Category: OVCF News

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 19

Hello my friends!  I hope this middle of the week finds you doing well. It sure has been a hot and humid July, but just remember come January we will probably be saying, “I sure miss the July sun and heat.” I’ve always told myself to not complain about the weather because I can’t do anything about it anyway. Well…this edition of The Chronicles of Bill (aka Midweek Message) will be a potpourri of several different thoughts. And I know what you are thinking: “Bill, and that is different how?” So, let’s go with MM #19.

Uppermost in perhaps many of your minds is how we will handle the suggestion which came from Governor Holcomb, which actually was to take place starting yesterday (July 27). I asked the elders to meet with me last night (Monday) to figure out a course of action for OVCF.  Among all the “Whereas-es” in his edict, were these words: Exemptions: “any person attending or engaged in a religious service as he or she must already maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household.” Included in that was an exemption for homelessness and for a public speaker. 🙂  So what did the elders decide?  There are three basic items we want to mention. These will also be mentioned from the pulpit during the live stream so others will know as well.

1. We will not require masks be worn. However, if you do come masks will be available for you to have and to wear if you would like. Respect those who do wear one. Respect those who don’t. I used to hear of horror stories of churches that split over the color of the carpet or other such nonsense. There is no need to allow an issue like masks to cause a rift in a church. If you are talking to someone with a mask, consider wearing one while talking to them. They are obviously concerned.  Speaking personally: I am having a tough time with this. I have “rebelled” against wearing one the whole time. But if it makes someone feel safer talking to me then I will consider it.
2. We have hand sanitizer stations all over the building. Most people carry their own anymore, but if you need some it is here. Use them. Sanitizing the hands is probably more important than the masks.
3. We will be rearranging the chairs in some way to make it more conducive to social distancing.  Our limited space makes that hard but we will figure out something. We will do our best to make room for families and family grouping. We will have to limit the chairs we have in the main auditorium which will mean some may have to go to the main room in the youth area.  I guess that is one way to get people here early! 🙂

What I do ask is that you bear with us as we work to make this a “good thing” for everyone. Be patient with each other. Be understanding on both sides of the fence. No one wants to meet together more than I do, but we want to make it a good experience for all.  And remember: if you are not feeling well please don’t come! 

I wanted to do something a tad different with this MM.  Over the past few weeks I have read some excellent books. I’d like to tell you about them with a brief introduction and then an offer.

1. “I’ve Seen the End of You.” This is perhaps one of the best books I have read in a long time. This year for sure. Lee Warren is a brain surgeon, now practicing in North Platte, NE.  He tackles questions of faith and doubt by using stories of patients afflicted with his specialty, GBM (Glioblastoma). Its focus is how to find light in the darkest hours of life. Fantastic book!
2. “No Place to Hide.” After reading “Seen” I had to read his previous book on his time in Iraq at Balad Air Base as a surgeon. If you don’t respect our military personnel after reading this, you will need a heart check. He also chronicles his struggle with PTSD after Iraq.
3. “Out of the Blue.” This is the story of Greg Murtha’s 5 year battle with cancer and 75 chemotherapy sessions before God called him home. It is a wonderful book to read for some great encouragement as Greg leads us to Jesus and being open to the still, small voice of God.

And here is the offer: I have each of these in my office. You are more than welcome to borrow them. Just let me know and make a note that you are borrowing it.  Please just one at a time though so others can enjoy them.  If you want to peruse them first, you are welcome to do that also. Make good use of your change in schedule to get some good reading in. Turn the TV off. Let your computer go to sleep. Enrich your heart and mind.

Well…it doesn’t look like things are going to move very fast in the direction we would like to see it move. So we will continue to minister as best we know how. No matter how it goes, just know that I love you and love seeing you and miss seeing many of you. All I ask is one thing: please keep praying for me. And please keep praying for Ryan and the elders. It isn’t easy making tough decisions.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 18

Hello my friends!  I hope you are doing well this week so far.  You know, there are times we off-handedly say, “Count your blessings. Things could be worse.” And that is a truthful statement in many cases. Case in point: how many of you have had something to say about the weather lately?  The heat, humidity and discomfort this time of the year is famous for Indiana.  I was texting Dave, my friend from Arizona, Saturday night. He has spent the past two winters in Maine because he has never not been where it is hot. California. Arizona. So he wanted to experience winter somewhere else so he chose Maine. Talk about a rude awakening! So…anyway, he started the texting by saying, “Happy Saturday. It is only 154 here today. We are turning the furnace and the oven on so we can cool down.” Did you see that? 154!!! I think he was also saying that if you can turn the furnace and oven on to cool things off it is re-a-l-l-y hot!  🙂 Suddenly, 90 doesn’t seem too bad does it? 154!! I’m still shivering over that temperature. But see? Things could be worse.  Dave is actually retiring this September and looking for a place to go in the summer and go back to AZ in the winter. Can you blame him? 154!  (That could be a typo on his text but it still boggles my mind).

Okay, you have had your positive uplift lesson for the week. 🙂  I read in the paper the other day that Governor Holcomb has said Indiana will stay at 4.5 for at least another two weeks. I appreciate his cautious, slow approach to reopening full bore. I also appreciate our leaders at OVCF taking that same approach. There isn’t a one of us who wouldn’t like to say, “This is all over. Let’s go back to the way it was.” Well, as I have said in the past, there is no “the way it was.” Not anymore. Everyone says we will be in a new normal. Life as we knew it will never again be the same. We will fight hard as a society to get back to normal, but I think we will find in all sectors of life (business, school, church, and personal) that life has changed.  Truthfully, while I mourn the loss of some things, I’m okay with forging new avenues. I think, for example, we have seen most companies function from home. I think that will become more of a trend. We have seen the church, especially OVCF, adjust to both online and in person “church.” While I miss seeing people, I have accepted that is a new reality. We will have to devise ways to stay in touch and keep fellowship as a vital part of our church community. We seek your feedback to make our online presence “more better” (yeah, I know) and to keep it fresh. So if you have any ideas then please let us know.

I’d really like to ask you to pray for Ryan and the youth program. He and the teachers/leaders are 100% trying to do the right thing about reopening. When is it safe? What will it look like? How do we go about it? Not easy questions to answer. He has met several times with his teachers (via Zoom) and they are as perplexed as he is. Why? Because there are no easy answers.  He has done a tremendous job of trying to stay involved and keeping the kids engaged.  For example, Sunday the 26th through Friday, the 31st, he and some other adults are planning on taking the Jr/Sr High to Hilltop for a week of service and study. So you might want to begin praying for them now. I appreciate that he tries to have fun with them, but to also teach them the joy of service.

By the time you get this, Jo and I will be on our way back from Ohio. Braden played his last baseball game Tuesday night (8:00 starting time…Yikes!) We will take him to IHOP for breakfast then head back home. It looks like it will be our last time to see him until Thanksgiving when we head over there. We will be spending Thanksgiving with Janna and eventually Braden. That’s a long time before we see him again. I’m not sure I can hold Jo down that long.  🙂

I’m slowly making my rounds to see people who are not feeling safe to come on Sunday. It is not a “guilt trip visit.” It is a visit to let you know I miss you and love you and understand. I realize many are not home when I do visit (afternoons) so I leave my card with a note for you.  I stopped to see some folks this past week who texted me the next day saying they don’t know how they missed me. I told them I knew their special circumstances so I didn’t knock. I’m trying to be conscious of others’ safety concerns. If I do come by and you want to sit outside/inside and chat just say so. If not, no worries. I just want you to know you are loved. I did get a real treat though. I stopped by and left some of my 3 Feet Please bears for two girls. They came outside, and with mom’s blessing, gave me several hugs. Yeah…that was a real hardship. NOT!

I’m at the end of my allotted writing space…again. 🙂 So I’ll just sign off. Love you all. Have a great rest of the week.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 17

Good morning!  Well…at least it is to me as I write this. Maybe I would be safer saying, “Good 2nd week of July to you!” Sounds sort of strange to say that (no comment from the peanut gallery) so I’ll just say, “Hi and hope you are all doing well today.”

This past Sunday I took the day off. We left early Friday for Ohio and watched Braden play a game Saturday morning then came home. We did something different.  We took the National Road (Route 40) home. We picked it up at Rt.42 in Ohio and took it all the way to I-465. I told Jo it was a pleasant drive; a few small towns along the way; but much more pleasant than driving 75 with semis bearing down on you because the speed limit does not apply to them. It took us a tad longer but it reminded me of the movie CARS where the old town was forgotten and bypassed when the interstate came in. Rt.66 was a distant memory. We have been taking 40 to Richmond but this was the first time we drove a much longer route. I learned something: sometimes the fastest way to get somewhere is not always the most pleasant or most relaxing.

We attended worship with some friends in another town, but I must admit, Jo cheated. She turned on the livestream to see how it was going (without sound of course). I know I missed being here with all of you. But I’m sure Ryan did a good job. Thanks to Ryan for taking a very hard passage to preach on. I took all the easy ones and gave him the hardest. 🙂 I sure do appreciate knowing the pulpit is covered well.

I NEED YOUR HELP! This current series of “Promises, Promises” finishes the last week of August. I have begun brainstorming a new series I’m calling “Questions.” At this point I’m thinking it will run from September 6th to possibly November 22. Then comes Christmas!  (I thought you would appreciate me putting that reminder in there for you). Anyway, as I was brainstorming questions people/Christ-followers ask, it struck me to ask you. What questions do you have that you would like me to consider preaching on?   Here are the guidelines;

• Absolutely NO political questions. In last week’s Midweek Message (#16) I said this pulpit will not deal with personalities or politics. I will not endorse or speak against a person by name. So if you ask me to endorse one of the presidential candidates that question will find File 13 real quickly.
• That being said, I also believe the unborn and SSA (Same Sex Attraction) are moral issues and not political, so keep that in mind.
• Not all questions will be answered, but those that are will be answered biblically.  Some may be carried over into another series next year. I’m already thinking of a theme for 2021. Maybe something like “Things will be better in 2021” or “Let’s forget 2020 happened.”  I saw a meme the other day that showed the DeLorean (Back to the Future car) with the words, “Whatever you do Marty don’t punch in 2020!” Anyone else feel that way?  🙂
• There are probably more guidelines so I’ll make this disclaimer here: Some questions will not be able to be answered by me (or Ryan). Therefore, it will go unanswered.

I just finished reading an absolutely phenomenal book by Dr. Lee Warren called I’ve Seen the End of You. Dr. Warren is a neurosurgeon whose specialty is brain surgery. He is also an Iraqi veteran and a victim of PTSD. When I saw his book on my desk (and yes, I ordered it), I thought, “Oh man, this is going to be beyond me.” But once I started I had trouble putting it down. Here are some quotes from his book to invest in your week:

• If you have questions, ask away. Just be prepared when God answers. (p.5) Quote from Pastor Craig Groeschel
• Doubt is not the absence of faith. You can doubt and believe at the same time. (p.45)
• You can’t fix stupid, but you often have to operate on it. (p.48)
• Prayer does not move God to do things He is disinclined to do…Prayer is God’s way of bringing our priorities into line with His. (p.113) Quote by Pastor John Piper
• The reason Jesus stopped in the garden to pray, to ask for a different outcome, even though He knew the answer already was because the purpose of prayers isn’t to bend God’s will to ours. The purpose of prayer is to bend us to God’s will. (p.150)

Well…I come to end of this chit-chat. I look forward to hearing from you if you have any questions. And I’ll end this with saying, “I love you all” and look forward to when I can see you in person.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 16

Tell me again. This is early July correct? Okay, just checking. They used to talk about the “dog days of August” with its high temps and oppressive humidity. Maybe the calendar got switched! Nope. July 7, 2020. Well, no matter what day it is I hope you are having a good one filled with the goodness of God.

This past weekend we celebrated an unusual 4th of July. The virus thing put a kink in a lot of normal plans for celebrating the 4th. Fireworks displays were for the most part a disappearing act. Communities changed their festivities. Even families were more cautious. That can’t always be a bad thing when families spend more time together. We had a very quiet “grill out” Sunday afternoon. Jo grilled me some lamb chops and a brat (which I didn’t eat until supper several hours later) and some hamburgers and hot dogs for she and Tami. Corn-on-the-cob, potato salad, baked potato (for me and Tami) all made for a nice family meal. We only missed Janna and Braden but he was playing ball.

After Governor Holcomb’s most recent announcement of going to Stage 4.5 instead of Stage 5, it appears our decision to cancel the Abram Farm event was a good one. To be honest, it was a disappointment. Even one of the elders stated that last night in our meeting. But he also added: it was the “safe” thing to do. And I also believe it was the wise thing to do. But I was encouraged by their next words: contact Abram Farm and see if there are any dates in the future we can set up.  I jokingly said, “If nothing else we have Christmas!” But I am going to check to see if it is possible to have a date sometime in October. I’ll let you know.

It has been awhile since I mentioned something we have here that is very important. It was brought to my attention last night in the meeting and it is worth mentioning again. Every Sunday, we have been gathering on a very limited basis. I so appreciate those of you who have ventured out. And trust me, this is not a guilt trip about to be laid on you. I know there are various reasons why folks are staying away. I get it. I don’t resent it or you for choosing to stay home.  I have had folks say, “Bill, it is so nice to watch church in my recliner” or “Bill, I watch it in my pj’s and a bowl of cereal in my hand.” I laugh because that’s the way it is. I also know some are staying away because of safety for themselves or a family member who is a health risk. I get that. Back in my Midweek Message #10 I wrote that Jo asked me about my thoughts and I told her I was “cautiously optimistic” about people returning. I still am. I miss seeing you, for sure, but I don’t want you to come back and regret it. All that to say, i.e. going around Robin Hood’s barn to say this: please keep in mind that we have an overflow area if you feel uncomfortable being in “big church.”  🙂  Since we have been meeting there have been a few who have utilized that space. It is a good space to come with your children since they have some room to roam. It is also a good space to come and feel safe while still feeling like you are part of the worship.  It looks like we will be using this space for at least some time into the future. The children’s worship will be delayed until we feel it is wise to open. Plus with school in session it will give our young people a chance to adjust to new things.

Speaking of youth: did you know Ryan prepares something for the children who come on Sunday? They have been a “hit” for them and it helps keep them preoccupied but learning as well. Which makes it a win-win. 🙂

There has been a lot of unrest the past few weeks as you well know. I have chosen to remain mostly silent on it for various reasons. I refuse to enter the political arena for one. I am convinced that politics do not belong in the pulpit. And I am very guarded about what I say outside the pulpit. I have very strong feelings about morality and various attempts at normalization some groups want to see happen. I will speak out about moral issues. But I will not speak out about politics in the pulpit nor endorse anyone. If you listened or watched the livestream/podcast this past week, I quoted a CNN commentator who made an anti-God statement. That is different. He was not a politician and I can’t sit back and watch someone defame God’s Name or say He isn’t needed or is inferior. We will continue teaching and preaching the Bible. To do anything less is cheating God and not giving Him the glory which is His alone.

Ryan will be preaching this Sunday. It has been since September that I have had a Sunday off and when I was working on this series I asked him if he would be willing to take a week. He said yes so you will have a chance to hear him. We plan on attending church with some friends elsewhere. Lord willing, I plan to be back in the office Monday. And yes, we are traveling to Ohio. 🙂

Have a good rest of the week. Maybe I will see you when I stop by some day. If not, still know that I love and miss seeing you.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 15

Well, I sure hope this finds you doing well and staying safe and healthy. If there was any doubt summer in Indiana is here (maybe a tad early) all you have had to do is stick your head out the door. Hot, muggy, sunny, with a dash of pop up storms and you have your proof!  Personally, I like it hot. I like not having to put on layers of clothes to get warm. And the heat is much easier on my joints. And before you say it…I know I’m older. Just remember I said that about the joints when you get to be my age. 🙂

As I write this section of the MM it is Tuesday. Saturday, July 4, is the day Governor Holcomb is planning on moving Indiana to the next stage. In theory it would say we could go full bore. And we would be right to do that…if it was right for us. In some ways, honestly, I want to do just that. But I also know that we need to be wise about things. The leadership is united in this. We may add more chairs but will do our best to make people feel as safe as possible. We will still not have children’s programs but will be able to use the youth area for overflow. Also, some parents have used that area to watch the live stream and give their children some “free space” to roam. The doors to the classrooms are closed so they are confined to the common area. All we ask is you help us by cleaning the chairs and surfaces you touched. So if bringing your kids is a concern, there is an option for you.

That safety factor is what also prompted us to cancel our one service worship at Abram Farm. There were still many who felt unsafe being in that space and especially with having a pitch-in following. So on July 19th we will be having two worship services in our building as we always do. If things continue to progress we will work on another time to have worship together. It may be Christmas but it will happen! Do you realize Christmas is only 6 months away?? I thought I’d throw you a little curve with that one. 🙂 In all seriousness, I have heard from many of you who agree about our decision to not use Abram Farm for the one service. Thank you for understanding and also your words of support. I’m convinced we are doing the right thing for all of you.

I thought I’d let you know of something I started doing late last week. I know there are many who would love to come to the church building on any given Sunday but have chosen to stay home. I’m just making the rounds to say hi to folks. I’m staying outside and keeping my distance. Maybe I’ll come your way soon.  I do hope if you are one of those who are not coming yet that you are taking advantage of our live streaming of the services. I really feel it is the “wave” of the “future now.”  We were not ready for live streaming by any stretch of the imagination. But I am so proud of the people who adjusted and made it happen. We are also in the process of getting a new desktop which will make the experience even better. Right now, we have had to compromise using the two front TVs during our worship time. That will change once we get the new computer. There is no question that live streaming is here to stay. I know many travel during the summer for various reasons-vacations, sports, camping, etc. I’m hoping if you are one of them you will take the time to watch the live stream sometime during the day or week. That will help you stay in touch but also help keep your faith growing.  The mission of OVCF is “To Connect People to Jesus.” Our first vision statement for helping to make that a reality is To Be Passionate Pursuers of Christ. I am firmly convinced that we cannot take people where we ourselves have not gone or are not attempting to go. If you go on an excursion-climb Mount Everest or backpack trails or whitewater raft the Colorado River-you want someone who has been there before. If not it spells disaster. I used to lead bicycling tours. Before every tour I would map out and mark the route, print maps, and familiarize myself with the route. I didn’t want to appear inept or ill-prepared and certainly didn’t want to get lost!  So let me challenge you: please take the time to bolster your faith by watching the live stream or listen to the podcast. It isn’t the same as being there, but it is a fair substitute. And let add this: if you ever have any questions on something I said or need further information, please feel free to contact me. I do whatever I can to accommodate your questions.

I’m going to be gone July 12th. Ryan is preaching for me. I was somewhat shocked when I looked at the preaching schedule and realized I had not missed a Sunday since September-one for our trip to Alaska and one for a wedding in Missouri. Yeah…it is time for me to take a back seat for a week and just listen.

It is good to have Ryan back in the office this week after being gone on a family vacation and a 15th anniversary backpack excursion he and Hope enjoyed. The three of us function well together. Besides, I think Diana tires of hearing me all the time and needs the diversion for her sanity. 🙂 Welcome back Ryan!

I’m going to close this missive now. Don’t stand and cheer. If you do, please don’t tell me. I love you all and look forward to seeing you.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 14

Seriously? 14 weeks of my rambling? ‘Fraid so. But here I am again. Bothering your inbox with more of my midweek ramblings message.  I hope this finds you and your family doing well.

I’m going to start right out with a matter of great extreme importance. When I strike through great and put extreme then you have to know it is of the utmost importance. I’m not sure how long it will take to express this so please hang in there through it all with me. Here we go:

Our greatest desire has been to make sure you are safe. We have talked about that in our COVID plans from beginning to end. As we began reopening, we emphasized our desire to keep you safe. All the measures we have taken during our in person worship has been for that reason. We leave the doors open. We have you get your own bulletin and communion cup. We have a basket for you to leave your offering. We have asked you to stay away if you don’t feel safe or you are feeling sick. We have tried to put all the right protocols in place. We hope you have seen that.

It is with that safety in mind that we have come to a somewhat tough decision. We have decided to CANCEL the planned one service meeting at Abram Farm for July 19th. There were some people who not only expressed some concern about the one service, they especially were concerned about the pitch-in following. So to alleviate any concerns, we think it is best to cancel the whole day. Well…not the whole day. We will still have Sunday. And we will still have two services at the church building. 🙂 But I would rather err on the side of wisdom and being cautious than have a bunch of people possibly get sick as a result of our good intentions.  There will be another day somewhere down the line when we can meet together. Until then, we will continue doing the two services on Sunday as well as live-streaming on the church’s FB page, group and YouTube.

Speaking of the live-stream: it seems to be working out very well.  At this writing I do not know how many YouTube views there were since Ryan is the one who does that, but Diana said that two Sundays ago we had over 200 views.  Sure, there is a give or take in that since it doesn’t tell us how long they stayed but still! That means we are reaching people outside the church walls. And I am excited about that! If you are one who checks in at one of the live-streams, thanks.  I hope it is helping you stay somewhat connected to the church and also growing your faith.

One of the things I have heard is how some people in other churches have gone weeks, even months, and not heard any word from their church or staff. We have tried to communicate on a fairly regular basis with you by several different means. If there has been any one particular method that was meaningful to you, would you mind hitting Reply or Reply All and let us know? Diana is going to keep a record of your answers so the staff and leadership can evaluate how we are doing, what we may need to do better, and what we can do in the future. I know you are busy and/or may think we don’t really want to know, but we do. So please take a moment now (people tend to forget if they say, “I’ll take care of that later.”) to let us know your thoughts. If we can improve and you feel squeamish about sharing it with the whole group, then feel free to privately email me (pastor@ovcf.org) or Diana at (secretary@ovcf.org).  We value your opinion and appreciate any of your feedback.

I wrote in my Living in the Shadow blog that the big C church (the church as a whole) was under attack. I included a quote by G.K Chesterton: “Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a God who knew the way out of the grave.” The attacks on the big C church are hot and heavy right now. Speak up and we are accused of being homophobic, bigoted, opinionated, etc.  Stay silent are we are accused of prejudice, pride and lack of compassion. The small c (local church) is also under siege. The enemy would like nothing better than for us to implode. Jesus said Satan can’t destroy the church, but I’m convinced if he can get God’s people to focus on problems and minutia and gossip then he can win. Do your best to focus on the good and what God is doing. We are not perfect but we are trying to be like Jesus. It takes each one of us enduring and focusing on Jesus to further the cause of Christ. As has been said by many others: “You can either be part of the problem or part of the solution.”

Have a great rest of the week. I love you and look forward to connecting with you again in a more personal way. Who knows? Maybe I’ll see you Sunday.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 13

Welcome to the middle of the week and, of course, that means you are the recipient of the highly anticipated, Spencer-renowned, Midweek Message.  I know you woke up on Wednesday with the most exciting thought ever: today is the day I received Pastor Bill’s Midweek Message. Then you went directly to your computer or phone to see if it has arrived yet. No? Well…you should. 🙂 Seriously, I do hope you and those you love are doing well and staying safe and healthy.

I must confess that I am writing this in spurts over several days. We found out midweek last week that Braden (our 13 y/o grandson) plays his first baseball game Tuesday, the 16th. When you get this it will already be over.  The 16th also happens to be mine and Jo’s 47th anniversary so I am going to take her to the game and plan to spend the night in Columbus, OH.  We will probably take him to IHOP for French toast (his favorite there) and then head home.  It’ll be a whirlwind trip but you make great “sacrifices” for your grandchildren. I’m suspecting every grandparent knows what I am talking about.  Some friends of ours were planning on taking me to a belated Christmas gift to Indy to see Jeff Allen, a Christian comedian. I asked if Jo could come along. 🙂  That was supposed to happen in April but “rona” happened. They rescheduled it for June 15th and well…”rona” is still around. So Texas Roadhouse it is instead. I can taste that salmon already and, as I write this part, it is Thursday. Man, I’ll have to deal with a lot of drool if I keep this up.

There is one factor which everyone has had to deal with during this “rona” thing. Churches. Businesses. Schools. Organizations. Families. Individuals. It is called Change. We try to avoid talk about change a lot in the church. You know the arguments raised: “We never did it that way before” (called the 7 last words of the church). “Why do we have to change? Why can’t we go back to what it was before ‘rona’?” Everyone is faced with change. Real change takes place slowly. It is like a car or truck in first gear. On trucks it is called “the creeper gear.” For obvious reasons. So many get discouraged and give up. Breaking habits or years of tradition is harder for some than others. Some people go kicking and screaming into a new year or decade on the calendar, let alone being asked to change their whole method of doing things.  For some reason, churches seem to have more difficulty changing than other entities. Being asked to change the way we do things is as painful for some as it was to get away from using the King James Version of the Bible. You’d a thought someone had asked them to chop off their head and commit high treason.

Truthfully, we have no option but to change.  A failure to change is a sure recipe for death. Church will no longer be “church as we knew it.” Just the fact we are doing online church, and will continue doing so, is a perfect example. Jo once asked me if I thought people would come back after the whole virus thing is passed. My honest answer was “I hope so but the reality is some will; some won’t. I have to accept that and move on. I will continue doing what I need to do-preaching, teaching, ministering the best I know how-no matter if they come in person or watch from home. It is a good option; I don’t think it is an adequate substitute for in-person church, but people watch online for various reasons. I will continue being their pastor and let them know I love them.” So if you are an online watcher, thanks for tuning in.  Since I don’t know who tunes in, if I can be a pastor to you, then please feel free to contact me.

I want to remind you again that we will continue slowly moving into full in-person services. We will continue using safety measures to help you feel comfortable when coming to the church building. Our first full expression will be July 19th at Abram Farm (unless Governor Holcomb directs otherwise). We will be starting at 10:00 and follow with a pitch in. Abram Farm is a beautiful facility and Bill & Suzie are most generous to us. You can sit outside to eat if you prefer. We will also have tables set up inside. We just look forward to seeing everyone in one place (if you feel comfortable joining us there).

I’d like to ask you to stop reading this for a moment and remember to pray for our law enforcement folks. A glance at the news (only a glance is worth it) shows they are under siege. I read recently that two bicycle companies have stopped selling bikes to cops. I want to scream out, “Get a life!” One is a French company and one has a factory in Wisconsin. I wonder…no better not go there. We have several in our church fellowship who are involved in law enforcement. Last week the church donated a bunch of cleaning and sanitizing supplies to the Sheriff’s department as our way of showing support. They put their life on the line every day for us. The least we can do is show them respect for doing their job.

As always, I have gone on long enough. Have a great week. See you this weekend!

Pastor Bill