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Brothers and sisters,

In some ways, I feel like I write some version of this same article at least once a year. Regardless, I’m going to write it again. Two weekends ago, I rode down to Goldsboro to see my dad and my brother. Dad and I had bought tickets to one of the last home games for the Down East Wood Ducks, the minor league baseball team in nearby Kinston, for Friday night.

Because the weather was so nice, Dad and I decided to take his convertible, put the top down, and drive to Kinston using backroads, meaning we drove by lots and lots of fields. Now, they may not seem like much to look at—after all, a field is just flat ground—but to someone born and raised in Eastern NC, the fields were beautiful. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but deep greens and vibrant yellows. The trees lining the backroads to Kinston frame everything so perfectly that you get these picturesque scenes of fields and farmhouses and barns and sky. It’s wonderful!

I say all that not just to convince you to go for a drive sometime when it’s pretty out, but just to remind you that there is such beauty in God’s creation that is all around us. This is the time of year to go eat supper on the porch. It’s the time to pack a picnic and have lunch in Duke Gardens. One of my favorites—and it will only get better as the leaves turn—is UNC’s campus, particularly the Arboretum and the quad between Franklin Street and the Old Well.

Days like these are reminders, to me at least, of the special care that God took in making the earth. It is a place that can provide us with such tender beauty. It is a place where we can feel at peace, knowing that we belong here. God’s creation can speak to us in ways that can be familiar, but can also stir something deep within our souls. The fields of Eastern NC are not just pretty; they connect me to a place that feels like home, to a God that deeply loves me and all of Creation.

So, again, I feel like I write this article a lot, but go have supper on the porch tonight or go for a walk around the neighborhood and breathe in God’s love and creativity.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

In a little over a week, we will be having another Deacon Ordination service here at Hope Valley Baptist Church. Marie Bush was elected as one of our new members on the diaconate — her first time serving! Because of that, we get to come alongside her as her brothers and sisters in Christ and affirm the call God has placed on her.

The office of deacon can be traced back to various passages within the scriptures. Within the Old Testament, an argument can be made that the judges Moses appointed to help him settle disputes were similar to deacons. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, saw how Moses was exhausting himself in his efforts to help the people. He gave Moses great advice, telling him that if he continued this way, he would wear out himself and the people. He told Moses to appoint good honest folks to help him care for God’s people. Moses did that and the judges came alongside him and helped him. In the same way, deacons are called to come alongside the pastor of their church and help him/her care for the people God has entrusted to them.

In the New Testament, you can read about some of the earliest deacons within the church in Acts 6:1-6. There was a dispute within the early church about whose widows were being cared for and whose weren’t. The twelve apostles then called the church together and appointed seven people “full of the Spirit and of wisdom” to care for the widows. Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus were chosen. The twelve apostles prayed over them and laid their hands on them. The first deacons had been ordained!

Paul also constantly lists deacons that helped him throughout his own ministry, with one of the most famous deacons mentioned being Phoebe in Rome. Paul says of her, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchrae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord, as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well” (Romans 16:1-2). Paul understood that the work of God’s kingdom is never limited to one person. It takes a community of people to serve the Lord.

On September 15th, we will come together as a community to honor the work that Marie has been called to. We will pray over her and lay hands on her, the same way the apostles did in Acts. She will serve alongside myself and the other deacons as we do our best to care for the people here at Hope Valley. And she will contribute to the work of God’s kingdom here on earth.

I’m looking forward to the 15th!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

I just wanted to follow-up with you all about our fellowship event with World Relief Durham (WRD) last Wednesday night. What a wonderful time it was! Twenty-seven church members came out to spend time with us learning about World Relief Durham and the work they do. The food was good. The fellowship was great. And the meeting itself was informative and inspirational.

For those that were not able to join us, Adam Clark, the Executive Director of WRD, talked with us about exactly how ministries like Hope House factor into how they help refugees. He mentioned that Hope House and other houses in the Welcome House Network enable WRD to say, “Yes,” to refugees because WRD knows those refugees will have a safe place to stay once they reach America. He talked about the way that Hope House has inspired other churches in the area to look into creating their own temporary housing for refugees. He talked about the ways that each individual can get involved on behalf of refugees—through donations, through advocacy, and through prayer.

Then, John, one of the first people to stay in Hope House, stood up and told our church about the positive impact Hope House had on his life. He talked about how deeply loved he and his family felt by this church. He said that every year he and his family go over the blessings in their lives and every year they mention Hope Valley Baptist Church and, in particular, Bill Bigger. John also told us about his plans to become a nurse and his dream of working with refugees. He also informed us that he loves North Carolina, but that our weather has taken some getting used to!

At the end, Garry Crites, their new Church and Community Engagement Manager, had set up a table with mate-rials for all of us to take home that further explained the work WRD does. One of the things he had was a bookmark with “40 Days of Scripture & Prayer.” Basically, it was 40 passages to read and pray over on behalf of refugees. I’ll leave you with one of those passages, “When a foreigner re-sides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34, NIV).

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

Earlier this summer I had an opportunity to meet with a couple of the leaders over at World Relief Durham (WRD). The reason for the meeting was simple. WRD had a new Development Specialist, Megan Wylie, and she was interested in learning about how our church partners with WRD to help refugees.

We set up a time to meet—myself, Megan, and the director of WRD, Adam Clark—and went to get coffee at Joe Van Gogh. Over the course of an hour, the three of us sat and chatted with each other about all kinds of things. We talked about how Hope House came to be. We talked about Megan’s recent move to NC and about sports. Then we talked about some of the broader things happening at Hope Valley, with our main topic of discussion being Super Saturday Adventures.

Then, she asked, “Is there anything that we can plan to do together—Hope Valley and WRD?” To which I said, “I’d love to get some kind of fellowship event planned with y’all. A night where you all can come to Hope Valley and talk about the work you do with refugees. And, of course, since it’s a Baptist church we’d have something to eat!” Megan and Adam liked the idea and mentioned that one of our former Hope House residents would be in town in August. They asked if he could come and be a part of this event as well. I happily agreed.

Within the last week, those plans have finally come together. On this coming Wednesday night, August 14th, we will be having a fellowship event with World Relief Durham starting at 6:30 pm over in the Fellowship Hall. We will be serving hors d’oeuvres and small desserts and offering a time of fellowship. Then, World Relief Durham will give a presentation on their work and how they help refugees here in the Triangle. We will also hear testimony from John (Odette’s son) whose family stayed with us in Hope House for over a year. Finally, time-permitting, WRD is open to a time of questions and answers, wrapping up around 7:20 pm.

I think this will be a wonderful night of fellowship together as a church, but also a wonderful opportunity for us to meet with one of our strongest community partners. Also, having talked some with John this past Saturday, I think his testimony about how Hope House helped set him up for success will be uplifting for us all. I hope you will make plans to join us on the 14th!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben