Countdown – Connect the Disconnected

 

Countdown – Connect the Disconnected

Some years ago, I adopted a phrase that I pair with our sharing of the gospel. Those words were "connect the disconnected."

There are many who have professed their belief in Jesus and not taken a single step forward in their discipleship. They may have thought that when they professed Jesus is Lord that was the end of the race.

It’s likely that they still pray, especially when the rent is past due.

It’s likely that they believe in everything they professed.

It’s likely they asked you to put their mother or son on our prayer list.

It’s likely that they, in many ways, do want to please God.

But they are stuck in their preexisting patterns, disconnected from the body of Christ and from abundant life.

So, remember, part of what we do is reach out to these people as well and invite them to come home, even if they have never been here before.

There is a family of faith for everyone.

Moderator Report - September 2025

 

Moderator Report

September 2025

 

 I have kept this report lean and linked earlier reports for more context. We do have some action items to accomplish at this meeting.

Seek Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Missions. We helped 69 children with school supplies.

Worship. Changes discussed in the Worship Meeting are implemented.

Education. NTR

Building and Grounds. Improvements have been continuous over the past few weeks.

Fellowship. New (combined) teams are posted.

Financial. I asked Phil to reduce his thoughts to writing on the Division of Treasurer Duties so it could be examined by the session before the meeting. (Pending). Mandy has not received any of the funds we agreed to support this class.

Other

Red River Presbytery will be in the books by the time of our meeting. We need to share the information from the meeting as well as capturing costs and lessons while the event is still fresh in our minds. I expect Kathy to have considerable thoughts on the experience, but we should all take a moment to share a lesson or two for future endeavors.

Elders, please continue your prayer and meditation regarding your nominations for our next elders to serve on the session or reducing the size of the session. Here are the responses so far concerning willingness to serve. The nomination process begins at this meeting.

Ethan Delp       Yes

Danny Rush      Not at this time

Rick Reeves      If needed.   

Kathy Stegall     If needed 

Larry Walker      No response

Rodney Chilton As a last resort 

Carolyn Murray  No response   

 

Pastor Turnover. Kathy will take over the janitorial contract management on 1 October. Garrett will take over supervising the rental of the manse on 1 December. Rodney will take over bulletin preparation beginning 1 December. Tom will cease financial transactions on behalf of the church on/about 1 December.  I expect 21 December 2025 to be my last Sunday in the pulpit as your pastor.

The Search Committee is to be confirmed at this meeting. Bless the search committee has been moved to 5 October 2025.

Tom Personal.

I also expect 2025 to be the last year that Sharman does Angel Gifts or F4. She might be back for F4, but we have significant travel in the first part of 2026, so she would not be present for half of the Wednesdays in the spring. She might continue with the backpack ministry intake if that ministry continues.

I have stopped my “I’m not going to be here Sunday” texts. I think I placated the emotions that prompted the request; they were not efficacious, and subsidized complacency on the part of the session. If the 6-12 months of notices I have provided don’t do the trick, a last-minute text isn’t going to help.

Links to information not included in the report.

Dates for Planning Purposes.

F4 Schedule

Worship Meeting Report

Projects in Search of a Champion.  

Unfinished Business.

Previous Moderator Reports

Unfunded Deficiencies

Online Giving Link

2024 Annual Report

Smart Pack

Turnover Background Documents

Budgeting References

ICA – Pastor Template

ICA – Janitor Template

Recurring Tasks

Prayer List

Red River Presbytery Facebook page

 

 

Countdown: Quick, Slow, Slow

 

I hope that everyone knows James 1:19-20. It is a memory verse that most of you have mastered. Let’s master the guts of this verse in application. It’s quick, slow, slow.

Quick to listen is the first to listen. The person who will commit to listening to the other person or persons before expressing their own thoughts. Being understood is a basic human need. Stepping out to say, “I’m going to listen until I understand you—might not agree with you—but I will commit to understanding you.

Slow to speak means you can’t talk and listen at the same time. It validates that I have committed to listening first. I still want to have my say and want you to understand me, but you go first. I will keep quiet, except to ask something for clarification, and I will listen.

Slow to anger does not mean never getting angry, but anger is never our first resort, and we should have a very slow fuze. God will judge the wicked, and he wants us to reduce his work in that area not by being angry for him but by bringing the wicked to repentance and right standing in the blood of Jesus. Anger sometimes feels justified, even righteous, because we know that this would really anger God. But God said that vengeance and anger belong to him.

Our anger cannot produce a righteous life. It’s not effective. It is a waste of our efforts and detracts from our mission of sharing God’s love with the world.

Quick, slow, slow, remember those three and save both regret and the valuable allocation of your time to something with no good return.

Remembering the whole verse helps too.

Countdown – TURN

 The countdown continues...

I had the lead-off sermon at my second year of PAS. I knew that I would preach on the Parable of the Talents. I also knew it wouldn’t be the only time that I would do that, and I have preached this parable over 100 times here, and probably 200 more over the years in various places.

This parable is a gold mine of wisdom and insight!

I came up with an acronym that I think covers some essential lessons. There is a whole bunch more to this parable, but this is what comes up repeatedly. Here it is.

TURN

T is for trusted. All of the servants were trusted with money in accordance with their ability. They had a preexisting relationship with their master before this parable began. They were trusted servants. Even the third servant was trusted with a substantial investment in his ability.

U stands for urgency. The first two servants put their talents to work at once. They were ready to be trusted more, and because of that, they could put their master’s money to work immediately.

R is for Return on Investment (ROI). The master expected a return on the trust he placed in his servants.

N is for No Fear. Every servant had to contend with fear, but only the third one was debilitated by fear. We all deal with fear, but we should not be afraid. Our desire to produce a return for our master should be enough to overcome whatever fear is taunting us. If you must be afraid, be afraid of not pleasing your master, but fear does not govern the trusted servants thinking or actions.

This acronym brings us to the question, what did we do with what our Master (the Lord) gave us. We must realize that we are his trusted servants, are to act with urgency, are to produce a return on our Master’s trust, and that fear does not govern in our lives.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge… The key word there is beginning.

Perfect love casts out fear.

I hope you continue to read the Parable of the Talents and find some value in the acronym.

We are God’s Trusted Servants!

Countdown

 

I have about 100 days left to shepherd this body. It’s a common thing to look at the first 100 days of a presidency. I think that started with JFK.

My experience as a commissioned officer was that you had 30 days to know your job, and then 30 days to start making a difference.

But how we finish is just as important, if not more important as how we begin. The session is on a course to make the transition as smooth as possible. That may be seamless, or it might take a while. It is a process of discovery and discernment by both the church body and the candidates. It’s not just getting a person in the pulpit.

Next Sunday, we will bless the Search Committee at this service.  I don’t know that we have ever done that here. I’m not sure if many other church bodies have either, but it seemed appropriate to the task before them.

From what was discussed at the elder retreat, I think the session plans to fill the pulpit with messages from some of your elders. I remember the days when James Hendrix and I did that until Duawn got here.

It was enriching for us.  I have offered some transition planning and counsel to the session, but hope this one is received. Don’t just fill the time. Bring the message that God placed on your heart.

That applies to anyone who might take a turn, not just the elders. It is not public speaking, though it shares many qualities and aspects. It is the exhortation of the word.

That’s looking to the beginning of 2026.

Concurrently, in these last 100 days, I plan to offer for consideration and contemplation some things that I hope will survive my time here. These are things that have come up again and again over the past 18 years that I hope have some lasting impact and are worth further consideration.

Where to begin?

God loves you. Love one another. After giving out wristbands to the school kids that we shared the good news with in 2012, I thought I needed something to take to Africa with me.  GOD LOVES YOU – LOVE ONE ANOTHER was the ticket.

If it was on target there, how much more here?

GOD LOVES YOU – LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Is that the whole story? No, but it’s a segue to it.  There is story on both sides of those two phrases and a whole bunch in between.

We know that God is love and that he loves us. We know that love in Christ Jesus. We know that one of the best responses to receiving his mercy, love, and grace—all are truly love—is to love one another as much as Christ loved us.

The wristbands that we used to have—that seems to be something that will retire with me, but you will find something else, and I will continue to order them in my personal ministry—are not bling; they are beginnings to greater conversations.

So, I begin this countdown with God loves you. Love one another.

I plan to finish strong and to do the things that facilitate the future operations of this body.

I plan to finish strong and expect you to hit the deck running in 2027.

So, let’s begin these 100 days with GOD LOVES YOU. LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

The countdown continues...

TURN

Quick, Slow, Slow

Connect the Disconnected

Obituary for Heather Andrea Spence

 

Heather Spence

18 February 1978 – 19 August 2025

 

Heather Andrea Spence was born on 18 February 1978 in Beaufort, South Carolina.  

As a child, she lived in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Iowa, and California. She attended schools across the country and graduated from University High School, Orlando, Florida in 1996.

She graduated from Orlando Technical Center in the School of Culinary Arts in 1998. After culinary school, she worked several years with prominent chefs at Universal Studios in Orlando.

She later moved to Burns Flat, Oklahoma, and worked many years at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center in Elk City, Oklahoma, even after losing her gallbladder and one kidney. She was a shining star with a caring and welcoming smile in the Emergency Room.

She was twice awarded Employee of the Year during her career there.

After losing most of one leg and most of one hand, she could no longer work, but she was determined to recover, walk again, and return to the job that she loved most.

She had a unique mixture of determination and kindness, and seldom did you see one without the other.

She had no children and is survived by her parents, Tom and Sharman Spence of Burns Flat, Oklahoma, her brother, Christopher Spence and wife Courtney, aunts, uncles, and cousins.   

She was loved by family and friends in many places.

She went to be with the Lord on 19 August 2025.

Recurring Tasks

This is a short list of Recurring Tasks/Coordination Efforts required. It is a guide only, but hopefully useful in turnover and for the new pastor.

It is not a "daily" checklist.

Order

Copy paper

Toner for copier

Toilet paper

Paper towels for restrooms

 

Schedule

Fire System Inspection (Annually)

Oil Change (Annually, unless usage increases significantly)

Change HVAC filters (Annually)  

Congregational Meeting (to elect elders) – announce for 3 weeks prior to meeting

 

Nominate/Select

Elder & Alternate for Presbytery (NLT March/August) to RRP Clerk

Elders to serve on the session (2-2-1)

 

Externally Driven Events

Postal Carriers Food Drive (Spring/Summer)

School Food Drives (November)

 

Discern

Who needs extra help at Thanksgiving and Christmas (Baskets)

Who needs help (other