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Several years ago, I decided I wanted to do some in-depth Bible studying. At that time, my mother introduced me to some great material that helped me study better individually. I shared this information with my dear friend Bernadette Gutierrez and she mentioned a Community Group at Mountain Christian Church and the Bible study they were doing at that time. During that time period, the group met in members’ homes and Bernadette was hosting when I first checked them out. 

I was also having a lot of questions and searching because of changes in the church I was raised in. Bernadette mentioned that meeting with Pastor Frank might help me with those challenges. We met and his help was invaluable and continues to be so. Shortly after checking out the Community Group, I became a frequent attendee and am now very involved with that group – that was about four years ago. As a result of getting to know the families in that group and my discussions with Frank, I also started coming to Sunday services and became more active in the church. 

Next this led me to joining Pam Cravens’ Women’s Community Bible Study group. The ladies in this group have become sisters in Christ for me and we stay in contact throughout the year (not just during active studies). Our group has grown in the last year and I feel like God has put us all together to support each other in challenging times and times of praise.

The next group I found was the Women’s Discipleship Group and I have now been with them for about two years and found the same sisterhood with them. 

One of the things that the Community Group, also known as the Wednesday Warriors, has done for the last several years is support the Shine winter food boxes. This experience brought my husband and me ways to be more involved in various outreach programs at MCC. One of the things that draws us to MCC is how much the church family supports the local community and we love being part of this. This led to us being involved in the preparations for VBS this year. 

Thanks to all the wonderful people I have met through these three groups I have found the following answers to my prayers:

• the church family that I have been seeking most of my life
• a wonderful way to continue my study of God’s Word (both individually and with my three small groups)
• a wonderful way to be more involved in outreach for our East Mountain Community and the opportunities to “pay it forward”

Our dear Lord and Savior is wonderful and has brought us so many blessings through the wonderful small groups and church family at Mountain Christian Church.

If you'd like more information on the small groups offered at MCC, contact Cruz Talamantes. 

In honor of pastor John MacArthur, a man of truth, who died recently at the age of 86, ask yourself the question, “Do you love the truth?” This question is critical. If you or I do not love the truth and seek continually to find it, we will be deceived. Jesus said that the most important sign to be able to recognize in the last days is deception. (Matthew 24:4-5, Mark 13:5-6).

Truth and God’s Word are inseparable! Do you have the mark of the Lamb (obedience, allegiance, love), or the mark of the Beast (comfort, compromise, security, individuality)? Whom do we serve? Jesus or the spirit of the age? As believers, we need to keep our focus on the One who holds all things together (Colossians 1:17), as the universe expands, and as our “clay pots” deteriorate. (2 Corinthians 4:1-12)

The enemy of our souls is working hard to get our focus on ourselves.

• Am I good enough? Am I too bad? Have I committed the unpardonable sin?
• Do I have enough resources to be a “winner?” This was David’s sin when he counted all his soldiers. (2 Samuel 24)
• Do I seek the approval of man rather than the applause of heaven, as did Hezekiah when he foolishly showed the Babylonians all the gold and silver in the temple? (2 Kings 20)
• Do I need just a little more “stuff” to feel appreciated or significant? This was Gideon’s mindset: a “little bit” of plunder, leading the Israelites into Idolatry. (Judges 8)

We pray “Your Kingdom come; your will be done.” (Matthew 6:10) And remember, the kingdom of God is within you, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. (Luke 17:21) Are we growing as kingdom men and kingdom women? Are we daily putting on our “kingdom armor” (Ephesians 6:10-18), so we will be prepared to fight the enemy of our soul?

We, fellow children of our heavenly Father, are told how to be overcomers (Revelation 12). “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” 

(For more, see the note from The MacArthur Study Bible regarding “The revealed truth from God and Christ contained in Scripture”).

Jim shared this with us while he was on the trail earlier this summer:

Greetings from The Blue Ridge Mountains, the Appalachian Trail, and surroundings. Summer has now come to the communities where I mostly work. We have had a few showers in the last couple weeks, and they should start to revitalize the mountain springs which are the best source of water for hikers: there is less chance of contamination, and the water often tastes incredibly good from these springs.

Unfortunately, along with the gentle showers, we’ve had a number of days with severe storms leading to flooding, trail and road washouts, trees falling, and just plain miserable times to be out. The James River, which runs through the area has come close to flood stage three times in the last month. I often sleep a few hundred yards from the James, so I get to see the effects of the rain up close. To put the rains in some perspective, I-40 was hit by a large mudslide and flood last night right where the AT crosses under it. Parts of the roadway were badly damaged. With this kind of trouble to deal with, you can imagine how long it will be before the authorities can do work on the secondary roads and trails that have been hit.

On some of the particularly miserable days, hikers are holed-up in trail shelters and taking a rest. When I bring them food, it reminds me of piranhas feeding; the first batch of food often disappears as soon as I finish bringing things out of my bags. I wait for a bit if I can, and then bring out some more food which is eaten, but perhaps more slowly. Since I can take trash, I like to give out canned goods that they would never take hiking, as well as baked goods, energy bars, chips, candy, and non-water drinks. Some of the favorite canned goods are canned fruit, ravioli, chili, and queso. I am working with some of the churches in the area to collect food left over from the numerous pot lucks that are held in this area. We can package the food in clam shell containers and freeze it, and place it at off-trail locations where there is a microwave. The people of this area are great cooks, and this food is a wonderful way to remind hikers of home, and how they are loved.

I have a number of other activities that are not hiker focused. Periodically, I offer rides for people needing to go to the hospital or doctors for appointments or tests. Because of my concerns about not being strong enough to support folks who need help getting into vehicles, I no longer offer rides in the case of such folks, but I ride along with someone else who can do the driving and the maneuvering into the car. This way I can provide companionship and help with understanding instructions from providers. I also make grocery trips for people who cannot get out themselves; thank goodness for online ordering and store information! I have some wonderful visits with people who cannot get out much on their own, either in health care facilities, or at home. God has abundantly blessed me with opportunities to serve.

The weekend of June 6 a number of churches and businesses continued the tradition of Troutville Trail days. We provided meals Friday night, three meals on Saturday from various other folks, and breakfast on Sunday. Hikers also had the opportunity to camp at the town park, get a shower, load up with lots of snacks and supplies for free, and get rides to needed services such as doctors or podiatrists. A highlight for me was Friday night when we had run out of the fried chicken, salads, side dishes and desserts only about an hour and 15 minutes into dinner time. There were more hikers than we’d had in past years, and they were very hungry. All that was left was a square of mac and cheese casserole about an inch and a half on a side. I met with the ladies serving the food, and we made plans to get more food at local fast-food places (fried chicken, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy) and the local grocery for more sweets and desserts. I went on my way to do my part of this plan. Unbeknownst to us, four local people heard our conversation and independently also went out and bought food! We not only were able to feed all the hikers who came in, but in the end, we had more fried chicken than we had started with. The whole event reminded me of the Biblical story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish.

Our church has been blessed to welcome a number of new believers to the family of God. We had four baptisms this month, and may have more before the summer is over. In the summer, our Wednesday night program is held at Limestone Park, a ministry which has a great swimming pool, tennis and paddleboard courts and other recreational areas. The young people get to play for a couple hours, we feed them dinner, and end the evening with a time of music and a message. It is a joyous thing to me to see teens still in their wet swimsuits with their notebooks and Bibles out following the message and praising God. At the end of the month, I will be giving the message at church so the pastor can have a well-deserved vacation. At the end of the coming week, the Buchanan Carnival begins, two weeks of rides, food, fireworks and fun. We will offer free drinks and snacks to the usually hot visitors, as well as a variety of Christian materials and opportunity to talk for those who desire. We do this right across the street from the park where the carnival is held. Many people walk by us there. In addition, as a Gideon, I’ll be helping distribute New Testaments and Life Books to any who desire. The Gideons also have a table right inside the entrance to the carnival. I also distribute materials about Jesus at some local campgrounds, laundromats and hotels.      

I’ll end this with this thought: through all the heat, hard work and challenges I feel an immeasurable sense of contentment in my life. I wake up in the morning rejoicing that I am wherever I am, and I go to sleep at night happy at whatever has happened in the day. “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”— Philippians 4:11-13. I love being alive in God’s world.

Blessings to you,

Jim

We are continuing our series on getting to know your church leaders a little bit better. Read along to learn more about Hal Radloff, who just joined our Deacon Council. 

Where were you born, and do you still consider that home, or somewhere else?

I was born in Madison, Wisconsin, but I grew up in Laramie, Wyoming after my parents moved there when I was 2-months old. I still consider Wyoming home.

What did you want to be when you grew up – and is that still a dream?

Once I discovered that engineers are typically the folks that design cool mechanical things, that is what I wanted to be. I had a great time in my career doing just that.

What or who was your earliest spiritual influence?

My earliest spiritual influences were my parents and pastor at the church I grew up in.

How and when did Christ call you to Himself?

At a church summer camp when I was in the 5th or 6th grade. It was an evening bonfire service, and the message was about knowing Jesus and not just knowing about Him. That was when I heard and responded to His call

What is a scripture you often read or share with others?

Joshua 1:8-9. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

What is a special answered prayer you’ve received from the Lord?

I see the great young men that David and Zac are becoming and see special answers to many prayers of Kristy and I over the last couple of decades: health, wisdom, love of the Lord, character, degrees, meaningful careers, and in the case of Zac, a wonderful wife.

What will be a blessing and what a challenge you see as serving as deacon?

It will be a blessing to serve and enable the body of the MCC. It will also be a blessing to spend time with and work alongside the rest of the deacons. I anticipate it being a challenge determining the best things to pursue and invest in amongst all of the good options/ideas that come before the Deacon Council.

What are your hobbies and how did you get into them?

My hobbies right now include working on cars and reloading ammunition.  I’ve always enjoyed fixing things and find it entertaining and satisfying to repair our vehicles (and sometimes those of others) and keep them in good shape. Reloading is a recent addition and I got into it because I just find it interesting. I’m looking forward to more free time so I can pick up fly fishing again.

What is your favorite family tradition?

Teaching my boys to drive a manual transmission (carried forward from my family). Also playing the white rabbit game on the first day of each month (you’ll have to ask). And popcorn and milkshakes for dinner.

How do you enjoy spending a day off?

I really enjoy staying close to home, fixing things around the house, an early afternoon nap, and then a movie in the evening.

What is the perfect meal?

There are a few different things I like a lot (most involve a grill or a smoker), but the perfect meal must end with pecan pie!

Who or what never fails to make you laugh? 

Crazy cat videos will always make me laugh. And a good pun.

We asked Kristine to answer the following questions: 

What is your favorite trait of Hal's?

Ever since I first met Hal in college, I have appreciated and loved his compassion and willingness to listen to and serve others. He freely gives of his time and wisdom to help others - family, friends, coworkers, and our church family.

What does Hal do that can always make you smile? 

It always makes me smile to see Hal interact with his sons – teaching them or helping them with whatever they need. 

Our own Abbie Bryant has joined CRU (formally Campus Crusade for Christ) in full-time ministry. Mountain Christian Church is partnering with her through our Missions strategies. 

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My earliest memories of knowing Jesus all revolve around Mountain Christian Church. As a little kid I remember singing as loud as I could to VBS songs, reading my Bible in the playground with my friends, and Mr. Mike teaching us Jesus is the only fix for sin. In youth group Sami discipled me and Marv challenged me to leadership. Sunday mornings I dug through theology with Luke and Frank, and long summer nights in the youth hall gave me a love for ministry.

Our little community… our little family… has created a solid foundation for knowing who Jesus is and His heart. 

Twenty-three years later and I am so excited to be entering ministry full-time. Everything I learned in our mountain church has bled into this desire that God has planted in my heart to share the gospel with the world. 

Last year I took my first position with the mission organization CRU and served on their Walt Disney World team where I got to share the gospel with cast members from every livable continent! And now I have just completed training for my full-time ministry position on the CRU digital strategies team. 

The average person spends seven hours a day on the internet. At CRU we think it’s very important to be where people are, so if people are on the internet we want to be there as a source of light and truth in a space that is traditionally dark and false. Our mission is to use the internet and technology as a tool to give every person in the world a chance to hear about Jesus.

My job is to make sure our digital presence invites people, and not only connects with them in a digital space but also finds local churches and CRU movements to get them plugged into a community. We’ve had an influx of people reaching out asking gospel questions - which is where I come in. With the Holy Spirit working through me, I personally respond to these people with responses that best inform and connect them with the gospel- not some AI generated response, but one from a real person sharing Jesus with them.

I am so excited to start this new journey God has set me on and as I build my ministry partner list and fundraise to be able to carry out this mission, it has been a joy to share with people what our church has poured into me and the big ways God moves over and over again.

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To learn a little bit more about what Abbie is doing, or if you're interesting in supporting her directly, check out her video here.