This fall I really want us to take a look at our relationship with Jesus and see how we are doing at growing into the disciples that he has called us to be. Like any healthy relationship we need to step back and look at how we are growing together and how we are accomplishing the goal of the relationship. In our faith life—God loves us just the way we are, but he refuses to leave us that way. He wants us to be just like Jesus. This is the goal of our faith journey. So how are we doing at growing in our Likeness to Jesus? We are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. A disciple in Matthew’s gospel is one who understands, teaches, and does what Jesus taught and did. In Matthew’s gospel, discipleship is not a distinctive office or role but rather describes - the life of an ordinary follower of Jesus Christ. A person who was trying to model their life after Jesus.

What does that even mean in today’s society? Is the way that we are called to live out our faith different than the way that the disciples were called to live their faith? How are our faith journeys similar to theirs? All of this gets us thinking about our relationship with Jesus and what does discipleship cost us? Should it cost us?

Do you realize that Jesus has put us here for a reason? He needs us to do what he has
called us to do. To share his love and forgiveness with the people that he has put in our lives.
To be people who are not scared to live our faith in our daily lives. Who will go out and find the people who need Jesus in their lives and share what has been given to us. The disciples of Jesus day are no more gifted or special than you are. God loves you the way you are. He has called us to be people; lead and taught by him to be able to become like him in our daily lives; in thought, word, and deed;  to change ourselves and the society that he has called us to live in.

Being a Disciple of Jesus requires us to put forth an effort to stand up against sin and division to show the world the power of God’s love in our world. He wants us to make a difference in the situations of our daily lives. We do not have to go outside of our positions. We just have to continue to grow into the disciples that Jesus wants us to be.  God loves us and will continue to mold us and shape us—we just have to give him our heart—daily.

Yours in Christ,
Rev. Stephen Barch

Once upon a time God put all feelings and emotions on a coastal island for a vacation. According to their nature, each was having a good time. Suddenly, a warning of an impending storm was announced and everyone was advised to evacuate the island.

The announcement caused sudden panic. All rushed to their boats. Even damaged boats were quickly repaired and commissioned for duty.

Yet, Love did not wish to flee quickly. There was so much to do. But as the clouds darkened, Love realized it was time to leave. Alas, there were no boats to spare. Love looked around with hope.

Just then Prosperity passed by in a luxurious boat. Love shouted, “Prosperity, could you please take me in your boat?” “No,” replied Prosperity, “my boat is full of precious possessions, gold and silver. There is no place for you.”

A little later Vanity came by in a beautiful boat. Again Love shouted, “Could you help me, Vanity? I am stranded and need a lift. Please take me with you.” Vanity responded haughtily, “No, I cannot take you with me. My boat will get soiled with your muddy feet.”

Sorrow passed by after some time. Again, Love asked for help. But it was to no avail. “No, I   can- not take you with me. I am so sad. I want to be by myself.”

When Happiness passed by a few minutes later, Love again called for help. But Happiness was so happy that it did not look around, hardly concerned about anyone.

Love was growing restless and dejected. Just then somebody called out, “Come Love, I will take you with me.” Love did not know who was being so magnanimous, but jumped on to the boat, greatly relieved that she would reach a safe place. When getting off the boat, Love met Knowledge. Puzzled, Love inquired, “Knowledge, do you know who so generously gave me a lift just when no one else wished to help?” Knowledge smiled, “Oh, that was Time.” “And why would Time stop to pick me and take me to safety?” Love wondered. Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and replied, “Because only Time knows your true greatness and what you are capable of. Only Love can bring peace and great happiness in this world.” God smiled and gave man the power to control both time and love in our own lives.
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How well do we use the gifts that have been given to us?
 
May The Lord Bless and Keep You,
 
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

In thinking about this month’s letter, I am just filled with a wonderful feeling. We have been busy doing the work of the Lord, and there are many different ways that this is evident.

We have focused a lot of energy on seeing how our relationship with Jesus is one that grows and matures with us. As we are actively living out our faith, God is helping us grow. We continue to be changed from what we are into what God wants us to be.

It has been a real blessing to be able to journey with each one of you as you continue to walk by faith and not by sight. The momentum and enthusiasm around church is fantastic. People are really enjoying their faith and are seeing how much God loves them and how He reveals that love to us each and every day.

As the weather changes and we move into summer months it is easy to put faith aside and enjoy ourselves. This is detrimental to us and our faith journey. I had a wise professor in seminary that use to always say “ good, better, best; never let it rest until the good become better and the better become best.” This is a wonderful way to remind ourselves that there is always room to grow and ways to make our faith life stronger and better. How do we look for Christ in our daily lives and in our daily actions? If we are called to be Christ to the world today ~ How am I doing with it?

It is an awesome responsibility and a wonderful reward to know that we are Christ’s hands and his feet this week and in this place. May we be the hands that reach out to our brothers and sisters in need. May our hands reach out to hug instead of fight. May our feet walk the extra mile with our neighbor in need instead of kicking. May our hearts love the unlovable. May this summer allow us to be the best example of Christ that we can.
 
May The Lord Bless and Keep You,Rev. Stephen W. Barch

Now that we have celebrated another Easter Sunday and are back into the grind of life, what now? Is Easter Over? Did Easter make a difference in your life?
Well, it is up to us as to how we respond to Easter. Will we allow Easter to change us? The disciples did not have to do anything after they encountered the risen Christ. They too could have just returned to life as normal, but you know what--everyone who has truly encountered Christ is changed and cannot go back to the way it was before. As we read in the introduction to Acts “They aren’t the same men. Oh I know they look like it….. The ones who argued in Capernaum? The ones who ran for their lives in Gethsemane?.... They are different. Within them dwells a fire not found on earth. Christ has taught them. The Father has forgiven them. The Spirit dwells in them.”
Oh, they will continue to live the physical life that they have, but they will live it a new way. We are called to share our risen faith with those around us. We are called to allow Christ’s risen presence to live in us. The way that we approach our daily lives will be different. Christ is alive! He has truly risen. What we do with the miracle that was given to us on Easter, is up to us. Christ has called each one of us to share this joy with the world. It means that I have been loved enough to change me. Easter is not over and for the Christian it is never over. Easter will continue to live in and through me. We can go out every day and share Christ’s risen love in what I do and say. I can show the world what it means to have a God that loves me enough to die and rise again. I can show the world that death is not to be feared, but that we know that life and love exist beyond the grave.
So Easter faith is something that we get to share with the world. It is a chance to partake in the wonderful work that Christ has done for us. He has done the work and we get to share it with every- one. We, like the disciples have been called to share our faith in the place that God has planted us using the gifts and talents that He has given to us. In every day and every situation God is showing us how to live with Him and for Him. Easter calls us outside of ourselves and into a world that is hungry for God’s love.
As we watch the spring come alive and all the plants and flowers begin to blossom and grow, may each one of us blossom and grow in our faith and love for Christ and one another. Easter is a blessing and a commissioning for each of us. May we, like the disciples carry the faith to the ends of the earth.
With the Lord’s richest blessings,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

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​Well, we are still journeying through Lent (in fact April 1st is just past half way) as Easter is late this year. We continue to look at our faith relationship and how we are growing in our faith through the practices of our Lenten journey. It is not too late to start a Lenten Practice. How is God working in your life? How is he inviting you into a deeper relationship with him? He is asking you to slow down and realize He is with you as you rush through your busy days. He is inviting you to see that he is in your neighbor and he is looking for some time to just talk to you. He is in your children or grand- children asking for your attention and Love. Whatever it is ~ God is inviting us to grow ever closer to Jesus Christ this Lenten season. Do we acknowledge him throughout our day; do we think about all that he has done and is doing in our lives each and every day?

God is alive and well and he doesn't want our money as much as he wants our hearts. God doesn't need our time as much as he desires our Love. God doesn't want what we have, as much as he wants us. He is looking for us to have a loving relationship with Him. He wants us to know how much he loves us and is involved in the story of our daily lives.
 
Easter is the celebration of us rising above all the things that hold us back
from living the relationship that God intended for us for all eternity.
 
One in which we worship and praise him and trust him in all areas of our lives. One in which we acknowledge him and repent of the times that we fail Him. A time that we can truly call ourselves Christian. Not because we have to but rather because we get to.
 
May The Lord Bless and Keep You,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

Why do we need Lent and what is Lent all about? We hear that lent is a time to prepare for Easter and to live our faith out better in our lives– Well, aren’t we supposed to live our faith all year and aren't we suppose to grow closer to God and one another all year? So what is lent??

Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter. As Christians, Easter is the culminating event for our Faith. It holds it all together and it is what Jesus’ life and death were all about. Jesus came to share God’s love and to bring us into a personal relationship with him. We need to get out of the routines of our daily lives and really focus on the miraculous event that we are celebrating. So the church in her infinite wisdom has given us a period to ‘prepare’ for it called Lent. The Lenten season is a time when many Christians observe a period of fasting, repentance, moderation, self-denial, and spiritual discipline. The purpose of whatever practice that one observes, should always be to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ—his suffering, his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection. During the six weeks of lent Christians typically make a commitment to fast , or give up something– a habit, such as smoking, watching TV, swearing, or a food or drink, such as sweets, chocolate or coffee. Christians also take on a Lenten Discipline, such as reading the Bible, spending more time in prayer, going to a Bible Study, to better know and grow closer to Jesus Christ, and to better understand all that he did for us. The goal of any of the spiritual disciplines is to strengthen the faith of the observer and develop a closer relationship with God. This is our life Journey as a Christian. So lent is really a time for Christians to get back to living into our Baptismal calling. To give God more of our time and attention.

The significance of the 40-day period is based on two episodes of spiritual testing in the Bible:

1. The 40 day journey of the Israelites that turned into 40 year journey of the Israelites.​  (Numbers 33:38; and Deuteronomy 1:3)
2. the Temptations of Jesus after he spent 40 days in fasting in the wilderness.  (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13)

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday when Christians are marked with Ashes and reminded that though we live in this world we belong to God’s world. That we came from ashes and to ashes we will return. This world is but a passing moment. We need to focus our lives on our eternal home, with Jesus Christ.

I challenge each of us to take Lent serious and to honestly and openly look at our lives and the practices that bring us closer to Jesus Christ and away from sin. We need to always measure our actions and decisions against this rule.

May this Lent be different and better than all the Lenten seasons before it and may it bring us closer to God.
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May The Lord Bless and Keep You,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

As we are in a new year , it is a good time to look at how we are doing both personally and as a congregation with being a disciple of Christ Jesus? We are all called to be his disciple in 2019.

Jesus said, Follow me (Matt. 4:19, 9:9). Jesus did not mean that we should just follow him physically. Rather, this is a call to be set-a- part, challenged, and taught so we see and adhere to the call and mission Christ gives us. The word disciple literally means someone who follows another’s teaching, and adheres to it. It is a commitment and a process. With Christianity it is a life long process. We spend our whole lives growing into our calling to follow Jesus Christ, to become like him and to share him with those around us.

Being a disciple means that we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. It is the most important decision that we will ever make, and yet many of us had the decision made for us by our parents and so we do not appreciate it. Being a disciple encompasses more than just asking Christ into our life and heart, and goes far beyond baptism or our church membership!

It is allowing Christ to really matter and to spend time with him, it is forming a relationship with him. It is learning from him, imitating him, and sharing him with others. It is allowing our faith to guide us in our daily lives and relying on our faith in times of decision making. Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth, something that is non- impacting on our lives. There may be trust in God, but no relationship.

May each one of us really take our calling to discipleship to heart and may we be Christ’s hands to do his work today, Christ’s feet to lead men in his way. Christ’s tongue to tell others how he loves them. Christ’s imitators to help others see him.
 
May The Lord Bless and Keep You,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

The beginning of a new year it is a good time to reflect on the year that is ending, and see how we have done growing in our faith. Are we following Jesus Christ more today than we were on January 1, 2018? If not, what did we do for the last 365 days? If the answer is yes, then what can I do to continue the growth? Jesus has called each one of us to continuously grow closer to him and to one another through the gift of his love.

No matter what has happened to this point, we still have the chance to grow personally and communally stronger than we have been. Jesus is always offering us the ability to start from where we are and draw closer to him. Let us not miss the opportunity that He is offering us this new year- 2019 can be a great year in which we experience our faith in a new way. By letting Jesus be present with us in our daily lives, and in our worship together, our faith will grow stronger each and every day.

Whether you make new year resolutions or not, it is a good time to review this past year and make the changes that we want for next year. We do a wonderful job of worshipping together, and now we need to challenge one another to grow spiritually through our daily experiences. Christ is alive and at work everyday in you and in me. What are we doing to show his love through our words and actions?
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I invite you to really do something different this year. Increase something that you are doing. Read the bible on a more consistent basis, come to a wonderful bible study -Tuesday evenings 6:15-7:30. Or just spend 5 quiet minutes with Jesus each morning and night. You will be amazed at the way your spiritual life will grow through any one of these practices as long as you consistently follow through. If you miss a day get back to it the next day. It is not in the big things that we find God working, but rather it is like the prophet Isaiah who found God in the whisper of the wind. We will find Jesus at work in the events of our daily life, in the light of our spiritual eyes being opened to his presence.
 
I thank God everyday for your faithful dedication and example.
 
Happy New Year!
I look forward to the ministry we will do together.
 
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

As we begin the advent season I think it is a good time to pause and reflect on what it is and why we celebrate it. As a person of the 21st century waiting is not something that we practice or are good at. We want instant gratification and if an electronic device takes it’s time loading, we get agitated and upset. We work, play, and even relax at a hurried pace. We want it and we want it now. So we are losing the ability to enjoy and really celebrate the season of Advent—the time that has been set aside so that we can prepare for the coming of the Lord.

Advent is a season of waiting, longing, promise, and preparation. The Advent wreath, four candles on a wreath of evergreen, is shaped in a perfect circle to symbolize the eternity of God. In some churches, four purple candles, one for each week in Advent, are used with one larger white candle in the middle as the Christ candle. Other churches prefer three purple or blue candles with one candle being rose or pink, to represent joy.

While the Advent wreath with its four candles did bring light to churches, it was not to illuminate the interior as much as to symbolize the coming of Christ. The Advent wreath began in the time of the Protestant reformer Martin Luther.

During each Sunday of the Advent season, we focus on one of the four virtues Jesus brings us: Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. Others consider the lighting of the first candle to symbolize expectation, while the second symbolizes hope, the third joy and the fourth purity. The Christ candle is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day reminding Christians that Jesus is the light of the world. The order and exact wording vary among churches, but the wreath continually reminds us of whom we are called to be as followers of Jesus. Advent is a great time to re evaluate our faith journey and how we are living for Christ. My daily prayer is that through this season you may draw closer to God and his will for your life. May we journey through advent together. May God show us the path to a prayerful season.

In Christ’ Love
Rev. Steve