Neal Pollard
A church that has been around for nearly fifty years accumulates a lot of history and experiences. In that span of time, no doubt a few will have asserted that the Bear Valley church of Christ has not always been as warm and friendly as they should. In fact, that charge has been leveled at probably every church by someone at one time or another. Because of the strong doctrinal stand of this congregation over the decades, some have accused us of being unloving. Yet, after three and a half years serving as your preacher, I have to say that I have never known a more loving church. I make this claim based on three biblical truths.
You Are A Loving Church Because Of Your Giving. In recent weeks, both elders and missions committee members have repeated the same thing. This church’s generosity is unbounded. The elders presented an ambitious increase in the weekly budget and you have exceeded it. The missions committee proposed an astronomical figure on Missions Sunday and you met it! The end of year freewill contribution to our missionaries was the largest in history. This has come despite a financial crisis unknown in our times, with many of our own having been laid off and out of a job. How does one explain this? As with the churches of Macedonia, your liberal giving is proof of your love (cf. 2 Cor. 8:24).
You Are A Loving Church Because Of Your Deeds. On almost a daily basis, I hear of your benevolent acts toward the needy, your inviting neighbors and co-workers to church services or otherwise sharing the gospel, or some deed of kindness you have done for another member. The visits, the rides to doctor appointments, the calls, the cards, and other tangible actions testify of your love. I literally do not dare to try and list specifics, as you overflow with such deeds. Truly, as John said, this is love. He urged, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Your tongue is often filled with loving words, but you back it up with your deeds.
You Are A Loving Church Because Of Your Support Of Gospel Preaching. It is true that the clearest, largest example of this is your commitment to the school of preaching that is 44 years in duration and continuing. You have send sound, caring men into the fields for over four decades and heaven will be populated with people taught by our graduates. You are doing the same with the work of the extension program. But, as a preacher, I know your love firsthand. Not every sermon I preach is feel-good and positive. I have to preach difficult topics, those unpopular even among some claiming to be members of the Lord’s church. You are kind and complimentary of even such sermons. You have made our family feel so much a part of this church family. I am grateful and do not even have to ask why. I know why. You are a loving church (cf. 3 John 5-8).
It is a daily pleasure to preach for a loving church. As we face the challenges, trials, and opportunities of tomorrow, may we resolve to grow more loving each day. If we are always motivated to love God truly and first of all, we will be known far and wide as “that loving church.”
The Preacher Pollard Blog 
I am thankful for the Bear Valley congregation. The people of Bear Valley had a direct role in the salvation of my dad, and therefore in my salvation.
What does it take for a group of teenagers to walk up to a strange house, knock on the door, and ask if they can sign the kids in the household up for the Joy Bus? What does it take for a mother to keep an eye on a bunch of rowdy “bus kids” during worship, in addition to her own children? What does it take for the people of a congregation to, for years, follow up with a family who desperately needs the TRUE gospel? It takes love. And Bear Valley has that.
So thank YOU, Bear Valley for your strong doctrinal stand. Thank YOU for refusing to compromise God’s Word. Thank YOU, whoever you teenagers were, for knocking on a door in the name of Jesus that day. I will always love Bear Valley and I can’t even put into words how grateful I am that you taught my dad and showed him God’s love. He is a Christian, and a preacher of the Gospel, today because you allowed God to use you for that purpose.