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Today is the funeral for Charlotte Miller. There will be a visitation time from 10:00 am until 11:00 am at the church with the service starting at 11:00. A meal will follow the service. Tomorrow is the funeral for Jay Myer. It is being held at North Street Community Church in Canton, PA at 11:00 am. A number from the congregation are going to support Nellene and the family after Jay’s sudden passing last week. In my prayer time this week, I have been praying for the Myer and Miller/Kreider families as we celebrate these two amazing lives.

Last Sunday we held only our first service with the impending snowstorm coming. Those decisions are always hard to make but we decided to error on the side of caution. Of course, the cold the remainder of the week seemed to be more of a challenge than the snow. I am looking forward to this Sunday when we will have both services plus Sunday School and be able to kick off our Dream BIG! series.

Ruth and I are looking forward to tonight as about seventeen couples will gather for our first Grace marriage event. I am so glad the Nurture Commission discerned that it was time to invest in marriage as a part of family ministry. If you can’t make it tonight, look for more opportunities to invest in your marriage as this ministry continues to develop in 2025.

On Wednesday afternoon, I was at Solanco Neighborhood Ministries from 1:00 – 4:00 for pastors’ hours. Each Wednesday afternoon, a local pastor is present to meet with and pray with people. My Wednesday is always the fourth Wednesday. Some weeks there is no one requesting to talk to a pastor. This week though I was able to meet with a woman from our community, hear her story, encourage her and pray with her. I promised her that I will continue to pray for her as she navigates her health and relationship challenges.

The weather prohibited my visiting much this week although I did get out to see a few folks. Please continue to pray for Jim Showalter as he starts radiation treatments next week and for Emma Dubble as she continues her recovery from a hip fracture and subsequent surgery. Ron Bolt and Dick Lefever need continued prayer for their current health challenges.

We are having a puzzle exchange as we are spending more time indoors this winter. I love puzzles and have one going all the time. So, I will be bringing in some of my favorites to share and look forward to borrowing a few for the weeks ahead. Look for the puzzle table this Sunday and don’t forget to put your name on the back of the puzzle if you want it back.

Several of the adult classrooms seem completed and the big remaining projects seem to be the painting of the Faithbuilders classroom and the hallway. A big thank you to those who have sanded, primed and painted walls to update our adult Sunday School classes. And as mentioned on Sunday, we are still in need of funds for the completion of the renovation project. There appears to be about a $73,000 shortfall we need to cover in the coming weeks. So, if you can, please give for the Strategic Vision as we bring this project to a close and begin to Dream Big about how to best use these new rooms for ministry.

On Sunday, I will be sharing about the importance of prayer. It seems only appropriate that as we begin the Dream BIG! series that we start with prayer. Prayer and Share triplets will start meeting this week and the Dream BIG! board will be up in the Gathering area for you to share a dream God has given you for Mechanic Grove. Let’s make this a great season of seeking God for what He desires Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren to be and to do in the coming years.

Let me wrap up this week with the words of Paul to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 3:20. As Paul prays for the Ephesians in 3:14-19, he then concludes with these words: Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. That prayer and promise is the foundation for our Dream BIG! series. The Lord promises to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Another word for imagine is to dream. In other words, we need to pray and know that no dream is too big for God. I am trusting that God will do immeasurably more than we can dream over these next six weeks. I am excited for this season in the life and the history of the Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren.

Have a blessed weekend and like you I am longing for warmer weather and brighter days. God has something for us this Sunday, so I look forward to joining with you in our adventure of dreaming big for Jesus and His Church! It is Friday…but Sunday’s coming!

Pastor Kevin