Summer is Here!

With the arrival of this newsletter in your inbox, summer is upon us. It may not yet be official according to the calendar, but June 1 is definitely the unofficial start. You can tell because your school-aged kids are soon to be spending all day at home looking for hourly snacks. In a week they will announce that they’re bored. That’s your cue to tell them that when you were their age, you had to work all summer long…in 100-degree weather…for 12-hour days.

Along with the constant presence of your kids, June also brings Father’s Day. I am very grateful for the fathers of Pathway. By and large I see a group of men who are making a serious effort to grow in their parenting skill and learn how to be better dads. It is a challenging task to be sure, but one with an amazing payoff. To all our dads I encourage you to press on toward being a great father remembering there is grace along the way for times when we fall short.

You may also be interested in a quick update on the progress of the building expansion. Following the strong vote of the congregation, the team went back to work with the architect and construction company to do additional fine tuning on the details of the new children’s wing and remodeled space within the existing structure. It is coming along well. We have also been spending a considerable amount of time in developing a plan for raising the funds necessary to proceed with the project. That too is on track. My thanks goes to our excellent team of leaders who are moving things ahead. PLEASE be in prayer for the process and those engaged in the details.

While there are changes happening at our local church, there are changes taking place on the national level of our denominational association as well. The president of our national association is retiring effective the end of this month. A new president has been nominated and will be voted on at the national meetings of the denomination later in June. I will be at those meetings representing Pathway and participating in that selection. You can be in prayer as a new president of the Evangelical Free Church of America is chosen.

I hope your summer gets off to a great start this month and that you find time to enjoy it with family and friends. As you do so, consider how you can best make an investment in the lives of others and be intentional with your interactions.

Many blessings!

Pastor Jeff

Looking Back with Gratitude

In April and May of this year, we have been focusing on developing better families at Pathway, regardless of size. This sermon series addresses key relationships that exist in the home and considers tools to help us move those forward. One of those key relationships is with moms.  Mothers have an incredible influence in homes and Mother’s Day gives us a special opportunity to celebrate. I encourage you to do something out of the ordinary for your mother to let her know what she means to you. 

However, before we get to Mother’s Day, there is another very special day. It is the Day of Prayer, held this year on Thursday, May 7. The theme is Lord, Hear Our Cry emphasizing the need for us all to place our faith in the unfailing character of God, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities and men. The focus verse is 1 Kings 8:28, “Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.”  Please set aside time that day to pray for our nation and that the witness of believers would have a shaping influence.

As I think about praying for our nation, many of those prayers are of gratitude for the blessings and opportunities it has provided for me, my family and our church. One of those many blessings is the freedom that has been secured through the sacrifice of others. Pray with me for the families who have lost loved ones who have given their lives serving and dying for the liberty we so enjoy. Then, take that feeling of gratitude and express it to one such family or share in one of the Memorial Day events that are taking place in our region.

Another opportunity to look back with gratitude is through our own Annual Celebration and Business Meeting. It will be a time to reflect on some of the things that have transpired over the past year and look forward to what is ahead as well. This will additionally serve as our occasion for setting our next year’s spending plan in place and selecting elders and officers for the year to come. Members are encouraged to attend this important gathering on Sunday, May 31 at 4 pm on the Chippewa Campus. 

As you enjoy the warmer days of May and your thoughts turn to spending more and more time outside, consider gathering your neighborhood together for a block party to get better acquainted. Pathway can help! More details to follow.

Many blessings!

He is risen!

“He is risen! He is risen, indeed!”

Those words are a familiar Easter greeting heard in churches all over the world on Easter Sunday. Typically the pastor says the first, “He is risen,” and the congregation responds with the latter, “He is risen, indeed!” This Easter declaration is inspired by the words recorded for us in Luke 24:34, which says, “The Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon” (ESV). It is not unusual to hear this greeting uttered even in private conversations around Pathway on Easter weekend.  However, the traditional Easter greeting doesn’t stop there. The original custom, which continues in many places, was to follow the verbal greeting with three kisses on alternating cheeks. That’s one part of this particular custom I could do without! However, the fact that our Savior’s risen is worth declaring in our conversations this Easter season and throughout the year.

We’re going to be celebrating Jesus’ resurrection in our Easter services at the Chippewa and Moon Campuses. I am greatly looking forward to this time of exalting Christ for His gracious work on our behalf. We have given the theme of “The Grace that Overcomes” to our Easter worship gatherings. The culmination will be on Easter Saturday and Sunday as we consider what Jesus’ victory means to us as we seek to overcome the circumstances of life that threaten to defeat us.  Please come and bring someone with you who would benefit to hear such a message of hope. The music in all of our venues is also sure to inspire us to rejoice in our risen Lord.

Easter weekend would not be complete for us at Pathway, however, without a service dedicated to reflection on all Jesus endured on the cross. Good Friday is that service. We’ll be thinking about God’s grace, singing songs about all Jesus offered us through the crucifixion and taking communion together, remembering all Jesus suffered on our behalf. 

I also want to take this opportunity to say a word of thanks to our building expansion team. They worked hard to bring us to a point where we could vote as a congregation on the concept of constructing a new children’s wing and remodeling much of our present facility to improve our ability to minister to children, youth and adults.  The congregation voted to proceed with the project on Sunday, March 29. I urge you to be in prayer as we move ahead in the process. The short-term next steps include developing construction documents and preparing to raise funds for the expansion/remodeling. 

I trust you have a blessed Easter! And remember, if anyone greets you with the words, “He is risen,” respond with a rousing, “He is risen indeed!”…but no kisses!

Welcome to March!

Having recently returned from Africa with our team of 23 people, my mind is still captivated with reflections on the trip and my heart is still filled with love for the people of the village of Orkarkar where our team ministered just a couple weeks ago. It was an amazing experience and testament of what can happen when a church unites around the goal of reaching out with the love of Jesus. Thank you for your partnership in the work, whether your involvement was through praying, or giving, or going.

As this month gets underway, it is also a great pleasure to welcome Dustin and Christy Thompson, together with their family, to Pathway Church. Dustin comes to serve as our Pastor of Student Ministries. We look forward to what the Lord will do through his ministry in the days ahead. I am also deeply grateful to the many people who have stepped up in the interim period while we were without a youth pastor to keep the student ministries going strong. We have a lot of very dedicated and highly talented leaders who served faithfully all along the way.

Another highlight coming later in March is the celebration of the 2nd anniversary of the Moon Campus. This was the fulfillment of a vision the Lord had placed on our hearts and we have seen the campus make a dynamic impact in the Moon region. Pastor Chad Agnew has served as the host pastor since the launch of the campus in 2013. His leadership, together with that of other staff and many volunteers have made the campus a fun and exciting place to worship and serve. If you have never worshiped at the Moon Campus, check it out and see what the excitement is all about.

This March is also vital in the life of our fellowship as it will be later this month that the congregation will be considering a proposal to add a children’s wing and remodel other portions of the existing building at the Chippewa Campus. The leadership has been praying and studying this issue since 2011 and have recently finalized plans that will help us address the significant space challenges we are facing. The congregation will vote on those plans at a special business meeting to be held on March 29th. Additional detail and explanation will be available at forums being offered on Wednesday, March 18th at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 21st at 5:00 p.m. Please come to learn more about what is being proposed. Please also be praying that the Lord would continue to reveal His mind for our fellowship.

As you can see, March is going to be an exciting month…and on top of all that, we have a brand new sermon series called Neighbors. Consider inviting yours to join us!

Many Blessings!

Pastor Jeff

Pathway Goes to Kenya

February 2015 has been highlighted on my calendar for many months. Can you guess why? To give you a hint, it’s not because February contains Super Bowl XLIX (2/1) in which the Steelers aren’t playing, or that there’s “Play Your Ukulele Day” (2/2). It’s not even because February is the calendar home to “Girl Scout Cookie Day” (2/6) or “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day” (2/7), as worthy a reason as those are. The real reason for my anticipation and excitement about the days upon us is that this is the month Pathway is sending our first mission team to the Maasai village of Orkarkar in Kenya. 

Twenty-three people have been diligently making preparations to travel to Kenya as Pathway’s ambassadors to reach out with the love of Jesus Christ. They will depart on February 7 and be engaged in a multi-faceted project including Bible/gospel studies for Maasai men and women and a VBS-styled ministry to children. Additionally, the team will operate a medical clinic to meet physical needs and an optical ministry to fit the villagers with much-needed glasses to help them see clearly, perhaps for the first time in many years. Finally, the project will also include the construction of a large building that will house two classrooms and a church, together with another smaller structure that will serve as home to the new pastor who will shortly begin ministry in the village. 

Pathway’s larger strategy in Orkarkar is to take additional teams to develop a community/gospel partnership. The partnership will focus on bringing the villagers to Christ, supporting the development of the church, providing a school and clinic. We anticipate there will be a number of opportunities for you to share in the partnership by traveling as a part of a future team as well. 

Actually, many at Pathway are already sharing in the partnership in Orkarkar through gifts to the recent Give Joy to the World initiative. A portion of those funds have gone to establishing the work in Orkarkar by providing a desperately needed water well and other projects related to meeting the needs of the people of Orkarkar. 

Regarding Give Joy to the World, it was a great pleasure to report in a recent sermon on the generosity of the people of Pathway. Your giving resulted in a grand total of more than $131,000. That is phenomenal and I thank you for the kindness you have shown to men, women and children in need around the world by providing them with water for their thirst and living water for their souls. It is a joy to serve a congregation so tenderhearted toward the needs of others! 

I trust you have a wonderful February…and not just because it contains “National Bacon Day” (2/26)! 

Many Blessings!

Pastor Jeff

Happy New Year!

As 2015 dawns, I have great anticipation about what the year will hold on a personal level (will we move to Wampum?) and also on a ministry level (will I be back in the kids’ ministry dunk tank again?). There are some things we just don’t know yet. So, we enter this year prayerfully, seeking the Lord’s will for all we do. 

While there are things we don’t know for sure, there are other areas where the Lord has already directed and we are moving forward. Let me tell you about a few of them that are happening in the next month or so. For one thing, we are looking forward to a new pastor joining our staff this month! The congregation voted to extend a call to Gabe deGarmeaux to be our Pastor of Outreach. Gabe begins work at Pathway on January 3 and comes with his wife Monica and their children Lilliana and Rocco. That isn’t the only position we have to fill, and we look forward to telling you more about one of our other openings very soon!  

Also on the horizon is the possibility of adding some greatly needed space to our facility. For the last couple years we have had two different teams operating to examine the facility needs at Pathway and consider how to address those needs. The first of those teams conducted an internal census, site observation, survey of scores of Pathway leaders and many interviews, and the need that rose to the very top was additional children’s space. This was no surprise as the need was already very evident week-by-week as we have shuffled rooms and adjusted the program to make our existing space workable. Several needs emerged through the study in other areas as well.  

After praying through the report of the first team, the elders commissioned the second team to engage a company to consider the feasibility of building together with some basic designs. That second team has now reported their findings to the elders who have been praying about how to proceed. An important decision for the elders is coming up in mid-January and they would like to invite you to pray with them, and for them, as they seek the Lord’s leading. Their decision is simply about whether or not to take the plans any further. If they decide to move forward, the next step would be to present the findings to the congregation and make a recommendation. The congregation would then vote on whether or not to continue the process to the next step. I am very grateful to the elders and the teams that have been operating on our behalf to do the months and months of required legwork on behalf of the church. So again, please be in prayer for the elders as they seek the Lord’s will in this important decision. 

And while you’re praying, please also lift up the leadership retreats of the Pathway ministry staff and elders. Both groups will be meeting for times of prayer and planning before the month is over. Historically, these have been very meaningful gatherings the Lord has used to direct our paths. We are confident He will do the same again this year, especially as you join us in seeking His direction. 

January is going to be a full month at Pathway that will set the course for the rest of 2015 and beyond. I challenge you to use January to set a positive course for your 2015 as well. Join a small group. Get involved in doing ministry. Together we can make this a year we will never forget as we pursue God and His will with one another. 

Many Blessings,

Pastor Jeff