Our Blog
South Bend – Johnna Cory
My name is Johnna Cory and I went on a spring break mission trip to South Bend, IN. Our team served at Transformation Ministries. This was my second time to go, and I have brought something back with me each time. The first year,...
God is Working in Greece
The Apostle Paul traveled repeatedly to Galatia, Macedonia, and Achaia on multiple missionary journeys. This was my second trip to Greece. Like Paul, there were a number of individuals with whom it was my pleasure to see and visit with again. It was encouraging to see...
PV Students Serve in KC
Spring Break serve trip- March 24-28, 2025 Day 1 Today our team began our adventure with a mission trip serving in our own city! We are partnering with different local organizations who are already doing good work in KC. The goal of this experience is for students to...
Families serve in South Bend
March 23-29, 2025 Day 1 We started our day with a self-guided tour of the Notre Dame Campus. We ate lunch in town and spent severalhours shopping for the Family Event we are hosting on Thursday night. This evening we had dinner at Transformation Ministries with a few...
Students Serving in NYC
Day 1 On Saturday March 22nd, eleven students and four adults embarked on mission to New York City. The team settled into theirlodging at the New York School of Urban Ministry and set out to see the city God has called them to serve this week.As the team ascended from...
Better together – working with our friends in Greece
A five member team traveled to Greece for a ten day working mission trip. We worked at four churches and a refugee apartment building with our Greek partners to paint and complete minor construction projects. First stop: Greek Evangelical Church -...
Growing as We Go
The 2024 Twenty-Somethings Greece mission trip was such a powerful and impactful time! Serving 150 Greek high schoolers at camp and serving alongside the Greek leaders was so fun! Not only was it fun to serve and experience the trip with folks I have the privilege of...
Renee Holmes – Love INC
While I was participating in PV's Mission Engagement weekend last fall, I heard about Love INC from a friend, who I had previously served with in another area. She shared some information about the organization and the following...
The Chumley’s: When God says wait
We first heard about Greece from our community group leaders, Gary and Vicki Hostin, about six years ago. Immediately, we were interested and ready to go, but God said wait. We later found out why. During the next two years, Sean had a heart attack, our oldest son...
Bruce Thomson – Obeying God’s call
In February of 2024, I had the opportunity to travel on a two-week mission trip to encourage and enable ministry leaders in India. I was invited by Pastor Brad Daniel to consider going on this trip. To be honest, I was hesitant at first given that I would have to take...
Jaime Barrow: Life-Changing Journey
Last October, I embarked on a journey that pushed me far beyond my comfort zone and into the heart of Sierra Leone, Africa. Initially, the idea of traveling to an unknown country, with its different food and lodging, stirred up fears within me. Yet, what unfolded...
Katie Dunn’s Story
Almost 8 years ago, the Lord prompted me to pick up a family walking alongside the road. It was an uncontrollable urge to pull over and trust that He would protect me and my girls from any harm. I listened and an unexpected relationship formed...
You Can’t Get There From Here
I was driving many months ago and got lost. Shocker! I even had GPS, but…out in the country, signal problems, blah blah. So I went old-school and asked a guy at the sad-looking gas station. He leaned against his rusted old truck, swapped the...
Love is a Verb
Love is a prevailing theme in humans. It transcends all cultures and all times. If you pod up a few humans, guaranteed at least one of them is thinking about love… To be fair, they might also have been thinking about food, shelter, politics,...
The Tower of Babel Lives!
Recently, Time magazine announced, “The future is already here.” That claim was a lead-in to several pages describing the fruit of human beings’ God-given capabilities. (But, I didn’t find any references to God in the feature story.) New devices, scientific...
All
I find it is the little things that get me. Tree crashes into the roof? I am calm and get on with coping. Chigger bites in sensitive places? I get grumpy and decidedly put out. The little things get me. In scripture the little word...
What If…
What if God knew what would make you happy? And what if He decided to give you what would make you happy? That sounds great, doesn’t it? Next question, what if God knew what would make you happy—but you didn’t know what would make you happy? Or, what if God knew what...
Rooting Out Fear
Let’s talk about fear. Not the sensible fear that cautions us from high-risk activities (like walking down dark alleys alone, base jumping, or putting your head in the lion’s mouth). Nor the fears that arise because there is a chemical imbalance in the limbic...
If They Would Just Be Like Us…
Humans suffer from clannish thinking. There is a strong tendency to “Us v Them.” We see it in children as they gang up together and among teenagers with the “in-crowd” and the not. When we see it among children, we exhort them to be better than...
Lauren Simoneau
Lauren sits down and places her drink in front of her, her bright smile reaching all the way to her eyes. Her bubbly personality is evident as she speaks. Lauren shares that her parents divorced when she was three, but she lived primarily with her mom while growing...
Learn to Love Radically
I was speaking to a group of believers recently and this little piece of advice slipped off my tongue: Learn to love radically. I realized as I said it that I don’t know what it means. I have learned to love better than I once did by watching people...
Leslie Shafer
Anyone who knows Leslie Shafer would speak of her bubbly and joyful personality, her calm and welcoming presence, and her gift of cooking. Many families at Pleasant Valley have been blessed by Leslie’s kitchen masterpieces over the years. But, there was once a time,...
Comfort Zone
I think most of us don’t actually take God’s word to us to heart – myself included. I mean, if I really thought God had made me fully competent to share the Gospel, don’t you think I would step out and share my faith more? If I really knew the breadth and...
Do We Have A Wait Problem?
“The Lord is…slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,” wrote the psalmist. Again and again, God’s people confessed the truth of God’s patience. Sometimes they rejoiced because God did not destroy His people in their sin. Sometimes they lamented “How long, O...
God in January
I always think this is the unloved month in our annual cycle. It has no holiday in it, no pending weather change (except perhaps more or less snow and cold), and we face it while taking down the fullness of December. In a culture that is permanently seeking...
The World Will Never Satisfy|Spencer and Lauren Hamilton
Lauren Sullivan has called Pleasant Valley her church home for her entire life. She and her older brother ran through the halls as children while their parents served throughout the church. As Lauren grew into a middle school and high school student, she continued to...
Finding Peace through Jesus| Stacy Daniel
Normalizing mental health has been on the rise, and it is in part thanks to the brave individuals willing to share their own journeys with mental health despite the topic that can still feel taboo. One of these brave individuals is Stacy Daniel. Over the course of...
A Game of Inches
I was complaining recently to my trainer that I didn’t think I was making much progress towards my health goals. She paused a moment, and then said, “Well, what gains were you expecting? Because, at this stage of our journey – if you are diligent and...
Do I believe the truth? Is that enough? | Jane Minnick
Jane set her coffee down on the table and then sat down, folding her hands in front of her. Her usual, warm smile found its place on her face and her welcoming spirit instantly filled the space as she began to share that she became a Christian as a little girl. She...
Forbidden Territory
Recently a leader asked a group of Christians, “What sort of things should Christians be able to discuss with one another?” The unanimous answer was that Christians should be able to discuss anything with one another—but the follow-up discussion revealed that there...
Continual Long-Term Faithfulness | Lake McGinty
Lake McGinty pulls out his chair and sits at the table, tossing his long brown curls away from his face and smiling a jovial smile. He begins to share his story, his slight accent revealing itself every so often, softening the harsh vowels of the standard American...
What’s in the Bible?
Sue was a very bright five-year-old. She loved to show what she knew. So when the pastor visited Sue’s home, she was quick to point to a big family Bible on the table. “I know everything that’s in the Bible,” she happily said. When the minister asked, “Tell me, what’s...
Beyond an act of Service | Mitchell Neth
Mitchell Neth is no stranger to the halls of Pleasant Valley. In fact, if walls could talk, they would tell of Mitchell’s boyhood, running to and fro in the nursery and preschool areas and beyond. Mitchell has called Pleasant Valley home for as long as he can remember...
God Uses Broken Things
God uses broken things…and bruised-but-not-yet-fully-broken things. Truthfully, we are all “damaged goods.” Satan would use our broken and bruised places to shame us. Satan wants us to think God can’t love us because we are “too far gone” – too broken, to...
Take all of me. I surrender | Rah’Keshia Blue
Rah’Keisha is known around Pleasant Valley for her warm smile, her deep and heartfelt prayers, and her passion for Jesus. Rah’Keisha explains that the suburbs of Kansas City haven’t always been her home. She lived in the inner city of Kansas City until she was four or...
Cling Tightly to Jesus | Holly Mast
Holly Mast emits sincerity and peace with every single interaction. Her gentle nature, intricate vocabulary, and deep wisdom make it hard to believe she’s only a senior in high school. Holly pulls out her chair, her baggy sweatshirt falling below her palms and her...
To Do or To Be
The “to do” list is infamous today. Not all of us have a written list of things to do. We may get by with an inner list of what we need (or want) to do today, this week, or whenever. Written or not, a “to do” list can help us set priorities, find the resources...
The Spirit Has Come
Do you ever get the feeling that the Holy Spirit is at work around you? As I write this blog Pentecost Sunday is on the horizon. (It’s May 23 this year.) Here at Pleasant Valley, speakers have given a series of messages on the Holy Spirit. And in our particular...
God is All You Need | Caleb Ezzell
The next generation has much to offer the world, the United States, and even better, the Kingdom. Discipleship is crucial and Pleasant Valley is passionate about raising leaders who will continue to make disciples. Caleb Ezzell is an example of one of the many...
The World Crept In
Scripture is full of warnings against loving the world more than we love God and His Kingdom (examples 1John 2:15-17, James 4:4). Clearly this is a very real and present danger for believers. The odd thing is, I have met very few believers who even talk...
My Identity is in Jesus | Danielle Hornbeck
Danielle’s smile spreads across her face, her hands wrapped around the Keto coffee just delivered to the table. She shares that she isn’t always good at verbalizing her story, but likes to write things down so she’s a little nervous. However, with a brave breath,...
The Garden Shed
Much to my surprise, I have learned that many people are not “gardeners”. Their eyes don’t twinkle with anticipation when seed magazines show up mid-winter, or watch the temperature like a vulture waiting for things to get above 40 degrees. They may not...
To All Wonderful Women
To all wonderful women, whether you are a biological mother, stepmother, adoptive mother, spiritual mother, or soul friend, may you be reminded that each one of you is created in the image of God. You were knit together in your mother's womb. You are a unique,...
What Do You Say?
“Mom, Dad a friend of mine at school has told everyone that he’s gay. Everybody thinks that’s great, that he’s brave and real. What do I say to him? What do I do?” “Pastor, I want to join your church; but you need to know I’m a lesbian. I am a Christian and trying to...
Becoming Whole
Today, I will obey nine of the Ten Commandments. Or, maybe just six. I don’t know which I will ignore, but surely at least one. Maybe several. For I am human – a house divided -- wanting both the things of this world and things divine. I...
Jesus is My Peace | Carlie Ross
Carlie Ross is no stranger to the anxiety that plagues nearly 2.6 million adolescents across the United States. Her first memories of anxiety began when she was just four years old. At four, Carlie was diagnosed with an arrhythmia. She and her parents learned...
Trust and Obey?
“Obedience” seems to be an uncommon word among believers these days. We sing of God’s love and mercy. We pray. We celebrate His work in our lives—and rightly so! But we don’t talk much about obeying the Lord our God. Maybe obedience is implied in our lessons,...
Jesus is My Constant | Jay Gordon
It is often childhood memories and experiences that mold the way God and self are viewed. This is no exception for Jay Gordon, whose journey has been marked with illness, loneliness, and a calling. Jay’s story begins with a strange skin rash when he was in...
Encouraging Authenticity
The culture in the USA today is one of inauthenticity. We are quick to put on our public manners and publicly acceptable face. We airbrush our professional photos and carefully edit our social media presence so we look good and smell good to other...
The Miracle Baby | Brittni Kingston’s Story
Sometimes we see a beautiful, happy family and never know the mountains climbed and pain endured for such a family to even exist. Brittni’s family’s journey began before she was even married at just 18 years old when she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome...