NO. 7
A Letter From The Pastor BY RICK WILLIAMS
Dear Church Family and Friends,
I hope this message finds you well! I’m thrilled to share an exciting event we have planned for this fall that I believe will deepen our journey as disciples of Jesus Christ. At Violet, our commitment to making disciples is at the heart of everything we do. Guided by the Great Commandment to love God and others, and the Great Commission to spread the message of Christ, we are gearing up for an enriching experience together. Starting on Sunday, September 1st, we will launch a new sermon series titled "Rooted." During this series, we’ll dive into Acts chapter 2 to learn from the early church and how they made disciples. Together, we will explore and practice seven vital rhythms that were modeled by the early church. In addition to the sermons, we’ll have VioletGroups centered around the Rooted material. For those participating, we’ll provide books that will serve as a valuable resource on your journey toward becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ. I wholeheartedly encourage you to join a VioletGroup, or even consider starting one, as we embark on this transformative process.
Click on photo above for a special message from Pastor Rick
I can’t wait to see how God will work in our hearts and lives through this series!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Rick
If you are interested in joining or hosting a VioletGroup, please click this link.
A Note From Pastor Eric
Hello Violet Baptist Church Family!
August is here which means we are in the "dog days" of summer. As we find ourselves in the midst of the scorching heat and humidity of summer, I think that it is a fitting time to reflect on one of our core values here at Violet, which is prayer. As Christians, prayer is a necessity in our lives. Just as we seek relief from the sweltering temperatures of summer, we can also find comfort in turning to prayer during challenging times. The dog days of summer are known for their intensity and difficulty, often testing our endurance and patience. Similarly, life can present us with trials and obstacles that push us to our limits, leaving us feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. In these moments, prayer can serve as a source of strength and resilience, offering a sense of peace and reassurance in the face of adversity. Prayer is not just a ritual or a practice we engage in; it is a powerful connection we have with our Heavenly Father. When we pray, we are inviting God into our lives, our circumstances, our joys, and our struggles. We are acknowledging that we need His guidance, His comfort, and His peace. The Bible assures us that God hears our prayers and is always ready to answer. In Jeremiah 29:12, we read, "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." What a beautiful promise to hold onto! As we pray, we are reminded of God's faithfulness, His love, and His perfect plan for us. Even when we don't have all the answers, we can trust that God is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). So, as we navigate through the dog days of summer, let us not forget the importance of incorporating prayer into our daily routines. May we never underestimate the impact of our prayers, for as 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us, 'Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Jesus.' Let us remain steadfast in prayer, trusting in God's faithfulness and His perfect timing. May our prayers be a constant source of hope and strength in our lives.
In Christ alone, Pastor Eric
<<<<In the VioletCafé
A Note From Pastor Brian
Are You Rooted?
Several years ago, my wife and I were able to experience the beauty and majesty of the redwoods in California. It is an incredible experience to be around these trees. We were even able to drive through one. I did not realize this then, but one of the most essential parts of these trees is the root system. We know that roots are necessary to give them nutrients and help them stand tall, but redwoods’ root systems have another unique quality. Each tree’s root systems are intertwined with other tree’s root systems, giving them amazing stability to stand together during the strongest storms. With this picture in mind, are you rooted in your life spiritually? Are you growing and getting your neutrons from God’s Word? Are you also intertwined with others who are doing the same? This is where VioletGroups and our fall sermon series, Rooted, come in. Have you considered starting a VioletGroup? This is the perfect time! We have the book for you to study; all you need to do is grab a couple of friends here and start. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at briann@violetchurch.com.
If you are interested in joining or hosting a VioletGroup, please click this link.
On my day of arrival, I walked and prayed the path that was mowed for payer walking and was greeted with a multitude of grasshoppers (like thousands) who parted the way as if confetti going before me (I was incredibly grateful they were moving away from me). It reminded me of the passages I read of the sea parting for Moses and oddly had a feeling of excitement of the upcoming week. Mission Report A report from Debbie Griffith’s recent time on mission working in the dental office at Chanku Waster A little back story would be I was well under attack in the upcoming months prior to this trip with “busyness”, “feelings” and “circumstances “ too much to go into other than to say my ladies' group was a large support in prayer for me and for encouragement to keep moving in the direction I knew I was to go. I am grateful I was able to redirect and set my eyes on our Lord and to complete the task I know He had for me to do. It was a great pleasure to serve. I was able to see kids at the camp, locals, and camp personnel. I had 24 patients, 11 were campers. Some of the campers remembered Franney (my stuffed animal assistant) and happily came in and grabbed her first thing. Most were not afraid like last year and were much calmer. Along with screenings, cleanings, X-rays and fluoride application, I was able to place 25 sealants which is a true blessing and will hopefully help prevent decay on those 25 teeth 😊 With my first patient of the week, I had issues with the computer and then had issues with remembering how to take the X-rays with their computer system. I was frustrated and took a minute and stopped to ask my small group to please pray that I would get it worked out and within one minute I was able to clearly remember the steps to do to take X-rays and when I turned the computer on the issue with the computer was cleared. Praise God because I actually said that and told her my people were praying and now, I could proceed because He answered our prayers. She followed up by asking me if that’s how prayer works. I said, “Yes sometimes it’s immediate and sometimes it takes longer, but we were blessed and were answered immediately.” She was very curious and said she had been reading her Bible. This conversation led to discussing God’s Word and how it is a Living Word. It was very cool.
Thank you for your prayers for my time on mission at Chanku Waste. Debbie Griffith
Ohio Baptists, this is for you!
The greatest problem facing humankind is not a natural disaster, a humanitarian crisis, or political instability. The greatest problem in the world is lostness. 59% of the world’s population has little to no access to the gospel. The best way we make Jesus known among the nations. Together. Together for the Nations is a unique one-day event to learn more about how you and your church can begin or grow your partnership with the International Mission Board in solving the world’s greatest problem. Join us on September 14!
Learn more and register at imb.org/together/ohio.
Saturday, September 14 First Baptist Kettering Kettering, Ohio
God Continues to Use Summer Camp to Change Lives!
During the first week of June, 59 members of Overflow Youth headed to Crossings camp in Kentucky. Crossings is run in conjunction with the Kentucky Baptist Association, and they do camp extremely well. This summer there will be about 26,000 students who will experience camp at the various Crossings locations. Our group engaged in a wide variety of fun activities like Ziplines, fishing, archery tag, gaga ball, dodgeball, basketball, crafts, and much more! We were led in worship by Heartsong (a student worship band from Cedarville University). John Nix was our camp pastor. He serves as the Senior Pastor at The Orchard Church in Collierville, Tennessee. He led us in a weeklong exploration of the theme of “reconciliation.” A highlight of our week was hearing testimonies from several of our students who have overcome unbearable situations by the grace of God, and their faith in Jesus. Many of our students made decisions to take the next steps in their faith while at camp. Several of them are considering callings to missions or ministry. Others committed to following Christ in baptism. Still others have committed to step up and serve in various capacities at church. God still uses camp experiences to bring people to himself and to allow others to take significant steps of growth in their faith journey. While we are grateful for the work that God did in our group at Crossings, we might not know the full value of that week for years to come. To God be the glory!
Thanks, Pastor Keith
We want to celebrate the amazing week we had at Mega Sports Camp! We had 163 kids on average each night that joined us for basketball, soccer, volleyball and cheerleading. Out of those 163 kids, there were 31 kids that wanted to know more about Jesus or said they were ready to pray, and 4 who prayed to accept Christ into their lives! This week is made possible when our church comes together to help make camp a fun experience for the kids in our church and our community, and Violet really showed up to make that happen. Thank you! During the month of July, VioletKids learned that God cares for them when they feel hurt or broken. The Bible says, “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
As we prepare for the upcoming fall season, we are getting ready to kick off VioletKids’ Sunday night program once again. This marks the second year of continuing with Gopher Buddies (4-6 year olds) and Olympians (1st grade-5th grade). Last year was a fantastic experience as we launched a new Sunday night program for children, bonded as a team, familiarized ourselves with the kids in the groups, and shared with them the message of hope through Jesus. As an educator, nothing brought me more joy than witnessing the growth of a group of kids throughout the year and celebrating their progress at the end of our journey together. Building that close connection with them, being there to support them through challenges, truly made their achievements all the more special. Sunday nights provided that kind of meaningful experience for me, and I believe our fellow leaders would echo the sentiment. It's inspiring to see the seeds of faith being sown in our children, trusting that in time, God will nurture and cultivate them (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). If you have a passion for children or teaching, we welcome you to join our Sunday night team. For more information about our activities, please reach out via email at chelseap@violetchurch.com. We are eagerly anticipating an amazing year ahead!
- Chelsea Poole, Children’s Director
Events & Volunteers
Hello Violet Family,
July was a bustling month at Violet with various activities and events. Here's a recap of what we accomplished together:
On July 4th, we participated in the Pickerington Parade, distributing cups, candy, and flyers to promote Violet. It was a delightful experience, and a big thank you to all who contributed. We had so much fun and are already looking forward to next year's parade! From July 8th to July 11th, Violet hosted the Mega Sports Camp with 62 volunteers and 163 enthusiastic kids. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in making this community outreach initiative a success. The teamwork truly made the workload lighter, with various roles from behind the scenes to direct interaction with the children. Each evening at the camp started with an opening rally in the Worship Center, followed by sports sessions and small group devotions led by huddle coach leaders. The nights concluded with a Bible story, Gospel presentation, and uplifting Praise and Worship music. If you missed out on the Mega Sports Camp this year and want to know more, feel free to reach out to me for details. On July 12th, we dedicated our time to serve at Stowe Mission. We have faithful volunteers who serve at Stowe regularly, but we always welcome more helping hands. If you're interested in this serving opportunity, please get in touch with me. Violet also organized a Red Cross Blood Drive on July 18th, with another one scheduled for August 15th. If you'd like to assist with setup or greet participants, sign up or contact me for further information. The month wrapped up with the Pickerington Local Schools Kindergarten Screening event from July 29th to August 1st. Many Violet greeters were present to welcome all the families. Thank you for a fantastic month of serving together. I'm excited about the upcoming events planned for this fall. If you're interested in learning more or getting involved, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.
Jamie McCleese Event & Volunteer Director jamiem@violetchurch.com
Marketing & Communications
We’d love to hear from you. Has your VioletGroup recently come together to serve the Lord? Tell us about it. What’s happening in the ministry where you serve? We’d love to hear about it. You can email rachels@violetchurch.com with your stories and photos.
Recently, we had a post on TikTok reach over 1,900 people. That’s a whole lot of people. And I only know a few of them. These people could be in other counties, states, or countries. They could be 12 years old or 76 years old. They may have been having a bad day that day or just gotten a promotion at work. We can never know. Now, the post itself was silly. It asked, “What is the correct pronunciation for the word ‘Appalachian’?” 1) appa-lay-shun 2) appa-latch-un. And, of course, the correct answer is resoundingly #2. However, the actual content of the post is not the important part of the story. What is important is that the Violet Baptist Church account was viewed by over 1,900 people and, while a silly post about pronouncing words isn’t world-changing, the truths of God’s Word are. What if, by chance, they clicked on a post about the mountains and came across a post of Pastor Rick telling them to plant both feet firmly on God, or a post where Pastor Rick shared about thirsting for God or being on God’s side because someone was curious about a silly post? This is the reason that we are on multiple social media posts. Because that’s where the people are. Don’t believe me - ask a teenager. People are going to see something on social media - I hope they see God’s Word presented to them in small ways that they can relate to so that those seeds will be planted in hearts and minds.
Rachel Stone Marketing & Communications Director rachels@violetchurch.com
Links
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