Pastors’ Notes
Akron Campus
Prayer Matter
Pastor Jon Platek
Sunday morning, a preschool-aged boy came down to the front of the church at the end of the service during our time of prayer. He was holding the hand of his father. I motioned for him to come closer and I knelt down on one knee. The young boy handed me an overstuffed offering envelope and said, “I wrote you a letter.” He proceeded to ask if I would pray for his dog Lala who had a wounded leg. As I began to pray, I had to pause to hold back tears. Oh, the sweet joy of coming to our heavenly Father as a child praying for a child!
Green Campus
Like It or Not
Pastor Mike Castelli
Every year around Christmas time the classic movie called, A Christmas Story, receives some serious air-time on the TV networks. You have probably seen it (maybe multiple times!). It is the one where nine-year-old Ralphie is dreaming and scheming about receiving a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas as he is consistently told by everyone around him, “You are gonna shoot your eye out.” The story takes on a fun and interesting tone because it is narrated by the adult Ralphie as he looks back and reflects upon his childhood experience.
Wadsworth Campus
Let’s Hear It for Spring
Pastor Zac Derr
One of the privileges of living in NE Ohio is the yearly experience of four distinct seasons. We all have our favorites and, truth be told, could probably offer God quite a bit more gratitude for all of them. Nonetheless, spring has sprung and I find it to be so life-giving.
How nice was it to walk out your door this week and leave the coat behind? Driving home from work on Tuesday with the window down—now you’re talking! Wasn’t it energizing to feel a warm evening breeze again? If you’ve got small kids at home, you’ve enjoyed sending the kids OUTSIDE to play. (Don’t feel bad if you didn’t want to let them back in.) Or maybe it actually seemed worth it to wash the car this week. Read more.