It is my custom to write Thanksgiving letters during this season to individuals whom I feel a deep thankfulness for because of our interaction during the past year. I can't do that in this case because I would need to write a letter to each and every one of you.

      You and all the otehrs who make up this congregation have poured out love and acceptance upon me like I have never experienced before. I am giving God praise and offering prayers of thanksgiving that you are a vital part of my life now. This has been a great year for me because of how you ahve allowed God to move through you in every day things.

     I am looking forward to seeing God fulfill his dream for this church through the teamwork of his Holy Spirit, you, and myself. May God be praised!
  
​     -Pastor Powell

Our society is a consumer based society.  It is all about; “What do I get?” So when you begin to talk to people about coming to church with you (i.e. inviting) they will want to know what this church has to offer them.
 
This is where some of us get embarrassed.  We can’t offer the outstanding teen program that dazzles our teens with more religious entertainment than they can handle. We can’t offer the big budget productions that are the substance of some weekly worship experiences. We can’t boast of big crowds of attendees. In short we sometimes have the attitude of coming up short in what we can offer our friends and neighbors or the community.
 
What we have to offer is our smallness. What are people looking for in a church? It is connection with God and people. Real connection comes from loving our visitors into our circle so that they become truly connected to us and us to their lives. We offer support  that works because we can be real and one on one with them. We offer the handshakes, the smiles, the hugs, the prayers, the tears, whatever is real in a relationship that is based on God’s mercy, forgiveness and love. We can quickly integrate new comers into a wholesome community that will practice loving each other as much as we love ourselves.
 
We have nothing else to offer than the Love of God in practical human form given to them through us. Can you offer that to someone outside the church?
 

Trunk or Treat 2017 is in the books! We appreciate everyone who volunteered and all of our special guests who came out to join in the fun!

This is only our second year to host Trunk or Treat, so we're still learning and tweaking things as we go. We have lots of notes to work off of from this year and are looking forward to making things even better next year.

Don't forget to volunteer to be a Greeter or a Caretaker as part of our Heart to Heart initiative. If you need a volunteer card to fill out, please let us know and we will make sure you get one!

The last several weeks in American politics have been filled with vitriol and divisiveness, that our country is tearing itself apart. We need to pray for our government leaders that they may have the guidance to choose the right course of action. That they will be able to unify us once again as a nation and begin the healing process.

While politics plays an important part in our lives, it is not the end all be all. Recently, Eric Erickson, a writer for  Fox News, recently shared a post on his Facebook page about why, as he lays in a hospital bed, that politics doesn't matter.

Click here to read his whole post.

We need to always keep things in perspective and recognize the important thing. We can't always control the political climate in our country, but we can pray for wisdom for our leaders and healing for our nation,

Pastor Powell gave us his recipe for sourdough bread as part of his sermon. For those interested in having the recipe, but who didn't get an insert or lost it, you can find the recipe below.

1. In a large mixing bowl or the bucket of a bread machine, combine the Harvest Grains Blend and boiling water. Let cool to lukewarm.
2. Add the fed sourdough starter and the remaining dough ingredients and mix and knead - by hand, mixer, bread machine, or food processor - until you've made a soft dough, adding additional water of flour as needed.
3. Cover the dough in the bowl and let it rise until it's almost doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface and gently fold it over a few times to deflate it. Shape it into a large round,
5. Place the round on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover it with lightly greased plastic wrap. Or place in a round covered baker, about 4.2 quart and 10" diameter, that's been sprayed with non-sticking baking spray and sprinkled with sesame seeds or cornmeal and put on the cover. Let hte loaf rise until it's very puffy, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time preheat the oven to 425º F.
6. Just before baking, brush with water and sprinkle with seeds. Use a lame or a very sharp knife to make four slashes across the top of the loaf in a cross hatch pattern.
7. Bake the bread for 40 minutes. Uncover the loaf if in a covered baker and continue to bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer interested into the center registers 190º F. (A loaf baked on a baking sheet will need to bake for 38 to 45 minutes total.)
8. Remove the bread from the oven, let sit int he baker for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool on a rack.

Yield: 1 large loaf

1. Pray that they be aware of sin (their own and our country's). May that lead them to repentance and God's forgiveness.

2. Pray that they would realize their inability to fulfill their task and seek God's wisdom and strength to do what is right in the sight of God.

3. Pray that they would reject all counsel that violates spiritual principles.

4, Pray that they not fall victim to trends of socialism and humanism but lead in reversing those trends.

5. Pray that they would put their personal agendas and ambitions aside for the sake of the country as a whole.

6. Pray they realize the character that comes from earnest prayer and being in God's Word.

7. Pray that they would be reminded daily and know for sure that they are accountable unto the Almighty for the decisions they make.

8. Pray that they would be reminded daily and know fur sure that they are accountable unto the Almighty for the decisions they make.

​9. Pray for their families that God's own peace might rule their homes.