Bible Teachers 5K

by   August 20, 2026 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Bible Teacher’s 5K and more

   I caught up with Lynn Furr, treasurer for the South Rowan Bible Teachers Association and race director of the Fifth Annual Run for the Word 5K and Fun Run, set for Landis on September 12th. She said, “Our association has only one purpose, to fund Bible teachers for those schools in the South Rowan area who want one. Currently we are supporting three teachers who work in five schools, teaching the history of the Holy Bible and with a great following. More schools have inquired about teachers.”

   Furr continued, “If you agree that it is important to teach the Bible in schools, please support our 5K and Fun Run. We are going to have a great time on race day. Since Rowan County has so many runners and almost everyone can be walkers, we’d be super happy to have you run or walk the race. The course is flat, without a real hill and has had fast times and many PR’s. Regardless of that, this is the perfect time to walk your first ever 5K or even run your first. All ages can enter the half mile fun run. There is no pressure to complete the course by a certain time. We want all participants to have fun, whether they are chasing a personal record, or doing the event for the first time or specifically to support the Bible teacher program.”

    The event also has openings for virtual runners, those who don’t actually come to run or walk, but they want to get the shirt and support the event. SRBTA loves virtual runners! Virtual runners already sign up for other races, all the while knowing that they can’t attend. Furr said, “I am fully in charge of commemorative race shirts, and you better believe that any virtual runner will be appreciated and will get their requested shirt size.”

   The race needs volunteers! To start with, the 31 course monitors who will point the runners in the right direction and help with traffic. The Town of Landis is a major partner for the race and will handle street closings, but volunteers are important too.

   Furr said, “We will have some fun with Andy and Barney of Andy Griffith show fame. Every runner, walker and volunteer will receive ice cream after the race, and we’ve got great overall and age group awards from the Trophy House and I’m working on door prizes. Through our fundraisers, we need to raise about $225,000 annually to keep Bible teachers in our schools. And we can still add sponsors and donations are accepted anytime, so please call or text me at 704-724-2819.”

     Also don’t forget SRR’s annual Prediction Run 5K on August 29th. Free to all SRR members, you can become one by joining for $30 before race day at runsignup.com or at the event. Great prizes, including two new pairs of running shoes, one for the winner and another as a door prize, and much more will highlight the event.

     And finally, I have decided to get back on the bike for a summer trip. As many of you know, I broke my back in a farming accident in May 2024. It took many months of prayers and Dr. Eline and Novant Health’s work to put my back together again. A trip was planned for 2024, a longer trip than this one will be. I didn’t get to take it, but I answer questions constantly about those magical bicycle rides around our great country since 2013. All 50 states have been visited by my bike on solo trips, most of them multiple times.

       There were several things on my checklist to do again after the broken back. One was the May 2025’s Special Olympics Torch Run and another was the team run across 178 miles of Nevada and California mountains. Both of those were completed successfully, so now I want to add another ride.

       I plan to drive to Machens, Missouri and ride largely on the Katy Trail from Machens to Clinton on the most famous and longest rail trail in the country. I have been hearing about the Katy Trail since I began riding when one rider who was also going cross country, left the Transamerica route to ride the Katy. The Katy has three larger towns and numerous small ones, some with no services. The Missouri River, the only major river that I have only crossed but never seen much of, will be the highlight. I do love the big rivers! The course is loaded with history, at least one that is a big mystery with a Salisbury connection. I’m hoping for about 550-600 miles total.

     The Post will again be covering my journey, and it wouldn’t seem right to do it any other way. Post readers have ridden along through the highs and lows of three cross country trips and just about every major route north and south, even all the way to Alaska. It will be my pleasure to ride with you again!

    Look for the Run for the Word 5K and Fun Run and the Prediction Run, and many more, at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Gotta’ Run: Bible Teacher’s 5K and more

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Waiting

by   August 19, 2026 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

This is my gardening bench, patiently waiting for Spring. Pots are ready. Dirt is on standby. Spades long to be picked up and used for good. Nearby chairs rock slightly with the winter wind. Even though the sun is shining, the calendar reports that it’s only February. Wait we must.

I could force the issue. My indoor starter plants beg to keep my potting table company. Roots of sweet potato vines and Wandering Jew would feel much more at home in dirt than in the bottles of water on my windowsill. Sunshine can be a deceptive friend. She calls out, “Come! Why wait? Let’s take charge of this day!”

Experience warns that sooner is not always better.

So we wait.

And pray.

Lord, please fill these hands… these pews… these hearts… this table… my empty bed… my life… this crib.

The hope we once had disappears behind the dark cloud of disappointment. And we continue to wait. And pray.

“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”*

Then one day, winter becomes a distant memory.

“I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends. His mercies never cease.” **

Dear sweet Lord of heaven and earth, please strengthen us in the waiting. Help us give You glory, knowing You love us and care about our lives. You have given us the desires that wait in our hearts. You’ve told us to ask and never give up.*** Thy will be done. We love and trust You ever more.

*Mark9:24

**Lamentations3:20-22

***Luke18:1

Initiation!!!

by   August 18, 2026 with No Comments

In the Boy Scouts I was initiated and I was a part of many boys’ initiation. But this one… this one… is hard to beat. Steve Hartman shares a great story of a high school initiation that will grab you!

Learning by Example

by   August 16, 2026 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Summer may be for leisure, but this summer I did a lot of learning in the form of a small teacher – my elementary-aged daughter. It was a summer of indirectly teaching and inspiring others by just being herself.

The first observation came at the end of a vacation Bible school (VBS). As a homeschooler, she has learned to express gratitude to other teachers leading various events and learning opportunities. During a VBS at a friend’s church, she wanted to make a thank-you for volunteers who led her group. Her friend caught the excitement, and together they managed to get all the children in their group to sign a card the two of them made. Shared gratitude is a thing of beauty.

Later in the summer, she attended a week-long Christian camp that encourages memorizing several Bible verses, ready to recite on the first day of camp. They are rewarded with fun prizes and points for their teams. Needless to say, it can spur a little bit of competition for those who choose to participate. Last year, she became both the youngest and the first camper that week to complete the challenge. This year, we learned that other young girls were inspired by her determination to try, and they, too, worked hard over the summer to complete their challenges.

Even her use of idle time became fruitful inspiration. While at camp, she learned to make a simple craft using yarn and pony beads. They made so many fun creations, and upon returning home, her first request was for more supplies to make them. She spent an entire waking day making numerous creatures that she later shared with friends at the park. One of those friends had just moved back to the area, her home still filled with many unpacked boxes. Her mother sent me a text later that day with photos of beaded yarn creatures she had made after scouring the moving boxes for her craft supplies.

Nothing she has done has really been extraordinary. They are just things that have been noticed. They have been noticed because of in-person relationships, conversations, and presence. She is not worried about a social media image or branding herself. She is inspiring simply by sharing good things with people she already knows.

What are people learning from me as I live and share my life with them in person? I wonder if I have ever told those friends who have indirectly taught me just how they have impacted my thoughts and behaviors, the way I express gratitude, or even challenged me towards being artistic or productive with my idle time. Today may be a good day to let a friend know just how they have impacted you and your way of living and enjoying life.

Skunks and Missionaries

by   August 15, 2026 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Skunks and Missionaries

            We were out late the other evening, but we had our dinner planned and quickly worked to get it on the table once we got home. I got the grill hot while my wife got the chicken ready. The chicken was cooking nicely while I was leaning up against the door jamb at the garage. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little face a few inches from my leg. An animal was sitting under a plant, but I couldn’t really see it very well. I said, “Hello baby, how are you?” My voice scared the little critter. I thought it was a cat. I looked closer and decided the head was too small to be a cat. I briefly thought it was a possum looking for a nice place to sleep in the garage.          

            I realized it was a wild animal and I needed to be careful. I quickly stepped into the garage and slammed the door. It was at the moment that I wondered if the critter might be a skunk. There have been skunks in our neighborhood recently. That thought sent me running for a flashlight. When I got back and eased the door open I got a little whiff of the air. The critter left a little scent behind for me to enjoy…it was just a little puff…a skunk sent.

            I had dinner on the grill that needed attention but I didn’t want to get a skunk shower! He must have wandered away when I went to get the flashlight. The trouble is it left me hyped up. I didn’t relax until I was safely inside with our food. It took a little bit to quiet down.

            I want to ask God why He created skunks. I guess that goes for mosquitos, ticks, flies, mice, and a whole bunch of other critters. Some are meant for food for other animals but who would want to eat a skunk? I am sure that there is a purpose for all God’s creatures. It’s a lot like us. God has a purpose for each one of us. We weren’t made by accident. He created us with things for each one of us to do. Our job is to figure that out and to fulfill our purpose.

            I had lunch with a missionary the other day. He shared about life on the front lines and what his family was doing in order to share the gospel. It was interesting to listen to the daily challenges they face and how his team has to operate in the country. I asked my missionary friend about his dreams and ways he could expand his efforts in reaching out to the people. I was excited by his ideas and hopes.

            My friend will soon be returning to the missionary field and the work that God has called him to do there. I was thinking about our conversation on the way home. Each of us has a calling on our lives. We may not be called to the missionary field or to be a pastor, but we have a calling to do what God created us to do.

            Think about it. Would you like to attend your church if no one bothered to cut the grass? Would you like to use a dirty bathroom? What would happen if no one paid the church bills? It would be quite uncomfortable in our church buildings without heat and air conditioning. I have visited a church where no one greeted or welcomed me. I did not return. Imagine the chaos if we didn’t have elders or deacons in our churches. Can you imagine Sunday school without teachers? Every job makes a difference in our churches and no job is unimportant. God expects us to step up and do our part in making His church work. From the cleaners to the elders, we are all needed.

            I want to encourage you to consider what you are doing to help at your church. Every person is important to fulfilling the mission your church has been assigned in your community. Missionaries and evangelists help to win the lost, but once people are saved, they need pastors and teachers to help them grow and find their place in the body of Christ. From members of the choir to those who work with the children, God needs us all. Have you thanked those who quietly work behind the scenes to pay the bills and do the cleaning? Have you discovered your gifts and talents and found a way you can make a difference at your church? If God has a purpose for skunks, He has a purpose for you, too!   

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

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