I was born in late 1959 (yes, that means I hit the big 6-0 this year)! Back when I was growing up things were much different than they are today, even in the church. In the 60s until even the mid-1980s, the church was flourishing. In fact it was the “happening place,” because everything was closed on Sunday and everybody “went to church.” But then things began to change, stores are now open and even yard service people work on Sundays. Also, many people in our community do not even care about......

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“When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this proof of God’s favor, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.” Acts 11:22-23 Once there was a young boy named Jimmy who played on a little league baseball team. He loved being on the team and all of his teammates and coaches loved him. But there was a problem. He was lousy playing the game! He could not hit or catch the ball. And,......

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“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”- The Apostle Paul I Corinthians 1:18 During the Lent-Easter season, we are reminded of the great sacrifice that our  Lord made in order that we might be redeemed, forgiven, and reconciled. Last year, I did a class on various understandings of the cross event. I know that many of you did not get to attend the class, so I thought I might provide a condensed version of......

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“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ have put on the character of Christ, putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”- The Apostle Paul Galatians 3:28 (NLT) When I was in the first grade, my mother made some cupcakes for me to share with my classmates. However, she miscounted and we were one short. As I was handing them out I......

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By Pastor Dee Dowdy… In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter writes, “If you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.” (NLT) Therefore, I have written a study on the basic tenants of the Christian faith as understood through the Wesleyan theological “lens.” In this study we will consider man topics including creation, fall of humanity, and God’s plan of redemption, the Holy Trinity and the function of the Church. I encourage everyone to come and be part of this study, but I especially urge anyone who is considering......

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By Pastor Dee Dowdy… On Tuesday, September 5th at 11:00 am, I would like to invite all our more “experienced at life” members to join in a time of fun, food, and fellowship. Everyone who falls into this age group is encouraged to bring a covered dish and some sort of game to play. We will meet, play games, then share a meal together, and I will bring the devotion. At this initial meeting, we will decide how often we want to gather and will talk about other possibilities for fellowship for......

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By Pastor Dee Dowdy… In Hebrews 12:15, we read “Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of God.” (NLT) So, I am asking for people to prayerfully consider answering this call to become care givers (Shepherds) in this church. A Shepherd is one who will check on and care for a set number of individuals in our church. The entire congregation will be divided up into groups and will be assigned to a shepherd who will periodically check up on them to make sure they......

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Today on CBS This Morning, veteran political analyst Bob Schieffer summarized what many of us are feeling about the electoral process: “This is scary.” Indeed, in this presidential election cycle there are many new and surprising entities. Very little in this process seems to be going the way conventional wisdom says it should go, and that can be scary. If we are worried, we might remember that nothing is new under the sun. Elections have long been a time of fear and uncertainty. I stumbled upon an entry in John Wesley’s journal......

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Along with everyone in the country, I was heartbroken this week by yet another mass shooting. And, like many Christians I first considered the New York Daily News’ headline the next day to be somewhat offensive: “GOD IS NOT FIXING THIS,” it said. As a person of Advent faith, I simply couldn’t agree with that statement. This is precisely the sort of mess that God aims to fix in and through Jesus and his church. And, when I turned to the lectionary reading from the prophet Malachi for the Second Sunday of Advent, chapter 3,......

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Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me. I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me. —Psalm 69:1-4 Wednesday evening I walked into the house after a very grueling and traumatic day. I went to the front door to check for the mail. In the stack of junk and......

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