August Newsletter 2007

August 2007

VOL. XXIII No. 8
Pastor: Mark Scholten Asst. Pastor: James Kobb

Vacation Bible School this year is Aug. 6-10. We need one day-helpers (ages 14 and up) to volunteer their time in sharing the gospel. VBS is a fun time in the Word of God and our focus is always the Bible and one of our missionaries. Another way you can help is with a donation to our Vacation Bible School Lunch Fund. If you would like to contribute please give your donation to Melinda Althuis. If you would like an invitation to give to a neighbor or friend to invite them please see Dave Rastetter. Vacation Bible School is for all children ages 3-13.

Deacon Tidbits...
The church tithes and offerings for the first six months of 2007 is $58,794 which is ahead of our budget of $58,500. Praise the Lord for the faithfulness of His people.
The kitchen renovation is expected to be completed by August 4th, just in time for Vacation Bible School. Contributions from various memorial funds and contributions designated towards the kitchen will cover all but approximately $500. As you have noticed a new stove was not purchased as part of the project. If you would like to contribute towards the purchase of a new stove, costing approximately $600, please contact Greg Blasiman.
The following items are available free of charge to the first person that contacts Greg Blasiman:
A computer desk (located upstairs in the Sunday School classroom)
A microwave (on the table in the fellowship hall)
Various computer hardware and monitors (at least five years old)

The church sign is in need of being painted. If you are interested or can assist in painting the sign please contact Carl Childers.

From the Pastor’s Pen
Evil and Grace

Five Amish girls were killed because a man was angry at God due to the death of his daughter. The damage from hurricane Katrina is still being felt. The war on terror continues. A father kills the mother of his son while she is carrying his second child. We have all read the headlines. Evil is real. Pain and suffering are our daily experience. This truth raises many difficult questions. Where is God? Is God good? What is God doing about the problem of evil in the world? We believe in a sovereign God! Why doesn’t He put an end to it? We believe in a good God! Why does evil continue?

“Jesus wept.” John 11:35 may be the shortest verse in the Bible, but it tells us much about the heart of our God. God grieves over evil and sin in the world and He is doing something about it through Jesus.

Where is God? He is with us. He became one of us; He ‘tabernacled’ with us. He walked through this sinful world. Is God good? He sent His own Son to overthrow the works of Satan. He is overcoming the presence of sin and evil in the world. He is creating a place where sin will be forever walled out. God is doing something about the problem of evil. He is redeeming the world. He is gathering a countless host to return to perfection. Why doesn’t He put an end to evil now? You cannot pull the weeds out except by destroying the good wheat. (Matthew 13:24-30) At the harvest the evil seed will be destroyed and sin will be no more. He delays in order to gather all the wheat into the barn; to save all of His loved ones.

The gospel tells us what God is doing about sin and evil in the world. He weeps with us and offers compassion and hope. He sent His own Son to clean up the mess. It cost the Son His life. Our God is good; full of kind compassion. Our God is sovereign; He is working all things together for His glory and the good of His people. Evil is real and we ought to weep over it. The healing balm of grace is real as well and we ought to preach it, even to ourselves.

The presence of grace ought to amaze us even more than the presence of evil. We know where our sin came from. We sinned in Adam. Eve doubted the goodness of God. Eve tried to go it alone, without God, and she took her husband and all of her future children with her. Mankind brought evil into the world. God is not the author of sin. But where did grace come from? It did not come from us. It cannot come from us. It originates from the heart of our offended God. That is amazing. He chose to love rebels. He chose to punish His perfect Son in our place in order that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many. We can now experience grace in the midst of this sinful world.

The presence of grace changes us so that we might also do something about the presence of evil in this world. We can work on God’s clean up crew. We can have compassion on those who suffer. We can offer the hope of a gracious and loving God. We can offer the sheltering wings of a compassionate God to all. How can we do that? Opportunity knocks for you every day. Look into the eyes of the people you meet. See their pain and offer them grace. Evil is real. But grace will overcome the world.

Pastor Mark

Thank you

I am truly grateful for the warm welcome that we have received in coming to Faith. I have had help setting up my study and moving into my new home. We have received meals for almost a week. The installation service was the best we have ever participated in. My whole family has been embraced as one of the family here at Faith. We have even participated in the weekly kid swap and received the red suspenders. I thank God for your gracious service to my family and me. Thank you.

Pastor Mark and family

To our Faith Church family: Thank you for all your prayers during this illness. The visits, cards and gifts are much appreciated. The food, as always, is delicious. Thank you!

The Caler Family