Pastor’s Corner
Deep Waters
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43:1-3)
This verse has been special to me since my teen years.
I did NOT grow up in Southern California, I arrived there at age 15. That summer, I went with my new young adult Sunday School group to the beach, to Capistrano. On that particular beach, there is a sand bar just a bit out into the ocean, and the popular thing to do was to swim out to the bar, where you could stand up and enjoy the ocean. Which was awesome! I had never been in the ocean before, and I was jazzed. Until it came time to get back to shore.
While I watched others safely swim back, I wasn’t familiar enough to “body surf” my way back. So instead of riding the waves, they crashed over my head. In a few minutes, I knew I was in trouble, and I had to call for help. Fortunately, a fellow member of the group was there and helped me to shore. It was a very long time before I ventured out in the ocean again.
We have been hit by some pretty hefty waves around here recently. Whether it is concern about the virus itself, loved ones behind locked doors in nursing homes, worries about the selling price of corn with oil prices being so low, or the meat packing plants cutting back, Our schools have closed. Our worship services together are on pause. Even when we get back together, it will not be the same.
I keep remember my time in the “deep waters” when they closed over my head. And how God brought someone close to me to hear my call, who brought me safely back to shore.
But then there is a different moment that I remember. As you know, seminary is designed to challenge everything you believe in. It is not designed (or shouldn’t be) to destroy the faith you have, rather it is designed to help you understand what you believe and why you believe it. But along the way, you are “thrown into the deep end.” Your faith and your beliefs are challenged.
I remember that moment, too. Because having that earlier experience of nearly drowning as a teen, I always pictured my faith as being something like being in a pool, where I could always reach down and touch the bottom when I felt like I was being swept away. And suddenly, that safe “bottom” was out of my reach. I did feel like I was being swept away by the waters, and once again they were closing over my head.
But then, in the middle of one of my particularly difficult classes, where we were studying a specific set of Scriptures, where I was being told to focus on the text, not my response to the text, God began to speak to me through the very text I was studying. And I began to feel, not overwhelmed, but lifted up.
As I began to trust God in new ways, I realized that I had always wanted that “safe bottom” to touch, and now I could feel God lifting me and carrying me in the waves themselves. God would be there, even if the world was a scary place. God would carry me, even if I couldn’t reach down and feel it. God was much, much, bigger than I ever imagined.
In these waves that threaten to overflow us, God will carry me. God will carry you. God will carry each of us. As the verse says, waters and fire alike, God will be there for us. God always has, God always will.
Be safe!
Pastor Bobbie (contact information below)
Phone: 660-851-0067, Cell Phone: 660-596-3954
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site: http://tricountyministries.weebly.com
Covid 19 virus status
Email from Pastor Bobbie, late Saturday 5/2/20
Cases in Pettis County doubled in the last week. The County Health Department has asked that we not meet on May 10.
Both churches are in discussion about drive in Services and/or limited access on May 17. We will keep you informed, and will follow guidelines to keep everyone safe. We will continue to upload the services even after we re-open.
5/3/20 Update on Church Worship
Longwood will have online worship only through the rest of May, and the session will continue to discuss towards the end of the month.
Range Line, as of this date, has not decided whether to have drive-in worship or inside service. They might be considered an approved gathering with their congregation size. One of their concerns is, if they have inside worship, visitors could push them over the limit, and potentially put people at more risk.
Repeat: Newsletter via Email
April 2020 marked the first month of sending email newsletters in .pdf format. So with this May issue, if you have received one in your email and would rather NOT receive it that way, please reply to [email protected], and say “Please stop E-mail Newsletters.” If you are receiving a paper copy now and want to be added to the email list, please let us know. This month’s newsletter will be the last notice of this change.
Repeat: Being Good Stewards
Just a reminder, most church costs remain while we are apart. You can either mail gifts in, or set them aside for when we gather together again.
Here are the addresses you can use for giving:
Range Line gifts can be mailed to:
Betty Jo Minor
23748 Hwy. CC
Houstonia, MO 65333
Longwood gifts can be mailed to:
JR & Sharon Greer
11002 North King Rd.
Marshall, MO 65340
Payroll Protection Program
PPP is a federal loan program designed to help small businesses keep their employees on the payroll during these times of isolation. You may have heard of this, but you may not know that churches qualify for this program. As stated, it is a loan to help small businesses, but if we use the money to offset payments to payroll, it is expected that the loan will be forgiven and become a grant. Money that is not used for this purpose will be assessed 1% interest at the end of one year.
On April 27th the TCSM Council voted (via phone) to apply for this support. With the guidance of our presbytery folks (in particular, Rev. Deborah Boucher-Payne, GP and Chris Bouchard, treas.) plus Pastor Bobbie, and Central Bank of Sedalia, our case was submitted to SBA. As of May 8th, we received an official application, which on the same day was signed and returned to Central Bank. Now we wait.
Pastor Bobbie steered us to a very informative on-line webinar which explained how the money is to be used and in what timeframe. We applied for $14,000 which primarily is to be used for payroll. The timeframe according to the SBA guidelines is 56 days from receiving the loan. Council treasurer will work with the churches to offset their payments and we will keep you posted of the progress.
In the meantime, we ask that you please continue your giving to our churches. This may sound like a lot of money, but as you can imagine, we expect offerings to be down during these difficult times. If you have any questions regarding this loan process, please feel free to contact me and I will try to answer your questions. Thanks for your continued support and dedication to our churches.—J. R. Greer, Treas. TCSM
Special Thank You’s
As we continue to be affected by the presence of the virus in our lives, please join me to offer a big thank you to Pastor Bobbie for providing us with on-line worship each week since our March 22 closing. Not only do we have the weekly sermons posted on our Weebly site, but also daily devotions. Thank you for continuing to provide us with spiritual guidance in the absence of our building.
In addition, we need to thank Patricia Broullette (Pastor Bobbie’s daughter) for filming and editing these presentations, including an Easter parking lot worship service (thanks also to Becky Barnes for managing the music that day.). Our last worship inside the building was March 15th and all of us are looking forward to the day when we can return. Many thanks to those who help keep our church alive.
LPC Presbyterian Women
Since we are unable to meet during this pandemic I would like to reach out to our ladies and tell them that I really miss getting together. We enjoy our Bible Study but our meetings are so much more than that. We are a group of friends that share our concerns and celebrations. We do mission work to help other women improve their lives. We build each other up by sharing our lives and families. So to each of my ladies I wish you a very Happy Mother’s Day and look forward to seeing each of you soon. Please take all precautions to stay safe and well. When this is over we will celebrate.
From our group to all ladies we wish you a blessed Mother’s Day. We may have to Face Time in order to see our families but the love and caring will still be there. May God bless you all and keep you safe.
Sharon
LPC Mission
I think it is important for our whole church to know the mission of the church. Sometimes only the session knows what missions we support. Each year we make a commitment to our Presbytery in our One Mission Giving which is currently $2,000 a year. Other mission that the session approves is: $200 to the Agape African Fellowship in Columbia, MO, $100 to Presbyterian Children’s Home Columbia Campus, $100 to Church World Services for blankets, $100 to Presbyterian USA Theological Education Fund, $324 to Festival of Sharing. We also take up special collections from the congregation for One Great Hour of Sharing (this year was $100), the Joy Gift in December and the whole church helps with our Christmas Mission to families in our area needing a little help at Christmas time. We collect food for Open Door Ministries in Sedalia throughout the year. Sometimes there are families that have had a fire or other tragedies that we also support whether it is serving lunch for a funeral or making sure a family has prepared food through their bereavement. Our church is a very nurturing congregation that cares about the Lord’s people.
Presbyterian Women also help with mission. Sometimes it is adding money to a collection by the church or planning a celebratory meal at Easter, Christmas, 150th Church Anniversary, or during one of our other events. Last year we also donated: $300 to Cancer Perks and $200 to the Food Bank for Buddy Packs. This year we have not been able to meet much due to bad weather in the early months and now Covid-19. We look forward to meeting when we can and decide what mission we are able to accomplish this year. Sharon
Stewardship Webinar
In today’s environment, if you have a computer and any kind of regular email, you will surely find many opportunities to attend a webinar of some sort or another. Being the designated elder from Longwood to attend Presbytery meetings, I am usually included in their webinar invitations. So this past week, I attended one that was presented by the Stewardship Committee (I believe, from the Synod of Mid-America) and the contact person was Malinda Spencer, who many of you know. I am pleased to say was well worth my time to attend.
The title of the webinar was Workshop: Stewardship During the COVID-19 Season Spirit of Stewardship.
The presenter was Lisa Longo from the Presbyterian Foundation. Here is a brief list of comments (from my notes):
My take-away from this is that we need to let others know that, “we are vibrant churches and are making our presence known in the community with our mission efforts. How can we help you?” J. R. Greer
Cares and Concerns
Please keep these folks in your prayers. Some are in nursing homes and most would also enjoy greeting cards:
Concerns from Both LPC & RLPC:
LPC Sympathy
Our sincere sympathies go to Stacey Greer, after the tragic loss of her brother, Kevin Netwig this past month. We will keep her and her family in our prayers.
From the Internet:
Thanks to clergy Coaching Network and many others who contributed the following quotes and guides through life:
Don’t tell someone to “Get over it.” Help them “Get through it.”
Sometimes all you can do is accept that there’s not much you can do. And sometimes all you can control is how well you let go of control.
Family isn’t about the miles that separate you. It’s about the memories that connect you—Little Church Mouse.
Prayer from the Church of Scotland:
Help us to remember every minute of every day that we are Yours; loved by You, called by You. Let that love and that calling make us generous towards other and more loving towards You.
God’s plans for your life far exceed the circumstances of your day.—Louie Giglio
Sometimes God lets you hit rock bottom so you will discover that he is the Rock at the bottom.
Worry is what happens when we try to play God. Peace is what happens when we simply trust God.
Once a man was asked, “What did you gain by regularly praying for God?” the man replied, “Nothing…but let me tell you what I lost: Anger, greed, insecurity and fear.”
Sometimes, the answer to our prayers is not gaining but losing, which ultimately is the gain.—Unknown author
Today will never come again. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Encourage someone. Take time to care. Let your words heal and not wound.
In a “Rush to Return to Normal,” use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.
A man and woman were married for many years. Whenever there was a confrontation, yelling could be heard deep into the night. The old man would shout, “When I die, I will dig my way up and out of the grave, and come back and haunt you for the rest of your life!” Neighbors feared him. The old man liked the fact that he was feared.
Then one evening, he died when he was 98. After the burial, her neighbors, concerned for her safety, asked, “Aren’t you afraid that he may indeed be able to dig his way out of the grave and haunt you for the rest of your life?” To which the wife said, “Let him dig. I had him buried upside down. And I know he won’t ask for directions.
Nurse: “What happened to your fingers?”
Me: “You know those chefs who cut up vegetables real fast?”
N: “Yes,”
M: “I can’t do that.”
Let them be Little…because they are only that way for a while. Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day. Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle. Oh, just let them be little.
How do people start attending church?
A Friend Invited Me—86%
Organized Visitation—6%
Invited by the Pastor—6%
Deep Waters
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43:1-3)
This verse has been special to me since my teen years.
I did NOT grow up in Southern California, I arrived there at age 15. That summer, I went with my new young adult Sunday School group to the beach, to Capistrano. On that particular beach, there is a sand bar just a bit out into the ocean, and the popular thing to do was to swim out to the bar, where you could stand up and enjoy the ocean. Which was awesome! I had never been in the ocean before, and I was jazzed. Until it came time to get back to shore.
While I watched others safely swim back, I wasn’t familiar enough to “body surf” my way back. So instead of riding the waves, they crashed over my head. In a few minutes, I knew I was in trouble, and I had to call for help. Fortunately, a fellow member of the group was there and helped me to shore. It was a very long time before I ventured out in the ocean again.
We have been hit by some pretty hefty waves around here recently. Whether it is concern about the virus itself, loved ones behind locked doors in nursing homes, worries about the selling price of corn with oil prices being so low, or the meat packing plants cutting back, Our schools have closed. Our worship services together are on pause. Even when we get back together, it will not be the same.
I keep remember my time in the “deep waters” when they closed over my head. And how God brought someone close to me to hear my call, who brought me safely back to shore.
But then there is a different moment that I remember. As you know, seminary is designed to challenge everything you believe in. It is not designed (or shouldn’t be) to destroy the faith you have, rather it is designed to help you understand what you believe and why you believe it. But along the way, you are “thrown into the deep end.” Your faith and your beliefs are challenged.
I remember that moment, too. Because having that earlier experience of nearly drowning as a teen, I always pictured my faith as being something like being in a pool, where I could always reach down and touch the bottom when I felt like I was being swept away. And suddenly, that safe “bottom” was out of my reach. I did feel like I was being swept away by the waters, and once again they were closing over my head.
But then, in the middle of one of my particularly difficult classes, where we were studying a specific set of Scriptures, where I was being told to focus on the text, not my response to the text, God began to speak to me through the very text I was studying. And I began to feel, not overwhelmed, but lifted up.
As I began to trust God in new ways, I realized that I had always wanted that “safe bottom” to touch, and now I could feel God lifting me and carrying me in the waves themselves. God would be there, even if the world was a scary place. God would carry me, even if I couldn’t reach down and feel it. God was much, much, bigger than I ever imagined.
In these waves that threaten to overflow us, God will carry me. God will carry you. God will carry each of us. As the verse says, waters and fire alike, God will be there for us. God always has, God always will.
Be safe!
Pastor Bobbie (contact information below)
Phone: 660-851-0067, Cell Phone: 660-596-3954
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site: http://tricountyministries.weebly.com
Covid 19 virus status
Email from Pastor Bobbie, late Saturday 5/2/20
Cases in Pettis County doubled in the last week. The County Health Department has asked that we not meet on May 10.
Both churches are in discussion about drive in Services and/or limited access on May 17. We will keep you informed, and will follow guidelines to keep everyone safe. We will continue to upload the services even after we re-open.
5/3/20 Update on Church Worship
Longwood will have online worship only through the rest of May, and the session will continue to discuss towards the end of the month.
Range Line, as of this date, has not decided whether to have drive-in worship or inside service. They might be considered an approved gathering with their congregation size. One of their concerns is, if they have inside worship, visitors could push them over the limit, and potentially put people at more risk.
Repeat: Newsletter via Email
April 2020 marked the first month of sending email newsletters in .pdf format. So with this May issue, if you have received one in your email and would rather NOT receive it that way, please reply to [email protected], and say “Please stop E-mail Newsletters.” If you are receiving a paper copy now and want to be added to the email list, please let us know. This month’s newsletter will be the last notice of this change.
Repeat: Being Good Stewards
Just a reminder, most church costs remain while we are apart. You can either mail gifts in, or set them aside for when we gather together again.
Here are the addresses you can use for giving:
Range Line gifts can be mailed to:
Betty Jo Minor
23748 Hwy. CC
Houstonia, MO 65333
Longwood gifts can be mailed to:
JR & Sharon Greer
11002 North King Rd.
Marshall, MO 65340
Payroll Protection Program
PPP is a federal loan program designed to help small businesses keep their employees on the payroll during these times of isolation. You may have heard of this, but you may not know that churches qualify for this program. As stated, it is a loan to help small businesses, but if we use the money to offset payments to payroll, it is expected that the loan will be forgiven and become a grant. Money that is not used for this purpose will be assessed 1% interest at the end of one year.
On April 27th the TCSM Council voted (via phone) to apply for this support. With the guidance of our presbytery folks (in particular, Rev. Deborah Boucher-Payne, GP and Chris Bouchard, treas.) plus Pastor Bobbie, and Central Bank of Sedalia, our case was submitted to SBA. As of May 8th, we received an official application, which on the same day was signed and returned to Central Bank. Now we wait.
Pastor Bobbie steered us to a very informative on-line webinar which explained how the money is to be used and in what timeframe. We applied for $14,000 which primarily is to be used for payroll. The timeframe according to the SBA guidelines is 56 days from receiving the loan. Council treasurer will work with the churches to offset their payments and we will keep you posted of the progress.
In the meantime, we ask that you please continue your giving to our churches. This may sound like a lot of money, but as you can imagine, we expect offerings to be down during these difficult times. If you have any questions regarding this loan process, please feel free to contact me and I will try to answer your questions. Thanks for your continued support and dedication to our churches.—J. R. Greer, Treas. TCSM
Special Thank You’s
As we continue to be affected by the presence of the virus in our lives, please join me to offer a big thank you to Pastor Bobbie for providing us with on-line worship each week since our March 22 closing. Not only do we have the weekly sermons posted on our Weebly site, but also daily devotions. Thank you for continuing to provide us with spiritual guidance in the absence of our building.
In addition, we need to thank Patricia Broullette (Pastor Bobbie’s daughter) for filming and editing these presentations, including an Easter parking lot worship service (thanks also to Becky Barnes for managing the music that day.). Our last worship inside the building was March 15th and all of us are looking forward to the day when we can return. Many thanks to those who help keep our church alive.
LPC Presbyterian Women
Since we are unable to meet during this pandemic I would like to reach out to our ladies and tell them that I really miss getting together. We enjoy our Bible Study but our meetings are so much more than that. We are a group of friends that share our concerns and celebrations. We do mission work to help other women improve their lives. We build each other up by sharing our lives and families. So to each of my ladies I wish you a very Happy Mother’s Day and look forward to seeing each of you soon. Please take all precautions to stay safe and well. When this is over we will celebrate.
From our group to all ladies we wish you a blessed Mother’s Day. We may have to Face Time in order to see our families but the love and caring will still be there. May God bless you all and keep you safe.
Sharon
LPC Mission
I think it is important for our whole church to know the mission of the church. Sometimes only the session knows what missions we support. Each year we make a commitment to our Presbytery in our One Mission Giving which is currently $2,000 a year. Other mission that the session approves is: $200 to the Agape African Fellowship in Columbia, MO, $100 to Presbyterian Children’s Home Columbia Campus, $100 to Church World Services for blankets, $100 to Presbyterian USA Theological Education Fund, $324 to Festival of Sharing. We also take up special collections from the congregation for One Great Hour of Sharing (this year was $100), the Joy Gift in December and the whole church helps with our Christmas Mission to families in our area needing a little help at Christmas time. We collect food for Open Door Ministries in Sedalia throughout the year. Sometimes there are families that have had a fire or other tragedies that we also support whether it is serving lunch for a funeral or making sure a family has prepared food through their bereavement. Our church is a very nurturing congregation that cares about the Lord’s people.
Presbyterian Women also help with mission. Sometimes it is adding money to a collection by the church or planning a celebratory meal at Easter, Christmas, 150th Church Anniversary, or during one of our other events. Last year we also donated: $300 to Cancer Perks and $200 to the Food Bank for Buddy Packs. This year we have not been able to meet much due to bad weather in the early months and now Covid-19. We look forward to meeting when we can and decide what mission we are able to accomplish this year. Sharon
Stewardship Webinar
In today’s environment, if you have a computer and any kind of regular email, you will surely find many opportunities to attend a webinar of some sort or another. Being the designated elder from Longwood to attend Presbytery meetings, I am usually included in their webinar invitations. So this past week, I attended one that was presented by the Stewardship Committee (I believe, from the Synod of Mid-America) and the contact person was Malinda Spencer, who many of you know. I am pleased to say was well worth my time to attend.
The title of the webinar was Workshop: Stewardship During the COVID-19 Season Spirit of Stewardship.
The presenter was Lisa Longo from the Presbyterian Foundation. Here is a brief list of comments (from my notes):
- Tell people about our Church Mission and Ministry
- Consider registry for on-line giving (in general, e-giving donors may give more)
- Have an offertory time in the worship service, rather than passing the plate.
- Send weekly emails updating folks on the church activity and mission work.
- Always include responses from the congregation, share their cares and concerns.
- What will the churches look like when we return to the buildings? Ex: maybe a “Giving Box” at the entry.
- Keep the list current of people on-line
- Continue On-Line Worship
- True Ministry must be mutual. We are an image of Hope. Share this image with people.
- Charitable giving “trails the market.” Tell our story about how the gifts we have received are used and then, here’s how to give.
My take-away from this is that we need to let others know that, “we are vibrant churches and are making our presence known in the community with our mission efforts. How can we help you?” J. R. Greer
Cares and Concerns
Please keep these folks in your prayers. Some are in nursing homes and most would also enjoy greeting cards:
Concerns from Both LPC & RLPC:
- Esther Brown, at Pilot Grove
- Bill & Margaret Schlomer at Golden Oaks
- Helen Coffelt—at Sylvia Thompson
- Georgia Reid, at Cedarhurst, Sedalia
- Elijah Johnson (Delbert & Amy’s son)
- Calvin (and Mary) Kirchhoff at Golden Oaks
- Renee Moore
- Scott Moore
- Aaron Reno, Army at Fort Benning, GA
- Alan Meyer
- Kenny Reid
LPC Sympathy
Our sincere sympathies go to Stacey Greer, after the tragic loss of her brother, Kevin Netwig this past month. We will keep her and her family in our prayers.
From the Internet:
Thanks to clergy Coaching Network and many others who contributed the following quotes and guides through life:
Don’t tell someone to “Get over it.” Help them “Get through it.”
Sometimes all you can do is accept that there’s not much you can do. And sometimes all you can control is how well you let go of control.
Family isn’t about the miles that separate you. It’s about the memories that connect you—Little Church Mouse.
Prayer from the Church of Scotland:
Help us to remember every minute of every day that we are Yours; loved by You, called by You. Let that love and that calling make us generous towards other and more loving towards You.
God’s plans for your life far exceed the circumstances of your day.—Louie Giglio
Sometimes God lets you hit rock bottom so you will discover that he is the Rock at the bottom.
Worry is what happens when we try to play God. Peace is what happens when we simply trust God.
Once a man was asked, “What did you gain by regularly praying for God?” the man replied, “Nothing…but let me tell you what I lost: Anger, greed, insecurity and fear.”
Sometimes, the answer to our prayers is not gaining but losing, which ultimately is the gain.—Unknown author
Today will never come again. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Encourage someone. Take time to care. Let your words heal and not wound.
In a “Rush to Return to Normal,” use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.
A man and woman were married for many years. Whenever there was a confrontation, yelling could be heard deep into the night. The old man would shout, “When I die, I will dig my way up and out of the grave, and come back and haunt you for the rest of your life!” Neighbors feared him. The old man liked the fact that he was feared.
Then one evening, he died when he was 98. After the burial, her neighbors, concerned for her safety, asked, “Aren’t you afraid that he may indeed be able to dig his way out of the grave and haunt you for the rest of your life?” To which the wife said, “Let him dig. I had him buried upside down. And I know he won’t ask for directions.
Nurse: “What happened to your fingers?”
Me: “You know those chefs who cut up vegetables real fast?”
N: “Yes,”
M: “I can’t do that.”
Let them be Little…because they are only that way for a while. Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day. Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle. Oh, just let them be little.
How do people start attending church?
A Friend Invited Me—86%
Organized Visitation—6%
Invited by the Pastor—6%