Monthly_Reflections

I am pleased to say that it has been productive month and I am excited about the future of ministry at Valley Park. I will bring you up to date on a few things.

Finding new worship leaders has proved to be a very encouraging effort. We have had over 20 inquiries and we have presently three new musicians committed to helping us with worship. In addition to these three, others are visiting the church and I anticipate we will eventually be able to build several worship teams so that no one group will have to carry the entire burden for Sundays.

I have also been encouraged by the willingness of our former youth minister, John Lee, and youth band to help with worship when needed. I personally love seeing our young people contribute to the service.

A special thanks needs to be extended to Rick Ferguson and the Filipino worship band who have been committed to helping us through the transition of building a new worship team for the contemporary service. I am grateful for their passion for Jesus Christ and commitment to serving Valley Park Church.

You can pray for me that God gives me the wisdom to discern the hearts of those who will serve Valley Park. Ask God to bless Valley Park with worship leaders who are not simply gifted in music but sincerely growing in their personal walk with Jesus Christ.

Other things we have been doing at Valley Park have been very encouraging to me. The most significant day of encouragement was the church’s celebration of my 15 years of service. I want to thank all of you who wrote thoughtful and gracious notes expressing gratitude for both Ann and me. The monetary gift was wonderful. We feel honored to be honored for the privilege of serving Valley Park.

The marriage seminar was, as always, a highlight of the past months. It is a lot of fun gathering together with couples who are willing to work a little on their marriage and get to know others with the same commitment. We had 11 couples participate in this effort concluding with a wonderful shared meal in our home. .

“The Truth Project” is an excellent series. We have approximately 30 people attending. It is a serious study involving a lot of thoughtfulness. I know it may be overwhelming for a few, but it will be an eye opener for those who stick with it. Understanding how our understanding of God should be changing how we live is the most important connection we need to make as Christians. If you missed the first lectures, I would still encourage you to get involved. We meet at the sanctuary on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m.

This will be a challenging year at Valley Park. The economic crisis will stretch our church budget. Our priorities will have to be reassessed. Our people will have to make adjustments in how they give, how they love and how they serve.

I am confident that God will use the challenges of this year to produce a healthier church family (see Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4; I Peter 1:6-9). I am also confident that God will provide everything we need to grow as His children and His church. Join with me in entrusting our church to the care of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May He bless the labor of our love for Him.

Pastor Kevyn

Post Script: Our Harvest Festival

Last night’s Harvest Festival was a huge success. Over 300 guests passed through our gate to enjoy the festivities. We served over 400 hot dogs and countless servings of nachos, popcorn and cotton candy. The highlight of the evening was getting a chance to slay the giant Goliath (our own Mike Dwyer) and watch our resident artist Bob Schaefer paint the faces of children lined up all night. We had many families inquire about our church and show interest in getting to know us. This was a very effective outreach to our community.

Many thanks to all those who helped make the night a success! What a blessing to see our church family work together to give to our community. You are fantastic and I know you made our Savior proud.