Sermon Video: The team of servants every church needs, Romans 16,1-16,21-23

The Apostle Paul shares the large team, highlighting the crucial role of numerous women, that helped him accomplish the task that the Lord had assigned to him of founding local churches and building them up in the image of Christ.  It is also encouraging to see how much affection that Paul feels toward these co-workers, for him they truly are friends.

The Church today can learn powerful lessons from Paul's experience, lessons about teamwork, mutual respect and affection, and friendship within the Christian community.

Sermon Video: Five loaves and two fish - Mark 6:30-44

 Instead of finding rest in a solitary place, Jesus and the disciples are met with a large crowd.  Jesus has compassion on them and teaches them, but when the disciples observe that the people need food, Jesus says, "You give them something to eat."  HOW?  They can't solve this problem, but Jesus still asks them to try, to asses their resources, and then uses their small contribution (5 loaves and 2 fish), blesses it, and then has the disciples be the one to pass out the food to the crowd.

What is our lesson in all this?  19th century missionary William Carey said it best, "Expect great things from God.  Attempt great things for God."

Sermon Video: Jesus assembles his team - Mark 3:7-19

 We know that it takes a team to accomplish a great task, many of our favorite books and movies illustrate this, and the same holds true for the work of Jesus to share the Gospel and found a Church. He needed a team. The 12 men called to be his official disciples were an interesting bunch, and we might not have chosen some of them given the opportunity, but Jesus molded and shaped them over the next several years. The result? Aside from Judas, they all served Jesus and the Gospel in the face of death, 11/12 (If we include Matthias instead of Judas) were martyred (to the best of our knowledge) while sharing the Good News...The Church today needs a team too, we need each person's skills and passions to fulfill the task at hand: Sharing the Gospel and making disciples of Jesus Christ.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The people who made Paul's ministry possible - 1 Corinthians 16:10-24

As he wraps up his letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul reminds them of his partners and colleges in the work of the Lord, from Timothy to Apollos, to a trio of men who assisted him, to the husband and wife team of Priscilla and Aquila. The point? The work of the Lord is a team effort. We need everyone in the local church to contribute, and we need partnerships with other churches and para-church groups. We're in this effort together, and everyone who works along with us to accomplish the Lord's work is our teammate.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: If the Lord permits: Making Plans - 1 Corinthians 16:1-9

2020 has been, thus far, to say the least, a time of changed plans. First the pandemic cancelled things, rearranged things, and left us wondering when it was safe to reopen. Then, on May 25th, George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis and our focus as a nation shifted abruptly from Covid-19. As the people of God, we must plan for the future and we must be ready when it surprises us. The Apostle Paul planned a collection from the Gentile Churches of Asia Minor and Greece to save Judean Christians from starvation. In doing so, he (1) used what worked in one churches in other churches, (2) encouraged each church (and each family within) to consider their resources and act accordingly, (3) prepared for success, (4) was a specific with his plans as possible, (5) retained flexibility, (6) and most importantly, remembered that the Lord holds the future. As we look ahead, as long as we are dedicated and hard working in our service to the Lord, whatever comes next, we will be ok.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Stand firm if you're doing the Lord's work - 1 Corinthians 15:58

As the culmination of his message about the triumph of Jesus over sin and death, and the future resurrection that awaits all those who believe in him, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to stand firm and serve.  If we are IN Christ, we're standing in the right place and must continue to do so, for were else would any of us go, and why?  While there, we need to serve.  The Church fulfills its mission when volunteers take it upon themselves to move forward the cause of the Gospel.  As important as our clergy are in leading the Church, the laity are the ones who impact the community the most.  In addition, Paul promises us that our labor for the Lord will never be in vain.  Whether or not we see results, those who serve from the heart will be rewarded in heaven and receive the transformation of their character here and now.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

What if we don't need a new church plant?

In 2016, Pastor Charlie Cotherman led the planting of Oil City Vineyard Church just upriver from us in Oil City.  I know Charlie, and God has blessed his vision for Oil City with a church that is thriving.  That same year, Pastor Joseph Gibson led the planting of Cranberry Community Church (Assemblies of God) a few miles 'uphill' from us in Cranberry.  I know Joseph as well, and God has also blessed his vision for Cranberry with a church that is thriving.  Planting a new church is often seen as a way of waking up a community, of bringing something new and potentially exciting to the mix, and ultimately (hopefully) of tapping into the work of the Spirit and reaping a harvest for the Kingdom.
But what if a village, town, or other relatively small community already has more churches than average?  What if that town has quite a bit more than one would expect to find for a town its size? {More than it needs?  Is that a real thing?}  The town of Franklin has just over 6,000 people (it was 6,500 in 2010, this year's census will provide new numbers), and with that population, contains 1 Catholic, 3 Church of God, 1 American Baptist (that's us), 1 Nazarene, 2 United Methodist, 1 Free Methodist, 1 Wesleyan Methodist, 1 Christian Missionary Alliance, 1 Presbyterian, 1 United Brethren, 1 Episcopal, 1 Lutheran, 1 Pentecostal, and 1 Foursquare.  In addition, across the river in Rocky Grove we have another United Methodist church, another Church of God, another Presbyterian church, and a Pilgrim Holiness church; I can think of another 7 churches within three miles of town (4 UMC, 2 Independent Baptists, 1 Community).  If we add in Rocky Grove, that's 20 (27 in a 4 mile radius) churches for a population of about 7,000.  If everyone in town went to church each Sunday, we'd each have about 350 people.  There are 3 churches with that number or more, but most have between 50-125.  In theory we could fit all 7,000 people in our church pews, maybe needing a few 2nd services.  {That's with 100% attendance, those who are home-bound take several hundred off of that potential group, but at a very healthy 50% attendance rate, we'd still have more than enough church pew space}.  With a population that has been in steady decline since the 1970's, and a number of churches that still reflects the glory days of the Oil Boom (when my church regularly had over 1,000 people on Sundays, and others were packed too), it would seem illogical to consider adding another church to Franklin's already massive and diverse repertoire.
Oil City didn't suffer from a lack of churches when Charlie and his family arrived, although it seems that he filled a niche that may have been underutilized.  The same seems true with Joseph and Cranberry, given its smaller population than either Franklin or Oil City, but also the lack of any church in our area associated with the Assemblies of God (the one in Franklin closed several years ago).  How do we know if God's purpose would be better served by focusing our energy and vitality on reviving that which is already here, or trying to build something from scratch?  The Book of Acts in the New Testament doesn't offer us any direction as to how many churches should exist in any particular community, so we're not going to find easy answers.
There are a lot of under-served communities in America, and tens of thousands of them worldwide.  These are places with one church per 10,000 people, and even far worse ratios.  Compared to them, Franklin is overly, abundantly, blessed, as is our county as a whole {with about 50k people and well over 100 churches}.  If God has plans to send us someone like Charlie or Joseph (and their wives and kids), I'll welcome them with open arms, but if God's plan is instead to work with what we already have here, I've no doubt that we can get the job done with the churches (both the communities and the buildings) we already have serving this community.

Sermon Video: Work together for the truth - 3 John 1-8

Continuing the themes from 2 John, the Apostle commends a leader from a church that he is connected with named Gaius for his devotion to the hospitality that was necessary in the 1st century Church to support the traveling missionaries and teachers of the first generation Church.  In doing so, John calls attention to the need for building relationships between churches, for each church to assist the Missions effort, and for churches to work together for the common goal of supporting the truth (i.e. the Gospel).  With that in mind, this message considers, and encourages, the partnerships that 1st Baptist has with denominational entities (ABCUSA, International Missions, ABCOPAD), national/regional ministries (The Gideons, Youth For Christ, Child Evangelism Fellowship), county-wide organizations (Venango County Christian Ministerium, Mustard Seed Missions, Emmaus Haven, ABC Life Center), and finally local Franklin efforts (the Central Help Fund, Shepherd's Green Food Pantry, Franklin Ministerium {cross-walk, Good Friday Service, 4th of July service}).  By participating in, and actively supporting, these efforts, the people of 1st Baptist can multiply their effort, increasing the impact of our congregation for the work of the Kingdom of God.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Yesterday my church was full of people...

As the pastor of a small church (in a huge building), I wish my church was full more often, it bothers me from time to time that my eight years here haven't resulted in full pews on Sunday morning.  We've added a number of great new people and families since my arrival, but I've also officiated at more funerals than I can count.  Yesterday my church was full of people.  We hosted a Christmas food voucher distribution run by Community Support Services (formerly OEO, under the Venango County Human Services Department) and the Venango County United Way.  Seven CSS workers distributed 450 vouchers beginning at 10 AM, we had people waiting to get into the church when our office manager Cheryl arrived at 7.  By 10 AM, there were nearly 200 people waiting in Miller Auditorium.  Rather than spend my morning in my office reading or writing, I gladly spent the bulk of yesterday interacting with my neighbors, many of whom I have now conversed with each of the last several years while they waited for a voucher.
Before my tenure as the shepherd of this flock reaches its termination, Lord willing many years from now, I certainly do hope that our worship service on Sunday morning fills our sanctuary to capacity (about 200+); maybe we will be blessed in this way, maybe not.  I don't know what the future holds for this congregation, nor what the results will be of the seeds we've endeavored to sow, but I do know that yesterday my church was full of people, and for the pastor of a small congregation, that warms my heart.

Homelessness is a real issue in Venango County

At last month's zoning board meeting in Oil City, which ended in the decision being tabled until this month, a claim was made by one official who was called to testify that there isn't a homelessness problem in Oil City.  This assertion was met with gasps by many of the clergy present because of our ample experience with those who are either homeless or in danger of soon being homeless.  Whatever is decided at this month's meeting about this particular location in Oil City, the need for a shelter (whether one sizable one, or several smaller locations) will remain.  How do I know this?  In the past two years, the Bridge House Transitional Housing Program (that is, Emmaus Haven) here in Franklin has had 47 people stay at their facility, out of a total of 88 people who were referred to the program (which means 41 people were unable to stay, and need accommodations elsewhere).  During the past two years, a three apartment house in Franklin that was renovated by Mustard Seed Missions, in cooperation with Venango County's Human Services Department, has had 50 families in residence as a transitional home until more permanent housing could be found.  In addition, the Human Services Department is currently averaging 97 calls per month from families or individuals who are either currently homeless or in need of financial assistance to prevent being made homeless.
Urban communities and counties are not the only places where homelessness occurs in America.  Venango County is a rural community, with two small towns and no major urban area within an hour's drive, let alone within its boundaries.  And yet, homelessness is here, just as is poverty, drug abuse, and violence.  The problems of fallen humanity are not limited to certain areas, or certain kinds of people (because "kinds of people" don't actually exist; just human beings), they exist everywhere.  To pretend that some of the ills of our society are not present here, that we don't need to respond to them, is to do a disservice to those in need, our fellow human beings, and fellow Americans.
Homelessness is a real issue in Venango County, not wanting to believe it doesn't make it go away.  Whatever happens with this particular site in Oil City, the churches of Venango County will continue to work toward solutions to the problems of the people of this community, for it is our calling, our mission, our response to the grace of God given to us.

** Update ** As of 2/19, the Oil City zoning board has approved the use of the building in Siverly as the group home for Emmaus Haven.  The next step is to purchase the building from the Diocese of Erie, finalize plans for the renovations, gather the necessary funds, and begin work.  No timeline is yet available for when the facility will be up and running.

Strong Church support shown for local homeless shelter

Last night's zoning board meeting in Oil City highlighted the significant support being given to Emmaus Haven by the local Church, as evidenced by the more than a dozen ministers and other church workers in attendance.  After nearly three hours, the issue was tabled until next month after the discussion by the board revealed several issues needing legal clarity prior to a ruling.  As you can tell by my comments that were quoted in the newspaper article (The Derrick/New-Herald once again doing a stellar job of covering local news), the primary assertion that those who were there to support the shelter took issue with was the idea that Venango County doesn't have a problem with homelessness (not an assertion made by the board itself, the article explains who made that claim).  Having served this community over seven years, and having been involved for over six years with Mustard Seed Missions, I can categorically state that the problem is indeed real, it is local, and it isn't going to be mitigated without a significant effort.  In 2016, Emmaus Haven, with Mustard Seed Mission's help, opened a 6 bed facility in Franklin.  That transitional housing unit has been full since its inception, helping 47 individuals, 31 of which now have permanent housing.  While this has been a tremendous asset to those seeking to help with housing needs in our community, the problem is clearly bigger than can be resolved with only space for six people.  If the Oil City zoning board ultimately denies Emmaus Haven the ability to operate a larger shelter at this location in Siverly, the need to help the homeless won't go away, nor will the Church's commitment to being instrumental in its solution.  No matter what happens next month, churches here in Venango County are moving forward, thankfully with great partners like the Human Services Department of Venango County.

We need a homeless shelter, and the Church needs to support it

There is an article in today's News Herald/Derrick newspaper about the upcoming zoning hearing in Oil City regarding the transformation of the former fellowship hall of the Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Siverly.  The article mentions that the organization trying to create this shelter is Emmaus Haven of Venango County, and that they already operate a facility (6 bed) in Franklin that was renovated by  Mustard Seed Missions of Venango County.  As the President of Mustard Seed Missions, and one of the people who helped organize what became Emmaus Haven, I can confirm from my own experience in these roles and as the pastor of 1st Baptist of Franklin that our county very much remains in need of a homeless shelter.
There are those in our county who believe, erroneously, that we don't have a homeless problem here in our rural county of only 50k people.  They are, unfortunately, wrong in that assessment.  Emmaus Haven has operated the shelter (in cooperation with Venango County Housing) since 2016, and it has been at capacity ever since.  How do I know this?  In addition to reports from the leadership of Emmaus Haven, I have on numerous occasions tried to help a homeless person sitting here in my office, standing on my porch, or calling me on the phone, only to discover that the shelter is currently full.  If someone is telling you that Venango County doesn't have indigenous people suffering from homelessness, in other words, that the only homeless are outsiders (and hence evidently less of our problem), they're wrong, very wrong.  We may not have the chronic homelessness visible on the streets of Pittsburgh, but each day in our county there are individuals, and families, without shelter for the coming night, I know it to be true, they come to me for help.
Which leads to the second half of the equation: our obligation to be a part of meeting this real need.  As followers of Jesus Christ, servants of the kingdom of God, we have a clear and abiding mandate from Jesus to help those in need whenever, and wherever we can.  Each person that we encounter that is in need is a human being made in the image of God, a person of worth beyond measure, and one for whom Jesus Christ was willing to die, just as he was for us.  To turn our backs on the homeless, whether through indifference, racism, or some other reasons to dismiss this need, is to fail to be the Church that God has called us to be.  We may not be able to solve a problem like homelessness, but we had better be a part of the effort to try.
When this new facility in Siverly opens, it will give Emmaus Haven and the County the flexibility it needs to handle both short and medium term housing problems, bringing into play resources that ten years ago would have seemed beyond our reach as a community.  In this we have had willing partners, the hard work of volunteers, and the grace of God.

Do Christians really need to care about those in need?  Read the words of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew, and then get back to me on that one.

Matthew 25:31-46 New International Version (NIV)
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”