NO. 6
A Letter From The Pastor BY RICK WILLIAMS
Dear Church family and friends,
I am enjoying our current sermon series, "Songs for the Summer." We are looking at the Psalms. The book of Psalms has been described as “Israel’s prayerbook and hymnal, with songs and prayers spanning generations of God’s people.”
One of the great insights about the Psalms is from Timothy Keller in his book, “The Songs of Jesus”.
He writes, “The Book of Psalms is known as the Bible’s songbook—Jesus knew all 150 psalms intimately, and relied on them to face every situation, including his death. It is the book of the Bible that he quotes more than any other.
But the psalms were not simply sung by Jesus; they also are about Him. The psalms are, then, indeed the songs of Jesus.”
Keller calls the Psalms: “a medicine chest for the heart and the best possible guide for practical living.”
This summer as we continue to explore various Psalms, my prayer is for each of us is to experience the Psalms by reading them, singing them, praying them, and living them. May these songs of Jesus make us more like Jesus. May they encourage and equip us to be the hands and feet of Jesus this summer to those around us!
Grace and peace, Pastor Rick
A Note From Pastor Eric
Hello Violet Family,
I pray that your summer is going well! One of our core values at Violet is the value of Serving.
As followers of Christ, we are called to love and serve one another with humility and compassion. Serving is not just a duty we fulfill, but a joyful response to the grace and love we have received from God. Jesus himself said in Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Let us follow His example and seek opportunities to serve one another, our neighbors, our community, and those in need. Remember that when we serve others, we are serving the Lord. Every act of service, no matter how small, is significant in building up the body of Christ and demonstrating His love to the world. Let us continually seek ways to serve with a willing heart, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. May Violet Baptist Church be known for our love, unity, and unwavering commitment to serving one another, and spreading the gospel.
May God bless you abundantly as you continue to serve His kingdom.
In Christ alone,
Pastor Eric
<<<<In the VioletCafé
A Note From Pastor Brian
Who’s Your One?
I have always loved reading the Biblical account of Jesus calling the disciples, specifically when Andrew goes to his brother, Peter. and tells him they have found the Messiah. John 1:40-42 says, “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).” Andrew was someone who often introduced people to Jesus. As we start our summer, there are more people outside working in their yards, swimming at the pools, walking in the parks, going out to eat…. people that we will cross paths with all summer. My question is who will we introduce to Jesus this summer. Who is our one? The one we are building a relationship with, the one we are praying for, the one we are caring for, the one we are going to share the good news of Jesus with?
My challenge to each of us is to be an Andrew this summer. Introduce someone to Jesus.
Celebrating a Faithful Servant
Over 200 members of our church family enjoyed a fellowship lunch together on Sunday, June 2nd in our church’s Activity Center. While the lunch and the fellowship were both amazing, we gathered for a more important purpose on that day. We wanted to thank Pastor Brian Naess and his family for many years of faithful service at Violet. Pastor Brian has served faithfully at Violet Since June 3rd, 2001. We had plans to honor him on his 20th anniversary of service at Violet, but Covid had other plans! The opportunity to honor Pastor Brian finally arrived at the fellowship dinner on June 2nd, and our church family responded! Dozens of church members took the time to write notes of appreciation for Pastor Brian and then hung them on the wall of the Activity Center. In addition, we had an open mic testimony time in which our church members shared the deep and profound impact that Pastor Brian has made in their lives. The common themes included Brian’s love for the local church and his desire to see everyone plugged into a Gospel- centered community. People shared stories of Brian coming to their hospital rooms, weddings, and funerals over his 23 years at Violet. There were many tears as stories were shared of God’s love shining through Pastor Brian’s life. In summary, our church family has been deeply impacted by Pastor Brian’s faithful service at Violet over the last 23 years. If you were unable to attend the fellowship lunch, I would encourage you to let Brian know how much you and your family appreciate him and his selfless service and leadership in our church.
Thanks, Pastor Keith
Our June event was a family meet and greet at Sycamore Park in Pickerington. We had fun hanging out and playing together while the parents had some time to meet and get to know one another. The best part was getting to do it over ice cream. It was a great time! Father’s Day was a special day for VioletKids. Not only did we do some fun activities to honor our fathers, but we also had the privilege of hearing from special guests, the Nations family, who are missionaries in the Baltics. They educated our kids about the Baltic countries, how to say some common phrases in both Latvian and Russian, and shared about their mission work. It was a lot of fun and we are grateful we got to hear from them!
During the month of June, VioletKids have been learning that they are “one of a kind” and “remarkable” just as Psalm 139:14 tells them!
It has been such an encouraging experience to gather with a few people after services on Sunday to pray together for our children’s ministry, all the events we are doing, and the volunteers who make it all happen. There is a passage in Scripture that has been on my heart for some time now, and it’s in Psalm 78. It says:
“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done” (v.4).
Reading this passage really communicates that it is such an honor and privilege to be able to share about God and all He has done and will do! This is not a suggestion from Scripture, this is a command. We must tell the next generation about the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord! If you would like to join us in prayer, we will be gathering in the VioletKids’ gym on July 7th after the second service. We would love to have you.
-Chelsea Poole, Children’s Director
Events & Volunteers
Hello Violet Family,
This month, I am so excited about one of our biggest outreaches to the community. If you are not familiar with Mega Sports Camp, then let me tell you all about it! Mega Sports Camp is a weeklong outreach from July 8th to 11th from 6-8:30 pm. Each day, kids will discover how to become champions, both in sports and in their faith. They'll engage daily with the Bible in music, interactive Bible stories, and Scripture memorization. Kids will rotate from basketball, volleyball, and soccer or they can participate in cheerleading only.
Through action-packed sports training sessions mixed with interactive rallies, kids will have fun in this year's theme - BLAZE A TRAIL.
MEGA Sports Camp® Blaze a Trail invites kids to live an adventure with Jesus! When someone blazes a trail, they step off the path into the unknown. Along the way, they leave marks for others to follow. Kids will learn that Jesus blazed the trail for our salvation! As they follow Jesus, they can live their own adventure that points people to Jesus. Violet, we need your help! Would you please consider serving with us? We estimate that 180 kids will participate in camp this week. There are so many volunteer options, please check out the registration on our website or church center app or reach out to me for more details! Do you want to help us invite people and tell them all about Mega Sports Camp and other events going on at the church? Then sign up to walk with us in the Pickerington Fourth of July Parade! We will meet at the parade route between 8:30 and 9:30 am on July 4th and hand out candy and invites!
I look forward to hearing from you. Jamie McCleese
Event & Volunteer Director jamiem@violetchurch.com
Attention Men! Grab a friend and join us at Round Lake from August 9th through 11th.
This year our guest speaker will be Reagan Wagoner (Reagan’s Bio and Reagan's Clip).
The schedule for the weekend will include some group events as well as Round Lake’s traditional activities such as axe throwing, basketball, volleyball, fishing, swimming and more!
The cost of this year's retreat is $120. However, if you register before July 4th, you can get the Early Bird Rate of $99.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Click to play video
Click to register
It’s summertime again and time for the big Buckeye Lake BBQ | J.O.Y. at Violet. (J.O.Y. stands for Just Older Youth and is for people 50 years old and older)
It will be on Saturday, July 13th, starting at 4pm. We will again be having the BBQ at the home of Kent and Cheryl Holaday.
The menu from City BBQ includes beef brisket, pulled pork, macaroni & cheese, baked beans, buns and salad. We will also have coffee, water and, of course, ice cream with toppings for dessert.
The cost is $10.00 per person.
Come and relax while watching the sun on Buckeye Lake, playing games, listening to music, chatting and getting to know the group better or catching up.
Click the image below to register.
If you were to ask me to recommend a restaurant to you, I would tell you to visit Flavor 91 Bistro in Whitehall, OH. The food is fantastic. The atmosphere is fun and relaxed. The owners, Moses, Winta, and Wintana, welcome you in and treat you like family. They have chicken cream of mushroom soup that will blow your mind. Their spicy chicken sandwich has candied jalapeños.... CANDIED jalapeños. If you go, tell them I sent you. I love Flavor 91 and I tell anyone who is looking for a great meal out. Do you have a restaurant like that? One that comes to mind instantly when someone asks for a recommendation? Could you tell that person everything about the restaurant and even suggest a few menu items? If you were to ask me to recommend a church to you, I would tell you to visit Violet Baptist Church in Pickerington, OH. The messages are fantastic. The atmosphere is fun and relaxed. The Pastors, staff, and volunteers welcome you in and treat you like family. They have a VioletKids program and Overflow Youth Ministry that will blow your mind. Their VioletGroups have candied jalapeños.... I am just kidding about that part. If you go, tell them I sent you. I love Violet Baptist Church and I tell anyone who is looking for a godly congregation with whom to grow in their walk with Christ. The problem is that more people are likely to ask me for a restaurant recommendation than for a church recommendation. So how do I get the word out? 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.
I know!
I could do a Google Review!!
I could do a Yelp Review!
I could post on Facebook and tag Violet!
And so can you!!
Let’s recommend Violet to everyone!!
Rachel Stone Marketing & Communications Director rachels@violetchurch.com
Links
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