Happy New Year!! What an exciting time of year. Everyone is in the Christmas spirit and they are more generous and friendlier than other times of the year. It is also that time of year that everyone seems to make New Years resolutions. (Well maybe you have made one and broke it by now) . So many of us are going to lose weight, exercise more, get out of debt, stick to a budget, stop smoking, save for the future, or spend more time with the family. No matter what the resolution is we set our heart on it and start off really good and then we lose heart. It made me think –Is there a Christian new year resolution list and what would it look like:

1. Pray More: He said to me, “This is the word of the Lord.. Mot by might nor by Power, but by my spirit says the Lord (Zechariah 4:6)

2. Invest in my spiritual gifts Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

3. Care for myself spiritually Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for with Christ Jesus took hold of me (Philippians 3:12)

4. Make the tough decisions I know are best. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I a going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the lord Jesus has given me.—The task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace and Love.

5. Confront the patterns of sin in our lives Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance that race marked out for us. ( Hebrews 12:1).

6. Do the hard work to build community: If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you, if he listens to you, you have won your brother over (Matthew 18:15)

7. Quit comparing myself to other Christians, other leaders and other churches Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind. When Peter noticed him he asked Jesus , “Master, what’s going to happen to him?” Jesus answered “If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you? You follow me.” (John 21: 20-21)

8. Prioritize my family A Christian must be well—thought of—committed to his life. Attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s Church? (1 Timothy 3: 2-5)

9. Be more open to change See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up: do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:19)

10. Stayed focused on the vision They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe of the many wonders and miraculous signs that were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common, selling their possessions and goods, they gave to everyone as he had need. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2: 42-47 NIV).

May we honor God by committing to one or more of these resolutions for the year 2025 and beyond.

May God bless us all.

In Christ,
Rev. Steve Barch

Happy New Year. As we enter into a new Church Year it is a great time for us to pause and look at how we are living the gift of our faith. God loves you more than you can ever imagine, and he has given you everything that you have and love. He wants you to enjoy all the gifts that he has and continues to give you daily. He wants you to remember that our ultimate purpose is to worship and praise him.. How Awesome is our God -He has blessed us and given us all the gifts we need to live a happy and successful life. He is still with you, and he will not ever leave you. He wants nothing more than for you to enjoy and appreciate them. 

With that in mind - It is right and a good thing to use the gifts God gave us for the purpose that he has for them. We are to live faithfully and worship and praise the author of all life. We are to show him that we appreciate everything that he has done and continues to do in our life. As we continue to live our faith Journey, we grow in our appreciation of these gifts, and we are to grow in our understanding of and Worship of this wonderful God. 

This is where it gets good and interesting. See, us living our faith is both a gift from this wonderful God and it is the way that we worship and praise the creator of the world. It is the gift that we can give him and show him that we know him and love him. We are not just praising a wonderful person who has gone before us or a great leader from times past. No, we are worshipping and praising this God who has created everything. We get to go to church every Sunday and worship and praise Him. We gather with other faith filled people as we journey together throughout this life and into the next life. Sunday worship then works as our family meal. We come together as a family and eat a meal together sharing our stories and growing together. We with one mind and heart (the mind and heart of Christ) all praise God and honor and respect one another. We all try to live a life and reflect the love that Christ has put into our hearts. We live a life that builds up the body of Christ here on earth. Advent is that season that as Christians we look forward to the coming of Christ. It is that time that we anticipate the great gift that is given to us -Brand new every year at Christmas, - Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Born new in our lives. Born new into the world here and now. Born into all the chaos and mayhem that is going on right now in our world. No matter how or what we have done up to this point, we get a chance to start over. Jesus Christ wants to come into your life once again. To live in our heart and life. What an awesome and amazing God that we have. To call us and set us apart to live in this world but to walk with him through everything that we go through and to walk with him when the world does not understand what is going on. To know that we have God with us and He is always looking out for our best interest. 

Going to church is important today because it allows us the opportunity to stay connected to this God. To set aside a day to worship and Honor Him. To keep holy the sabbath. To encounter this God. The best thing we do here on earth is to worship and praise this wonderful God. Let’s have a wonderful new year in which we come together with one mind and heart to praise and worship this awesome God of ours. See you in church!! 

Rev. Stephen W.​ Barch

​As we continue to deal with all of life’s challenges, whether it is health issues, weather related issues, political issues, or family issues, we are reminded just how important faith is. We need our faith more now than ever. God is Essential and it is about time that the world realizes what Christians already know. That God is real and He is alive. He lives in you and me everyday. A successful life is not having stuff, but rather it is found in the way that we experience God in our lives. To experience life at its fullest we need to live the Love that God has given to us. This Love has to start at home. We need to love and respect ourselves and our families. Then take that love to others. Our Church family, that family that we come together with to better understand God and the gift He has given us. Our church family is just like our birth family. They are the people that are there for one another as we journey in faith through this life. With our faith family, we can live into our Baptismal call, and to allow the relationship that we have with God and one another to become the center of our life. 

When you look at the history of religion and what is at the heart of religion, it has always been to Worship God. The best thing that we do in this world is to worship the creator of the world. To worship this Good God who has created us and given us everything that we have and everything that we enjoy. At the heart of Worship is Sacrifice. Worshipping God then requires that I do something. It is not about getting something, but rather what can I do for God. He wants us to Worship and praise him. Jesus spent his whole life worshiping the Father. He spent his life honoring and praising him. God has given us the faith that we enjoy and he wants us to use it to worship HIM. I am called to share that faith with others, and so we are called into action. When we go to church on Sunday, we come together as a family, (and as the Body of Christ that we have been called into) to worship together. So when we go to church and participate in the service we are giving back to God the worship that he desires. It is with one mind and one heart that we pray together. So our attendance at Church on Sunday makes a difference in our lives. It is not a chore that we have to do but rather it is the opportunity that God has given to us to worship him in the manner that he wants. The heart of Worship is sacrifice, so we come to church not to just sit and listen, but rather to sacrifice –to give back to God some of the gifts that he has given to us. Our time, our attention, our presence our sacrifice. The reason that God wants us to worship together is that it allows us to grow together as a family and to become the Body of Christ that He has called us to be. This Body of Christ counts on our attendance and participation. Each of us are important to the Body. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 

May we realize the gift that God has given to us when he called us into his Body and has gifted us with the ability to let the world know about this awesome God who loves them. See You at church this Sunday. 

In Christ’s love, 
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

The first day of fall was yesterday, and it got me thinking. The seasons are changing, and it is a good time to settle back into a schedule and to come back to church. We have missed you and hope you know that we care. We would love to see you again. Now that we have hopefully gotten away from the extreme heat and long dry weather we can now get together. Fall is also a great time to reflect on our stewardship. How are we using the gifts that God has given us in our lives? Whether it be financially, our talents or our time? Everything that we have we have been given by God for the building up of his kingdom here on earth. That means that we do not own anything as we cannot take it with us. How are we using it for the good of others?

Do our lives attract others to Christ or distract them from Christ? We are beginning October, the month that usually brings the cooler, fall temperatures and we start thinking about the holidays, beginning with Halloween and running through the beginning of the new year. It is a time that you get busy with planning and preparing for everything that is coming up so fast. We all get nervous, and our schedules get hectic with everything that we must get done. It is easy to put our faith on hold and focus on the tasks at hand. Our lives become running from one thing to another. Know that God understands that, and he wants you to know that He is a place you can come when you feel overwhelmed and frustrated. Spend some quiet time in prayer and watch what God can and will do in your life. It is when we take time for God that we will accomplish more and be more rested.
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For some reason we think that if we work harder, pray harder or go to the faith gym then we are going to work on our faith muscles and then we will have faith enough to move mountains. But if you look at Jesus, he lived his relationship with God his father and it was not that he had to work harder, He just loved him and lived out that relationship in everything that he did and said. We need to learn that we need to experience Jesus, so we know what we are sharing with others. It is not getting better faith, or stronger faith muscles, it is just living out our relationship the way that God has called us to live. God generously gives us the gift of faith, so that we can share it with those around us. Make sure that you are focusing on the important things this fall and that Jesus and your faith take a priority in the business of life. If we are too busy for God how do we expect God not to be too busy for us. May this fall season bring you a renewed faith and better understanding of the call that God has for you and your family. Thank you for your dedication and faithfulness.

In Christ’s love,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

As we move into the fall and our fall routines I think it is important to reflect on attendance. It is not only important in school- but in life. Are we showing up when we can?

Jesus made it a priority to attend church weekly. As Luke 4:16 tells us, “He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as his custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. And stood up to read. “This was not just a one-time occurrence. It was His regular practice. After His resurrection, the apostles continued this tradition. Acts 2:46 records “They
followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple.” (the Message)

King David, in Psalm 84:10, expresses a similar longing for God’s presence; “Better a day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” It’s clear that Jesus, the apostles, King David, and many others demonstrated their deep desire to know God by gathering with his people. So, I ask you, do you share that same love for God’s house?

Even today, with all the imperfections we bring into the house of God, Jesus still desires to be with us when we gather. Revelation 1:13 tells us that Jesus is in the midst of the seven lampstands. Revelation 1:20 explains that the presence of Jesus is among his church.

Interestingly, a university study found that people who regularly attend church are happier, healthier, and live longer than those who do not. The study didn’t just say that Christians experience these benefits, but rather those who engage in the practices Jesus valued-like gathering with the church-live a better life.

Being part of the Body of Christ makes a big difference on our life and wellbeing and on the lives and wellbeing of those who God has put into our lives. We need to remember that we are always on display to the world. Do we practice what we preach. Is going to church on Sunday a blessing or a curse?

Jesus, our wonderful parent, just wants His children to come home and spend time with him and be in his presence. Being a member of the Body of Christ is truly a blessing and we should honor the opportunity. See you in church on Sunday

​In Christ’s Love:
Rev Stephen W Barch.

This Summer, we have been looking at  discipleship and what it means for us today. Our faith is a gift from God and as we look at our life and the situations that we find ourselves in we know that God is with us. He has given us everything that  we need and for everything that He has in store for us. What an awesome God we have and how much He loves us and cares for us. We never have to worry about Him leaving us or forgetting us. God is our parent and he is always looking out for us and doing what is best for us. 

The word used in the New Testament for disciple is mathetes. The word means learner or disciple and is a technical term for the followers of Jesus. It is also used for the followers of John the Baptist, Moses, and the pharisees. In the New Testament world, a disciple would join themselves to a rabbi, or  teacher, becoming a part of his school. This involved leaving behind the life they had known and spending all of their time with their rabbi. In a sense, it was like going off to college. They wanted to learn everything they could about their rabbi, what he knew, how he thought, how he talked and how he handled different situations. 

What you see in Jesus and his disciples was typical of the rabbi/disciple relationship in New Testament Judea. Being a disciple was a full-time occupation. Those disciples were called to leave their home and occupation behind and follow Jesus, learning what he had to teach them. 

Being a disciple was not an end in itself. A disciple was ultimately expected to follow in their rabbi’s footsteps, becoming a rabbi himself. And, in turn, teaching other disciples what they had learned and were learning.

So through our Baptism,  we are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ.  We are called to follow after Jesus and to learn from HIM- to do what he would do. If we are going to get to know Him, then we need to spend time with him, and to learn from Him everything that we can. 

We read about the disciples and all that they had done and it is easy to think that it was easier to live their faith back then. Then we realize that God has put us right where he needs us and has given us the gifts and talents that we need to accomplish all that he has in store for us. We just need to learn from Him. 

Our desire should be to be in church and studying the Bible, so that we can learn all that we can about Him so that we can share it with others. We need to treat everyone as a child of God- To teach them how to have a relationship with Him and to show them God’s calling is a gift. We are Jesus’s hands and feet and we need to walk the way that He would and treat everyone the way that He treats us. 

Discipleship is a big responsibility and an honor. We need not take it lightly and treat the gift with care. God does not make mistakes. He has called YOU for a reason. The more we center our life on Him the greater our discipleship can grow.

Hope to see you all in church every Sunday at 9:00. 

God Bless 
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

As we deal with the heat of the summer, we all like to slow down and take a break, which is great and well deserved- as life is hectic and stressful. There is more to summer than relaxing on the beach. Taking advantage of the many restoratives and personally fulfilling opportunities that this unique season provides. Here are some ideas for living out your faith this summer.

Strengthen your Relationships.
We are called to live our faith in our relationships with family, friends, and those who God has put into our lives. We are created to be in relationships – so summer is a great time to be intentional about strengthening those relationships that are important to us.

Get reacquainted with Your Bible
As you have a change in your schedule it is a great time to dedicate some of your reading efforts to your Bible. You can join a bible study or pursue reading at your own pace. Either way getting into God’s word is a great practice to start in the summer months.

Expand your reading list
The bible can form the basis of an excellent summer of reading. It is also a great time to look at our other books and you will find plenty of literary options for both insight and entertainment. Set aside a few minutes at the end of the day and curl up with a faith-based book.

Relearn to pray
If you have fallen out of the habit of praying daily, or only praying on Sundays, or when we are worried about something, it is time to break out of the trap and establish a more routine prayer life. Prayer is the communication with God. Just spend some time telling him what is in your heart and mind. He just wants to hear from you. He loves you and misses you.

Embrace a spirit of service
Opportunities for volunteerism abound all around us and we are all busy but you will find that if you give of yourself and your time the reward will be worth it. It does not take much time to make a difference in someone’s life. Offer to help someone and watch the smile it puts on their face.

Make this summer a season of intention. There is nothing wrong with relaxation , but you will come away feeling
far more fulfilled and rested if you start a new habit this Summer.

With Christ’s blessings,
Rev. Steve

May is one of my favorite months of the year. Yes, maybe being born in this month helps a bit, but it has Mothers Day in it, and I had the best mom ever. She taught me so much and over the years I realized how much I took for granted from her and how much of God’s love I have taken for granted over the years.

May is also the month that you see all the beautiful flowers and the new life in the gardens and the yards. May is the month that it starts to warm up outside and you can get out in the yard and enjoy God’s playground. May’s temperatures (typically) are not too hot or too cold. We may get a lot of rain, but there are still plenty of nice days to enjoy.

May is also a great month to Remember God and all the blessings that he puts into our lives– that just like the flowers, there is new life and new growth that God is doing in our lives. God gives us the chance to weed out our garden and to start fresh. Seeing all of the beautiful things that God has planted in our lives to show us just how much He loves us. God really is the vine grower and we are the branches. May we realize where our life comes from and where it is grounded.

As we move into Ordinary time in the church year, it is a good time to look at our own discipleship and how we are putting our faith into action. Our Faith only works when it is put into action and shared with others. May we all find new ways to grow in our faith, both personally and as the Body of Christ. We are an active Church with a lot of dedicated people and we have a lot to share with others– may each of us live into the Baptismal Vows that we took.

It is easy to take a break during the summer months and let our faith lax, but God has called us to live our faith every day. To always be looking for ways to Honor Him and to Praise Him. May we continue to grow in our faith and to share that wonderful gift from God that has been given to us ~ OUR FAITH.

Hope to see you all in church Sunday at 9:00 am.

In Christ love,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

Paul Harvey said it best :

And on the 6th day, God looked down on Adam in his planned paradise and said, “I need a nurturer.” So God made a mother.

God said, “I need someone who feels deeply and loves fiercely, whose tears flow just as abundantly as their laughter, whose heart is as warm as their ability to guide and set limits is strong. I need someone whose influence on those that they nurture is eternal.” So God made a mother.

God said “I need someone who can hear a sneeze through closed doors, in the middle of the night, 3 bedrooms away while daddy snores next to her, who could kiss the ‘boo boos’, scare away the monsters under the bed, clean up the middle-of-the-night accidents, and live off of 4 hours of interrupted sleep.” So God created a mother.

God said, “I need someone who can ride the roller-coaster of anxiety, hope, fear, and pride with an outward appearance of calm assurance as she sends her child off to his first day of school. I need someone who will buy the school supplies, drive for the field trips, help study for the history tests, fill out the permission forms, clap from the back row of the spring musical, and help coach a sport she’s never played. I need someone to teach a child to tie her shoes, make new friends, handle disappointments, shop for a prom dress, and drive a stick shift. And when that child is 18, I need someone to ride that roller coaster of anxiety, hope, fear, and pride again as she sends her child away to college with the same calm confident outside exterior.” So God made a mother.

God said, “I need someone who is willing to jump in a car and drive children to school,  soccer games, and piano lessons on a daily basis. I need someone who can run to the grocery store twice in a day, because someone forgot to add something to the list. I need someone who can take the animals to the vet, drop off the dry cleaning and pick up prescriptions and still make sure dinner is on the table for the family to eat.” So God created a mother.

“Somebody who realizes that children need to be allowed to grow, gain confidence in themselves and be encouraged to be independent individuals and accept the path they choose. Somebody who realizes that their job is one where the better they are the more surely they won’t be needed in the long run.”

“Somebody whose breath will be taken away when they visit their first newborn grandchild in the hospital and their daughter looks at them with loving eyes and says “I hope I can be the kind of mom you are, mom.” So God made a mother.
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Thank you God for making Mothers.

Happy Easter!!(Season) What a wonderful blessing Easter is for Christians. It is the event that makes sense out of our faith and the call that we have received- to live into our baptismal calling. It is the Event that allows us to really realize just how much God loves YOU. Easter is more than the reason for family to get together and have an awesome meal together, or to
gather and watch the kids find their Easter Baskets. It is God’s way of saying this is how much He loves us. Jesus did not have to do any of what he did- but he loves us that much. Then Jesus told us that if you want to be my followers go and love others the same way.

Easter is so important to our faith that we should be Easter people all year long, but since He knows that we cannot do that, - He has given us the Easter Season to remember just how much He loves us. That he gave us the greatest gift he could ever give us - OUR SALVATION! He went through all that we will or can ever go through and took our sins to the cross. What an
amazing God we have and what a spectacular example he was of caring. There are so many lessons that we can learn during his season. The events of this season shape who and what we are all about. We need to rise above any situation that we are in and look for the presence of Christ, knowing that He is with us every moment of everyday; and that nothing can keep him
down not even death itself. We too are called to be his examples of that kind of love in the world.

I pray that this Easter season is like no others before it, in that You experience it for all that it has to offer and that it changes you. Let the events wash over you so that you can experience Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior like you have never experienced him before. May we all become better and stronger in our faith, and may we go and make disciples of all nations (at least Brimfield, Illinois).

May the love of the Risen Christ fill you; May the Peace of the Risen Christ attend you and may the presence of the Risen Christ – lead you. May Jesus Christ presence shine through you.

In our Risen Saviors love,
Pastor Steve