It’s not unusual to see a parking lot full of farm tractors at Middlebury Community Church of the Nazarene in northern Indiana. The town of Middlebury has a population of not quite 4,000 – and there are many farms in the surrounding area. The “Drive Your Tractor to Church” event held each year by the church team honors farming as a very essential and noble field of employment.
Pastor Gary Sheets sees to it the farm families are welcomed, prayed for, well fed - and their tractors, which represent the farm family income, are prayed over, blessed.
Farming can be tough – and, at times, some farmers even consider taking their own lives
After one Sunday sermon that specifically talked about a spike in suicides among farmers, especially dairy farmers, nationally, a number of farmers privately shared with the pastor they’ve had major concerns about losing their farms… and some have had dark, disturbing thoughts that have rattled their mental health. Pastor Gary responded with encouragement from the Bible. He reminds farm families, “our value is found in Jesus Christ” not what our land or farm looks like. Pastor Gary said he preached “right out of the bottom of my broken heart.”
There’s also been an outreach called “Truckers Bobtail Cruise-In,” where those who drive 18-wheelers are saluted for their essential work – and also receive needed prayer and encouragement. These over-the-road drivers are often away from their families weeks at a time. “We have found that these truck drivers deal with loneliness a lot,” explains Pastor Gary.
We invite you to listen to our complete interview with Pastor Gary below:
