Oct 30
2025
Elder Update from October
The elder retreat was held last Saturday. Mission Southside graciously allowed us to use their facilities for our all-day retreat (as they have in recent years). We appreciate their generosity.
We are now squarely in the summer season, which, for many of us, means abnormal schedules, travel, and vacation opportunities. This also means that we may be more sporadically plugged into the events and rhythms of church! That's not necessarily a bad thing - just a reality of the season. But we might miss some things, so I want to encourage you to engage in a few specific ways!
Keep ReadingOur June elder meeting was held July 1. Josh gave us an update on their mission; we were encouraged and spent time in prayer for their mission. Much of the remaining time was spent formulating a budget for the 26-27 fiscal year.
Keep ReadingSatan is aggressively opposed to the proclamation and spread of the gospel. I think this is clearly established in Scripture and life experience. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says; "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ..." In 1 Thessalonians 2:18, Paul tells the church he wanted to visit them, but Satan prevented it.
Keep ReadingAs you read this, Lord willing, I will be on vacation with my family and enjoying some rest and rejuvenation. Whenever I take vacation time, I find myself reflecting on a few things. I'm greatly relieved to be able to step away and rest, and be reminded that all things are in the Lord's hands. Truthfully, every time we even go to sleep it's a reminder that the world is not dependent on our conscious activity. We ultimately are not needed. Only the Lord is.
Keep ReadingWhen you hear the word "Puritan," what comes to mind? For most people, who may not be as familiar with church history as we generally are, the word Puritan has associations of prudishness and uptight morality. We even have a word for it - "puritanical." It is true that they, as a rule, took matters of Christian ethics very seriously.
Keep ReadingI am very thankful for all the people who put in so much time to make VBS happen this year. I know I'm biased because my wife had a big hand in writing out the curriculum, but I do think we put together a great week of VBS.
Keep ReadingOct 30
2025
The elder retreat was held last Saturday. Mission Southside graciously allowed us to use their facilities for our all-day retreat (as they have in recent years). We appreciate their generosity.
Oct 23
2025
I mentioned on Sunday that sin in our hearts and minds inevitably affects us physically, and what we do physically affects us spiritually. We could probably find many examples of this. Simply consider how prone you are to sin when you haven't gotten sufficient rest and sleep.
Oct 16
2025
At the board meetings for Multiply, we were able to spend a few hours talking about the state of missions and the work of Multiply within the United States Mennonite Brethren. A portion of this discussion was led by Aaron Box, who has been the USMB National Director for a little over a year. During this time, Aaron spoke about the goals for our denomination over the next few years, as determined by national leaders. I thought these goals were fascinating and helpful, and wanted to pass them along to you, with a few of my own thoughts.
Oct 9
2025
We have supported our missionaries well, and have been privileged to send out some of our own on the mission field. But we need more CBCers to go set foot on foreign soil and see the work of missions up close. Something different happens when you see for yourself where the gospel needs to break through.
Oct 2
2025
This Sunday we begin a new round of Sunday School classes! Here's a little snapshot of what to expect in each.