Category: OVCF News

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #228

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #228! So much is happening in your lives right now with school and the Christmas holiday coming that I want to thank you for taking the time to read this MM.

Remember to pray for our educator of the week: Hope East. Hope is one of our homeschool moms. I think you are all pretty familiar with Hope. You may just know her husband from somewhere. 😊 She and Pastor Ryan are the parents of three teenagers-Anna, Caleb, and Rachel. Several years ago Hope was foundational in establishing the local Co-op for homeschool children. She continues as leader of that group to this day. Hope likes to hike and camp with her family in her spare time. 😊

I don’t want the following announcement to get lost in the midst of this MM so I thought I would share it early. Last week I mentioned that Andy Wood and the Military Care Team (MCT) were putting together some care packages for our military personnel. This coming Sunday, December 15th, the MCT will be putting those packages together. This past Sunday I mentioned that there was a list of suggested donations on the info table, but when some went back to get one they were all gone. I decided to include that list in this week’s MM so you can have it in case you would like to help:

• • • Cards/letters of appreciation & encouragement
    • Protein bars
    • Snacks
    • Candy/gum
    • Toiletries
    • Baby wipes
    • Books/magazines
    • AA and D batteries
    • Gift cards (Amazon or Walmart)

You may bring your items this coming Sunday. Boxes will be packed following the second service. If you have any questions or would like to help, please feel free to reach out to Andy Wood.

Sunday sure was a big day for us! When we finished the youth addition in 2018, we immediately began saving to expand the adult worship area. After 6 years, we were finally able to break ground this past Sunday!! We could not have asked for a more beautiful day (except if it had been in the 70s or 80s). 😄 The frigid weather of the early part of the week gave way to a gorgeous sunny sky and temps in the 40s. We were able to go outside between services, with about 50-60 people present and have a Groundbreaking. I read from Psalm 84:1-2, 10-12 and made a few comments. Then after prayer, members of the Building Team and leadership dug their shovels in and turned some dirt. It was good to see so many come outside and then clap as the dirt was overturned. However, I have an apology to make. I told Diana Monday morning that I had one of those “after the fact” moments, or as they say, “Hindsight is always 20/20.” As I laid in bed that night I replayed the day and realized to my horror that I had failed to include you all in the shovel turning. This new building is a testimony of God’s faithfulness to us, but it is also a testimony of your faithfulness to Him by consistently giving to the Building Fund. I realize after talking to Diana that it would have been logistically impossible to have everyone turn dirt due to the time limit, but the tribute to this building goes to God and to you, His faithful servants. Some have given faithfully even when the idea was just that…an idea. You have  been ultra-patient as we have slowly been saving the money to build debt free. We are not quite there yet, but I have the faith that God will provide and you will continue being faithful. Thank you so much for praying and giving and encouraging us to follow God’s will. The plan is to excavate-starting within a week or so-then let it sit all winter. This spring we hope to lay concrete and erect the shell and then move ahead as we have the money. I dream of the day we can write Scripture on the walls (before painting, of course) and then stand within the walls of a completed building singing praises to the ONE who has never failed or let us down.

Sunday had several other big highlights.

• • • After I mentioned that I would be preaching all year (that is the plan anyway) 😄 from the weekly readings in Everyday Gospel, there were over 30 more people who signed up for a copy! To say I was blown away would be an understatement. I showed Diana the list Monday morning after she got to the office and I wish you could have seen her face! In over 50 years as a pastor I have never-read that NEVER-preached through the whole Bible as we will attempt to do in 2025. But I gotta tell you that your eagerness to sign up for a copy of the book has fueled my desire to really make a strong effort to prepare and be ready each Sunday. Thank you so much for this encouragement.
    • The other event was the Chili Cook-off. The last count I heard was there were 13 entries in the contest. They went from the sublime to the ridiculously hot (Jackie Helderman II made a California Reaper Chili). One person said it killed his taste buds.😮Me? I stuck with mac & cheese and cheesy potatoes. I wanted to live another day. The great part was that over $1100 was raised toward the mission trip to help the victims of Hurricane Helene. Pastor Ryan is looking at a Spring Break trip with IDES. He will keep you informed. But thanks to all who entered the contest. Congrats to those who won. A special pat-on-the-back to those still standing. And a very, very special thank you to the
      one who provided TUMS and placed it by the Carolina Reaper crockpot. And I have a question for Caleb East and all the others who took part in the chili tasting: have you recovered yet? 😄

This Sunday I will be continuing my series on From Start to Finish by looking at “Live Life on Purpose.” I will be looking at Zechariah & Elizabeth (John) and Mary’s song (Jesus). Check out Luke chapter 1 if you want to read ahead. I look forward to seeing you then. I love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #227

Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #227! It is crazy how a surgery can mess with a person’s schedule. (I would say “with a person’s mind” but I can already hear the comments from the peanut gallery).😁Between what was once a pretty regimented sleep pattern (bed at 9:00 and up at 3:30) to who-knows-when-I-will-get-to-sleep-or-how-long-I-will-sleep to early morning PT twice a week, my schedule has been all catty-wampus. (Yeah, I don’t know how to spell that either). The regimented person in me says that I sure hope I can get back to a regular schedule, but I’m suspecting it will still take about a month or so. I love sitting
in my recliner but I sure to miss my bed. 😁Anyway, you have enough going on in your world without me adding my junk to it. I do hope you are having a good week after enjoying a Thanksgiving break.

Reminder: Please pray for our educator of the week, Rebecca Chesser. She is one of our homeschool mothers. Rebecca and her husband, Ethan, have been married for 8 years. They are the parents of 6 children-Grace is 6; the quads (Aiden, Mason, Collin, Karoline) are 3; and Hazel is 18 months. Ethan works full time at the Terre Haute Air National Guard base in Security Forces. Two fun facts: They actually started dating while he was deployed in Afghanistan and Ethan also has a Bachelor’s Degree in informatics at IU (call me clueless on what that is). 😁

I was really excited this past Sunday. Of course, for me to get back in the pulpit was special to me. Even though I was somewhat limited in movement (I was told by the PA that I could preach on the condition I didn’t fall off the stage and didn’t become rambunctious. As if…😁), I enjoyed being with people I love, sharing a message I love even more. It was so good to see everyone and for some to make the extra effort to come see me and to say a few words was good for my heart. But my excitement goes even beyond that. All 75 FREE copies of Everyday Gospel Christmas Devotional were taken. That means we could have 75 or more people working their way through the devotionals on a daily basis. To top that off, we also ordered 30 copies of the Everyday Gospel Devotional for the whole year! That also means we will have a number of people working their way through EG at the same time. That is phenomenal!! I look for this to be a year where our “hearts burn within us” as we study the Scriptures together.

In case you are wondering why I put quotes around the phrase “hearts burn within us,” it is because my sermon theme for 2025 is taken from Luke 24:32. When the followers of Jesus realized who it was that walked and talked with them on the road, they said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” My goal this year is not to preach topics but to preach chunks of Scripture, even whole books, as we see how the Scripture applies to our lives. I’m even giving some thought to preaching one called “Favorites.” I am thinking of preaching on favorite Scriptures you might have. Not a hobby horse one, but one that has been especially meaningful to you down through
the years, or even just recently. So…be thinking of one you might like to have preached on.

SPECIAL SUNDAY EVENTS!!

• • • Collection for Backpack Buddies ends Sunday. We plan to take them to the high school on Wednesday, the 11th
    • Chili Cook-off following second service! Fun, voting for favorite chili, and plenty of food is all for a good cause: to raise money for the team to help after Christmas for those recovering from Hurricane Helene.
    • The weather is supposed to be in the 40s so we plan a special time of prayer and dedication for the GROUNDBREAKING of our building addition project! You won’t want to miss it!!! Please plan to join us between services at 10:15! 😊

Special note from Andy Wood and the Military Care Team (MCT): On Sunday, the 15th, the MCT will be meeting to put together some packages to send to our military personnel. Great gift ideas for them would be cards of encouragement as well as gifts. Andy says a list will be available of good items to provide.

I have a long list of thank yous for people. Jo, Tami and I are so grateful for the meal train that made sure we had enough to eat for the first two weeks of recovery. Jo was so glad she didn’t have to wonder, “What am I going to fix tonight?” and could be more focused on helping me recover. In spite of what I jokingly say, she was a wonderful nurse, even sleeping in the living room in her chair while I slept in my recliner. Eventually, I woke up and sent her to the bed while I headed to the recliner in my Mancave. I slept fitfully, but she was a trooper. Tami hibernated (I mean, helped) when she got home from school.😁

I also owe a debt of thanks to Pastor Ryan and Diana for picking up the slack in my absence, and then as I was in-and-out of the office. Ryan preaching for the two weeks certainly eased my burden (but increased his), and Diana was her usual very efficient self. We corresponded some on MM #226 via email and talked/texted some. I was able to stop in for short visits but I’m not really sure I was any good. 😊 My sleep pattern is still fitful and unstable (my sleep pattern not me) so I am going to have to adjust my pace to fit my recovery. Thanks for praying for me. And thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing me the family of OVCF.

Before I forget, I want to give you a heads up. The week of Christmas (22-28) the office schedule will be in flux. When we have it more in concrete, we will let you know.

This Sunday I will be continuing my series From Start to Finish with a sermon titled “Say It is So!” We will be studying Matthew 1 as well as Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6. I look forward to seeing you there.

I am blessed beyond words. I love you all.
Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #226

Hi everyone! Welcome to Midweek Message #226. I don’t suspect this will be a long MM since I am still recovering at home from surgery, but I did want to give you an update on several things happening at OVCF and then a brief word from me.

Remember to pray for our educator of the week: Kim Floyd. Kim has been in the S-OCS system for 7 years and for the past two years as a nurse assistant at McCormick’s Creek Elementary School. Kim has been married to Tony for 27 years and they have three children: Tori, Travis (who married Sierra just over a year ago), and Trevor. Tori works for the health department and is taking classes online majoring in epidemiology. Travis was a Marching Specialist for brass during marching season at Bloomington North and will graduate from IU’s Jacobs School of Music next spring. He also plays guitar on our worship team. Trevor is an 8th grader at OVMS and is being mentored in music by his brother.😊

2024 Operation Christmas Child is now a memory for OVCF, but the good thing about this memory is that it will keep on giving because of your generosity. The OVCF church family never ceases to amaze me with its generosity that goes outside our four walls. The way you responded, even given our late start, is one for the books. Thank you from every one of the children who will receive your shoebox. You’ll make a child’s Christmas a little bit brighter and you also give one more child an opportunity to hear about God’s love for them.

I’d like to tell you about something special. It goes along with my 2025 sermon series: “Burning Hearts.” The theme comes from Luke 24 where we have the account of the two men walking on the road to Emmaus when they meet a stranger. As they walk and talk they tell this stranger about all that has happened the past few days. When this stranger breaks bread with them and prays they realize later that stranger was Jesus, the risen Christ. Their comment to each other was, “Didn’t our heart burn with us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (NLT) I have been on the lookout for resources to help us explore the Scriptures in 2025 together. This past June I came across a devotional geared toward Christmas called Everyday Gospel Christmas Devotional. Since they were free I jumped at the chance to get as many as they allowed (50). For myself, I bought a book called Everyday Gospel by Paul David Tripp to use in my daily devotional time. The Christmas devotions arrived and I found out that they were from that same devotional book! Even better: Everyday Gospel is available for $10 at a bulk price (if we order 10+). My Wednesday Night Conversations class signed up for 9. I want to give you the opportunity to sign up as well. This coming Sunday the Christmas devotionals will be available on a first-come-first served basis. However, my copy of Everyday Gospel will be displayed for you to look at and Diana has a sign-up sheet for you to sign if you would like to order a copy. Again, the cost is $10 and you can pay when it arrives by designating it on a check or envelope (if you pay cash). We will have the sign-up sheet on the back table for the next two weeks. Let’s read God’s Word together this year!

YOUTH CORNER

I’ve been sort of out of the loop lately so my Youth Corner news is slightly abbreviated this week. I received the following the day the last MM went to press so it was too late to print:

• • • Cooper Wood did the DARE program and had Deputy Bill Browne as his mentor. He took the pledge incredibly serious and then submitted an essay for a contest. He told his mom he didn’t think he would win anything but if he did he hoped he got 3rd place because he really wanted the sweatshirt that was awarded. Out of 163 kids who participated in DARE and submitted an essay, Cooper won! And if you guessed 3rd place you would be absolutely right! That made me laugh and also made me say, “Cooper, I want you praying for me!!” Way to go Coop! And thanks to the OCSD for the DARE program and to Bill Browne for investing in our kids. And, oh yeah, proud mom, Shelby VanDerMoere, may have been a bit prejudiced when she sent that to me. 😊
    • Pastor Ryan and Hope took 10 young people to ICOM (International Conference on Missions) in Lexington, KY this past weekend. The young people who went were Anna B., Rogan C., Ava D., Anna, Caleb and Rachel E., Meilynn H., Nolan M., Elijah C. and Ethan W. They got in really late Saturday (or is that really early Sunday morning?).

One last thing before I sign off on this “short” MM. Many of you have texted and asked how I was doing. I am truly grateful for your concern. My surgery went well…I don’t remember it. I found out he straightened my leg and had to move some ligaments and tendons to do so and I will be sore but, in his words to Tami, “In 6 months your dad is going to feel great!” I’m doing rehab at home and also at the IU clinic in Spencer. My first post-op with the surgeon is this coming Friday and I hope to find out more on how I’m doing. I think if you look up Pastor Bill in Webster’s Dictionary you will find the definition: “Stir crazy.” I have the loveliest drill sergeant who keeps me grounded when I want to fly. 😊 I am getting to see the OVCF church family from
another viewpoint and I like what I see. Thank you doesn’t seem strong enough to describe the food, the texts, the prayers, and the stop-in-and-say-hi I have experienced. I am hoping I can slowly reintegrate into the office (I have to keep those other two in line you know?) with my ultimate goal of being in the pulpit on December 1st. Until then, and in case I haven’t told you lately, I love you.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #225

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #225 and the end of Daylight Saving Time. I know I just made some enemies with that last remark. I grew up in Pennsylvania where DST was just part of life. I get the evil eye when I talk about it. Word of warning: DO NOT talk about it to Pastor Ryan. He will tell you what he thinks about it.😊

GREAT NEWS!
During our prayer time this past Sunday I mentioned that Hannah Foster was in labor with her and Matthew’s first child. I received a text late Sunday night with the news that James Michael Dale Foster made his arrival at 10:36 PM and weighed 8lbs, 2 oz. Congratulations to Matthew and Hannah and welcome to James! Please continue praying for all three.

I have several miscellaneous items to remind you of.

• • • Every year for (I don’t know how many), we have taken part in Operation Christmas Child. Diana and Pastor Ryan assembled 50 of them this past Friday and they were displayed on the table in the auditorium. They were ALL taken, plus more! 😊We have more available so please feel free to take as many as you would like. There are also some inserts to tell you how to pack the boxes, what to include, along with tags as to whether it is for a boy or girl and age. We know time is short but if you would like to help, please return them to OVCF by November 17th. We will deliver them to the collection point at Sherwood Oaks. Thanks ahead of time. You all never cease to amaze me with your generous and giving hearts. As they say: “You guys rock!”
    • We would like to support Backpack Buddies for Christmas break again this year. Backpack Buddies provides food for 200+ students each week! The elders met Monday night and have committed to donate $500 to the program. We would also like to give you a chance to take part. There will be lists of needed items available for you on Sunday, November 24th if you’d like to donate.More info to come.

Rachel Nicholson is our educator of the week. See last week’s MM to know more about her.

Next week’s educator of the week: Karen Fisher. Karen is the bookkeeper for OVHS and has been with SOCS for 32 years! She and Bruce have been married 42 years and have two daughters and 5 grandchildren. (I think we know who have 4 of them! 😊)

YOUTH CORNER

• • • Congratulations to Tad Nicholson who was recognized as a recipient of the True Patriot Award from OVMS for the first nine weeks. Way to go Tad!
    • Correction: Alexander Chambers will have eye surgery tomorrow (11/7), not 11/8 as mentioned on Sunday. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.
    • ICOM (Int’l. Conference on Missions): We have 10 youth and 2 adult leaders attending this program 11/14-11/16 in Lexington, KY. Please keep them in prayer.

SPECIAL REQUEST FROM JO! As you know I am having knee replacement surgery next Monday, the 11th. Pastor Ryan is preaching for me on the 17th and 24th. Jo feels as though she should be with me (she thinks I might try to do something stupid. Who me?). Anyway, she is looking for someone willing to do Power Point for the second service those two Sundays. It would be a great help if you would volunteer to help. Please let her know. Thanks.

I wrote the following Monday on my LivingintheShadow blog. I’d like to share it with you: {I have recently reread the book largely responsible for my escape from legalism: Wisdom Hunter by Randall Arthur. This probably makes read #15 or more (but who’s counting?).😊 It is fiction, although the “doctrinal teachings/struggle” of the book’s main character, Pastor Jason Faircloth, are very real. I would simply encourage you to pick up a copy. You will be hooked!

Two quotes stand out in my mind. They are observations Jason makes:

“Christian growth is the lifetime process of personally discovering what is inherently valuable,
and what is not.”

“The essence of the Christian walk is to live contrary to human nature.” (Both quotes from page 249)

It is the latter one that struck me this time as I read. If there was ever someone who lived a counterculture life, it was Jesus. He rejected the supposed piety of the religious leaders. He rejected living up to the letter of the Law without sincerity and the heart engaged. An example is in the Sermon on the Mount where He says multiple times, “You have heard…but I say to you.”

Then there is the teaching in Mark 8:34-37: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (NLT) That teaching goes against the grain of commonly-heard teaching. Save your life by giving it away? Seriously?

Walking with Jesus is a walk against the grain. It is a walk contrary to human nature. Be different. Act different. Live different. This is the call of Jesus}.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday. My sermon is “I’m Thankful…God Has a Body.” In case I haven’t told you often enough, I love you all. And BTW: there will not be a MM next week for sure. I may actually take a couple weeks break while I recover. Make sure you check out the weekly bulletin for the educator of the week.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #224

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #224! Thanks for taking time to allow me into your world and into your inbox. I had a few moments on Saturday to begin writing this and I’m thinking maybe I should wait. It has taken me almost 3 minutes to type up to this point with all the mistakes the computer, oops my fingers, are making. So far it has not been a pretty sight. Then again, maybe it is a good thing I started on Saturday. Maybe by Monday or Tuesday I may have repaired the message to my fingers to type what I am thinking and not what they are doing.😊

Of course, the first thing on my mind is the anniversary celebration this past Sunday. But I’m going to put that off for the moment.

Our educator of the week is Rachel Nicholson. Rachel is in her 22nd year of teaching, her 10th at MCES. This is her third year as the Special Education teacher. She has also taught K, 1st, 3rd, 4th, & 6th grades. She and Dale celebrate their 20th anniversary today (Wednesday) and they have a son, Tad, a very active 7th grader who loves sports (especially baseball).

YOUTH CORNER

Yay! I have some youth information to share with you! I’m doing a happy dance here (and no, you don’t want to see that).

• • Congratulations to Jordan Mangia, Haven Mosier, and Brantley Schneider who were chosen as Top Cats at SES for the month of October. I loved their pictures! I really got a kick out of a video Brantley’s mom, Sarah, shared on Facebook that Tami showed me. When Sarah took the video of Brantley standing with his Top Cat certificate in front of him, his little sister, Stella, was recorded saying, “Prisoners do that!” I laughed my head off! That was funnier than many comedians who think they are. 😊Jordan, Haven and Brantley, we are so proud of you!
  • Addilynn (Addi) Hutchison was awarded with a certificate for the A/B Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance for the first 9 weeks. Way to go, Addi! (Mom may have posted a picture of her). 😊
  • Aubrey Mangia was chosen to receive the Patriot Award for her season on the Cross Country team. She was sick the morning of the awards but since she had connections to the coach (her dad) she was able to receive her award. She was a great teammate and leader. Way to go, Aubrey! Keep working hard!
  • Colby Beckwith, brother to Matt Beckwith and Amanda Hutchison, earned Male Golfer of the Week for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. He placed 2nd at the Kalamazoo Invite with a 74 this past weekend.

Pastor Ryan and I have a great opportunity every month to read to the Kindergarten classes at MCES (Ryan) and SES & GES (me). Mrs. Hensley’s husband reads to her class at PES. I absolutely love reading to my classes and I know Ryan does also. May I make a suggestion that you find a teacher and tell them thanks for their hard work? Having a teacher living in my house keeps me constantly aware of what they experience-the highs and lows-each day. It will do their heart good to hear a kind word from you.

Okay…now the moment you all have been waiting for. A recap of our anniversary celebration at Abram Event Venue. I’ll not mention any names for fear of leaving someone out.

• • We had tons of volunteers. I got there at 7:00 and a good number of tables were already set up. We had people help carry all the sound equipment, put up chairs, put the communion on the tables, get the food on the tables and ready to be devoured, and then help tear down, wipe tables down, sweep, take out the trash, and help carry things out to vehicles. Some of our younger ones helped put the “We’re Glad You Are Here!” papers on the tables.
  • Thanks to the volunteers who helped with the parking and shuttled people back and forth.
  • Thanks to the worship team who did a superb job of leading us in the singing part of our worship. It took a lot of work to cart everything over there and get set up, only to tear it down and bring it back to the church building.
  • Thanks to Diana for all the extra work it took and also Pastor Ryan with working with Diana on getting the kid’s papers ready and overseeing the parking and shuttle.
  • Thanks to all of you who came and celebrated with us. I appreciate you more than you know.

As many of you know the plan is for me to have surgery on November 11 to replace my knee. I will be preaching the first two weeks in November and Pastor Ryan will be preaching the other two. Lord willing, I will be able to preach on December 1st. The series for November is “I’m Thankful…” This Sunday is “God’s Got This.” Please read Psalm 2 ahead of time. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday. Love you all.

Pastor Bill