I don’t know that there is a better way to kick-off a new semester of ministry than with a baptism, let alone 3! That’s right just this past weekend I had the privilege of baptizing 3 students into Christ at Stroud’s Run. Emma and Maddie Crihfield have been worshipping with ROC for a while now and wanted to be submissive to Christ’s call to be baptized. As an added bonus, their good friend Regina joined them in this decision. It was a great day surrounded by their family, friends, and of course ROC community.
While 3 baptisms were certainly the highlight of the weekend, as a whole, the 3 days leading up to the event were pretty terrific as well. On Thursday of the week I took off for Hillsboro, Ohio to speak at Ripley Christian Academy’s fall retreat. I enjoyed the opportunity to hang out with the school’s middle and high school students while preaching 3 times throughout my time there. A big thanks to all of the great teachers and administrators who invited me to speak, fed me well, and made the entire weekend an enjoyable time.
I returned home from the retreat around 11pm on Friday night, with just enough time to fall into my bed and wake up to collect some kayaks and canoes for ROC’s float trip down the Hocking River. Once again we were blessed by the hospitality of Stephen Bishop (ROC Alum) and his family. They not only helped outfit us with kayaks and paddle boards, but they provided an amazing meal as we got off the river.
With all of the amazing things happening in and around the ROC community, I nearly forgot to look at the date on the calendar today. It’s September 15th, which is a very important date for me. It’s the official start of my 10th year in the Director position at ROC! God has blessed me richly over the past decade. So many incredible relationships, so many indescribable experiences, and such a great place to see Jesus impact the lives of students. I am incredibly thankful for all of you who have prayerfully supported me, the ministry of ROC, and our community over the past decade.
Speaking of important dates, we have a doozy coming up. Next fall marks the beginning of ROC’s 50th year of ministry. What an incredible testament to God’s faithfulness through His people. With that in mind, we are kicking-off a brand- new campaign called the 50@50 campaign. Over the course of the next year, leading up to ROC’s 50th year of ministry, we are seeking out 50 new prayer partners who will commit to praying for the ministry, as well as 50 new financial supporters who are committed to providing for ROC and helping to lead us into a new decade of ministry. Details for how to get involved will be share online OR you can make your commitment to pray, give, or both by emailing us at reachohio@gmail.com.
Blessings,
-Dodger