Manchester Church of the Brethren October 17, 2010 Joys and Concerns There is much that connects us to each other in this community of faith. Please keep these thoughts in your hearts and minds in the days to come. Within our church family:
Joy Stiffler’s mother, Dorothy Watson,died October 14. Her memorial service was Monday, October 18.•
Ken Brown, hospitalized at Lutheran. Ken’s illness is auto-immune related, so his family asks for prayers, not visitors. Howard Domer, hospitalized at Lutheran. Ed Gilbert, recovering at home following a Sharon Kreps, recovering at home following a recent hospitalization for tests.
• Bonnie Genovese, daughter of • Kathy Hanes, daughter of • Those who were unable to worship with us due to their current health limitations, including: Raymon Eller, Erma Petry, Fred & Lois Roop & Beth Stone. • Our sister church in El Salvador, Emanuel Baptist. We pray for Pastor Miguel Tomas Castro, whose picture was on Sunday’s worship bulletin. • We pray for peace. Phone Challenges The voice-mail feature of our phone system is still out of order.
While a new phone system is being installed, you may call the church office (982-7523) and leave a message with
New Web Site Soon to “Go Live” While not yet open to the public, the churchstaff is involved with training and editing the content on each page of our new web-site.You will find newsletter archives, calendar links, photos, sermons, and more as you explore the unfolding progress of our new web site. No more e-mails of newsletters once the new site is up and running! Each Monday you will be able to find the new issue or print it to read at your leisure. There should be links to any back issues you may have missed as well. Weekly Calendar The Family Life Center is open from 8 to 10 am for walking and exercise. Nursery School may use the FLC from 10 to 11. Monday, October 18 12:00 pm Noon Women’s Bible Study 6:00 pm Zumba NO Bell Choir rehearsal Tuesday, October 19 9:30 am Nursery School/FLC 10:30 am Staff meeting 5:00 pm Weight Watchers – Room 220 Canceled Yoga – Narthex 7:00 pm Child Protection Policy Committee 7:30 pm Volleyball Wednesday, October 20 8:00 am Manchester College 9:30 am Nursery School/FLC 6:00 pm Fellowship Meal sponsored by Questers Class 7:00 pm Executive Board Thursday, October 21 9:30 am Nursery School/FLC 7:00 pm Education Commission 7:30 pm Ecclesia Choir rehearsal Friday, October 22 – church office closed 8:00 am Walkers use east door of FLC 9:30 am Nursery School/FLC 1:00 pm Pack backpacks at Manchester Elementary October 24 – Stewardship Emphasis 9:30 am Worship. Pastor Karen. 2 Corinthians 9: 8-10. Ecclesia Choir. Melodia Choir 10:30 am Fellowship Time 10:45 am Christian Education 2:00 pm Circle of Trust 4:00 pm Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF 5:30 pm College Student Meal 6:30 pm Peace & Justice Coffeehouse 7:00 pm Room 213 in use Address Changes Ed & Martha Miller: Stan & Sharon Pittman: Brad Yoder: Bob & Cass Amiss: Fellowship Meal – Wednesday, Oct. 20 The Questers Class will serve the monthly Fellowship Meal on Wednesday, October 20, at 6 p.m. at the church. We will offer chickenetti, a vegetarian option, and assorted salads and desserts. Please bring your own plates and table service, along with a donation of $4.00 for each adult meal. Profits from the meal benefit the church's fund for scholarships for our students who attend Brethren colleges. We look forward to sharing a meal with you on the 20th! In Gratitude Robin Lahman's family expresses appreciation to our church family for our prayers, love and support during Robin's illness and passing. It has been amazing and such a blessing. Our words cannot express the beauty of what we experienced throughout the past months. You were "the church!" The blessings we received as a result of your love and prayers held us up and gave us strength to meet each tomorrow.Thank you, church family. Middle School Youth church. Meet in the FLC at 6:30pm. Pick-up is at 8pm. Part of the time is prep for Junior HighSunday. National Junior High Sunday - November 7. "Piece by Piece: finding our place in God's story" We're serving brunch on Sunday, November 14
Church Conference. This is a fundraiser for next summer's Heritage Tour and National Junior High Conference. Blessings in a Backpack – Volunteering Our church is responsible for packing backpacks on packing will be done in the Commons of the Manchester Elementary School beginning at 1:00. If you can help, please contact Denny Unger (982-6928) or Joan Fahs (982-8680). Trick or Treat for UNICEF Sunday morning, October 24 We will meet in the Family Life Center at 4p.m. Sunday, October 24, along with Kiwanis members from Key Club (high school) and Circle K (college). We will combine our supper with the Sunday Night College Group. We hope you will share in this worthy project! Growing Grounds - October 24 - 6:30 pm Our quest for peace and justice is often directed toward the wider world - "over there" -where there is war and poverty and great need. The October Growing Grounds coffeehouse directs us to our front door and persons in our community who are often “below the radar,” overlooked and even forgotten. Persons who have been released after serving a sentence in the Wabash County jail are often among those unnoticed persons, even though they frequently need help in getting back on their feet. Such help could be just being listened to, local transportation, a lead on a job or tutoring, help with childcare or one of a host of other challenges they face. Some women cannot see their children without supervision and often that just needs to be a third party. Many do not have high school educations and a helping hand in finding the path to a GED or other training could be a life-saver. The Wabash Church of the Brethren has taken the lead in a mentoring program called Growing Grounds) working with released females, trying to "walk with" the person in any way possible. Peace and Justice Coffeehouse The Peace and Justice Committee will hold a coffeehouse on Sunday, October 24, during which Carol Horn, Kay Gaier and others will talk about Growing Grounds. There is a need for greater awareness in North Manchester, as well as for mentors.You are encouraged to put the Growing Grounds coffeehouse on your calendar: Sunday, October 24, at 6:30 pm Your Peace and Justice Committee The Messenger Bible Study Group World Community Day “Building the Beloved Community” Friday, November 5 9:30 a.m. at Liberty Mills Church of the Brethren This year’s celebration of World CommunityDay honors the challenge left to us by Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. It will be a gathering to renew our faith and commitment to wholeness,economic justice and a Beloved Community. Church Women United, Dorothy Weldy Disaster Response Opportunities 1) 2) The 3) for October 10-16, January 2-8, May 29-June 4, June 5-11, and June 12-18. Contact Jane Yount at jyount_gb@brethren.org or call 800-451-4407. 4) How can we build a strong disaster response network in our district? One suggestion has been $50 or $100 per year. Thank you for your support, Cliff Kindy, District Disaster Coordinator District Special Response Hearings Standing Committee Delegate Jeff Castetter, has scheduled four Special Response Hearings.These will be facilitated discussions to assist the Standing Committee of Annual Conference in formulating its recommendations to next year’s Annual Conference regarding the 2008 Standing Committee Statement of Confession and Commitment and the 2009 Query: Language on Same-sex Covenantal Relationships. Please put one of these hearings on your calendar and participate in the process of listening, as well as giving input:
Thursday, October 21, 6:30-8:30pm at Peru
Sunday, October 24, 6:30-8:30pm at Buck Creek C/B
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Saturday, December 4, 9:30-11:30am at Grandview C/B
Progressive Church Gathering The third Progressive Brethren Gathering will be held on November 12-13-14 The conference will explore the theme: Forward Together: Conversations Towards an Enlivened Community. Jesus as a wisdom teacher The Jesus Seminar on the Road is coming to the Unitarian Meeting House in Fort Wayne November 5-6 the Peasant Sage," "The Quips of Jesus,""Jesus' Wisdom and the Social Upheaval of His Galilean Setting," "Parables," and " The Promise of the Wisdom of Jesus for Making Contemporary Meanings in a (Post) Modern World." Registration by October 15 saves $15 and can be done for separate sessions or the whole event. Some people from our church have already registered. If you would like to go or would like more information, please contact Jo Ann Schall or see institute.org Membership Drive The Thank you, Loyce Borgmann Meet Bekah Houff Our new district Youth Ministry Coordinator for the coming year comes to us from BethanyTheological Seminary, where she is a second year Master’s of Divinity student. District Youth Ministry is her choice for the ministry formation practicum requirement. Bekah is a native of Pennsylvania and a graduate of Bridgewater College.
Alice to pass along. If you prefer, you may leave a voice-mail message on any of the staff cell phones.
Pastor Kurt: 1-260-450-0759
Pastor Karen: 578-1247
Pastor Jim: 1-260-402-7506
Laura Gable: 578-0378
- recent hospitalization.
