 Below are the deaths, births and weddings that occurred across our congregations since our last published issue. During these major events, and always, we will proclaim His praise. Christian Fellowship Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba) Annika Gloria Reimer born to Derek and Kirsten Reimer, May 6. Luella Blatz, 82, died April 10. Countryside Bible Church (Meade, Kansas) Brooklyn Joy Grisanti born to Josh and Tinese Grisanti, October 27. Henry Scott Ross born to Kyle and Devenie Ross, March 21. Emry Grace Friesen born to Jaden and Jen Friesen, March 24. Kirby Grace Klahr born to Dean and Jacqueline Klahr, March 30. Aubrey Joy Clawson born to Walker and Laura Clawson, April 2. Dalmeny Bible Church (Dalmeny, Saskatchewan) Owen James Daniel Freedom born to AJ Freedom, April 2. Harper Paisley Berg born to Pastor Jaydon and Jen Berg, April 11. Mykenzie Hyland wed to Cole Thiessen, June 15. Salem Church (Waldheim, Saskatchewan) Natalie Ann born to Ryan and Janaya Cappelle, December 13. Everett Whittaker born to Ryan and Mia Heppell, January 2, Alexandra Rose born to Jeremy and Jaimee Voth, March 25. Isaiah Murphy born to Andrew and Reece Sorensen, April 26. Tig Nixon born to Tysen and Brooklyn Smith, May 16. Hadley Rien born to Tyler and Zoe Wikkerink, June 7. Mary Ann Harder died April 19. Philip Bartel died April 26. Saron Mennonite Church (Fairview, Oklahoma) Hannah Curby wed to Jonathan Kanary, June 24. Willis Wantoch, 86, died June 24. Langham Evangelical Bible Church (Langham, Saskatchewan) Thaddeus (Teddy) David Bradley born to Regan and Abby Bradley May 17. Martensville Mission Church (Martensville, Saskatchewan) Dashiel Douglas Shepherd born to Doug and Alissa Barr,
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Church News (July/August)7/3/2024  Christian Fellowship ChurchWinnipeg, Manitoba Timothy Harris, Pastor cfc-wpg.org “So we being many are all one body in Christ, and everyone members of one another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them…” - Romans 12:5-6b
We are focusing more intentionally on fellowship. In April our women joined for a Spring tea after church. A summer retreat is planned for the women. Recently the men enjoyed a pulled pork supper hosted at the home of one of our congregants.  Linda Edwards, Correspondent Cornerstone Bible ChurchMountain Lake, Minnesota Herms Banico, Pastor cornerstoneml.com The Cornerstone Family is truly blessed beyond measure; can you believe it? The faithfulness of God shines bright in the fulfillment of His promises, bestowing us His abundant blessings for His glory and honor! James, the brother of Jesus, proclaims, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." - James 1:17 (NKJV). We stand in awe, lifting our voices in praise for the remarkable works of our gracious God.
It was such a great time working together for God’s glory! Was it hot? Yes, it was! Was it fulfilling? Absolutely! It's very fulfilling to get things done when we come together as people of God! Thanks to everyone who got involved. Join us, as construction is not over yet! Another highlight to praise the Lord about is our new Sunday School group, which caters to newcomers and those not yet involved in a Sunday School group. This year, the Lord blessed us with new people at church, and we want them to grow in their walk with Jesus! At the end of our last Sunday meeting, we celebrated it with a joint lunch in the basement. I know there was no Filipino food served to the Filipino pastor. Oh well, I enjoyed the meal anyway! Thanks to my co-teachers, Joel and Bernice Penner. You guys are highly appreciated. Thank you for stepping up in your leadership.
Look at those happy, smiling faces of people who have been redeemed! We had such a wonderful time together! We also praise the Lord for those souls dedicated to publicly proclaiming their faith in Jesus. On June 30, we had a Baptism by Voss Park Lake in Butterfield, MN. Nine souls were baptized. A potluck to celebrate with the baptism candidates followed. Glory and honor to the Lord!  One of the baptismal classes - we had multiple sessions for the baptism candidates due to a time conflict. I am thankful to the Lord for these dedicated souls making their faith known before people and God. What an encouragement! Please join us in prayer as we carry out our construction project, disciple more people, and faithfully preach the Gospel of Jesus. Pray for more individuals to come to know the Lord through our ministries here and for the congregation to be inspired to become disciples of Jesus intentionally. Herms Banico, Pastor Countryside Bible Church"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word." - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 May the Lord indeed be comforting and strengthening your hearts as you seek to glorify Him in your various work and ministries. The Lord has certainly been good and faithful, and we thank God for the many exciting opportunities we at Countryside Bible Church have to be encouraged and equipped in God's Word and to serve Him, glorify Him, and make Him known to others. It is also always a joy to be able to fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ, both near and far. There are a number of other things that have gone on in the past several months. In January, several men from CBC were able to go to the Ironmen's Summit, which is held in Emporia, Kansas each year. Then in February, Pastor Jonathan & Nora and Taylor & Abigail (pastor & wife at our church plant, Redeemer Bible Church) had the opportunity to attend the Biblical Counseling Conference in Lafayette and came back strengthened and encouraged. Several students and leaders from the high school group were also able to be equipped through the Ignite Conference in February. Then in mid-April, a few of the men from CBC were able to go to Honduras on a missions scouting trip to visit the seminary and churches there and to see about potential short term missions trips opportunities for our church family. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as the elders are continuing to look into this. We are very excited to see how the Lord might open up doors to be able to partner with brothers and sisters in Honduras! Family Vacation Bible School was held May 21-23. It was a really unique VBS with the whole family involved in learning more about our identity in Christ through table games, Bible trivia, crafts, and the teaching of God's Word by Pastor Jonathan and Jaden Friesen. This spring, the men's and women's Bible studies went through the book of 1 Corinthians. Pastor Jonathan has diligently put together thoughtful and applicable questions for each lesson, and we are encouraged to be working towards having a right awareness of God, right thinking, right practice, and right praying. The Lord has continued to bless the families of our church with little ones. What a joy for so many children to be born into Godly homes, and we do pray that each of these little ones will be taught and trained according to God's Word and that many of them might come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus at an early age. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." - 2 Thessalonians 3:17 Abigail Bartel, Correspondent Crosspoint Bible ChurchThe last several months have been full of service and fellowship, for which we are incredibly grateful! In March, Hearts for the Harvest raised more than $10,000 for Keith and Jeannette Shubert’s ministry with Cru in Singapore. Pastors Hayden Norris and James Richardson were able to visit Singapore to preach and teach and learn more about the Shuberts’ ministry. Also in March, the Crosspoint women enjoyed a retreat with local speaker Tara Rye on the theme “Joy in the Journey” Our global partners visited in the spring, including Jesse and Monica Pauly (Italy) and Rene and Anja Gaona (Paraguay). We give God glory for the work these faithful servants are doing in other countries. Also in the spring, we had a church praise and prayer night, featuring the high school worship band. We celebrated the baptisms of Penny Burton, Pete Reitano, Jared Doherty, Iliana Faries, Harlan Means, Marc Ruby, and Noah Richardson. We are humbly grateful for the work the Lord is doing in their lives! Crosspoint kids have been active, including Awana Awards Night Cookout and Ceremony in April and VBS earlier this summer. More than 145 kids and 80 volunteers went on “The Great Jungle Journey,” exploring the 7 Cs of History: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation. About 20 volunteers participated in a workday at Assure Women’s Center. Our junior high youth helped at Assure, as well as at Sozo Coffee House and in a prayer walk around downtown Omaha. They also had a day of fabulous fun at Adventureland in Des Moines. The high school youth attended Camp Ascend in Colorado in June. Our Iron Sharpeners men’s group partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to construct beds for children in need in Omaha. At the end of June, several Crosspoint members came together at the church for an annual workday of cleaning inside and out and completing minor repairs. We give God all the glory for the many ways He is working in us and through us at Crosspoint! Julie Sibert, Correspondent Dalmeny Bible ChurchWe joined forces together with the Community Church during the Easter break to have VBS called Stellar which was a space theme. The main session was at the Community Church and then the grades 3-6 walked over to our church for games, snack, imagination station, and a Bible Story. One of our Global Partners, Greg Benson with One Hope, shared about Ranger Lake Bible Camp which many of our children attend during the summer. The Ladies enjoyed a Fondue/Games Night and another evening of planting flowers led by Ashley Neufeld. The senior youth spent a weekend at Heritage House at the end of May for their Youth Retreat We have been working to improve the physical aspects of our church by renovating the south entrance and will be done just in time to host Connect24. Our Fall future plans are to replace the outside wooden doors at the main and south entrances with glass doors. Together with the Community Church we hosted a Breakfast in the Park on the Sunday morning of Dalmeny Days. We also had a time of prayer and worshiped together in singing. We recently honoured our 134 volunteers at an appreciation. It was good to hear why some of them do take the time to volunteer in their various roles. They are very much appreciated!! Summer is upon us so our Clubs, Youth, Bible Discovery, Men’s Breakfasts have all ended and will resume in the Fall. We celebrate the addition of four new members to our church congregation. Marilyn Harder, Correspondent Evangelical Bible ChurchThis spring we have welcomed 10 new members to our church family. We are thrilled to have them join us. Pastor Troy is continuing his sermon series through the book of Mark. We wrapped up our Awana year at the end of April with about 100 kids finishing the year with us. May finished up the year for other ministries and studies for summer break. This summer we have a small group traveling to Mae Sot Thailand for a mission trip with Children to Love International.  Youth Pastor Andrew Wheeler, Madison Johnson, Lori Bassham, Garrett Bassham, Tyler Basey We are looking forward to our annual family camping trip at Triangle Lake later that month as well. Alison Johnson, Correspondent Faith Evangelical Bible ChurchThis June we hosted Vacation Bible School with the focus that God’s Truth Never Changes (Romans 12:2). We had about 100 kids sign up and come! During the week they brought offerings to go towards translating bibles. Ten dollars translated one bible… the kids ended up tithing $700 which will be translating 70 bibles! It was such a fun week where students learned that the Truth comes from God, His plan is best, Jesus is the only way, and Everyone needs Jesus. Alice Decker, Correspondent Grunthal Evangelical Bible ChurchMuch has happened at GEBC in the past few months. Recently, we celebrated five new baptism candidates, and 13 new membership candidates! Not only is our congregation in a time of growth, but it’s also currently in a time of transition. Our church name has officially changed from Grunthal Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church, to Grunthal Evangelical Bible Church. This new name change has kept our church office busy, with a new website, new email addresses, and new “Weekly”, which is a weekly newsletter via email about: all the upcoming events, child’s memory verses, “families of the week” to pray for, “missions spotlight” about what to pray for our missionaries, and even a little encouraging blurb written by Pastor Jared. Other exciting updates and developments -
Jennifer Preston, Correspondent Hodgson Bible ChurchWe are continuing to search for a pastor while enjoying visiting speakers as well as hearing some of our own church members share what The Lord has been speaking to them about. We started our summer programs with Sunday School Picnic. Despite the cool weather, the children and adults had a great time. During the summer months we are not having regular Sunday School, instead the younger children take part in Children’s Church downstairs while adults enjoy fellowship and teaching upstairs. The Fisher Bay Bible Camp season will begin with Family camp weekend. The spring banquet and the fundraising walkathon raised enough funds to complete the renovations to the chapel. We are so grateful for all who donated.  The youth camps held during the winter months had a waiting list for attending, as space was limited. The summer camps will accommodate up to 52 campers at a time. We are still praying for a couple of male counselors. The VBS will be held again at the end of July. The camps and VBS are our main focus in the summer months. Our desire is to sow the seed of The Word into young lives so that they will grow in their desire to know Christ better and to accept Him as their Lord and Saviour. We continue to ask for your prayers as we search for a new pastor. Maritta Sinisalo, Correspondent Jansen Bible ChurchA men’s Breakfast and Bible Study has been meeting on Saturday mornings at 8A. They meet in member’s homes with first Saturdays of the month meetings in the church fellowship hall. We hosted Vacation Bible School, June 10-14, from nine to noon, for ages 3 years through grade 6 and had 35 kids in attendance. Missionaries this year were the Matthew and Sarah Bates family serving in Denmark. The offering of $2,413.37 covered the expenses for them to serve at a Christian Bible camp in Denmark and the purchase of needed Sunday school materials. The Washington County, Kansas Rodeo food concessions were again covered by the JBC ladies on June 14 & 15. They were happy to have sold all their food supplies just before rain poured down on Saturday night. Our annual JBC Women’s Retreat is July 19 & 20 at the Leadership Center in Aurora NE. Tena Dick, Correspondent Kenora Bible ChurchKenora, Ontario Caleb Symons, Pastor kenorabiblechurch.ca Our kids’ Sunday school classes have been growing! This summer we will renovate our basement to use our space more efficiently and make bigger classrooms. In August we plan to hold our church service and picnic lunch in the park. We will be appointing deacons in our church for the first time in fall as part of our new leadership structure. Stephanie McMillan Langham Evangelical Bible ChurchLangham, Saskatchewan Greg Guarnett, Pastor langhambiblechurch.homestead.com
Marilyn Friesen, Correspondent Martensville Mission ChurchMartensville, Saskatchewan Justin Klassen, Pastor facebook.com/martensvillemissionchurch Summer is here and things have begun to slow down. Our programming is on summer hiatus giving all those involved the opportunity for some much-needed rest and rejuvenation. Over the summer months we look forward to what the Lord has in store for us as Pastor Justin leads us on a journey through Philippians. One of the first things that comes to mind when someone says “summer” is camping! A first annual church camping weekend is being planned for August out at Pike Lake, SK which we hope will create fellowship across multiple generations. Several families have signed up and are looking forward to a fun time of fellowship in the great outdoors! Over the past several months, the MMC Elders have been searching for an associate pastor, and we were excited to have a young man candidate in our church recently. During the week of June 23 - 30, the congregation has had several opportunities to meet and interact with both him and his wife through testimonies during the Sunday morning service, Sunday School, and Bible study along with a meal together. We pray for wisdom and discernment for all concerned in the decision to be made in the very near future. Brenda Quirt, Correspondent Randville Bible ChurchIron Mountain, Michigan Jim Janofski, Pastor facebook.com/RandvilleBibleChurch As Randville Bible Church approaches 90 years of ministry in Michigan's Upper Peninsula we continue to rejoice to see God's hand at work in our midst. And we are grateful for the faithfulness and love for the Lord and His Word shown by our church family. As always, at Randville Bible Church, we have continued to center our services on the beloved Word of God. This takes many forms -
Habakkuk's concluding expression of faith from the end of chapter 3: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls;Yes will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation, The Lord is my strength and He will make my feet like hinds' feet and He will make me to walk upon mine high places.”
Pastor Jim Janofski Rock Valley ChapelBeloit, Wisconsin Tim Johnson, Pastor rockvalleychapel.org We celebrated Great Commission Sunday in May with time during our service to hear from the six missionaries that we support via Zoom and video interviews. After the service we had an “ethnic” potluck, with families bringing favorite food items from their heritage. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and hearing how the gospel is being shared throughout the world! We welcomed five new members in June. Praise God for bringing these people to Rock Valley Chapel! We look forward to growing together in faith and fellowship. On June 1, we had a combined Women’s & Men’s Saturday morning breakfast and Bible study, to celebrate a wonderful season of fellowship and study in the Bible over the past year.  We will be having a booth at the local Rock County 4-H Fair in July. This is the second year in a row that we have been at the fair. We give the opportunity for fairgoers to write down their personal prayer requests, and we have various gospel tracts for both children and adults who are interested. Pray for these continued opportunities to share the gospel with fairgoers, to talk with, and pray for, those who stop by our fair booth.
We handed these new journal notebooks to all our attendees and will also be using these as gifts to those who come to visit our church. Although most of the logo work has been completed, there is still some work to complete on our website – watch for changes over the summer! We held Vacation Bible School from June 23 - 27, with the theme of The Great jungle Journey – journeying through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Of the 20+ children that attended, half of the children were from the community. Pray that these lives were touched by the gospel message that was given out.  Karen Broekhuis, Correspondent Salem ChurchWaldheim, Saskatchewan James VanderVeen, Pastor salemchurch.ca This year marks Salem’s 125th anniversary. We have also reached the one-year anniversary of the “big storm” that took out our sanctuary roof. Our weekly services remain in our Fellowship Hall, as construction continues to progress inside our sanctuary. We hope to move our services back to the sanctuary before the end of the year.  We recently celebrated Waldheim School 2024 graduates who attend our senior youth events and Sunday services. The service was led by several Salem youth, under the direction of Pastor Ryan. Each graduate received either a study or journal Bible and a Bible handbook. A few parents and students shared devotions and prayed over the future plans of the graduates. The Waldheim Missions Conference takes place July 21-24 with Charles Price as the main speaker. For over 70 years, this conference has featured nightly messages and missionary reports. A men’s breakfast, ladies tea, and children’s and youth programming have been added in recent years. The conference always kicks-off with a joint community church service in the town park. Our weekly ministries – including Junior and Senior youth, Young at Heart, Men’s Prayer, Grandma’s Who Pray, Small Groups, Brigade, GEMS and Sunday School – are pausing for the summer months. Please pray for those who participate in these ministries to continue to be encouraged over the summer. Kendra Albak, Interim Correspondent Saron Mennonite ChurchFairview, Oklahoma Arnold Curby, Pastor This spring, Pastor Arnold and Grace were privileged to be able to visit some of our retired Avant missionaries, John and Jan Lohrenz and Rosalie Stucky, at their respective homes in Texas. It was good to catch up with their news and present ministries. We also were able to host our missionary Mary Epp, widow of Reg Epp, when she came to Oklahoma for the 50th reunion of Reg’s high school graduating class. Mary will soon retire from serving nearly forty years with MAF. Our daughter and former Avant missionary, Hannah Curby, has also spent time with us this spring as she wrapped up her ministry in Sicily and prepared for her June wedding. In June we had our annual Children’s Day church service at the local Gloss Mountain State Park. Pastor Arnold’s message about sowing seeds of kindness was followed by a potluck picnic lunch and climbing the 150-foot trail to the top of the mesa called Cathedral Mountain. Grace Curby, Correspondent Stuartburn Gospel ChapelStuartburn, Manitoba Mark Funk, Pastor We celebrated six baptisms on June 23, both young and old candidates. It was a well-attended outdoor service. The testimonies were enjoyed by many. We journeyed over to the riverside for the baptism, and then back to the church yard for potluck and fellowship outdoors.
Summer is here! We have plans to do a Child Evangelism Fellowship-5 Day Club. We will host this at our church from August 19 - 23, for ages 5-12. Stuartburn Gospel Chapel aims to bring God great glory by living and sharing the good news of Jesus. Eileina Niessan, Correspondent
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 Our Vision Statement is: “Strengthening our churches with timely resources that strengthen their leaders.” Over the years, we have heard many times that some churches struggle with holding an effective member meeting. “Too long,” “too boring,” “not helpful,” “not transparent,” “not well-organized," are a few of the comments that have come up.
Any church leader who is involved with planning or presenting during meetings should look at this resource and consider whether any current practices need to be reexamined. As with all our resources, this document comes with free help. If you have questions or need any help with planning your next meeting, do not hesitate to contact the FEBC staff. FEBC Church Resources List Also, we have added a listing of many available resources HERE. Please remember that this is not an exhaustive list. We are happy to help FEBC church leaders with any ministry issue and encourage you to reach out whenever you have a need. However, this is a list of the “formal resources” that we can email you at any time, along with examples of the other informal services and onsite visits we provide.  Tags:
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An Epidemic of Apathy?7/3/2024  I believe there is an epidemic of sorts running through the Church in North America. And this time, I am not talking about one that involves social distancing or masks. It does, however, involve some very specific symptoms. It is increasingly common for a pastor or elder to ask me: “How do we increase volunteerism?” or “What can we do to fill open leadership positions?” or “Why aren’t more attendees becoming members?” It appears that we have a problem. You could call it apathy, or disconnectedness, or any number of things. Whatever you call it, it is a struggle for local churches everywhere. I believe there are many factors contributing to this sense of apathy within our churches. For instance, folks have way more competing for their attention than they used to – with tons of events to attend and social media screaming for their time. In short, folks are worn out. Too many commitments, too many pressures – and we cannot commit to one more thing. As volunteerism has waned, the Church has responded in the most logical way: If we cannot secure adequate help from members, we hire more staff to tend to our needs. This is reasonable and generally healthy, but I believe we may unintentionally develop the mindset that it is the job of some paid person to handle ministry, and others are there to partake in or receive that ministry. I think volunteerism is also hampered by what I would call the “pressure of comparison.” We have broad access to recordings and live streams of the best preachers in the world, the best musicians in the world, etc. It is easy to feel our meager gifting is not enough. Feelings of inadequacy are deadly to volunteerism. While this may seem like an insurmountable cultural trend, I would propose a few areas in which we can proactively work to stem the tide:
Church Leaders - let’s be intentional about developing and recruiting volunteers. Church Members - God has given you gifts that he wants you to use at your church! Please look for ways to serve.  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4:15-16 (NIV)
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 Hodgson Bible Church (Hodgson, MB) has now listed their pastoral opening. Click HERE for more information. Fairview Bible Church (Swift Current, SK) has hired a new interim pastor - Stephen Little. Praise God for his provision. More on Pastor Stephen Little HERE. Congratulations!Rev. Owen Retzlaff, Associate Pastor at Christian Fellowship Church of Rhineland (Wymark, SK) was ordained on April 14, 2024 Rev. Mathew Oliver, Family Pastor at Langham Evangelical Bible Church (Langham, SK) was ordained on June 23, 2024.  Tags:
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Desperate For Jesus7/3/2024  Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. I hear Jesus calling me to come But why do I so often run and not come? I run to fix it on my own I run to talk to others and drone I run to escape with my strength alone And when I do, I forfeit the grace, the peace, the comfort that comes from His throne. Why? Because I am not desperate enough for Jesus. Oh, I’m desperate! Desperate for relief Desperate for peace Desperate like the thief that hung next to Jesus But not desperate for Jesus! Yet, Jesus bids me to come for His yoke is easy and His burden is light But honestly, words like these only bring fright and not delight to my weary and heavy-laden heart. Why? Because I’m not desperate enough for Jesus. Because I don’t trust in the one who is gentle and lowly at heart. Jesus, I want to be desperate for you. Not because I’ve tried to go it alone Not because I can't make it on my own Not because I want to face it alone But because I know you are seated on the throne And You know And You care And You are able And You love me. So, instead of waiting. I will come. I’ll come to You instead of laboring Instead of loading unnecessary burdens on me that I could never carry in the first place For Your way is easy and Your “burden” isn’t a burden at all. I’ll come to Jesus and find rest in you alone.
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A Merry Heart7/3/2024  Humor is defined as a spontaneous response that promotes health through positive communication that helps decrease thoughts and responses. In today's world, where news broadcasts are often filled with stories of wars and suffering, Solomon's wisdom in Proverbs 17:22 becomes increasingly relevant: 'A merry heart is good medicine.' The inclusion of humor has transitioned from a mere option to a necessity, offering a crucial respite amidst the otherwise disheartening content. The wars and suffering in the world fill the news broadcasts and if one feels sad at the beginning, the video and the comments increase discouragement. You may have noticed that many news broadcasters have begun to include some happy, positive news to lighten the impact at the end of the news. While Solomon did not know about chemicals such as dopamine and oxytocin that now are often prescribed for restoring humor, he did know that a broken spirit dries our bones. Today, I share with you key theories, functions and simple techniques for restoring humor. It’s my hope that your time spent reading this article is rewarded with a rise in your spirits and an encouraged heart. TheoriesAccording to the experts there are four major theories that are often used to describe what creates humor and what humor is: Superiority, Incongruity, Relief, and Play. The superiority theory of humor suggests that humor stems from a sense of glory and superiority that is felt by a person recognizing their superiority over others. This theory is one that many modern stand up comics prescribe to as they write jokes pointing out perceived flaws in the lives and appearances of their live audiences for the sake of a laugh. It is unlikely that mean-spirited humor creates a truly merry heart, but finding unique commonalities by noticing the quirks of ourselves and others just might. The second theory, the theory of incongruity, is currently the leading approach to humor and hinges on humor as a response to incongruity or ambiguity. An outrageous or incongruous statement that could generate humor is something like, “There’s a purple tree.” (Flowers on a tree may be purple, but not usually the tree.) The third theory, Relief, is based on the observation that a relief of tensions often makes people laugh. I recall being in a post office when the patron in front of me used an endless number of pennies to pay for her stamps. Both the clerk and those of us in line were getting tired of this and when the clerk gave the lady some change, he carefully counted it back to her using all pennies. The lady did not smile, but the rest of us did. The final theory is play. Play theorists suggest that humor is an extension of play. Table games, sports like tennis, baseball, swimming and other activities such as exercise provide a type of humor that results in a release from the tension of the day. Unfortunately, not all games stay at tension release level when money and other high physical or emotional stakes are put into winning. Then the game may no longer be play but becomes work and not effective in relieving tension. While there is not one singular theory of humor or how to create it, understanding these different theories of play helps us dig further into the functions of this God-given emotion or mood and how we can naturally use humor as a medicine. FunctionsHumor serves many functions in our lives, but current studies suggest that humor impacts and improves four major aspects of our lives: Physiological, Psychological, Sociological, and Spiritual. Physiological relief is described as internal jogging or “belly laughing.” Physiological relief often happens in a work or family setting when something happens that’s so funny that those present immediately begin to laugh. For example, people might see a big dog chasing a much smaller cat until the cat runs up a tree trunk to the safety of the branches. The tension of a possible fight turns to laughter as the cat scampers up the tree. Psychological tension is a heavy weight to carry, but humor can provide the mental break we often need. On hearing that David’s army was coming to kill the men on Nabal’s large farm because he refused to give them food, Abigail, his wife, immediately provided food and personally went to apologize to David (1 Samuel 25:2-42). Changing the decision and a personal apology effectively diffused David’s anger. It isn’t often that we have the courage and strength to act as Abigail does, but offering up a smile and a lighthearted joke to ease the tension for ourselves and others when we face hardship is an easy and fairly sure way to break tension and find merriment in even the hardest situations. Not only does humor relieve psychological tension, but it also strengthens social bonds and improves relationships. As we laugh together, we create a deeper bond and foster a sense of community and belonging. Sharing a laugh brings us closer together. Spiritual aspects of humor use scripture and prayer to lighten a crisis experience such as chronic illness, disability or death. This function strengthens a person’s sense of faith and trust in God. Through discussion there is a mental movement (transcendence) that goes beyond the immediate painful experience the person must cope with and manage in his/her/family adjustment. Simple TechniquesSince we are all so individual, no technique for restoring humor is likely to be useful for everyone. It’s important that we take the time to find and foster humor in each of our own ways. If you’re struggling and could use a place to start, I encourage you to try any one of the simple techniques below.
Now more than ever, it is important that we recognize the function of humor and attempt to keep our hearts merry. As we approach a trying political season and navigate life’s hardships together, I pray that you make it a goal to find the humor in God’s joyful creation and help others restore a merry heart.
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The Best Laid Plans7/3/2024  Lately, my life has been consumed by constant thoughts of my upcoming fall wedding. More and more, the monumental date has seemed more like a ticking bomb rather than one of the biggest blessings God has given me. My childhood dreams are coming true and one of the most kind-hearted, loving and Godly men is vowing his love and pledging faithfulness to me for the rest of his life and yet every happy thought of my wedding has become clouded with worry and anxiety. Plans are falling through left and right and I’m attempting to adjust the delicate vision I weaved in childhood to fit within the constraints of budget and timing and all of the intricacies that come along with planning such a big event. It’s been difficult to continue on planning with a heart of thankfulness; I can’t help but feel a bit down as a cloud of disappointment builds with every change of plans. Anyone who knows me understands that I’m a planner. I believe God designed my type-A personality and analytical brain as a blessing, though it's challenging to feel that way when continual shifts in well-laid plans stir such deep negative emotions and thoughts within me. I recognize that I am not alone in grappling with anxiety and sadness when things don’t go according to plan. Life often throws us unexpected curves—plans change, dreams evolve, and uncertainties abound. For many of us, these shifts can trigger anxiety and even lead to bouts of depression. As Christians, however, we are called to a deeper trust in God's sovereignty and His greater plans for our lives. It’s much easier to write or read that statement than to live according to the truth of it though. Embracing God’s sovereignty, surrendering our plans and finding peace in uncertainty while resting on God’s promises is not such a simple task. After much reflection, I believe that the start is recognizing that our God is sovereign, a realization that can bring immense comfort regardless of the situation you face. Colossians 1:16-17 reminds us, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before ALL things, and in Him all things hold together.” Despite our best-laid plans, God sees the bigger picture and orchestrates all things according to His perfect will. This doesn’t mean that life will be free of difficulties, but it assures us that God is in control. We may think we see the whole picture, but God has every piece of the puzzle of life and we only have one. Trust in His sovereignty and His design. Recognizing God’s sovereignty makes it easier to ultimately surrender our plans. Proverbs 16:9 tells us, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” It takes humility and trust, but surrendering our plans to Him and acknowledging that His ways are higher and His timing is perfect is the only way to bring true peace in our uncertainty. In times of uncertainty, it’s important that we center our thoughts on what we know of our sovereign Lord and rest on the promises He has made us. Even when our plans crumble, God’s plans for us are rooted in love and purpose. “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” - Jeremiah 29:11 “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. - Psalm 33:11 As you lay your plans and struggle when they change, it’s my hope that you will practice finding peace and even joy in the challenges and ambiguity. For anyone, this is a difficult thing to do. We have 65 days till the wedding. It’s my goal to spend every single one of those days thanking the Lord for my many blessings and looking forward to living out His great plan even when it upsets my own.
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 Mental health, two words which conjure strong views and emotions. Some believe it to be nonsense or a crutch, others are consumed by it, while others suffer with it in silence. During my lifetime, society has shifted from acting as though it was not real or ignoring it to embracing it and encouraging people to talk openly about it. One doctor told me a few years ago that half of his patients were on anxiety medication and the other half should be. The Church tends to lag behind society but slowly take the same approach. We can see this with mental health as well; there is growing acceptance of the topic but at a slower pace than outside the Church. Many ungodly practices and beliefs have been accepted by the Church over time, is this just one more? Should the Church reject mental illnesses, accept it as defined by society, or something in the middle? What does Scripture say? This is a hard article to write, because some Christians believe mental illness is just sinful thoughts while others have adopted our societies methods which are founded in a godless ideology. I recently heard a well-respected pastor and author say that there is no such thing as mental illness, it is all the result of sinful thoughts. If people would think on the right things, all their symptoms would go away. Further to this, Scripture can be used to support different approaches.
This is also a difficult article to write because it is intensely personal. I am a planner, an organizer, a worrier and I internalize my stress. My frown lines confirm this. My brother is the opposite; he is easy-going, impulsive, a happy-go-lucky guy. I remember asking him fifteen years ago how he deals with anxiety and panic attacks and he said he doesn’t have anxiety. Great. I’m very glad for you, but that doesn’t help me. From 2007-2010 I lived with very high levels of anxiety. Many days were bad enough that I was concerned that I was having a nervous breakdown. Concentration was difficult, my thoughts raced, I had regular panic attacks with nausea and shortness of breath, I hated to be alone, I prayed for the rapture or just for death and I didn’t know how to tell anyone. I confessed my sin; I begged God to take away my anxiety and give me His peace. I continued to read Scripture, but for the first time, the psalms came to life. David was a warrior, but he also had deep emotions, and many psalms he wrote spoke what my heart felt. I clearly remember the day when I prayed and told God that I would stop praying for the anxiety to leave. I would begin to thank Him for my anxiety and the things causing it and would praise Him and pray for others. I discovered a strange thing; God gave me peace amid my anxiety. My symptoms continued, but they lessened in intensity. In the years since, I have had many days of anxiety and I have discovered some lasting consequences of that period. I cannot work as hard. I cannot handle the same level of stress. I must consciously limit my output to about 75% capacity, which is frustrating and humbling. This last winter was the hardest season I have had since 2010. I believe there are a variety of causes of mental illnesses; genetics and personality types play a role as this seems to run in families; traumatic events, stress, and exhaustion all play a part, not unlike our physical bodies. After years of burning wood in an outdoor boiler to heat our house I have permanently damaged my back. I can try to ignore this but with very painful results. It is humbling to ask for help but it is foolish to pretend my back is strong. Some people use mental health to gain attention or as an excuse for sinful choices. I am not condoning this behavior at all. My responsibility is to walk obediently before God, to cast my cares upon Him, to trust Him for each day and allow Him to use me as He sees fit. I do not wear my anxiety as a crutch, but I also know there is an ebb and a flow to life, and I must be thankful for my good days and trust God during my bad days. He has not chosen to remove this from me, so I will praise Him for His goodness regardless of my day today. Psalm 13 has become precious to me as David cries out for help but declares at the end, “I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.”
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 Teenagers are leaving the church in droves. This is the punchline of far too many studies focused on today’s young people and the lives and decisions of young Christians. Each study gives its own two cents on how we best combat this critical issue. Some hammer home mentoring, while others preach church involvement and others endorse the impact of meaningful connections with peers and adults. While these are all crucial things that we should seek to implement, one thread that is not often explored is the role home plays on the next generation. Whether we realize it or not, we have more time and opportunity with our kids at home than church will ever have. Our time at home with our children will always have a greater impact than any amount of programming churches can push. So instead of trying to figure out how many more things we can squeeze into already busy schedules, it’s important that we focus our efforts on how we can begin the conversation on forming the faith of our kids at home. Whether we are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or family friends, what are we putting into place to be sure that we are taking advantage of the time that we have and being intentional to develop the faith of our kids? Because, while we have a lot more time and opportunity than any other institution, it too is limited. We only have 18 years where we are the primary influence in a child’s life. The critical question is how we fully take advantage of these years and not squander them. This can feel like an overwhelming task, but my hope is that we can take a lot of baby steps forward so that our kids can know with confidence who Jesus is and what He has done for them. One of those baby steps is to simply talk. I have been challenged personally when I am picking my 4-year-old up from Bible Discovery. More often my first question is, “Did you have fun?” or “What did you do?” instead of “What did you learn today?” And while I may not get more than “I don’t know…” for an answer, that is a starting point to further conversation. We have so many opportunities to simply talk about our faith with our kids. Mornings, bedtime, mealtimes, and car rides are a few of the places that we can be intentional with our conversations. Asking what they need prayer for, what they are thankful for, or how they’ve seen God at work are all great ways to simply start talking about our faith. We should be creating the space for them to question, doubt, learn, and understand. This is just the tip of the iceberg, join us at Connect24 this year for a breakout where we’ll dig deeper into the value of Faith Formation, what it looks like at different ages, and practical ideas for churches to encourage and families to implement. May we never forget the mandate given in Deuteronomy 6 - “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
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7/3/2024
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