The Beacon
Newsletter
November 3, 2023 Volume 65, No 45
This SUNDAY: november 5, 2023
Theme: Called Out
As a denomination and a church we have become more aware of the injustice and violence that surrounds us. Recently, there has been a more specific call to action that demands a response, yet often that response has been anemic at best. It answers with discussion, writing, speaking out, and study. And while these are essential, the prophet Micah calls us out to act. Can we reclaim the Brethren activism apparent through the middle of the last century? What would it look like if the church shifted from a community center to the center of the community?
To prepare, please read Micah 3:5-12, Philippians 1:27-30 (CEV).
Gene Hollenberg
Sunday, November 5
9:30 a.m. Meet & Eat
10:30 a.m. Worship
12:30-2:00 p.m. Trunk or Treat
Monday, November 6
9:00-12:00 p.m. Office Open
Tuesday, November 7
7:00 p.m. Education Commission
Office Closed
Wednesday, November 8
9:00-2:00 Office Open
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Food Bank
11:30 a.m. Worship Preview meeting
Thursday, November 9
6:30 p.m. Choir
Office Closed
Friday, November 10
9:00-2:00 p.m. Office Open
Saturday, November 11
Remember to check the Breeze calendar for upcoming events and activities!
Worship on 10/29/2023:
In-person attendance 54
Offering 10/22 $4,298.00
————————————
Food Bank on 11/1/2023:
16 Families served
54 Individuals in families
MEET AND EAT
This Sunday, come to Meet and Eat and meet Gene Hollenberg who will be sharing about Camp Mack!
Weekly food bank update
Thank you for all your donations! The food bank is happy to report your food donations have helped the shoppers purchase smaller amounts of food. They have not had to carry such large orders down to the food bank. Currently, the most needed items are broth, pasta sauce, and pancake mix. Monetary donations are also appreciated.
Shoppers are needed for January and February of next year if you would like to sign-up! The sign-up sheet is located on the office countertop.
October 2023 Food Bank Statistics
Open 4 Wednesdays Families served: 108
Individuals served: 351 Food donations
Beacon Heights: 675 lbs. Associated Churches: 1200 lbs.
Other Churches: 287 lbs.
In addition, Beacon Heights shoppers spent $2036.12 for 1832 lbs.
25 Beacon Heights Food Bank volunteers 134 hrs. to keep the Food Bank operating in October
Thank you to all the October 2023 volunteers:
Tom Bever, Kathy Schmidt, Ruth Ann Bever, Jeanie Lantz,Brenda Galbraith, Jan Lung, Kyla Zehr Dianne Lung, Mary Whitehead, Joan Thompson, Mark Beck, Lois Guess, Ev Kilgore Tom Coursen, Brandon Fox, MaryJane Coursen, Susan Harroff, Sharon Heitz, Kris Bohnstedt -Thorn, Barb Bohnstedt-Thorn, Rachel Harroff, Kyla Harroff, Sean Harroff, Bill Hollenberg, and Amy Hollenberg.
Help a family in need: christmas Bureau 2023
Beacon Heights is continuing its partnership with The Christmas Bureau by sponsoring 2 families this year. Family #1 includes Andrea (34), Adalina (7) and a Baby Girl on the way.
Family #2 includes Serena (27), Luis (10) & Kashus (2).
Please consider helping by signing up on the poster board outside of the sanctuary. There is a wide selection of needs, including clothing, household basics and pantry items for the home and 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 26 and designate “Christmas Bureau Family” and items will be purchased.
Please bring all items unwrapped to the church by Sunday, November 26.
We will gather to wrap gifts the week of 11/27. Information on the date and time will be sent out soon. 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 families in need this Holiday Season!
Ladies’ Birthday luncheon
November 8, 2023
Meet in the church parlor at 12:30 pm.
Bring a potluck dish to share!
You are invited to stay after lunch to help wrap hanging towel Christmas gifts for food bank clients.
(It might be helpful to bring scissors and scotch tape. Wrapping paper will be provided.)
All women are welcome!
Sunday november 12
Please join us in celebrating our refugee family (Meshack, Aimerance, Romain and Etonyemya).
It will be a time of fun, getting to know them, and a light lunch.
Come on Sunday, November 12, 11:30 – 1:30 at Beacon Heights Church, 2810 Beacon St., Fort Wayne, IN 46805. We’re planning to serve a light lunch. There will be time to meet with Meshack and the rest of the family as they share about their former lives, journey to the US, and hopes for the future. You will have time to ask questions and get to know them better. Others may be attending who immigrated before them from the DRC and Nyarugusu Refugee Camp and have also welcomed them.
We are hoping to gift them with a few ‘Housewarming’ gifts. They will soon be needing warm mittens, hats, scarves, boots, a snow shovel and some other items. Also you may want to check out Manna, the African grocery on Coliseum, as they especially enjoy ‘African’ food. Check out our sign up table the next couple of Sundays!
Spirit Journey Women Resumes
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 14
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 28
TUESDAY DECEMBER 19
Bring your own sack lunch to the parlor.
Lunch 12:30-1:00
Book discussion 1:00-2:00
Prayer concerns 2:00-2:15
On November 14 we will discuss THE GOSPEL OF TREES by ANA LEVY-LYONS.
Join us as you are able!
Intro to Kingian Nonviolence
Join us for an overview of Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation at 4pm ET / 3pm CT / 1pm PT on November 6, 2023. Kingian Nonviolence is an approach to conflict and community leadership that offers values and methods useful for anyone who wants to use conflict constructively in your personal life, in group settings, or in community issues and building a reconciled world.
This 2 Hour webinar covers:
The 4 pillars of Kingian Nonviolence
Initial introduction to the 6 Principles and 6 Steps - the “Will” and the “Skill” of Kingian Nonviolence.
The Social Dynamics of Kingian Nonviolence
This training will be co-facilitated by Sara Haldeman-Scarr and Ruth Henry.
Kingian Nonviolence
We regularly feel the weight of the injustices, inequality, and suffering in our communities and around the world—all of the many ways in which we do not experience God’s kingdom “on earth as in heaven" (Matthew 6).
Together as local Church of the Brethren congregations we have discerned that training in the methods and principles of Kingian Nonviolence (with the help of On Earth Peace) will give us the tools and a renewed imagination for actively pursuing peace in the places of violence in our communities.
This training will just be the first step. The goal is to begin forging sustainable networks and initiatives that can address the needs of our world, helping us to participate faithfully in God’s ongoing work of restoration, justice, and peace—bringing all things together and made well in Christ (Ephesians 1:10).
We hope you will join us!
Sincerely,
Brethren Building Beloved Community
NEXT SUNDAY: November 12, 2023
Theme: Parenting 101: When God Nearly Loses It!
In an unusual scriptural glimpse, we listen in on God’s self-talk as the parent-God nearly loses it with their child! But then God remembers and catches godself. Are there times when we nearly lose it (or have lost it) with a child or other family member or even a friend? Relationships are messy and complicated, and this scripture shows us, amazingly, that God is not exempt from that. It begs the question of tough love or tender love? What’s best? And what will God do? Perhaps this story doesn’t offer neat and tidy solutions. But it allows us to see the naked honesty of God who never stops loving us.
To prepare, please read Hosea 11:1-11.
Pastor Paula Ulrich
Published by Beacon Heights
Church of the Brethren
Editor: Alexis Shoda
Phone: (260) 482-8595
Email: office@beaconheights.net