I’ll never forget trying to start a campfire at summer camp. I had my marshmallow stick ready, but the fire? Not so much. I struck match after match, watched smoke curl and disappear, but the flame just wouldn’t catch.

Then a friend came over, quietly struck a match, and held it steady while I positioned the kindling. That tiny bit of teamwork changed everything. Suddenly the flame took, and just like that—we had fire.

Looking back, that moment reminds me of something deeper: sometimes we need someone else to help us light the flame. Not just at a campfire—but in our faith.

In Jeremiah 20:9, the prophet says, “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” That’s what faith can be—so alive, so burning, that it cannot be contained. But let’s be honest, there are days when that fire feels dim. That’s why we have each other. We’re not meant to walk this journey alone. We are called to be the match for someone else—to hold the light steady, to fan the flames of faith, hope, and service.

And this weekend we'll do that in two ways: on Friday we’ll celebrate the life of Judy Palmeter. Visitation will be held from 1-3:00 p.m. and the service will begin at 3:00 pm. As a church community we will gather to mourn but also to give thanks for a life well lived and legacy deeply cherished.

Then on Saturday morning, we’re joining together for SERVE Noblesville at Teter Farm at 9:00 am. It’s not just a service project. It’s a spark. A way to share the fire of God’s love through action.

So whether your faith feels like a blazing bonfire or a flickering ember—show up. Let someone hold the light for you. Or better yet—be the one who holds it for someone else.

And then? Let’s gather this Sunday… and start or re-start a fire of faith.

I’ll See you Sunday,

Pastor Nicole