Midweek Check-in (March 4, 2026)

Good evening, church family!

I’m going to be honest, it’s been a rough several days at our house. Both of our little girls have come down with the flu, and the upset stomachs, chills and fevers have not been fun. Thankfully, CJ and I have stayed healthy so far, though we’ve had some exhausting, sleepless nights.

In the middle of all the temperature checks, medicine dosage charts and calls to our family doctor, I found our little 4-year-old curled up in our bed. The chills have really hit her hard, and she’s constantly trying to cuddle up in blankets when she’s not in a warm bath. When I checked in on her, she looked up at said two words: “Read Lassie”.

Do you remember Lassie? That beautiful collie dog featured in books and TV shows with an uncanny ability to not only detect trouble but also go find help! I grew up watching reruns of Lassie on TV, but my little 4-year-old has had a different experience.

One Sunday several months ago, Joan Shingleton approached me just before our morning worship service. Many of you know Joan - a wonderful lady who has long been a part of our church family. She told me she had a book in her possession that she’d like to give to my girls. It wasn’t brand new – it was published in 1940 and the cover has seen better days – but the pages were still in good shape and the stories inside were of an adventurous collie dog that my girls might enjoy.

I took the book home, and it has become essential reading, especially right before nap time. The book has more than 200 pages, and the pages are large, so we haven't yet finished it. But it has provided us with wonderful family reading and even given me a chance to practice my Scottish and British accents!

So in the middle of a terrible case of the flu, my little 4-year-old wanted nothing more than to wrap up in a bunch of blankets, snuggle close to her dad and read an 86-year-old book about a dog. And I can’t help but thank Joan for her gift and her thoughtfulness. She didn’t know how important of a connection we would have with these stories. But that book, just like Joan, has become a great blessing to us, especially in a time of illness.

We’ve experienced other kind thoughts, messages and gifts as well, and we’re grateful for each one! The love of a church family is something I wish more people could experience.

Small gestures of thoughtfulness and generosity are often underappreciated or altogether unnoticed in our world today, but they make such a difference. Who might you be a blessing to this week? Even a small act of kindness could be a ray of light in an otherwise dark time.

Jesus thought the same thing:

“You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.”

-Matthew 5:14-16

Your pastor,

Billy Byler

LADIES EVENT: All ladies are invited to our next ladies’ event this Saturday (March 7) at 11 a.m. with Pastor Cyndee Price as our featured speaker.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME: Little darlin’, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter. Little darlin’, it feels like years since it’s been here. Here comes the sun. Here comes the sun, and I say – it’s all right! (and set your clocks ahead an hour this Saturday night for Daylight Savings Time).

PRAYER: I’d like to know how I can best pray for you. We have a way to submit prayer requests online anytime day or night, which will help me join you in prayer.

CLEAN WATER 5K: The Clean Water 5k is a race right here in Wichita where you can walk, jog or run while supporting the mission to provide clean water wells to villages in Africa. One hundred percent of your $25 registration fee will go to the mission field! I helped start this race several years ago, and it’s a really fun event. So join me the morning of Saturday, April 11 along the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita. Check out more info and sign up at cleanwater5k.com.

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 24-year-old man in India has invented the world’s smallest video game – a device that plays Space Invaders and is about half the size of a AA battery.

• A woman saw a listing for a “teacup” pig online and bought it with the promise that it would be a good family pet and wouldn’t grow beyond 40 pounds. But it turns out there’s no such thing as a teacup pig, and the “pet” is now 200 pounds, has shredded the family couch and keeps escaping from their backyard. Now a nationwide pig rehoming program has started because of so many similar online scams.  

• Do you find that most fast-food coffee options are just too… small? Introducing the FORTY-EIGHT ounce Dunkin’ coffee bucket, which comes in a literal bucket with a handle and a straw.