E-News Article
A New School Year
A New School Year: A New Opportunity to Seek Truth There’s something exciting about the beginning of a new school year. New classes, new teachers, new opportunities, and a fresh start are all around us. But even more exciting than what a new school year can bring academically is the opportunity we have to grow spiritually. I’m looking forward to diving deeper into God’s Word and sharing His truth with the youth this school year. This isn’t just a season for How COVID has affected us
Turning Down the Volume
The world feels particularly loud right now. There are wars being waged, government officials saying things we’re not sure we believe, headlines changing by the hour, and the end-of-summer rush beginning to pick up speed. Calendars are filling up and everyone seems to be trying to squeeze three more weekends out of August before admitting that fall is standing on the porch. Even when life is good, it can still feel mentally overwhelming. When everything around us is loud, I How COVID has affected us
Prayer is an Action
My sister reminded me of something recently that I needed to hear. She looked at me and said, “Prayer is an action.” Now, that may not sound revolutionary to you, but it stopped me in my tracks. You see, I am an action girl. Need volunteers? I’ll find them. Need an event planned? Give me a clipboard and a color-coded spreadsheet. Someone is hurting? I’m already halfway to their house with a meal, a solution, and probably three backup plans. How COVID has affected us
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
One of the most beautiful truths found in Scripture is that every person is intentionally created by God. In Psalm 139:14–16, David praises the Lord, saying, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”These words remind us that our lives are not accidents or afterthoughts. God personally designed each of us with purpose, care, and love. David goes on to describe how God knew him even before he was born. “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was How COVID has affected us
Jesus and the Little Children
In Jesus’ day, children weren’t thought of as equals with adults. They would be given chores to do. They would eat after their father had eaten. They weren’t allowed to speak when grown-ups were speaking. You would never see a child come in and interrupt adults. The family hierarchy was father, mother, and then the children. They were to be quiet and stay out of the way. So it was quite a shock when people brought little children to Jesus, How COVID has affected us
Slamming Your Arrows
Today, in my daily Bible reading plan, I read in 2 Kings chapter 13 about King Jehoash, King of Israel, who went down to see the prophet Elisha before Elisha died. Israel was under attack by the nation of Aram. The king was pleading with Elisha for help. Elisha had the king grab a bow, and they opened the window. With Elisha’s hands on the king’s hands, they shot the arrow, and Elisha said it was the arrow of victory How COVID has affected us
Freedom Worth Celebrating
This week marks 250 years since the birth of our nation. That’s a milestone worth stopping to notice. Like most of you, I’ll probably spend some time around a grill, wave at a parade, watch a few fireworks, and soak up another Northern Michigan summer. And I’ll thank God for the freedoms we’ve been blessed with—especially the freedom to gather every Sunday, open His Word, sing His praises, and share the hope of Jesus without fear. Those freedoms are gifts, How COVID has affected us
Planting Seeds in the Rainforest!
As we wrap up another incredible week of Rainforest Falls VBS, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude. This week, more than 100 children filled our church with laughter, excitement, worship, and learning. Alongside them were over 50 amazing volunteers who gave their time, energy, and hearts to make this week possible. As I watched children sing, play games, create crafts, participate in experiments, memorize Scripture, and hear about Jesus, I was reminded of Jesus’ Parable of the Sower How COVID has affected us
The Kingdom Enemy
I was reading in my daily Bible reading today a story that took place between the time Saul was King of Israel and when David became King over all of Israel. Saul’s captain of his army was a guy named Abner, and David’s captain was Joab. In 2 Samuel chapter 2, it tells us of this moment when both men met at the pool of Gibeon. The pool of Gibeon is a remarkable structure. It was discovered in 12 B.C. The name or How COVID has affected us
What Do You Notice?
It’s honestly pretty easy to be impressed by people. We naturally notice confidence, success, charisma, talent, appearance, money, influence — all the things our culture constantly tells us matter. Even in church, we can subtly give more attention to the polished speaker, the successful family, the talented musician, or the person who seems to “have it together.” Meanwhile, quieter or struggling people can become almost invisible. The problem is that Scripture repeatedly tells us that God does not see people How COVID has affected us