The Beacon
Newsletter
November 25 2022 Volume 64, No 48
this Sunday: November 27, 2022
First Sunday of Advent: Joy
Theme & Title: The Things They Carried: Stuff
Mary and Joseph didn’t have nearly as much stuff as we have. Their home wouldn’t have been cluttered - maybe a few carpenter tools and some wood shavings? When the call came for them to report for the census, did they take all their possessions? They were not anticipating that it would be years until they would return to their hometown. When you’ve moved, did you resent or relish sorting through and getting rid of stuff? (or both!)
Please read Romans 8:5-7 and Luke 2:1-5 to prepare.
Pastor Anna Lisa Gross
Sunday, November 27
9:30 a.m. Eat and Meet
10:30 a.m. Worship
Monday, November 28
6:30 p.m. Choir Practice
Tuesday, November 29
Pastor Anna Lisa onsite.
10 a.m. Runkle Family Visitation
11 a.m. Memorial for Marjorie Runkle
Wednesday, November 30
Pastor Anna Lisa onsite.
9:30 a.m. Food Bank
9:30 a.m. Piano Tuning
Thursday, December 1
11:30 a.m. Worship Preview meeting
Friday, December 2
Church Office closed.
Saturday, December 3
11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Women’s Winter Art Fair
Sunday, December 4
2 p.m. Memorial for Carole Baker
(at Manchester CoB)
Remember to check the Breeze calendar for upcoming events and activities!
Weekly Announcements
We Welcome Advent on Nov 27 at 9:30am with treats to eat, cookies to decorate, ornaments to create, and cards to send. Be there to welcome this beautiful season!
We will host a memorial service for Marjorie Runkle on Tuesday, November 29, here at the church. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., followed by the service itself at 11 a.m. All are welcome.
December’s Eat and Meet gatherings will have a virtual option: those who wish to have a focused discussion on the Advent devotional will meet in the parlor and welcome friends to join on zoom (especially those who have flown south for the winter). If you prefer a casual Meet and Eat time, you are most welcome to stay in the fellowship hall!
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Wayne invites Beacon Heights to a Family Game Night on Saturday, December 10th from 7-9pm. Come and join the games!
We have been invited to two separate upcoming concerts: a Sing Me Home benefit at Manchester Church of the Brethren on Saturday, December 3, where all proceeds go to support On Earth Peace (sponsored in part by the BH Witness team); and the Crest Manor Christmas Concert on Friday, December 16.
Statistics 11/20/2022
Worship 61
Offering 11/13/2022 $3,988.00
————————————
Food Bank on November 23:
Food bank was closed due to Thanksgiving.
COME WELCOME ADVENT WITH US!
The first Sunday of Advent, which is Sunday, November 27, this year, is the time we welcome the Advent season. Nurture Commission has planned fun activities for you! There will be the regular Meet and Eat at 9:30 which will be combined with activities to help welcome Advent: there will be cookies to decorate – and eat!, crafts for the kids, Christmas cards to sign for people at Timbercrest, college students, and others who have a hard time attending, and possibly some sorting and wrapping of Christmas Bureau items. Plus puzzles and Christmas activities on paper for you to do! Please come and join us in the hour before church begins.
Christmastime is full of clutter: material, emotional and spiritual. This Advent we'll practice putting away clutter - each Sunday we'll remove something from the worship center. How is de-cluttering meaningful for your holiday season? Advent devotionals from Global Women's Project and Brethren Press will nourish the simple gifts of the season. These devotionals are gifts to you from Beacon Heights - pick them up Sunday.
We're collecting socks all through Advent to share holiday warmth with our neighbors. Bring new socks of all types and sizes - we'll share with YWCA, Just Neighbors Interfaith Hospitality Network, and Fort Wayne Community Schools clothing bank. Put your socks in the stocking!
SING ME HOME FESTIVAL
Are you interested in going to the Sing Me Home Festival at the North Manchester Church of the Brethren on December 3 at 7:00? It’s a benefit concert with all proceeds going to On Earth Peace. You can reserve tickets on line at Singmehome.org. The group Hearth & Hymn will be presenting music as well as Jacob Jolliff and Seth Hendricks. If you would like to ride with someone, please call or text Ruth Ann Bever at 260-341-2965 and we will try to arrange carpooling. Hope to see you there!
Thanks to Beacon Heights Witness Commission for being a sponsor to this event!
Service to Families in Need
Our Beacon Heights fellowship continues to support families transitioning through homelessness at Just Neighbors: Interfaith Homeless Network. We will be providing, but not serving, dinners at the Just Neighbors home a few blocks from Church on December 4, 5, 6. Please be part of the team providing meal items on one of those evenings. Food dishes will be dropped off, in nonreturnable containers, at the IHN administration office 2925 E. State, back door, prior to 5:00 PM each day. Staff can reheat as needed. Currently 8 families (32 individuals) are in shelter. Other supplies are always appreciated, such as bathroom tissue, cleaning supplies, diapers, lunch food, and can be dropped off at Church or directly to Just Neighbors-IHN. Click this link for the full donation wish list. https://www.ihnfamily.org/wish-list.php
Sign up on the poster or contact Mark/Barb Beck at 637-2144 or 403-6220
or email markabeck@hotmail.com with questions or to volunteer.
NIDCOB Nominations
Did you know that no one from the Northern Indiana District (of the CoB) has been on Mission and Ministry Board for at least 5 years? Now is the time to nominate people for MMB -- and a bunch of other positions: On Earth Peace board, Bethany board, Moderator...etc. Any member of Beacon Heights could be nominated to these positions!
Come to a zoom Nominations Party on Tuesday, Dec 6 at 8pm to learn about all the open positions and how to nominate people. Carol Lindquist and Pastor Anna Lisa Gross will be there, along with other members of the Womaen's Caucus Steering Committee.
Help a Family in Need: Christmas Bureau 2022
Beacon is continuing its partnership with The Christmas Bureau by sponsoring 2 families this year. Family #1 includes Kelvin (age 65), Tatianna (age 19), Kendall (age 14) & Kendrick (age 9). Family #2 includes Joseph (age 55), Stephanie (age 50) & Mason (age 4).
Please consider helping by signing up on the poster board outside of the sanctuary. There are a wide selection of needs, including clothing, households basics and food for a Christmas Day meal. If you are unable to shop or prefer to make a monetary donation, please put donations in the offering plate by November 27 (or deliver it to Melinda in the office) and designate “Christmas Bureau Family”.
Please bring all items (unwrapped) to the church and
drop off in the parlor room by Sunday, November 27.
We will need help with wrapping the week of 11/28. If you would like to participate, please contact Lisa and we will decide on a date that works for most.
Thank you in advance for your willingness to help a family in need this Holiday Season!
Join us on the longest night — December 21 at 7:00 p.m. — for a Blue Christmas gathering.
next Sunday: December 4, 2022
First Sunday of Advent: Love
Theme: The Things They Carried: Anger, Impatience, and Love
This week, our sermon will ask "Is There Room for More?" using Luke 2:1-7. Rev. John P. Gardner will explore our advent theme, The Things We Carry, with an eye towards anger, impatience, and Love.
The Rev. John P. Gardner is a semi-retired pastor/teacher in the United Church of Christ. He was licensed for ministry in 1977, and ordained in 1980. From 1980-1997 he served as Pastor & Teacher of the Webster Church, UCC, in Dexter, Michigan; from 1998-2018 he served as Senior Minister of Plymouth Congregational Church, UCC, Fort Wayne. He has since served as interim Pastor of First Congregational UCC, Angola (2019), and as Sabbatical Pastor for St. John's United Church, Chesterton, IN (2021). Currently he is involved with the Indiana-Kentucky Conference, UCC, as Secretary of the Board of Directors, and as a member of the Transitional Ministry Round Table. He additionally serves a Facilitator for a Clergy Community of Practice (CCoP) group for Members in Discernment (MID) in the UCC.
This summer John worked with the Parks & Recreation Department as First Mate on the Sweetbreeze, the canal boat replica that offers river tours on Fort Wayne’s three rivers.
Please read Luke 2: 1-7 to prepare.
Rev. John P. Gardner
Published by Beacon Heights
Church of the Brethren
Editor: Melinda Long
Phone: (260) 482-8595
Email: office@beaconheights.net