Midweek Check-in (Jan. 14, 2026)

Good morning, church family,

What a joy it was this past Sunday to welcome seven friends into church membership! If you missed it, James & Judy Boggs, Christy East, Rebecca Ebert, David Talbert Jr. and Denise Vos were all presented to the church as new members! Each has their own unique story of God’s faithfulness and activity in their lives, and I encourage you to introduce yourself and get to know them better.

This coming Sunday is another special time with two more types of celebrations: recommitments to the Lord and baptisms!

If you are interested in baptism, it’s not too late to talk with me about this sacred and holy sacrament.

There are also those who have already been baptized but confess to turning away from the Lord since then. More recently, they have rediscovered their faith and desire to once again live their lives in ways that are pleasing to the Lord. So they will have the opportunity to stand before the church this Sunday and renew their commitment with a Covenant Prayer.

The Wesley Covenant Prayer, used by John Wesley, is not to be taken lightly. It serves as a prayer of recommitment and makes some requests of the Lord that should only be prayed by those courageous enough to step into a life of holiness.

Ultimately, the Holy Spirit’s infilling will bring us into holiness (we call it the sanctified life). But this gift only comes to the willing. You may want to prayerfully consider these words and join those who wish to pray this prayer publicly on Sunday with the church as witness.

THE WESLEY COVENANT PRAYER

I am no longer my own, but yours.

Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;

put me to doing, put me to suffering;

let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,

exalted for you, or brought low for you;

let me be full,

let me be empty,

let me have all things,

let me have nothing:

I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things

to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

you are mine and I am yours. So be it.

And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

Church family, I think the line between heaven and earth is going to be thin this Sunday. May the Lord bless you with His presence this week!

Your pastor,

Billy Byler

THANK YOU! Big thank you to so many who joined us for our fundraiser lunch of chicken and noodles this past Sunday – we ran out of food! We also raised more than $500 for our compassionate ministries projects! Thanks to Sherilyn Elder and her team for a wonderful meal.

CAMERA CREW: As part of our baptism celebration this Sunday, we will have a camera crew in the Sunday morning worship service to capture photos and videos. We’re letting you know in advance so hopefully this won’t be a distraction to your worship experience.

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP: Three years ago, our cancer support group started with just four people. The group has grown to more than 20 who are now a community of love, support, prayer and encouragement for those impacted by the evils of cancer. This group meets monthly in the church café, and the next meeting will be Saturday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m.

CHILI COOKOFF: Help us put away the Christmas decorations, then stick around for a chili cookoff on Sunday, Jan. 25 starting at 5 p.m. All are welcome to participate by bringing a crockpot full of your best chili recipe for everyone to sample.  

MEN’S BREAKFAST: The next men’s breakfast will be Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 a.m. in the church café. All men are welcome to bring your appetite and a friend for some good food and conversation.

JUST FOR FUN: Hey, you read Pastor Billy's midweek check-in all the way to the end! As a reward, check out these crazy stories I came across recently:

·A grocery store in Germany was disrupted and customers scrambled on top of checkout conveyor belts to avoid some unexpected visitors: 50 lost sheep.

·Scientists studied 99 bee tongues and discovered that queen bees aren’t lazy, they just have inferior tongues compared to other bees.

·In 2026 may we all have the confidence (but not the foolishness) of this tiny deer aggressively charging at a fully-grown, 1.7-ton rhino.