PFBC: October’s Upcoming Events…

October

Another exciting month is upon us out here on the prairie! Here is what you can expect…

Wednesday, Oct. 2 = Kids4Truth (Bring a Friend Night) and Outfitters at 6:30 PM; Prayer Meeting at 7:00 PM 

Saturday, Oct. 5 = Faith Fest Outfitters Activity at Faith Baptist Bible College (Ankeny, IA) from 7 AM – 8:30 PM

Sunday, Oct. 6 = Communion Sunday, Food Fellowship, and Quarterly Meeting at 10:15 AM (No Growth Groups); Nursing Home Ministry at Halcyon House at 2:30 PM; Friendship Bible Study at 4:30 PM

Tuesday, Oct. 8 = Men’s Prayer Group from 6:30 – 7:30 AM

Wednesday, Oct. 9 = Kids4Truth (Favorite Sports Team Night) and Outfitters at 6:30 PM; Prayer Meeting at 7:00 PM

Sunday, Oct. 13 = Growth Groups at Various Times

Monday, Oct. 14 = Pastor Dave at IRBC Board Meeting at Camp at 9 AM; Women’s Prayer Group from 10 – 11 AM

Wednesday, Oct. 16 = Kids4Truth (Dress Like Your Pastor or Bible Character Night) and Outfitters at 6:30 PM; Prayer Meeting at 7:00 PM

Friday, Oct. 18 – Saturday, Oct. 19 = Saylorville Men’s Conference (Pastors Dave and Tim Attending)

Sunday, Oct. 20 = Growth Groups at Various Times; Leadership Team Meeting at 2:30 PM; Friendship Bible Study at 4:30 PM

Wednesday, Oct. 23 = Kids4Truth (Crazy Hair Night) and Outfitters at 6:30 PM; Prayer Meeting at 7:00 PM

Saturday, Oct. 26 = Outfitters Activity (TBD)

Sunday, Oct. 27 = Growth Groups at Various Times

Wednesday, Oct. 30 = Kids4Truth (Super Hero Night) and Outfitters at 6:30 PM; Prayer Meeting at 7:00 PM

From the Associate Pastor’s Desk: Outfitters Student Ministry

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Modern youth ministry has been with us now for about 30 years. I believe the distinguishing feature of this youth ministry movement is founded on entertainment. The idea is if we make the church seem “cool” to our youth than they will desire to come and maybe hear the Gospel and maybe not even leave the faith when they leave their parents’ home. This movement has been around long enough to cycle through multiple generations of youth ministry participants. The results of this entertainment model have not been positive. The youth of this age are fleeing the church faster than ever. Worse yet this entertainment model of ministry has spread to almost every facet of the church. Ministries seem to think that their job is to ensure people are having a good time and if they are not entertained then they will not stay.

Why would we double down on this failed entertainment model of ministry? It hasn’t worked in youth ministry and it hasn’t given long lasting results in other ministries either. As I think through my own role in leading our youth group, I must decide, will we be entertainment driven or discipleship driven? Some of the wisest words I ever received when first beginning my ministry was this, “What you win them with, that is what you must keep them with.”

In anything we do we should ask, “What are we trying to accomplish?” When dealing with ministry the answer should always be “to make disciples.” This is what every Christian is called to do. Now more than ever it is vital that we create disciples of our youth and not consumers. This is because today’s consumer youth will be the church shopping, lukewarm adult. Worse than that, we can convince them that it is alright to not take living the Christian life seriously. We send our children out into the world with a shallow and cheap brand of the Christian faith and expect them to somehow keep this said faith. Worst of all, we create environments where they never come under conviction of their sin and are therefore never born again. Regeneration comes by the Spirit, but the normative means of the Spirit is hearing the Word of God as “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Why are we watering down the message and distracting from what is most important?

Brothers and sisters, this cannot be! We need to center our youth ministry around the same thing we center our church around, the Gospel of Christ. This is why here at our church we have named our student ministry “Outfitters.” Our mission statement is this: “Outfitting young adults with the Gospel of Christ for life’s journey. Ephesians 6:13, ‘Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to with-stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.'”

As a minister to our youth, I want to outfit our young people in preparation for the battle they will face in the future and even the battles they are facing at this present time. And just like the concept of discipleship, where all Christians are both being a disciple and working toward making disciples, so too we want our young people to be “outfitted” and to be working toward the process of outfitting one another.

This approach also gives them a model of living in community that will equip them well as adults. We want to create out of our youth, strong Christian adults who first grasp tightly to the Gospel, live in Christian community, and serve the body of Christ. If this process is not being taught from this very early age, when will it begin? Fellow ministers, parents, and church members, let us build our youth ministries, and every other ministry of the church, not on the shifting sands of this entertainment culture, but on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.

An Old Familiar Friend: My Love-Hate Relationship With Depression…

Depression

For as long as I can remember, my battle with depression has been a constant theme in my life. What manifested itself in my childhood as a small dark storm cloud soon morphed in my adult years into a gigantically scary, but somewhat charming mansion. Indeed, when the pressures of life start to mount, the caretaker of this mansion begins to call my name, “David…David. Stop by for a while and sing a song with me, chat with me…Let’s take a break together.” Yes, this caretaker, Depression, offers something that I desperately desire – peace and control.

I don’t quite know when my love-hate relationship with Depression began, but it most certainly surfaced in a big way during my elementary school years. I remember going to school one day, and just before class began, the school bully pushed me up against the wall and shouted, with grit teeth, “You little punk! Nobody really likes you.” Those words took a stab at my soul and brought to life the fear and anxiety buried deep within my heart. “Does anybody really like me?” I struggled with that question for many years, and even now, as an adult, with a loving family and church family, I wonder (every now and then), especially as the pressures and stresses of life mount, “Do they really like me?”

Depression really grabbed a hold of my heart during my time in the U.S. Army, especially during my two tours in Iraq. If I close my eyes long enough, I can still hear the sound of the alarm system go off on the forward operating bases I was stationed at, altering me, and my fellow comrades, of incoming mortars. I would lay awake in my bed, on quite a few nights, and just stare into the blackness of night and whisper, “God, if tonight I die, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Too morbid? Too dark? Yep. I know, it’s a dark and scary world…and Depression seemed to offer me a refuge of escape from all of it…But in the end, the very things it promised (peace and control), it took from me. Yes, it robbed me of the very peace and control that I desperately craved.

Marriage to my wife, Heather, on July 10, 2010 was, and continues to be, one of the happiest days of my life. But even on that day (my wedding day), my old familiar friend was with me, whispering his strangely comforting words, “I’ll be here at the mansion when you need me. Bring your wife along if you two ever need a break…” Indeed, marriage and our subsequent children increased the pressures and stresses of life. And Depression, and his mansion of darkness, though scary, always felt familiar and strangely safe…It would fool me into thinking (time and time again), “Well, I can’t control this or that…I feel like this or that is out of control, but at least I can control these dark thoughts…”

I eventually entered pastoral ministry in November 2013. Pastoral ministry may be many things, but it’s certainly not boring. The frontlines of ministry provide to a human being a front row, dazzling seat to the extreme joys of life: Weddings, babies born, salvations, baptisms, and lives changed. But at the same time the frontlines of ministry provide you a front row seat to the extreme horrors of life: Suicide, drugs, addictions of all kinds, divorce, church splits, betrayals, and the list goes on and on and on. And when the extreme pressures of ministry start to mount, Depression, my old familiar friend, offers an escape into his dark mansion, calling my name, “David…David…”

I took up residence in Depression’s mansion in the early part of 2018. This had to be the absolute worst time period of my entire life. I was exhausted. Physically, I was drained. Emotionally, I was spent. Mentally, I was just plain done. And spiritually…Well, I’m a pastor. I preach the Word! I know Jesus. I love Jesus. I love Him more than life itself. Indeed, this love for Jesus can play strange tricks on your mind during dark times. For instance, Depression likes to quote Scripture to me in sadistic ways, “To live is Christ…to die is gain…to die is gain…to die is gain.” 2018 was an ugly year for me. So dark. So scary. And in the end, the very thing that Depression promised (peace and control), it took from me…again.

I’ve come to realize that Depression is many things, but it’s certainly an addiction. I fight this battle daily. This sin-cursed world offers so many valid reasons to flirt with Depression and take up residence in his mansion of horrors. Any of you understand what I’m talking about? I can’t be alone in this…Indeed, I know I’m not.

So, what do I do? How do I fight this? Well, in part, and this isn’t some cutesy, pat response in which all of your fears and anxieties go away, but I fight this enemy, that masks itself like an old familiar friend, by: 1) Trusting the promises of Scripture. Depression promises peace and control. But Depression is a liar…a good liar…but a liar nonetheless. What does the Word of Truth state? Proverbs 18:10, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” I have to choose (time and time again) to trust my Savior’s voice over the tempting voice of Depression, 2) Praying like crazy. I talk to God frequently…I give him real talk, like, “God, I’m scared. Help me…I need you right now…I need you!” Talking to God gives me an outlet. It allows me to dump all of my fears and anxieties before someone (God) who fully understands and cares for me completely, and 3) Writing it out. Welcome to my public journal entry #1 on this issue. Putting these thoughts to paper has been good for me…Does it cure me of all my depression? No. Absolutely not. Depression still calls my name. It’s faint right now, but I know that as new seasons of difficulty arise, Depression will always be there. So, I will have to choose now (for the billionth time) and I will have to choose then (in the future when life heats up) to fight…to fight hard. Why? Because “to live is Christ!”

Growth Groups 2019-2020

Growth-Groups-Vertical

Get ready! Growth Groups is set to relaunch this Sunday, Sept. 8 and extend through Sunday, Nov. 10. Here are the current groups:

Dillon and Bailey Gingerich (Meeting at their home on Sunday afternoons):

  • Tim and Jonna O’Tool
  • Klint and Kendra Gingerich
  • Brian and Nancy Wilson
  • Nathan and Michaela Tinnes
  • Mike and Kira Fikes
  • Larry Northway
  • Jan Rosien

Steve and Cheryl Bohn (Meeting in the church fellowship hall on Sunday afternoons):

  • Willie and Lisa Van Der Molen
  • Dave and Heather Cotner
  • Darwin and Lori Carroll
  • Ray and Jessica Cooper
  • Greg and Marsha Vogel
  • Janine Rosien
  • Gary Melanger
  • John Hardt
  • Rosemary Luers

Steve and Bonnie Donnolly (Meeting at their home on Sunday afternoons):

  • Zach and Beth Shepherd
  • Will and Melissa Luers
  • Jesse and Sarah Neitzel
  • Mike and Christina Boos
  • Jess Caster

Also, as a reminder, here are some expectations concerning Prairie Flower’s Growth Groups:

As a Growth Group Member, you are promising to:

  1. Endeavor to make it to each Growth Group session and to make these sessions a priority in your life.
  2. Prepare well for each Growth Group session by means of Sunday morning church attendance and by bringing your Bible to each Growth Group session.
  3. Maintain confidentiality of any and all sensitive information that is given to you by other Growth Group members.

For more information on Growth Groups, or to join one, please contact the church office at 319-653-2400.