to that!)

YOUTH CORNER

• • Some of this news is developing so I will give you more details as I know them. Several of our young people are wrestling;
  • Jordan Mangia began wrestling this past Monday.
  • CJ Wood (Mike and Cristi’s daughter) and Maisy Pendleton (Josh & Becky’s daughter) are both wrestling. I understand Maisy had quite a year and went to State!
  • Jase Collier was having a fine year until an accident with a teammate put his season on hold. Jase had surgery two weeks ago for a broken eye socket. He told me Sunday that he can start wrestling again in 5-6 weeks.

Other related youth items:

• • Aubrey Mangia’s 8th grade girls’ basketball team advanced to the finals which were played last night. They were victorious over North Putnam 34-27 to win the WIC conference! 😊
  • Did you know one of our visitors this past Sunday was a classmate of one of our girls? She told her parents about the “No Complaining Rule Challenge” I gave for this past Monday. Her dad said she already blew it. She quipped back, “It doesn’t start until tomorrow!” 😊It made me chuckle but also made me proud that the girls who were visiting listened. And one more thing: they went home and asked for the Bible app for their phones so they could look up the Scripture I included with the 5 rules. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited that made me to get a text from one of the mothers telling me that.

The No Complaining Rule is the book by Jon Gordon I referenced in Sunday’s message. It included 5 Things to Do instead of Complain. I have also added some Scripture to fortify it from a spiritual standpoint. So here they are:

1. 1. 1. Practice Gratitude. Counting our blessings instead of our misery changes our perspective.
         We are confronted each day with positives and negatives. Practicing gratitude takes our eyes of ourselves. Phil. 4:4, 8-9 tells us to “rejoice always” and then the latter two verses tell us to think on the right things.
      2. Praise Others. We ought to be thinking how we can thank and praise others for acts of kindness. The Bible tells us to “encourage one another” and Hebrews 10:24 tells us to “think of ways to motivated one another to acts of love and good works.”
      3. Focus on Success. A few weeks ago my perspective got twisted a little and I was a grumbling, bumbling mess one morning. It was actually the morning I was going to implement including this in my sermon. It took me a few moments to reflect on what God has been doing here at the church, and in people’s lives I love, to realize that I had much to be thankful for. I began to focus on how God has blessed me and I found myself wallowing in praise instead of misery. Pr. 4:25-27 are great verses to keep us on the right path.
      4. Let Go. Focus on things you have the power to change. Focus on things you have control over, not those you don’t. For example, can you control the weather? Can you snap a finger and the weather go from 10 to 90? My guess is no. 😊 Ps. 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots; some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Pr. 21:31 also reinforces that thought.
      5. Pray and Read Scripture. Jon says Pray and Meditate but I’m leery of the connotation of that so I choose to replace meditate with Read Scripture. Great Scriptures to read are Psalm 57 & 58 and Proverbs 27. They are too long to print here.

Good things are happening at OVCF! Kid’s Church was stuffed to the gills on Sunday with an abundance of kids. We had to put out extra chairs for the adult worship and it was so good to see new people and connect with those whom I miss out on greeting. I hope you sense that God is doing something here! I’m excited. I  hope you are also. Love you much.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #236

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #236. I think the proper words for this past Sunday are “Who’da thunk it?” or maybe more accurately, “Who saw that coming?” I went to bed knowing it was supposed to snow about 1⁄2” and when I came to the office the roads were a slushy mess. But it was more than 1⁄2” then. Little did I know the 1⁄2” would soon be closer to 3”. I texted Pastor Ryan and Diana at 6:19 and said, “I think we missed it. Should have done just one service.” Well, between multiple texts and finally a phone call we all felt we couldn’t change the services since it was too late, but that we could tell people to stay home and watch the live stream. Our ever-efficient secretary and her helpers got the word out. A big shout out goes to Diana, Madi Arnett, Heather Keith, Kris Samick, Linda St John, and JuliAnne Wiegand. Way to go and thank you big time, ladies!!

BUT WAIT!! There are more people to thank. Bobby Anderson and his trusty sidekick (son) Rob came and cleared the parking lot and sidewalks. Hannah Pendleton came to help shovel. Macy Carlson came to do the sound at the second service and Kris Samick ran the live stream. My better half came and ran the Power Point for both services. We also had some help in the second service from Cooper and Tanner Wood and Lincoln VanDerMoere with serving communion to the 13 who came. Thanks guys! And a thank you to Pastor Ryan for running the live stream and sound for the first service. A special thanks to all of you who went with the flow and decided it was best to be safe and stay home.

Let me remind you to pray for our educators of the week: Tom Arthur (Principal) and Duane Potts (Assistant Principal) at OVMS. Pray for their wisdom and patience in leading the school. Speaking of the school, I was texting with one of the nurses and she was telling me about the flu situation in her school and the whole school system. She asked us to pray for all the students and staff who already have the flu or are fighting it. I believe that is a good thing to do.

Don’t forget our upcoming pitch-in dinner scheduled for Wednesday, the 26th at 6:00 PM. As we have been telling you, someone in our church family has offered to buy chicken for the evening but this person needs to know how much to order. If you haven’t already signed up for that evening, please do so this coming Sunday. The church will provide the drinks and table service. You will be glad you came and spent some time with people whom you know or will get to know. 😀

Ladies, don’t forget the tamale meal hosted by Bivi Ervin on Friday, February 28th at 6:00 PM at OVCF. For those who prefer, there is an alternate meal being prepared. The cost for either is $10 and the money is to be given to Linda St John. There is a sign-up sheet available if you are interested in attending.

The Diaper Drive for New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center will officially end on the 28th. That, of course, does not mean that you can’t bring diapers here or to the center. NBPRC is one of the missions we support on a monthly basis.

We have recently had many deaths hit both our church fellowship and the Spencer community. Just this past Sunday I mentioned three which affected people from our church family and one from the Spencer community. That is not counting the three which were already on our prayer list! Jill McKay and her husband, Kevin, ran the McKay Family Pharmacy & McKay Family Gifts for years. Jill also booked trips to all sorts of venues and cities in the U.S. Last week Jill passed away unexpectedly. I have been asked to announce that about 20 teachers decided that a good expression of their sorrow, support, and remembrance would be to establish the Jill McKay Memorial Fund through the Owen County Community Foundation. If you would like to donate to her Memorial Fund, please contact the OCCF for further information.

Each person who passes into eternity is special. Yesterday, Tuesday, I attended two funeral visitations of loved ones from our church family. Because we are so busy in our daily lives it is often easy to miss out on expressing our shared grief. I have been reading a lot of leadership books in order to be a better leader in 2025. The most recent one is a reread of one I read years ago. It is entitled The Way of the Shepherd by Dr. Kevin Leman and William Pentak. One of the very first items they emphasized was the importance of making each person feel important. They wrote about taking the time to know each person, to know what makes them “tick.” (my word). {Shameless promotion coming: I wrote a post about this on my LivingintheShadow  blog: https://livingintheshadow.ovcf.org/2025/02/17/february-17-5/} I’d like to encourage you to take the time to read it. In fact, I’d like to invite to join me each day as I write a daily devotion. You can actually sign up to have it delivered to your inbox each day. {Yeah…told you shameless promotion} 😀

My Wednesday Night Conversations class is cancelled for tonight, due to the weather (and no school). WNC will not meet next week (Feb. 26) because of the scheduled pitch-in.😀

Lord willing, and the weather cooperates, we will be back to in person worship this coming Sunday. My sermon is Stop Your Griping and Complaining from Numbers 11-27. I have really appreciated hearing from some of you about the Scripture reading and using Everyday Gospel Devotional. Never stop growing! I told Jo this past Sunday was harder on me than previous weeks. She asked if it was my knee and I said, “No.” Then it dawned on her. “You didn’t get to see people today, did you?” BINGO!! I told her that I “feed” off seeing people and interacting with them. She looked at me and said, “Only you” while shaking her head. Do you think she was trying to say that I am a social creature and I love being an extrovert? 😀 You decide. Consider
yourself loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #235

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #235! A couple of things are on my radar this Sunday morning as I begin writing this. First, after having some fairly decent weather the past couple of weeks, I hear of rumblings that Old Man Winter might be returning. Hmmm.😞Second, I, for one, will be glad when today (Super Bowl Sunday) is over. I gave you my pick on Sunday for the winner. I have never placed a bet, but if I had I guarantee I would have lost my shirt (pun intended for those who witnessed it). In spite of my lack of interest, I hope your team won. Tami and I agree: SB over; baseball Spring Training on deck. Regardless, I do appreciate you taking the time to read this week’s MM.

YOUTH CORNER:

• • This past Saturday Jo, Tami and I were able to watch several of our young people play basketball: Hudsyn Biggs, Jordan Mangia, Charlotte Pavich, and Auggie Wood. A plus for me was along the way I saw several whom I have or am now reading to for Book Buddies. We had fun watching them all play-win or lose. Coaches were Geoff Biggs and Tom Mangia.
  • I know there are others who play so please give me their names so I can include them!!

From Pastor Ryan:
Humble, generous, servant love.
For the youth super bowl party, a couple in our church family spent their treasure, time and love preparing a meal for the teens to have during the super bowl. This happens EVERY WEEK – not the party, the generous outpouring.
Before I could purchase table service and decorations, another lovely soul in our church family called and said she had just acquired a supply of football themed plates, cups, décor and more. She called to tell me I could have all that I wanted or thought we’d need.
The night of the game, three amazing adult leaders came to hang-out with students. They love Jesus and
students and live to see students follow Christ. By the end of it all, I could tell they were tired, but they
joyfully kept giving of their deep reserves of kindness, patience, attention, and love.
Students came early and laughed together while decorating and setting up. Many stayed late to clean up
and reset the building – cleaning up sticky, red pop off of classroom floors on their hands and knees. No
complaining or griping. Just humble serving.
We decided to leave the dishes and a few things until morning and head home. I left a note for our pastor
and secretary explaining that I’d tackle the dishes and remaining clean up the next day. When I got to the
church building, expecting to pick up where I’d left off, I was – yet again – blown away. The dishes were
done and dried. All trash was collected and taken to the can.
This is the kind of family that my church has. When I asked who I could thank for this, I just got two smiles
in return.
This is humble, generous, servant love. It permeates here. Plebian and pastor. Young, old and in-between.
I’m grateful to be a part of it, and I hope to show the same humble, generous, servant love I see you showing each other – and me. Let us do it all to Christ’s glory.
Thank you for letting me share just a little of how I see Christ in our church family every day. You are
Christ’s and He is yours.

We finished with the teachers from OVCF as our educators of the week, so we are moving on to the principals of each school. Please pray for the Principal at OVHS, Robert Boltinghouse, and the Assistant Principal, Jake Steinmetz. I don’t envy the job any principal or assistant principal has, especially in a high school. The challenges faced on a daily basis could seem monumental at times. I’m sure they would appreciate your prayers for wisdom.

Since I am asking for prayer for Mr. Boltinghouse and Mr. Steinmetz, I’d like to continue in that vein and ask for prayer for our church family. Many have faced losses of loved ones recently and many have upcoming surgeries and health issues. We also have the joy of praying for several families who are expecting little ones this year. Please remember them this week. For a complete list of prayer needs, please check out the bulletin.

After the fantastic response for our Wednesday night Pitch-in, Diana included a poll on the church’s Facebook group. Two options were given: monthly or quarterly. The vote was overwhelming for a monthly pitch-in so we are going to try that. Our next pitch-in will be Wednesday, February 26th at 6:00 (PM of course! 😄). There is something different this time! Someone generously wants to provide Babbs chicken for all, so it will help with planning if you would please sign up if you are interested in attending. OVCF will provide the drinks and table service again. I look forward to seeing you there! We had a great time visiting and spending time with each other at last month’s meal!

DON’T FORGET NEW BEGINNINGS PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER HAS TWO EVENTS
HAPPENING THIS MONTH!

1. 1. 1. The 2025 Diaper Drive takes place the whole month of February. You may leave your items here at the church building or at the center. Call 812.829.2229 for their hours.
      2. Valentine’s Day Dance is this Friday. If you desire more information, contact Vicki Hogan.

A Women’s Connection Event is happening on the 28th at 6:00 here at OVCF. Bivi Ervin is hosting a tamale meal. Please sign up if you are interested! The cost is $10, please give the money to Linda St John. There will also be an alternative meal offered for those who don’t eat tamales. Cost is still $10 for that as well.

Wednesday Night Conversations meets every Wednesday night from 6-7:00. It is a pretty informal discussion, always involving “What does the Bible say?” This Wednesday night we will be discussing the often heard statement “God Just Wants Me to be Happy.” As you can imagine, it is used to justify a lot of contemporary thoughts and behavior. I would love to have you join in our discussion!

I’m about at the end of my allotted writing time.😄I have a persistent editor who keeps my feet to the fire. (Did I happen to mention Diana’s name?)😄Seriously, she does a phenomenal job of editing the MM and I am grateful for that.

With all the talk in our culture of justice and mercy, Sunday’s sermon should fit right in. It is aptly titled Justice or Mercy? and will be taken from Leviticus 24-Numbers 10. Take a look at Micah 6:8 as well. That is one powerful verse! I look forward to seeing you Sunday! Know you are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #234

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #234! I hope you are having a terrific week and enjoying the break in the weather. I know, I know. It is only the first part of February and I have been informed there are at least 40 days or so until Spring, but a guy can dream, can’t he? This balmy 40-50 degree weather sure gets the desire for warmer weather stirred up. Let’s hope this is not the calm before the storm. Of course, if it is there isn’t much we can do about it anyway. 😀Guess we will have to enjoy it while we can.

Remember to pray for our educator of the week: Cristi Wood. Cristi has been teaching for 15 years and was a Developmental Therapist for First Steps for 8 years before that. She has always worked with kids, age birth to 5 years. She currently teaches Pre-K at McCormick’s Creek Elementary School (MCES). Cristi has been married to Mike for 19 years and they have three children. Kloee, a junior at Indiana State (studying Elementary Ed) loves photography and has had her own little business since her sophomore year of high school. She also works at OCSB on her breaks from school and has an on campus job at ISU. Fun fact: she is in the same sorority at ISU as her mom was. CJ is a 6th grader at MCES and loves cheerleading, wrestling, and is learning to crochet. She loves drawing, writing and is very social. Auggie is a 3rd grader at MCES and loves all things sports (football, basketball, wrestling, and baseball). He also enjoys reading, puzzles, word searches, video games and building with LEGOS. Mike is with the ISP and now you know why Jo and Tami have to behave. They live near us! 😊Cristi also loves to read and organized a book club in our community for 12 years. In case you don’t know, she is very social and loves to be around people. One dream she has: to go to Scotland. The castles fascinate her.

YOUTH CORNER

• • • ROOTS SUPER BOWL PARTY is this coming Sunday night at OVCF from 6-10 PM. 7th-12th grade students are invited and welcome to bring their friends.
    • Christine Chambers informed me that Alex’s surgery to remove the tube from his eye went well. She also said Eliza took 2nd on the balance beam and 7th all around out of 21 girls and had 3 personal bests. Praying for you, Alex and way to go, Eliza!😀
    • Hilltop Camp Registration is open. Please check with Pastor Ryan or Diana for the scholarship code to use when registering. Please complete a scholarship form for our records! 😊
    • I feel I would be remiss to not ask you to pray for several young people. Nolan Miller is well known to our young people. He is in maintenance from leukemia but could always use our prayers for continued recovery. This past Sunday Kim Floyd asked us to pray for her great niece, Kira Grace Herrington. Kira is 13 years old and has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Her PET scan was Monday and treatment will start Friday.

Since I am mentioning prayer concerns, please be praying for Zach and Nicole Bell (due in May), Bobby and Becca Anderson (due in June) and Brandon and Anna Chandler (due in September). Pray for healthy pregnancies and babies.

NEW BEGINNINGS PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER

• • • The annual diaper drive is happening right now! I found out Sunday that they are especially in need of diapers for sizes 4-5-6 and also pull-ups. You may bring them to the church building if that is easier for you.
    • This Friday, the 7th, is a Valentine’s Bake Sale fundraiser from 9-5 at OCSB. Donations of baked goods or Valentines items are appreciated. All proceeds will benefit the Ladies Tea in April. If you have any questions please see Sally Carlson.
    • One final item: NB is holding a Valentine’s Day Dance at the Christian Life Center on February 14th. You may call them at 812.829.2229 for more information or pick up a postcard at the info table.

My Wednesday Night Conversations class will resume this Wednesday. We took a break last Wednesday for the pitch-in dinner. Our discussion this Wednesday will be studying the common lie we often hear (and use): “God gained another angel.” This is a discussion-based class that meets from 6-7:00 pm. I look forward to seeing you there!

Speaking of the pitch-in! We had between 50-60 people. I had trouble getting an accurate count because people kept moving around. 😀In any case, it was exciting to see so many turn out.

Following my message this past Sunday, Brayton and Zoe Wyatt came up to tell me something that you might be interested in, especially if you are struggling reading the Scripture from the Everyday Gospel Devotional right now. They informed me that Audiobook has both the Everyday Gospel, as well as the New Living Translation available. For some that is ideal because they can drive and listen at the same time. I am not a multi-tasker so that doesn’t work very well for me. 😊But it may for you! If that sounds like something you might be interested in you may check it out yourself or contact me and I will put them in touch with you. They are both benefiting from the Audiobook version.

Congratulations to Gavin and Jenna Wells upon the adoption of Theodore (his name means “a gift from God”) this past Monday at 10:00 at the OC Courthouse. Theodore was left in the NICU at birth and needed care and attention. He responded well to Gavin and Jenna’s loving touch and warmth. We prayed for them this past Sunday but I have to tell you something that Jenna told me later. When they told their children we were praying for them and Theodore, their son, Warner, said, “Why do we have to wait to pray? Why can’t we pray right now?” Is that not cool that an 11 year old boy would have the awareness to say something like  that? Please pray for Gavin and Jenna and others who open their homes to children.

Even though the sermon series on Everyday Gospel has been challenging to work on, I am totally enjoying that challenge. This Sunday the message is entitled The Scoop on Sin from Leviticus 5-23. I look forward to sharing that with you. I also look forward to letting you know how much I enjoy seeing you and letting you know you are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #233

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #233. Thanks for allowing me to “crash” your inbox and for taking some time out of your day to read this. I appreciate it when you spend a small part of your day with me in this way.

I would like to remind you to pray for our educator of the week, April Chandler. April is another one of our homeschool moms. She and Jason have been married for 25 years and are the parents of 4 children and will soon be grandparents! 😊Jason works at Duncan Supply in Bloomington as an account manager. The two older boys, Brandon and Justin, are married. The two younger ones, Gracie and Gloria, are 11 year old mischievous identical twins. 😊They play volleyball for Upwards and love to read and help in the garden. They also think it is funny to trick me. At one point I had them down pat. Gloria had glasses; Gracie did not. That was all well and good until they decided to come see me one Sunday and Gracie wore the glasses. I said, “Hi Gloria!” (I was so proud of myself…until they started giggling). Jason and April were laughing as well and I knew I had been had. Now I’m really up a creek. They both wear glasses and they look so much alike I take a guess and hope I’m right. In her spare time, April loves to read, take care of her chickens and learn about homesteading.

A super good day Sunday was crowned by the baptisms of Zoe Wyatt and Hudsyn Biggs. Zoe is married to Brayton and they have a daughter, Hazel. Hudsyn is the son of Geoff and Kala Biggs. It was a privilege to watch Brayton baptize Zoe. It is something they will remember for the rest of their lives. Pastor Ryan baptized Hudsyn while his mom, dad, sister (Amelia) and other family members looked on. Geoff thinks it might have to be done once a year. 😊

Don’t forget our Pitch-in dinner TONIGHT starting at 6:00. Last year I did a series on “Feels Like Home” where I emphasized the church should be a place where people feel at home. The idea of “Welcome Home” was based on 5 essentials:

• • • The Gospel is Preached
    • Jesus is Honored
    • Grace is Offered
    • Lives are Changed
    • Obedience is Encouraged

The pitch-in is just one effort to help people get to know others, to connect with one another, and to laugh, tell stories, and establish friendships that will carry on beyond the church walls. I look forward to sharing the evening with you. All we ask is that you bring something to share. We will provide plates, utensils, and drinks!

Diana would like you to know that your 2024 tithe letters are available at the info table.

New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center (NBPRC) is one of the local missions we support on a monthly basis. Every year they have a Diaper Drive during the month of February. The ministry of NBPRC is so essential and so vital to people in Owen County (and even beyond). It no longer serves just new parents. It also serves extended family members who help take care of or even raise the children. They also offer counseling and help in other ways. So during the month of February would you please remember NB with diapers and wipes? You can leave your items at OVCF or drop them off at the center. You may want to call ahead since they have different hours and days they are open. Did you also know that several of our ladies volunteer at NB? They are Vicki Hogan and JuliAnne Wiegand (board members), Becca Anderson, Sally Carlson, and Cindy Shipley. Dick Hogan has also done some volunteer maintenance for them.

NBPRC is also having a Valentine’s Day Dance on February 14th at the Christian Life Center. More information is on the bulletin board in the hallway or you may pick up a postcard at the info table.

YOUTH CORNER

• • • Winter Jam has become an annual outing for our young people. This year it is on Friday, February 7th at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. All 7th-12th grade students are welcome but you must RSVP to Pastor Ryan by February 3rd! That is next Monday!! A waiver is required. Tickets are $15 at the door + bring money for dinner. Any questions? See Pastor Ryan.
    • Hilltop Christian Camp registration is open. It is hard to believe we are shivering in our boots and we are already talking SUMMER CAMP! If you plan on making Hilltop part of your child’s summer, please contact Pastor Ryan or Diana for a scholarship code to use for a discount. We also ask that you complete a simple scholarship form for our file in the office. Years ago the elders of OVCF made a promise that any child who wants to go to Hilltop Camp will have the funds to go if needed.
    • Mom told me that Eliza Chambers came away with a first on balance beam this past weekend.

If you have been using the Everyday Gospel Devotional and reading the Bible passages that coincide with it, you will be experiencing one of the hard parts of reading through the Bible. I don’t want to rain too much on our parade 😊 but Leviticus and Numbers is coming! As I read the dietary and dress restrictions; the offerings and feasts which are required; the law after law they must adhere to, I keep reminding myself how grateful I am for the NT and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for the sins for which previously the blood of bulls and goats was shed. I remind myself what Hebrews says, “The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin” and that once and for all Christ was offered as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (Hebrews 9). So, don’t quit reading even though it is tough to get through. Keep telling yourself, “Thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me from my sin by your blood.” With those thoughts in mind, I will be preaching on In the Presence of the Lord this Sunday. It involves the Tabernacle and the God’s presence in that sacred place. You will want to read Exodus 25-Leviticus 4 for Sunday. I can’t wait to see you there! Know you are loved.

Pastor Bill

Someone special to me is celebrating her birthday Thursday. I will be taking her to see our daughter, Janna, but mostly our grandson. 😀We will be back Saturday. Prayers please for a safe trip.

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #232

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #232! As I write this (Sunday) the weatherman is telling us we will be going from the ridiculous amount of snow just a mere two weeks ago; to fairly decent weather this past week as the rain helped melt the snow; to some more ridiculous temps in the below zeroes. I know what I am hoping (Sing with me: “We’re having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave.”), but I have this sneaking suspicion that it really doesn’t matter what I want in the grand scheme of things. 😊Anyway, I hope you are able to bundle up and stay warm.

Please pray for our educator of the week, Shelly Sutton, one of our homeschool moms. Shelly and her husband, Johnathan, have been married for 27 years. They are the parents of three children. Lauryn, the oldest will graduate from Ivy Tech in December. She was in Kindergarten when Shelly started homeschooling. This makes Shelly’s 16th year! Brodie is a senior and Ayzleah is a freshman. Lauryn is involved with two Christian college groups; Brodie enjoys ROOTS and Deeper; Ayzleah just started choir this semester. Shelly enjoys party planning and gardening. Johnathan has the green thumb and is project planner. They also enjoy watching movies together.

YOUTH CORNER

Yay!! I finally have some information to include in the youth corner!! It has been silent the past two or three MMs.

• • • A little birdie told me that Addilynn (Addi) Hutchison won the Top Cat Award in her class for the second nine weeks (Fall break to Christmas break).
    • Another little birdie (might have been mom) told me that Tanner Wood also won the Top Cat Award for his class.
    • Eliza Chambers won some medals this past weekend for gymnastics. Her first meet was successful after moving up two levels to be on the level 6 team and overcoming 8 weeks off for a wrist fracture. Here are her awards: Beam (2nd). Bars (4th). Floor (5th). All around (3rd). A little birdie (mom) told me the results and was a pretty proud mama Sunday.

We often focus on the educators of the week and rightly so. But do you know this is School Board Administration Month? Here is the S-OCS School board (In alphabetical order):

• • • Lizz Bixler- School Board Secretary (Lizz is part of our church family😀)
    • Chad Cooper- School Board Member
    • Derek Morgan- School Board President
    • Mark Rogers- School Board VP
    • Rick Smeltzer- School Board Secretary
    • Deanna Stickles- School Board Member
    • Jack White- School Board Member

If you know any of them, or see any of them, make sure you let them know that you appreciate
their involvement.

There are two events scheduled for this coming Saturday!

• • • For the past 5-6 years, maybe more, OVCF has hosted the Legislative Breakfast (LB) for the community. Some may wonder if we are venturing into politics. The answer is No. The Owen County Chamber of Commerce was looking for a good venue to host the LB and I offered our building. It has been a fantastic place to hold it. Due to our ability to live stream it has become even more valuable. (Pastor Ryan graciously stepped in to do that). This is a long session for the Legislature so there will be 4 Saturdays of meetings (One/month).
    • Also this coming Saturday is the Connection Women’s Ministry event from 2-4 p.m. It is called Coffee and Chocolate and you are asked to bring a treat to share and join other ladies for the afternoon. If you have any questions, please ask Macy Carlson, Sally Carlson, Hope East or Linda St. John.

Don’t forget the Pitch-in dinner scheduled for Wednesday, January 29th at 6 p.m. This will be a great time to eat, chat, laugh, visit with friends, and get to know other people from our church family. Bring something to share and we will provide the plates, utensils, and drinks!

From the “I CAN’T REALLY BELIEVE IT” department: Hilltop Christian Camp registration is open! Yes, you read that correctly! SUMMER camp!!! Register soon to receive the early bird discount. Please contact Pastor Ryan or Diana for the scholarship code. You will also be asked to complete a simple scholarship form the church keeps on file. I saw one scholarship application on Diana’s desk Monday morning. Now THAT is getting an early jump on camp!!😀

I hope you are enjoying the Everyday Gospel Devotional (EGD). I have heard from so many who are thoroughly enjoying it. I spoke with someone who got started late and they are catching up by reading a couple a day. I love hearing that!! This past Sunday I had several ask me about the EGD, especially after hearing Wayne Akerson, one of our elders, mention it during his communion meditation, and then listening to the sermon Sunday. I explained to them about reading the previous week’s devotions and Scripture in preparation for the Sunday sermon. I preached Sunday on Joseph, whose story we read about all week from Genesis 37-Exodus 3. I relayed to them to read January 19-January 25 in preparation for this coming Sunday’s message. They asked for copies of EGD. 😀 Someone else asked me if we had any copies so she could give them to two co-workers. I dropped them off at her work and met the two ladies. This coming
Sunday’s message is Do You Really Know God? from Exodus 4-24 (I will include some discussion of Exodus 1-3). You can prepare by reading the devotional or the Scripture.

It will be good to see you this week. I trust you know you are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #231

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #231! WOW! Has this past week and a half been something else, or what? Two Sundays ago we had our first cancellation of a Sunday service in a long time. We made the right call. Our first priority is your safety and the live stream allows us the opportunity to facilitate that. The weather was just downright unsafe to be out in so I am glad for the live stream. Final total was at least 96+ people watched the live stream. (Preacher count says 200!😊) Guess something good came out of COVID (starting our live stream)! Thanks for understanding and being willing to “go with the flow.”

The students also had an extended Christmas vacation with the cancellation of school for three days. Then they had an eLearning Day on Friday. All in all, we were at the mercy of the weather. Here is a novel thought! Maybe, just maybe, we won’t have any more snow the rest of the winter!! I would not complain about that.
Pray for Jeanna Srinivasan as our educator of the week. Jeanna homeschools her two children, Aasha and Nathan. I asked Jeanna for some info about their family. Here is what she sent: She and Kartik have been married for 15 years and met while she was attending The University of Indianapolis and he was pursuing his Master’s degree (he is a Physical Therapist for IU Health). Aasha is 12 and in the 6th grade and Nathan is 7 11/12 (his answer) and in the 2nd grade. Aasha runs track for Indy Genesis, cross-country and basketball for Bloomington Bobcats, was just initiated as a cadet into the Civil Air Patrol, co-president in the Pathfinders 4-H Club, sings in the White River Music Studio homeschool choir and is in dance. Nathan loves working outdoors. Anything laborious like chopping wood, hauling and lifting things, he’s your man. Jeanna
teaches high school sciences for the Freedom Homeschool Co-op and is on the Eli Lilly Scholarship selection committee. In her spare time (?) she has dogs, chickens, ducks (this spring) and loves going camping.

While I am asking you to pray, I want to bring up the whole California wildfire situation. I said this past Sunday that natural disasters like fires have no favorites. They don’t care if you are rich or poor, white or black, Republican or Democrat, or any other mixture you can think of. I was just speaking with someone (I’m writing this on Sunday afternoon) who called to tell me about her friend who lives in California. He was 12 miles away, then 6, and now is waiting to see which way the wind blows. When this person told him we were praying for them, he was shocked. You know why? Remember when I said fire has no favorites? He is married to a man and his friends are all of the same persuasion. I saw church buildings leveled and collapsed (good thing the church is not the building). I’m going to ask you to keep praying for the victims of these fires and that the winds shift, rain falls or something miraculous happens to bring an end to this devastation. I was not here in early 2005, but I was here in the flood of ’08 and still remember the destruction our small community faced. Pray not only for the victims but also for those trying to minister God’s love to them. Perhaps this will draw people who are desperately looking for hope to the ONE who alone gives hope.

My Wednesday Night Conversations begins this Wednesday, the 15th. The topic of discussion will be 9 Common Lies Christians Believe and Why God’s Truth is Infinitely Better. It is based on a book by Shane Pruitt. The goal is to discuss and study what the Bible says about different topics:

• • • God won’t give me more than I can handle
    • God gained another angel
    • God just wants me to be happy
    • I could never forgive that person\
    • Follow your heart
    • God’s doesn’t really care
    • Well, ________ will never change
    • I don’t think God likes me
    • Believe in yourself

You may have a topic you would like to discuss. I will fit that in here or in the next WNC. There may an occasion where we might need to combine two due to scheduling conflicts. We already know that the Wednesday night pitch-in will omit one study. The plan is to go to March 12th and then pick it back up after Spring Break for about 6 weeks or so. We meet from 6-7:00. Bring a Bible, a notebook (if desired) and yourself. Oh yeah…no school = no WNC. I just mentioned the Wednesday night pitch-in. It is scheduled for the 29th of this month at 6 pm. We are trying something new and ask that you consider it along with us. As I said in last week’s MM, we used to have these when OVCF was just a baby. We are looking at different ways to foster a church family connection and this is one way we can make it happen. I look forward to seeing you there!!

I hope you have been enjoying the Everyday Gospel Devotional. I heard from several people this past Sunday who are really loving it. I’m so thankful for those who have taken the time to let me know how it has helped. I’m convinced God doesn’t really care how we study His Word or spend time with Him, just that we do, and this is a great way to get started. I told someone recently, when they talked about reading it and the  Scripture, that she will grow by leaps and bounds by the year’s end. I believe many of us will. Some of you are probably wondering about our expansion. Two four-letter words sum it up: R.A.I.N. and S.N.O.W. That’s all we know at this point. 🙁 We will keep you informed when work begins again. 😀

Sunday’s message is Overcoming Life’s Challenges from Genesis 35-Exodus 3. The main emphasis will be on Joseph. I look forward to seeing you there. Love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #230

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #230. It has been several weeks since the last MM. I hope you missed me! If you didn’t please don’t tell me!😊My last MM anticipated the Christmas break. This one anticipates going back to school. Well…only if the weather cooperates. I have to admit I was kind of disappointed when the weather report for this past Sunday was snow, snow and more snow. I had been looking forward to preaching the first of the Burning Hearts sermons in person, but instead took a detour. I’m so glad for the live stream that makes it possible for us to make a change like we did and still be able to include anyone who wants to watch and listen. Granted, it isn’t like being there, but it is the next best thing. Unless, of course, you want me to come to your house and preach the sermon. Nah…never mind I even said that! Please just keep in mind that we made the decision to just do live stream because we love you and want you to be safe. I wrote the preceding paragraph before the snow started flying. Guess the weather people were correct this time.

With school back in session, I want to get back to praying for specific individuals. Before the break we had been praying for some of our homeschool moms. This week please pray for Michelle Lippert. Michelle has been married to Geoff for 10 years. He is a commercial plumber for a company in Indianapolis. Their daughter, Marla, is 15 and a freshman. I asked Michelle if she had any hobbies and she said she enjoys crocheting, sewing, and reading. They have some sheep but her real heart, she says, is for her dogs. She has 3 Chinese crested dogs and a small little terrier.

This MM will involve a lot of catch-up since we have been out of the loop for a couple of weeks. Here is a list of upcoming events which involve our OVCF family and friends.

• • • For the youth there are several items to remember. ROOTS will resume this coming Sunday, January 12 at 5 pm at OVCF. Pastor Ryan would love to reconnect with each of you! DEEPER will resume meeting this Wednesday, January 8th, at 4:00 pm at the East’s home.
    • Wednesday Night Conversations will be starting back up on Wednesday, January 15th at 6 pm. My plan is to do WNC until Wednesday, March 12th, since the 19th is during Spring Break. The topics for discussion will be 9 Common Lies Christians Believe. I’ve read the book twice in preparation for the class and it lends itself to a lot of discussion. There is no sign-up sheet so please feel free to  come. In the event school in cancelled due to that white stuff that falls from the sky, WNC will also be cancelled.
    • The Connections Women’s Ministry will be having a Coffee and Chocolate get together on Saturday, January 25th from 2-4 pm at OVCF. Bring a treat to share and enjoy spending time with other ladies for the afternoon.
    • OVCF has hosted the Legislative Breakfast for the Chamber of Commerce for the past several years. This year will be no different. The first breakfast will be Saturday, January 25th. It normally meets on the 3rd Saturday of the first 4 months (this year due to a long session for the lawmakers), but a scheduling conflict caused them to make a change for this month only.

Something different is coming! One of the characteristics of families is gathering around the table to eat. The staff talked last week about having more pitch-ins to allow us to spend more time together as a church family. When OVCF was just a mere baby, we used to meet at the Owen Valley Sports Complex. One Wednesday night a month we used to have a pitch-in that was well attended. When we moved to this building we stopped having pitch-ins. Then we went to two services (as we are now) and it became difficult to find a good time for one. The folks in first service wanted to be involved, but that meant they would leave and have to come back two hours later. So the staff (Pastor Ryan, Diana and myself) got our heads together and came up with the hair-brained scheme of trying to have a pitch-in on a Wednesday night. Jeff Carlson used to be fond of saying, “One of our strengths is trying something new. If it doesn’t work, well then okay. We will try something else.” We aren’t sure if the Wednesday night idea is a good one or not, but we can at least try. If not, we will go back to the drawing board. Please set aside that date-Wednesday, January 29th at 6:00 pm-for a pitch-in. We will set up in the main auditorium in anticipation of a good group.😊You bring
the food. We will provide the plates, utensils, and drinks. *My WNC group will not meet that evening.

I trust you are reading your Everyday Gospel Devotional (EDG) daily. Did you know we wound up ordering 135 books? I told a friend that number and he was shocked. His exact words were: “Dude, that is phenomenal!” He and his wife are also taking part (from AZ). They are also committing to watching the live stream to stay current. My sermon this coming Sunday is Two Recipes from Genesis 16-34. Reading the Scripture and staying current in EDG will sure help you understand more, as well as make my job easier. 😊

One last thing before I go: this past Sunday I read something at the end of the sermon which I said I would include in the MM. Here is that reading:

No matter how much we know the Bible; no matter how long we have known the Lord; no matter how intelligent you are in spiritual matters; no matter how many facts you know; no matter how spiritually mature you may think you are; we all rely on God’s transforming grace. Be grateful you were included in that grace and accepted His offer of salvation. If you haven’t why put it off any longer?

My goal and hope is that as we go through the theme of Burning Hearts I will be able to leave you with something to think about and chew on for the week ahead. Thanks for joining me on Sunday and in reading this MM. To the new folks: WELCOME! Just know you are loved.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #229

Hello everyone! Welcome to Midweek Message #229! I hope you have a sense of anticipation as we get closer to Christmas day. After reading to the Kindergarten kids at SES and GES this past week I can definitely say the teachers have their hands full as I think many of the kids have already “checked out” for Christmas.😊I certainly don’t envy the teachers as they try to corral the children. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this edition of the MM.

Please be praying for our educator of the week: Jenny Hess. Jenny is one of our homeschool moms. She and John have been married for 23 years and are the parents of two daughters. MiaRose is a freshman at Cedarville University in Ohio, majoring in business management with minors in entrepreneurship and the Bible. Meilynn is currently a junior in high school. John is the maintenance manager at People’s State Bank. Jenny said they also have a hobby farm with a horse, cows, goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, cats, dogs and lots of honey bees. And in their spare time…… .😊

Since there will be no MM next week and no school due to the Christmas break, I’m going to ask you to simply pray for all our teachers and administrators over the break. I will be back when school is back in session with our educators.

I was stunned when I came to the office and Diana told me how many had signed up for the Everyday Gospel Daily Devotional. Our first order placed on week 1 was for 30 books. Our second order placed last week…wait for it…was for 60 more! That order has arrived and is ready for pickup. I said Sunday from the pulpit that means at least 90 people are planning to take part in reading the devotional and reading through the Bible in 2025. WOW! Then, as I talked about it, I made one last call for people to sign up. Are you sitting down? We ordered another 35 this week. That means close to 120 people signed up to do the devotional and to read the Bible this year. We will even have two of my friends in Arizona reading along with us. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to hear you say, “Teach us the Bible, Pastor Bill!” This past week or so I began reading the devotions and am sitting at January 31st as I write this. I’ve already begun preparing the four sermons in January. I will go back and read the Scripture passage on the day it is scheduled. I do have one vital and huge prayer request though. Preaching through the Bible is way out of my comfort zone. I’m used to doing a series of sermons on a book or topics, but never just starting at Genesis and preaching as I come to a passage(s). SO PLEASE KEEP MY NAME ON YOUR LIPS AS YOU PRAY EACH DAY! Ask God for clarity and insight into His Word as I study. I don’t want to shortchange His message, nor your eagerness to learn as we take this venture together. One more thought and reminder: if you ordered an Everyday Gospel Daily Devotional there will be a post-it note with your name on the book. Please take the book and either write a check for the amount OR put the post-it note attached to your cash. I sort of made a lot of work for the offering counters with this so first, I apologize to them; and 2) you can help make it somewhat easier by attaching the note. Thanks. Just so you know: Crossway Publishers gave us a phenomenal deal on the devotionals.

Many thanks to Pastor Ryan and the Roots youth group for decorating the auditorium this past Sunday night with lights and a celebration of Christmas. Ryan and I talked this past Saturday and I asked if he would consider leaving the decorations up for a few more weeks and he said, “By all means.” They are planning on leaving the lights and decorations up until the 2nd or 3rd week of January. Who says Christmas ends on December 26th? .😊

I mentioned in the second service (forgot to do so in the first service) that excavation was planned for this past Monday, but when I said something to somebody on the building team he said, “The rain may have something to say to that.” (For the record Dave Keith was right). It will be so exciting to see the earthmoving equipment here as our planned addition gets underway.
Just a reminder:

• • • The excavation will start (hopefully) this week
    • Along with the groundwork we also plan to do some parking expansion as well (east side of the parking lot will be extended)
    • The ground will sit until the spring when we hope to lay the concrete pad and erect the shell. Stone will be laid in the parking lot expansion to begin that development.
    • Our progress from that point on will be determined by the finances. As we have said in the past, we have committed ourselves to paying cash for the work and to not borrow any money. We are trusting God to honor our commitment.
    • As always we will keep you informed.

In MM #227, I gave you a heads up about possible changes to the office hours during the Christmas season. All three of us will be out of the office at different times during the week of Christmas and it goes without saying the office will be officially closed Tuesday-Thursday. If needed please feel free to call or text.

The week of the 29th is a 5th Sunday. The elementary age young people will be in with the adults that week. Nursery and Pre-school will still be in session.

As I have said, there will be no MM next week. I will try to have a MM for the week of December 29. I pray you have a joy-filled celebration of the birth of Jesus and have a time of unforgettable memories with family and friends. This week’s sermon is See and Tell from Luke 2 and Matthew 2. The 29th will begin the 2025 theme of “Burning Hearts” with a sermon on A Heart on Fire from Luke 24 and 2 Peter 1:16-21. I look forward to seeing you. Be careful if you travel. Never forget you are loved.

Pastor Bill