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Some Really Bad Parenting Advice
One of my favorite Christian fiction books is Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, which is a modern day take on The Screwtape Letters. Both of these are about a head demon writing to a lower demon with advice on how to minimize the effectiveness of a Christian. With both of these books in mind, I have written some new advice from Foulbreath, a head demon, to the lowly demon, Littlesnake. Dear Littlesnake, I want to continue to give you some foolproof methods to…
Guidelines for the indoor service on June 7
Guidelines for the indoor service on June 7… We have to maintain 40 percent capacity… so no more than 120 people in the sanctuary. Everyone must stay socially distant… 6 feet apart. Those that live together may sit together. People will enter the sanctuary through the main, middle doors. The outer aisles will be for exiting only. People will be dismissed by rows after the service. No one will be allowed to congregate in the lobby.…
Reopening Information For Island Pond – Updated 6/4/20
Dear Island Pond Family, Today Governor Sununu announced that churches are safe to reopen in New Hampshire. With that in mind, we are making plans to have our first service in the sanctuary on Sunday, June 7, at 10:30am. Here is the schedule for the next two Sundays: This Sunday, May 31, we will have our normal drive-in service at 10:30am. We will not meet indoors on May 31. Then the following Sunday, June 7, we will have TWO SERVICES.…
An Unbaptized Christian… Huh?
Things that make you go “huh?”: One time I was driving down the road and saw a man on a Harley motorcycle… holding his little chihuahua. Huh? One time after church a newcomer came up to me and said she didn’t like her previous church because the pastor preached messages that didn’t make her happy. Huh? (By the way, she didn’t stay long at Island Pond either). One time when I was looking at houses I came across one that…
Why Everyone Should Read The Bible With A Study Bible
Picture this: You want to make your pastor a chocolate cake. But in this imaginary world, you have never made a chocolate cake. So you walk into the kitchen and start baking! You grab a pan that looks about the right size. You look in the pantry and pick out some ingredients that seem like they should go in cake. Then you start pouring them into the mixer. You are not exactly sure what temperature the oven should be set…
Have Your Devotions With A Paper Bible, Not Your Phone
I love technology. And I love the convenience of having my Bible on my phone. So for several years I had switched to primarily reading the Bible on my phone. There are certainly advantages to having it with you at all times, but I began to notice some disadvantages as well. I was more prone to reading on-the-go. I was more prone to read less meditatively and more for quantity. I often found myself at the end of a chapter…
Information For Members of Island Pond
4/18/2020 Dear Island Pond Members, With the coronavirus continuing to keep us from meeting in person, we are in the unique position of having to make some decisions outside of the normal guidelines of our constitution. So I wanted to keep you in the loop regarding what the deacons and pastors have planned. First, the members are suppose to meet on a quarterly basis. In May, members are suppose to vote on a new budget and deacons. However, none of…
God Is Still In Control In The Midst of Uncertainty
One of the challenges of pastoral ministry is the bipolar nature of the job. One day (or moment) things can be going great and everyone seems to love you. The next day (or moment) things quickly turn sour, with bad news arriving, people getting upset, or disasters happening. With the quick changes, you learn to expect that anything could happen at any time and you are never really on “solid” ground with things around you. Over time, this can wear…
Drive-In/Parking Lot Church
Starting June 7, the drive-in/parking lot service time will be at 9:30am. We will also have an indoor service at 10:30am in the sanctuary. Drive-In Service Information: The drive-in service is held in the parking lot of the church. Driving into the parking lot it will be to the right of the church. We have several speakers set up for you to hear the music and message. We will also have an FM transmitter so you can listen through your…
3/17/20 Closing Information
IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM 3/17/20: Dear Church Family, The deacons and pastors met Tuesday night to discuss how the church will respond to the current virus situation. In light of the governor’s ban on large groups, and in an effort to do our part in not spreading anything, we have decided to stop all in-person meetings for the next three Sundays. Given the age of many who are involved in small groups, we have also decided to cancel all in-person groups…
Seven Purposeful Activities To Help Your Children Walk With God
In the book, “The Art of Parenting,” Dennis and Barbara Rainey talk about seven purposeful activities that the parents can engage their children in to develop them into godly adults. Here are those seven activities: 1) Pray With Your Children. “When prayer becomes a way of life in your family, it teaches your children that: 1) prayer at its essence is faith that recognizes that God exists, 2) prayer acknowledges that God hears, 3) prayer believes that God cares, 4)…
An Awesome Book On Marriage
Do you want to read (or listen) to a great book on marriage? I highly recommend the book, “Vertical Marriage” by Dave and Ann Wilson. Here is why this book is so great… 1) The Hilarious and Vulnerable Stories Honestly, I could never write a book like this because they were just too open and honest. They share intimate details about their marriage, talking about both the struggles and successes. But in the midst of this openness comes some of…