The Spire Online

Welcome to the online version of the Spire.

If you prefer a printable version, view and download a printable PDF copy of any previous issue here.


A Colorful Lenten Countdown

When teaching young children about Christianity it is important to talk about Jesus on a regular basis, not just during holidays. At WECEP the children are blessed to have teachers dedicated to enriching their lives by modeling and teaching how to live life according to Jesus. Throughout the year you will see the children reading Bible stories in their class, saying prayers, and doing crafts…

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A Journey Ends - A Farewell by Louise Rogers

My friends, As I end my journey with you, I am grateful for the many kind words in notes, cards, gifts, and visits to my office over the past few weeks. The reception, given in my honor on January 15, was a delightful way to celebrate our years of ministry together. The day was filled with delicious food in a stunning Fellowship Hall with many well wishes given by the congregation for me and my…

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Can I ask you a question...

Why do we ask questions? Where do our questions lead us? More questions? Concrete answers? Do we even take the time to ask questions? How can asking questions help us grow? At JAM, we ask a lot of questions. So many that I used to become frustrated at how often we would “derail” from the lesson. After a few weeks of frustration, it finally clicked. Oh, they’re not asking all of these questions to an…

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Confirmation Class - Yields a Message of Hope

If you were asked to write a Statement of Faith at this time of your life, what would you say? I don’t know about you, but I think mine would be a lot different than it was in ninth grade. The only part of Confirmation Class I remember was the pastor’s son challenging his father with questions. We were all in shock that he was allowed to ask these questions, some of which we never even thought of.…

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Devotions for Lent

Lent is a time for reflection as we think about and prepare for the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. A Lenten devotional – Seeking: Honest Questions for Deeper Faith – asks us to consider a different question for each week of Lent. For instance, the first week’s question is “Who do you listen to?” Then, through familiar Bible stories such as Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the wilderness and an Old Test…

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Learning in Lent

During the season of Lent we turn inward to examine our spiritual lives. We ask ourselves how we are following Jesus, how consistently we keep God with us in all our words and actions. And of course, we want to do better. Lent is a welcome time for reflection, enrichment, and renewal for our souls. It’s also a time for learning as we seek to gain new insights from scripture about the final days o…

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Thank you Lord—for Google

It may seem odd – and oddly specific – to be thanking God for software, but that is a shared gratitude among the members of the refugee resettlement team. It allows us – with momentary delays – to share laughter and to ask and answer questions such as what are the Arabic words for Father (Ab) or Baba as the children call him or Mother (Omm) or Mama as the children say. One team goal is to keep the con…

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From the Office of JO FORREST

Early in my sales training at IBM, one of my coaches told stories of his two-year and nine-year old sons’ nagging questions. The younger child tested his patience asking about what seemed obvious and boggled his mind with curiosities humans have yet to solve. His older son pestered him to understand why he couldn’t stay up late to watch the hockey game. This sales coach insisted that if we mus…

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