To the Fairview Community of Jesus Followers!

What an amazing day is waiting to unfold in front of us!

Yes, I know that we don't know what might happen, but we do know that the Holy Spirit is in us, we know that we are being equipped for the good works that God has prepared for us, and we know that we live with HOPE, the confidence in the promises of God!

Why am I so excited about this day?

Let me share just a few reasons with you.

Listening to the students and adults who went to MIX last week. Hearing about the things they learned, the new people they met, and the experiences they had reminds me of how valuable a week at a camp or conference can be in a young person's life.

Knowing we have a bunch of High School students along with adult volunteers out at GENERATE! This conference is designed to move them all closer to Jesus and to spend a week in a community where the focus is God's Kingdom, oh, and have a lot of fun too!

Knowing we have a slew of children and adults heading out to Camp Cyokamo this week! Minette and I went out last night, and it was awesome to see Marisa, Angie, Lauren, John Morris, and Gibby Huelat working as the lifeguard! Then you add to this by being able to watch Libby Worrall baptize her little brother Hunter! This is a tremendous story of God working in so many amazing ways!

Even today as I got to spend the early morning with three young men committed to being disciples, Clancy, Cory, and Ryan. Then later in the morning, to meet a new older man to our church named Ronald, who has been walking and serving the Lord for a long time. All of it reminds me of the design God has given us that involves relationships!

Here is another reason to be filled with gratefulness! We have hired Erin Rolfsema to step in the role of children's minister focusing on K-3rd grade! She is married to Toby, and they have three amazing children. We are so excited about her coming on to the staff team and bringing new thoughts and creative ideas on how we can continue to provide effective children's ministry. Her start date will be the 25th of July!

I hope that your day is filled with God's goodness! Look for it because it is all around us. You can see it in people, in ministry, in the everyday things that we do. It can be heard in our words and felt in our actions towards others! It is even there when we can't see it or feel it. It never leaves because it is in this truth, the Holy Spirit is in us and with us, no matter what we are facing or where we are, he the HOLY SPIRIT is there! He is there to teach, guide, remind, empower, and convince. I encourage you all to embrace him.

Always Giving Thanks Tony

Dear Community!
 
We hope this letter finds you having a good day! We want to communicate with you some things we are really looking forward to…
 
The study in Nehemiah has been extremely encouraging and challenging. We’re learning a lot about the emphasis God has placed on his glory and understanding that together, and with his strength, we can accomplish significant things for him.
 
We also know there are a lot of subjects and topics we all think about each and every day. Things we talk to others about, things we talk to God about, questions we have about life, things that are going on around us, and questions about following the Lord. So, we want to ask you—what do you want to learn about on Sunday morning? If you have a topic you want to learn more about, please contact Tony or Heather…417/358-3912! We would love to use the summer months to search God’s Word to find the direction and answers to as many of your questions as possible. Let us know what topics you want to learn more about!
 
As we look forward, we’ve been so encouraged by the opening of the Connection Café. We love to see people fellowship with each other. We’re also encouraged by the attendance each week and how folks are starting to come back, and excited for the new families we see each week. If you have any questions about how we’re moving forward, please reach out to us! We’d be happy talk with you.
 
Always giving thanks!
Tony

What an amazing weekend this was as we intentionally focused on Jesus and the truth that he was raised from the dead! That truth means so much to the followers of Jesus. I hope and pray that you were inspired as you considered and thought about the resurrection of Jesus. Simply put, our prayer is that we all have chosen not only to believe it, but we have chosen to trust in it!

It was so good to see all of you! We loved seeing many of you at breakfast or out around the cafe. Seeing everyone gathered in the auditorium as we worshipped together was so inspiring!
We saw many new people, and we had a bunch of people come who we have not had the privilege to see in a while! Our prayer is that you, too, were blessed by being here gathered with everyone else.

The question we ask now, especially after a day where there are so many people, is, ‘now what?’

That is a great question!

Do you remember what we learned on Sunday? That the resurrection could and should impact every aspect of the way we live today and tomorrow and then the next day and next week and next month and so on.

What is the key?

We choose to trust in the truth of the resurrection! As we do that, we gain more and more understanding of what God has for us and what he has for us to be part of, and what he has for us to do! Growing in knowing God and those things is when life becomes fuller than full!
Our hope and prayer are that you and your family will choose to get more involved in the community life and ministry here at Fairview. We believe that God has great things going on and great things for us to be involved in, and we would love the privilege of you being involved in all of that.

Again thank you for being here! If you have any questions or thoughts concerning Sunday and or anything here at church, please feel free to call.

Always Giving Thanks
Tony Allmoslecher

Many years back I got to know a person who worked at a Casey's General Store as I worked near by for about a year.  That was 3-4 years ago, but i would stop in on occasion and just say
Hi.  Today I was in the area, and hadn't stopped for sometime, so it seemed I should stop and see
this person.
I wound end up spending 45 minutes talking , encouraging, and praying with the person and they said it was an ideal day for this stop as they were discouraged and in need of help.
So I guess it's good to listen when God speaks and Prompts you in a particular way.
-Ron  Jones

Do you have a story about a time or event when you saw God's hand at work? Share it with us!
Email your story to piper@fairviewchristian.net

My miracles:
I was out back pulling weeds from the garden when Don asked me to help him hold a large tree trunk with my foot so he could get a good bite with a saw. As he sawed the trunk moved slightly, for it was on a small slope. It rolled onto my foot and I was in excruciating pain! I cried and screamed to the heavens to please help me. "God help me Father. Father help me." And not much time after, which seemed like an eternity, Don was able to lift the trunk up by himself enough to allow my foot to be freed.
I was able to walk. I was looking for my shoe and Don screamed to "Sit down, sit down!" But my mind was on looking for my shoe and I found it. He looked down at my foot as I did too. It was totally a miracle  that there was nothing. No broken bones, bark marks of any kind or swelling. In fact it was as if nothing had happened at all. But I knew there was something that did happen and it was a miracle from heaven, for our Father listened and answered my pleas for help.
Note from Don: This trunk was 20" in diameter and 12' long. It was trying to roll on my as I was attempting to saw it and I asked her to help me steady it. It got away from us and rolled up on her foot. There was no way I could have picked this thing up by myself. The weight of it was far beyond my human abilities. It was indeed a miracle that I was able to free her but as Terry mentioned, the most astonishing fact was it left no mark on her foot at all. Without faith this event would not be explainable.
-Terry and Don Ritchie

YOU HAVE ME @ THANK YOU……

‘Father open the eyes of my heart….’

We are choosing to face and walk through another day…
How?
By choosing to face and walk through this day with a thankful heart!
Will you join us?

This morning, climbing out of bed I knew there was one thing I needed to do before all else and that was to take time to thank God for the many things he has done, but also for his presence in our lives everyday!

I have come to the conclusion that giving thanks is a choice  we need to make everyday. Giving thanks is not optional and it is not dictated by our circumstances- it is a mind set, a heart condition, and a way of life. When I think about what God accomplished by giving his son on the cross so that you and I could have a brand new life it begins to change the way I think and the way I feel and most of all the way I live my life. For example choosing thankfulness will always be a precursor to being generous, truly giving, you know giving with a cheerful heart giving, the kind of giving that is a sacrifice that pleases God giving. Choosing thankfulness is also a sure sign of trust, trusting in God and the truth that he is more than able and that he is indeed all sufficient! Choosing thankfulness is also essential in how I view other people and how I will choose to serve and love them. I believe it is a thankful heart that moves us to fall in love with the human soul! I realize that my greatest need was to be rescued from my sin and the sentence of spiritual death and being humbled by that truth creates in me a sense of thankfulness for what God did and I don’t want anyone to miss the Good News of Jesus Christ!

In light of the crazy year that 2020 has been, the pandemic, the election, being quarantined, hospital stays, heart surgeries, family being tested positive, church online, 2 family weddings, friends who are hurting, leaky roofs, and just the craziness of living life in today’s world I say we all choose together to be thankful! Let’s together ask God to open our eyes to the many things he has done and accomplished in our lives! Let’s ask God to open our eyes to his character, his sovereignty, his love and grace, his plan and will, and the truth that he can bring brand new life to every single one of us!

I found this really cool exercise (WATERMARK RESOURCES) that we all can do at home alone or with our families. As you get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving and whatever that might look like for you and your family I want to encourage you to do this exercise together. As you consider each category write down 1 or 2 things and then share them with each other. I have added some great scriptures that you can read to each other also.

Choosing to be Thankful!
20 Reasons to share with God why you are thankful!

‘Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his loyal love endures.’
1 Chronicles 16:34

 1. FUN MEMORY:
‘With antiphonal response they sang, praising and glorifying the Lord: For he is good; his loyal love toward Israel is forever. All the people gave a loud shout as they praised the Lord when the temple of the Lord was established.’
Ezra 3:11

2. NEW FRIENDSHIP:

3. NEW EXPERIENCE:

4. SURPRISE:
‘I will thank the Lord for his justice; I will sing praises to the Lord Most High!’
Psalms 7:17

‘I will thank the Lord with all my heart! I will tell about all your amazing deeds!
Psalms 9:1

5. ANSWER TO PRAYER:

6. LESSON LEARNED:
‘Then I will give thanks in the great assembly; I will praise you before a large crowd of people!
Psalms 35:18

7. ASPECT OF GOD’S CREATION:
‘I will sing praises to God’s name! I will magnify him as I give him thanks!’
Psalms 69:30

8. ATTRIBUTE OF GOD:

9. VACATION OR STAYCATION:

10. THE LORD’S FORGIVENESS:
‘Come! Let’s sing for the joy of the Lord! Let’s shout out praise to our protector who delivers us! Let’s enter his presence with thanksgiving! Let’s shout out to him in celebration! For the Lord is a great God, a great king who is superior to all gods,’
Psalms 95:1-3

11. FAVORITE FOOD OR RESTAURANT:

12. CO-WORKER OR NEIGHBOR:

13. WORK OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE:
‘Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with joy! Enter his presence with joyful singing! Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give him thanks! Praise his name! For the Lord is good. His loyal love endures, and he is faithful through all generations.’
Psalms 100:1-5

14. FAMILY MEMBER:

15. GIFT:
‘Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his loyal love endures!
Psalms 106:1

‘Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness.’
Colossians 2:6-7

16. HARD SITUATION THAT GOD USED FOR GOOD:

17. NEW BOOK, SONG, OR MOVIE:

18. THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY @ FAIRVIEW:
‘Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all the grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.’
Colossians 3:15-17

19. PROMISE OF GOD:
‘Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

20. WRITE A FEW SENTENCES TELLING GOD WHY YOU ARE SO THANKFUL
I hope and pray this has been a good exercise for you to participate in. Choosing to be thankful and asking God to open our eyes to the multitude of reasons to be thankful is a game changer! My prayer is that you and your family have a tremendous day of Thanksgiving. My prayer is that as we the Fairview Community approach 2021 that choosing thankfulness will fuel us as we experience the many things God and the new year have in store for us!  

Always Giving Thanks
Tony

P.S. Take time this day or week and write a note or two to those that you need to let know how thankful you are for them.

There is nothing better than being part of a community of people who follow Jesus. When I say those words, I often feel like a broken record that plays the same message repeatedly. However, for some reason, I can't get away from how important and essential being an active part of a community of followers is! I believe it is God's design, and in this amazing design, we can experience the depth, the height, and breadth of God's love. In this design, there is a real possibility of displaying God's love for the world. This community design also identifies us as his followers and disciples. By actively participating in this Community, you and I are the living, breathing communication to the world that we belong to Jesus, and we are following him.
With all of that said, is there a way we can tell or measure how we are more christ-like? Which translated means involvement and participation in God's Community. Let's admit it when things are easy, comfortable, safe, and a less demanding community sounds really good. Honestly, though, I wonder if the best time to discover Community is when there is long hard work to be done? You know when your tired or busy or your plate is full, this might be when the hard work of Community really puts on display the love we have for God and the love we have for his people. I would add to this the love we have for the world and serve them, so they know that God gave his son for them.
Last night I was sitting at the wedding reception dinner for my son Clancy and his new bride Mandolin. I was thanking God for all of the work it took from many people to prepare for this wedding and wedding reception dinner. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks; it was almost 8:30pm, and the next morning was church services. There was a bunch of hard work staring us in the face when it came to clean up and putting everything away so the building would be ready for Sunday morning!
It was at that moment of clean up that the real celebration of Community broke wide open! It was loud and noisy, full of passion, chatter, and encouragement. Instructions were shouted. Most of all, a bunch of Jesus' followers came together alongside our family to celebrate Community by God's design!
It was a bunch of people doing the hard work! Family, both local and those who traveled, friends old and new, all coming to celebrate Clancy and Mandolin but even more to celebrate that we are a community that is a picture of Jesus!
I was humbled as I witnessed a long time friend vacuum with excellence. Seeing a wife of a staff member compete with him on who could vacuum better was amazing. Watching everyone work together cleaning, organizing, putting things away,  and most of all, laughing was the celebration we all needed to see and to be part of. When we roll up our sleeves while thinking about others, not for applause or recognition, but just to do what needs to be done for the pure joy of doing it. Then we come alongside someone else; it reminds us that we really are a part of something larger than ourselves. That life, that fullness of life we all desire and God's Word talks about, is best experienced with other followers doing hard work together. Isn't that the truth?
Saying thank you is where we start, and then living out that appreciation makes it real. You see, I am learning that this principle of hard work builds Community and that we should celebrate that Community is maybe what the body of Christ and being Christ-like was designed to be about. It is one thing to put your own agenda on hold to help clean up after a wedding reception but let's take a step deeper for a minute. This can become complicated when it is time for challenging discussions, dealing with ongoing sin, making changes for the advancement of God's Kingdom, remolding attitudes about spiritual growth, and being honest about struggles and any discouragement we are facing. Now here is the beauty of being part of the body of Christ; we don't have to do the hard work alone. By God's design, we should come alongside each other so the hard work can be done in a way that leads to healing, transformation, relational restoration, and bringing God and His design a lot of glory!
But let's face it, when it comes to hard work, especially in many of the areas mentioned above, we run the other way. We ignore what needs to be done, blame others for our lack of desire to do the work, paralyze ourselves with yet another discussion on what's wrong rather than getting to work on the problem or issue. We do the most damaging thing in my estimation. We hide, we hide, hoping that somehow the problem or issue will disappear, and it never does. It seems to only worsen.
So, where can we start?
I believe we make a conscious choice to see the situation through the eyes of humility. Then we choose actions that portray humility. When healing and restoration occur, we speak words and live actions of thankfulness and appreciation in humility! Why? Here's why God allows us and gives us the resources and the opportunities to do hard work in the first place. By design, he put us in this family we call the church. By design, he promises that facing and walking through trials and hard times will produce joy and spiritual maturity. By design, we are surrounded by people we call brother and sister, and you don't leave your family hanging when there is hard work to be done. He chose to communicate to an unbelieving world by using His people, teaching us, and changing us into a Christ-like Community that does the hard work, and we do it in love.
As we learn that we were created for Community and that we can with God do the hard work together, we will discover a whole new definition for celebration! We will find that maybe the most incredible celebration of a community occurs when we together choose to do the hard work.
So......let the party begin!

-Tony 

Celebrating the GOODNESS of GOD!
Today is October 15th, 2020! It is also the day that we will celebrate that Bliss Allmoslecher has been with us for 18 years! That's right; today we celebrate Bliss' 18th Birthday! Amazing! Absolutely amazing! Happy Birthday, Bliss! You are an amazing gift from Jesus, and I can't imagine life as we know it without you!
It was mid-June 2002. After a 30 day trip in Russia for Christ In Youth, I had just arrived in Chicago with 11 students serving with an incredible missionary named Max Goins. I was tired and looking forward to getting back home and to the night ahead as we would be debriefing with the team before we all flew home. The team and I called our homes to let our families know that we were back in the U.S.
This phone call is where it all started. Minette shared with me that the doctors had located a problem with the development of the baby. The next week we had an appointment with a specialist in Springfield. There it was confirmed, there was a problem in the brain, and it would be the cause of severe complications. So much so that this physician actually encouraged us to terminate because of the severity of the issues that could arise. WOW! What a punch in the gut! I told him that this was not an option and that we would love on this child the best we could.
We cried all the way home...
We had been blessed with five amazing, beautiful children, and now this! Our emotions were all over the place, and a million questions were running around in our heads and hearts. Fears and confusion, anxiety, and doubts seemed to rule our thinking, but here's what we did know, we still believed in the goodness of God!
We concluded that this baby was being entrusted to us! Not just mom and dad but to 4 big brothers and one big sister! In His goodness, God thought the best place for this baby to live life was with the Allmoslecher family! The best place for her to thrive was with this tribe of people who, at times, we're pretty crazy, but the foundation of their life was knowing and loving Jesus. By no means are they perfect, at times far from it, but this was going to be her environment, her cheerleaders, her encouragers, her friends, her coaches, her FAMILY! In His goodness, God gave Bliss to the Allmoslecher's, she needed them, and even more so, they needed her, and in God's goodness, he knew that!
So today, we are celebrating God's goodness by celebrating Bliss' Birthday! 18 years! Who would ever have thought she would have made it this far? After many surgeries and procedures, countless hospital stays, and sleepless nights, many hard conversations were had, and decisions were made, questions about what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. After seasons of good and seasons of downright hard, we are celebrating God's goodness today by celebrating Bliss and her 18th Birthday!
She is an amazing young lady who knows the definition of endurance. She is funny and loves a good joke. She loves animals, especially her dog Padme. She is one who loves surprises and celebrations, and she even allows her mom to take a picture of her almost every day of the week. She is a teacher! God has used her to teach us all the valuable principles of compassion and caring for others. She has an eye for the needs of those around her, and she can never pass a baby up at Children's Mercy Hospital. She is a joy to be with, and we love the fact that God, in His goodness, has blessed us the Allmoslecher's with this amazing young lady named Bliss! She inspires us and motivates us to love and endure to live on a higher plane of loving people.
God's goodness is humbling when we take time to reflect on it and what it has accomplished in our life!
I am humbled that God saw it fit to bless us, the Allmoslecher's, with the responsibility of loving and caring for Bliss.
I am humbled by Minette, Bliss's mom, who defines every once of what a mom is when it comes to the depth of love and care she has for Bliss. The hours, the thoughts, the energy, the planning, the preparation, and the priority she has for Bliss is absolutely beyond imagination. They are each other's best friend, they are each other's favorite person, and they would not know what to do without each other. They give each other such meaning and value.
I am humbled by the people who have shown us incredible support! The Encouraging words, acts of generosity, meals and cookies, full gas tanks, hospital visits, and listening ears. These people have shown us what the community of Jesus looks like day in and day out. I am forever thankful to all of you.
I am humbled by the doctors and the staff up at Children's Mercy Hospital in KC. They are committed people and have always sought the best interest of Bliss. There are many stories where they went far above the call of duty in taking care of Bliss as a patient and, somehow, at the same time, falling in love with her as a friend.
I am humbled by the nurses who have been in our home. They have cared for Bliss at a level that many don't see. Even when Bliss has been hard to care for her physical limitations, attitudes, and moods, they have shown her compassion and love, patience, and care. They often have been a picture to me of endurance made real. They have become her friend.
I am humbled by her sister and her four brothers and the new brother-in-law and sisters-in-law in our family. They have had to adjust as Bliss, and her care does take a bunch of extra time and a lot of preplanning. They have understood and stood by and continue to love Bliss and see her as a huge part of the Allmoslecher daily life. They make allowance and try their best to include her in much of what they do and who they are.
I am humbled by cousins, aunts, uncles, grandma's, and grandpa's who pray for Bliss, who have played with Bliss, and who have supported us and loved on us as we have walked through this journey with Bliss!
God's goodness humbles me. Today I celebrate God's goodness by celebrating that in his goodness, he has allowed me the unique privilege of being with Bliss for the last 18 years!
Can I encourage you today to celebrate God's goodness?
Can I encourage you today to celebrate God's goodness by celebrating your spouse, your mom, or dad, one of your children, a good friend, or someone who has played an essential role in your life?
Remember when we are celebrating people, we are saying thank-you to them but even more so to God for placing them in our lives, and we should, the goodness of God, should humble us!
So right now, come up with a plan to put into action a celebration of God's goodness! Happy Birthday dear girl. Your dad really does love you!

We all live out each day, and often we miss so much of what that day has to offer. Each day is new and filled with so many different opportunities. Such as opportunities to live fully in Christ, share Him and Truth, come alongside those who are hurting and searching, listen to those around us, and to see people in the same manner that Jesus did. Sometimes we have no idea what each new day will bring, and yet there are other times we know exactly what the day will be like. The bottom line is that you and I have before us 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds, and a multitude of moments where we can think and exercise Christ-likeness. I am learning that maybe just maybe, this is why, as followers of Jesus, we are given so many opportunities to show 'christ-likeness' to all involved in those God-given moments.

The more I dwell on how life and schedules have changed with the season we are in, I am learning that the God-given moments are so valuable and, at the same time, so meaningful. They allow us to give ourselves away to others and come alongside those who need encouraging words or needs met. They allow us to speak the truth that can lead to freedom and listen to those who have never been afforded that privilege. Those moments are filled with the Spirit, and we have the privilege to be totally engaged in those moments.

This week has been filled with people living life every day and taking ahold of and experiencing the moments that God brings their way! In a new way, I understand the scripture where Peter reminds us that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness.
Just tonight, I watched Mike and Tara teach a parenting class to a group of young couples. I then saw Ginny along with a team of students watch over and ministry to all children of those parents so they could soak in every word shared. On my daily stop into Walmart, I ran into a lady named Lola. After some conversation, we stood in front of check out #7 prayed together. This morning I had the opportunity to give Jimmy a ride to the ER. Jimmy is a good man that many of our staff have spent with. Last Sunday, we celebrated with Daniel and Kelsey Meyer, along with Marisa and Logan Stump, as both couples were blessed with brand new baby girls! Oh, if you could have only seen the proud and happy grandparents showing pictures to everyone that would stop and look, it was amazing! I was moved as I watched a group of followers gather around a Sherry lady. She had her husband named Roger pass away onto Heaven to be with Jesus. It was so good to see so many take a moment to reach out to her. I thought about a man named Randy, who actually led Sherry and Roger to the Lord and to our church. I was so encouraged as I had the privilege of sitting and talking, sharing a few moments with Dennis, Shirly, Madeline, Cy, Cid, Mark, Amy, and Mike. Listening to stories of God's goodness and the things that God has been teaching them. I was humbled to get to share the design God has for marriage with three young couples. And then further humbled to get to listen as two other couples seek God's guidance as they struggle through some difficult seasons. I watched Doug and Dee spend some precious time with our precious daughter Bliss this past Sunday afternoon.

Moments...
Everyday life is filled with them, and I encourage you to not let one of them pass by! They are gifts from God where you and I have the opportunity to be christ-like! They are full just like a treasure waiting to be opened, and God has been and is preparing you and me for these moments!
Everything we need for life and godliness, everything...
Would you commit along with me to never let another moment get away from us but to live each one to the fullest?

Always Giving Thanks,
Tony

Some thoughts from Tony...

My beautiful wife and my amazing kids all say that I say this one thing! When they don’t feel well, or have a headache, or are just tired, I give them the remedy by asking this question;
Have you been drinking enough water?
They usually just stare at me and roll their eyes like Dad, really? You can’t be serious, Dad, you think that drinking water or drinking more water is the answer to my not feeling well~?
Have you been drinking enough water?
This morning, I read John 4:1-26, and I received a text from a good friend who said he was praying for me and my preaching today. As usual, I started texting him back because he would be preaching. I found myself thinking about two things in my prayer...
Had my friend been drinking enough water?
I encouraged him to let the people come and drink deeply from the well inside him.
I love the way the Message translation puts it...
‘The water I give will be an artesian spring within GUSHING fountains of endless life...’
GUSHING fountains of eternal life! So first and foremost, Jesus says that the water he gives will become in us this GUSHING fountain of eternal life. What an amazing picture! Because of Jesus doing what he did and what the Holy Spirit continues to do, you and I can become a GUSHING fountain of eternal life! Why?
So whoever we come in contact with can get a drink and not just a drink but unlimited access to water that quenches their thirst but then makes them into one of those gushing fountains!
We know and have learned how amazing the water is, right?
There are so many water images used in scripture to show how full Jesus makes us and wants us to be and how we then get to take that water to others who are thirsty and quite literally dying from spiritual thirst!
Here are some of my favorite teachings from scripture using the water image. I encourage you to get a glass and fill it up, drink, then fill it up again, and drink too! When you’re done drinking, take one last big gulp, fill your glass up again, and share the drink with someone you know who is thirsty!
John 7:37-39
On the day of the feast, the most incredible day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scriptures says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.” (Now he said this about the Spirit, who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Isaiah 55:1
Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water!
Jeremiah 2:13
Do so because my people have committed a double wrong: they have rejected me, the fountain of life-giving water, they have dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns which cannot even hold water.
 Ephesians 5:26-27
...to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious, not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.
Here is one of my favorite ones because it tells me how to drink the water and what can happen when I drink the water!
Jeremiah 12:3-6
Joyfully you will draw water from the springs of deliverance. At that time, you will say:
Praise the Lord!
Ask him for help!
Publicize his mighty acts among the nations!
Make it known that he is unique!
Sing to the Lord, for he has done magnificent things, let it be known throughout the earth!
Cry out and shout for joy, O citizens of Zion, for the holy one of Israel acts mightily among you!
I love the thought about joyfully drawing the water, that is the how! Then it is like the GUSHING starts! Praise, ask, publicize, make it known, sing, cry out with joy! There is
something so much bigger than us when we start drinking from the springs of deliverance!
I believe there are many christ followers who are downright spiritually dehydrated and need badly to be filled up or, better yet, rehydrated with the water that Jesus offers. They have been without water for a way to long, and they are dried up, unfruitful, and are in desperate need of a massive drink of water! Can you imagine being a stream of living water to dry and thirsty land, as it calls us in Isaiah 32:1-2 when you are nothing more than a dried-up creek bed? Yes, life can get hard and is hard, and the sun can get hot, scorching hot almost to the point of burning us up. We all have been there. However, there is a tremendous promise in Psalms 1:1-6 that we need to claim and hold on to!
Instead, he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commandments; he meditates on his commands day and night. He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and it’s leaves never fall off...
So maybe it’s time that we ask some honest questions... Have you been drinking enough water?
Maybe the source of many of your problems and anxieties and discouragements are because you need to get back to drinking water from Jesus! This leads us to ask another fundamental question.
Have you been drinking water from the right source of water?
Sometimes we think we are drinking, but maybe we are not drinking from the one true source of living water. There are so many voices that we can listen to today, and often even good voices can take away from listening to the one true voice that we need to hear and obey. Maybe that is why we get too busy, too distracted, too gobbled up. These things keep us from staying connected to the most important person in our life: being Jesus, and then staying connected to those important people that God has blessed us with here on earth, people like our spouses, families, and communities where we fellowship and worship.
Have you been drinking enough water?
If right now, you know that you haven’t been, then open up your bible and read John 4:1-26. You will read a story about an extremely thirsty lady, and she had been looking in a lot of wrong places for the water for a long time. Then it happened she met the true living water, and it changed her, and in fact, it changed a lot of people around her!
Go ahead! Pick up your glass and let God fill it up. Once you do, you will find that he never stops, and you can come alongside others and help them discover what you have found about the living water!

Have you been drinking enough water? Did you just roll your eyes at me?

Always Giving Thanks
 Tony

Just some thoughts I have running around in my head...
Last Wednesday evening, I had our community group over, and it was such a good time. We ate a meal together, laughed together, prayed together, looked at God's Word together, and we talked about the many things going on around us. We sat there around the fire and shared our hearts for the Lord, our concern for the struggles surrounding us, and then asked each other what our response should be as a follower of Jesus. I realized that I am surrounded by a community of followers who are good friends, and those relationships are growing deeper and more meaningful.
After they left, I sat there with a good friend, and we dived in a little deeper to the essentialness of belonging and participating in a Christ-centered community. Again I walked in the house knowing that I had just spent some quality time with a man who loved Jesus.
There is too much loneliness and isolation in this world! You know the kind that produces anxiety, depression, discouragement, bitterness, anger, and hurt, leading to dark unhealthy attitudes and points of view. Maybe to some extent, we all have been dealing with these emotions because we can't be together like we used to. We had grown pretty used to getting together whenever we wanted to, no restrictions, no perimeters, no social distancing, or masks just getting together. Enjoying this thing that we call fellowship or community, I believe we all took it for granted. We forgot how essential our community is and not only because it fills us with fullness but also speaks to a hurting world with the hope of Jesus.
We know things might not get better for a while. However, you and I still have a responsibility to respond to the loneliness and isolation all around us because it robs people of joy and a whole host of other things! My favorite person on the face of the earth, my wife, found a quote that challenges us to understand that sometimes the hard seasons and circumstances don't pass on. They actually stay and last. Yet even then, we are called to respond, the world is waiting and watching for our response, people we know are watching for our response. Our response holds so much hope and assurance that we can be part of and participate in a rich community void of loneliness and isolation, even in the tough times and circumstances that last.
I think this even becomes more important as we consider key relationships like marriage. A relationship that God designed and, at times, can become one of the most lonely relationships where one of the partners or maybe even both feel isolated and lost. Sometimes you don't realize it until it hits you like a ton of bricks, and other times you can feel the slow erosion of the relationship, and you just don't know how to stop it. In the community of Christ-followers, there can be those who feel neglected, uncared for, and taken for granted. We can't let that happen in the church, and we can't let that happen in our marriages! When it does, partners begin to ask themselves questions like do I even matter, or where the joy goes. They feel a distance that seems almost impossible! As a Christ-followers' community, the marriage relationship is a place to find lifelong companionship and intimacy and be a loud and clear communication to the world that there is hope in Christ. God's goodness can be enjoyed every day. Our spouses are watching our response, our children are watching for our response, and our neighbors are watching for our response.
So again, what will our response be?
First and foremost, thank God for his goodness and then ask him to have you been taking for granted the people he has placed in your life. If you have, make sure to stop it and renew
your commitment to cherish and build community. If you're looking at your marriage, then renew your commitment to cherish and water the relationship God has blessed you with. Be proactive and creative, we might not meet like we used to, but that does not mean we can't be a thriving, growing community of Christ-followers. In the past few months, I enjoyed such a good community at the park, on porches, and in back yards. I have eaten lunch with others in homes and not fast food places. I have been more intentional in having people come to the church in smaller groups to catch up and listen to what God is teaching them and doing in their life. I have written more cards and notes and letters to encourage people, and I have made more phone calls to catch up. In other words, I had to make it a priority, I had to make the time because I realized that yes, community, being together is very important!
It might be the same in a marriage. We can get too busy, too distracted, and too tired. The ugly head of loneliness and isolation has shown up in our marriage relationship before we know it. We realize that this is not what God designed it to be! What is our response? Renew, refresh, re-introduce the things you did to cultivate that companionship and intimacy. Understand that it does take quality time and effort to continue to thrive as a couple.
I am always learning, and I sure have a lot more to learn. Still, as I think about relationships and community, I am amazed at how the church and marriage have so much in common. We say that they are the most essential thing in our lives. Let it be the church or our spouse, but when we look at how we live day in and day out, it sometimes is easy to see what we say and what is really happening is not even close.
So with all of this said, let's commit together to eliminate loneliness and isolation! Don't let it happen! Choose to respond........
Why?
Because it is absolutely essential that we are together in the church and in our marriages!
-Tony Allmoslecher

As usual God used my heart surgery to open me up to some important life lessons that I need to keep learning.
‘I will be right there...’
His name was Jesus and he was my nurse’s tech on Sunday night 3 days after my open heart surgery. Needless to say I was still hurting and needed help all night long. While I was in CVICU there was 1 nurse and 1 nurse’s tech all for me but now I was out on the regular floor where the nurse and the tech were responsible for not just one patient but now 6 patients.
No matter when and no matter what Jesus always said the same thing! I would press the button for help and he would reply almost immediately with, ‘I will be right there’. Now here is the funny thing he kept his word! He literally would be right there within a minute or two which you have to know is not always the case in a busy hospital. Every single time! I would press the button and hear his voice, ‘I will be right there...’ and he was right there! Add to this that he was right there for all 6 of the patients! I would hear him answer the call of others and he would be right there!
When he came in my room he was friendly and ready to serve no questions asked and I mean to tell you a couple of times what I needed him to do was not all that pleasant! Even so he would do it with a smile, do it well, and then ask me if there was anything else that he could do to help me out at that moment. He was not doing it by just going through the motions or just doing his job or duty. There was something else compelling him to be different, to serve in a manner that made you feel like not only the most important person at the moment but the only person at the moment. I had to ask what it was that made him different, what was it that put that smile on his face, that caused him to give you that confidence that he wasn’t going through the motions but he truly was there to serve with all of his strength and mind and heart.
So I did...
It was around 6:00am one hour until he was to get off and he was again in my room for maybe the 7th time that shift and I asked him, I looked at him and said hey what makes you do this with such joy? His answer did not surprise me at all in fact it inspired me. He said that he knows that God loves him so much that he now serves others in such a way that they will know that God loves them too!
Down right amazing...!
Can you imagine what would happen in the church, your family, your work place, your marriage, and this world if we served this way? This is a question we all need to ask ourselves. It starts right here with me and you!
In a time where we want to be entertained and catered too, a time when we are driven by a me first, don’t touch my stuff, you can’t get rid of me attitude. A time where we demand our rights at the expense of others and often in the name of self we damage relationships for along time. It was so challenging to meet this young man named Jesus who was making a choice to be and live different as he served God at his place of employment.
I was reminded of a very familiar passage of scripture that we will be studying together in Philippians 2:1-5...
‘Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had...
Living like Jesus the nurse’s tech is a choice we can make everyday! Did you catch what Paul said about his joy being incomplete? He said that by the way these followers of Jesus treated each other, would make his joy complete! That’s right the way you and I serve and value each other is not only thinking and living like Jesus but Paul said it would make his joy complete!
So what do you think?
Could we all wake up tomorrow morning and choose to think like Jesus? Could we wake up knowing that we would look for and act on all of the opportunities where we can seek the best interests of others. I know it would change your family, your marriage, your work place, and maybe just maybe it could be the beginning of a much needed revival to take place in the church. No more going to sit there and be entertained, no more just going through the motions, but serving knowing that God loves us so much that we want to serve others in a manner so that they discover that great truth of God’s love!
‘I will be right there...’
The question is will you be right there?
Always Giving Thanks Tony

To all of you who are part of the Fairview Community of followers of Jesus...
I hope this finds all of you having a great day! It is Monday and I am back in the office it has been 3 weeks since my surgery and it feels so good to be back here with the team talking about ministry and the many things that God is teaching us. Also it is raining hard outside and as you well know we have been in need of some rain!
Yesterday was such an enormous feeling of joy and thankfulness! It was so good for Minette and I to be at church together, to hear a good solid message from Justin and God’s Word, to see and honor all of the 2020 graduates, and to be here with many of you worshipping together!
There really is so much to be thankful for!
Our high school student ministry had a tremendous week out at Camp Maranatha. A huge thank you goes to Hayley Harbaugh, Jason and Pam Graff, Justin and Tahnae Bass, and Yancey Yarrick for spending the week investing in these students. Also Colton Camp was baptized!
Right now MIX is taking place here at the church. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday there is a great group of middle school students getting together to be challenged by God’s Word and to have fun being together. Would you join me in praying and asking God to speak to each one of the students?
We are starting Children’s Ministry this Sunday August 2nd during the 9:30am and 11:00am hours. We have been looking forward to this Sunday for sometime. It will include our nursery, toddler’s and preschool ministry led by Lauren Hill, our elementary student ministry led by Angie Fewin, and our 4th and 5th grade ministry led by Marisa Stump. All three areas have great teams of adult volunteers who are ready to serve your kids. The teams have been busy putting together the details on what it will look like and I want you to know that I am excited to see this happen. Our hope and goal is to provide excellence in ministry and create a safe environment for this to happen. As the week unfolds you will see and or receive the way things will work on Sunday mornings. Pray that it will be a brand new start of some great ministry to the many kids and families that are here with us.
John Mouton will be sharing God’s Word with us this Sunday! He will be teaching us from Philippians 1:27-30 so read and study ahead so you can clearly hear what God desires to teach us all. I hope that you have been digging deep into this very personal letter that Paul wrote to the followers that lived and served in Philippi.
I just spent some time with Joe and Ricki Seaton. It was so good to catch up as they transition from teaching at WISE located in Barbados to local church ministry in Colorado. It was a strong reminder that God has us involved in raising people up to serve and grow HIS KINGDOM around the world. I was inspired by their transparency and their passion for God.
There is so much to be thankful for!
I am so thankful for this group of people that calls Fairview home. I am thankful for the
many cards, notes, and phone calls of encouragement that I received while I was away. I am so thankful for a great staff team who is doing amazing creative ministry even in the face of tough circumstances. I am thankful for very thoughtful elders who are seeking the Lord in leading this church through this season we find ourselves in. I am thankful for Jesus and God’s Word! I am thankful for the deep teaching in Philippians and the impact it is making in our relationships.
Always Giving Thanks Tony

To my spiritual family at Fairview Christian Church…

I hope and pray that this finds all of you doing well today. Yesterday at church I was again reminded of the rich connections we have as a community of Christ. I was reminded of those connections as I saw and talked with those who were here and even though many were wearing masks and doing our best to keep a safe distance it was so good to see you. We also had a reminder by the many who were viewing from home and the messages that you sent our way told us that we are doing our best together to stay connected. Yesterday afternoon I also swung by two different outdoor celebrations that involved families here at Fairview and it was so good to see them doing life together.

I miss that community. I mean I really miss it. Did we take it for granted? Did we not know how essential it is to us as a follower of Christ? I don’t know the answers but here is what I do know. Minette and I love it and appreciate it and we need it. We find so much life in the community of Christ and we believe that much of the fullness he promises is discovered in those relationships!
I want to thank many of you for fighting the temptation to complain and bellyache about what is going on but who are looking for creative ways to encourage, experience, and inspire that connection we enjoy as a community of Christ. How can you do that? Write notes and letters, get on the phone and give words of encouragement, get together outside with a small group of people and study his word together, think about people who need a helping hand or run an errand for them, and ask God to give you opportunities to show and share the life-changing truth of knowing Jesus, we call that the gospel.

On a personal note, I would love to ask you to pray…
1.   This morning our good friend John Mouton has surgery on his hip. Join me in praying that the surgery will go as intended and that his recovery will go good so he can get back to the many things that he enjoys doing and getting back to his care along with Nancy for Josh.
2.   I too would ask that you pray for me. I am having surgery this Thursday for a leaky valve in my heart and I have 1 bypass. At the urging of my daughter Reilly, Minette and I went in for a wellness check-in April and they discovered that I needed this fixed. Could you pray that the surgery goes well and that my recovery also goes well.

Thank you in advance for both of us! I know that both John And I really appreciate the way you have gathered around us. God Bless You!

Always giving Thanks
Tony

There are a lot of things going on in our country right now that remind us of our brokenness and need to align our hearts and lives with God and His design for all life.  Racism in any form is wrong. It goes against the biblical truth that God created all humans in His image, with incredible value. It is heart-breaking to see the lives that have been lost and injustice that has occurred. So what do we do? We encourage you to seek God first, His Word is where we find truth. Talk with Him about what’s going on in the world and in your heart. Be ready and willing to listen to people who are different than you and have different experiences. Seek wisdom, ask questions and like Isaiah said on behalf of God, “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.”

- by Tony Allmoslecher

This morning I read Hosea 2 and in the middle of God’s statement of discipline on Israel, I remembered some thoughts I had on God’s grace and our response as we come in contact with it…
What are you waiting for?The biggest risk in life is never taking one!
Grace is worth it!
Grace is free and it is freedom…
Grace is first and foremost immersed in forgiveness; it is a declaration that we can be guilt-free and we don’t hold others hostage with our un-forgiveness.
Grace is Jesus going to the cross to take on our punishment so we can experience the radical, comprehensive, complete, and fullness of that forgiveness.
Grace is an invitation, it is the door is wide open to welcome us into a relationship, it is adoption into his family; it is belonging to the Father in heaven as one of his children.
He will love us, care for us, guide us, train us, discipline us, laugh with us, and grace is GOD never leaving us.
Grace means he listens to us and knows us, he knows us better than we know us, he knows what we need, he knows our fears, our concerns, and he stays with us in our fears and our failures
Grace means that he is never distant, he remains, he remains with us no matter where we are, who we are with, and what we are doing.
Grace changes us to be the place where he dwells and changes us to be a people he dwells with.
Grace is God unzipping us and climbing inside by his Holy Spirit so we will never be alone again.
Grace reaches us where we are and takes us where the Father wants us to be.
Grace is far more than salvation; it is the Father working in us to be like his Son Jesus. It makes us new every day and grows us more like him with each passing season.
Grace is taking our remaining sinful nature that can keep us weak, struggling, and unable and then exploding on the scene as it boldly intervenes to give us his power and strength.
His grace is more than sufficient, and in fact, it is!
You see his grace empowers us with the desires and the abilities to do what we were designed to do but we could never do on our own.
Grace delivers; sin can turn as into addicts chasing the emptiness that it promises but 'my oh my' grace sets us free and at the same time breaks the bondage that we stay in way too long.
Grace gives us the power to say NO! Grace gives us the power to GO in a whole new direction.
Grace is complete and it brings completion and one day soon grace will do its final work. It will restore all of us to where we were meant to be from the very beginning.
So the question is why?
Why if this is all true….
Why if we say we believe it all…
Are we so afraid to take a risk?
Why do we spend so much time trying to convince others and ourselves that our problems are because of our relationships, our location, our situation, and our circumstances?
Grace says stop!
Grace says Quit!
Grace says, “no more easy way out, no more blaming, no more complaining, no more rationalizing and no more making excuses. Humble yourself and confess that you need God’s unending, ever-present, life-changing grace!
When you do….watch out! Be prepared for a life that will be driven, surrounded, engulfed, and full of God’s grace!
You will see as you have never seen before, you will feel like you have never felt before, you will do things that you can’t even imagine that you can do, WHY?
Because of God’s Grace!
ARE YOU IN?
YOU GET TO CHOOSE!
I hope that you will or that you have made that choice and that you are making it daily. If you want to go ahead a tell us all about you choosing God’s grace and what that means to you…

This morning Tony recieved some words of encouragement from one of our Fairview Christian Family members, Mike Fix. We hope find encouragement and hope in Mike's words and prayers. Mike wrote,
"It's called the Corona Virus, Or also known as Covid-19, a strain of the flu, that has been pretty mean. It has taken away, so many precious lives, from husbands, children, elderly and wives. Many years from now, we'll look back on 2020, and see how bad it was, and wasn't very funny. We'll learn from this, and how to survive, to raise up one another, and help the community thrive. We need to hear God's word, and love one another, to pray to him daily, to help our sister and brother. As we distance ourselves, and pray for the cure, believe in the holy spirit, as he is divine and pure. Have the faith and the patience, And protect the one's we love, but most of all pray and believe, to our Heavenly Father above. I pray for all my family, my friends, and those I don't know, I pray God will guide us all, and that his light will show... I pray for all of those women and men, who are fighting on the front line, who put their lives in danger to save yours and mine. If you find yourself scared, and don't know what to do, just simply grab a bible, and read a chapter or two. All I pray for everyone that can read this, and pray for their friends and family that I don't know. I encourage you to share this and let everyone know they are not alone and someone is praying just as hard for them.We are all in this together and God will help us through this."

"What Did She Say?" - That seems to be a question that we ask each other when Bliss begins to express herself and wants us to either know something or she has a question that she needs answered.

You see sometimes she is kind of hard to understand. However the real problem might be our inability to listen why? Because we can really get distracted from tuning in and focusing on what she is trying to tell us or ask us.

Maybe we are watching T.V. or one of the other many screens that we can have going in our house. Maybe it is our mind being so full of stuff that it just gets all clogged up and bringing it to focus is almost impossible. Or it could be that we need to stop whatever we are doing and make the time to pay attention to her words.

‘What is He saying?’

This is another question that I have been asking a lot lately in fact I am sure a lot of people have been asking this question more frequently. We are walking through a crisis, a change in our schedules, our thinking, our way of doing daily life. We are consumed by the news, the lines at the store, the future, and do we have enough T.P.?

The bottom-line (get it) is this. God is still communicating to us! He has never stopped! Honestly right now is a great time to listen like never before. He wants us to, He wants us to hear is voice, He wants us to focus on Him, to seek Him, to put our mind on Him. If we do I believe that we will learn and discover what He wants us to do, how he wants us to think and act, what he is looking for in his people, and how we can still shine in this moment for him.

The more we focus in on God’s communication to us we become more effective in communicating to others!

Where do we start?

Right now! Open your bible and read these amazing words.

'After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word...'
Hebrews 1:1-3a

We start with Jesus! He is the best, complete, and whole communication that God has spoken with. He tells us and shows us all that we need to live and keep on living. He tells and shows us how to walk through this time, how to communicate with people, how to serve and love people, and how to be radiant like he was radiant. In other words we can continue to shine no matter how dark it might get.

How?

Be intentional about setting time to seek him in prayer. Listen to him tell him what is going on. Be honest and share your fears and doubts knowing you can ask him for the courage and faith that you will need. Pray for others and ask him to create opportunities to love and serve them where you will communicate his truth to them by your words and actions.

Be intentional about reading and studying his word. Pick a letter to one of the churches in the New Testament and read it multiple times. As you read write down questions you might have or thoughts that come to you concerning what you’re reading. Pick a section and commit it to memory. Ask yourself what you might change in your day so you can live out the things that you are reading about.

Be intentional about talking with someone about what you are learning in God’s word. Find a person who wants to grow in God’s word like you and encourage each other. Share with them the new principles you are discovering and the old principles that you need to get back too. Then together talk about how you can keep each other on track and in the race that God has us all running.

Be intentional about sharing your faith with someone. Once we begin to really set our hearts and minds on hearing God’s communication of the truth you will want to share your faith! You will want to communicate with others the Good News of knowing Jesus!

There is no better feeling then to truly understand Bliss. Being able to answer her question or to capture her excitement about what she is telling us. We are learning that all it takes is for us to practice listening to her and eliminating all of those distractions that we choose to allow to get in the way.

Always Giving Thanks
Tony