Blue River Church of the Brethren

We’re glad you’re here!

At Blue River, we endeavor to do three things:

• worship God Biblically;
• teach believers the Word of God; and
• proclaim the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ alone

Our Sunday School for ALL ages is at 9 a.m., our morning worship is at 10 a.m., our our evening worship is a 7 p.m. (there are occasional variations for Sunday evening services).

We invite you to our services, to join with us in our work, and to share in our fellowship. We strive to emphasize basic New Testament teachings, and practice the New Testament ordinances.

We look forward to seeing you soon at Blue River!

Bro. Olivier Melnick, of Chosen People Ministries, will share during the adult Sunday School and morning worship hours.

His subject during the worship hour will be “Why and How Believers Should Pray for Israel.”

Our Undershepherd Groups will meet after the morning worship service for carry-in meals and Bible study lesson. The Garrison/Shearer group will meet after church for a carry-in in the North Wing followed by the lesson. The Brian & Shari Shively group will meet at Dennis & Ruth Ann Shively’s after church for a carry-in followed by the lesson. And the Gingerich/Myers group will meet at Travis & Brittany Hartman’s after church for a carry-in followed by the lesson.

No evening service.

On Wednesday at 7 p.m., the Adult Bible Study will continue our study in Galatians 5:22-23, on the Fruit of the Spirit. Join us!

Brooklyn Workcamp

Cora Myers, from Blue River, attended the Church of the Brethren/Brethren Revival Fellowship Workcamp in Brooklyn, New York, from June 19-26, 2011. The local cable news station did a brief video of the workcamp, working.

Open your Bible to Luke 23:55-24:12.                            

Have you ever looked for something, but looked in the wrong place? Maybe we say about something, “I found it in the last place I looked…” Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, along with His disciples, also looked for Jesus, but didn’t find Him, even in the last place where they saw Him.  

 That’s because they looked in the wrong places. People still do.

Some look for Jesus on David’s throne.  That is, they look for a political Messiah–one who will rescue people from oppression, slavery, economic depression, and the like. We might ask, “Who will straighten out the mess in Washington?” and look for some hero who will have all the answers that he will apply with wisdom to the ills we face today. The only problem is, there is no man who has all the answers. So some looked then, and even some look today, for a Jesus who will turn the world upside down. But that isn’t where Jesus is.

Some look for Jesus a prosperity gospel. They expect Jesus to be where all is success, growth, and a tremendously fulfilling life. This kind of “gospel” is present in the “Word-Faith” movement, some television preachers, and in a host of places where grinding poverty almost pushes faith in an Almighty, Sovereign God to the limits. The only thing holding people back (they say) is a lack of faith in God’s provision. However, one can be full of faith, and be very poor, under great outward strains, and in physical pain. Jesus does promise to provide for His people, yet in His way, at His time, according to His pleasure. One can be mightily blessed of God while living in a shack, preaching to a small congregation, and seeing very little visible fruit of his faith. So in wealth and success isn’t where Jesus is.

Some still look for Jesus in a preacher or teacher. We have celebrity preachers who speak to countless persons daily on the radio or television. They might always have a smile, respond with a witty remark, or have a refined way of speaking. We might occasionally see the reflection of Jesus in someone like that, but we also know that every human being has his flaws and ill-tempers–even ones deeply devoted to Christ. But if we base our ideas of Jesus on any human being, we will soon be disappointed! That isn’t where Jesus is.

We must look for Jesus where He is!  That place is no longer in a tomb in Israel. That place is among the living! “Why do seek Jesus among the dead?”  He is not dead anymore.  That was a temporary condition for Him, and it has become a temporary condition of the bodies of God’s saints. So we look for, and find, Jesus in the place of the living. Where might that be today?

We find Jesus in the Church. Remember that the Church is the only institution directly established by Christ, and the bride for which He gave His life. If you want to find a fellow, you might want to look where his bride is. Often they will be together. Jesus is always with His Church. So, rather than running from church, we need to turn and run to the church, and encourage others to do so. There will we and they find Jesus Christ. He can be found elsewhere, to be sure, but the most obvious place to find Him is at church. A church that is singing, praying, praising, and preaching the Gospel is a good place to look for Jesus. So we find Jesus where His people are working, sharing, and being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We look for Jesus where He is physically–in Heaven.  His glorified body ascended into Heaven, where the Bible says He sat down at the right hand of God the Father. He is active in interceding for His people, in building our mansions, and in receiving the exaltation of humans and angels in Heaven.

We look for Jesus coming again. Some day soon, Jesus will return to this old earth in power. He will come for His saints, reunite souls and bodies, and bring judgment to sin and unbelief. Every true Christian looks up, for his redemption draws near.

If you look for Jesus where He is not–you will never find Him. But if you look for Jesus where He is, and you are truly sincere in that search–you definitely will find Him. Are you trusting Him today? Can you confess with faithful Christians throughout the ages,    
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Pastor Craig Alan Myers

Quill & Scroll

April 2012

The little letter written by Jude in the New Testament is a rich, though densely-packed exhortation to Christians of all times and places. There are at least five “Jude’s” mentioned in the New Testament. This particular “Jude” is the brother of James and the half-brother of Jesus. After the resurrection of Jesus, Jude believed in the Gospel, and became one of the leaders of the early church along with James.

As Jude started to write this letter, he was intending to write an encouraging word about salvation in Christ (v.3), but then changed his purpose to urge his readers to contend for the faith. This faith was something on which they were all united–that solid core of fundamentals that are necessary for salvation. This core is stated several times throughout the New Testament–in Acts 2:42 (the Apostles’ Teaching); Romans 6:17 (the Form of teaching); Ephesians 4:5 (One Faith); Philippians 2:16 (the Word of Life); Colossians 2:7 (the Faith); Titus 1:9 (sound doctrine); and Hebrews 4:14 (the Faith we possess). This was the truth around which they united in Christ. It was given to them by Christ, and they passed it on to others. Anything else was not the truth–or heterodox.

Some years ago, a survey done in one of the major denominations in the United States found that, among its ministers, 56% rejected the Virgin Birth of Jesus. 71% denied the reality of life after life. 54% tossed away the bodily resurrection of Jesus, while 78% doubted that Jesus would return. In other words, these teachers in the churches repudiated essential teachings that make the church truly Christian. They spurned the basic faith given to us through the Apostles.

Jude urged his readers to contend for that sound faith (verse 3). If no one knew what it was, how then could they fight for it? That word, “contend” means to struggle intensely. It means to get down where it might be dirty, gritty, and smelly. We are in a battle for truth, and have been since the Church was born. There is no pacifism in contending against the spiritual enemies of the Christian and of the Church. We fight, using the weapons of spiritual warfare as laid out in Ephesians 6:10-18.

Jude pressed his readers to pay attention (verse 4). Already, in the few years since the Cross, the Christian faith was being compromised. The attacks from the outside were often ferocious, but it was the departures from the inside that were more dangerous. And these defectors were not just the doubters, but those who were adamantly defiant. Some of their teaching had come into the church unnoticed, like someone slipping poison into a drinking glass. Heresy and error rarely enter with trumpet blasts, but rather by the back door with little attention.

Jude described the corrupting nature of the false teachers and their doctrines. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 we find eighteen characteristics of those who were denying the Gospel from even within the Church. Here, Jude says these false teachers do two main things: (1) subtly, they twist the Gospel so as to teach ungodly living, or licentiousness, by saying that God’s love and grace is so great as to make godly living unnecessary; and (2) defiantly, they deny Jesus Christ–that is, they refuse even the need for a Saviour from sin. These two ideas are at the heart of every apostate teaching.

This two-headed creature of apostasy (or falling away) is a continual danger to the Church. Jude urges us to contend for the Faith that has been entrusted to us. We are to be aware of those who bring false doctrines into the Church, and we are to reject those teachings. We are to be on guard against those who would lead us away from the plain teaching of the New Testament. We are to study, teach, and preach sound doctrine as given to us by Jesus Christ and His Apostles. We are to keep on doing it until we die or until Jesus returns.

Pastor Craig Alan Myers

 Quill & Scroll
March 2012

Why do Christians place so much emphasis on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead?  On its face, it seems a rather fantastic account. After all, everyone knows that once someone is dead, they are dead, right? The End. Finis. Nothing more. Or at least, that’s what many would like to think.

For the Christian, the Resurrection is the touchstone of our faith in Christ. Without it, everything else in the Christian faith falls.  It is the key to everything we believe and do. Without it, being a Christian is rather pointless. There are many other worldly institutions that can do what many churches do in terms of helping the poor, encouraging the weak, and bringing hope to those touched by disaster.

We emphasize the Resurrection–because there was an empty tomb. Jesus was dead, and then he was buried by some of his followers (Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus). They ascertained that He was dead. There was no mistake. He was quickly prepared for burial and then placed in a brand new tomb that belonged to the Arimathean. There they left the body of the One they had loved and followed. There they left their hopes and dreams. There was the greatest of disappointments.

But, within the space of three days, that very tomb was vacant. The dead body was gone. The disciples had not stolen it–they were cowering in fear. The women who went to the tomb early that Sunday morning were certain of its location. There was a Roman guard, with an official Roman seal ordered by the Roman governor. These men were duty-charged, at the cost of their lives, to make sure that nothing happened to disturb that tomb. Still, the tomb was empty. That remains a fact of history.

That empty tomb was the door to new life.  The Apostle Paul, in Romans 4:25, tells us that Jesus was raised to life again for our justification. That is, that because of Jesus’ resurrection, we (who believe) are declared to be right with God, just as if we had never sinned in the first place. Without that justification, we would still be lost in our sins. God cannot allow the unjustified sinner into His Heaven. So He accepts the sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross in our place.

When we accept Christ, God declares us righteous, as Christ has taken on our sin, and died for it. No longer are we lost and dead in our sins.

That empty tomb was the open door to eternal life. Death is scary. It means an end to a life we know, love, and cherish.  The lament for those who have died goes up in every community every day of the year.  Yet, In John 11:25-26, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” The Resurrection does not guarantee that we shall never die physically. But it does guarantee that we shall live beyond death. We are not in a hopeless situation, anymore. With our faith in Christ Jesus, we are given a living hope, that our life will continue beyond our physical death, and someday, we will be given a new body that will complement our redeemed soul.

That empty tomb was the open door to new hope. The disciples were dejected because their best Friend had died. When they found Him alive, however, they were infused with a new hope that transformed their lives.  So it has been with all who have truly trusted Christ. As Jesus had been raised from the dead, so they, too, would be raised as well.
That hope was worth sharing, worth telling the world. And after a time of learning more from Jesus, and then watching Him ascend into Heaven, they were blessed by the Holy Spirit and then went into the world proclaiming the Resurrection of Jesus. Those disciples, who just a few days before were afraid for their lives, went out without a worldly care for their lives to the corners of the known world. All but one died as a result of persecution for their preaching and faith. What transformed them?  The empty tomb–the Risen Jesus.

Do you know Jesus Christ? Do you have the hope that you, too, will spend eternity in Heaven with Him?  Do you know that death has no permanent claim on you? Are you ready to meet God? Trust Jesus by faith today! Don’t put it off!  You, too, will have a transformed life, and a renewed energy. Turn to Jesus today!

Pastor Craig Alan Myers

Quill & Scroll
March 2009

Whenever we complete a project, there is usually a sense of satisfaction–or at least relief. Jesus in John 19:17-30, was coming to the end of His mission here on earth. He cried, “It is finished!” What was accomplished as Jesus hung on the Cross and gave up His life?

First, His suffering was almost over. The agony and the anguish of His suffering were just about done. The Father loved Jesus, His Son, yet He knew that if the debt of sin were to be paid, there must be poured out upon the Son His wrath against sin that had been accumulating since the initial transgression in the Garden of Eden. It is done. The sacrifice has been offered. It now awaits but to die.

Second, it was finished, as the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled. Beginning at Genesis 3:15, it had been foretold that there would be a Messiah or Saviour who would atone for man’s sins and bring about our reconcilation with the Father. Specific prophecies had also been given. For example, Scripture says that some would cast lots for His raiment. It happened. Scripture foretold that the Saviour would thirst and they would give Him vinegar to drink. It happened. Scripture says that the Messiah was to be deserted by God. It happened. He was to be despised and rejected by men. It happened. There is not a single promise in the Old Testament, not a single prediction by any ancient prophet, that wasn’t fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Third, it was finished, for God’s Law had been perfectly kept by Christ. On the Cross, Jesus was able to say, “I have fulfilled the demands of God’s holy law. I have been completely obedient to the Father.” He did that for the sake of His people. He did not have to die to gain His own soul’s salvation. Jesus Christ kept the Law so we could be delivered from its punishment. By paying the wages of sin (Romans 6:23), the Lord Jesus freed us from the Law. He has liberated us from its punishment. He took away our guilt, and has given us liberty through the Gospel.

Fourth, it is finished, as the types and shadows of the Law have been fulfilled. Strange and wonderful things happened, according to Matthew 27. The earth shook, and dead people arose from the dead and came out of their tombs. The veil separating the Holy of Holies in the Temple was torn from top to bottom, signifying the fact that the presence of God was available to all who come by faith to Him. The sacrifices on the Temple altar were useless now. The blood of Christ removed the sins of His people.

Finally, it is finished, as our salvation was secured. God could have determined to leave us to our just desserts. He could have permitted us to go to hell. But He decided to do something in His mercy. He sent His Son to live and to die so that the Son could say, “It is finished!” He thus secured the salvation of all who come to Him in faith. While the sacrifice was sufficient and powerful for all, it only applies to those who trust in Jesus and throw themselves wholly on the grace and mercy of God for His solution to our sin problem.

When Jesus cried, “It is finished!” it brought great assurance. For those who belong to Christ, salvation has been bought and paid for. We can bring nothing to the transaction but ourselves.

It also brings great warning. The death of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead means nothing if you are outside of Christ, if you have never come to Him in faith and accepted His sacrifice in your behalf. The situation is not finished for the unsaved–their sins are with them still, and the wrath of God still rests on them. The Bible says, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, and call upon Him while He is near.” Won’t you trust Him now, and know that sin’s penalty “is finished” for you?

Pastor Craig Alan Myers
Quill & Scroll
March 2004

Joseph, the son of Jacob, in the Old Testament, serves as an example of one who trusted God while he was in the pit, and depended on God to get him out of the pit. He was faithful in the midst of many adversities in his life.  Let’s look at some of the ways he was faithful.

He was faithful to obey his father. He learned early on that he himself was not the fount of all wisdom and knowledge.He did as his father said, he followed through on his father’s instructions, and understood that there was much to learn from the older generation. It is important as young people to channel energies in good ways, and heed the counsel of those who have passed through many of the same things we have. Older people, especially parents, have been through most of the same things teenagers go through. It is a wise young person who seeks the thoughts and ideas of older people.

Joseph was faithful though his circumstances changed.  He went from being his father’s favorite to being a slave in Egypt, and at the hands of his own brothers, in the course of a few days. What a devastating change in his life! Yet he kept on being the person he was, and trusting the God he had come to depend on.

He was faithful through his sufferings. There’s an interesting piece titled “The Pit.” Here’s how it goes:

A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out. He called for help…
A subjective person came along and said: “I feel for you, down there.”
An objective person came along and said: “It’s logical that someone would fall down there.”
A Christian Scientist came along: “You only think that you are in a pit.”
A Pharisee said: “Only bad people fall into a pit.”
A mathematician calculated how he fell into a pit.
A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on his pit.
A realist said: “Now that’s a pit.”
A geologist told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.
The tax department asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
The zoning department asked if he had a permit to dig a pit.
A self-pitying person said: “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen MY pit!”
An optimist said: “Things could have been worse.”
A pessimist said: “Things will get worse!!”
A charismatic said: “just confess you’re not in the pit.”
Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit”
Joseph kept trusting the Lord to get him out of the pit.

He was faithful to cultivate faithfulness.  Why is it that some folks seem to turn away from Christ, and the Church, and their responsibilities, and others do not? A large part of it is how someone has cultivated their spiritual lives. The person who avoids his Bible, prayer, and going to church, is much more likely to go astray when times get tough. The person who actively seeks out the Scriptures, who actively prays, and who regularly goes to church–that is, they are cultivating their faithfulness–are much more likely to remain close to Christ and the Church.

Joseph was faithful even when far from home.  Some people in Joseph’s shoes, might think that it is a time to experiment and to try some new (usually illicit) things, now that they are out from under their parents’ and their home community. Joseph found himself in the midst of the most powerful and wealthy nation on earth. It was a pagan country when the residents worshipped the Nile River, the land, and the sky. No one would know if he became fully Egyptian in his thinking and behavior. Yet he remained faithful to the worship of the one true God, and to the customs of his own people back in Canaan.

Joseph found, in the process of being faithful, that God is always faithful to His people. (Isaiah 43:2). In all his troubles, he found that God cared, even when his brothers, his Egyptian master, his jailers, and his jailhouse friends did not.  He found that God comforted him in his homesickness, his sorrow, and his likely confusion as he confronted his circumstances.

Someone has written:

God sometimes uses:
Pits as foundation for palaces;
A cross that leads to a crown;
Tears that lead to triumph; and
Valleys that lead to victories.

May we all continue to be faithful to Christ and the Church!

Pastor Craig Alan Myers
Quill & Scroll
March 2009

The New Year is a good time to take stock of our lives and to see if there might be some areas that we can improve on. The areas that are most promising may be those we are already working at. Would you consider the following ideas for 2009?

Will you talk with one person (at a minimum) about Christ each week? This may be something as simple as a one-sentence testimony of what our faith means to us. We all know that we should be witnessing to people about Christ, yet it seems that it often falls to “someone else” to actually do it. Sharing with one person doesn’t seem all that hard, but think of the eternal benefits it may bring!

Will you invite someone new to church with you each week? Over the years, many people who have come to Blue River (and weren’t part of our family network), came because someone kept inviting them. They were encouraged to come with someone they knew. It is often hard for people to come “cold turkey” to church where they may not know anyone. But if we invite them, they just might say yes! Some might even trust Christ! Some might even join our fellowship!

Will you encourage someone in the church specifically each week? That doesn’t sound difficult, but again, we may not realize the long term benefits it may hold. Beyond saying, “You did a good job,” we ought to mention something really specific that has blessed us or been a glory to God. It doesn’t have to be something from a worship service. It may be a lesson taught, or a particular personal blessing we received. Do it in person, then follow up with a note in the mail. We have the “encouragement cards” available at the back of the auditorium and in many of the classrooms. Pick out a young person and give them specific encouragement. Five minutes and 42 cents seems like a very small price to encourage someone else.

Will you speak well of our church? Blue River is a great congregation in which to serve the Lord! If a person belongs to a congregation, they should be “bragging it up.” Sure, it may be easy to point out faults, but when we complain much and continually, then why would anyone else want to be a part of our church? We have so many opportunities to serve the Lord and to tell the Gospel, but somehow we overlook them. We should be glad for our youth ministry, our variety of Sunday school classes, the outreach ministries we have locally, our missionaries, our service opportunities. Let’s promote them, encourage them, and anticipate the good things that the Lord will do among us!

Will you attend faithfully each week? Many churches have become merely one more choice among all those offered for peoples’ time and attention. For real believers in Christ, though, church really isn’t an option. It is our eagerly anticipated appointment each week. I can’t wait to get to church to be with God’s people, and I can’t wait to be there more than once a week. Make a new commitment to attend each Sunday service. If we do that, then make a point to attend Sunday evening service. If we do that, then make a renewed effort to attend on Wednesday evening. The dividends will go far beyond the extra couple of hours we invest.

Will you pray daily for our church? Perhaps we “speed through” our prayers, or concentrate on those on the sick list, or pray only for our family. But think how much more powerful our church’s witness would be if every member prayed specifically for the ministry of Blue River each day. One day, we could perhaps pray for the Official Board, the next day, Women’s Work, the next day, the youth ministry, then the pastor, the church secretary, then the Sunday School teachers, then the nursery workers, the custodians, the Chain O’Lakes ministry, the missionaries we support…you get the idea. We could pray for two other members or families in the church each day. That would mean we would all be prayed for twice to three times per year specifically. There is no lack of subjects for prayer. It is interesting that the things we pray for, are the things about which God begins to excite us.

Will you give more to the work of the Church? Yes, everyone’s costs are increasing. We pay more for basic goods and services than even a few years ago. The Church is not immune from this. Some folks, though, continue to contribute a minimum–perhaps even the same amount they gave ten or twenty years ago! It is a good discipline to use the church offering envelopes, and keep track of what we have given in the past year. Then we can see if we can do more the coming year. If we each made the tithe (ten percent of our gross increase) our goal, think what God will do through Blue River. If we are already tithing, what would it do to add 5% of our tithe to it as an offering? The mind boggles at the opportunities!

One more thing: Will you see all of the above as things we get to do (as our privilege) rather than things “we have to do” (as a duty). It is amazing how our perspective changes when we see something as a privilege as contrasted to a duty. We get to be a part of Christ’s Body, the Church. We have no right to be a part, and if we look at our participation as a “duty” (in the modern view of that good word), then our involvement will be more of a chore than a delight.

This list is just a beginning. There are other endeavors that likely will build up the body of Christ. We should be ready to do them in 2009. Happy New Year to all!

Pastor Craig Alan Myers
Quill & Scroll
January 2009

Marilyn L. Wright, 81, of Columbia City, died at 12:37 a.m. Monday, April 26, 2010 at Parkview Whitley Hospital.

She was born May 23, 1928 in Smith Twp., Whitley County, Indiana a daughter of Esli and Helen A. (Egolf) Shively. Her formative years were spent in Smith Twp. and she graduated from Churubusco High School with the Class of 1946.

On August 14, 1949 she was united in marriage to Chester “Hank” Wright, Jr. They made their home in South Whitley. In 1951 they moved to Columbia City. Mr. Wright died February 12, 1986.

She began her employment with Klondyke Ice Cream and later United Telephone. She worked 8 years for Whitley County Treasurers Office and completed her work career at Farmers Loan and Trust Company with 23 years of service retiring in 1991.

She was a member of Blue River Church of the Brethren, Thorncreek Home Extension Club and a former member of First Church of God where she as served as Local, State and National Treasurer of Women’s Christian Service Council (W.C.S.C.). Her charitable work included: former Director of Whitley County Mental Health, Whitley County Historical Society and Treasurer of Churubusco Class of 1946 reunion.

An avid bowler, she also enjoyed fishing, softball and traveling. She had visited all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, Haiti, England and Western Europe.

Surviving relatives include three sons, Kerris L. (Nancy) Wright, Dunkirk, OH, L. Douglas (Darleen) Wright, Columbia City and Dr. Phillip C. (Marcia) Wright, Fort Wayne; a daughter, Tonda E. (Brent) Carrick, New Paris; 9 grandchildren; sixteen great grandchildren; two brothers, James Joseph Shively, Churubusco and Charles Donald Shively, Albion and a sister, Virginia Ruth Grabner, Columbia City.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers, David and John Shively.

The funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 29, 2010 at Blue River Church of the Brethren, 3040 E 700 North, Columbia City with Pastor Craig Myers officiating. The burial will be in Blue River Cemetery. Visitation will be 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City and 1 hour prior to the service at the church.

Preferred memorials are to Whitley County Historical Society or Whitley County Senior Citizens Center.