Summer is Sweeter with Syrup
A Sabbatical for Pastor Craig
The big event for the summer was a sabbatical for Pastor Craig and his family. We missed the Harris family dearly, but it was an opportunity for other leaders in our church to serve in new ways. Early on, it was clear to how blessed we are. God has filled our church with many talents and abilities. When we had a need, someone always stepped up. It never felt like we were divided or lacked vision. This is a testament to both God’s care for his flock and how Pastor Craig made it a habit to empower new leaders. It was a good test for us and I am happy to report good fruit while our pastor was away.
I was able to lead our volunteer teams every Sunday morning in setup, tear down and serving in the service. Our elders took turns in the pulpit preaching on the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew. The elders and deacons cared for those in need and for our building. God blessed our worship services each and every Sunday. As I reflect now on this time, it is obvious God was in all and through all (Ephesians 4:6).
Support Update
Because of your support, I was able to invest my time serving the church while Pastor Craig was away for the summer. Thank you to all who have given to support our work in Yakima, Washington. We are blessed by your care and provision for our family.
Our support has averaged $3,065 per month in 2026. This is short of our goal of $3,300. Our one time gifts have been covering the difference but our reserve fund has run low so the Saint Andrew’s elders have ask me to raise more support. I invite you to consider becoming a monthly financial partner with us or giving a one time gift. Our work in Yakima is exclusively funded by many generous supporters. Your gifts enable us to lead outreach efforts in Yakima and serve at Saint Andrew’s.
If you would like to give to support our work in Yakima, visit https://www.saintandrewsyakima.org/give to give online. Scroll down and “Click Here to Give.” In the popup click “General” and select “Jesse Babcock” in the drop down menu. This step is important and will designate your donation to go to us, instead of the church’s general fund. To give by check, mail your check to Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian (225 N. 2nd Street Yakima, WA 98901) and include a note with my name.
Men’s Breakfasts
Over the summer, we tried a few Saturday morning men’s breakfasts for Saint Andrew’s. These were wildly successful at getting men in our congregation to connect, often for the first time. I lead in the kitchen. John and Winchester helped too. One thing that is unique about our church is we have so many young children. So, of course, all the young sons were invited too! It was wonderful to hear conversations between young and old.
One of Saint Andrew’s goals for 2026, was to see 50 new families visit our church for the first time. We have almost reached our goal already! Some of these families visited once, while others have stayed. The men’s breakfasts have proven to be an easy way for new guys to connect.
Trail Life
We are preparing to launch our second year of Trail Life on September 3rd. Our leadership team learned a lot during our first year and we are excited to start our second year working together. I serve as the chaplain for our troop. My job is to lead a devotion every troop meeting and help the boys develop spiritual maturity on their way to the ‘Worthy Life Award’ which is the highest honor for a trailmen.
- Please pray for wisdom for the Trail Life committee.
- Ask God to challenge dads to participate with their sons and walk with them as they grow into young men.
Babcock Website
Rosebud and I are happy to announce that we have launched a website to host our newsletter! You can visit it at https://babcockfamilynewsletter.com/. There are lots of other fun things there as well like recipes, our family history and pictures of our boys. You can even read the latest notes from my seminary class, The Theology of God and Creation, if you are interested. The website is still a work in progress, so let me know if you see any bugs. But I am confident it is ready enough to share with the world. We hope you enjoy it!
Join Us in Prayer
- Praise God for providing for our needs! As we were reminded recently in Matthew 6:32, God knows what we need and gives generously.
- Ask God to bless the launch of Trail Life in September
- Ask God to give Jesse wisdom as he leads the Outreach Committee and considers outreach events for the fall and winter.
- Praise God for our boys. They are learning and exploring so much! Our little men are a blessing from God.
- Ask God to help Winchester learn to express himself clearly so everyone can understand the many words he tries to say!
In Christ,
Jesse and Rosebud Babcock
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