Banbury Ward of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Message from the Bishopric

Dear Banbury Ward,

In our bishopric meeting last Sunday, Brother Coltrin shared a spiritual thought connecting the miracle of Elisha recovering the lost ax head from the water to modern experiences of finding lost items, like car keys or a wallet, through prayer.

This message sparked a memory that I haven't thought about for some time.

When I was serving as a missionary in the Lages Zone in Brazil, my companion was the zone leader. At the time, we distributed the living allowance to the other missionaries in cash during our zone and district meetings. Because we had a very large zone, both my companion and I had bank cards.  We'd go to the bank and withdraw cash using both cards, and distribute it to the missionaries.  Budgets were always tight.  I remember more than once paying the last money for the bus fair to get to our district meeting, knowing I'd get back to my area because I'd receive that allowance at the meeting.

Two days before our next zone conference, I realized that I'd lost my day planner, which had the bank card.  My immediate thought was to pray for help to find it, but almost as fast I thought "I'm not a child anymore, I'm an adult now. I can find it on my own."  I told my companion, and together we retraced our steps, including going back to the bank and asking the bank employees if my day planner had been found.  We searched high and low, revisiting everyone we'd stopped by or taught, but we could not find it.

The day of the zone meeting, an awful dread set in for me.  We wouldn't be able to give the missionaries their disbursement.  My companion suggested we should go to the bank at lunch so we could at least have half of what the missionaries needed.  As we were leaving the church I finally broke down and said, "Elder, let's pray for help."  We slipped into an empty classroom and said a quick prayer and asked God to help us.  I added a prayerful apology for my stubbornness.

At the bank, as my companion was withdrawing funds from the ATM, someone tapped me on the shoulder, showed me my missing day planner, and asked if I had lost it!  A small miracle that confirmed my faith in God, made all the more certain because I had gone two days firmly attempting to do it on my own.  He honored my request to do it myself, but quickly forgave and helped me when I was humble and asked for His help.

When His disciples asked who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, "Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2-4)

I learned a valuable lesson that day, that I still re-learn from time to time.  The Savior's invitation to become as a little child reminds me of King Benjamin's plea to "put off the natural man and [become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and [become] as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)

Simple faith does not mean weak faith.  Believing that God can help us even in the smallest of things, and seeing those as tender mercies, even miracles, rather than coincidences, can affirm and strengthen our faith.  Let's each try to be more Christ-like by being more child-like, in our reliance and trust in God: unpretentious, whole-hearted, full of love, patient and humble.  God bless each of us to learn this and if needed, re-learn it again and again!

Love,

Bishop Price

• Sunday Youth Assignments

  • • July Chair Set-Up - Priest Quorum.  Please come at 8:30 a.m. to help set up chairs. August will be the Deacons Quorum.

    • July Greeters – Messengers of Hope and Gatherers of Light combined classes. August will be the Builders of Faith class.

• July Building Cleaning assignments

  • • July 25: Peterson, Poole, Poole, Price, Price, Ragsdale, Ranstrom, Roth, Sasser, Schlosser, Schrum, Shreeve

• We are creating a Ward Mission Plan video!  Bro. and Sis. Nelson (Larry and Sharon) are organizing this, and we are looking for about 70 ward members, adults, youth and children, to say a sentence each on camera, to help teach about our Ward Mission Plan and the simple ways to Love, Share and Invite all to come unto Christ.  Please accept their invitation to participate.

• July 19 - Ward Youth Fireside - 7:30 p.m. (note the later start time) at the Bishop's home.

• July 23 - Stake Humanitarian Workday - 10am-1pm at the Stake center. Child care provided. Projects for every age and skill!

• July 26 - Regional Single Adult Fireside (36+) - Meridian West Stake Center at 7pm.

• July 29 - Stake YM/YW 14+ Combined Activity - 7:00pm at the Stake Center

• September 9 - Summer Music Festival - For ALL YOUTH. 7:00 pm at Scentsy Commons & Amphitheater. A night for all youth in our stake to come together and be uplifted through music. 

• The Remember Him Area Initiative, which invites us all to focus on Becoming Lifelong Disciples of Jesus Christ, is featured on the Area website. All members are invited to:

  • • Share the Remember Him Video featured on the Area Website.

    • Invite families and individuals to visit the site and discuss the video message at home.

• Missionary Meals - We can invite the missionaries to dinner any day or night of the week; there is no longer the requirement to have a non-member present. Please reach out to our Ward Missionary Leader, Larry Nelson, if interested, and for further details and options. The missionaries will not be passing a calendar around, you will need to schedule directly with the missionaries. 

• Are you interested in being called as a Temple and Family History Worker with the assignment to work in the Family Search Center? Like a temple worker, this would be a weekly commitment, however each shift is only 2.5 hours. This is an extremely fulfilling calling and an opportunity for anyone to serve the Lord in a meaningful way.  Those who work at the center are witnesses to the miracles that happen there and the joy that the work brings into their lives.  Please reach out to a member of the bishopric if this is something you would like to discuss.

• "To allow for greater access to the words of the living prophets, printed copies of Church magazines are now available at no cost. These magazines include the Liahona, For the Strength of Youth, and Friend. This policy will eventually apply to every area of the Church.

  • • • Members can use their Church account to choose their preferred subscription(s) on a yearly basis at MagazineSubscriptions.ChurchofJesusChrist.org"

      • Please contact a member of the Bishopric, Relief Society Presidency, Elders Quorum Presidency, or your ministering sisters/brothers if you have any questions about this change or if you need assistance with subscribing for no-cost print magazines.

• For temple recommend interviews with the Bishopric and other meetings with the Bishop, please call or text David Swenson at (208) 447-8903.

• All temple recommend interviews with the Stake Presidency must be scheduled ahead of time. There are no walk-in appointments at this time.  For recommend renewal interviews, please visit https://calendly .com/minorth/temple to see available times and schedule an interview with the stake presidency.

Worldwide Church Events

The following link will take you to the church website with a list of all the upcoming and recent church events

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/events/