You have already probably noticed that the weekly Messenger looks a little different. It has been redesigned with the church’s logo and colors, but also you will start to see the same “quick links” box at the top of the email each week. We hope this will help to make the email more user-friendly by…
Read moreSeptember 22 Message From Pastor Karen
On Sunday, September 25th we have our Fall Kick-Off when Sunday School re-starts for all ages and the Fall officially begins for our life together as a church. This is always an exciting time and it is sure to be this year as well. In addition to the exciting programs, though, I believe that God…
Read moreSeptember 15 Message From Pastor Karen – “Greetings OCC!!.”
We now have 1 Sunday until our Fall Kick-Off (Sept 25!) and we are excited about what God is doing and going to do in this coming year! We are grateful for all the folks who have stepped up to lead and help with Sunday School and Children’s Church this Fall. We are also excited…
Read moreAugust 25 Message From Pastor Karen – “Jesus and I have been thinking and praying about contentment.”
You see, my birthday was this week. And it’s one of those numbers that makes you think a bit. 🙂 I don’t know if you experienced this, but somehow I absorbed the value of “never enough.” This worldly value takes all kinds of forms but most of them can be boiled down to these two: 1….
Read moreAugust 9 Message From Pastor Nick – “Keeping Up The Momentum”?
Your pastors are excited for what God is doing. Whether it is the 15+ teens and young adults at the church picnic or the 50+ Indian Orchard residents that our Mega Sports Night put us in contact with, God has been opening up opportunities! Our youth and young adults have gotten opportunities to serve and many…
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From Pastor Karen: “It is with sincere gratitude I wish to thank you for your support in my pursuit of the transfer of my ordination.”
Dear Orchard Family, It is with sincere gratitude I wish to thank you for your support in my pursuit of the transfer of my ordination. I was ordained to Word and Sacrament in The United Church of Christ in 2008 (14 years ago!). Even then, with the following Affirmations, the ECC – Evangelical Covenant Church…
Read moreJune 23 Message From Pastor Nick – “What does it mean to be “Covenant”?
With Pastor Karen away at Gather 2022, which is our denomination’s annual meeting, it seems a good time to mention what it means to be Covenant. You might ask why it matters? It matters because if you like the church that we are here locally, it is a reflection of our denomination nationally. In fact, you will find that…
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June 16 Message From Pastor Karen
When I was 12 years old a new show came on called “Touched by an Angel.” Some of you remember it well. In the show a trio of angels travel to Earth and visit people at various crossroads in their lives. Tess, a more experienced angel (played by Della Reese), assigns Monica (played by Roma…
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May 26, 2022 Message From Pastor Nick: God is a Designer
1 Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and blue, purple, and crimson yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. 2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be of the…
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May 12, 2022 Message From Pastor Nick: OT Violence and Elijah
You can’t read very far through the stories of Elijah and Elisha without encountering violence ordered by Elijah (and Elisha). This Sunday, we are going to talk about burn-out, despair and depression after the Mt. Carmel crunchtime event, but before that, immediately after the show-down between Baal and Yahweh (ie. God), Elijah orders the prophets…
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