Starting on May 18th, 2023 Wyoming County (along with many other counties in New York) issued a State of Emergency in response to the Mayor of the City of New York expressing plans to bus Migrants arriving in the city to counties outside of the City of New York. The state of emergency states that, 

"No Hotel, Motel, or owner of a multiple dwelling in Wyoming County is permitted to contact or otherwise engage in business with any other municipality other than the County of Wyoming for the purpose of providing housing or accommodations for persons, including but not limited to migrants or asylum seekers, without written approval granted by the county."

To knowingly violate this code could result in up to $2,000/individual per day and count as a class B Misdemeanor.

You may be wondering...

In short, because it's also a gospel thing.

As Free Methodists, we believe that seeking Love-Driven Justice is at the heart of what we do and essential to faithful obedience to Christ. That justice is not just for the national, but for the outsider, the refugee, the immigrant or otherwise. Our Book of Discipline describes it beautifully in ¶3221.C ...

"As we minister to all immigrants and refugees, we do so with basic underlying convictions:

1. We commit to the biblical principle of caring for the foreigners among us regardless of racial or ethnic background, country of origin, or legal status.
   
2. We commit to acting redemptively with love rather than fear, and to reach out to meet needs as we see them.
   
3. We commit to identifying intolerance and working to end it, as well as ending any personal inclinations to refer to individuals in less than loving terms.
   
4. Where there is a conflict, it is our duty to oppose all unjust and harsh laws and to seek to change them.
   
5. We commit to responding to this crisis in terms of the Great Commission, seeking to reach the lost whoever they may be; ministering to all, caring for all, and showing God's grace to all people."

Our local government is doing what they think is best when looking at the housing infrastructure in our county. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello, speaking about their State of Emergency said, "it ensures that if migrants need to be housed here, it is done so in a thoughtful way with a reasonable plan in place to protect everyone involved." 

Church, I would argue that this is a moment for us to speak up and make sure these people know that the followers of Jesus in Wyoming County want to help, that our churches want to do whatever we can to show radical hospitality to people fleeing a life of suffering elsewhere.

The state of Emergency says to Asylum seekers "there is no room at the inn" but what if the church were to shout even louder that in fact "there is a place at our table!"

I would like to thank Pastor Barb Mosher for taking the first step on our behalf by writing a letter to the editor of the Country Courier is response to their May 25 report  titled "Wyoming County Declares a State of Emergency" Her letter goes like this...

Why not indeed Pastor Barb!

I am beginning to reach out to local refugee communities and local officials to understand how we can help. Let's be kindly, yet firmly vocal about our concern over how our attempts to help are being threatened by policy and punishment. Our work and responsibility as disciples is to seek the well being of our community which includes the foreigners among us. Holy Spirit give us wisdom to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.

If you would like to contrubite to discussions on how we can help, then don't hesitate to email me at ryan@valleychapel.org or join us briefly after worship on Sunday June 11th for a brainstorming session.

Evangelism, sharing the good news of Jesus, is central to our mission to Love God, Love people, and make disciples, but all too often we simply don't do it. Why?

Think of it like this, you're enjoying a good steak at a restaurant, you know it's gonna be delicious so you cut off a huge bite and dive right in only to find yourself chewing, and chewing, and chewing, to the point where you are too tired to chew any more and it's still not small enough to swallow. The problem is not that you don't want to eat the steak, but that you took too big of a bite and found yourself overwhelmed.

Sharing your faith is a must for faithful followers of Jesus, but if you are finding it to be a struggle, then perhaps you're trying to take too big of a bite. You may be trying to save other people (not your job), or just the thought of bringing it up of overwhelming. Whatever your roadblock is, I believe breaking down the process into simple steps can help you feel less overwhelmed.

Any global missionary you talk to will tell you that all good evangelism starts with people of peace (Matthew 10:11; Luke 10:6). A person of peace is someone who you can already see God working on. Many of us fail from the get-go because we are judgementally looking for people who we think "need some Jesus in their lives." If you start from a place of judgement, looking for the flaws and wickedness in others, then you have already departed from the gospel. Instead look for people of peace.

You will know these people because they already display some or all of the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control Galatians 5:22-23) which is a sure sign of someone God is already working on. We are invited to be planters of seeds and harvesters of fruit, but the growth is up to God.

So, who is your life already shows these things? Write down their name and what you notice, then move on to step 2.

Step 2 is always to pray because it's in prayer that we check our own hearts. This is where we listen to what God has to say about this person. Does a scripture come to mind that you may want to share? Do certain feelings come up about them? Do you find yourself getting stuck in the judgmental mud of "they need to get their life straight" where evangelism is more about your expectations for their behavior than it is about your desire to give them the gift of the good news of Jesus?

Let go in this step, this is where you patiently let God reveal his heart to you. It may be a one-time thing and it may be years. Just spend the time considering this person is the presence of God. You can trust that the Spirit will reveal things to you if you spend this time intentionally.

Set aside time to purposefully do this work. Perhaps take a 5 minute walk in silence just for this person.

This is where your God-given curiosity matters the most. You've identified the work of God in their life already and intentionally prayed for them, so now you need to observe. Notice the kinds of questions they ask. Notice the stories they tell. Notice the pain they're feeling, Notice what brings them joy.

This is a wonderful place for no-pressure questions like "What do you think about church?" or "Did your family have a belief system when you were growing up?"

You also may share stories of your own experience with Jesus, faith, church, etc. and pay attention to how they respond. Do they ask follow-up questions? Do they seem curious or defensive?

The key here is that you are spending time with NO AGENDA. This is not looking for where they are wrong, but looking to know them better because you love them and God loves them. They are worth knowing and loving even if they never come to faith.

If your memory is like mine, you may want to take time to write down some of the things you noticed and then return to step 2 to see if God illuminates anything for you.

You've seen an openness, prayed, payed attention, and now you think they may be ready to hear the good news that Jesus loves them, and died to save them from the sin, but you don't know what to do next.
- You may be worried that you can't convince them to believe in Jesus (you're right, and that's not your job).
- You may be worried that you'll seem pushy (you'll only seem pushy if you're being pushy).
- You may be concerned that you'll seem judgmental (this is remedied in step 2)
- You may not know what to say

I've got good news and hard news.

The good news is that you don't need to be a theologian, a super mature Christian, or have any clue what you're talking about to share the gospel. The point is not to convince them of something being right, but to tell the story of your experience. There is no wrong story, it's just your story, and you're not responsible for how they respond to it. So share away!

The hard news is that you may not even know your own story yet. here's a guiding question to get you started... "Why do you follow Jesus?" If you can't answer that question, then focus your time on answering it for yourself. If you can, then that's all you're responsible for.

Last, but certainly not least, is to propose a response. In step 4 we saw that we are not responsible for their response, but that doesn't mean we leave them out to dry. Don't overthink this one, but be ready to offer them something to do next. Here are some ideas...

- Invite them to dinner to talk about it more.
- Invite them to church next Sunday
- Invite them to your small group
- Let them know who to ask if they have questions/help them seek answers

Your job is not to get them to respond, but it is to help them on their first steps which should always move in the direction of trust, community, and healing.

There you have it. If you take those 5 steps then you will be doing what is yours to do without being pushy, judgmental, manipulative, or unnecessarily offensive. You will be able to stop feeling like you're not doing what you "should" be doing. You will be making disciples and sharing the gospel with your community.

Your church is praying for you as you do this important work, and always remember that you have friends here that want to help in any way we can!

A huge part of listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit comes out of the question "what is mine to do?" For some folks that question leads to another big one, "Am I being called to be a Pastor?"

In the Free Methodist Church, when someone thinks they may be receiving that invitation, they begin by becoming a Local Ministerial Candidate (LMC). Becoming an LMC is in many ways the starting line, the beginning of a long process of testing and listening in community. An LMC begins by learning about the history of the denomination, starts practicing some aspects of pastoral ministry under the supervision of an ordained Elder, and prayerfully looks toward the future to see specifically what God would have them do. This work is primarily done at and with the Local church.

After the LMC does all the prescribed work and processing at the local level, if approved, they move on to the conference and become a Conference Ministerial Candidate (CMC) where they continue their work with the added supervision and assessment of the Genesis Conference. It is in this phase where one will identify if the calling is truly to being an Ordained Elder (One who is willing to take on the primary leadership of a congregation) or a local "Deacon."

We are excited to welcome Mark Harley into the role of LMC here at Valley Chapel. Mark comes from some experience in a pastoral role at Buffalo Vineyard church and is excited to explore ordination in the FMC. He will be getting opportunities to teach and lead us. Plan to see him preaching semi-regularly, leading some teams (starting with the Liturgy Team), and shadowing me (Pastor Ryan) at various pastoral activities.

Please keep Mark in your prayers, encourage him, ask him to pray with you, seek his wisdom in understanding the scriptures and Christian life, and gently offer him feedback. His discernment is for all of us to participate in. I believe the blessing will be mutual!

My word of the year this year is "Remap." It started as a though about this year being focused on longer-term thinking, like a ship's navigator charting a course, mapping out and remapping the trip. Yet, a few months into the year I am finding that it also is teaching me about my relationship to the past. It's about looking back at where I've been and creating a map so that I can recall the old stories and guide others on their journey.

Our whole RE:23 plan is a lot like a map. It is a charted course that our community would travel through this year. I think it's been a great plan of recovery, renewal, and reimagining and we've already seen so many exciting and encouraging things along the way.

- We've moved no financial cushion to sustaining 1 month worth of expenses ($25K).
- Our attendance on Sunday morning has increased by 38%
- We've received 10 new folks into membership
- We participated in the baptism of 11 people on Easter
- Even our online engagement through social media has increased by 27%!

Yet, we hit this point in the year, facing Phase 3 ("Renewal"), and things are no longer "fitting" the original plan. We have fallen about $10K behind schedule on the financial recovery plan, yet It is clear that God is working on other things right now. So the BOA decided to pray together, inviting the Spirit to lead our hearts toward his direction in our summer of Renewal.

What seemed good to the BOA and The Spirit was to spend this summer focused on renewal of vision. We believe we are being invited to focus our efforts on transforming into a community through whom God's love flows. Bringing people into a Transforming relationship with Jesus Christ, renewing the health and joy found in our community and striving to go with the flow of Love pouring out of God's Spirit. 

Please join your community in prayer for all these things, but most importantly that we would pay close attention to the wisdom of one of our church's guiding scriptures, Romans 12:2

We've been praying and thinking about how we can help our facilities better serve our friends who use mobility devices. We want our space to be accessible for everyone regardless of the tools they use to get around. Due to financial constraints, we have not been able to start some of our big-dream projects, but thanks to some clever ideas from caring community members, we have been able to take some of our first steps.

First, we had a generous donation of a collapsible ramp for us to use to give wheelchair access to the stage

Now, we have removed 6 pews in the sanctuary to make room for dedicated seating for folks using mobility devices.

But, church, this is just the start. There are still opportunities for us to help give greater access.

• RAMP: The stage ramp is too steep, so we need to build a larger, more sturdy ramp for stage access, ideally one with handrails.
• BATHROOM: We do not have truly accessible bathroom space, so we hope to fund, design, and build an accessible family bathroom.
• DOORS: Our doorways are heavy and difficult to maneuver for those who use wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers. We would like to install some automated entry doors to make mid-week entry less of a challenge.

That all being said, you may be wondering...

"what are we planning to do with the removed pews?"

Step 1: We will identify the 6 pews in worst condition and replace them with the removed pews that are in good condition.

Step 2: The pews that will be permanently removed are yours to take! If you would like to take a pew home with you, then come and get it! They are first-come-first-served.

Step 3: The pews will be stored until Memorial Day Weekend. If they are not taken by that point they will be disposed of.

Recovery is supposed to start slowly.

Our injuries have been assessed, our plan of treatment put in place, and we are on our way. We began 2023 with Rest, focusing our hearts on Jesus as the source and focal-point of our faith. It's been really nice actually. Since the start of 2023 we've seen our average attendance increase by 20 folks, we have been having a blast exploring our personal RE:words, we have a more full praise band, we have a beautiful new art gallery, and there is a general sense of hope, energy, and enthusiasm.

You may be wondering "how's the financial situation going?

Simply put, we are right on schedule. 

Our goal was to rest during January & February and then get to $35K by the end of April. That means we are exactly where we plan to be so far and it's time for us to start the first weeks of work.
Over the next 8 weeks our hope is to spend roughly $1,250/week less than we bring in to get to our Season 1 goal. It's time to start transitioning from the "Rest" phase to the "test" phase where we gauge what we are capable of and start pushing ourselves a little bit without being too aggressive.

Please remain faithful in prayer that we would make wise stewardship decisions and God would continue to provide for us in this year of recovery. Pray that God would show up in unexpected ways so that we can not only recover, but thrive.

Also, thank you so much for your consistent giving as we seek recovery, renewal, and reimagining in 2023!

As we near the end of the season of Epiphany, we find ourselves less than a week away from Ash Wednesday — the beginning of Lent.

Lent is an ancient practice of Christianity. Early Christians sought a ritual that would help weave the stories of Jesus into their own stories, and the simple act of mimicking Jesus’ forty days of prayer and fasting proved to be an effective means of remembering their humanity, and especially of remembering their dependence on God. Followers of Jesus have continued this tradition for nearly two thousand years, praying and fasting for forty days through some of the best and worst years of history, always seeking to weave their own stories into that ancient, ongoing story of God.

Valley Chapel is part of that story.

During the six weeks of the 2023 season of Lent, you are invited to participate in personal prayer and fasting.

The acts of prayer and fasting work in tandem as tools that remind us of our inability to do it all on our own and as symbols of our dependence on God. A beautiful gift of the church is that we do not have to participate in these acts in isolation. Instead, we can experience them in the context of our fellowship, where we can find camaraderie, encouragement, and inspiration as we weave our own stories into God’s story.

In just a few days, we will launch our Lent prayer and fasting initiative, formally inviting you to participate in an intentional, communal season of prayer and fasting. This will include an invitation to discern what a sustainable season of intentional prayer and fasting means for your own daily rhythms, as well as opportunities to share with the community each week during the fellowship or by connecting on the Valley Chapel app. During Sunday worship, we invite you to share your stories of how prayer and fasting have drawn you closer to God. We are excited about this opportunity to draw closer to God and one another in 2023, and we look forward to seeing how God moves in our community in the next six weeks.

Midnight of New Years Eve, the ball dropping, confetti covered in wishes and aspirations filling the air and falling lightly to the ground- a renewal of ambition and a resetting of the year’s clock. This time brings forth emotional responses for me of grief for the year passed, opportunities missed and sometimes of loved ones lost, great changes to my life that are sometimes of my own doing and other times not.

However it also brings a sense of accomplishment for the great things I achieved, lessons I have learned, love I have shared, and obstacles I’ve overcome. Most importantly though, it’s a reminder that every year is a clean slate to stretch and grow in my life and to reach deeper into my relationship with God; the excitement of embracing the Lord Almighty in all of my peaks and snuggling close to Him in the depth of every valley.

 I guess that’s the main motivation of my word for the year; finding the word that will create my link of focus to God in the grand landscape of the New Year. This word is what I lean on in both times of glory and of distress- it’s the focal point of where I want to grow inwardly and outwardly, too. As tradition stands, finding my word is difficult, I just have learned to accept this.

After all, how can we pick just one part of ourselves to focus on when we are innate kaleidoscopes of feeling and shortcomings? How can we take the abundance of God’s word, all of the parables, lessons, and wisdom it holds, and summarize its meaning in one measly word? Is that even a possible feat, or are we merely setting ourselves up for failure as we do with unreasonable resolutions we seem to believe are mandatory to “cleanse ourselves” of bad habits that we’ve formed?

“If you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”  - Proverbs 2:1-5

As of yet, I don’t know my word for 2023. While it can be frustrating to wait for it, I also understand that I may not be ready to receive my “special” assignment just yet. I know that when the time is right, I will understand the focus of my year and I will be ready to readjust my mind to the new lessons God has in store. In the meantime, maybe the lesson is learning how to wait. Because what is our favorite, but often forgotten piece of God Wisdom? It’s not really our time at all that we operate on, it’s His.

As of 12/31/2022 we have $23,000 in our operating account and a full Emergency Fund!

God is working through you and your faithful giving. You are sharing his resources and it is already making a difference. So, simply put, thank you. God used your giving to create hope in our community and to make enough margin that we can start RE:23 with our anxious hearts comforted. Your giving is making space for rest, dreaming, and simply enjoying what God is doing in and through us. 

You may be wondering what comes next. Simply put we are going to be a bit quiet for now about RE:23 giving. In February we will start talking about our next goal of $35,000 by the end of April, but for now settle in, get comfortable with your own household giving plan for the year, and enjoy all the Lord has for us as we rest in Him. 

There are two fun activities you can do while you rest.

1) Consider if God has a RE:word of the year for you this year.

2) Create something beautiful to share in our Church-wide Art Gallery.

As of right now (Thurs, 12/15), we have $15,800 in our operating account. We have officially met our first RE:23 goal! Let's stop and celebrate that huge win! We are 1/4 of the way to full financial recovery where we have 3 months of expenses, a rebuilt margin. Just a reminder of where we came from, at the end of the summer we only had $3,300 in our operating account. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!"

Gosh, it feels good to meet goals!

Since we met that goal so soon and have two more weeks in 2022, we are well on our way to our stretch goal of $20K, which would be 1/3 of the way there. So, we pulled out a pen and did some math on the back of a napkin and, if our estimates are correct, (conservatively based on past giving) then we expect to end the year at $19,500. Just $500 short of our stretch goal. That's a huge win in and of itself. 

As Free Methodists we are friends with other churches. One of our neighboring churches wanted to bless our community and share their resources toward what God is doing at Valley Chapel. They donated another $3,000!

Church, we thought $20K was an exciting stretch goal, but it seems that it wasn't much of a stretch for God. This feels like hope does it not? And hope has a way of inspiring us. As you consider your final giving before 2022 is over, if you have not yet given toward RE:23, then would you consider making an extra gift before the end of the year?

Whether you join-in financially or not, RE:23 is not just about money, it's about the future of our church community, it's about RE-imagining our future, RE-storing our excitement, RE-igniting our passion. Recovering financially is just the first step and we are well on our way.

Aren't you excited to see what God's going to do with all this?

Every year, my wife and I sit down to look at our expected income for the next year and re-adjust our tithe; but it wasn't always that way.

When I first started, I gave... let's say, "spontaneously" (that feels like a positive word!). That meant I would give the largest bill that happened to be in my wallet that Sunday.

I know, carrying cash, what is this the stone ages?

Some weeks it was easy to pass along a fiv-er or even a $20, but every once in a while I needed to test my mettle with a $50 or God-forbid a $100 bill!

My heart was tested every week, but I was still only in the early stages. I was practicing spontaneous generosity rather than wise stewardship. God calls us to be wise stewards of all creation and that includes the financial resources he's provided.

Generosity says "this is mine, but I'll give it to you"
Stewardship says "this is all God's so, I will manage it how he would like me to."

So, my wife and I took a Dave Ramsey "Financial Peace" course and learned about budgeting, saving, and first of all "tithing." Tithe literally means 10% and was originally instituted as a tax in the nation of Israel.

Now, as Christians we use the Tithe as a standard of stewardship rather than a legal requirement. God doesn't want us to give out of obligation, but out of joy and gratitude and I have found that the best way to do that is to upgrade from the "spontaneous generosity" method to the " wise stewardship" method.

It took a while to get there though. We initially tried to get to 10% and it looked like we would run out of money long before we ran out of month. So we started at 3.5%. Then the next year it moved up to 4%, then a change in jobs and it moved to 6%, then a year with a raise and it moved to 7.5%. Then a tough year left us at 7.5% even though we had an income loss. Despite the loss, we ended the year with enough and despite not seeing how ends would meet we jumped up to 10% and saw God provide. Every month we lived off of 90% of our income and it was enough.

And yes, that takes planning and preparation.

So each year we sit down to estimate our annual income, calculate what 10% of that would be, divide it my 12 months, and then create an automated giving for that amount using the Valley Chapel app (see below to try it yourself). This makes it so that generosity is not dependent on the state of our hearts (or our wallets) that week, but on an intentional choice to structure our lives around an awareness of God being our provider.

What I find most beautiful is that now we no longer consider whether we "can" give 10%. Instead we give it and figure out what we "can" do afterwards. One thing we found that we can do is set aside extra for spontaneous generosity (it all comes full circle). We enjoy the assurance that we are stewarding God's resources as well as the joy of helping out in circumstances that move our hearts.

And it is all possible because of God's provision that empowered our intentional planning.

That's our giving journey. Yours will likely look a little different. You may be working on your estate planning and deciding whether tithing is a part of your end of life plan. You may have investments that you are thinking about tithing from the interest, or perhaps you are ready to make the move from "I have nothing to give" to "I'll give some of the little I have."

Whatever you decide, know that God's love for you is not dependent on how much you give. God loves you no matter what and in his love and wisdom knows that the act of giving will be formative to your soul.

So, as you RE:23, reviewing, revisiting, reconsidering, and revising your giving plan for 2023, I pray you experience the joy that comes with giving and as a result you see God's provision in your life all the more clearly.

Why do we create margin in our lives?

Well, simply put, life is unpredictable. Anything that resembles control or the ability to predict the future is an illusion. So, we trust God to provide and put in the effort to live within the means God has provided.

Yet, God also calls us to grow. Consider the parable of the talents in Matthew 15:14-30.

A man who left three servants in charge of his wealth. Two of them used that wealth to earn interest, while the third buried it in the ground to guarantee he could return it to the man. Who was praised?

It's easy, when life gets hard, to simply hunker down and try to survive, yet the gospel doesn't invite us to survive, does it? We are to thrive and cause flourishing for those around us; to live lives of abundance and generosity. To do that, we must use the resources God has given us, not to simply spend them but to multiply them for the sake of the world around us. That's why it’s time for...

RE:23, a year of recovery, renewal, and reimagining

2023 can be a year of restoration and revival, but it will require us to work together. Our church’s margin helped us endure a difficult season, but it is now time to rebuild, so that we don’t end up burying what we have left in the sand.

RE:23 is for 2023, but you're invited to start RE:23 early as you consider your final weeks of giving in 2022.

For our community, financial recovery looks like $15,000 in our emergency fund and $60,000 (3-months expenses) in our general fund. So far, our emergency fund has fully recovered, and we have about $10,000 in our general fund. If we gather an extra $5000 before the end of the year, we will start 2023 ¼ of the way to our goal!

Recovery is possible, but we can only do it together. 

As you consider your giving at the end of this year, would you prayerfully consider going above and beyond to create some momentum toward our financial recovery in 2023?

Only give financially if you have the means and are eager to do so. This is not a call to give what we do not have. In fact, RE:23 is about a whole lot more than just finances. It’s about recovering, renewing, and reimagining every part of our lives. So take some time and ask, “how might God be calling me to “RE” in 2023?”

• Perhaps it’s reviewing your priorities and schedule.
• Perhaps it’s restoring a relationship that has been broken for far too long.
• Perhaps it’s resurrecting a passion that has laid dormant for years.
• Perhaps it’s reimagining a group or team that needs fresh, inspired change.
• Perhaps it is rest and recreation, intentionally making space to enjoy this life.

Whatever it is for you, know that we are in it together. Let’s lean on one another and the provision of God. Let’s be devout in prayer that God would recover, renew and re-inspire us in 2023 so that his gospel spreads and his love multiplies throughout our community.

Dear Church, 

As you are aware, we have been in a challenging financial season. At our community meeting on October 2nd, we saw that our giving was dramatically below budget, and without substantial changes, we would end the year at approximately $40,000 under budget. Simply put, we cannot spend money we do not have, so on October 17th, we prayerfully made a few critical decisions to help us avoid spending beyond our means.

First and most straightforward, we requested to have our “fair share” (denominational dues) reduced by changing to the “current income model.” The standard model bases our fair share on the income from 2 years prior, while the current income model allows those payments to be based on last month’s actual giving. This is our most significant administrative cost besides insurance, so this reduction will save us a few thousand dollars annually.

Second, we have reallocated $14,706.88 from our reserve accounts and placed them in our Emergency savings fund to be ready for use if we cannot pay our bills with our weekly income alone. This comes from the following funds (Special Projects, Youth Group Outreach, Missions Projects, Funeral Dinner, Foodlink, and the Memorial Funds). Families of those who have memorial funds will be contacted before any funds are moved or spent. This will help to create a safety net, but ideally, we aim to avoid using these funds expect as a last-resort

Third, and this is by far the most emotionally difficult, we have decided to end financial support for all of our missionary partners for the time being. This is an annual expense of $22,488. This decision was made with much prayer and discussion over the past few months. That being said, we have a deep love of our missionary partners J.R. and Becky Crouse in Ecuador, Dennis and Kyle Leon in Costa Rica, Gerry McNamara in Eastern Europe, our two sponsored children through International Childcare Ministries, and Lighthouse Station here in Warsaw. So, to maintain our ties, we will be providing opportunities for you to learn about each of these partners, including ways that you could personally give toward them if you feel so moved. Please continue to support these partners in prayer, as they depend on that far more than our money.

Much went into each of these decisions, and you may still have many questions. To that end, we will hold another community meeting on Nov 6, 2022 so that you can ask questions, offer your ideas, and share your words of encouragement. We pray that all of these changes will be temporary adjustments. In the meantime, please remain in prayer, seeking God’s wisdom as we navigate this season and aim toward the future.

Respectfully,
The Board of Administration

We have meaningful encounters with our creator and make a big difference in our community because of your partnership through giving, attendance, and service. Thank you for all you do. As you are drawing closer to God, you are helping others do the same.

One of our seven habits is "Cultivating Trust," we trust God and one another, but trust takes work to maintain. Trust best comes through transparency, and sometimes seeing things clearly is not attractive or exciting. So let's cultivate trust right now.

We have spent more money than we brought in in 2022 so far and if we continue the trend we will be out of money fast. We have kept our total expenses well under budget, but our income from offerings is dramatically below the amount we committed to at our January society meeting.

We are not a community that exists to make money, but "Sharing Resources" is one of our core 7 habits because we recognize that we will not be transforming into a community through whom God's love flows without financial stability to support the work. We also recognize that our initial goal of $5,100/week proved too high for us to reach.

The BOA and I have been watching our accounts and we decided to make some strategic adjustments to our budget in the second half of the year to 1) cut some expenses 2) clarify realistic needs and 3) continue to pursuing growth in ministry and financial health. Some of these decisions were easy, such as adjusting for more facility rental income, and lower denominational dues than expected. Others were more painful, such as ending monthly financial support for El Shaddai FMC and General Missions work in Haiti, opting instead to support these ministries by fundraising for specific projects when needs arise. [see the full list of changes below]

Even with those cuts, we will not keep up with expenses at our current rate. We are averaging around $4,200/week in giving, and for those of you who faithfully commit to sharing your resources, we can't thank you enough for your partnership. That being said, we must gather $4,500/week in order to support our expected expenses by the end of the year, not to mention having money to innovate, grow, and keep our mission moving forward.

We know you love your church family, and that many of you already give regularly and to the amount that God has called you to give. We also do not believe in giving out of compulsion or obligation, but out of a cheerful heart. So, rather than simply asking you to give more, allow me to offer a variety of alternative ways you may be able to help.

1. Do you currently give, just not on a regular schedule? Consistent giving is much easier to predict and therefore budget than irregular giving. You could help by setting up automated recurring giving when you give online. Simply ask the folks at the connect center if you would like assistance setting it up.
2. Have you been concerned abut how your giving is used? Our Finance Committee looks closely at how our money is spent and would be happy to listen and respond to any questions or concerns you may have. You can send a question right on the Valley Chapel App!
3. Do you have a story of how you experienced God through giving that you would be willing to share on Sunday morning? Your story may be just the kind of encouragement someone needs to start their own giving journey. Simply email me [Pastor Ryan | r.rovito@gmail.com] or message me on the app to learn how you can share your story.
4. Are you consistent in prayer? Would you be willing to commit to weekly prayer for God's provision for our community in the next 6 months? We believe that God listens closely to the prayers of his people and that in prayer we also find answers for our worries. God is not a genie granting us wishes, but he loves us, and when we cry out, he hears us. So would you cry out on behalf of your worshipping community?
5. Has God provided for you in some way besides a paycheck that you would like to share? We believe that God is our provider and through more than just a paycheck. Just recently we've had folks offer donations that could be used for outreach events, professional services like general contracting, cooking, accounting, or landscaping that can help the community save on expenses. Perhaps you are doing financial planning for end of life and would like to give a portion of your estate, your investments, or your equity to the community just as you have given a portion of your regular income? Has a loved one passed and you would like to offer a donation in memory of them. These are just a few ideas of ways you can share resources toward our mission.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart for being on this journey with Valley Chapel. I believe that because of you and your faithfulness to the mission of God that we will be transforming into a community through whom God's love flows, and we will continue to see people meet Jesus is a life-changing way.

The deadly war in Ukraine, black bodies remaining to be buried after the racist killing in our backyard, and now more slaughter of children. My heart can't take this. I feel so weak and helpless. I can't fathom the experience of the victims, the trauma God's creatures are experiencing, the loss yet to be grieved that rests heavy on the shoulders of the innocent. 

It's all so evil. This is sin at it's fullest, broken and traumatized people, people who have been hurt terribly whose pain has distorted their mind so far that they believe the destruction of human life is going to improve theirs. My heart is shattered by the brokenness of it all. By the way pain creates pain which creates more pain and each generation carries the burdens of the unhealed wounds of the last.

Lord have mercy. Free us from this cycle.

As a pastor I feel a responsibility to lead change, but I am no policy expert. I want to DO something about this evil, but it is so much larger than me, so much larger than us. So I bring it to God who is all powerful and all knowing and cry out like the Prophet Joel.

Lament for evil must always come first. Speaking the truth of what has been and what is. Lament, for the pain that has spread like a virus, infecting the unexpecting, for the helplessness of the victims. And then, while the laments remain on my lips, I notice and recall the pain in my own heart. I am broken because of the brokenness of others and yet others are broken because of my brokenness. These children were killed by a victim of brokenness who chose to release his pain on the innocent rather than heal from it himself.

I cannot control others; I cannot decide the trajectory of their lives; but I can seek change.

I will refuse to become another "sick" murderer on whom we wonder whether to show compassion or judgement. I will bring my wounds to the altar and allow God to change me, to heal me. I will seek help from professionals like pastors, therapists, counselors, spiritual directors. I will share my pain in community and refuse to isolate out of fear. I will face my demons for the sake of the next generation. I will carry the hope that Jesus conquered death and that my own healing is always possible, including healing from wounds yet to be inflicted.

So where is God in all this? God is right here inviting us to tremble, not at the evil of others but at the evil flowing out of the shattered pieces of our own hearts. God is here, eager to offer life- saving treatment, yet our "thoughts and prayers" are often too busy demanding someone else fix the problem, demanding someone else to change, demanding our voice to be heard. Our hearts are in shambles so we guard them with loud words and demands, yet the healing power of God is here for us if we would only open up our damaged hearts to it. May our thoughts and prayers not only invite God to help (ie. fix) others, but to invite God to heal us so that the people around us do not suffer at our hands.

Jesus Christ does not offer a gospel of self-defense, but of self sacrifice. Good news that invites us to come and suffer for the sake of others and in the vulnerability and humility of that suffering be completely healed by the grace of our creator.

Today I am broken, here is my heart friends, here is my heart lord, make it right.

We are always looking for ways to break down barriers of connection and to resource you on your journey with God. We've tried moving some things around to make it even easier for you. Test it out, and if you have ideas for ways to improve it then just shoot us a message using in-app messaging!

Everything you need to engage with worship online or in-person is available as soon as you open up the app. 

• Plan a Visit: Have you worshipped online for a while and now you're ready to come in-person? Learn what to expect here. We are excited to be with you!
• This Week's Scripture: A quick link to pull up the scripture reading for the week. You can read-ahead, take notes, and start reflecting right away.
• Fill-in Sermon Notes: A helpful way to follow along with the sermon for the week. Guided questions help in personal reflection.
• Request Prayer: Are you or someone you love going through something and you would like your church community to pray with you? Let us know here.
• Make a Decision: Is today the day you are ready to commit yourself as a Christian? Did you decide to re-commit after a season away? Let us know so we can walk alongside you and offer helpful resources on your journey.
• Get Baptized: Ready to take the plunge and make your faith public? Are you ready to have your children welcomed in the family? Baptism is the first big step on your journey with Jesus and we would be honored to take it with you!
• Become a Member: You've been worshipping for a while but you feel drawn to connect more. Consider partnering with us on our mission to Love God, Love People, and Make Disciples as an official member of Valley Chapel.
• Give: Quickly access our in-app giving portal to worship through sharing the resources God has entrusted to your care.
• Sermon & Series: a quick link to last week's worship service and all previous sermons. Worship services are left unedited for 1 week after which point they are trimmed down to include only the sermon.

Our app has a bunch of great tools to help you on your journey and many are available for you to use on your own time. Select "Discipleship Tools" to find...

• The Chosen (Season 1): A powerful multi-season television series about the life of Jesus.
• The Free Methodist Way: Learn, at your own pace, what it really means to be a "Free Methodist" Christian.
• How to Read the Bible: 19 short, animated videos that will help you heel confident about your time reading the bible.
• Pray as you Go: A daily prayer app that will gently guide you closer to God in prayer.
• Bible for Kids: From the creators of the Bible App, Bible for Kids provides a kid-friendly and animated experience of the bible. a great resource for parents, grandparents, and anyone who disciples children.

If you haven't started using messaging on your Valley Chapel app, then you're missing out. Connecting with friends one-on-one or joining our sermon series discussion group are great ways to be a part of transforming into a community through whom God's love flows. You can directly request prayer, share sermons you found meaningful, or even use polls to plan a small group pot-luck. You'd be amazed at what you can do without needing to even share a cell phone #.

Valley Chapel has a long history of meaningful ministry for children thanks to the hard work and dedication of many volunteers, members, and the kiddos themselves. But, in a post-COVID world, life and culture around us has changed, and in order to continue helping our children and their families draw closer to Jesus we must learn, adapt, change, and learn some more.

Fortunately, Chelsie Mantelli has stepped up to lead us through this change. Chelsie is an Elementary Teacher at the Warsaw CSD and brings a great deal of wisdom about how to help kids have fun while they learn about Jesus and "play"- out the lessons they receive. She is excited to not only help kids draw closer, but for families to be equipped to integrate what they experience in worship with what their kids experience. Knowing that the beautiful work of discipling our children is best when it's shared between the church community and the adults at home.

So how does this all impact the logistics on Sunday?

Starting this Sunday (5/8/22), each week will include a kids lesson in the front of the sanctuary (~5min). Children will be invited to come forward so that they can learn up-close and interactively with Pastor Ryan (or another teacher).

After this lesson they will join Ms. Mantelli and her teams in the Children's wing for a deeper dive into the lesson in their own context while the grown ups hear the sermon in the Sanctuary.

Announcements will be shared after the sermon, while grown-ups will be invited to head into the lobby to escort the children back into the sanctuary so that we can all respond to the message as a community through song, communion, and giving.

Check-in and check-out are all about safety and clarity to ensure that children will not be unsupervised or sent home with an unapproved grown-up.

Check-in will still happen when you first arrive in the lobby, but afterward, the kids will stay with their grown-ups in the sanctuary instead of heading down to the children's wing. Check-in serves as a way for grown-ups to communicate who is allowed to pick their kids up later.

Forget to check your kids in? Haven't registered your kids for their first visit? Don't worry, you will be able to walk with your kids to the check-in station anytime before the sermon to check everyone in. Only kids who have been checked-in will be allowed in the children's wing.

Check-out will happen when grown-ups are released to check their kids out after the sermon. Only the adult who checked their child in will be allowed to check that child out. It will be tempting to cut out and leave church at this point, but please stay, you are needed for our communal response to the message and your kids need to learn from you that their presence as a part of the community matters.

This is all how it will work for now, but we will be learning each week. Please use your prayer and response card or talk to a volunteer to let us know how the experience was for you. Your feedback helps us gather in a way that everyone is considered and everyone is provided a meaningful opportunity to draw closer to Jesus.

If all of this sounds exciting and fun to you, and you would like to be involved, find Ms. Mantelli (Chelsie Mantelli) on Messaging on your Valley Chapel App, or stop by the Connect Center on Sunday morning. There are some great opportunities to serve kids and their grown ups through play and being an adult who truly cares. For the safety of all involved, our Children's volunteers complete background checks before serving with our kids.

THE FOLLOWING IS A GUEST BLOG BY JANELLE BAKER

As humans, we inevitably will experience some sort of grief in our lives. Until then, we put our grief in a box, lock it with a key and place it on the highest shelf, hoping never to touch it.

 Only I am living in that box. I am scrambling for a key to close it, but the key doesn't fit. You would never expect to have to open that box until you are standing there with your world shattered. There was no warning sign–in an instant, I lost my husband, father of my children, and best friend.
 
 I have been living in my grief box for almost six months and I have learned many things along this horrific journey. One of the things that I have learned that I find most unsettling is that I took advantage of my pre-grief life. My pre-grief life centered around my family. The five of us. “Party of Five,” as I would refer to us. I have so many memories that I hold on to as treasures because I know we will never experience them again. This has taught me to make the most of every moment. When I think about my husband Steve I think of a man who lived a life to serve others. He was absolutely made to do just that. Every moment of his day centered around others; so much so that it didn't leave him much time to do the things that he enjoyed. I know he wouldn't have wanted to live any other way. I have learned to be more like Steve and to put others ahead of myself.

Another thing that I have learned living in this box is to live in the moments. By that I mean to do what I can. I have had several cliche phrases told to me over the last six months, and one has been, “One day at a time.” While that is true, sometimes one day is too much. Sometimes I can only focus on one hour, one minute, one second. When I think too far into the future my heart physically hurts. I am tortured by the “what ifs.” The “what should have been.” That is my darkness. That is where I am the weakest. That right there is when I need prayer the most.
 I need prayer for the special moments when just being me isn't enough because I am not a father. I need prayer for the moments when I want to share them with a husband but I can't. I need prayer for the every day moments that taunt me because my husband was only 41 years old when this tragedy happened.

One of the most important things that I have learned is that no one will ever understand my pain, and that is okay. Let me explain. I cannot even count the number of lives my husband touched and the pain that our family and community have endured. I cannot compare my pain to others because I do not share the same experiences as others did with Steve. I can only speak from my perspective and experiences and I will say that this pain is unimaginable. Every day I am faced with reminders of a life that should be mine.  This is not the life I had imagined. This is not the life I expected. I always thought I would meet the man of my dreams, grow old with him, maybe even travel the world with him or babysit our grandchildren together. Well, I did meet the man of my dreams, but unfortunately, God had other plans.

I have been overwhelmed by the love and support of the community. I have often prided myself on not needing help from anyone. I am the helper. I am the teacher, so I shouldn't need any help. I am typically the giver. It makes me happy to give my time, service or even gifts. It has been an incredible adjustment to now become the receiver. It is awkward for me to hold out my hands and accept meals, donations and offers. I am not used to it. I used to be of the mindset that I can handle anything and do not need others to do things for me. What I have learned is that just like me, people enjoy giving. I need to be more willing to accept the gifts, love and support that people in the community want to give my family and I. I have learned to be a receiver. It is not always easy for me, but I know that it allows others to feel as if they are helping us. The prayers are what have been most encouraging. Oftentimes I have caught myself thinking that after the dust settles, will people still remember our pain. Will people still think to pray for us? I am encouraged to know that they will. I still receive daily messages from people, including strangers telling me that they are lifting my family and I up in prayer. I cannot begin to explain the love that shows me.
 
I have seen this love transcend into the community as well. The hardest part for me at first was seeing others. I would put ear buds in when I had to go into a store and try to be as quick as possible. Sometimes no matter how hard I tried people would stop me. It is awkward to have someone look at you as if your world is ending. I already thought that, but to have the sympathetic faces of others remind me of that was earth shattering. I know that people did not mean to be malicious. Then one of two things would happen when I was stopped in public by a person.
First, they would ask me how I was. At first I would respond with the truth. I am horrible, I would respond. Then I saw it. People instantly became anxious about my response. More awkwardness when I felt guilty for legitimately responding to their question. I felt guilty for making them feel awkward and it was a strange headspace to be in. Now when people ask me how I am I respond with a simple ¨fine¨ hoping to move to a different topic. I just cannot see the look of dismay on another person's face if I reveal my true feelings.  

The second thing that would happen when I was stopped in public was people would try to give me cliché advice. One of the ones that resonated with me the most is that someone actually told me, "You'll get over this." Let me be clear, this is not a "Get Over" situation. This is horrific. This nightmare I am living is the worst. I have grown to understand that people are just trying to make me feel better. I would smile at their words of wisdom and move on to the next person who would share with me about how their great-uncle passed and that they know what I am going through. (This is another one of my favorites). Eventually, you learn that nothing phases you. You grow numb to the questions and advice that others share with you because you know they're just being kind and they are blessed enough to not have walked in your muddy shoes. I have been tempted to write a book titled, "Things Not To Say To A Thirty- Something Widow." I will save that for a different time.

I had taken almost four months off of work because to make matters worse, Steve and I worked at the same school together. In fact, some of our first moments together were within the walls of the school. Shortly after I had to go into the school for an event for my daughter. I remember the physical toll it took to even walk in the door. I sat there, in blinking horror thinking, this is my life now. Alone. Without Steve by my side at these events. Only I wasn't alone. I was surrounded by love. Community members were extremely respectful not to bombard me, but to also let me know they were thinking of me with a little nod or a smile. I also found my strength with my co-workers. Though every day it has been a battle to not see him in the hallway, I remind myself that my co-workers loved him too. Seeing their love of him reassures me that Steve will never be forgotten. I see t-shirts that represent him and our family. I have people connecting and offering to make his legacy one that will be long-lasting. The students all loved Mr. Baker too. They loved his smile, his silly antics. They have welcomed me back with such love. It warms my heart. All in all this community has supported us in immeasurable ways. Without that support I would probably be in the fetal position on the floor of my basement asking why someone so amazing was taken from this earth. Some of my worst days were ugly. They are locked in a closet now as I had worked on making myself better to in turn make my family better. The four months I took off were some of the hardest days of my life. I did not know that my body could produce so many tears. I had to grow up. Some days I wanted to stay in bed and eat chocolate all day. That is not what Steve would have wanted.

"You are strong." I hate that phrase. The moments where I am so broken that my chest physically hurts and I cannot escape the agony that stirs inside of me is not the sign of a strong person. What people do not realize is that I have no other choice. I have three amazing children who need their mother more now than ever. I get out of bed every day for them. I pretend my world isn´t over for them every day. I would like to say that I am a pretty good actress because I have tried my hardest to make things relatively normal for them, though we all know nothing will ever be normal again.
 
When we put our grief high upon a shelf, we forget that it could ever happen. We think that this sort of grief happens later on in life. We forget that life is so incredibly precious. We forget to savor every moment, to be present, and to show love to others. The knowledge that I have gained from having to open my box earlier than most is all-consuming. It makes me angry. My grief questions fairness. The hope that I carry with me knowing that I will be reunited with Steve drives me to continue to live life as he did, for others. May you remember that every day matters, you may not know what God has planned for you, and to relish in God's promises. This is the wisdom from a broken, thirty-eight year old widow.

The season of Lent is about preparing ourselves for Easter by reflecting on our deep need for God. One way this has traditionally been done is through various forms of fasting. Catholics, for example, often refrain from eating meat (though they make an exception and eat fish on Fridays, which is why we have fish fry Fridays during Lent). Some choose to give up certain things like TV, Social media, or candy as a means of reflection. All of these are great ways to adjust our habits in order to focus on our need for the risen messiah.

Let me offer you one more. You could consider giving up a common phrase. Sometimes we simply speak without thinking, and by trying to eliminate one simple phrase from our vocabulary, it can draw attention to ways we are broken and in need of Jesus. Since we are in our 7 Habits series, here are 7 phrases you could consider!

How often do we respond to our own failure and sin with "well, no one is perfect, I'm only human after all." It's true that we are flawed people, and that we will make mistakes, but God created us for more. 

We were created to be God's representatives to creation, rulers on his behalf. When we say we are "only human" we deny the gravity of our human calling. Unfortunately, for many of us the phrase serves as an excuse for not pursuing maturity. It's as if we're saying "Why try, I'll never be perfect anyway." Yet God calls us to be holy and righteous, mature followers who respresent him in everything we do.

So perhaps this Lent, giving up the phrase "I'm only human" could be a meaningful way to pursue maturity.

Our second habit for lent is Sharing resources. All things belong to God, and God created all things, but we are often limited in our view of what can count as provision. Out of pride we neglect to ask for help. Out of weariness, we pass up opportunities to change our lifestyle and live within our means. Here's the truth, there is always enough, and when we claim that there isn't, we deny what God says as true and we start focusing on taking care of #1 rather than sharing the resources that were God's all along.

Perhaps giving up on the phrase "There's not enough" can be a way to reorient our thinking away from ourselves and onto God and his care of the world.

We can only trust one another when we are honest with one another. Trust takes work to maintain and that work often includes uncomfortable conversations. Our habit of cultivating trust may require us to eliminate "it's all good" from our vocabulary as a means of reminding us to face the challenges for the sake of trust.

We come to church in need of spiritual nourishment. There is nothing wrong with this, in fact it is a wonderful thing when we show up to the body of Christ in a posture of need. The problem that occurrs is when we think our needs will be met in a vacuum. When we expect that we will be nourished by only listening to a message or simply showing up without engaging with the community we deny the way Christ designed us to thrive.

When we nourish others and intentionally serve them by expecting and inviting them to grow and be fed, we will end up fed ourselves. But when we look to others to be the ones who feed us and only serve if there will be some form of appreciation or repayment, then we miss our own opportunity for nourishment.

By removing "I'm not being fed" from our vocabulary, we remind ourselves to see our own malnourishment as an opportunity to come alongside someone else.

Much like "I'm only human", saying "good enough" is a way we deny the reality of who God designed us to be. Sometimes we will fall short, we will make mistakes, but when we settle there we deny our responsibility in faith. We are invited to do everything as a servant of God's kingdom, 

We don't work hard in order to earn some prize we deserve, but we value the effort because we believe we are the people through whom God is restoring the world. It's about who we are, our identity as Christ-followers. Saying something is "good enough" is not the same as saying "I tried my best." All too often we stop and claim something is "good enough" because we are afraid that our best will not be enough. But when we remember that this work is for God it changes our perspective. Success or failure is not our burden to bear, but effort is ours to carry.

Consider how eliminating "good enough" from your vocabulary could invite you to focus on your effort over your success.

"Should" is an invitation to shame, judgement, and bitterness. When we say "I really should read my bible more" it rarely changes the behavior, it just reminds us to feel ashamed of what we aren't doing well. When we say "Those people should read their bibles more" we are judging others as if we are standing in their shoes and know better. Now, we don't simply tolerate poor behavior, but for every high standard we set for ourselves and others, we also are invited to an equivalent level of grace when we fall short. 

When we remember our own need for forgiveness we are better able to forgive others. By eliminating the world "should" from our vocabulary we will start to notice just how hard we are on ourselves and others, inviting us to give more grace.

Sometimes the world just feels too broken. We look at all these messed-up things in our world and think, it's out of our hands we should just put our heads down and survive the brokenness until we can enjoy a restored work after we die. Friends this is not the promise Jesus offered us or the kingdom he is building. It's not all going to hell in a handbasket, it's all being restored. Read the end of the book...

We no longer live as hopeless people who only see the brokenness, but as people of hope who see the brokenness through the lens of what it's all becoming. Because of this we do the work of revealing that hope to the world around us by actually making our community a better place to live.

So, consider replacing the hopeless "it's all going to hell in a handbasket" with the hopeful "See, I am making all things new."

If you've read all the way to this point then good on ya! I pray that something really stood out to you and as a result lent will be a meaningful time of reflection and preparation. I am looking forward to being with you in person and/or in spirit on Sunday.

We are not simply spiritual beings, but also physical. In the hustle of daily life, we can easily forget the essential role our bodies play in the experience of faith. We are mortal, our bodies fail us, we get sick, injured, tired, and broken. The Christian faith reminds us that because of Jesus, this mortality need not have the final say. We are people who believe in the resurrection of the body, the restoration of our full humanity through Jesus.

On Ash Wednesday we begin a season of preparation and reflection. We prepare to celebrate Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday by reflecting on our deep need for it during Lent. So, we begin our preparations with the most fleeting and needy part of us, our bodies. By wearing ashes, we bravely face our own fragility and mortality and we repent of the ways we have forgotten our deep and absolute reliance on God for our very existence. 

It's a heavy ritual, but not a hopeless one. In fact it is only in the light of the knowledge of the ressurrection that we can fully look at our own mortality without losing hope. Jesus said,

To follow Jesus is to trust him as we face the darkest of places, which includes death itself. Jesus faced death on our behalf, and made a path through it to full life. Now he invites us to follow him into that dark place. We face this darkness by his side and he leads us through it to resurrection, today and for all eternity. 

Because of this, we practice the ritual of repentance and wearing ashes on Ash Wednesday. This year I would like to invite you to consider taking it a step further. Would you be willing to serve your community by helping them do the same?

Participating is simple and you will be provided with ashes to use and words to say. The distribution of Ashes and sharing of this ritual is not reserved only for the ordained clergy. There are two key ways you can participate if you would like.

1) Select a poplar location in the community, ask permission to deliver ashes as people come by, and offer to all who are interested. An example might be stationing yourself at the Food Pantry from 11-1 and offering to those who pass through, or if you work at the school offering them to other teachers and students during the day.

2) Personally deliver them to folks at home. We will be offering to deliver from 9-11am and 1-4pm. The delivery schedule will be finalized the day before.

You are also welcome to receive ashes at a time and location that works for you. A schedule is posted at the link below. I pray this will be a meaningful kickoff to this important season of the church year.

Larry's at it again! The next time you come by our building you can't miss our brand new roadside sign built by our very own resident woodworker Larry Almeter. Larry and Alan Roth stopped by on Tuesday to install it. This is more than just  simple sign though. Larry was very creative in the way he built it and it is going to do a whole lot more than simply tell people that this church is called Valley Chapel.

Signs are essential to our mission. No, really, they aren't just pretty. Good, Up-to-date, clear and beautiful signs help us to better love God, love people, and make disciples. How? I'm so glad you asked.

Have you ever gone to a party at a house you were unfamiliar with and you were early? You wonder, "am I at the right house? I think I got that number right. Which door should I go in, the front or the back by the garage?" Then you notice that they turned a light on in the back. Ah ha! They know you're coming and left a light on for you, so you choose the back door and make your way in.
Signs have a way of saying "Hey, I am looking forward to being with you so I thought about you beforehand." It is comforting to be considered by the host, and our roadside sign can be a great way to tell passers by, "We are ready for you, we think about you, and we want to meet you!" 

Simple obstacles can be full-blown roadblocks to the unfamiliar. I was once looking to get started with caring for a Bonsai Tree. I found an address on google and went there only to find what looked like some dude's house. I hesitantly pulled into the driveway despite there being no indication (apart from google directions) that I was in the right place. I parked for a moment to peek around and then started to back out when someone opened the door and waved me in. Fortunately the owner of the shop spotted me and showed me around behind a gate where everything was located, but if he hadn't spotted me I was moments away from turning around disappointed. One clear sign could have changed the whole experience.
As a church, there is not always a human sitting outside the building to tell someone where and when things happen, so this new sign that includes our service time, will be a wonderful way to help people feel certain that they are showing up at the right time and in the right place.

Larry added a special touch to our new sign in that you will now see the mission statement for the FMCUSA as you exit the parking lot. Right now you will notice it, and it will be special to see, but in time it will become something you don't even think about. But here is what's beautiful about that. Routine has a way of sticking in our minds when things we try to remember fade away. Every single time we leave worship, we will now be reminded of our mission to love God, Love people, and make disciples. It will quietly, yet firmly, become a part of the way we think. I am grateful for the reminder so that as we each depart into our community we will be reminded of the calling God has placed on each of us and individuals and us as a church.

Be sure to stop to say thank you to Larry for this beautiful work, and for helping us further the mission of God in our community. Thanks Larry!

Our Sunday morning "Valley Chapel Kidz" program needs help. We have a lot of kids excited to learn about Jesus, but our volunteers are few. Now, if you started reading this, please keep reading. There will be an invitation for you to volunteer with Valley Chapel Kidz at the end of this blog post, but before you decide that Kidz ministry isn't for you, please hear me out. Thanks!

The other day I was talking with a dad whose son came home from church one day and asked "Dad, what is God?" To me that's such an exciting question to get, it's an opportunity to talk to my kid about God, but it's easy for me to forget my privileges of a seminary education and a lifetime in the church. For the Dad, this question was intimidating. It's not that he didn't know about God, he's a great father and an intelligent follower of Jesus. It's that he didn't feel like he knew how to talk about God on his son's level. 

I have a hunch that a lot of parents feel the same way, wanting our kids to know about God, but feeling intimidated by trying to talk about faith with them. I get it, kids have a knack for asking the exact questions we've been avoiding. They have this natural curiosity that can feel borderline threatening. And then, big, emotional things in life happen, the sudden loss of a loved one, the death of a pet, illness, moving, divorce, a global pandemic, and we find ourselves in water way over our heads. 

And then someone comes up to us at church and asks us to help in the Children's wing.

"Ha! I don't even feel like I can lead my own kids in faith let alone other people's kids!"

So we respectfully say no and thank the volunteers who are willing to serve during the service on Sundays. 

I get it. Raising kids to know an infinite and eternal God who is beyond human comprehension is an intimidating task, but like Frederick Douglas once said, "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." I would like to piggyback a bit further on that myself, to say not only is it easier to build strong children but it's also a lot more fun and requires far fewer answers than you may think. But, it does require something of us and I believe that by serving with Valley Chapel Kidz, we can each develop one of the most valuable habits in parenting and life in general.

When my daughter was born I literally had no idea how to do anything with a baby. I had never changed a diaper, never fed a baby from a bottle, never swaddled an infant, never dressed an infant, never used a car seat, never driven with a baby in the car, and the list goes on. I had to learn EVERYTHING. But you know, today I look at my part in parenting my daughter and I feel confident to say that I am a pretty good dad. What got me to this point was not knowing what I was doing going into it, and what you need in order to serve our children is not certainty and a bucket-load of theological skills.

It's a simple habit that we can all practice. It's just curiosity.

A good parent or caregiver, much like a good Children's ministry volunteer, is not made by what we know. In fact, what we are certain of will often get in the way of good parenting. It's our willingness to say "I don't know, let's try and find the answer together" that helps us raise kids well. When my mother was learning to care for my father with Alzheimer's she was actually taught by an improv comedian. In improv, the core rule is "Yes, and...". You always respond to someone's idea with yes, and then you add more to it, you allow yourself to enter into the imaginary world they created rather than demanding that they join you in yours.

When caring for a dementia patient, that looks like telling a story multiple times, or saying, "woah! that is a funny monkey in your closet" (despite knowing full well it's just a t-shirt with a picture of a dog). With Kids, it's about letting them lead too. When a young girl asks "Do snails go to heaven?" instead of looking for an accurate theological answer, you can say "I don't know, what do you think?" (even if you think you already know) or "Let's look for the answer together!" (even if you don't know where to find it).

See, anyone can do that!

So here is my ask... Would you give it a try? 

Would you commit to giving the Valley Chapel Kidz Ministry a try? We are hoping to fill a few key positions, and please be in prayer that God will provide volunteers for them, but you don't need to make a commitment long-term right away. I am only asking that you try it out once or twice to see if it's for you.
 
If you are committing to pray with us, then we are specifically asking God to provide us with at least 3 teachers and 3 helpers who can volunteer once a month.
- Teachers serve by leading the group through pre-built lessons created to teach the kids on their level.
- Helpers serve by distributing snacks, helping with check-in, crafts, games, and other activities.

 For the safety of our kiddos, everyone completes a simple background check before serving. We are committed to a safe environment that cultivates trust with parents who leave their kids with us. Then the volunteers will show you the ropes and welcome you into the space. You will get to have fun with the kiddos, pray with them, and learn lessons right along with them. 

We are transforming into a community through whom God's love flows. It's a joy to be a part of. In 2022 I fully expect the Spirit to be flowing through our community, but we have some discerning to do. We are a church that tries to join in what God is actively doing rather than a church that tries to convince God to support our ideas. Because of this, a big part of our work is discernment, looking for God sightings and then trying to join in what we see. 2021 was a year defined by grief, so we made space for it and God has brought many new people into our community as a result.

2022 is starting out with much of the same. In our short first week we've already faced more grief through illness, tragedy, and a flood of stories about yet another "weird" holiday season due to COVID-19. We could look at all this and wish that God would just let us get past it, let us get into "happier" times, but if we're paying close attention we'll notice something...

If we are transforming into a community through whom God's love flows then we inherently are focused on the cross, because it is directly through suffering that the love of God is expressed. Doug Cullum, the dean of Northeastern Seminary once told me that "To love is to suffer". The Apostle Paul explains in Romans 5:1-5 that,

It's a high calling we've been given my friends. If we are called to be transforming into a community through whom God's love flows, then we are to enter into the suffering of our community. It's through our own suffering that God has and will help us endure hard seasons, to do so with integrity, and to never lose hope. The community we live in will meet Jesus when they face suffering because God will use each of us to meet them there and help them walk when they feel too weak to go on. 

This Sunday we are starting a new 7 week series called "Milestones: the moments that CREATE the trajectory of our lives" wherein we will look at some major moments in Jesus' own life that did just that. I pray that as we reflect, we will see that the milestones in each of our lives point us toward our purpose as followers of Christ. As we do this, I want to encourage you to pay extra close attention to the connection between each milestone and the suffering that surrounds it. If you want to find your part in God's vision to be transforming us into a community through whom God's love flows, then ask yourself... "Where am I suffering?"

This Sunday we are going to have a lot to celebrate. It's a new year, the beginning of a new season, and we are going to enjoy a nice relaxing service where we can soak up the goodness of God as a way to kick off the year. But, you will also notice something else new; Pastor Shannon is now leading us in worship.

If you've been following closely you will know that Hilary, our previous worship team leader who has served us a a part time staff member since 2018, is stepping down due to their family moving to Wellsville where her husband Nic (one of our BOA members) serves at the Library Director. Hilary's day-job as a freelance editor gives her flexibility to where she can work, but having to drive the hour up from Wellsville multiple days a week would have been a bit too much. We are grateful that the Gunnings will remain an active part of our church family despite the position change and we will spend some time this Sunday thanking Hilary for all she has done for our community during this exceptionally challenging season.

Many of you may have been wondering what will happen next, and you can rest assured that our worship experience will continue to grow. Pastor Shannon, our new Conference Ministerial Candidate, or CMC (read more about that here) has a passion for worship and will be taking the reigns of our worship experience with theologically rich and emotionally vibrant leadership. This Sunday will be her first day "officially" on the job 5hrs per week as our new "Worship Pastor".

If you noticed that "Worship Pastor" is new language then well done, you were paying attention. We used to refer to Hilary as our Worship Leader as her responsibility was to lead the band and congregation in worship, but Pastor Shannon, who has a MDiv. from Northeastern Seminary will also be serving as a staff pastor along with her leadership of the band. For her, this is wonderful experience in her pursuit of the calling God has placed on her life, but for us, this is a direct answer to prayer.

You see, back in May we talked about wanting to hire a full-time associate pastor, but unfortunately it didn't work out from a financially nor in the search process. But God has ways of providing just what we need right when we need it. You see, shortly after our associate pastor search fell through and we saw that, at the time, we couldn't afford a full-time staff member anyway, Hilary announced their move. We were without extra pastoral teamwork for me, without anyone to lead our teens, and soon to be without a worship leader. To be honest, I was starting to worry a little, and the Pastor's Cabinet, BOA and I were in prayer for God to show us what to do next. 

But then I get an e-mail from an old seminary friend (Pastor Shannon) who had moved to Nunda during the pandemic and she said she would like to meet because she thought The Spirit was drawing her to come to Valley Chapel and she wanted to see if we were sensing the same thing. Turns out she has a passion for music ministry and is looking for opportunities to serve a congregation since they had not found a church since moving.

Music-check, Pastor-check, but what about the teens? Well around the same time the Spirit started moving in the hearts of Becky Noon and Bonnie Kirkland to start a youth group. Both came up to be at separate times with the idea and they were eager to work together to start something up. Becky is now leading a team of 6 volunteers and they are already helping our teens feel equipped for the work of ministry! Teens-check. The Lord has provided, praise the Lord.

God is doing a new thing here at Valley Chapel. Transforming us into a community through whom his love flows, and it is an absolute joy to be a part of. Which is part of why we will be starting this new year off with sabbath, simply resting in what God has made and breathing in deeply of his love and provision for our community. Let's take time to thank those who have served us so faithfully, take time to notice the presence of God, and take time to draw closer to the God who provides just what we need right when we need it.

God is doing a new thing at Valley Chapel, but perhaps not what we anticipated. During our online-only worship service on Dec 26th, I said that if I had to pick one word to define life in our community for 2021 it would be “grief.” We had hoped it would be a year of recovery from the difficulty that was 2020, yet it was a year marked by tragic loss and almost constant suffering. Yet, the reality is that my first statement still stands loudly…

You see, in our suffering, we pursued God all the more intensely, we clung onto him in our dark valleys and we have been transformed. We are not the same congregation we were when we re-started our in-person gatherings last March and certainly not the same congregation that we were when COVID-19 struck in March 2020. We are something new. We’ve not only mourned the loss of our friends and family, but we have mourned the loss of our old identity. The Valley Chapel that existed in 2019 was a great church that I was proud to be a part of, but God seems to be doing a new thing here.

Half of the people worshipping in our community each Sunday are new this year. God has transformed our community into a new thing; incubated in the wilderness of grief. We have witnessed firsthand that God forms our salvation in our suffering. Out of all that pain in 2021, God has drawn our community closer together and closer to himself.

So what comes next? When God heals people he doesn’t just leave them there, he puts them to work. It’s like Lauren MacConnell reminded us back in September,

God will not waste what he has created in us, he will use us for furthering his kingdom in this world. You have a part in that work. Through your regular attendance, giving, and participation as you draw closer to God yourself. Thank you for being a part of this community and I am excited to see what important work God has for us in 2022.