Midweek Check-in (Sept. 17, 2025)

Good evening, church family!

Let’s pause for a midweek check-in. In the busy routine of a family of four, part of my job is to drop off my 4-year-old daughter at her pre-k school. We got there a few minutes early today, so as we sat in the carline waiting for the school doors to open, I granted my daughter the special treat of unbuckling from her car seat and rolling down the window to enjoy the beautiful, fresh morning air.

That’s when she spotted a classmate in the car behind us. Her name is Joey. So my daughter leaned out of the window and started yelling in Joey’s direction.

My daughter: “JOEY! HI, JOEY”

Joey poked her head out of her window.

Joey: “HI”

My daughter: “JOEY, THE LETTER OF THE DAY TODAY IS M”

Now, let me tell you about the letter of the day. It’s a big deal in pre-k. Each day of class, the teacher announces the letter of the day and the kids spend a good deal of time learning what words start with that letter.

Thirteen days in, my daughter has caught on to the fact that the teacher is just going in alphabetical order. So by singing the alphabet song to herself, she can guess the letter of the day on the way to school, and now she is distributing this advanced knowledge in carline.

There are 26 letters in the alphabet. My daughter can sing them all, in order. Taking things one letter at a time is really smart, because that’s on a level a 4-year-old can understand.

There are hundreds of thousands of words in the English language. That’s as specific as I can get because, surprisingly, know one knows exactly how many words there are. I guess some words die out and new ones are created fairly regularly. Regardless, even 100,000 words are too much for a 4-year-old to comprehend. But one letter at a time? That’s a great place to start.

In our walk with the Lord, we can get overwhelmed if we try to take it all in. God’s power and size and plans and, well, even eternity itself are concepts incredibly difficult to understand. The good news is – we don’t have to know it all to experience even just a bit of God’s love and power.

So, my encouragement on this Wednesday evening – focus on one aspect of God, like a letter of the day. And just sit with it. Perhaps you need the reminder that God is love (1 John 4:7-11) or that He is powerful (Psalm 29) or that He forgives (Ephesians 4:32) or that His Law is right and true (Psalm 1).

I encourage you to focus on one aspect of God’s character today. Taking in it all may be overwhelming, but God meets us where we are. And that is enough for us.

Your pastor,

Billy Byler

MEN'S BREAKFAST: Our next monthly men's breakfast is this Saturday (Sept. 20) at 7:30 a.m. at the church. All men are welcome to come hungry, bring a friend and be ready for a delicious breakfast and warm fellowship. Stick around after breakfast for an opportunity to serve a wonderful lady in our church by helping her move. Many hands make light work!

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP: The next monthly meeting for our cancer support group is Saturday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. at the church. If you or someone you know is facing a cancer diagnosis, this group offers support, encouragement, prayer and hope with a community that understands the challenges you’re facing.

ALABASTER BOXES: This Sunday (and every Sunday in September) you can pick up an Alabaster offering box in the church lobby. Take one of these boxes home to help you collect your spare change for the next six months, and in February we’ll collect the Alabaster Offering, which goes exclusively toward the building of churches, hospitals, orphanages and parsonages on the mission field across the world!

FAMILY GAME NIGHT: Monday, Sept. 29 the entire family is invited for game night at the church. We’ll have everything from basketball to board games and much more! Can you beat Pastor Billy and CJ at cornhole? The answer is no, but come try anyway! The fun starts at 6:30 p.m.

MISSIONS FUNDRAISER: A local karate group that uses our church facilities regularly will have their annual karate tournament Oct. 4, and we have the opportunity to sell concessions at the event and raise funds for upcoming missions projects. You can help by volunteering your time (even just a two-hour shift would help) and/or donating supplies. We’re in need of nacho cheese, tortilla chips, hamburger and hotdog buns, chips, condiments and bottled drinks. Check the sign-up sheet in the lobby for more details.

ALL-CHURCH WORKDAY: We need your help with several projects inside and outside the church property. So join us Saturday, Oct. 11 starting at 8 a.m. with breakfast at the church and special guest speaker Col. (ret.) Cathy McClain, who will share about servant leadership before we get to work!

WHISPER CLOSE 2025 LADIES’ RETREAT: The annual Kansas District ladies’ retreat is Oct. 17-18 at the Wichita Marriott featuring special guest speaker Jill Barber.  The cost for the two-day event is $79, which includes dinner on Friday evening and breakfast Saturday morning. Register online by Oct. 10.

LAY MINISTER’S ACADEMY: Save the date for the next Lay Minister’s Academy Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Pratt, KS. This event is designed to encourage, equip, resource, and network volunteers who serve in our local churches. Lunch is included! Register here.

ADOPTION PARTY: Come celebrate with Angie Morris and her four newly adopted children (Hayze, Cylis, Kaizer and Skylynn) at a party at the church on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. We’ll hear a little more about Angie and the kids and their journey through foster care and adoption!

BAPTISM: We have had several people express interest in getting baptized! If you’d like to learn more about baptism, contact Pastor Billy.

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:

·      M&M’s has a brand new flavor just released this month: Honey Roasted Peanut M&M’s.

·      Among the many new concessions items served during the college football season this year is the Air Force Nachos, which are B2 Bomber-shaped nachos served in a box that is also shaped like a B2 Bomber.

·      With only 99 days until Christmas, check out the newly-released Charmera, a 1-ounce camera on a keychain from Kodak for $30.