Newsletter | Woodbury Church of the Brehtren

Tuesday's Thought

Trivia Night!

Feb. 3^rd at 6:30 in the Fellowship Hall

Come for a wild, fun night of fun, fellowship and food

Bring Family, Friends – All Ages!

Test your trivial knowledge on:

Sports Hunting History Music Brethren History Animals Bible etc.

Cost: Donations

This fundraiser benefits the Young Adult Sunday School Class as they create more room for their

expanding class-size. Sign up on the narthex board will help with set up for the event

Offering Feb. 5 for Dominicans and Haitians

In the Dominican Republic, active evangelism and church planting continue. Theological students help to fill the growing needs of leadership. A micro-loan program, supports community economic development. Special gifts aid projects including vacation Bible school, church construction, and the Rotating Student Loan Fund (enabling emerging leaders to access university education). The other half of our offering on February 5th will support Haitian Churches of the Brethren in Florida. It will be used in areas most needed. These congregations are active in offering assistance to areas of Haiti that were devastated by hurricanes and an earthquake in 2010.

Women’s Fellowship

An Evening of Service Work

Feb. 7^th at 7:00

Ladies can enjoy an evening of fellowship as we serve others by

knotting quilts for Your Safe Haven

or by

cleaning and organizing the church pantry.

Devotions and Refreshments

For questions call Sherry Imler at 766-3713

Men’s Study Group Begins a New Book

Driven by his personal suffering in his own extended trial, author James MacDonald was determined to find out what God's purposes in trials might be.

When Life is Hard is a first-hand account of his discoveries. You’ll find practical tools for preparing for trials and growing through them. God has not abandoned you. He is watching you closely, monitoring your situation and offering His strength when yours is gone.

The group meets Saturday mornings in the fellowship hall at 8:00 (come early for coffee and donuts). The men range in age from 20’s to 70’s. They welcome newcomers any time. Call Stan Clark to order a book or for further information (239-8981).

Blessed by Fanny Presentation March 4

Maranatha Productions will return for a presentation here at church on Sunday morning, March 4^th at 10:30 am. They will perform Blessed by Fanny, a musical drama about America’s foremost hymn writer – Fanny Crosby.

Blind almost from her birth in 1820, Fanny Crosby penned more than 8,000 hymns. Among her best-known are Blessed Assurance, All the Way My Savior Leads Me, Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, Praise Him, Praise Him, and To God Be the Glory. Her lyrics were drawn from life experiences and Scripture which she memorized as a child. She traveled nationwide speaking to all types of groups, including US Congress and the White House, and was often commissioned to write poetry for national occasions.

Amy Shea, who will create the role of Fanny, performs with many local theatres in the Lancaster-Philadelphia area. Erik Nelson will portray a mean-spirited journalist assigned to write a newspaper article about Fanny. He will switch to the role of William Doane, the composer of the tunes of many her hymns. Erik was here last as John Newton in Amazing Grace.

Invite people to join you for this inspiring story of personal faith. Many of her hymns are performed in this 55-minute drama with opportunities for all to join in singing. The performance will be followed by a Turkey Dinner in the fellowship hall at a cost of $1.

A free will offering will be collected to support Maranatha Productions with production and transportation expenses and other costs of the operation of the drama ministry.

What Does Trusting God Mean to You?

Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God by Sheila Walsh is a book that was used by the members of the Women’s elective Sunday School class in the fall of 2011. Before the start of the class, teacher Audrey Cooper related that she began to wonder about the thought of what it means to really trust God. A group of 20 women met each Sunday to work through the book and scripture references. Near the end of the session, Audrey asked participants to answer the question she had struggled with...“What does trusting God mean to you?”

Perhaps you can relate to some of their responses – or wish you could have the trust expressed by these women. If you want to discuss anything or have questions on how you can trust God in your situation, you are invited to speak to Audrey (793-2605) or Pastor Larry or Mark. This book will be in the church library.

Here are some of the replies written to Audrey’s question for the class “What does trusting God mean to you?”

· He is with me in good times and bad. He knows what is best for me. I can count on Him.

· Giving up all control of my life to God; becoming truly dependent on God; believing He always wants His best for me - (for me to become more like Jesus) - no matter what happens in my life.

· Resting completely in the fact that God is working all things together for our good, even when circumstances look otherwise; giving up all worry and fretting; laying all concerns at Jesus’ feet and living life to the fullest. (I have not arrived!)

· Sometimes for me trusting God is simply keeping on breathing when not breathing seems like a better option, getting out of bed when not getting out feels so much better, putting one foot in front of the other when quitting looks so good, praising Him when I can’t find Him in the chaos that is life, but trusting His presence because deep in my soul I feel Him.

· That He has all things in His hands. He has a plan for each of us and has given the life of His Son for our forgiveness. If I don’t bother Him with the small stuff, I’ll not bother Him with the bigger stuff. He loves me with all my lumps, bumps, and flaws. Let us give Him the praise and honor and trust which He so deserves and thank God daily that He is our Savior.

· Knowing without a doubt that He is always with me – in good and bad times and will never leave me. If He cares for the smallest of birds, He will most certainly care for us and help us through any circumstance.

· Placing our faith in Jesus alone for our salvation. Nothing we do can earn our salvation. We are not to worry about anything. Be anxious for nothing, trusting God in all decisions. We need humility and to rid our hearts of pride. To trust God we must be still and listen to His voice. Difficulties in our lives provide opportunities to trust God further.

· Sheila Walsh’s book is a reminder to me to have faith. God wants me to trust Him, and most of all, He wants me to believe in Him through easy days and challenging days (Hebrews 11:1 fits in pretty well here). Thinking back on one of those “challenging” days as a teen, I remember when I had to trust Him with all my heart. Through prayer, there was Jesus telling me that He was with me and… He was. As strong as that memory and those emotions are to me, I fail at acknowledging that kind of trust every day. At that beginning of our book’s Chapter 1 is a quote by C.S. Lewis – “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done”. I pray that I may begin each day trusting Him completely and reverently. He is there for us; just waiting for us to let Him in.

· Understanding that God has everything in my life already worked out and that I just need to allow Him to proceed with His plans. This is a work in progress for me. I’m human and I still need to work on this. So many times I think something needs to be done my way just because that is the way I think, and I forget to let things go and let God be in control. I would have had a different answer if I had been asked this question before we started this book.

· Realizing that only God sees the “big picture”. He works all things that happen to us for our good eventually, because ultimately only He sees the Master Plan. We don’t always need to have all our questions answered. We need to accept that He loves us and wants what’s best for us (that we should be growing more Christlike). Trusting God requires daily surrendering on our part, which is not easy. We naively feel we know what’s best for us and those we love

Trusting Him

What does trusting God meant to mean? I have a different answer now to this question than I would have had a few years ago, or even a few weeks ago. I once thought that trust meant having no fear. I feel differently now.

The dictionary defines trust as a confidence in a person or thing because of the qualities one perceives. I believe that means what you will surrender to them, or it is based on what you know about them. Our trust in God, how much we will surrender to Him or how far we will go with Him, is limited to how well we know Him. The more attributes we know about God, the more we will trust Him. The more we learn and understand about His love, the more we will trust Him. The more intimacy we gain with Him, the more we trust Him.

I remember once, as a very little girl, my family went to a sled riding party at a local farm. It was night time, and the only light was from a fire at the top of an incredibly steep hill. I was afraid to go down the hill. I spent the entire night sitting at the fire. Near the end of the evening my father convinced me to go for a ride with him and some others on a long toboggan. Was I afraid? Out of my mind! My dad (who was only in this 30’s at the time) got on first, and I sat in between his legs. It was the longest sled ride of my life. The faster we went, the harder I wrapped my arms around his legs. I never opened my eyes. My face was turned and buried deep into his chest.

On that sled ride, I put my trust in Daddy, my protector. I trusted this man who wanted me to have an experience, learn something new, and grow up a little. And I did! But, I wouldn’t have done it with just anyone. There were others that night who tried to talk me into going down with them. I went with no one except my father, probably because I knew he would protect me, and wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt me. I took the adventure based on what I knew about him.

My desire is that I get closer and more intimate with God, so that my trust in Him will get stronger and stronger. God has adventures for me. He isn’t expecting me to be fearless. He just wants me to go, and in an act of surrender and praise, hold on tight, close my eyes to what’s ahead, and bury my face deep in His chest.

Audrey offers some additional quotes she has found

· We define our “good in terms of what brings us health and happiness. God defines it in terms of what makes us more like Jesus.

Randy Alcorn

· In spite of everything and anything, I choose to trust, and that is the only way I can get through this mess called life. Lauraine Snelling
· Whenever you feel tempted to ask God, “Why did you do this to me?” look at the cross and ask, “Why did you do that for me?” Randy

Alcorn

· The proven character of Christ demonstrated in his sacrifice on our behalf, makes Him trustworthy even when evil and suffering overwhelm us. Randy Alcorn
· Trusting God doesn’t ward off all evil and suffering. He never said it would. Randy Alcorn
· Trust is our ability to let God loose in our circumstances rather than forever trying to control them ourselves. Barbara Johnson

Growth & Changes at Precious Life

We support Precious Life in our budget and through the annual Baby Bottle Campaign between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The organization has grown over the past 25 years and continues to expand in their help to those experiencing crisis pregnancy situations. Local offices are in Johnstown, Altoona, and Bedford. They have launched out into Romania with a pregnancy center and abstinence program, and added a local warehouse ministry which has helped dozens of families and organizations in Central PA and the world!

Precious Life now plans to hire another person to take on some of the day-to-day responsibilities. Scott Manganella will continue to oversee the work and will concentrate being the “face” of PL. Our prayers are requested for these changes.

In Johnstown, a building owned by PL will have 2 apartments and space for a business rental. The apartments offer housing options for girls and the business will generate some income.

Opportunities in Romania are boundless. PL teams ministered in an orphanage, kids’ camp, village work, and work at the pregnancy center. They are expanding abstinence and purity training in 2 cities in Romania.

Fundraising Updates: Food vending, golf tournament, and walk-a-thon: $45,000; The Baby Bottle Campaign: $52,800.

Precious Life Banquet

Mark your calendars for Friday, March 23, 7 pm

PASTOR’S PEN

King Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! . . . Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Eccl. 4:9-10,12)

This March 18, Sharon and I will have been married 40 years. I agree wholeheartedly with Solomon that “two are better than one”! I am a better person, and, I suspect, a better pastor, because of being married to Sharon.

Sharon is my closest friend. Though I am a “people” person, I can also be very independent. Through Sharon, God has helped me to become less independent, and more caring. Sharon is dedicated to the Lord, and I see the fruit of the Holy Spirit in her. I appreciate her calm spirit when we are under stress and when we have differences of opinion.

Sharon is a good listener, reads people well, and is often tuned in to things that I miss. For example, numerous times Sharon has suggested, “I think you should call or visit so-and-so.” When I’m preparing a sermon and am considering saying something that could be controversial or viewed by some as harsh, I often read the paragraph to Sharon and ask her, “How does that come across?” I value Sharon’s judgment.

It’s been a blessing for us to pray together for our family; about needs or decisions we’ve faced; and about relationships and concerns in the churches I’ve served. God has been faithful to answer our prayers. We’ve seen God answer prayers to find missing keys and a missing ring; prayers for His guidance in our finances and finding the right house to purchase; and prayers for Emily, Mike, and Philip about challenges they were facing and choices concerning college, summer jobs, vocation, and marriage.

In Christian marriage, God joins two imperfect people. I am very grateful that the Lord brought Sharon and me together. For me, the Bible’s insight that “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken” witnesses to the grace of God drawing a man and woman together in marriage and strengthening them as they look to Him for help.

Praise God for His goodness and faithfulness!

PASTOR LARRY

Quilters Needed!

Can you spend a few hours a week for several weeks to work on a quilt for our annual church auction? The sale of the quilt brings hundreds of dollars which is used to help local families who have some hardship needs.

Unless we get some volunteers we may have to cancel the project this year. Call Jean Reighard if you’d be able to help (766-2706).

FOCAS Class

Soup and Salad Meal

Saturday, Feb 11

6:30 in fellowship hall

Bring a soup, salad or dessert to share

Trip to “Jonah”

At Sight & Sound

July 24 ~ Cost: $87

Includes ticket, transportation and a meal at Hershey Farms

Sign-up on the narthex board now. This trip fills up quickly

More info, call Jean at 766-2706

Auxiliary Membership Drive Thru April 1

Village at Morrisons Cove

Cost : $4 for individual $6 for family

Give $ to Jean Reighard

VMC Hoagie Sale

Hoagies are ready Feb 16

Order from Jean by Feb 13

Board Highlights

· Property & Finance placed clocks in classrooms and partitions added to downstairs bathrooms.
· Motion passed to invest $110,000 from parsonage sale for 6 years
· Ministry & Evangelism will show “Courageous” movie and plan other events
· Christian Education planning turkey meal for 3/4 and VBS for 6/11-15.
· Motions passed to place plate in narthex for Gideons (2/19) and Maranatha Productions (3/4)
· Congregational Strategic Planning Meeting will be 3/17 at 9:30 am
· Jr. Hi Youth presented a list of their likes and suggestions for the church
· 2011 Annual Conference delegate expressed concerns about decisions by our denominational leadership

Mark you calendars

A Congregational Strategic Planning meeting will be held Saturday, March 17 at 9:30 am. Your input on future plans for our church is important!

Gideons Speaker on Feb 19

Dennis Feight from the Gideons will speak here for 10 minutes during our morning worship on Feb. 19^th. There will be a plate in the narthex to support their ministry. The Gideons group places Bibles in hotel rooms, doctors’ offices and other public locations.

FROG Time

Tim Guyer and the Clowns from Leamersville Grace Brethren

Feb. 29^th 7:00—Bring a friend!

THANKS! To Junior High Youth for your note of praises and suggestions for our church presented to the Board of Administration at the January meeting!

Youth Meetings

1st & 3rd Wednesdays—7pm

Feb 1 & 15

Devotions Fellowship Worship Music Munchies

Learn about the Lord and how to carry out your faith-walk in school, sports, the community

Tutoring Nights

Feb 8, 22, 29: 7:00-8:15

Junior Hi Retreat

Feb 24-26 at Camp Blue Diamond

Speaker – Pastor Mark

Campfire, games, sledding

Bring warm clothes and your Bible!

Registration forms on narthex board


	Newsletter Tuesday's Thought Trivia Night! Feb. 3^rd at 6:30 in the Fellowship Hall Come for a wild, fun night of fun, fellowship and food Bring Family, Friends – All Ages! Test your trivial knowledge on: Sports Hunting History Music Brethren History Animals Bible etc. Cost: Donations This fundraiser benefits the Young Adult Sunday School Class as they create more room for their expanding class-size. Sign up on the narthex board will help with set up for the event Offering Feb. 5 for Dominicans and Haitians In the Dominican Republic, active evangelism and church planting continue. Theological students help to fill the growing needs of leadership. A micro-loan program, supports community economic development. Special gifts aid projects including vacation Bible school, church construction, and the Rotating Student Loan Fund (enabling emerging leaders to access university education). The other half of our offering on February 5th will support Haitian Churches of the Brethren in Florida. It will be used in areas most needed. These congregations are active in offering assistance to areas of Haiti that were devastated by hurricanes and an earthquake in 2010. Women’s Fellowship An Evening of Service Work Feb. 7^th at 7:00 Ladies can enjoy an evening of fellowship as we serve others by knotting quilts for Your Safe Haven or by cleaning and organizing the church pantry. Devotions and Refreshments For questions call Sherry Imler at 766-3713 Men’s Study Group Begins a New Book Driven by his personal suffering in his own extended trial, author James MacDonald was determined to find out what God's purposes in trials might be. When Life is Hard is a first-hand account of his discoveries. You’ll find practical tools for preparing for trials and growing through them. God has not abandoned you. He is watching you closely, monitoring your situation and offering His strength when yours is gone. The group meets Saturday mornings in the fellowship hall at 8:00 (come early for coffee and donuts). The men range in age from 20’s to 70’s. They welcome newcomers any time. Call Stan Clark to order a book or for further information (239-8981). *Blessed by Fanny* Presentation March 4 Maranatha Productions will return for a presentation here at church on Sunday morning, March 4^th at 10:30 am. They will perform Blessed by Fanny, a musical drama about America’s foremost hymn writer – Fanny Crosby. Blind almost from her birth in 1820, Fanny Crosby penned more than 8,000 hymns. Among her best-known are Blessed Assurance, All the Way My Savior Leads Me, Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, Praise Him, Praise Him, and To God Be the Glory. Her lyrics were drawn from life experiences and Scripture which she memorized as a child. She traveled nationwide speaking to all types of groups, including US Congress and the White House, and was often commissioned to write poetry for national occasions. Amy Shea, who will create the role of Fanny, performs with many local theatres in the Lancaster-Philadelphia area. Erik Nelson will portray a mean-spirited journalist assigned to write a newspaper article about Fanny. He will switch to the role of William Doane, the composer of the tunes of many her hymns. Erik was here last as John Newton in Amazing Grace. Invite people to join you for this inspiring story of personal faith. Many of her hymns are performed in this 55-minute drama with opportunities for all to join in singing. The performance will be followed by a Turkey Dinner in the fellowship hall at a cost of $1. A free will offering will be collected to support Maranatha Productions with production and transportation expenses and other costs of the operation of the drama ministry. What Does Trusting God Mean to You? Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God by Sheila Walsh is a book that was used by the members of the Women’s elective Sunday School class in the fall of 2011. Before the start of the class, teacher Audrey Cooper related that she began to wonder about the thought of what it means to really trust God. A group of 20 women met each Sunday to work through the book and scripture references. Near the end of the session, Audrey asked participants to answer the question she had struggled with...“What does trusting God mean to you?” Perhaps you can relate to some of their responses – or wish you could have the trust expressed by these women. If you want to discuss anything or have questions on how you can trust God in your situation, you are invited to speak to Audrey (793-2605) or Pastor Larry or Mark. This book will be in the church library. *Here are some of the replies written to Audrey’s question for the class “What does trusting God mean to you?”* · He is with me in good times and bad. He knows what is best for me. I can count on Him. · Giving up all control of my life to God; becoming truly dependent on God; believing He always wants His best for me - (for me to become more like Jesus) - no matter what happens in my life. · Resting completely in the fact that God is working all things together for our good, even when circumstances look otherwise; giving up all worry and fretting; laying all concerns at Jesus’ feet and living life to the fullest. (I have not arrived!) · Sometimes for me trusting God is simply keeping on breathing when not breathing seems like a better option, getting out of bed when not getting out feels so much better, putting one foot in front of the other when quitting looks so good, praising Him when I can’t find Him in the chaos that is life, but trusting His presence because deep in my soul I feel Him. · That He has all things in His hands. He has a plan for each of us and has given the life of His Son for our forgiveness. If I don’t bother Him with the small stuff, I’ll not bother Him with the bigger stuff. He loves me with all my lumps, bumps, and flaws. Let us give Him the praise and honor and trust which He so deserves and thank God daily that He is our Savior. · Knowing without a doubt that He is always with me – in good and bad times and will never leave me. If He cares for the smallest of birds, He will most certainly care for us and help us through any circumstance. · Placing our faith in Jesus alone for our salvation. Nothing we do can earn our salvation. We are not to worry about anything. Be anxious for nothing, trusting God in all decisions. We need humility and to rid our hearts of pride. To trust God we must be still and listen to His voice. Difficulties in our lives provide opportunities to trust God further. · Sheila Walsh’s book is a reminder to me to have faith. God wants me to trust Him, and most of all, He wants me to believe in Him through easy days and challenging days (Hebrews 11:1 fits in pretty well here). Thinking back on one of those “challenging” days as a teen, I remember when I had to trust Him with all my heart. Through prayer, there was Jesus telling me that He was with me and… He was. As strong as that memory and those emotions are to me, I fail at acknowledging that kind of trust every day. At that beginning of our book’s Chapter 1 is a quote by C.S. Lewis – “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done”. I pray that I may begin each day trusting Him completely and reverently. He is there for us; just waiting for us to let Him in. · Understanding that God has everything in my life already worked out and that I just need to allow Him to proceed with His plans. This is a work in progress for me. I’m human and I still need to work on this. So many times I think something needs to be done my way just because that is the way I think, and I forget to let things go and let God be in control. I would have had a different answer if I had been asked this question before we started this book. · Realizing that only God sees the “big picture”. He works all things that happen to us for our good eventually, because ultimately only He sees the Master Plan. We don’t always need to have all our questions answered. We need to accept that He loves us and wants what’s best for us (that we should be growing more Christlike). Trusting God requires daily surrendering on our part, which is not easy. We naively feel we know what’s best for us and those we love *Trusting Him* What does trusting God meant to mean? I have a different answer now to this question than I would have had a few years ago, or even a few weeks ago. I once thought that trust meant having no fear. I feel differently now. The dictionary defines trust as a confidence in a person or thing because of the qualities one perceives. I believe that means what you will surrender to them, or it is based on what you know about them. Our trust in God, how much we will surrender to Him or how far we will go with Him, is limited to how well we know Him. The more attributes we know about God, the more we will trust Him. The more we learn and understand about His love, the more we will trust Him. The more intimacy we gain with Him, the more we trust Him. I remember once, as a very little girl, my family went to a sled riding party at a local farm. It was night time, and the only light was from a fire at the top of an incredibly steep hill. I was afraid to go down the hill. I spent the entire night sitting at the fire. Near the end of the evening my father convinced me to go for a ride with him and some others on a long toboggan. Was I afraid? Out of my mind! My dad (who was only in this 30’s at the time) got on first, and I sat in between his legs. It was the longest sled ride of my life. The faster we went, the harder I wrapped my arms around his legs. I never opened my eyes. My face was turned and buried deep into his chest. On that sled ride, I put my trust in Daddy, my protector. I trusted this man who wanted me to have an experience, learn something new, and grow up a little. And I did! But, I wouldn’t have done it with just anyone. There were others that night who tried to talk me into going down with them. I went with no one except my father, probably because I knew he would protect me, and wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt me. I took the adventure based on what I knew about him. My desire is that I get closer and more intimate with God, so that my trust in Him will get stronger and stronger. God has adventures for me. He isn’t expecting me to be fearless. He just wants me to go, and in an act of surrender and praise, hold on tight, close my eyes to what’s ahead, and bury my face deep in His chest. Audrey offers some additional quotes she has found · We define our “good in terms of what brings us health and happiness. God defines it in terms of what makes us more like Jesus. Randy Alcorn · In spite of everything and anything, I choose to trust, and that is the only way I can get through this mess called life. Lauraine Snelling · Whenever you feel tempted to ask God, “Why did you do this to me?” look at the cross and ask, “Why did you do that for me?” Randy Alcorn · The proven character of Christ demonstrated in his sacrifice on our behalf, makes Him trustworthy even when evil and suffering overwhelm us. Randy Alcorn · Trusting God doesn’t ward off all evil and suffering. He never said it would. Randy Alcorn · Trust is our ability to let God loose in our circumstances rather than forever trying to control them ourselves. Barbara Johnson Growth & Changes at Precious Life We support Precious Life in our budget and through the annual Baby Bottle Campaign between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The organization has grown over the past 25 years and continues to expand in their help to those experiencing crisis pregnancy situations. Local offices are in Johnstown, Altoona, and Bedford. They have launched out into Romania with a pregnancy center and abstinence program, and added a local warehouse ministry which has helped dozens of families and organizations in Central PA and the world! Precious Life now plans to hire another person to take on some of the day-to-day responsibilities. Scott Manganella will continue to oversee the work and will concentrate being the “face” of PL. Our prayers are requested for these changes. In Johnstown, a building owned by PL will have 2 apartments and space for a business rental. The apartments offer housing options for girls and the business will generate some income. Opportunities in Romania are boundless. PL teams ministered in an orphanage, kids’ camp, village work, and work at the pregnancy center. They are expanding abstinence and purity training in 2 cities in Romania. Fundraising Updates: Food vending, golf tournament, and walk-a-thon: $45,000; The Baby Bottle Campaign: $52,800. Precious Life Banquet Mark your calendars for Friday, March 23, 7 pm PASTOR’S PEN King Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! . . . Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Eccl. 4:9-10,12) This March 18, Sharon and I will have been married 40 years. I agree wholeheartedly with Solomon that “two are better than one”! I am a better person, and, I suspect, a better pastor, because of being married to Sharon. Sharon is my closest friend. Though I am a “people” person, I can also be very independent. Through Sharon, God has helped me to become less independent, and more caring. Sharon is dedicated to the Lord, and I see the fruit of the Holy Spirit in her. I appreciate her calm spirit when we are under stress and when we have differences of opinion. Sharon is a good listener, reads people well, and is often tuned in to things that I miss. For example, numerous times Sharon has suggested, “I think you should call or visit so-and-so.” When I’m preparing a sermon and am considering saying something that could be controversial or viewed by some as harsh, I often read the paragraph to Sharon and ask her, “How does that come across?” I value Sharon’s judgment. It’s been a blessing for us to pray together for our family; about needs or decisions we’ve faced; and about relationships and concerns in the churches I’ve served. God has been faithful to answer our prayers. We’ve seen God answer prayers to find missing keys and a missing ring; prayers for His guidance in our finances and finding the right house to purchase; and prayers for Emily, Mike, and Philip about challenges they were facing and choices concerning college, summer jobs, vocation, and marriage. In Christian marriage, God joins two imperfect people. I am very grateful that the Lord brought Sharon and me together. For me, the Bible’s insight that “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken” witnesses to the grace of God drawing a man and woman together in marriage and strengthening them as they look to Him for help. Praise God for His goodness and faithfulness! PASTOR LARRY Quilters Needed! Can you spend a few hours a week for several weeks to work on a quilt for our annual church auction? The sale of the quilt brings hundreds of dollars which is used to help local families who have some hardship needs. Unless we get some volunteers we may have to cancel the project this year. Call Jean Reighard if you’d be able to help (766-2706). FOCAS Class Soup and Salad Meal Saturday, Feb 11 6:30 in fellowship hall Bring a soup, salad or dessert to share Trip to “Jonah” At Sight & Sound July 24 ~ Cost: $87 Includes ticket, transportation and a meal at Hershey Farms Sign-up on the narthex board now. This trip fills up quickly More info, call Jean at 766-2706 Auxiliary Membership Drive Thru April 1 Village at Morrisons Cove Cost : $4 for individual $6 for family Give $ to Jean Reighard VMC Hoagie Sale Hoagies are ready Feb 16 Order from Jean by Feb 13 Board Highlights · Property & Finance placed clocks in classrooms and partitions added to downstairs bathrooms. · Motion passed to invest $110,000 from parsonage sale for 6 years · Ministry & Evangelism will show “Courageous” movie and plan other events · Christian Education planning turkey meal for 3/4 and VBS for 6/11-15. · Motions passed to place plate in narthex for Gideons (2/19) and Maranatha Productions (3/4) · Congregational Strategic Planning Meeting will be 3/17 at 9:30 am · Jr. Hi Youth presented a list of their likes and suggestions for the church · 2011 Annual Conference delegate expressed concerns about decisions by our denominational leadership Mark you calendars A Congregational Strategic Planning meeting will be held Saturday, March 17 at 9:30 am. Your input on future plans for our church is important! Gideons Speaker on Feb 19 Dennis Feight from the Gideons will speak here for 10 minutes during our morning worship on Feb. 19^th. There will be a plate in the narthex to support their ministry. The Gideons group places Bibles in hotel rooms, doctors’ offices and other public locations. FROG Time Tim Guyer and the Clowns from Leamersville Grace Brethren Feb. 29^th 7:00—Bring a friend! THANKS! To Junior High Youth for your note of praises and suggestions for our church presented to the Board of Administration at the January meeting! Youth Meetings 1st & 3rd Wednesdays—7pm Feb 1 & 15 Devotions Fellowship Worship Music Munchies Learn about the Lord and how to carry out your faith-walk in school, sports, the community Tutoring Nights Feb 8, 22, 29: 7:00-8:15 Junior Hi Retreat Feb 24-26 at Camp Blue Diamond Speaker – Pastor Mark Campfire, games, sledding Bring warm clothes and your Bible! Registration forms on narthex board