We are entering into the season of reflection. Many of us see Lent as a season of penance, a time to give something up. But I believe this season is a time to add something to our lives that makes us more like Jesus. The best way of being like Jesus is doing what he calls us to do. The letter following shares just one way that happens in the Upper Midwest Conference of the Global Methodist Church.
Belle Fouche is located just north of the Black Hills of South Dakota and Derek Baum is the lead pastor at Aldersgate Methodist Church in Aberdeen South Dakota. The Lord is good, and his goodness is manifest in his people. Enjoy this testimony.
The Power of Prayer and Our Connection
February 14, 2026
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18
Right after Christmas, the Belle Fourche GMC started having problems with the heating system. A heating company came and discovered large leaks in a couple of the pipes that run through the crawl space under the church. Our prayer teams began praying for the workers and the repairs.
Our district clergy group meets via Zoom, and I shared with my clergy friends who prayed for us. The repair process became complicated. Parts of the church would get heat, but not everywhere. Thankfully, we never had to cancel a worship service! Though we did encourage folks to bundle up, just in case! The church offices went without central heat for over 3 weeks. The church, the prayer teams, and the district pastors kept praying.
In the midst of this, I received an email from James Parks, our conference superintendent, asking me if there was anything that he and Ross Reinhiller could lift up in prayer for us. I told James about the heating problems.
God responded to all our prayers! The mild winter transformed into a normal January deep freeze, but the church stayed warm enough that no pipes froze! We thought our problems were behind us. But alas, not yet. The following week one of the old boilers went, “kaput, kaput!” As a member of the trustees related this news to me, I received a text message from Derek Baum, saying his congregation wants to help us by sending a generous gift to help cover the cost of the initial repairs. Those bills and their gift arrived the same week.
Thank you, Lord for answering our prayers in such a beautiful and powerful way!
We are giving thanks to the Lord for our generous and caring district friends. This was a very powerful experience of being part of the Upper Midwest GMC!
