The Rev. Willy Minnix leads Bureau Township Church
WYANET — It is often difficult to be the new guy on the block, but the Rev. Willy Minnix of the Bureau Township Community Church in rural Wyanet doesn’t think so.
“My congregation has been really welcoming.” Minnix said of the parishioners at the church.
Mininix; his wife Trevor; and four children, Liam, 11; Elijah, 10; Etta, 8; and Gideon, 6; moved to the area Sept. 1 and been acclimating to their new home, school and church community. Trevor also noted the Bureau Township Community Church has been very “family friendly.”
The Minnix couple said the last three Sundays there have been an average of 75 parishioners at Sunday services, adding a good portion of these attendees have been children. This is something their children have appreciated a lot.
“Our last posting in Richmond, Ind., was at a retirement home,” he said.
Minnix and his wife actually met in the Richmond area. Minnix said they met through a mutual student they had.
“She kept trying to get us together; I felt, at times, like I was in junior high when she would ask, ‘Do you want to write her a note?’” he said, laughing. The couple will be married 13 years in November of this year.
Minnix enjoys his family-friendly congregation whom he says focuses on Bible and prayer, which is very refreshing. He has found it wasn’t difficult at all to follow his predecessor, the Rev. Marvin Clausen, who left in July of this year, because of the friendly congregation and community.
“I appreciated Marv and his ministry,” Minnix said.
The goals of Minnix and his wife are to be there when congregants need them. Currently the Bureau Township Community Church holds a women’s Bible study on Tuesdays, a prayer meeting on Wednesdays, and of course, Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and a church service afterward on Sunday mornings.
Sunday School is for all ages. In the next couple of weeks, one goal is to add a Newcomers Class to help make new parishioners more familiar with the church. Two Sundays a month, there are Keepers of the Faith meetings, which they likened to Girl/Boy Scouts. The Minnixes are also working with the parishioners on a plan to hopefully increase the youth ministry by the beginning of 2013.
A typical service is about one hour long. Minnix begins with worship, singing, an offering, prayer and a sermon. He uses PowerPoint presentations a lot and noted the children especially look forward to the pictures he includes in his weekly presentations.
The couple stressed visitors and potential members are welcome. As big believers in faith and prayer, they know visitors will feel as welcome as they did when first coming to the church. Located at 19126 Wyanet Walnut Road outside Wyanet, Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m. with Sunday School for all ages at 9:30 a.m. For more information, contact the church at 815-699-2327.
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