News for the week of April 11 - 17, 2024

I trust your week is going well, whatever it may hold. I know a number from our congregation are travelling, in some cases to warm and pleasant places. Prayers for safe journeys for all. And—trying not to be jealous—may you get all the sunshine you’re hoping for. As for the rest of us, it looks like we’re in for a little nicer weather through the weekend here at home. Whatever comes, I trust the week will be joy-filled and fruitful for you.

Things have been busy here around the church. In anticipation of this Sunday’s Community Day event, people have been signing up to represent various ministries, and the collection of tables in the stage room is growing steadily. Tracey tells me that 22 different groups are planning to have some kind of display, helping the rest of us to learn about their ministry area. It’s been a while since we’ve taken a full inventory of all the things going on under the WVBC umbrella, so it's fun to learn more about the many ways the Lord is using all of you to strengthen the body and touch our community. I know the list we’ve built so far isn’t exhaustive, either. But it’s a helpful sample, and it gets me excited just thinking about how the Holy Spirit is at work through our church.

Thank you so much to everyone for the many ways you steward your gifts, your time, and energy in these and other avenues of ministry! May God richly bless these practical expressions of worship! May you have regular reminders that all these acts of service come together to make an impact for eternity!

I’m looking forward to our Community Day worship service as well. Several members of our community will be sharing a little about their own experiences serving the Lord here at WVBC, and how God has blessed them as they have been channels of His blessing to others. I’m told there will be a video featuring some of our kids—which is always entertaining as well as educational! In addition, as a visible reflection of our oneness in Christ, we’re going to set aside those little plastic COVID communion cup thingies and share communion together in a form that was part of our fellowship before the pandemic. That will be a pleasure, too.

This week’s message will be short and to the point. I’ll invite us to think a bit about some of the most important NT metaphors for the church and what they teach us. If you’re wanting to do a little mental preparation, you might sit down with a friend and see how many different images and descriptions for the church you can remember from the NT. (We’re going to look at 3 on Sunday, but there are more than that.)  If you’d rather read through a passage, you might consider meditating a little on Eph 2:1-22 and 4:1-16.  I’m not going to preach through these verses, but they offer lots of insights about the church as well.

I look forward to our time together on Sunday. In the meantime, have a wonderful week. Blessings!