BDM Site Updates – Tornado recovery continues in Dawson Springs, KY until mid-August, as we partner with Habitat for Humanity. A second BDM site in southeastern Kentucky was open for one week in April and is being checked out as a possible long-term site for September. The work is recovery from the flooding of July 2022. Call/text Helen Wolf at 937-902-3475 or SouthernOhioBDM@gmail.com to join a crew.

Intergenerational BDM Trip – Here’s a new opportunity! Serve this summer on a BDM trip with family members or with someone from your church. July 21-27 is a trip for adults and youth. Youth who are 14 years old must come with a parent or legal guardian. Youth 15+ may serve with or without a family member joining them. The location is Dawson Springs, KY, and transportation will be provided. BDM also provides housing, food, tools, and leadership. Call/text Helen Wolf at 937-902-3475 or SouthernOhioBDM@gmail.com to join the crew or for more information.

Oakland Garage Sale Benefits BDM – Donations are being accepted for the garage sale that supports S. Ohio/KY BDM. Do you have some items to donate? Starting Monday, May 13, small items may be brought Monday – Thursday from 9:00 – 1:30. Large items may be brought starting Monday, June 24. The garage sale will be on Wednesday, June 26, 5-8PM, Thursday, June 27, 9AM-6PM, and Friday, June 28, 9AM-4PM. Oakland COB is located at 8058 Horatio Harris Creek Rd., Bradford. Thank you for your support!

Sewing Bee/CWS Prep – On Saturday, May 25 there will be a Sewing Bee/CWS Prep at 9:00 AM. Come to Eaton Community Church, 813 Camden Road. Sewers need to bring a sewing machine to make school bags for Church World Service (CWS). Non-sewers will prep items for school kits, hygiene kits, and cleanup buckets. All are invited to bring a sack lunch.
 
Brethren Service Center Trip – Join the Oct. 21-25 crew going to New Windsor, MD to work at the Brethren Service Center! Monday is travel in the BDM bus/van or on your own. Tuesday through Thursday is processing school and hygiene kits for Church World Service. Return is on Friday. Initially we’re planning for a group of ten with others on the waiting list. The group size will be determined later based on the number of kits that need to be processed. Volunteers pay for their lodging, meals during travel, and suppers while at New Windsor. Lodging is at Best Western in Westminster, MD. The trip leader is Tony Price, pastor of Cedar Grove COB. To sign up or for more information, contact Helen Wolf at 937-902-3475 or SouthernOhioBDM@gmail.com.
 
Save the Dates
Ice Cream Social – Sat., August 3, Happy Corner COB
Golf Scramble – Sat., August 17, Beechwood Golf Course
Darke County Fair Parking – August 16-24, Orthopedic Associates

Centuries ago (500 B.C.), the Greek philosopher Heraclitus made this statement: “Change is the only constant in life.” Until we enter eternity, he is correct. Everything in life is in a constant state of flux. I think about how many things have come and gone in my time at Castine!

As many of you know, a consistent struggle is communication. Actually, we use eleven methods to disseminate information, Castine Connect being one. Unfortunately, Castine Connect now only reaches a few. For example, in April 2024, we sent 149 Connects, of which 99 were opened, but only 28 actually viewed something.
We have heard, and you are correct, that Castine Connect contains the same information as Castinechurch.com and the Castineapp. However, by comparison, our app currently has 1024 subscribers with good interaction.

So, we will no longer offer Castine Connect as one of our eleven means of communication. Instead, we will focus on Castinechurch.com and the Castineapp. We hope this change will help us effectively reach our church family with helpful information.

Please be assured that we will strive hard to inform you of events in our ministry. We hear your concerns for better communication. There is always room to improve, something we regularly review.

Although we say “farewell” to Castine Connect, we will continue using our additional ten avenues to update you with news regarding our church family.

Serving you,

Pastor Greg

The Christian Journey, A Discipleship Study, Part 2

 If you missed “The Christian Journey, A Discipleship Study, Part One,” then you can join us for “Part Two.” There is nothing more life-changing than following the road map laid out for us in the Bible! The objective of this study is to discover God’s plan for you and build on the knowledge of God’s Word by teaching such topics as how to share your faith, finding your spiritual gifts and how to use them, understanding spiritual warfare, how to serve with your time/money/resources, and so much more!

Join other women in this open, compassionate environment to learn and grow from each other April 3 through May 22 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the church. Classroom to be determined.

Please register by March 30 through the Connection Center, church app, or church office.

Comments from those who attended “The Christian Journey, A Discipleship Study, Part One”:

“The small group Women's Bible study on Wednesday nights with Stefanie Price has been very enlightening! I’ve been so inspired digging deep into God’s Word and growing closer to other women as we share how it applies to our lives!” Amber Biser

“This class has been a blessing and a joy. We have shared laughter and tears. The support and sisterhood have been an answer to prayer.” Vicki Smith

“I love my time with the Christian ladies and learning the things I should have learned when I became a Christian years ago. Looking forward to the next class for Part Two. Stefanie is a wonderful teacher.” Joni Newman  

Brethren Disaster Ministries Volunteer Opportunities – Our current site in Dawson Springs, KY has been extended to mid-August. We’re working on tornado recovery as we partner with Habitat for Humanity. Call/text Burt Wolf at 937-287-5902 or SouthernOhioBDM@gmail.com to join a crew.

Intergenerational BDM Trip – New this year! July 21-27 is a BDM trip for adults and youth. It’s also an opportunity for grandparents/youth (15 yrs. +), parents/youth (14 yrs.+) to work together rebuilding homes for disaster survivors. The location is Dawson Springs, KY, and transportation will be provided. BDM also provides housing, food, tools, and leadership. Call/text Helen Wolf at 937-902-3475 or SouthernOhioBDM@gmail.com to join the crew or for more information.

Cemetery Cleanup Workday Rescheduled– We’ve been invited to join workers from the South/Central Indiana District to work on Lybrook Cemetery, which has fallen into disrepair. It’s the first COB cemetery in Indiana and is located south of Richmond. The workday is now on Sat., March 16 starting at 9:00 AM. Workers will gather at Four Mile COB, 5022 Kitchel Rd., Liberty, IN and shuttle to the sight. Needed are pickup trucks, chain saws, weed eaters, clippers, workers to carry wood & debris, and kitchen help. Lunch will be provided at Four Mile Church. RSVP to Anitra Kraus (440-444-7017, akraushouse@gmail.com). Additional workdays will be scheduled.

Sewing Bee/CWS Prep – On Saturday, March 23 there will be a Sewing Bee/CWS Prep at 9:00 AM. Come to Eaton Community Church, 813 Camden Road. Sewers need to bring a sewing machine to make school bags for Church World Service (CWS). Non-sewers will prep items for school kits, hygiene kits, and cleanup buckets. All are invited to bring a sack lunch.

Save the Dates:
 Ice Cream Social: Sat., August 3, Happy Corner COB
Golf Scramble: Sat., August 17, Beechwood Golf Course

Theme:  Random Act of Kindness
To keep our corporate Fast focus fresh in our minds, “Random Act of Kindness” is Our Each One Reach One activity for April.  You might choose to send a card, gift, or flowers or help meet a need, like outdoor work, Spring cleaning, or something else that deepens your connection and time to influence for Christ.

Arcanum LifeWise wants to thank you for your continued support of the LifeWise programs in Darke and Preble Counties. Your support is reaching hundreds of children that have not heard the Gospel and we are making a difference in our schools.

We would like to update you on Arcanum LifeWise’s growth and needs.  Last year we offered classes to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades with 141 children attending. This year we added the 5th grade and have 177 children attending and 4 homeschools have joined us.  Next year the 6th grade will be added without any issues to scheduling and space. The Family of God Church has allowed us to use any part of the church as needed and we are grateful.  Looking into our future, we would like to continue to add classes as the children progress in school.  The children want to return, they love LifeWise and we want to be able to offer them the precious gift of knowing Jesus. We cannot do it without your support and the community around us.

The Arcanum LifeWise program has classes on Mondays with Carol Bryson and Kathy Dohner teaching the same character trait to each class with little adjustments for the age differences. They are currently teaching on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and the trait is “Truthfulness”. Many children know about candy, the easter bunny and easter eggs, and now they are hearing about Jesus for the first time.  We praise God for all the work He is doing through the LifeWise program. We thank Him for you and your support and are thankful in any way you can help! He is GOOD!  

If you would like to help support the LifeWise Academy, please contact Kristen Fugate at P.O. Box 354, Arcanum, OH 45304

Volunteer Opportunities - Serve March 10-16 in Dawson Springs, KY! Eight volunteers are needed to fill the crew. The work is on new builds, as we help with tornado recovery. Call/text Burt Wolf at 937-287-5902 or SouthernOhioBDM@gmail.com to join a crew.
 
Intergenerational BDM Trip – New this year! July 21-27 is a BDM trip for adults and youth. It’s also an opportunity for grandparents/youth (15 yrs. +), parents/youth (14 yrs.+) to work together rebuilding homes for disaster survivors. The location hasn’t been determined yet by BDM, but transportation will be provided. BDM also provides housing, food, tools, and leadership. Call/text Helen Wolf at 937-902-3475 or SouthernOhioBDM@gmail.com to join the crew or for more information.

Sewing Bee/CWS Prep – The first sewing bee of 2024 will be held on Saturday, February 25 at 9:00 AM at Greenville COB. Sewers need to bring a sewing machine to make school bags for Church World Service (CWS). Non-sewers will prep items for school kits and cleanup buckets. All are invited to bring a sack lunch.

Cemetery Cleanup Workday – We’ve been invited to join workers from the South/Central Indiana District to work on Lybrook Cemetery, which has fallen into disrepair. It’s the first COB cemetery in Indiana and is located south of Richmond. The workday is Sat., March 9 starting at 8:00 AM. Workers will gather at Four Mile COB, 5022 Kitchel Rd., Liberty, IN and shuttle to the sight. Needed are pickup trucks, chain saws, weed eaters, clippers, workers to carry wood & debris, and kitchen help. Lunch will be provided at Four Mile Church. RSVP to Anitra Kraus by March 1 akraushouse@gmail.com. Additional workdays will be scheduled.

Castine’s Women's Ministry would like to invite all women who  enjoy sewing, to help make pillowcases for Hospice Care patients. We have done this ministry of service in the past and found it to be such a blessing for the recipients and their families. The pillowcases will go to Hospice Care centers in the surrounding counties of Darke, Miami and Preble.  The Hospice employees are always excited to get the pillowcases to distribute.
 
If this is a ministry you have interest in helping with, you can begin picking up material for the pillowcases outside the sanctuary in the bottom drawer of the cabinet, beside the Connection Center.  Material for the pillowcases have been placed in gallon sized baggies. One pillowcase is included in each baggie, you are welcome to take as many pillowcases as you would like. In addition, if you have extra fabric you would like to donate (cotton or fleece), you may leave it at the Connection Center or give it to Karen Denlinger.
 
As you sew the pillowcases, we would ask you to pray over them for the recipient and their family. If you would like to trim the cuff with lace or other decorative fabrics, please feel free to do so. After completing the pillowcase, please place it back in the baggie it was received in and seal it.  Place the baggie in the lavender laundry basket that sits in front of the cabinet outside the sanctuary.  
 
Material will be available in the drawer until it has all been distributed, the goal is to complete 75 pillowcases at which time they will be delivered to the Hospice Centers.
 
Questions may be directed to someone at the Connection Center, Karen Denlinger (937-430-9189) or the church office. Thank you for your help with this ministry.  May God bless you as you bless others!

Sunday, March 24
Ladies, we’ve got some exciting news! The Women’s Ministry Steering Team is ready to launch their 2024 agenda and we want to share it with you! Come join us on Sunday, March 24th, during Sunday School, from 8:45 am - 9:45 in the Life Center Gym Floor area to hear more. This will be a time to meet the leadership team and their roles in leading Castine’s Women’s Ministry, and also hear the activities planned for 2024. We will detail the monthly events planned for the year as we share breakfast muffins, coffee or tea together. Hope to see you there!

If Gathering: 2024
Ladies, let's mark the moment together and celebrate 10 years of IF at IF: Gathering 2024! We'll thank God for what he's done over the last ten years through IF and prepare to keep building his kingdom in the next! Join us on February 22nd and 23rd for two days of equipping & growing deeper together as we prepare to continue making going out and making disciples.

Soup’s on! Join our church family on Sunday, February 11 following worship service for the Second Annual Soup for the Soul Event in the Life Center. This will be a time for fellowship, a soup buffet, recipe swap, and just enjoy time as a church family. We will offer alternative lunch items for children including hotdogs and finger sandwiches.  Facepainting and children’s games will also be available.  If you would like to bring a soup, side-item or dessert, please contact Rhonda Eberhard at 937-248-1875.  Please join us whether or not you can bring anything. We are excited to spend time together!

The Christian Journey - A Discipleship Study, Part One. By Doris Homan
Teacher: Stefanie Price
 Are you ready to embark on an amazing journey? There is nothing more life changing than following the road map laid out for us in the Bible. This is a discipleship study for those who desire to go deeper and grow in the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Whether you are someone seeking Christ or a mature believer, this study is for you. It will answer the basic foundational questions of the faith and help those who have a desire to disciple a family member, co-worker, or friend. Join us as we seek to grow and learn from each other how to grow godly women.
 
When Strivings Cease. By Ruth Chou Simmons
Teacher: Brenda Johnson
In this six-session Bible study, Ruth Chou Simmons guides us on a journey to find freedom from the never-ending quest for approval and affirmation, she shows us how to:
1.Confront the ways we look to superficial means of acceptance and belonging, and find relief in realizing we can't be so amazing that we won't need grace.  
2. Stop seeing God as someone we perform for and start finding delight in responding to God's welcome.
3. Find relief from running the hamster wheel of relying on our own strength, our own abilities, and our own savvy--and always coming up short--by truly understanding the freedom Jesus purchased.  Join us as we seek to grow and learn from each other how to grow godly women.

If Conference Roundtable Discussion - Update:  Class Offering is at Maximum Capacity
Leader: Michelle Marker, Alyssa Fellers, and Monica Bridenbaugh
If Conference Table Questions are the center of this offering to invite conversation, to grow in fellowship, and to provide prayer support. 

Our desire is to keep you in the loop with information coming from the Women’s Ministry.
First, on behalf of the Leadership Team, we would like to thank you for taking the time to submit your survey. We had over 70 women who took the time to tell us what they would like to see in a Women’s Ministry and what their needs are. We value each one’s input and will do our best to build a women’s ministry that will meet your spiritual, relational and physical needs, as well as bridge the gap between generations.
There are three women’s small group offerings on Wednesday nights at the church that started January 17th. We hope you can find one that will be of interest to you and join us. Please visit the Castine Church App Women's Calendar for more information on each offering.
We are going to kick off the month of February with the IF Conference 2024, The 10-Year Celebration!  Mark your calendars now for February 23rd and 24th to join other ladies in worship and listen to speakers that will inspire and encourage your walk with the Lord. Castine will host this livestream event so invite your friends and join us. More details will follow.
The Steering Team will be meeting soon to plan the agenda for 2024, stay tuned for more details to follow for future women’s events and activities.
The Women’s Leadership Team looks forward to what God has in store for growing godly women at Castine and beyond.

We have finished our fasting series, which provided reasons why biblical fasting benefits a person’s spiritual life. Now, we begin our winter-spring series that takes us to Easter. We will follow Jesus as He leaves northern Israel and makes His way to the cross in Jerusalem.
We will use Luke’s gospel for our series. Luke says in 9:51, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” God’s time had come for Jesus to complete His earthly mission: To rescue all who will follow Him and reconcile them to God by preparing them to enter heaven.
Like His disciples, we, too, will follow along the road as Jesus continues to teach and model the ways of God. Jesus will explain how we should treat others, including those we dislike. He will challenge us to examine our priorities to keep the first things first.
Something confusing for some is the spiritual dimension. We are most comfortable in this realm because we see, taste, smell, touch, and hear things in the natural dimension every moment of our existence. However, eternal things belong to the spiritual realm where angels (good and bad) reside. When Christians encounter demonic influence and harassment, what should they do? As we follow Jesus, we learn from what He does.
Maybe you wonder what being a disciple of Jesus means. Well, on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus clarifies what we should expect in following Him. Controversial is His explanation of the Rich Man and Lazarus. I find His statement regarding the two men’s positions important, “between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that . . . none may cross from there to us.” Everyone should be concerned about what Jesus means.
Jesus finally arrives in the capital city, Jerusalem. Here He will die a horrible death even though He committed no crime or sin. Yet, His death was with the most heinous criminals of the time. Those leaders responsible for His death slept well that night, believing the “troublemaker” would never harass them again. However, they were utterly wrong. Jesus historically proved He was the God-Man sent to rescue all who would surrender to His will and judge those who would not.
I hope you join us for this series, Following Jesus. As we follow Him, God meets us where we are to take us to where we have not been.

With the increased needs of our growing Castine Church family, we are seeking to purchase a second van that is expected to cost approximately $58,000.00.  Your financial gift to the church will help to serve our ministry and service projects.  To make a donation, visit castinechurch.com/give and select van fund or mark van fund on your offering envelope.  Thank you for meeting the increased needs of our ministry.

Church-wide Fast & Prayer for January 7-28, 2024
 When you think back to your journey in coming to a relationship with Jesus, can you think of at least one person that was instrumental in influencing your journey of faith?  The theme for this year’s Church-Wide Fast and Prayer is, “Each One, Reach One - Influencing Others for Christ”. We are challenging each person in our church family to pray for one person and spend 2024 influencing them towards a relationship with Jesus.
We will be offering a Sunday School class January 7, 14, and 21, to take you deeper into the theme of, “Each One, Reach One” and offering resources and tips to give you confidence in influencing someone for Christ. We will break the fast together, Sunday, January 28, with worship and testimonies. All the classes will be held in the Life Center, room 5, from 8:45am to 9:45am.
There is a podcast series available to review the points on fasting, a brief overview of Pastor Greg’s sermon series on fasting, and we will have people sharing their personal testimony of how God used the influence of different people to bring them to a relationship with Him. We encourage you to start praying now for that one person God has for you to influence for Him, in 2024.  Visit the Castine app for the Fasting Podcast.

You probably already know this, but we live in a time in which young people are leaving the church, and leaving their faith, at an alarming rate. It’s been said that today about 70% of young people who are brought up in church end up walking away from their faith after high school. Some of them will eventually return to their faith and to the church, but many will not.
This reality is evidence of the fact that we have an enemy who is out to pull us away from God in any way he can. He has deceived, and is deceiving, so many of our young people, and leading them astray. We’ve all seen it. And as we watch this happen in the world around us, we might find ourselves thinking that it looks as though the enemy is winning. But Jesus painted a very different picture.
Jesus told his Disciples at Caesarea Philippi that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. See, one of the hope-filled truths of Scripture that we sometimes forget about is the fact that though we have an enemy, he has already been defeated by Jesus! The enemy’s fate has been sealed, and in the end he will not win. In the end, God wins! Satan will not be victorious in the end! And here at Castine, we don’t want him to be victorious over our young people.
Castine’s NextGen Ministry (birth-high school) is determined not to let Satan be victorious over the next generation in our church. We want students to graduate from this ministry with a firm foundation that won’t crumble when the enemy attacks. We want them to be able to withstand the world’s arguments against God and Christianity. Not only that, we are working to build up a generation that will go out and push back the gates of hell as they spread the gospel among people who don’t yet know Jesus.
To put it more concisely, the vision of the NextGen Ministry here at Castine is to build up a generation of disciples the gates of hell can’t stand against! That’s what we’re about. That’s the aim of everything we do. Could it be that God is asking you to join the team and help us as we chase down this vision?

With Christmas fast approaching, the Advent Season will be here before we know it! Advent is the season of year leading up to and anticipating our celebration of Christmas, the day we remember the greatest gift we’ve ever received: Jesus!
During the Christmas Season it is so easy to lose sight of what Christmas is all about. Advent is a great opportunity to be reminded why Jesus came, of all he accomplished when he did, and what it means for each of our lives.
Throughout the month of December, we will be providing an Advent calendar for families, with simple daily activities leading up to Christmas that will remind us of the hope, joy, peace, and love Jesus brought to us when he showed up in Bethlehem that first Christmas!
Our hope is that this Advent Calendar gives you and your family valuable time together, enriches your celebration of Christmas, and reminds you of the true reason for this season!

Castine Women’s Ministry is under construction and will be taking on a new
look. Work is in progress to get the foundational pieces in order and will soon
be revealing some new and exciting things to offer in 2024.

To get a pulse on what the women at Castine would like to see in a Women’s
Ministry and events of interest, there has been a survey created that will soon
be released that we would love ALL women to participate in. It is our desire to
make the ministry relevant to all women and to encourage growth in their
relationship with Christ.

Your input is extremely important in the
restructuring of the Women's Ministry and we value your input. Watch for
more details to follow.

What do you think of when you hear Operation Christmas Child (OCC)

Maybe, you think of a colorful shoebox, a charity for children in need in far away places, or a way to spread joy around the world. OCC is all of these things but it is much, much more than a charity. It is a Gospel Opportunity to share Jesus in places where other evangelistic efforts are not allowed. It is Discipleship, when shoebox recipients participate in “The Greatest Journey”, a follow up discipleship course for new believers. It is Multiplication of believers, as the impact of each shoebox results in 10 people hearing the Gospel and communities being transformed by its power. And it’s Church Planting all over the world, when people in isolated and unreached people groups are learning about Jesus for the first time and new churches are starting! In other words…OCC is a simple way to impact the world for Eternity!
 
This year, our church will provide and collect shoeboxes October 15th through November 12th. Castine Church will pay the $10 shipping fee for each filled box returned. Our goal for this year is 400 boxes - 375 in person and 25 online. Please pray that God will use these shoeboxes to open hearts to Jesus and his gift of salvation. Also ask God how he would like YOU to be involved . . . by volunteering, getting children or grandchildren involved, packing a shoebox (or 2 or 10 or whatever number God lays on your heart), praying as a family for the shoebox recipients, or however God leads.

“And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere….to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Here at Castine we really want to make sure everyone who comes to our church can be confident that their children are safe when they drop them off in our kids ministry area. So, we will be implementing a slight change in the kids ministry that we believe will increase safety and help instill that confidence.

You may have noticed that around the building there are a few places where you’ll find touch screens on tall stands. There is one at the entrance to the kids’ area and one by each of the connection centers. You may have wondered what those are. Good question! These are kids ministry check-in stations. These stations allow you to check your children in before service begins. This keeps our teachers informed of who is in their class each week and who should be picking each child up from class after service. So, we want to encourage you to begin checking your children in before service begins, if you're not already doing so. If you need help checking your child in, our connections and kids ministry volunteers are here to help!

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

I was listening to a podcast episode when I heard the most interesting illustration in reference to this verse. Hosanna Wong, a Christian author and speaker, said that her friend, a vineyard worker, said “technically all branches need to be connected to the vine to live, yes, but really they need a trellis to help them grow and flourish and stay connected to the vine. Without a structure, all the branches will live their lives constantly weighed down. The branches will fight an uphill battle they don’t have to fight and eventually they’ll grow apart from themselves and apart from the vine.”

We all have those moments in life when it feels like an uphill battle, right? We feel disconnected, burned out, stressed out and weighed down and it can be so difficult to carry the responsibilities of life. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus’ invitation to us is “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

So how do we bear the weight of life with ease? How do we “abide in his love” as Jesus commands his disciples in John 15:9 or practice the presence of God as it is referred to by ancient Christians? He extends us the invitation to take his yoke and learn from him.

Jesus was a rabbi, a teacher, whose disciples were also his apprentices. According to John Mark Comer, to be an apprentice of Jesus is to organize your life around three goals: be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did.

To be with Jesus means we must slow down to live at the pace and in the presence of Jesus. To become like Jesus means that our inner being is being formed to become a person in love with God. To do what Jesus did means that you do what he would do if he was you. We all have a part, calling, or contribution to fulfill to the church and the world. The whole point of apprenticeship is modeling our whole life after Jesus. (practicingtheway.org, John Mark Comer)

When we look closer at how Jesus lived his life, we see that even with a full schedule he ordered it around certain rhythms, or practices. He took time away from the large crowds to be with God in solitude and to pray. He fasted forty days in the wilderness. Jesus practiced the Sabbath each week and lived a life of simplicity through his few possessions, just to name a few. This ordered way of living is called a rule of life. It is like the trellis that supplies structure for the branch to stay connected to the vine and to grow and flourish. Just like the trellis, a rule of life centered around the spiritual practices helps us to abide in Christ, and when we learn how to abide in Christ, we experience fullness of joy.

Do you desire fullness of joy and intimacy with God? Join us on August 27 as we begin our three-month sermon series on “Practicing the Way of Jesus” and explore being an apprentice of Jesus through the practices of Sabbath, Prayer, and Creating Margin. Also be sure to check out the new song we’re introducing to kick off the series: Abide by The Worship Initiative

Castine uses a Congregational Agreement to connect someone officially to its ministry. All who sign an Agreement agree to fulfill its obligations to each other and to Jesus, the head of the church. The signing of an Agreement should not be perfunctory. Instead, serious reflection should occur before signing. God, through the writer of Ecclesiastes, says, “When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake.” (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6) A vow is a “solemn promise to do a specific thing.” Some may think comparing the signing of an Agreement with a vow is too aggressive. For those who may feel this way, I remind you of the holy work of the Church. Jesus is building His Church, and Castine shares in this global work. Anyone who signs an Agreement at Castine connects with the purpose of Jesus in shaping His world through the Church. Indeed, an Agreement is a vow that God expects to be fulfilled.
Rather than sign once and forget the importance of an Agreement, we at Castine re-sign our Agreements each year. Re-signing an Agreement is a time of reflection, commitment, and faithfulness to Jesus. We reflect on what we agree to listed on the Agreement; we commit to partnering with others who sign to advance Castine goals and values in Darke County; we vow our faithfulness to Jesus to join Him in His eternal work of building His Church.
Each current Agreement expires on November 5, 2023. There are two methods for re-signing: electronic and paper. To re-sign electronically, you should visit the Castine Church App. If you prefer to sign the paper Agreement, Castine Elders will make them available on September 17 and 24, and you may contact the church office for more information should you need to sign at a different time. If you are signing an Agreement for the first time (this is only for those signing the first time), you must attend the Castine Family Class before signing. The next classes are on August 13 and October 29.
A current Congregational Agreement is required to vote at a Castine business meeting. The annual business meeting is on November 12, 2023. Please give consideration now to ensuring that your Agreement is current.

Volunteer Opportunities – As recovery continues in Dawson Springs, KY, there are openings for July 9-15, Sept. 10-16, and Oct. 8-14. BDM is working with Habitat for Humanity, building new houses to replace ones destroyed by the tornadoes of Dec. 2021.
 
Our Nov. 5-11 crew will be going to eastern KY. This is a second BDM site that will be open for ten weeks in the fall. The work will be recovery from the flooding of July 2022. The housing site will be in Campton with volunteers repairing damaged homes in Jackson. Volunteers are needed. Transportation, housing, meals, and tools are provided. Plan ahead and join a crew! Call/text Burt Wolf at 937-287-5902 or SouthernOhioBDM@gmail.com.  
 
Sewing Bee/CWS Prep – On Saturday, June 24 at 9:00 AM, a Sewing Bee/Church World Service (CWS) Prep will be held at Greenville COB, 421 Central Avenue. Sewers need to bring a sewing machine to make school bags for CWS. Non-sewers will prep items for school kits and hygiene kits. Bring a sack lunch and come for a time of service and fellowship. For more information contact Barb Brower at 937-336-2442.  Click Here for a flyer with the 2023 schedule.
 
Oakland Garage Sale Benefits BDM - There will be a garage sale at Oakland COB, 8058 Horatio Harris Creek Rd., Bradford. It is on Wednesday, June 28, 5-8PM, Thursday, June 29, 9AM-6PM, and Friday, June 30, 9AM-4PM. This will include a lunch stand and bake sale. Proceeds will go to S. Ohio/KY District Brethren Disaster Ministries. Spread the word and plan to attend!
 
Ice Cream Social – Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 5, 4:00 – 7:00 PM at Happy Corner COB. Come for supper, pie, and ice cream. In the sanctuary there will be musical entertainment. Share-A-Meal tickets will be on sale, and you can turn in and/
or get a coin collection jar. All proceeds benefit the work of S. Ohio/KY BDM.
 
Share-A-Meal Hosts – Help BDM by hosting a Share-A-Meal! Hosts choose the date, number of guests, and the menu for a meal at their home. At the upcoming Ice Cream Social, tickets will be sold for $20 each. All enjoy fellowship and a delicious meal while supporting BDM. To become a host, call/text Paula Connerley at 937-266-7171 or  paula.connerley@icloud.com.
 
Golf Scramble – On Saturday, August 19 the annual Golf Scramble will be held at Beechwood Golf Course. Click Here for an informational brochure with a registration form.  This event is sponsored by the S. Ohio/KY District Camping and Retreat Ministries and BDM. Send all registration and sponsorship forms and money to Kevin Dull 554 Westbrook Rd., Brookville, OH 45309. For more information contact Kevin at (937-604-3285), montpres57@gmail.com.

I am always cautious about mixing the message of the church with politics. Many, including younger Christians, find such mixing disturbing. Those of us old enough remember when there was a strong connection between the church and politics, e.g., “The Moral Majority,” formed in 1979. Many Christians would claim the strong connection went too far.

Nevertheless, to exclude the church from the public square lacks biblical support (Daniel 2:21; Matthew 5:13-16; Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13). The church must accept its role of influence in all areas of life, including politics. There is a proposed state constitutional amendment for the Ohio November ballet, supported by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. If the amendment passes, it will bypass parental notification for procedures, including late-term
abortions, to name major points of the amendment.

I understand the Bible to claim that God is the author of life (Genesis 2:7) and that no life begins absent His involvement (Pslam 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5). Further, parents are responsible for guiding the decisions of their children (Ephesians 6:4). Any law that subjugates God’s intentions is something Christians cannot support. The amendment, The Right to Reproductive
Freedom, contradicts foundational biblical doctrines.

Therefore, in this case, church and politics should mix. According to the “Darke County Right to Life” www.darkecountyrtl.org, Ohio won a big victory. “The Ohio House passed the measure to call a special election on August 8 to increase the threshold for amending the Ohio Constitution to 60% instead of 50% plus one. This will make it harder to put abortion in the state constitution. . . . We have an opportunity to stop special interest groups outside of Ohio from changing our constitution for their own personal gain. Right now it is way too easy to get 50% plus 1 of the voters in any given election; it just takes money.”

I encourage you to vote in the August 8th election and inform everyone you
can about this opportunity. The church must defend the ways of God, and
voting is one vehicle for doing so.

If you desire more information, I offer these resources.

www.Protectwomenohio.com

https://www2.cbn.com/news/us/extreme-ohio-constitutional-amendment-could-revoke-parental-rights-abortion-trans-surgeries

www.darkecountyrtl.org