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Byron Bergen

Byron Presbyterian Church Sunday Service On-line

By James Renfrew

The Byron Presbyterian Church has cancelled Sunday services and all other activities in the church building until furth notice due to the Covid-19 virus.  However, the Sunday services will be on line through Zoom Conferencing beginning at 9:30 AM.  To access the service by telephone please call 1-929-205-6099, then give the Meeting ID# as 773-728-758.  Any questions, please call 548-2800. The building may be closed, but our ministry of love, care and generosity continues!  

 

 

THE HARLEM WIZARDS ARE COMING TO ELBA CENTRAL SCHOOL

By Tracy Byrnes

The Harlem Wizards are coming to Elba Central School Tuesday, October 14th, at 6:30pm to play in a Stan Sherwood Memorial Game sponsored by Post Dairy Farms, Eugene Bezon Farms and Mugs and More. The Wizards will take on the Sherwood Shooters, a home team featuring Genesee Region teachers, coaches, principals, pastors, family and friends! The evening promises to be a fun filled event that is great for kids and adults and it will guarantee to put a smile on your face! This event is hosted by Batavia Assembly of God Church.

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United National Day of Prayer

By Tracy Byrnes

WHOM WILL YOU CHOOSE TO SERVE?
   The bible tells us in the book of Joshua about a man who led the tribes of Israel into the land of Canaan, the land God had promised their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob they would inherit. (Gen 12:1-3; Exodus 6:2-8) Joshua was a faithful leader who loved God, prayed to God, and was obedient to the instruction God gave him for the people. These are the words Joshua spoke to the Israelites in his final hours, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

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What is a Christian? An example to follow!

By Tracy Byrnes

I am a Christian was the title of a recent sermon I heard that got my attention. What exactly is a Christian? A Christian is a person who believes with their heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins. It is a person who confesses their sin to God in prayer and asks for His forgiveness (Romans 10:9-10). It is a person who desires to live a life pleasing to God. It is a person who denies himself to become a follower of Christ (Luke 9:23). What does it mean to become a follower of Christ?

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3rd Annual Prayer Conference

By Tracy Byrnes

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE...Batavia Assembly of God Church is hosting its 3rd Annual Prayer Conference Friday, Sept. 13th, 6:00pm to 9:00pm (registration is from 6pm - 7pm) and Saturday, Sept. 14th, 8:00am to 4pm. The theme for the conference is "Presence, Prayer, and the Power of God". The keynote speaker will be Dick LaFountain. Dick is an accomplished  speaker and a published author of the book, "Time Alone With God". His passion is to motivate a renewed love for prayer and the presence of God in our churches. Workshops will also be available.

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Do you need to be rescued?

By Tracy Byrnes

Do you need to be rescued?

Life stinks sometimes, even for a skunk! Last summer I discovered that we had five baby skunks living under our front porch without a mother. It was a puzzling situation…I did not know what to do because of the mighty punch that they pack! After a few hours of observing them, I decided they needed help, so I became their rescuer. They were not going to make it without the intercession of another, so I was it. Each day I would feed them and give them water, and I would just sit and observe their interaction with each other. What I witnessed would often bring a smile on my face or a tear to my eyes. One day while I was walking in the backyard, I looked over and saw that two of the babies had fallen into the garden pond. They were desperate and were struggling to get out. I had to reach down and rescue them from drowning. You can only imagine my apprehension of picking them out of the water. I did it, only after a quick prayer to their creator asking Him to keep their tails lowered. He answered that prayer and they were saved with no consequence to me, which put a smile on my face! Thank you Lord!

Another day while sitting on my front porch the babies were in a heap sleeping on the sidewalk. It was feeding time so I opened the front door and watched all the babies but one come over to me to be fed. That one baby skunk was gone. What I witnessed from the others brought tears to my eyes. They kept nudging that little still skunk as if to say, “come on, it’s time to eat…wake up”. They pushed and pulled on that baby skunk until he was safely under the front porch. They took him home where he could be close to them. Life does stink sometimes, even for a skunk!

Do you ever feel like your drowning in sorrow and lifes hardships?  Do you ever feel like you need to be rescued? Let me tell you of life’s greatest rescuer, His name if Jesus Christ. He came from heaven to earth so that those who call on Him as their savior may find hope, and one day be taken home to heaven to be eternally with Him (Romans 6:23). He rescued us by coming and dying on the cross at Calvary so that we may have our sins forgiven (Romans 5:8). How can He rescue you? Say a prayer asking Him to forgive you of all your sins, and ask Him to help you to live a life that is pleasing to Him. He will rescue you if call on Him (Romans 10:9-10).

Yes, life stinks “sometimes”, even for a Christian. But, when you decide to follow Him and make Him Lord of your life, He will work all things out for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). He promises to be with you and will never forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

We are in the Easter season, a time to reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Allow Him to be your rescuer and become Lord of your life. Allow Him to forgive you and help you. Call out to Him in prayer and He will answer you. He will reach down and pick you up, He will intercede for you (Hebrew 7:25).

I was the baby skunks rescuer until they were mature enough to be safely transported to their new home called the woods. Jesus Christ became my rescuer thirty four years ago when I asked Him to forgive me and come into my life. I know He will come one day to safely take me home to be with Him forever, my eternal home called heaven (John 14:3).

If you would like someone to pray with you, please call Batavia Assembly of God at 343-8521. We would also like to invite you to a week of prayer April 22nd through the 28th beginning at 6pm to 7:30pm at the church located at 24 North Spruce Street, Batavia. You may also come for prayer any Sunday morning beginning at 8:30am. Someone would be glad to pray for you at anytime.

May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

Tracy Byrnes
Prayer Coordinator
Batavia Assembly of God

TVYLFSL softball tourney benefits Crossroads House

By Rick Franclemont

On Saturday the Tonawanda Valley Youth Ladies Fastpitch Softball League (TVYLFSL) hosted a Junior Division small ball softball tournament to benefit Crossroads House.

Four teams of 10-12-year-old girls participated, representing Batavia, Le Roy and Byron-Bergen.

Participants and their families were asked to bring donations from the Crossroad House wish list.

http://www.crossroadshouse.com/

"Crossroads House is a comfort care home for those who have a terminal illness and have been medically determined to be in the last three months of life. Crossroads House is an alternative to a hospital or nursing home when care can no longer be provided in the patient's own home."

Le Roy 2 coached by Micky Hyde won the tournament. Tied in points going into the last game with Le Roy 1, Hyde's team scored a run in the last inning to pull off the win.

More pictures from the games can be found here.

Byron-Bergen second-grader is a finalist for 'American Miss'

By Daniel Crofts

When Dee dee Hintz got a phone call from someone saying that her 7-year-old granddaughter, Angelique "Angel" Heick (pictured), had been recommended by an anonymous source for the National American Miss pageant, she was a little leery.

At first, she thought this was like the controversial TV reality series "Toddlers & Tiaras" or a similar type of dolled up pre-teen fashion shows. But it turned out to be exactly the opposite.

"The first thing that got me was the no-makeup rule," Hintz said. "(The contestants) aren't allowed to wear makeup or hairpieces. It's not about how they look or how they're dressed -- it's about who they are."

National American Miss is an annual contest designed to develop confidence, independence, poise and community involvement in young girls. It is open to girls ages 4 to 18 and is divided into five different pageants, each for a specific age group.

Heick -- a top-performing second-grader at Byron-Bergen Elementary School, a three-year Girl Scout and a four-year soccer player with Gillam-Grant -- will take part in the New York Junior Pre-Teen pageant from Aug. 23-25 at the Hyatt Regency in Rochester. She will be competing with girls from all over Western and Central New York for the title of Miss New York.

Among other things, the requirements for her age group include writing an essay, submitting report cards (Hintz said the grades don't officially count, but are taken into consideration) and writing a résumé.

As part of an optional talent portion, Heick is also going to perform in a commercial for the young girls clothing retailer "Justice."

Once on stage, the girls will introduce themselves to a large crowd of people and be interviewed by the pageant judges, answering questions such as what they want to be when they grow up, why they want to represent their state in this pageant, etc.

Contestants are judged in four categories:

  • Formal Wear (30%)
  • Personal Introduction (30%)
  • Interview (30%)
  • Community Involvement (10%)

For the "community involvement" component, Heick is donating 12 toys for each month of the year to Community Action of Orleans and Genesee. Each set of 12 toys will go to six boys and six girls.

She said she is buying these toys with the money she earns by "doing jobs" around the house.

If she wins the title, she will be given a paid trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., where she will compete in the nationals. In the meantime, she will also have the opportunity to meet Governor Andrew Cuomo, be an honored speaker at the state fair, and crown her successor at next year's pageant.

More importantly, she wants to use the influence she will have as Miss New York for the good of others.

"If I win the title, I want to educate parents and children about the dangers of bullying," Heick said.

That goal is consistent with Heick's compassionate character, which her grandmother had a lot to say about.

Hintz and her husband are raising Heick and her three siblings in Bergen. She said that compassion is Heick's top quality.

As an example, she mentioned the fact that Heick found a wounded frog in January and brought it home, where the family took care of it and fed it until it got better. In March, they let it go free.

"She's also a great big sister," Hintz said, pointing out that she reacts with patience whenever her younger sister steals her things (which is all the time).

She also feels very deeply for the victims of bullying and violence, even if she only knows about them from the media.

With her positive, upbeat attitude and personal strength, Heick has also been recognized as a leader among her peers.

"Every day she teaches me so much," Hintz said. "I want her to get where she wants to go. She has goals, works at them, and somehow accomplishes them."

Heick said her ultimate career goal is to become a cardiac neonatal surgeon.

"I want to help little babies and work on their hearts, "she said.

With three months to go, Heick still needs local sponsors.

So far, she has been sponsored by Genesee Patrons Cooperative Insurance Company, Computer and Phone Repair, Marchese Computer Products, Urban Preschool, and Intelligent Choice of WNY (Hintz's business). She needs to raise $220 more in sponsorship fees, so any help will be greatly appreciated.

Heick is also participating in an advertising contest. If she gets eight pages of advertising for the pageant program, she will win a $1,500 scholarship for college.

Anyone interested in sponsoring and/or advertising with Heick should email angel@angeliqueheick.com.

For more information, visit Heick's Web site: www.angeliqueheick.com. For more details on National American Miss, go to the FAQs page on the program's Web site.

Two local students earn degrees from SUNY Oswego

By Billie Owens

Two local residents completed their baccalaureate studies this year at SUNY Oswego.

They participated in ceremonies May 12 for the college's 151st Commencement:

Christopher M. Dougherty, of Clinton Street Road in Bergen (Graphic Design)

Heather L. Currier, of Walkers Corner Road in Byron (Studio Art)

Admission to SUNY Oswego is competitive. U.S. News named it among the "Top Public Regional Universities in the North" for 2012, the Princeton Review and USA Today named SUNY Oswego to their 2012 list of 150 "best value" colleges and universities in the nation, and the Princeton Review included Oswego in its 2012 college guidebook "The Best Northeastern Colleges."

A 151-year-old comprehensive college in the State University of New York system, Oswego enrolls more than 8,000 students in its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; School of Business; School of Communication, Media and the Arts; and School of Education.

National Day Of Prayer

By Tracy Byrnes

        PRAYER...AMERICA'S HOPE

THURSDAY, MAY 6TH

Millions of Americans will unite in prayer at thousands of events from coast to coast to observe the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 6th. The theme for this year is “Prayer for Such a Time as This” and is based on the verse from Nahum 1:7 which states: “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.”

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