First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte
P.O. Box 170, Eagle Butte, SD 57625
(605) 964-3617 (Office) / (502) 216-3782 (Pastor’s Cell)
March 6, 2024
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Eagle Butte, South Dakota! Here at First Baptist Church, we have weathered a most unusual winter. Much of it was mild (around freezing, or even somewhat warmer). But several weeks ago, the most incredible cold snap blew through! How cold was it? So cold that hitchhikers were holding up pictures of thumbs. So cold the dogs started wearing cats. So cold I chipped a tooth on my soup; that’s how cold it was!
But seriously: It was so cold that the tribe ordered everyone to stay in town. They said that if we left town, and our car stopped working, we would die. And if an ambulance was sent to get us, they would die. So it was simpler to order everyone to stay in their homes.
It was so cold that our church was forced to close its doors for one weekend. Fortunately, we were prepared for this, and broadcasted our service over Facebook Live.
It was so cold that one evening, the wind chill brought the temperature all the way down to negative sixty-seven degrees. That’s even colder than the planet Mars!
But this cold snap was short-lived. It gave way to a fog bank which lasted several days, and sometimes made it impossible to see things that were even 100 yards away.
But now all the craziness is over, and it seems we have returned to our mild winter once again.
Visitors from Afar Bless Our Community
For many years, First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte has had a tradition of feeding the community around Thanksgiving. It is a large meal, hosting between two and three hundred people. We could never do it on our own, so we are grateful for the help of Hamilton Baptist Church of Hamilton, VA. They bought a large quantity of food, and sent five volunteers who worked tirelessly for days.
On the day of the big event, our church was filled with guests. Volunteers from Windswept Academy Christian School helped serve the meal, and everyone was full of joy. The leftovers went to the local homeless shelter, and everyone went to bed happy. We are grateful to the people of Hamilton Baptist Church for their generosity of spirit, leading to this very happy occasion!
Girl’s Bible Study
I am humbled by the spiritual maturity of the men and women in the church I get to lead. Recently, with no prompting from me, two of the ladies of First Baptist Church approached me, requesting to use the church for a girl’s Bible study on Wednesday nights. These women were Beth McLeod and Tonya Thompson, and they were enthusiastic about creating an after-school Bible experience for the girls of Windswept Academy. Of course, when the Holy Spirit moves, I don’t want to get in His way, so I gave them the go-ahead.
On the first Wednesday evening, they had five girls present at the study. On every subsequent Wednesday night, there has been a consistent attendance of several girls. We provide dinner for them, and they all seem to go home happy. I praise God for letting such a great thing happen at this church!
An Abundant Giveaway
Whenever someone asks me if I can find a use for donated clothing, or dishes, or furniture, or toys, or whatever, I always say the same thing: “If you can get it here, we can get it into the hands of people who need it”. Generous men, women and churches from across the nation send us helpful items, and we in turn distribute them through giveaways. Our most recent giveaway featured clothes, toys, sheets, furniture and more! Nearly everything was picked up by people who needed it, and they were most grateful. What little remained was donated to the thrift store, where it can continue to bless the less fortunate for some time to come. Our thanks, and the thanks of this whole community, go out to our generous donors, who God used to make this possible!
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So perhaps you are wondering how you can become a partner with us in our ministry here in Eagle Butte? If so, we certainly welcome your assistance. Here is what we need the most:
Prayer. It may be true that our church is getting along very well at the moment, and that God is doing great things here. But it is precisely when a church is being used by God that Satan does all in his power to destroy it. So please pray, my brothers and sisters. Pray that our leadership will keep their hearts pure and humble, and that we will live at peace with each other. Pray that we will be protected from the power of the enemy, and that God’s Holy Spirit will shine through in our lives. Pray that the Lakotas in the community will come to know the Lord, and that the commitment they make will not be a superficial group of words, but a real change in their spirits that will alter the course of their lives for eternity.
E-mail addresses. For those of you who have e-mail addresses, please send them to me. That way, these newsletters can be forwarded to everyone in your church who wants one. Just send your name and e-mail address to me at benfarrar777@hotmail.com, and I’ll make sure you receive this newsletter as often as it comes out.
Financial Assistance. Our church is fortunate to have members who are generous in their giving. But some of our most generous members are, nevertheless, very poor. We have long been blessed with assistance from outside churches and individuals, and we try to use those gifts wisely and well. If any one of you wishes to bless the church with a financial gift, you may send it to:
First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte
P.O. Box 170
Eagle Butte, SD 57625
May God bless you all, and draw you closer to Himself each and every day.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Ben Farrar
Pastor
First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte
