The Buzz newsletter | Updated Weekly
Growth Opportunities this Fall
As we get into the rhythms of the fall season, this is a great time to join a small group! Below are a number of opportunities for you to engage with people and with scripture! Details are posted on our Events page.
Weekly
- Bible Study with Pastor Nzash learning to know "Who is Jesus? What is he doing in the scriptures and in southeast Fresno?" | Mondays @ 6:00 pm
- Women's Bible Study on the women in the Bible | Wednesday mornings @ 10AM
Monthly
- Prayer for our Community for the needs of our neighbors and how they can be met with the love of Jesus | every 1st Saturday @ 10AM
- Men's Fellowship Dinner
for those hungry for fellowship & encouragement | the second-to-last Saturday @ 5PM
Unified Service coming up
Every first Sunday of the month we'll be having a Unified Service together as one church family! The next will be on Sunday morning, September 6! Be sure to mark your calendar. We're looking forward to connecting with Butler family members across our various ministries! Join in for Butler Cafe at 9:30AM; the service will be at 10AM in the main Worship Center.
Church Council Update
The Church Council has scheduled two meetings for September: On Sunday September 6 (following the unified service) and September 17 for their regular meeting.
Note that Council meetings are open for guests to attend and listen in. If you have a topic to suggest for a future meeting, or any questions or concerns, please direct those to the council member from your congregation. Please pray for the council as they meet for wisdom, discernment, and unity in decisions to be made.
Cohorts this Fall with USMB
Looking to grow deeper in your faith and leadership journey? Join a cohort! These FREE online learning communities offered by our USMB family of churches give you the opportunity to connect with others and learn together. With topics from discipleship to developing church leaders, contemplative conversations and more, there’s a cohort for you. Sessions take place online and many start in early September, so sign up soon!
Aviva Men's Conference
Our own Pastor Elbio Carballo will be a keynote speaker at the annual Aviva Ministries Men’s Conference! This event is in Spanish and this year will be held at Fresno Pacific University, with the support of the Center for Community Transformation. Under the theme “No More Excuses!,” this conference will challenge men to identify and overcome the excuses that prevent them from fully living out God’s calling as sons, husbands, fathers, and spiritual leaders. It will be a time of biblical teaching, reflection, and encouragement to strengthen your faith and make an impact on your families and communities.
Aviva | Men’s Conference
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Warkentine Cultural Center at Fresno Pacific University
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Reserve your spot and get a free lunch
Scripture Reading Plan
Our summer Family Matters series continues through the week with our scripture reading plan. As you read Genesis and notice the often "messy" family dynamics, notice also where you see God at work - giving us hope in the midst of our own circumstances! There will be a variety of speakers for our Faith Community and Common Ground services; this Sunday (August 30) Pastor Connie will bring the message.
Week 12 (Aug 23-29)
Monday: Genesis 42:1-17
Tuesday: Genesis 42:18-38
Wednesday: Genesis 43:1-14
Thursday: Genesis 43:15-34
Friday: Genesis 44:1-34
More news items....
In Memory
We have been remembering David Karber, and lifting up his wife, Elaine, in prayer since his passing on July 23. The obituary is available here. The memorial service will be held here at Butler at 11:00 am on Saturday, September 5.
Supplies for Children's Ministry
We are using these summer weeks to grow our children's ministry team and restock supplies! Thank you to those of you who have already purchased supply items to help restock our children's classrooms!
And, thank you to those who picked up sticky-notes on Sunday! If you took home a sticky note, please purchase your supply and bring it back this coming Sunday, August 9th.
If you would still like to contribute monitarily, you are welcome to donate online or give this Sunday toward our cause. Please designate your donation as "SUPPLY." Thanks being part of preparing a productive and impactful year of ministry ahead for our children.
Ministry Fair!
A new school year signifies an upcoming change in seasons and is also an excellent opportunity to prepare our Sunday morning ministries for the months ahead. Butler has many ways you can get involved in serving our church family and community on Sunday mornings. Would you consider serving once-a-month this fall?
Following our unified service on August 2, we will have multiple Sunday AM service opportunities available for you to request information about. We'll have sign-ups for Butler Cafe, Greeters, Children's Teachers & Helpers, Children's Check-in Host, Campus Host, Tech Team, and many more. The work of these teams are the 'building blocks' of community in our Sunday worship times together. Be praying about where your passion can join with the needs at Butler through an intersection of service.
Note: If you missed signing up on August 2, you can still do so! Email
Pastor Connie about your area of interest or for more details!
Special Announcement from Pastor Ron
Dear Butler Church Family,
I’m writing this week with a personal update: many of you will know that when I began my time as Interim Lead Pastor (Sept 01, 2025) the Council had asked me for a commitment of 9–12 months. That timeline is now almost at an end; my final Sunday here at Butler will be August 23, 2026. Serving you all, each of the 4 congregations, our church staff, and our Southeast Fresno neighbors for the past year has been deeply meaningful and a personal source of joy. Although the work of “transition” is not complete, I believe that the changes already approved and the current strength of our Council’s leadership bodes well for a flourishing future for Butler Church. Building consensus and moving together in a unified way takes time where we listen, learn, compromise, dream, and pray. In the future, things may not look exactly like they have in the past, but the Council and pastoral staff are committed to leading with the same priorities and values that have characterized Butler Church over many years of faithful ministry.
For Kathy and I, the Fall of 2026 will mark a major change in our lives – we have accepted an invitation to join the educational mission and training ministry in Germany of TCM International Institute. This means that we will be moving to Tübingen, Germany in September of this year. Our roles will be distinct but connected to a common mission: Kathy will join the TCM donor relations and development team while I take on the role of Director for the Institute for the Study of Christian Origins. This work will find Kathy representing TCM in a variety of settings (including the main training facility near Vienna, Austria). My role will primarily focus on teaching (research languages and biblical studies) and mentoring graduate students affiliated with the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen. As you can imagine, we’re experiencing a wide range of emotions as we leave Fresno after 12 years and leave the place where 4 of our 5 children currently reside! We leave grateful for our years in the Central Valley and especially for this most recent year here at Butler Church.
Some additional context: The
mission of TCM (the only institution accredited by the US Higher Learning Commission that works exclusively outside the United States) is to “develop Christian leaders for significant service through higher learning.” Currently, TCM reaches students from all over Europe, parts of Asia, and most recently part of Africa. Students are served with opportunities to learn from entry-level micro-credentials to undergraduate course work and full graduate programs (see
link for fuller description). Modular courses in biblical studies, Christian ministry, and leadership are taught on-site several countries while hybrid and fully online courses also reach students in under-served regions around the world.
Assistance Donations
Through the Butler Church Benevolent Assistance Fund, we have been able to help with several time sensitive needs recently. Given the upcoming cuts in SNAP funding even more requests may be coming in soon. Please consider making an additional donation to the church benevolent fund , by designating for this in the offering or through giving online. We also work with partner agencies like MB Foundation and Everence to expand our capacity through matching grants.
Another way to donate is by contributing to our food pantry. Non-perishable goods can be dropped off on Sunday mornings in the sanctuary foyer. Canned goods like pasta sauce, chili, and chicken are especially helpful.
If caring for needs of folks in our community in very practical ways is something close to your heart , please also talk with your pastor or contact the church office. We would like to build a social action response team that can respond to needs as they are made known. If you have a personal need, please also talk with a pastor.
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Updated on: 8/20/2026
Looking for earlier Butler news stories? You can visit our news archive here.