Dear Church Family, It is an odd feeling to be in the church sanctuary on Sunday morning with only two other people in attendance. We know that the church is not the building. It is the people who are part of the body of Christ that make up the church.  So it really does not feel like church. During this pandemic, I have learned that being together matters more than I thought.  Loving one another at a distance is safe and the right thing to do. It demonstrates our obedience to the governing authorities and our love for one another. As Paul wrote in Romans 13:8, “ Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves has fulfilled the law.” So let us love one another, for the time being, by being separated, knowing that Spirit produced love will hold us together while we are apart. God bless you, and keep you, and may His face shine upon you. In His Bountiful Grace, Pastor...

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Dear Church Family, This is a time of loss. We have lost our security, our economic stability, some have lost loved ones, and others have lost good jobs. With loss comes grief. As followers of the Lord Jesus we too grieve, but not as the world grieves. In I Thessalonians 4:13 we read, “ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as those who have no hope.”  We grieve too, but in a way that is different than the world. Our grief is informed by the promises of God in His Word. That is why when a loved one passes who knows Jesus we can say that they have “fallen asleep.” It’s only a temporary separation. We have a very real hope while we grieve. The same is true of any other loss we experience. It too can be reframed by God’s Word. He is in charge bringing  glory to Himself and good to His people. Below is an email that I just received from Pat Bennett’s daughter. Pat went home to be with Jesus last week. Her family is grieving as those who have hope. Have a wonderful day. See you on Sunday. Pastor Joe “Hi Pastor Joe, Thank you so much for your call and prayer with me last week. Due to the Covid 19 virus, only ten people can be at the funeral; however, there will be a live webcast of the service. The funeral is this Friday, the 24th, at 12:00 noon. The link is not active yet, but can be found on the Dostal Bokas Funeral Home website. Here is the link to Pat’s obituary with info on the webcast. The link should be active for 90 days, so if someone would like to view her funeral and is unable to do so on Friday, they can see it later. https://www.dostalfuneralservices.com/obituaries/Patsy-Bennett-3/#!/Obituary If you could share this with your congregation, it would be appreciated. The members of your church have been so amazing with their prayers, cards and gifts. I can’t thank you enough. Blessings,  Sue Linder (Pat and Bob’s daughter)  Bob...

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http://www.cantongbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Traditional_04-19-20.mp3

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Dear Church Family, In Luke 22:31-32 our Lord said to Peter, “ Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Of course, Peter did not think that he needed to have his faith strengthened and he fell as Jesus predicted. It’s interesting that our Lord prayed for Peter before he failed and that He prayed that Peter would be used in a powerful and redemptive way after his failure. Our failures do not take Jesus by surprise. Why does His grace and forgiveness surprise us? They shouldn’t. As the old hymn states, “Wonderful grace of Jesus; greater than all my sin.” Unlike Peter, we should embrace His grace and forgiveness even before we need it. Some of you enjoy sending birthday cards to friends in the church family. Here are birthdays for the rest of April. Sue Freshly and Olivia Carafelli (16th), Scott Carrel (20th), Juliann Canonico (25th), Ian Kovac, Anthony Warner, and Etheleen Werstler (26th). May we all embrace His grace and forgiveness before we need it. God bless you and stay safe in Jesus. By His Grace, Pastor...

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