Pathfinder

  We ran out! For our most recent fellowship dinner we had two large pots of sauce and two large pots of noodles and both of them ran dry! I love that so many of you showed up for a meal on a Tuesday night (and, fortunately, we had extra sauce and extra noodles that helped cover the spread). It was a wonderful time and I don’t think anyone left hungry. We are planning another fellowship meal for Tuesday, February 10 at 6:15pm. It will be a carry-in crockpot meal. If you want, pick your favorite crockpot recipe and bring it in. We would love to have you join us. Look for a sign-up list in the weeks ahead.           Some of you have been attending APC for a few months now. We would like to get to know you better and offer you a chance to get to know us. On Saturday, February 21, from 9-1, we will be offering a new members class. During this class we talk about what our church believes, it s history, and what is required to become a membe...

  Much to my parents' chagrin, mostly my mom's, I was always curious and highly inquisitive about things that presented a challenge to my knowledge and imagination. That said in introduction, I have remained that person who wants to know more when a concept or a particular subject nudges my curiosity. Saint Valentine is one such subject so I went looking. Turns out, “yes Virginia, there really was a Saint Valentine”... and he was Italian! More accurately he was an Italian doctor who later became a Catholic priest in third century Rome and, as a collateral effect of his ministry, inadvertently inspired the inception of what became known as Valentine's Day. According to author Whitney Hopler, communications director at the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University, “Saint Valentine is the patron saint of love. Believers say God worked through his life to perform miracles and teach people how to recognize and experience true love.” Valentine f...

  Trustees serving in 2025 were Ken Bain, Mark Boyce, Jordan Tuttle, Joe Lohret, Scott Burnham, Scott Lufkin, Guy Wilson, Jim Stott and Lou Hoffis. In 2026, we welcome Duane Flower and Brian Burch to the team. We would like to thank Ken Bain and Jordan Tuttle for their service as they rotate off the board. We are very fortunate to have people who like to do things that others don’t find appealing. Here our friend, Mark Wohlleben, helps us to keep bees, mice, and bats in check. Our friend Barry Karhan takes care of all of the cardboard recycling. The friends of the trustees, “Kitchen committee” and various “Trustee emeriti” continue to keep stuff stocked, stored, uncluttered, and clean. In the coming weeks we hope to have a couple of aged and broken toilets replaced.

  This past fall was a blur. It is hard to believe that we are already putting out the welcome mat for 2026. I am so grateful for all those who taught our Sunday school classes this fall and those of you who started Bible studies this year or joined Bible studies for the first time. It is obvious that the Lord is doing something in our community and I am so grateful to partner with you in that work.           Laurie McWhorter and Lou Hoffis did a wonderful job connecting with women and men in our congregation. I am amazed at all the creative ways the women found to come together and encourage each other in the Lord this year. In 2026, Laurie is stepping down from her role as Women ’s Ministry Coordinator. I am very grateful for how she hit the ground running with this position and continued to encourage the women in our church in all the things that they felt called to do. When Lou and Laurie and I got together, I invited them, not to ...

  As we look to the year ahead, we give thanks to the Lord for raising up women and men to serve His church. We also want to express our gratitude to the nominating committee for their faithful work in discerning and presenting the following nominations for congregational leadership: Session (Elders): Bob Black, Jereme Randles Deacons: Judy Liddle, Kate Griffin, Linda Burch Trustees: Brian Burch, Duane Flower Please join us in praying for these brothers and sisters as they prepare to step into their responsibilities. Leadership in Christ’s church is a joyful calling and a weighty stewardship. Let’s surround them with encouragement, practical help, and steady prayer. How You Can Pray ·       Wisdom & Discernment: That the Lord would give clear minds and unified hearts as they make decisions for the good of the congregation. ·       Servant Hearts: That each leader would reflect Christ’s humility and love in every...

  As a direct result of having been designated to pen this article each month, I have a distinctly unique observational perspective on the activities of the church's various groups, and the participation of its congregants, in pursuit of our goal of “making disciples who make a difference”. Within that context, I am ever impressed with the selfless enthusiasm of our members to give generously and willingly to the Deacons' and other groups' various charitable endeavors. According to the website “Bible Study Tools”, when the Apostle Paul penned the Book of Romans in roughly AD 56 or 57, his primary theme was “God's plan of salvation and righteousness for all humankind”. In chapter 12, Verse 13 of that book he wrote: “Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” As we enter a new year, it is admirable that as a church this is what we do! On the 7 th of December the Deacons turned McLean Hall into a welcome station for over 170 visitors who ...