Church Council Update

The Church Council will be meeting this Thursday, October 15. A copy of the agenda is available online. The topics include a job description for co-pastors; leadership for Amor y Fe; the draft budget for 2027; and appointing a Campus Safety team.

Mark your calendar also for Sunday, Oct 25; Sunday, November 1 the Council will be discussing holding a church information meeting that day to give a transition update. (Note the updated date.)

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.

Men's Fellowship Dinner this Saturday

Butler men! If you're hungry for fellowship and encouragement, join us for dinner this Saturday! The monthly Men's Fellowship Dinner is takes place on a Saturday late in the month. The next has been planned for this Saturday evening, Oct 17 @ 5:00 pm.

Any questions, reach out to Eric Pauls or Calvin Certain! RSVPs are helpful so we know how many to plan for. Thanks.

Neighborhood Meet & Treat

Our annual community event is just two weeks away! Co-leaders Amanda Beaulieau and Maria Galvan are organizing teams for a neighborhood carnival on our main parking lot Oct 31 from 4-6pm! There will be a trunk or treat with candy, games with prizes, food, and other fun activities for kids while parents get to enjoy the evening. We’ll need lots of volunteers to serve and be available to connect with our neighbors!

> Volunteers can sign up this Sunday during Butler Cafe!

> CANDY donations needed too! Bring on Sunday or to the church office. Thanks!

Memorial Service

We have been praying for Pastor Connie Nicholson and her family especially while her mom, Christine Morgan, has been on hospice care. Christine passed away on early Sunday morning with her family surrounding her. The burial and memorial service will be next Friday, October 23. The service will be at 1:00 pm here at Butler with a reception following. Thank you for your continued prayers, especially for Connie's dad, Ed Morgan.

Come Pray with Us!

Butler Church has a team that meets once a week to pray over our church. The purpose of our prayer group is to pray for the health of Butler Church itself– for its leadership, ministries, staff, facilities, transitions, and future. We partner with the Holy Spirit as we pray and seek God’s vision for our church. If this is something you’d like to be part of, this group is expanding! We are now meeting on Wednesdays at 5pm in covering the campus and ministries through a different gathering room each week (watch for the signs). Come and pray with us!

Volunteers Thank You

Thank you to each Butler Volunteer who attended our Volunteer Lunch on Sunday! Over 80 people ate together and then spent time considering the health and functionality of our teams. I am excited to help our teams become more defined and our leaders more empowered. Those who attended will be receiving a follow-up email with more action steps as we move toward 2027. Thanks again for spending your Sunday with us and may God be glorified in our service. - Pastor Connie



Highlights from the Unified Service

It was wonderful to worship together this past Sunday as one church! A big THANK YOU to the worship team for leading us in song in multiple languages. We learned the Lao song "Saan le Seen" - including shaking off our troubles and raising our hands in praise instead! We shared in communion together, Bill Cockerham shared a giving encouragement to share the gifts we have received; and Pastor Elbio shared an encouraging message as he concludes his ministry here at Butler Church. (English subtitles are available on the livestream video, too.) Our next Unified Service will be on November 1st!

Men's Camp

Our men’s group is putting a group together for the fall Men’s retreat at Calvin Crest, November 6-8. Men, mark your calendar, and let us know if you’d like to join in so we can send you registration information. Scholarships are available; let cost hold you back from this great time of connection and renewal. For more details, talk with a pastor or Eric Pauls. 

Prayer Request

Please keep our longtime member, Maria Riojas in prayer, following the passing of her husband, Oscar, this week. Maria has been his faithful caregiver for many years and so has not often been able to participate in Sunday worship in person. Thank you for remembering her during this time loss and adjustment.

Hispanic Heritage Month

It's national Hispanic Heritage month! Here at Butler Church, we’re blessed to worship together with Latinx brothers and sisters in several of our congregations, and specifically Amor y Fe!

In Fresno, the celebration starts off with Fiesta Patrias. This year taking place this Sunday Sept 20 with activities throughout the afternoon. You can read more here about the history behind this annual cultural festival. 

Have you been wondering why Hispanic Heritage month isn't set for a regular calendar month? Read more about it here.

Endurance Series

Our English Congregations have begun an 8-week series through the book of Philippians. Along with each Sunday sermon, we also have people who are writing up Mid-Week Questions for you to consider - along with a friend, spouse, or group - during the week after the sermon. (A big thank you to Eddie Morgan, Amanda Beaulieu, Edd Russell, and Beth Stephens!)

The discussion questions are not connected to the sermon, but they are generated out of the same text that was taught on Sunday. This is a fun way to study the same text from two different perspectives! This also means if you miss Sunday, you can still read the scriptures for the week and use the questions to cultivate your spiritual growth. 

These questions are available each Sunday at the back of the sanctuary for you to take home and are also found on our "Endurance" series page: butlerchurch.org/endurance.

This is an excellent opportunity to connect with someone over coffee, breakfast or a walk and discuss Sunday's sermon and these questions to help further your connection to Jesus and to one another!

Pastoral Staffing Update

The following update was shared previously with our Butler Church congregations:

On behalf of the Church Council and Pastor Elbio Carballo, I am writing to inform Butler Church that discussions between Pastor Elbio and the Council have led to a decision that Pastor Elbio's service as a Pastor of Butler Church will come to an end on December 31, 2026. Pastor Elbio just celebrated his fifteenth anniversary as Pastor of Amor y Fe, and we thank him for his faithful service in leading that congregation over these years. We also pray for Pastor Elbio and Sandra as they determine what future ministries God may have for their lives. 

The Council has agreed with Pastor Elbio that his last Sunday at Butler will be October 11, though his official concluding of ministry will be at the end of December. Pastor Connie and the Church Council are organizing a celebration and recognition of Pastor Elbio's ministry as part of our Unified Service on October 4. I invite all of you to join us in worship on that day, as we thank Pastor Elbio and Sandra for their ministry and pray for God's guidance in their next steps. 

Jim Holm, Moderator

Butler Church Council

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
  

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.