Merry Christmas OCC! Christmas time is almost upon us.  It makes me remember my favorite pageant I was in as a kid.  I don’t remember a lot about except for two things-  my brother accidentally put his hand through the glass of the church door (!) and the theme of the pageant, which was “big…

Christmas pageant This week is our annual Christmas program.  And we are blessed to have so many kids that this feels grand and chaotic! May we never take for granted the blessing of young hearts that are growing in God. Come and support them! Invite a friend that used to go to church. Maybe someone that…

The economy of the early church As we enter into December on Sunday and the final month of our budget year,  we have a lot to be grateful for.  God has again provided for us and our church.  While our giving has not reached the levels budgeted for,  our expenses have been less than planned for! All…

a letter about being a woman in ministry Dear Orchard, What a week! It’s hard to believe that I am closing out my final weeks with you. Sunday, November 24 will be my last sermon. In it, I plan on talking about Thanksgiving and sharing with you the many things I am thankful for. This…

A word about the election Whether you are thrilled about the results or terrified for the future,  we must remain rooted in Christ.  I spent Wednesday morning in the book of 1 Kings,  and read about this bad king,  and that bad king,  and peppered with a few good kings.  And this is the history of…

My dear friends in Christ, This is a difficult week. We have been preaching on being rooted in Christ this fall for good reason. The U.S. is once again in the midst of a contentious election and the consequences are severe for many of us. For those of us who grew up in the U.S….

How’s the “rooting” going for you? We have been in the “Rooted” series for quite a while now and we wanted to check up on you.  It is easy to have our faith-life on cruise control especially when we are stressed or worried or distracted.  So, as long time Covenanters are apt to say, “how goes…

Last Saturday I officiated a memorial service and a burial for a person who was raised in our church. It was an odd situation for a number of reasons, but I shared with them a benediction you may have also heard me share at other memorials. “Do not hurry as you walk with grief. It…

The rootedness of God’s church Most of you have heard the news that Pastor Karen has accepted a new call, and will be finishing her ministry here on November 30th.  I (Pastor Nick) have very willingly agreed to stay on until an interim/transitional pastor is found or until the summer.  I know all of us…

What causes someone to start attending church A church vitality organization recently did a survey of people who started attending church after not being a church attender.  Here is the results: So what should be the take-away?  Most people who start attending church do so because they were invited and had a spiritual desire or…