Category: OVCF News

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 131

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #131. As I start writing this it is Monday morning and the sun is shining. Can you hear me saying, “Please let it stay”?☺

Before I move on to other bit of information, let me remind you to pray for Brianna Wigington this week. She is a counselor at SES.

What a great Sunday it was with Will and Theresa Reed and their three children, Ellie, Audrey and Tallie. I heard so many comments about Will’s message being spot on, or what they needed to hear, or so poignant. Our small group Sunday night was about Jesus being the Bondage Breaker and several references were made to Will’s sermon. The great thing is Will and Theresa are genuine people who are willing to share their experiences with us. I talked to Will about the possibility of having them again this Spring or closer to their departure time (and, of course, lunch is always on the docket). I gotta tell you, though, something Theresa said as I was leaving the pitch-in to take communion to someone. She looked at me and said, “You have one of the most loving, kind, and welcoming church communities I have ever known. They have welcomed us and shared with us and you don’t know how much that means.” I’ll admit. I teared up. It is always good to hear statements like that, especially when they are unsolicited. Thanks to you for being that type of church community.

Just a reminder: Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes are due this Sunday, the 13th. We plan to take them to Sherwood Oaks on the 16th. Questions? Please see Diana or call the office.

I’d also like to remind you about the upcoming Community Thanksgiving Meal. Just a little story: I took one of the flyers to the Y and asked if it could be displayed. “Most definitely. I like to see things like this. What a wonderful way to serve the community.” This person even offered to make what she called, “The best, and I mean the best turkey for it.” I told this person that if needed the church would buy the turkey and I was told, “No. I will provide the turkey, or two.” WOW! Never underestimate the impact doing something for others has on people.  Also keep in mind that we need people who will help serve, set up and clean up and deliver. And if you volunteer to cook a turkey or ham, the church will buy it if you need help with that. Just contact Diana.

There is something else really big you can help with. But first, the backstory. A couple of years ago we felt that we put too much on you financially during the months of October-December. So we pared it down to Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, the Community Thanksgiving meal, and the Giving Tree. After several really rough years of the Giving Tree (people’s expectations of gifts and their lack of timeliness of notifying us and other factors), we decided to help the children in Owen County in a different way this year. We have been involved in Backpack Buddies (BB) since its beginning and then backed off when some of the groups and students of OVMS and OVHS took it on as something they wanted to do. So in September the elders gave Diana the okay to buy supplies for BB. Those food supplies were greatly appreciated. So we decided to do more. BB serves 200+ students in our community who need food when away from school! 200+!!! Our Christmas-time focus will be collecting food supplies for BB at   S-OCS.  Here are some particulars Diana would like you to know:

• We will be collecting items at OVCF from November 13-December 4. You saw that right: starting this Sunday.
• Rather than have a bunch of random food items, here is a list of specific items that are needed:

• Ramen noodles (beef or chicken)
• Little Debbie Cosmic brownies
• Little Debbie Fancy cakes
• Little Debbie Nutty Buddies
• Fruit snacks
• Snack size chips, pretzels, and goldfish (crackers not the real ones) ☺

I’m anticipating a really big response. I would love to have so much food to give that their eyes bug out (not really but it would be interesting to see). It will be fun to see the joy on the faces of those who run the program.

On another subject: Tami reminded me of a “dubious” anniversary Monday morning. She texted me to say her memories told her it was six years since the hit-and-run incident on my bike. I told her, “Thanks…I think.”

Many of you (who knew) asked how my leg was doing. For those who don’t know, I was at the Y two weeks ago and ran my leg into an iron bar. It left a pretty significant “goose egg” on my leg (just above the ankle) and has since become a rather ugly reminder of running into something stronger than your skin. With other complications developing and at the advice of a nurse friend, I went to see the doctor. But you know how that goes. No openings. So they told me to call a central number and perhaps she could help me find another doctor in the system. No go. Nada. Zip. As we talked she said, “Let me look again.” Then she said, “I found one for 9:05. Can you be there?” “You bet.” So I went and the diagnosis was as expected. I was telling her (the Dr) about my efforts to see her and as she walked out of the room she said, “I just happened to have a cancellation this morning. “ I didn’t have the opportunity to tell her that I don’t believe in “just happened to.” Just as I don’t believe in luck or chance. Not in life. Maybe in games like Backgammon or cards or “games of chance”.  The Bible is very clear that my steps are ordered by the Lord (Pr. 20:24) and that He directs my steps (Pr. 16:9). I have freedom of choice. True. But chance, luck or “just happened to” is not in His vocabulary.  And I don’t want it in mine either.  Just something for you to think about.

My sermon series on “Feasts with a Purpose” starts this Sunday.   Have a great week. I love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #130

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #130! By the time you get this the week will be half over so I hope it has been a good one. And may the last half be better than the first! And here is something else to think about: Christmas is less than two months away. Yikes!

WHAT A WEEKEND! 

The Owen Valley Patriot football team overcame an early 14-0 deficit and made all of Owen County proud by winning the sectional game 28-21. They defeated another previously undefeated team. Along the way, the fans of Gibson-Southern complimented our young men. That is a great tribute in and of itself.  We hope they continue their winning ways, but always doing it with humility.

Saturday we hosted a Safe Worship seminar which was open to all. It went from 8-12:00 and was taught by 32 year police veteran, Ed Sanow. It was a great eye-opening experience for all who attended. It dealt not only with safety from a crisis perspective, but also medical safety. I’m thinking it will take us a bit to implement some things, but it sure has stirred the fire.

Sunday, of course, was our anniversary.  Both services had some high energy and it was phenomenal to hear the congregation sing How Great Thou Art and then an acapella rendition of Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. WOW! I had duck bumps listening. The meal afterwards was filling (as always) and we had fun honoring our volunteers with a drawing. It was also good news to hear about the building addition progress. I owe a debt of thanks to the Worship Team for leading our worship; to Pastor Ryan for team teaching with me on “As We Live and Breathe” (our Mission and Vision); to all who brought food for our pitch-in and to all who helped with the drawing; and to Wayne Akerson for the building presentation. A special thanks to Pat and Vanna (Ryan and Diana) for being the game show hosts, to Linda St. John for contacting several restaurants for gift vouchers, and to Travis and Jill Curry for donating honey.  But most of all, thanks to all of you for making our 18th anniversary a fun time, for laughing (especially during the volunteer time with the sheer joy of the children), and for sharing in our dreams.

The total anniversary offering was $5722.50 which now puts our Building Fund at $238,675.22. The Building Team will continue to meet and will keep you abreast of all progress and decisions.

NOW FOR WHAT IS NEXT:

Several events will be happening in November.

• Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes should be at the building by Sunday, November 13th.  We have set a date of November 16th for when we take the shoeboxes to Sherwood Oaks (collection site). As I said in last week’s MM, I was blown away by your response. 50 boxes were snatched up in one day. We have never had that happen before. In fact, many asked about getting more boxes. Your generosity is beyond belief. Thanks so much for being willing to help children all over the world.
• Please keep in mind the date of Thursday, the 24th. I know that is Thanksgiving Day but it also going to be the day we serve and provide a Thanksgiving meal to our community. We will be serving at the Lions Club from 11-1:00. Not only will there be a sit down meal for those who come to the LC, we will also be offering curbside pickup as well as delivery. Due to the lack of a local newspaper, our advertising is limited, so help us get the word out. If you know of someone who could use a warm meal on Thanksgiving and wants to spend some time with people, tell them about us. If you know of someone who can’t get out, or is shy around people, but would like a meal, give us their name and we will deliver it. Or better yet, we can give it to you and you can give it to your neighbor (and be the one who ministers to them). If you know people who are afraid of exposure to others, tell them we will bring it out to their vehicle or they can pick it up. Use this as an opportunity to reach out to others.  They/you may also call the church office to request a delivery (812.828.9840). Please call by Nov. 21st! ☺
• This Sunday sign-up sheets will be out for you to sign up for what you might like to bring. If you would be willing to cook a turkey or ham but can’t afford it, let us know. The church will provide it for you.  The sign-up sheets will also have a place for you to sign if you would like to help set up/tear down, serve food, or make deliveries.
• Five ladies-Stacy Wood, Karen White, Nannette Edwards, Lizz Bixler and Janet Jones are the Fab Five who are overseeing this. I really appreciate their willingness to take this ministry to our community upon their shoulders.

Please be in prayer for the Educator of the Week, Mr. George Bergen, the guidance counselor at MCES. I also failed to remind you in last week’s MM to pray for Jennifer Zigler, the guidance counselor at OVMS. You can pray for them both this week.

Monday morning I read a devotion about serving. I posted the following on my “Living in the Shadow” blog (condensed version):

Many people like to hide. They take a back seat and are totally content to do so. They like to labor behind the scenes. Unseen by many, each week they do “their thing.” Teach children. Work in the nursery. Safety and security. Work the sound. Live stream. Do Power Point. Clean up. Collect garbage. The list is endless.

They like it that way. They want it that way. Praise and accolades is not why they do what they do.  Paying homage to those who serve is not a new concept. They don’t clamor for it. A servant doesn’t do that. One who serves does just that: serves. Jesus once said, “I have not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.

Every once in a while it is nice to be “seen” and to hear an “attaboy.” Have you taken the time lately to let a volunteer know how much you appreciate what they have done?

Have a great week. I love and appreciate each of you.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 129

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message 129! As I begin writing this on Monday, we have had truly exceptional weather. Other than feeling like I might get blown away, the days (and even the nights) have been phenomenal in the weather department. The weatherman says it is all supposed to change in the very near future, but I’m going with Doc Brown in Back to the Future: “Since when can the weatherman predict the weather?”  They are also saying it is supposed to be a very snow-filled winter. We need the water but I’m hoping they are wrong. J

THIS SUNDAY IS THE DAY!! We have been talking about it for over a month now. Anniversary #18 for OVCF. Just to recap for you here are the essentials:

• Two services at 9 and 10:45. They will also be livestreamed.
• Both Pastor Ryan and I will be talking about the Mission and Vision the leadership has been working on the past 6 months or so.
• Pitch-in following the second service.
• Volunteer recognition during the meal time. We also hope to give you some insight into our hopes for the future proposed building addition.
• All monies given that day (unless designated) will go to the Building Fund. Brief history for those who may not know: Our Easter offering has been given to missions; our anniversary offering (with the exception of last year when we split it with missions) has been given to the Building Fund.
• Since this is a 5^th Sunday, the young people will worship with us this week. The Nursery and Pre-K will still meet in their respective spaces at 10:45.
• All that is needed is YOU! Bring a heart of celebration and worship with you.

On Sunday, November 6^th, we welcome Will & Theresa Reed! Will & Theresa were our guests several years ago as missionaries to Africa. They returned for a furlough and spoke at OVCF one Sunday presenting their work. It was decided they would need more time to heal, so they stayed in the states. Will worked for IU (and they also had two more children). They now sense God calling them to return to Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) to be a support to those who are serving in the mission field. They have quite a testimony of God’s healing of their lives and His calling for them to return to the mission field.  Pastor Ryan, Diana, Jo and I had lunch with them about a month ago and their story is captivating.  You will not want to miss that Sunday!

It was refreshing to hear Robert Herrington give the Communion thought on Sunday. Robert is now commissioned (and official according to his words Sunday) and he is awaiting February when he will report to Fort Benning in Georgia. Meanwhile, Logan Cain is now stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Like all military personnel they love to hear from folks back home. The Anderson family will be making some weekend trips to see him in November. If you would like to send a card, a note or some goodies, they will be happy to take them when they go. They have promised any food sent to him will reach him untouched! J Their info is in our directory if you would like to take advantage of them taking something to him. Believe it or not, he has to pay for every piece of mail he receives! So sending via the Andersons is the best way.

I was totally blown away by your response to Operation Christmas Child. Every shoebox was taken…all 50 of them!! I shouldn’t have been surprised though. You folks have always been super generous when it comes to young people-in our church, the community and the world. Some took boxes and forgot to take the packing lists with labels for boys and girls. Please see Diana if you happen to be one of them. Some asked me what they could do when they found out they were all gone. I talked to Diana and it will not be prudent to order more boxes. They have to be ordered in lots of 50 and we wouldn’t get them until they are due back here. She suggested you may want to go to Hobby Lobby and get one of those boxes to send your gifts or use a shoebox of your choice. Please keep in mind they are due back here on the 13^th so we can deliver them to Sherwood Oaks.

With for a few exceptions, we have served our community with a Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving Day. This year will be no exception. The meal is served at the Lion’s Club from 11-1:00. We also will be offering curbside pickup as well as delivery. Five ladies (Stacy Wood, Nannette Edwards, Karen White, Lizz Bixler, and Janet Jones) have agreed to work together to make this a great event for our community. More information will come in the next MM.

I read the following quote from Corrie Ten Boom this past Monday:

“Look without and be distressed. Look within and be depressed. Look at Jesus and be at rest.”

Let’s take a look at each of those statements:

“Look without and be distressed.” Ain’t that the truth! I would tell you to watch or read the news but that could stress you out and lead you to distress.

“Look within and be depressed.” So many today put a lot of weight on being empowered. Or they might say, “You have it within yourself to change the world.” That is a dead end. We are all broken people and broken people can’t fix things.

“Look at Jesus and be at rest.” Jesus promised His peace to all who follow Him. He said, “Take my yoke upon you and I will give you rest.” He is the One who gives us stability. He is the One who walks with us no matter the storms that rage-on the inside or the outside.

Keep your focus on Jesus.  As you do that, ask Him to take your week and use it for Him.  I love you all and can’t wait to celebrate with you this Sunday. Until then, have a terrific week.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #128

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #128. I hope you had a restful Fall Break (if you had the opportunity to enjoy it) and that getting back to the “old grind” wasn’t too bad.

Let me first remind you to pray for Beth Sewell and Bonnie Richmond, guidance counselors at OVHS. They are our Educators of the week.

There are some other folks you can pray for as well:

• Paul & Marilyn Hill. Paul’s sister, Alma Marshall, passed away last week.
• We had been praying for Robert Wells, a friend of Dave Tarrence. He lost his battle with cancer.
• Melvin Bault was experiencing chest pains on Sunday, the 9th. A visit to the ER showed he had suffered a heart attack.
• Bob Kropack has asked prayers for his grandfather, Fred Mueller, who is in the hospital with pneumonia.
• Kris Owsley, a friend of mine and Jo’s, is battling stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Kris has just finished her second round of chemo and has asked prayers for relief from the symptoms.  Dan & Kris are the managers of Wonder Valley Christian Camp near Salem.
• Maverick Pendleton (4 y/o) is home, but they took him to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital on Tuesday to talk about radiation treatments that just target the tumor. Please continue praying for Maverick, for his parents (Josh and Becky) and his four siblings.
• Keep praying for the Wainscott family-Chris, Kori, Gracie, and Mollie as Chris continues his recovery and physical therapy.
• Please continue praying for all our Law Enforcement and Military personnel.  Only a casual glance at the news will tell you there is a crisis with both branches of service.

It is unusual for me to start out with a list of prayer requests. I chose to do that because I wanted to follow my own advice from Sunday’s sermon.  It is the urgent or the important. The other items in the MM can be labelled Urgent. Prayer should one of those things which are of first IMPORTANCE.

Now to “stuff” of other importance.

Our 18th anniversary celebration is quickly approaching. Remember the date of October 30th. Quick recap for you: Two services (9 and 10:45).  Pastor Ryan and I will be tag-teaming the message that morning on OVCF’s Mission and Vision. The leadership has spent the past 6 months or so reworking and tweaking both. We are excited about sharing it with you. Immediately following the second service we will have an all church pitch-in. (Have you signed up to bring a food item?) During the meal we plan on honoring our volunteers and also hope to present some ideas to you about the proposed building addition. As a reminder, all giving that day (unless designated) will go to our Building Fund.

Speaking of volunteers, I read the following and wanted to share it with you: But first, a question. I suspect all of you know what Mount Rushmore is. But do you know the name of the South Dakota state historian who conceived of the idea? Didn’t think so (unless you are a super smart trivia buff who likes obscure history info). While millions know of Mount Rushmore with the heads of four US presidents, relatively few know the name Doane Robinson. He is the South Dakota state historian who conceived the idea of the magnificent sculpture and managed the project. The monument is admired and appreciated, but he is the forgotten man behind the masterpiece. His name is either largely unrecognized or was never even known by some.  I see our volunteers in the same light. Week in and week out we have a ton of volunteers doing a lot of behind the scenes “stuff.” They get little recognition due to the fact that they are serving where few see them. Our recognition of them is an attempt to show how much we appreciate them. We know, of course, God sees them and that is good, and it is the best applause. But it is also good that they receive human thanks.  We want to do that and would love to have you join in with us.

Three special events are coming up that I hope you will consider taking part in. I’ll just list them here for you and fill you in with more details in the next MM.

1. Starting this week we will be participating in the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child ministry. We have taken part in years past and feel this is a good thing to put on our “Christmas list.” The date to have the shoeboxes back to OVCF is November 13th.  Shoeboxes & packing lists are available! Please see Diana if you have questions. ☺
2. Thanksgiving lunch for the community is at the Lions Club on November 24th from 11:00-1:00. Five ladies have volunteered to steer this meal.  As I said, I will tell you more in an upcoming MM.
3. Our December “gift” to the young people of our community is going to be different this year. Instead of the Giving Tree, we are going to collect food for Backpack Buddies (BB).  BB is preparing bags for 206+ children in the S-OCS school system. They are running low. We want to help. More info coming.

Well…I have bent your ear and hurt your eyes long enough. ☺  Thanks again for taking the time to read the MM. I don’t know how it helps in keeping you informed, but I certainly hope it does. I look forward to seeing you Sunday as I continue preaching on the church. The sermon is “On Being Contagious” (and no we won’t be talking about masks and COVID). ☺ Love you all.

Pastor Bill