Newsletter

The concept of “sabbath” is first mentioned in God’s creative work in Genesis. For six days, God worked to create all things, and then on the seventh day he rested. When he brought Israel into the promised land and gave them his law, it included a command to rest on the seventh day. This is the first time the actual word “sabbath” appears in the Bible (Exodus 20:8-11). The law also included a command for a sabbath year, during which the Israelites were to allow the land to rest by not planting crops (Leviticus 25:3-5). This was to be observed every seventh year.

While Christians are not commanded to observe these laws, we can follow them as God leads us in our lives. Times of rest are necessary for all of us. We cannot keep up a constant fast pace of life without eventually reaching a point of exhaustion. We should observe daily, weekly and yearly times of rest, with the goal of drawing nearer to Jesus.

Last fall, I approached our church council with a request for an extended break from church ministry. I realized that I had experienced a season of intense emotion as I navigated a variety of situations within our church, and I believed that for me to be the best follower of Jesus, husband, father and pastor I could be, I needed to take some time away to rest and recharge. I felt that this summer was the right time for this because my family would be off work and school and we could spend this time together. Church council graciously agreed.

This “sabbatical” is meant to be a time of renewal for me, my family and our church. I have been serving as the pastor here at Pea Ridge for 10 years, and I strongly believe our church will be strengthened as others step up to serve during my time away. This is planned as a full eight weeks that runs from May 26-July 20.

During this time, I will not answer calls, texts or emails. Pastoral care will be provided by our deacons and deaconesses. These faithful men and women will work together with our staff to minister to our congregation. We are still finalizing a plan for them to be easily reached during these eight weeks and will share this with you soon. Our church also has contracted with Ed Rogers of Renewal Transformation Strategies to provide support for our staff and help move our vision forward this summer. There will be a summer sermon series and reading plan focused on the Psalms. This series will be preached by people I have selected, some of whom are from outside our church and others who are part of our church family.

My goal for this time away is simple:  to draw closer to Jesus as I rest and recharge and ask him to prepare me and my family for our next phase of ministry here at Pea Ridge. We are in the early stages of a new vision for our church and we believe God is already working to form us into a community of restored hearts, renewed relationships and revived compassion, all built on a reliable foundation. My prayer is that I will return on July 21 ready to lead our church into a time of spiritual growth as we continue our mission of making disciples!

Our church renewal team has planned a special Family Fun Night at Camden Park on Sunday, May 18 from 4:30-7 p.m. The purpose of this event is to develop Christ-centered relationships within our church and community, which is one main piece of our new church vision. While our team members knew this would have to be planned quickly, they felt it was the right time to do this before summer starts!

The evening will be packed with fun, food, fellowship and a scavenger hunt. Registration is $12/person and includes parking, admission to the park at 4:30 p.m., a t-shirt, and dinner at 5:30 p.m. The deadline to register and pay is Sunday, May 4 and can be done online at the link below:

To register and pay by check or cash, please contact the church office at prbc@pearidgabaptist.com or 304-736-5572. Children two and under are free so please email the church office to register anyone 2 and under.

Keep in mind that you are encouraged to come, regardless of how you feel about riding rides! This is meant to be a time of building relationships with one another and there will be many opportunities for that while we are there!

The Lord is moving in and through our youth group! On Sunday, April 13, Youth Director Zach Stevens, volunteers and middle and high school students shared about their series entitled “Who He Is.” During this series, the students focused on the life and ministry of Jesus as they learned from his example and teachings. If you missed that Sunday and would like to watch their portion of the service, follow the link below. We ask that you continue to pray our youth group as they finish the school year and enter into summertime, which will include a missions trip to help a church in Rainelle, W.Va.!

Our children’s ministry director, Levi Casto, has been working hard from South Carolina and will be moving back to the Huntington area this summer. Levi has focused on recruiting and encouraging our volunteers and doing as much team building as possible from his remote location. Please continue to pray for Levi, his wife Hannah and their baby boy who is set arrive in late May or early June.

Also, make sure to say thank you to those who are serving in our children’s ministry on Sundays and Wednesdays! Our volunteers are helping to introduce our children to Jesus and help them grow in their faith. Please pray for them and encourage them as they invest in and care for the youngest members of our church.