The Beacon
Newsletter
January 5, 2024 Volume 66, No 01
This SUNDAY: January 7, 2024
Theme: We trust our Belovedness
“Hey, good lookin’!
What-cha got cookin’?
How ‘bout cookin’ somethin’ up with me?”
Through the baptism of Jesus, we will explore not only Jesus as God’s beloved son, but the way that we also are God’s beloved, created in God’s image, wrapped in God’s presence and care, and liberated and invited into co-creation with God.
To prepare, please read: Isaiah 43:1-7 and Luke 3:15-16, 21-22.
Pastor Paula Ulrich
Sunday, January 7
9:30 a.m. Meet & Eat
10:30 a.m. Worship
Monday, January 8
Office Open 8:00-1 p.m.
Tuesday, January 9
Office Closed
Wednesday, January 10
9:30-11:30 a.m. Food Bank
8:00-1:00 p.m. Office Open
11:30 a.m. Worship Preview meeting
Thursday, January 11
Office Closed
6:30 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
Friday, January 12
9:00-2:00 p.m. Office Open
Saturday, January 13
Sunday, January 14
9:30 a.m. Meet & Eat
10:30 a.m. Worship
Remember to check the Breeze calendar for upcoming events and activities!
Worship on 12/31/2023:
In-person attendance 81
Offering 12/31 $1,220.00
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Food Bank on 1/03/2024:
Individuals: 48
Families: 20
*Pastor Anna Lisa will have time away January 8th through the 18th!
Meet & Eat
Join Jane Vorndran for this Sunday’s Meet & Eat for a film and discussion!
The Nurture Commission thanks everyone who has so thoughtfully planned, crafted, and presented breakfast since we started Meet and Eat! We look forward to the new year and new Meet & Eats!
Anyone interested in providing breakfast on a Sunday just needs to sign up on the shared google document: Eat Sign Up on Meet & Eat Spreadsheet or reach out to Thom Quinlan at: thomquinlan@gmail.com or 260.341.5064 (text is preferred).
Ladies’ Birthday Luncheon news
All ladies are invited to join the Birthday Luncheon group to celebrate monthly birthdays and enjoy spending time together. Please mark your calendars for the following dates.
January 10 at 12:30 p.m. Bring your favorite goodies in a your own sack lunch and meet at church to eat and fellowship. (If Fort Wayne Community Schools happen to be canceled because of bad weather, we will not meet.)
February 14 at 12:30 p.m. Treat yourself to an elegant Valentine’s Day lunch in a private room at Don Hall’s Gas House, downtown.
It would be wonderful to have you join us for one or both of these luncheon!
Missing Hymnal Supplement
Pastor Paula has been missing her personal copy of the blue Hymnal Supplement, and thinks it may be somewhere in the church building. Her name (and notes and markings) are in the hymnal, so if you happen to see it and could help it to get back to her, she would appreciate it very much. Thank you!
Refresh update
We celebrate Christmas and welcome the New Year with a refreshed kitchen thanks to the generosity and hard work of our faith family. May it enhance the health and well being of all who are served by it! The committee has also enhanced the north entryway with beautiful new art to reflect the beauty of wintertime. In 2024, the ReFRESH committee will recommend additional updates to the congregation for updating our church building and ways to provide financial support for whatever projects are selected.
Preschool update
We celebrate that the Preschool has been refreshing the lower level, including this new sink they purchased with grant money, involving a staff member's family to make the counter. Check it out and schedule a time to read a book (like Pastor Anna Lisa did last week) or share a hobby or passion of yours (like Ruth Ann did, playing piano, last week) by emailing preschool@beaconheights.net.
We hope all families, and especially staff, have a wonderful holiday and come back refreshed on Tuesday, January 9th!
Photo Credit: Lydia Priest Morris
Extra 2024 Calendar?
Do you have extra 2024 calendars? Please donate them to the food bank for use by our clients.
Weekly food bank update
Thank you for all your donations! Currently, the most needed items are broth, rice, and pancake mix. Monetary donations are also appreciated.
Shoppers are needed for February 14th if you would like to sign-up! The sign-up sheet is located on the office countertop.
December 2023 Food Bank Statistics
Open 3 Wednesdays
Families served: 68
Individuals served: 223
Food donations
Beacon Heights: 247 lbs.
Beacon Heights Pre-School 44 lbs.
Associated Churches: 650 lbs.
Other Churches: 311 lbs.
In addition, Beacon Heights shoppers spent $1032.21 for 897 lbs.
21 Beacon Heights Food Bank volunteers 113 hrs. to keep the Food Bank operating in December
Thank you to all the December 2023 volunteers
Tom Bever, Kathy Schmidt, Ruth Ann Bever, Jeanie Lantz, Sharon Heitz, Jan Lung, Maurie Sperry, Dianne Lung, Mary Whitehead,
Joan Thompson, Mark Beck, Lois Guess, Ev Kilgore, Tom Coursen, Sandy Kiracofe, MaryJane Coursen, Susan Harroff, Kris Bohnstedt -Thorn, Rachel Harroff, Barb Bohnstedt-Thorn, Kyla Harroff
Thank You for Your Support
Our Beacon Heights fellowship continues to support families transitioning through homelessness at Just Neighbors: Interfaith Homeless Network. We will be providing, but at not serving, dinners at the Just Neighbors home a few blocks from Church on January 7, 8, and 9. This will be the first of 3 rotations this year. 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 nine families (23 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 in the Fellowship Hall or contact Mark/Barb Beck at 637-2144 or 403-6220 or email markabeck@hotmail.com with questions or to volunteer.
Mark and Barb Beck
Adult Education Opportunity: In six evening sessions, Dr. David Lindquist will be teaching a course entitled "Confronting the Shoah" that explores events of and attitudes contributing to the Nazi Holocaust of World War II. Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne, the class will be held from 7:00 - 9:00 each Tuesday evening beginning January 9 through February 13 at the Peggy Murphy Community Grief Center (5920 Homestead Road). The fee of $5 covers the cost of supplies and registration can be made by calling the Jewish Federation at (260) 456-0400 or office@fwjf.org. Consider attending with a friend to share a deeper understanding of the growth and impact of antisemitism. For more information feel free to contact Carol Lindquist (260.402.2994).
Power Hour for Palestine
Join us on January 19 at 2pm EST for a Palestine Power Hour! We will go over the current needs of Palestinians and discuss the best ways for us to support them. There will be a mini workshop on how to contact your congressional and local representatives on Palestine. After that, we will take time together to contact our representatives. This will be a space to ask questions and support each other as we come together for Palestine.
Please contact palestine@onearthpeace.org with any questions or concerns.
NEXT SUNDAY: January 14, 2024
Theme: Wrapped in Wisdom: Reading the Stars
It’s the season of Epiphany, which means Revelation or Manifestation! This season began on January 6 and ends with February 13, the day before Lent begins. We will remember the story of the magi – or as I often call them, the wise ones -- who follow a star that draws them to Jesus. We will explore who these people are, how many of them came (was it three – or more?), whether it was only men or included women, our long-loved traditions that have no biblical basis but yet are fun, and more! We also will touch the shadow side of the story – the harsh reality of our world that continues to plague us – the part of the story we rarely tell our children. And finally, each of us will have an opportunity to receive a Star Word, which is a word for prayer in this season that we hope will draw each one closer to Jesus as we ponder and pray with it, listening for the way that God might be speaking to us as we “read the stars.”
To prepare, please read: Matthew 2:1-12.
Pastor Paula Ulrich
Published by Beacon Heights
Church of the Brethren
Editor: Alexis Shoda
Phone: (260) 482-8595
Email: office@beaconheights.net
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