Category: OVCF News

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #97

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #97.  I hope your week has been a good one so far.

There is so much happening right now. I would like to highlight some things during this Midweek Message. I hope you will take the time to read through them and maybe check them out further.

#1 ITEM: This is for all the ladies out there! This Saturday night is the Ladies Night at Main Street Coffee. I know the details have been announced for close to a month but let me just give you the basics one more time. It is Saturday from 5-7 PM. Kropack Creations is catering an Italian meal with pastry and drink provided by Main Street.  The cost is $13 with girls 12 & under costing $7.50.  Seating is limited so the best thing to do is contact Linda St. John for more information (812.829.7999). *There is only room for five more ladies to attend!

#2 ITEM: For the past month and a half we have been announcing via voice and print about the launch this Sunday of our Care Team Ministry (CTM). I suspect you already know, but if not, the plan is to have a pitch-in lunch after second service and then Hope East will present the CTM plan in more detail than I have been able to do via the MM (starting with MM#92). You will then have the fantastic opportunity to become part of one of the teams which will reach out to others in our church family. You won’t want to miss out on this in any way! I heard someone say they would not be able to make the meal but would like to be involved. You will be more than welcome! Please just talk to Hope for a recap or discussion of where you would like to help.

#3 ITEM: For six straight years I taught what I called Route 66 (abbreviated to “66”), so-named after the 66 books of the Bible. After my third time through, I took a much-needed break for a year or two then started it again in September of 2020. We were going strong until the pandemic arrived.  I started it again this past February 1^st but after a couple of weeks, decided to change things. I talked to the class and they also agreed to the change.  66 will begin again on Wednesday, March 2^nd from 6-7:00. It will be all new streamlined material from the previous efforts.  We will take a break during Spring Break and then during the summer, but other than that, we will be pretty solid. I generally take a book a week which gives us a general overview of the Bible. If you want to know more, please feel free to contact me. I think it is good for both those who know very little about the Bible, and also for those who have been followers of Jesus for a long time.

#4 ITEM: Small groups. Small groups really are one of the life-bloods of the church. People need to feel connected, to feel a part of something. We want to start up small groups again but we want to do it right.  We have been asking you to sign up to indicate your interest. We plan to start working on them soon so if you have an interest there is still plenty of time to let us know.  You can sign up and indicate your preference (participate, host or teach) at the info table or call the church office.

#5 ITEM: The Testimony Project.  Many people have wonderful “God stories” that need to be told. An intervention. A healed marriage or physical healing. A wonderful transformation story. Standing in front of people is not the cup of tea for many, but recording your story on your phone and then posting it is much easier. It is a great way to share your story in the privacy of your home, but then be an encouragement to others. We have Testimony Project handouts with directions on how to do all of this and post it on Facebook at the info table in the auditorium, and on the bulletin board in the hallway.

#6 ITEM: It never ceases to amaze me what people are capable of doing (in a good way). There is a series of commercials running right now for an organization called Tunnels to Towers.  It was started by a man who wanted to honor his brother, a firefighter in NY, who lost his life running into the towers to save lives on 9/11. The purpose of T2T is to make houses available for vets and those who have suffered traumatic injuries from war or serving the community. Many of these vets have no legs, no arms, part of an arm, and other casualties of war. My impression of the people being featured reflected a “can do” attitude.

In Exodus 3-4, there is an interesting exchange between God and the one He is calling to lead His people out of Egypt, Moses.

• Moses: Who am I that I should go?
• God: I will be with you.
• Moses: What if they ask what is the name of the God who sent me?
• God: I AM WHO I AM
• Moses: What if they will not believe me?
• God: Check out your staff and your hand in your cloak.
• Moses: I’ve never been eloquent. I stutter.
• God: I will be with your mouth. I made you.
• Moses: Send someone else.
• God: (angrily) I’ll send Aaron to speak for you.

Moses had an “I can’t” attitude. It might have even been an “I don’t want to” attitude. God changed that “I can’t” into a “Can do.”

When we feel incapable, God says, “I am enough.” He turns our “I can’t” or “I won’t” into a “With me you can.”

I hope this week you will experience God’s “I am enough.”  I love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #96

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #96.  Thank you for allowing me to “bother” you this week. I hope this Week of Love has started out well for you and will end well.

I have a special word for you at the end of this message, but I hope you will read all the information before you get there.

In a week and a half, February 27^th, the Care Team Ministry Launch will take place with a pitch-in following the second service.  I have been using the past 4 Midweek Messages to give you some details about the Care Team Ministry. Hope East and Diana have been working hard the past few weeks to have all the material ready for the kickoff on February 27^th.  Here is a short recap of the previous week’s presentations: HOPE #1 introduced you to the whole idea and the mission of the Care Team Ministry (MM #92). HOPE #2 told you a little bit about the Wellness Care Team and Remembrance Care Team (MM #93). HOPE #3 gave you some information about the Children and Family Care Team and the New Baby Care Team (MM #94). HOPE #4 introduced the Bridal Care Team and the Military Care Team. HOPE #5 is the final part of the Care Team wheel.

1. Disaster Relief Care Team. In 2005 and then again in 2008 (which was the really big flood) Spencer needed disaster relief. Our own local organization worked side by side with FEMA to bring help to affected families. The purpose of this team would be to create plans that could be put into action should a natural disaster (tornado, flood, fire) strike our area again. Our plan is to be able to turn part of our building into a temporary disaster relief center.
2. Security Care Team. As much as we don’t like to talk or even think about this topic, it is a reality in our day and age. We would hope and pray nothing would be needed in this area, but we want to be proactive and provide security during services as needed.

I sincerely hope you will make plans to attend the launch, if nothing else than to find out more about the Care Team Ministry. What would be even greater would be if you found one of these ministries really touch a soft spot in your heart and for you to say, “I want to be involved”. The church is made up of all sorts of individuals with different gifts. We function best when each person is doing his/her part. Sort of like what the Apostle Paul talks about in I Corinthians 12: “For the body is not one part, but many. If the foot says, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?…But now there are many parts, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; or again, the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ “  (verses 14-21 with some editing)  (Scripture from NASB2020).  So…remember February 27^th for the launch. I look forward to seeing you there!!

I’d like to chat with you about Route 66. For the uninitiated, Route 66 is taken from the 66 books of the Bible. Like driving the original Route 66, you can’t stop at every scenic place or historic monument (unless you have unlimited time). I take you on a trip through all 66 books with some extra stops along the way.  It takes 2 years to go through it with breaks along the way. This last time has been the hardest due to COVID interrupting the rhythm. I had some requests to start it back up and after two weeks, the class decided to take a short 3 week hiatus to see if starting over in Genesis might be more inviting.  I have a couple of (I believe) pertinent questions for you to consider:

1. Would you be interested in attending?
2. I will be offering the class on Wednesday evenings from 6-7. Would that interest you?

There will be a sign-up sheet on the back table for the next couple of weeks or you can call/text me to be added. I would like to hear your thoughts. One more thing: this is not limited to OVCF people. If you have someone you know who would like to attend, please feel free to invite them. There is no obligation to attend OVCF and I won’t “sheep steal.” J

I know Valentine’s Day is over but I wanted to leave you with a thought. I wrote this in my Living in the Shadow blog Monday.

Our Daily Bread had a really cool story about 2 octogenarians, one from Germany and one from Denmark. They had each enjoyed 60 years of marriage before they were widowed. Though living only 15 minutes apart, their homes were in separate countries. Still, they fell in love, regularly cooking meals and spending time together. Sadly, in 2020, due to ‘rona, the Danish government closed the border crossing. Undeterred, every day at 3:00 p.m., the two met at a border on a quiet country lane and, seated on their respective sides, shared a picnic. “We’re here because of love,” the man explained. Their love was stronger than borders, more powerful than a pandemic.

I believe that is what I Cor. 13 is all about. Love that has no borders.

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not brag. Love is not arrogant. Love does not act disgracefully. Love does not seek its own benefit. Love is not provoked. Love does not keep a record of wrongs. Love rejoices in the truth. Love keeps every confidence. Love believes all things. Love hopes all things. Love endures all things. Love never fails.  (NASB2020)

A love like this comes from above. It was perfectly modeled by a loving Father. It was perfectly exemplified by a life-giving Son.

How do you love? (End of devotion)

I am firmly convinced if we could ever love like Paul writes about our lives and those we come in contact with would change.  Let’s try to start loving like Jesus did.

And with that I will close. Have a great rest of the week. I love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #95

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #95. After an interrupted week caused by the weather here’s to a full week of uneventfulness (except good things)!

I think the first agenda item for this MM is a big, huge shout out to Jim Jones, Will Schneider, and Dimitri Robinson for clearing off the church parking lot and sidewalks so we would have plenty of parking for Sunday’s service and be safe walking to the church building. Many thanks men for a bang up job.

It was so good to see everyone this past Sunday. After a week of live stream service where the only ones in the room were Jo (who hears me all the time) and Joe Pavich (thanks for doing the live stream that Sunday. My apologies to Joe for saying Ryan was here.), and after last week’s limited attendance due to several reasons, it was so nice to see people in seats. I heard the children’s programs were really bustling as well. A little birdie told me that the preschool class had 13 children and they had to ask another one of the teenagers to help the two (Teacher and helper) who were already in there. The willingness to help was so important. I would mention her name but I don’t want to embarrass Cammie. J

Over the past three Midweek Messages I have been sharing glimpses of the Care Team Ministry that is the dream of Hope East.  HOPE #1 introduced you to the whole idea and the mission of the Care Team Ministry (MM #92). HOPE #2 told you a little bit about the Wellness Care Team and Remembrance Care Team (MM #93).  Last week I told you about the Children and Family Care Team and New Baby Care Team (MM #94).  Of course, that is assuming you save the Midweek Messages!! J This week let me introduce you to two more parts of the Care Team Ministry wheel.

1. Bridal Care Team. This team’s main ministry will be praying for and assembling a gift basket for the new bride and groom.
2. Military Care Team. This team has two components. One is to send cards to active-duty service members and packages to deployed members. The other component is keeping in contact with families of those who are actively deployed. This includes coordinating some meals, possibly arranging help with needs like yard work, or child care while their parent takes a few hours to be refreshed.

For a more complete explanation of the following ministries which were mentioned in the previous weeks, and these two, please plan to attend the pitch-in dinner planned for February 27^th following the second service. Hope will give a more complete description of the Care Team Ministry and will also give you a chance to be involved. So much of furthering the Gospel and the work of the church has nothing to do with the gifts which others see or hear. God didn’t make us all cookie cutter Christians so that we all look the same or do the same things. He has made each one of us unique and has given us different gifts to use in passing on His love. I sincerely hope you will give being involved in the Care Team Ministry an honest consideration. We need you and the unique gift you bring to the table. I’ll share the last two aspects of the Care Team Ministry with you next week.  And I KNOW you are so excited that you will be holding your breath until then.

Hope East and Macy Carlson have launched what they call The Testimony Project.  They introduced it to us this past Sunday. It is loosely based on the I Am Second white chair testimonies. If you are interested in seeing what the white chair testimonies are you can go to https://www.iamsecond.com/ for ideas. There are a wide variety of people who tell what God has done in their lives.  I hope this idea really catches on. It will be encouraging to hear the stories of how Jesus has changed your life. Please pick up a Testimony Project info sheet to find out how you can add YOUR testimony to OVCF’s Facebook group album.

During my Communion thought Sunday I mentioned reading a book by Kim Sorrelle called Cry Until You Laugh. Kim’s story of her struggle with a double mastectomy, then the death of her husband within 6 weeks during that same time due to pancreatic cancer which spread to his liver, was captivating. As they came to grips with the weight of it all, a word came to Steve: Complete. The following is from her book:

“Steve is complete. I think that over the next several months, Steve will learn everything God means by that. Right now it is a comfort, a warm, fuzzy blanket, a special word from God.

Other things seem backwards too. Who sends peace in the middle of a storm? Someone might throw you a life jacket, maybe, but not peace that wraps around you so that the storm blows all around but never gets close enough to muss your hair. Then there’s hope. Why is there hope when doctors throw around terms like “terminal,” and tell us they can “treat” Steve but not “cure” him? Most of the time I expect God to come through the front door, but He is quietly entering through the back door. I don’t know if I will ever understand the way God chooses to do things, but I have to say He is genius.”  (Page 84)

Questions abound in my mind sometimes about the way God works.  But then I tell myself that He doesn’t have to explain Himself to me at all. He is under no obligation to tell me. His way is perfect and sure, even though I don’t understand it. Even though I cannot see my way. Even though I feel overwhelmed at times. Even though I feel lost. God does what God does in His own way and in His own time. It is not for me to know and figure out everything. Someday I will, but then again, I suspect it won’t concern me. J  We all know folks who are going through some type of struggle-big or small-who need a listening ear. Be that non-judgmental, caring ear. Hold them. Let them cry. Be Jesus to them.

Have a great rest of the week. I look forward to seeing you Sunday. Love you all much.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #94

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #94!  Thanks first for allowing me to come into your world this way and second, for taking the time to read it (which I am assuming you do!) J

It looks like we will have quite a week ahead of us. As I write this we are expecting our first real “dusting” of snow this year. You have to admit we have been fortunate in the “snow category” this year. But Pastor Ryan suggested a couple of weeks ago he wanted some snow. So…if you want to get upset with someone, get upset with him for wishing it. I jest of course. We have been fortunate so far this winter as others around us have had their fill of snow.   Keep an eye on the weather but also remember OVCF’s inclement weather information that we have been sharing with you. Just in case you have not heard here is what we have been sharing:

• We will send a mass email about any changes.
• We will post the info to our FB group (search Owen Valley Christian Fellowship and request to join) and page (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship-Spencer, IN).
• We have a group of volunteers who will call or text you.
• We will plan to live stream a service at 10:00 via FB and YouTube if in-person services are not possible.
• Please be sure we have the correct contact info so we can keep you informed. Call the church office (812.828.9840) or email Diana at secretary@ovcf.org to make sure we have the correct information.

One more thing: please be careful if you have to get out for some reason and the weather they are predicting becomes a reality.

Okay…on to more pleasant things. I wanted to start with this but felt that, at the moment, the weather information was important. I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE YOUTH WORSHIP BAND WHO LED OUR WORSHIP THIS PAST SUNDAY MORNING!! Gracie and Mollie Wainscott, Emily Wyatt, and Micah Nally did a phenomenal job! I can see why the children love to go to the youth area on Sunday morning.  It is true that many of us were not familiar with the songs, but it was good to hear what the children are worshiping to. I like the way Pastor Ryan explained it Sunday morning. Having the children worship with us every 5^th Sunday month is a good thing, but it is more than the young people being exposed to an adult worship. It is also good for us to experience a youth worship.  Funny side note: I received a text after the first service (I leave my phone in my office and Jo brought it to me). One of the moms had to stay home due to some sick kiddos but she said that her son was so excited he stood up and sang. J  Thank you again Gracie, Mollie, Emily and Micah. I certainly look forward to hearing you lead us again.

Over the past two Midweek Messages I have been sharing small snippets with you about the Care Team Ministry.  HOPE #1 introduced you to the mission of the Care Team Ministry (MM #92). HOPE #2 introduced you to the Wellness Care Team and Remembrance Care Team (MM #93). Today I would like to highlight two more spokes of the Care Team Ministry wheel.

HOPE #3:

1. Children and Family Care Team. The focus of this team is on the children in our children’s ministry. This team will be responsible for praying for the children, sending cards to kids in the hospital or if they are sick at home, sending birthday cards, and making gift bags for teachers at the end of the year. {My note: you have no clue how much this will mean to a child to receive a card from the church or for a teacher to receive a gift as a “thank you for all you do”}.
2. New Baby Care Team. Having a new baby brings so much joy into the lives of family and friends. We want to rejoice with the family with the new arrival of their baby. This ministry will assemble New Baby baskets, provide meals, cards, and prayer. There is also a hard but necessary aspect of this team. They may need to respond to a loss with flowers, a meal, a gift, and prayer.

If you find your heart fits these particular ministries, consider participating. Oh yeah…keep in mind and on your calendar the date of February 27^th. There will be a pitch-in dinner following the second service where Hope East will give a more detailed description of all the Care Team Ministry teams and you will be given a chance to be involved.  I’d also like to add that some of you may hesitate because some of this will require a financial cost. Be assured the elders are 150% behind this effort and OVCF has designated money in the 2022 budget for expenditures. Hope will explain all that on the 27^th.

As you know if you have been attending or watching online, I have been going through a series from Daniel I have entitled Against the Grain.  This past Monday I did a marathon sermon session where I finished the final sermon of the series. Why? So I can begin working on the next series which is coming: Truth Decay. I’ll tell you more about the series as we get closer, but one of the motivations for doing the series is the onslaught of false teaching heard so often in media and the air waves. No, it is not political. I abhor that and have promised it will never be preached from the pulpit. But, as a pastor, I have also been given a mandate by God to preach the whole counsel of God, i.e. the truth of God’s Word. I know I am not infallible and certainly don’t know all the answers. I’m still asking tons of questions! J  But with the seeming daily appearance of some “Christian celebrity” who has deconstructed his/her faith; with those who are called ex-vangelicals; and with the proliferation of progressive theology; I feel very strongly about the need to help strengthen my faith, as well as yours. (BTW: I will explain all those terms during the series). We simply need to have a firm foundation upon which to stand. The Apostle Paul wrote these words: “…until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects in Him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4: 13-15 NASB2020)

Have a great rest of the week. Hopefully the snow will go around us. J  I love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #93

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #93. I hope you are doing well physically and mentally as we all struggle through this new round of the pandemic.

Sunday sure was different. Admittedly a number of emotions ran through me Sunday morning as I sat in my office and thought and prayed. I started musing about the fact that Sunday would be different. No one was in the audience except Jo (who has heard me preach a ton down through the 48 ½ years of marriage), and Joe Pavich, who came to run the live stream.  My struggle was how much I look forward to Sunday morning and seeing people. Sure, I do get to do what I have done for close to 50 years: preach. But I also know I’m a social creature and I really look forward to seeing people, laughing with them, hugging them, fist bumping them, and just greeting people.  I love seeing smiles, the hugs and laughter of children, and the joy of connecting with people I have grown to love. I love seeing new people and the fact we have some momentum right now makes it a bit harder to take this break. But that is the way of life in 2022…and in 2021…and in 2020.  I just think there is great value in meeting together. I wrote that and more in my blog on Sunday.

I was excited to hear so many tuned in via FB or YouTube. That was really encouraging. (Funny side: when I was practicing early Sunday morning-which I always do-I found myself looking around at people. That was sort of an effort in futility since no one was here or was going to be here later. So I had to practice focusing on the camera).  So the question you may be asking is “What is the verdict about this Sunday?” At this writing, I can honestly say, “I don’t know.” That will be evaluated later this week. So stay tuned for an email and an announcement on FB.

Last week I began highlighting the new Care Team Ministry which Hope East is going to launch on Sunday, February 27^th with a pitch-in after the second service. HOPE #1 focused on the desire to offer care, love and compassion to our church community.  The hope is for us to create a ministry system of different teams that will come alongside people within our church congregation (and ultimately as an outreach as well). We want to be there for you! So let’s begin introducing the Care Teams. There are a total of 8 Care Teams so I’ll take two each week in order to give you more information to consider.

HOPE #2:

1. Wellness Care Team. The responsibility of this team is to be there for those who are suffering through an illness or find themselves in an emergency or hospital situation. The primary purpose of this team is to offer prayer, get well cards, flowers and (if needed) to deliver meals. If you find this type of ministry “up your alley” then please consider becoming a part of this team.
2. Remembrance Care Team. This team’s primary concern will be ministering to those who are living through a death in the family or having a funeral. This team would provide meals for the family, offer prayers, cards, flowers, and possibly even coordinate a funeral meal. If you love cooking or sending cards or feel strongly about the importance of this team, please consider becoming a part of this team.

I’ll defer to Hope at this point by simply saying that if you have any questions about either of these ministry teams, please talk to her. I guarantee she will not only talk to you, but also give you a more detailed explanation of these two teams. Next week, I will cover Teams 3 & 4.

In last week’s MM I also mentioned that one of our goals last Sunday was to begin garnering interest in small groups. I guess it is sort of hard for you to sign up at the info table when you aren’t here! J So this week we will try it again if the decision is made to have services. You do have another option: call the church office and express an interest. We are looking for names of anyone interested with three options: 1) teach/lead a small group; 2) host a small group in your home (but that doesn’t mean you have to lead it); or 3) just participate in a small group. Like I also said last week, this is not going to happen overnight so please have some patience as we do the necessary work behind the scenes.

I’d like to leave you with something I read late last week. It is from Karl Vaters, a pastor of small town churches.  The title of his thought was WHAT THE CHURCH MUST RELY ON WHEN THE ROAD AHEAD IS UNCERTAIN. I’m not going to reproduce his entire article but some tidbits from it.

• When all else fails, the long, slow, but always-reliable process of restoring and nurturing relationships is what will get us through.
• We live in the greatest time of global uncertainty since WWII. Every time we think we can see the end of the tunnel, it’s just another curve in the road.
• In times of uncertainty, one truth has stood strong and tall for me lately. Better systems won’t get us through this. Only better relationships will. {End of his comments}

Let’s face it. No person alive has led his family, his church congregation, (or the country for that matter), through what the last 2+ years has brought us. That is not downplaying the World Wars, 9/11, or other upheavals. But I am reminded of the old saying, “The light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train.” Would you agree that is how a lot of us feel?  We are apt to say, “If it isn’t one thing it’s another.” Again…is that not how many feel?

One thing this pandemic has taught us is that “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” {Charles Dickens in “The Tale of Two Cities”} My version: “the best laid plans of mice and men often go down the tubes.” Any system in place has the potential (and some have) to go haywire. But there is one thing which can be a constant and can deepen: our relationships. It starts with our relationship with Jesus and continues to build in our relationship with others. And in this the church must lead the way. While the world is falling apart, relationships with others are being skewed because of anger or loneliness or fear, the church must be the one entity to show the world the difference faith in Jesus can make. While we may not always agree, we can agree to disagree. Jesus once told His disciples to “love one another.” He also told them that “by this will all men know you are My disciples if you love one another.” And with those words I will close.  I love you all and I hope to see you this Sunday. I hope…I hope…

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #92

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #92!  As always, thanks for allowing me in your inbox.

Well, I think winter is here! I was at the Y on Monday and had an acquaintance whom I have talked with before made that statement. I said, “Yep. We held off as long as we could.” However, at least we aren’t in the south! Tami is an Atlanta Braves fan (crazy I know) and we saw a news report with Atlanta in the background and it was snowing “to beat the band.” Nice of those Atlanta people to take all that snow from us. J

COVID has caused some things to slow down. We are staying busy and due to the pandemic we are thinking and planning into the future. I’d like to share some of that with you this week, as well as give you a personal thought or two at the end.

This past Sunday morning, Hope East presented in both services a dream and passion of hers: to start a Care Team Ministry that will reach all people, all ages, and all needs. Over the next couple of MMs, I plan to help Hope get the word out to those who may not hear the message via in person or live stream. Let me also reiterate what I said in the 2^nd service (but failed to do so in the 1^st): the elders are 150% behind this. Some of the teams will require a little extra money (like the baby team or military team) and we have made sure that money was budgeted.

Hope #1: OVCF has been an integral part of our community because of our legacy of serving. The new Care Team Ministry (CTM) will fit beautifully within that legacy. OVCF has so much love and so many gifts and passions to share with one another and our community. The CTM will encompass different teams to offer care, love and compassion to our church community.  Interested? The story continues next week with Hope #2.

Years ago I heard a pastor say, “For a church to grow big it must grow small.” What he was essentially speaking about was the need for the church to have small groups. Over the years we have had small groups start. The past few years we have had two groups which have continued to meet on a fairly consistent basis. Several months ago Steve Pendleton challenged the elders to consider making small groups more of a priority (my words). He was right. We agreed. Meanwhile, there have been several folks who have expressed an interest in being involved in small groups. This past month in the elder’s meeting we committed to pursue it with more purpose. While there is still much work that needs to go on behind the scenes (studying, planning, projecting, etc.) this Sunday will be the start of it. We need to put “feelers” out to see who might be interested in being involved in a small group. A short presentation will be made and on the back table will be a sign-up sheet for you to indicate your desired level of involvement. Do you want to teach/lead? Do you want to offer your place as a host site? Do you want to just be involved in a group? You will have your chance to let us know beginning this Sunday. Please keep this in mind: this is not going to happen overnight. We are trying to find out who and how many folks might want to be involved. So look for that announcement and sign-up sheet this Sunday!!

I read an interesting article this past Monday from James Emery White, pastor of Mecklenburg Church in Charlotte, NC. It was about what is being called The Great Resignation. He begins like this:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more Americans left their job in April 2021 than in any other month or record. That record was broken in July 2021, which was then broken in August. And then it was broken again in September. This is what is being called the “Great Resignation.”

Derek Thompson, writing for The Atlantic, notes that most of those who are quitting are low-wage workers getting better jobs in industries that are raising wages to get desperately needed new employees.

Thompson calls it a “Big Switch” rather than a “Big Quit.”  {My note: some will debate what he wrote}

But Pastor White makes a claim that for many it is about burnout.

People in jobs that were particularly affected by all things COVID-think educators, healthcare workers and …pastors. In November of 2021 38% of all Protestant pastors said that they had considered quitting full-time vocational ministry in the past year (a rise of 9 points from January of 2021). An alarming 46% of pastors under the age of 45 are thinking of quitting altogether.

The question is why? Think all things COVID. Think all things which can alienate and anger one group or another. Open/close. Masked/unmasked. Vaxxed/non-vaxxed.  The 2020 election and on-going “stuff.” And this thing of going digital (live stream) which is definitely not in my skill set or many other pastors. {End of Pastor White’s comments}

(Thank you Pastor Ryan and Joe Pavich for being the driving force with this. And thanks to all the individuals who help make this happen each week).

All this to say: with so many pastors teetering on the edge, where does that put Pastor Ryan and me?  I can only speak for myself (but feel we agree). Since the pandemic started over 2 years ago, I can honestly say I have never had one thought about leaving. OVCF is an amazing church. Why would I want to? We have been in this together for 16+ years. Why would I want to start over? We have our differences and opinions. And yes, we have had some folks move on. That happens whether there is a pandemic or not.

I’m going to close with Pastor White’s closing paragraph: “Could you say a prayer for your pastor? Could you grant them sympathetic grace on whatever response to an issue or decision they had to make that you may have disagreed with? You know it couldn’t have been easy. And ask yourself-is masking, an election, a vaccine, on the level of doctrine, mission or Christian community? Leadership is a tough role. Can’t we agree to disagree…agreeably?”

I know I speak for both Pastor Ryan and myself on this: please, please, please do pray for us. I know we both love OVCF and what we do and the people we serve, but that does not negate our need for your daily prayers. So…do us all a favor: pray for us as we pray for you. Together we can navigate these current events and anything else the future may bring.

Thanks for reading and listening this week.  J  I sincerely love you all.

Pastor Bill