The Laurel
The world changed in February 44 BC. The Roman general Julius Caesar was declared dictator perpetuo (dictator for life). Moving forward, the Caesars would rule the world. Not only did Julius Caesar become the absolute ruler of the Romans, but he also made claims about …
We Want Your Feedback!
The first issue of the Spark Magazine was released in September 2022, and at the beginning of 2025, the Spark Tank was formed to help produce the magazine and craft a vision and mission statement. The Mission Statement:The Spark Magazine exists to inform, inspire, & …
Meet Schweitzer’s First Resident: Dillon Gregg
“I’m Dillon Gregg, and I’m from Smith Valley, Nevada. I applied to the residency program to understand how to be a leader in the church. The residency program will help me decide my next steps in life. I’m looking forward to meeting many new people …
Stepping Into The Gap
Creating a Residency Program at Schweitzer Church A recurring pattern in Scripture is the godly—or sometimes not—development of leaders, or disciples. Moses leads God’s people out of Egypt, and along the way Joshua begins to work and learn, and thus is trained to take on …
Tending Over Mending
They are newly married, barely past the honeymoon stage, when life presents its first great responsibility: a newborn son. Ashton works full-time and picks up every shift he can, determined to pay the bills and keep the pantry stocked. Taelyn stays home with the baby, …
Celebrating One Year of Faith, Community, and Grace at the Garden Community Church
One year ago, Schweitzer took a bold step of faith to launch a new church plant to reach deeper into an overlooked part of our community. What began as a God-given vision officially reached its first anniversary at the beginning of September. This milestone is …
Planting What We May Never See
There is something wonderfully hopeful about planting a tree—not a tree already tall enough to cast shade, but a seedling—something small enough to hold in your hand, yet carrying within it the possibility of centuries. Lately, I’ve been thinking about oak seedlings and what they ask …
Branching Out Across Borders
When I first learned about the SWELL (Schweitzer Welcomes English Language Learners) class, I said emphatically, “Count me in!” without even knowing the details. First of all, I love working with people from other countries, and I knew the two people talking about the classes …
To Everything There Is a Season
On Sunday, September 13, Pastor Spencer announced that I would be entering a new season of ministry. As of January 1, 2027, I will move to part-time status, and my new title will be Senior Associate Pastor. (I’m still trying to discern if the title …
Introducing the New Discipleship & Care Ministry
As Pastor Sheila transitions into her new role, other changes are coming to the Schweitzer staff. For a while now, the Adult Discipleship ministry has focused primarily on offering groups, classes, and other experiences, while the Congregational Care Ministry has focused on providing targeted care, …
Staying Connected to Faith and the Church After High School
Norah Rowlett I attend Southwest Baptist University, which, luckily for me, is a Christian college. I recently joined something called D-groups to help me stay connected to my faith and build consistency. D-groups are groups of four people who meet weekly to discuss scripture and …
Jesus in The Old Testament [Part 3]
The Son Not Yet Seen Abraham and Isaac’s story is a masterpiece in foreshadowing Jesus. Here, the painlessly symbolic previews the brutally real. It confirms sin’s ruthlessness: only innocent blood can pay its demands. We learn that our righteousness is not found in what we …
The Power of Prayer: Arms Open Wide
I desperately prayed for relief from a specific immovable problem. When I say prayed, I mean I begged for a breakthrough, resisting the failure on my horizon. I could not and would not fail. This situation had me so undone that I couldn’t go on, …
