Weekly Update // Pastor Will

Hi friends,

Last Saturday, August 10th, we held a pickleball tournament on our new court—an Eagle Scout project led by one of our youth, Zane Rimes. With help from his troop, local vendors, and your support, Zane made this court a reality. We had 22 participants sign up to test their pickleball skills, including a local pro, thanks to Eve Koch, who explained the rules and gave tips—especially to newbies like me. Unfortunately, my partner, Dennis “Doc D” Stevenson, and I didn’t make it far in the tournament, but we had a blast, as did many others.

What stood out most to me was Pastor Chris’s prayer before the tournament began. He prayed for a continued sense of community, thankfulness for the beautiful weather, and, most importantly, for us not to take ourselves too seriously. I believe this was for a few reasons. First, this was a fundraiser, and we hoped to cover the remaining costs (which we did!). Second, it was also a "fun-raiser" (see what I did there?), which we also accomplished! Lastly, sometimes we just take ourselves too seriously—something I’m guilty of. I’ll never forget a time Chris reminded me of this on a Sunday morning when I was unhappy with my sermon. He told me, “God will still show up,” and that’s always the case.

On Sunday mornings, things often don’t go as planned—whether it’s a glitchy electronic device or a printing error. I tend to worry: What will people think? Will the service fall apart? But somehow, everything works out, and those are often the services where God moves the most. It’s a reminder to take God seriously, but not ourselves.

This Sunday, we’re closing our mini-series on being “Imitators of Christ” with a focus on “Living in the Light.” We’ll dive into what this means for us as Christians, especially why Paul urges us to put away anger, bitterness, and rage, particularly toward ourselves. If you can’t make it in person, we’ll be live-streaming the services at 9:30 am and 11:00 am.

I hope you have a blessed weekend, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Thanks, 

Pastor Will