The Buzz newsletter | Updated Weekly
Church Council Update
The Church Council will be meeting this Thursday, Feb 12
focused on our transition process, and then again next week Feb 19 for their regular meeting. A copy of the agenda is available online, as well as the discussion notes from the recent all-church workshop.
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.
Update from Anul
Anul has received notice to prepare for travel this evening
Thursday! It is unclear if she will have a direct flight to Fiji or will need to stay overnight somewhere. Join us in praying for safe travel, favor with everyone she talks with, and a smooth process settling in. We're thankful for a sister in Christ in Nadi who has offered to receive Anul and help her find an apartment.
Thanks for praying!
Anul is so very grateful for you, her Butler family. If you would more detailed updates on how to pray for Anul, or to give toward her support for resettlement, please connect with Shelly in the church office for details. 559-252-3741 | info@butlerchurch.org
Sharing God's Love
This week we will be visiting local neighborhoods with the message of God's love for them! Our local missionary, Nzash Lumeya, together with our outreach team and ministry volunteers, will be going door to door to make as many visits as possible to surrounding homes and apartments. Will you be available to join in?
Two options: Friday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and Saturday from 10-11 AM.
Brother Nzash is also hosting a weekly Monday Bible study
here at Butler Church. He is hoping several from our Butler family will also join in! This study will be on Mission as seen in the Psalms, and the gathering is available to you both in person and live online!
Mondays @ 6:00pm - Room 18
If you have any questions, do reach out to Nzash at 559-907-1445.
Memorial Service for Lenora Nickel
The memorial service for Lenora Nickel will be next Wednesday, February 18
at 11:30 AM here at Butler Church, following the morning graveside service in Reedley. Lenora passed away on January 25, the last of our original Butler Charter Members who established Butler Church almost 70 years ago! Thank you for your prayers for her daughter, Debra, and family we remember and celebrate her life together.
Lent and Ash Wednesday
This month marks the beginning of Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday. All are welcome February 18 at from 6:30-7:30PM
for an Ash Wednesday service in the Butler Sanctuary for our Ash Wednesday Service.
The season of Lent signifies Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem and beginning his journey to the cross. Our time will include worship, reading of scripture, the imposition of ashes (if desired) and a variety of stations to engage in to begin your journey with Jesus through the Lenten Series. Youth and children are invited to participate - stations are children-friendly (3rd grade and older).
Special Offering for MB Agencies
We are part of a church family that goes far beyond Fresno! Each February we have a special focus on these local and global partner agencies of our Mennonite Brethren family: the US MB churches, the Pacific District Conference of MB churches, Multiply, and Fresno Pacific University and Seminary.
Sunday March 1
will be a combined service and we will give a special offering for the support of these agencies. Thank you for prayerfully considering what amount you feel led to give. Please plan to bring your offering on March 1st! You can also give online now to "MB Agencies Support."
Church Business Meeting Scheduled
Please mark your calendar for a Church Business Meeting taking place on Sunday, March 15 at 3:00 pm. The church council will be bringing an update on amendments to the Constitution, and regarding the 2026 church budget. Stay tuned for more details. Questions can be directed to the Council representative from your congregation. Thank you for your continued prayers for the Council and for our church transition and discernment process.
Black History Month
Nearly 50 years ago, February was designated as Black History month. It has become an annual cultural tradition where we get to focus on the people and events that often go overlooked and under-appreciated. However, author and speaker Jemar Tisby reminds us not to view Black history as isolated points on a timeline but as part of a coherent and continuous story. So, as you notice specific things or people being celebrated, take that opportunity to dig a little deeper! Or ask someone you know what history is especially significant to them and learn more from there. There are 5 suggestions in the attached article on how to begin!
Job & Ministry Opportunity
Thrift on Blackstone
is hiring for two roles that support the daily work and mission of our thrift store. We are looking for a full-time Thrift Store Operations Manager to help guide store operations and support staff, and a part-time Volunteer Coordinator to welcome, train, and care for the volunteers who make this work possible.
Located on Blackstone just south of Herndon, Thrift on Blackstone
is a faith-based thrift store working in partnership with Mennonite Central Committee and FACE (Fresno Area Community Enterprises, Inc.). If this work sounds meaningful to you, or if you know someone who may be a good fit, we invite you to learn more and apply. (Contact the church office
for details.)
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Congrats to all celebrating a birthday, milestone, or anniversary in February! If your special date is coming up and you want to make sure we have it noted, let us know here. Special THANKS to Frances Echavarria who keeps the Butler Café celebrations going.
More news items....
In Memory of Ray O'Neil
Join us in praying for Bonnie O'Neil and family following the passing of Ray O'Neil who went home to be with the Lord last week (January 29). Ray joyfully participated in our Faith Community congregation despite the limitations of Parkinson's disease. His passing followed a downturn in health but was still rather unexpected.
A memorial service is being planned for Saturday, March 14 here at Butler Church. More details to come.
A memorial service is being planned for Saturday, March 14 here at Butler Church. More details to come.
Mark Your Calendar
Our next All-Church Combined Service will be on Sunday, March 1! The special focus will be on our partner agencies, and our speaker will be Juan Wall, pastor and leader in the hispanic ministries of our Pacific District churches. There will be worship in multiple languages and we will be taking a special offering as part of the service. The morning will start with Butler Cafe at 9:30AM
in the courtyard and the service will follow in the sanctuary.
Update on Support for Anul
Thank you to all who have been praying for our church member, Anul Ram, who was detained by ICE several months ago. Her court hearings completed several weeks ago, determining that she will be deported back to her birth country of Fiji. She has finally received word that the consulate and immigration paperwork is completed, and that a plane ticket will be ready for her any day now! While this is bittersweet news, Anul is looking forward to restarting her life and trusting God to direct her.
Please pray for a smooth travel process, for housing to be quickly available to her, and for peace throughout the process. If you would more detailed updates on how to pray for Anul, or to give toward her support for resettlement, please connect with Shelly in the church office for details. 559-252-3741 | info@butlerchurch.org
New Pastoral Opportunity
Our Butler member, Dr. Emebet Mekonnen, is taking part in a chaplaincy training program this year, which will also bring an added blessing to our church family!
Butler Church partnering with “Clinical Pastoral Education of California” in this training, through volunteer internship hours. For the next 4 months, Emebet will be present on campus at various times during weekly office hours. Not only will this opportunity provide an educational context for Emebet as a chaplain-in-training, but our church family will benefit from her investment of time in the form of listening sessions.
Our goal is to make Emebet's time and listening presence available to church members and community neighbors who need a prayerful, listening ear. Dr. Mekonnen will be report weekly to Pastor Ron and others in Butler Church leadership. We will provide more information as to the times / places for this ministry in the coming days. Look for more details in our Sunday gatherings and in upcoming editions of the Buzz. We welcome Emebet as a volunteer member of our staff for the next several months! – Pastor Ron
January 2026
Palm Village Soup Supper and Annual Meeting
The Palm Village Retirement Community in Reedley is holding its annual meeting February 24, 2026, at 7 PM, preceded by the annual Soup Supper. As a founding church, Butler leadership is invited to select one or more delegates to represent Butler Church at the event. In addition, any persons interested in serving on the Palm Village board or being a delegate to the meeting should contact Jim Holm via the church office
so that their names can be submitted. Nominees must be submitted by February 13.
Year End Giving Letters
Year-end giving letters for tax purposes were sent out last week, primarily by email. Those who have previously requested a printed letter will be sent one. If you have any questions, or would like a printed copy, please contact the church office. Thanks!
Spring LEAD Cohorts
In addition to our local learning cohort, our broader church family also sponsors virtual LEAD Cohorts each fall and spring. Sign ups for the next round of cohorts are currently taking place! LEAD Cohorts bring together people from across our US Mennonite Brethren community for intentional, online conversations that deepen faith, foster relationships and encourage growth.
This season's list of cohort topics includes: Effective communication in a digital world, Holistic healthy living, Leadership for women in ministry, Discipleship discussions, and Lectio Divina. Session dates vary by cohort but most begin the first week of February; all take place virtually via zoom. See the entire lineup and consider signing up!
Assistance Fund 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.
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.
Text Updates from Butler Church
If you find an occasional text reminder helpful,
be sure to “Opt In”
so our “Breeze-butler” text messages get through! To share your preferences for text or email updates, you can complete the Butler Subscriptions form. Thanks!
Note: If you have signed up, but are no longer receiving text updates - try texting START to 87447. Remember that "msg & data rates may apply." Details are in the Butler subscriptions form.
Spanish Translation Available!
Our Butler website is also available in Spanish! Click the upper left corner to switch between English and Spanish. (If you notice any translation errors, please let us know!)
¡Nuestro sitio web Butler ahora también está disponible en español! Haga clic en el ícono de arriba para cambiar entre inglés y español. (Si nota algún error de traducción, ¡avísenos!)
¡Nuestro sitio web Butler ahora también está disponible en español! Haga clic en el ícono de arriba para cambiar entre inglés y español. (Si nota algún error de traducción, ¡avísenos!)
Updated on: 2/12/2026
Looking for earlier Butler news stories? You can visit our news archive here.