Pastor's article
Many of you know, I have had an opportunity to raise a few bottle calves over the years, and it is always an experience. It may begin as fun, but the repetition and the weather conditions often make it difficult. While I don’t have the experiences many of you have had, I have learned a lot about how a calf needs someone help them to survive. It is with that in mind, I saw an article this week of a similar act at a zoo in Prague. The article talked about how some yellow headed vulture chicks are sometimes rejected by the mother bird. The bird needs the mother bird at this critical time to survive. Yellow headed vultures live in the wild in Latin America and Mexico and Prague is one of only three zoos in Europe that breed them, so it is important to keep these newborn birds alive. For the birds to be capable of breeding later, they have found they can’t have human interaction now. So, they have come up with a solution-puppets. The zoo uses puppets to mimic the mother. The puppet, a finger puppet, requires the colors of the mother to “trick” the chicks to think it is the real mother. I am certainly glad I don’t have to dress up in a cow costume to bottle feed a calf, but anyway, it seems to work. 1
As I read this article, I thought of how similar it is for God to use us. The world is a broken place and we need to reach it for Christ. I often say if you want our world to look different then we need to share Christ with the world. As August comes, we are about to get really busy. We are just around the corner from the Back to Church Bash, Pumpkin Patch, Thanksgiving and the Bethlehem Experience. These events are some of the biggest our church does all year and in order to do so we need help. I believe these events can not only be fun. I believe these are some of our biggest outreach programs.
These each take intentionality, money and YOU. As this month begins, we have already began to make plans to make these and other opportunities successful. First, we have a Bethlehem meeting scheduled for August 9th and 12th . These two meetings need your help as we begin to redesign, rebuild and examine each of our roles for December. Many of you have never experienced the Bethlehem Experience in the gym, and it is very different. Those of you that have, this year will be very different. In order to not be so chaotic in November and December I am asking we begin to prepare for it now before it gets so busy. We need to know what we need to build and we need to see if we need to make more costumes for your role.
I have plans to add new “vendors,” new “stops” along the way and more prep is necessary. So, everyone that can possibly come on Saturday August 9 or Tuesday August 12 would be helpful. But Bethlehem is not the only thing in which you need to get ready to participate. Just in the month of August, our Wednesday night activities resume on August 20th, we have an ordination service for our new deacons on the 24th and a Discovery Class for all new members (and older members) on the 31st.
Just the thought of many of these wears me out but that is not how I should think about it. In Galatians Paul writes to the church in Galatia; to be prepared to do what God has called them to do. Galatians 6:9-10 says,
Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
As I read this, I need to be reminded not to become weary. I believe we can become complacent or even dreading all the things we can do. But I hope we can see the benefit of our busyness and that it is not only building unity and building friendships but sharing the Gospel in these new opportunities. So encourage me and encourage each other that what we need to do is being the hand God uses to feed the hungry little birds.
In Christ,
Brother Alan
MUSIC MINISTER's article
Worship through Transitions
As a parent, I’ll admit—getting my kids back on a schedule is always a struggle! The lazy mornings of summer have been replaced by the “Where are your shoes?!” panic, and bedtime feels like an Olympic event. Can anyone relate?
But as hard as transitions can be—whether it's starting a new job, moving, or adjusting to a change in routine—I’m reminded of one thing, Gods timing is perfect! The back-to-school chaos is a small example of how life constantly shifts. But whether we’re walking through joyful seasons or difficult ones, God’s presence never changes. He is always faithful, and His timing is perfect.
Sometimes we want transitions to happen faster, right? We want the answers now, the plan to be clear, the season to change—yesterday. But just like I can’t rush my kids into their new routines, we can’t rush God’s plan. Instead, we can trust his timing even when it feels uncomfortable or uncertain.
Remember Romans 8:28,
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Even when we don’t see the full picture, God is working everything for our good, even through transitions.
Worship isn’t just for Sunday mornings—it’s for every season of life, whether high or low. When life feels chaotic, that’s when we need worship most. In the midst of transitioning, we can still worship God by singing, journaling and listening for His voice. These moments of worship help remind us that God is in control. He is with us in every change, and gives us the strength to keep going.
Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
That means we can praise God not just in the calm, but in the storm, too.
So, whether it’s the first day of school or a season of waiting in your life, let’s choose to worship God through it all. Worship helps us grow in our faith, builds our trust in His plan, and gives us peace when life feels messy. Even in the uncertainty of transitions, we can say Hallelujah, knowing that our confidence comes from our Lord Jesus, who is in control of every season.
I’ll leave you with one last verse to encourage you:
“Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage” (Psalm 84:5).
Let’s set our hearts on God and walk through these transitions with His strength.
Much love,
Tyler Smith,
Worship Leader
P.S. If you’re struggling with any transitions right now, let’s pray together. You don’t have to walk through it alone!
Children's Minister's article
As many of you know, our daughter Mollie was in Zambia, Africa for 10 days in July on a mission trip with her church in Longview. We were excited and anxious for her to go but we knew God had a great plan for her through the experience! Parenting is hard, no matter how old the kids get!
When she returned (after some nail-biting travel hiccups) she shared with us the highs and lows, the ways God moved in her life and how she saw God moving in the people they shared the gospel with during their time in Zambia. Mollie felt God "stretch" her outside her comfort zone as they went into small villages and shared the gospel through translators. The simplicity (and poverty) of these peoples' everyday lives were in stark contrast to our lives here in the US. But the need for a Savior is the same everywhere and no matter the socioeconomic conditions of a person's existence.
One of the most meaningful times for Mollie came when they participated in Sunday morning worship services with a congregation that their church had planted on last year's mission trip. The church building was one room, with a tin roof, open air windows and a dirt floor. Men sat on one side and women on the other side of a central aisle. Children sat up front! Each group, men, women and children, took a turn coming up on the wooden platform up front and led a song of worship in their native dialect. There were no instruments; just stomping and clapping and the joyous voices raised in rhythmic song to their Savior! Mollie said she watched in awe, as tears streamed down her face. Their eyes were bright with their love for God and nothing of their poverty showed on their faces...just the joy of the Lord! "That must be what heaven sounds like, Mom!" she gushed.
Psalm 19:8 says, The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The worshippers in that small Zambian village church had the light of the Lord in their eyes! Their joy was contagious, spilling out onto one another as they sang praises to the King of Kings! In spite of the poverty, in spite of the hardship...these people shined bright with the Light that only comes for God.
School will begin again in just a few days and our Wednesday night programming will resume. Kids will come to our church looking for needs to be met. Some come for a free meal or snack, while some come to escape the things going on at home. You can often just look in their eyes and see that they need to be loved.
What will they see when they look in our eyes? I hope they see the light that Psalm 19:8 describes. That is the light that comes from following God, reading His word and living for His glory. God's commands are the right way! They give radiant light to our eyes. Let the world see God's radiant light shining forth from the joy He put in your heart and let it draw others to Him!
In Him,
Marie Dittmar