The Church Council will be meeting this Thursday, Sept 18. A copy of the agenda is available online. The topics include a new representative for Amor y Fe, update on Anul and a proposed policy re ICE encounters, updates on a roof project and equipment purchase, and updates from Pastor Ron. 

If you have a topic to suggest for a future meeting, or any questions or concerns, please direct those to the council member from your congregation. Please pray for the council as they meet for wisdom, discernment, and unity in decisions and next steps to take.

Our next all-church service will be on Sunday, September 28; be sure to mark your calendar! This will be the installation service for our Interim Lead Pastor, Ron Herms. 

We’re also wanting to celebrate together over lunch with one of our incredible Butler potlucks. So, start thinking about what yummy cultural dish you'd like to share! If you would be available to help with organizational details for that Sunday, please let us know. Thanks!

We are excited to announce Toby Ens, a longtime member of Butler Church, as our Worship and Tech Intern for the 2025-26 school year. Toby has been an active member of our tech team and has served our worship and service teams in a variety of roles through the years. In this new position, Toby will be empowering and training other people to serve on our tech teams, help design tech procedures and gear management all while leaning into his own formation as a follower of Christ. 

  

Butler Church will be partnering with Ridgepoint Leadership Academy through which Toby will be engaging in weekly discipleship classes which will focus on his KNOWING (calling), BEING (character), and DOING (ministry competence). Our prayer for Toby is that he gains confidence in his skills, continues to grow in his personal character, and gains clarity in what's next for his life through service to Butler. A special thank you to our Faith Community congregation for their generosity in making this internship possible. 

This past Sunday, Larry Martens passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Larry faithfully served, alongside his wife Kathleen, in numerous capacities in the Church, Conference, Fresno Pacific University and Seminary. Many at Butler may remember Larry Martens was also an interim pastor at Butler Church in 2008/2009. 

Starting a new job can feel a lot like the first day of school – new people, new schedules, and new opportunities. But these kinds of changes also bring a mix of feelings – from excitement, anticipation, and gratitude to anxiety (fear) and a loss of familiarity. For me, the first few weeks at Butler Church are focused on a wide range of conversations with staff, members of all 4 congregations, and community partners. I’m grateful for how open so many of you have already been to engage with me in these conversations and patiently respond to the questions I bring to the task of learning more about this community!

I have found the most effective way to enter a new season of life (the future) is to nurture an appreciation for what has gone on before (the past). This is not to say that we should be content to simply repeat older patterns and practices. Rowan Williams (former Archbishop of Canterbury) reminds us that learning from the past is vital precisely because the past is both strange and familiar at the same time! We have much in common with previous generations here at Butler; but we also live in a very different (and rapidly changing) world today. So, it requires intentionality on our part to appreciatively understand where Butler Church has been (the past) and also courageously live out our calling as God’s people in new and creative ways (the future). This is exciting work but it can also be unnerving – and this is where we rely on God’s spirit to generate gracious postures and open hearts in all of us as we enter this new season. 

Pastor Elbio writes: "We are excited to have more people from the congregation taking ownership and leading parts of our service on Sundays. Our theme since the beginning of 2025 has been “Time for Expansion” and we understood that expansion in numbers and resources demands a some change in our congregational culture - more involvement of people willing to take the lead in our activities....It is a joy to see new people responding to the invitation to serve, and taking part and stepping into the way of leadership, and seeing them gain confidence as they participate. (Read more here.)

Prayers are appreciated for our church member, Toom Polsena, who is part of our Asian Grace congregation. Toom is in the later stages of a cancer journey, and very weak. Pray for grace for her and those caring for her in these final days; that all would experience Jesus' presence and peace.

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