Thank the Lord for a wonderful revival meeting!

Brother and Sister Grabill were certainly used of God to encourage and strengthen the church this past week. And Jenna was a real blessing as well! The messages were divinely appointed and the music truly inspiring! Thanks so much Grabill family. You are loved and appreciated much!

Wow! What a fantastic work-day at Mount of Blessings Camp! We had around 70 people that showed up to help in many different areas! It turned out to be a gorgeous day, with Rev. John Zechman bringing his grill along and serving up a pile of hamburgs and hotdogs, besides a huge selection of other dishes from all the rest! I was stuffed! Everything was delicious and everything is gone!
 
We started with the guys carrying out the old camp stove which has definitely seen better days and then carrying in the "new" one which was donated to the camp. The gas company comes next week to hook it up! 
 
We had people painting the inside of the dining hall, cleaning rooms, cleaning the tabernacle, clearing out the old barn to get it ready for a much needed restoration, mowing, trimming, raking and regrading the driveway, plumbing and electrical work, and so much more! The grounds look so nice!
 
We also had a large supply of "new" furniture donated for the rooms, such as dressers, night stands, chests of drawers and headboards! This was a much needed upgrade. All in all it was a great day! Thanks to everyone who took time to come and help and to those who could not make it but prayed for us! There is still more to do such as painting the outside of the dining hall thanks to another donation and a face-lift to the shower rooms. 
 
We also have some more electrical upgrades to do and a new roof to put on the tabernacle, perhaps we can get on those projects later this summer as funds become available. 
 
We are looking forward to camp which is just a few weeks away! Please plan now to join us! Thanks! 

Pastor Spangler

​Wow! Where do I begin? It has certainly been a very busy spring! Revival in the local church with John and Betty Case was a wonderful time with several victories around the altar. Sunrise service at the local church followed by Cheri’s “Biscuits and Gravy” at the parsonage! And then one tremendous Easter Sunday Service! God is so good! Thanks to all those who helped! Let’s remember all throughout the year – HE IS RISEN!
Next, Cheri and I were privileged to attend IHC Dayton. I call this my ministerial. It was so good to meet and greet “old” friends! We enjoyed every part of the convention, and the weather was just perfect. I started attending the convention in 1976 as a young boy, now here I am almost an old man still attending every year and loving it! There is always rich spiritual food to be had and a trip or two to Skyline Chili’s as well! ;-) Thanks to the Plank and Sankey team for another great convention! IHC has always been the highlight of the year for me and if you’ve never been to one, I would strongly encourage you to go at least once.
On our way back east we were able to spend some time with Dad in Lancaster, OH which is always wonderful. He still lives in the same house he and Mom purchased 53 years ago. Believe it or not their house payment was $59 a month! Times certainly have changed a bit! I’m so grateful for a Christian father who lives what he believes!
Then we travelled to visit some dear friends of ours, Ernie Ingold and his wife, where we picked up a new “house speaker” for our church sanctuary. Ernie owns Ingold Sound System, which specializes in church sound systems. (www.ingoldsound.com) He and his wife are two of the best people in the whole wide world! Ernie was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer and I’m sure he would appreciate your prayers!
Toward evening we headed over to Apple Creek, OH to spend the night with Lloyd Hershey and his wife, dear friends for many years. After a brief visit we drove down the road to an Amish home where we were invited to supper with several fine families. A few years ago Lloyd and I took four young Amish boys to Montana for an elk hunt in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, then two years later we went again, tonight we re-lived the past.  It was a very  enjoyable evening to get back together and reminisce with everyone, looking at the pictures and retelling the stories.  After a delicious supper and prayer with our friends we made our way back to the Hershey’s place for the night. We just love the Amish country in Holmes County, Ohio.
Saturday morning before heading into Pennsylvania, we stopped in Salem to visit Deb Thomas, she had recently found out that she had cancer and was already in serious condition. We visited and prayed with her and her precious daddy for quite some time. Debbie was such a blessing to our family in so many ways, today she is safe in the arms of Jesus never to suffer anymore.
It was so good to get home to our home church in time for Sunday. We love our congregation, they are all so kind!  We also missed the community visitation which both of us stay very busy at. Some may never get to attend our church, but what an awesome privilege to share Jesus with them in their individual settings.                          Well I’ll pause for now, but stay tuned I’ll be back!

Greetings once again!  It is hard to imagine all the prep, organizing and work that goes into a trip such as this and then for it to be over seemingly so soon. But may its impact be forever present in our lives! As I’ve said many times before, it’s not enough to simply walk where Jesus walked, or even talk perhaps where He one time talked. The greatest need for all of us is to truly live as He lived and be all that He wants us to be! Remember the entire reason for Him coming to earth was to redeem fallen man from the clutches of sin that He might present us without spot and holy.
As I look over the 50 members of our tour group my heart is overwhelmed to think that if we could come home spiritually charged, and rejuvenated in our Christian walk, what a huge difference we could make around us. If we would purpose not to soon forget where we’ve been, what we saw, and what we’ve felt, maybe, just maybe, we could encourage and strengthen another who may be discouraged in their Christian faith.
Last night as I was down at the Lebanon G.M. Church to speak at their annual Ministry Team Banquet, I spoke with an individual who travelled to the Holy Land several years ago. He said, “I am amazed at how often when I read the scripture my mind reflects on an image from my trip, it just brings so much into perspective.” And yes, I recall making almost the same statement following my first trip to Israel years ago. I’ve told my children, “You will find times when you are reading the Bible that all of the sudden you  will have a real image that comes before your mind as a result of the trip.”
I thoroughly enjoyed the many times that our guide shared historical accounts outside of scripture and they clearly testified to or reaffirmed the scripture. And yet, if there was never any outside evidence that supports the Word of God, we still believe it for our faith is evidence enough! I love the little chorus we sometimes sing, “God said, I believe it,  and that settles it for me.”
Dear hearts, let’s be mindful to be completely surrendered to Jesus Christ. We indeed have a story to tell to the nations, and more than likely very little time left to tell it. “OH, may all who come behind us find us faithful!” Just remember, you keep Him first and foremost and He’ll do the same for you! “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.”
Blessings on you and yours!
Respectfully,
Pastor Spangler
 
 
 

Next, we headed to a museum in Jerusalem to view a large model of Old Jerusalem as well as some of the findings regarding the Dead Sea scrolls. ​

Our final place to tour was the battlefield between the Philistines and Saul’s army. Here, we did a “Sight and Sound” re-enactment! Thanks Austin, Allen, and Blake, you guys are great! ​

After dinner we went back to Old Jerusalem for some shopping and a Sound and Light show of David. ​

The “Palm Sunday Walk” was absolutely wonderful. We walked the path that Jesus walked some 2000 years ago knowing what was about to take place. We stopped at the Garden of Gethsemane for a devotional by Steve Cassidy. He challenged our hearts to “go further in the Garden.”  Thanks Steve, God really used you. ​

Today was another beautiful day here in the Holy Land. We started out with a tram ride to the top of Masada. It was so neat to visit the sight again and see how much more has been done to uncover and preserve it. You probably remember that this was Herod’s fortress.  ​

We went on to Ein Gedi where we hiked to both the lower and upper falls. Somewhere in these mountains is where David hid from Saul and his 3000 men. I just can’t imagine them not finding him and then David catching King Saul sleeping and cutting off a piece of his garment. Sometimes I see the accounts in the Bible as an expression of God’s humor. I actually grin at some of the happenings at times. ​
​I'm sure glad God created humor; I utilize it myself from time to time.  ;-)

Next we traveled a little piece down the road to Qumran, the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. The story of their discovery is so fascinating! ​

We had a wonderful and very full day today! We started out on the Mount of Beatitudes with an excellent devotional by Rev. John Walter. Thanks John! ​

We rode up, up, up into the clouds! We saw the Golan Heights. The last time we were here we were unable to go there because of the unrest. ​

Capernaum, the town where Jesus lived during His Galilean ministry was another highlight of the day. 

We then went to the Jordan river bank where we had the wonderful experience of baptizing twenty-one people! Twenty were from our group and one was from Brazil! We’ll tell you more about that later.

It was a blessing to hear the testimonies of the candidates faith in the Lord Jesus Christ prior to being baptized in the cold river.

An especially wonderful experience was baptizing my own children, Marie, Brian and Kevin (and my new daughter Phoebe too). It overwhelms me even now to think of it. God is So Very Good!

The others in the group that were baptized today were Joseph Carpenter, Linda Fuller, Roy Hoffman, Jerry & Ellie Hollenbach,  Michael Mason, Justin & Brooke Steen, Brian & Phoebe, Kevin & Marie Spangler, Ashlyn, Austin & Allen Stump, Andy Wagner, Phil & Linda Yoder, and Wesley & Britney Zimmerman.
​

​Today we visited Caesarea, the great Roman Port of yesterday, where a huge archeological dig is currently underway. Then we went on to a high lookout over the Valleys of Jezreel and Armageddon. We saw Megiddo and the well where we took a tour underground along the secret waterway to its source.
 
We went to Nazareth and the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation. We traveled onto Tiberias which we will use as “basecamp” for the next two days. After a great supper many of us walked downtown to visit some shops called the Promenade. It was much like a boardwalk back home. Whew, downhill one way and uphill the other! While we were there, we met up with Bro. John Knight. It was good to see him again!
 
We also visited Mount Carmel today and had the privilege of having a group devotional. Praise God for that huge answer to prayer way back then and the multitude of answered prayers still today! I just love this portion, “...let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant.” Oh, may we not be ashamed to be called His!

One quick break on our way to JFK.

After our  Arrival at Ben Gurion airport, we met up with Genesis Boutique Tours and our Bus and driver. Although very tired from the extra early trip to JFK (which included weather related detours and restricted speed limits) followed by the flight through Istanbul, Turkey, we took a great tour of Jaffa (biblical Joppa). This is the ancient seaport from which the Prophet Jonah Fled from God (Jonah 1:17) and where Peter stayed with Simon the Tanner and restored Tabitha to life (Acts 9:36-43).  
Now that a delicious family style dinner is over, we plan to do some “extra” sight seeing and finish with a nice relaxing walk along the Mediterranean Sea.
After a good night’s rest, we will have an early breakfast at 6:30 and load the bus at 7:30 in the morning.
Sure wish you all were here!
Blessings!
Pastor Spangler

​Greetings!
Wow! It hardly seems possible… well over a year ago we began planning for a trip to Israel and now we are just two days away from departure. If and when you think of us, your prayers would certainly be appreciated! For several in our group, this is going to be a huge venture outside of their comfort zone. I’m quite sure they would appreciate prayers daily!
When the Duttrys and the Spanglers first began to discuss the possibility of a trip to Israel, we thought maybe we would have as high as 18-20 people interested – wow, were we ever wrong! We had 30 plus people committed within a few weeks and finally had to set a limit which we bumped up several times for a total of 50 people. Being the fact we still had many more requests and no more availability, we began discussing a fall 2020 trip. I believe we now have well over 30 people listed for that trip, which will more than likely include a visit to Jordan.
One of our major goals was to include a full tour at a reasonable cost.  Adrian and Rebecca worked tirelessly on this and together we would sit at Dunkin Donuts to be sure we were planning to that end. The trip was designed in such a way that everyone going, including the hosts and hostesses, were responsible for paying their own way. These measures, as well as the elimination of a few very minor perks, kept the individual cost down for the whole group. However, after someone in the New Columbia church found out their pastor was going, they anonymously stepped forward and paid my entire way, to which I am very grateful and will use this venue to once again say a huge “Thank-You!”
All in all we have a very packed itinerary for a cost per person (double occupancy) of less than $2400! We are so excited to be going with the New Columbia Church clan as well as a few others from various churches that have helped round out our group. Truly we have an excellent bunch of folks going with us! It is our desire for this trip to be an eye opener and heart opener to see where Jesus walked and sit where He talked. We want His abiding presence to be with us every single day and along the way! My prayer is that every person in our group will be spiritually impacted for life! As is always the goal, may we each one fully prepare our hearts and minds to share the good news of Jesus Christ at every opportunity.
When Cheri and I first went to Israel, our hearts and minds were overwhelmed with awe and gladness at the many sights where Jesus ministered to so many. Then again, at some sites there was much sorrow and sadness when we realized afresh how our Blessed Lord and Saviour was treated. May I remind you once again, He is not on the cross, and not in the tomb… He is very much alive and well! And Praise His Name – He lives within our hearts!
Thanks Adrian and Rebecca! You are fantastic!
Yours for Him,
Pastor Spangler

Greetings from the New Columbia God’s Missionary Church. A very loving and compassionate church, endeavoring to carefully follow our Lord and His Word. We are glad you are here!

Pastor King and myself along with our wives just came through a very encouraging Ministerial Convention where God’s presence was manifested in many ways. Certainly all of us need a little encouragement now and then as we labor for the Kingdom. We came away blessed and refreshed! A special thanks to our guess speakers, Rev. and Mrs. Nathan Shockley, they did a tremendous job! And to our Rev. and Mrs. Jacob Martin, our conference president. They were fantastic host!

In just over a week we will be traveling to Israel with a large group from our local church  and a few others for a total of 50. This will be Sis. Spangler’s and my second trip and we are looking forward to gleaning so much more from the places where Jesus once walked and talked. Indeed He is our Wonderful Lord!

You are certainly welcome to browse our new redesigned website. We will endeavor to post here on a somewhat regular basis and invite your comments.

May God’s presence bless you and yours abundantly!

Respectfully,
Pastor Spangler ​