Good afternoon, church family!
Take a break, sit back and enjoy a midweek check-in with your pastor!
Earlier this week, the National Weather Service reported that Wichita has experienced it’s snowiest January since 1987. We’ve seen 10.7 inches of snow this month (the average is 3 inches).

But it’s been so nice to see the sun and some warmer temperatures this week! That means the power of the sun is on full display and no ice or snow can withstand the inevitable melt!
As we watch the powerful, beautiful sun do its work, I think it’s fascinating to see only two types of places where the cold, icy snow still lingers: in the piles and in the shadows.
The piles are where snow has been stacked or gathered. For example, the snow in my front yard was in direct sunlight and melted quite quickly, but the snowman my girls built lasted a bit longer. Shortly after our snowman’s head fell off (a traumatic experience for which I did not properly prepare my 3-year-old), all that was soon left was a couple of sticks (the arms), and the items that made up the face: two golf balls, a strawberry and a banana (the grocery store had a shockingly low amount corncob pipes and coal, so we had to improvise).
When packed together, the snow and ice on the inside is initially hidden from the sun and lasts a bit longer before melting. But then the sun inevitably penetrates that first layer and gradually even the biggest piles of snow give way to the warmth of the sun.
In the shadows, the sun’s rays don’t directly hit the ice and snow. So it’s the warming temperatures in the air that eventually do the trick, though it takes a bit more time.
Here’s why I’m sharing all of this: change always happens first at the edges.
Are there people in your life – people whom you dearly love – who desperately need to make a change in 2025? A family member, a neighbor, a coworker, a friend – someone who could use the healing, comforting, transforming arms of Jesus in his or her life?
Snow melts first at the edges. Change happens first at the edges.
A heart hardened by violence and driven by revenge won’t suddenly wake up one day full of peace. A life controlled by addiction and consumption rarely finds full freedom in an instant. A relationship wrecked by abuse and mistreatment cannot immediately risk full trust and harmony.
Change happens first at the edges.
At the edge of a broken life, show kindness. Demonstrate care. Give attention. Make space. Remain faithful. When love is applied with time and consistency, even the most hardened, frozen, shadow-hidden brokenness can find healing.
Love and faithfulness reconcile guilt;
The fear of the Lord turns away evil.
When people draw favor from the Lord,
Even their enemies are at peace with them.
Better a little righteousness than great profits without justice.
People plan their path, but the Lord secures their steps.
Proverbs 16:6-9 (CEB)
Keep reading to see the latest announcements, and remember: God loves you, and so does your pastor!
--Pastor Billy

CHILI COOK-OFF: We are bringing back our chili cook-off in partnership with our unhanging of the greens THIS SATURDAY, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. So prepare that perfect chili recipe or just bring your appetite for a fun evening of food and packing up the Christmas decorations.
YOUTH MOVIE NIGHT: This Friday, Jan. 31, at 6 p.m. at the church. All teens are welcome!
EMBRACE GRACE: Our NMI (missions) president Sherilyn Elder is looking for volunteers to join her team for a new ministry. Embrace Grace is designed to help single, pregnant woman prepare for motherhood in ways that bring life and hope to both mom and baby! If you’d like to be a part of this meaningful, important new ministry that launches in February, please contact Sherilyn Elder or the church office at (316) 682-9522.
MEN’S MINISTRIES: The men of the church have some upcoming opportunities to connect:
The next men’s Bible study is next Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. We’ll move to a larger room to accommodate the growing number of men participating! Pick up a copy of the book: How God Makes Men by Patrick Morley.
The next cornhole night is Monday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the church lobby.
If you’d like to have a prayer partner, contact our men’s ministry leader Bill Price.
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 man in Tanzania invented a way to make solar-powered backpacks from cement bags so African kids can read their books at night.
A guy in Chicago built a 10-foot igloo in his backyard.
For just $10, a nature center in Kentucky will name a roach after your ex and then feed that roach to a turtle on Valentine’s Day.
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