September 25, 2026
Family,
I need to say this plainly: you are already in a battle.
Not a culture war. Not a personality clash. A spiritual war with real names attached to it—your faith, your marriage, your kids, your purity, your peace, the people you love who are still far from Jesus.
Some of you feel it every day. Your head is on a swivel. You are fighting for your faith while everyone else’s seems to be climbing. You are asking, “God, where are You?” You are tired. That is not weakness. That is awareness.
Here is the hope I want ringing in your chest before you walk in next Sunday: the outcome was decided at an empty tomb. The King has already won. And here is the honesty that keeps us from pretending: the fight is not over yet. Already victorious. Not yet finished. That is the ground we live on.
That is why we are beginning a new series on Sunday, October 4 called Battle Ready.
We are going to open God’s Word and learn how to stand—not run, not freeze, not play church. Stand. Truth. Righteousness. The gospel. Faith. Salvation. The Word of God. Prayer. This is not hype and it is not fear. This is a church refusing to sit in the stands while the enemy comes after the people Jesus died to save.
I am asking three things of you.
1. Be here Sunday, October 4.
Clear the calendar. Bring someone with you. If you have been drifting, this is a good Sunday to come home.
2. Bring your Bible.
We teach primarily from the New Living Translation. Don’t just hear a sermon. Open the Book. Follow along. Highlight. Underline. Write in the margins. Date the verses God uses to speak to you. We do not gather around a preacher’s opinions. We gather around the living, powerful, life-changing Word of God.
3. Come ready to take a next step.
A disciple is not somebody who has it all figured out. A disciple says, “This is my next step of obedience.” For some of you that step is Jesus. For some it is getting back in the Word. For some it is putting on the armor you have left in the closet. For some it is getting in the fight for someone else’s soul.
I believe God still wants to do more in this church than we have seen. I also believe the enemy does not roll over when God starts moving. So we will not be passive. We will clear the way. We will equip for battle. We will deploy for impact.
The war is won. The war is not over. Let’s get Battle Ready.
I love you. I am praying for you. I will see you Sunday.
In Christ,
Don
From Scrolls to Scripture
Have you ever held a Bible in your hands and wondered how it got there?
Where did these words come from? How did they survive centuries of copying, persecution, translation, and travel across languages and lands? And can we really trust that what we read today is what God intended His people to receive?
Those are good questions. Honest ones. And you don’t have to be a scholar to ask them.
I’m glad to invite you to From Scrolls to Scripture, a special three-week class led by Norman Conrad, Curator for American and Biblical Imprints at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. Norm has spent years working with rare Bibles, early printings, and the story of how Scripture has been preserved and passed down. He’s the kind of teacher who can take a subject that could feel distant and make it come alive—with stories, artifacts, and a deep respect for the Word we love.
Together we’ll walk the fascinating journey of Scripture: how God’s Word was written, carefully copied, preserved through generations, translated, and ultimately became the Bible we open today. We’ll talk about reliability—not as a debate to win, but as a reason to worship.
You don’t need to have all the answers. Just bring your questions and your curiosity. Everyone is welcome—longtime believers, new believers, seekers, students, and anyone who has ever wondered, “How did we get this Book?”
Wednesdays | September 30 – October 7 | 6:00 PM at Ringgold Church
I hope you’ll come. Not because you have to know everything about manuscripts and translations, but because the God who spoke these words also preserved them—and He still speaks through them today.
Pig Roast on October 4
There’s something special about gathering around a table together. Good food. Easy conversation. Kids running around. The kind of afternoon that reminds us we belong to one another.
I’d love for you to join us for a Family Pig Roast on Sunday, October 4, beginning at 4:00 PM at Ringgold Church.
Come enjoy delicious food, warm fellowship, and fun for the whole family. This is a simple, joyful afternoon—no program to sit through, just time to be together.
Cost: $10 per person or $30 per family
Please sign up in advance so we can plan the food and have enough for everyone.
If you’ve been looking for a low-pressure way to invite a neighbor, a coworker, or someone you’ve been praying for—this is a great one. There’s room at the table.
P.S. Sign-ups help us plan well. If you can let us know you’re coming, we’d be grateful.
Register Here: https://ringgold.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3745098
MEN' BREAKFAST: Let’s Start the Day Together Before the Pig Roast
Before the food hits the tables and the afternoon fills with family and fellowship, I want to invite you to something quieter—and just as important.
Sunday, October 4 | 7:00–9:00 AM | Ringgold Church
Men from both campuses are gathering for a simple kickstart to our annual pig roast: a hearty breakfast, the sunrise, and time to pray over the church together.
No agenda to impress anyone. Just brothers around a table, watching the light come up, and asking the Lord to bless His people as we gather later that day.
Men of all ages are welcome. Fathers and sons. Grandfathers. Young men still figuring out the road ahead. If you’ve never come to something like this before, this is a good one to start with.
Come hungry. Come as you are. We’ll eat, we’ll pray, and we’ll ask God to put His hand on Ringgold, on GC3, and on every family who will sit down with us that afternoon.
I’d love to have you there.
Grateful to walk with you,
Don
P.S. If you can come, just let us know so we can plan breakfast. And if you know a man who needs an invitation, bring him.
Register Here: https://ringgold.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3847303
LOCATIONS
Ringgold Location (10 AM Service time)
14416 Barkdoll Road
Hagerstown, MD 21742
Frederick Location (10:30 AM Service time)
2100 Rosemont Ave.
Frederick, MD 21702
Also available as Markdown.