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 ReadingJul 9
2026
Our 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.
May 21
2026
The May elder meeting took place on May 19. We discussed and prayed for concerns of our church family. Some are in broken relationship with one another, some are in broken relationship with God, and others are enduring physical suffering. Since our last elder meeting, two families (as well as our whole church family) are mourning the loss of their loved ones from death.
Apr 30
2026
The elders met for our regular monthly meeting on April 23. Administratively, we are starting our budgeting process. This usually takes several months and results in a recommended budget for the August 2026 through July 2027 budget year.
Apr 2
2026
The elders met last Thursday for our regular monthly meeting. A couple of things that we would share with you:
Feb 26
2026
The elders met February 19. One of the first items on our agenda is prayer for our church and the individuals within our church. Many think of these as “joys and concerns.” There are always physical and spiritual needs (“concerns,” though it is a privilege to pray and care for one another and is joyful in a special way). But there are always many things that we would classify as “joys.”
Jan 29
2026
The elders met on January 22. We followed our normal pattern which includes discussion and prayer for the needs of our church family and our church before moving to other matters.
Nov 27
2025
The elders met for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 18. Uncharacteristically (and thankfully), this month did not have a lengthy administrative agenda enabling us to spend more time on other things. We continued in our discussion of readings from The Multigenerational Church Crisis by Bryan Chapell.
Oct 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.
Sep 25
2025
The elders met September 18, 2025. We are reading and discussing a book by Bryan Chapell entitled “The Multi-Generational Church Crisis”. In this book, he points out that many “adults over the age of 50 were raised in an era when the vast majority of Americans thought of themselves as Christian.”
Aug 28
2025
The elders last met on August 21, 2025. As always, a portion of our time was spent in discussion and prayer around the needs of our members and the needs of our church. Part of our discussion included 242 groups, which are forming now.