October 2026

Two are better than one, because they have good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.

– Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Grace and peace to you all! I hope this finds you well as we push through the (hopefully) final hot days of the year.

As many of you know, we’ve been having some troubles with our internet around the office. The construction on the land behind our property meant that our old method of receiving a signal was no longer a viable option, so we decided to try a different method offered by our internet service provider (ISP). Turns out it’s not a great fit for us, so we’re working with the ISP to find a solution.

However, it has made some of the normal things we do around here impossible. Online meetings don’t work because the signal strength doesn’t pass information back fast enough. Streaming Sunday worship suffers for the same reason, so we haven’t been able to livestream on Sundays for the past three weeks.

Truly I tell you, this is frustrating for all of us, especially the pastor who has to talk with tech support. We appreciate all the patience you can offer us in the meantime.

This process has made me reflect on the importance of connection, though. I make monthly visits to some of our members who can’t make it on Sundays, and most of the rest of the time they connect with us through our streaming. They know what is going on because they can tune in and hear the announcements. They feel like they are still part of this community, even if their lives mean they have to remain on the periphery, because of the efforts we make to provide that opportunity.

Community is vital to our lives as Christians because we are made to live and work together. Where one of us is weak, another is strong. Where one is unsure, another is confident. We are not all the same because we don’t need to be; we survive through our reliance on each other. If one of us falls, the others are there to lift them back up. This is the way things are supposed to be.

I encourage you to remember the people who are on the periphery. When we speak of the marginalized, it includes people who are stuck at home. If we don’t make the effort to reach out, we will miss what they might have to say. We will fail to hear their voices. They will remain on the margins because we have expected them to come to us; but when one of us falls, how could they ever come?

Today, reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Check up on them. Remind them that they too are a loved and beloved member of this community. We’ll have the livestream back up as soon as we can, but just because it isn’t happening doesn’t mean we are separated; it can remind us that we are connected, now and always.

Blessings,

PR