Pastor Alan and Irene Tripp started ministry at the Burr and Valley churches before our second son was even born. Last weekend the two churches honored them for 25 years of faithful ministry. Alan and Irene’s entire family was there. The people had planned all of the events and services for the day, leaving the Tripps with nothing to do but show up and smile a lot. Following the two services, a dinner was served at the Valley church. Then, it was back up the hill for cake and a reception in the afternoon. It was a beautiful day. Two congregations really appreciate their pastor. And two people, Pastor Alan and Irene Tripp, really love their congregations. Congratulations to Pastor Alan and Irene on good, faithful and fruitful ministry. And congratulations to the Burr and Valley churches for being the kind of good, healthy congregations that make it possible for a pastor to survive and thrive in a long term ministry!News and Notes
Speaking of celebrations, the Hayward Wesleyan church had a special celebration for Pastor Ben and Lois Drown, in honor of their 50 years of ministry in the Wesleyan church. After having served congregations as the lead pastor in Wisconsin, Pastor Ben “sort of retired” and moved to Hayward to serve on staff. Not knowing the meaning of ‘slow down’, he jumped in and has done pastoral care there ever since. Congratulations to Ben and Lois. We celebrate, along with them, the faithfulness and the way they have served the Lord and His church.
At the end of this month, Les and Linda Burch will be leaving for Colorado to take a pastorate there. Les has been working through the ministerial preparation courses and has almost completed the work. They have been members of the Sand Lake Wesleyan church, serving as lay people there while preparing for ministry. We wish them well. Pray for them in their move and as they start their ministry there.
Jesse and Krissy Hamble are leaving Red Cedar the end of the summer. Jesse grew up in northern Wisconsin, worked in Rice Lake and eventually came on staff as the Pastor of Celebration Arts. After giving really good leadership on staff, they feel called to full-time music ministry on the road. Pray for them as they transition out of the local church and go on the road.
Please pray for Paul and Beth Myers and both of their families. Paul is assistant pastor at Hales Corners Wesleyan. Last Wednesday Beth’s grandmother fell, hit her head, and died later on that evening. Sunday night Paul’s grandmother died at the hospice she was at. The disease she had caused her body to quit producing blood platelets. She passed away in her sleep.
Nicaragua Youth Ministry Team – Great Story!
A couple of weeks ago we had a great team of teenagers come to Nicaragua to do a series of vacation Bible schools in area churches. Included in each VBS was a station in which the children received a new pair of shoes. One of the churches really used the event to leverage its own outreach to unchurched kids in the community. Here’s the story from missionary Mike Knox:
At the end of the week there were some shoes leftover. In the past we've given them to other churches or schools. But this year we decided to try something different. One of our pastoral couples, Alfonso and Connie, have a "pulperia"--a little store--in their home. Connie used to sell clothes on the street but when her manager asked her to move to a route in a more dangerous part of the city, she decided to open the pulperia instead. They have done well, and have been making monthly payments on a refrigerator that they bought from the mission for their business. The money from the sale of the fridge goes back to the national church to be made available for other micro-loans. So this year, looking for another way to maximize the benefits of the shoes, the youth team agreed to give the leftovers to Connie to sell in her little store, but with the understanding that one half of all the profits would go back to the national church to augment the micro-loan fund.
Mike Knox dropped in to visit Connie and Alfonso a few days later, and Connie told him this great story: Three years ago she had a dream that someone gave her a boat-load of shoes to sell. She shared the dream with her family and a couple of friends and it became something of a running refrain between her and one friend that when they would run into one another on occasion, she would say, "I'm still waiting for my shoes!" Connie told Mike that she had just recently run into this friend and she had told him, as usual, "I'm still waiting for my shoes!" So when Mike delivered about 100 pairs of shoes to her a few days later, it was a surprise but not totally unexpected. The Lord had given her a vision three years earlier that one day He would provide her with a bunch of shoes to sell.
God is at work in Nicaragua, as He is all over the world. Thanks to many, many of you for your prayers and gifts to help establish a new Wesleyan district in Central America.
Dates for your Information
July 22 Beulah – Dennis Jones Installation
July 29 Gull Lake – LeRoy Drake Retirement Sunday
July 30-Aug. 4 Senior High Camp
August 4 Iglesia Cristiana Wesleyana visit
August 9-11 Willow Creek Leadership Summit
August 11 Jason/Alya – Transformation City
August 12 Our Savior’s, Mukwonago visit
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