The Beacon
Newsletter
April 5, 2024 Volume 66, No 14
This SUNDAY: Here’s my heart
Do you know how to fill your community cup? “Over the last two to three years, what is a gathering – either virtual or in person – where you felt fully alive? A gathering where maybe you thought, ‘This is exactly where I want to be. This is exactly what I want to be doing. And this is who I want to be doing it with.’” (Priya Parker) As we learn more about how to be nourished, we can tune in better to how to be part of one another’s nourishment. Jesus’ command to “feed my sheep” isn’t only lived out through the Food Bank, but through the nature of our gatherings, and the ways we relate to each other.
To prepare, please read: John 21:1-19.
Pastor Anna Lisa Gross
Sunday, April 7
9:30 a.m. Meet & Eat
10:30 a.m. Worship
Monday, April 8
6:30 p.m. Witness Commission
Office Closed
Pastor Paula Day Off
Tuesday, April 9
12:30 p.m. Spirit Journey Women
7:00 p.m. Nurture Commission
Office Closed
Wednesday, April 10
9:30-11:30 a.m. Food Bank
12:30 p.m. Ladies’ Birthday Luncheon
7:00 p.m. Stewards Commission
Pastor Anna Lisa On-site
Office Open 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 11
4:00 p.m. Worship Preview meeting
6:30 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
Office Closed
Friday, April 12
9:00-2:00 p.m. Office Open
Saturday, April 13
Sunday, April 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 3/31/2024:
In-person attendance 110
Offering 3/24 $18,771
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Food Bank on 4/3/2024:
Individuals served: 42
Families served: 19
Meet & Eat
Check out the political action corner of the Fellowship Hall for new letter writing opportunities every week!
Sign on to letters (as you feel led) to our legislators. Contact Pastor Anna Lisa and Witness Team with ideas.
Sunday's Meet and Eat will review Indiana's spring legislative session and voter engagement.
We Welcome New Members!
Join us this Sunday (April 7) as we welcome and receive two young honorary members, and four adult members to our community of faith at Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren.
We will welcome Lucy and Elissa Wages as honorary members. They are the daughters of Tim and Beth Wages, who joined Beacon Heights in March 2023. Lucy and Elissa were dedicated during that time, and since then have expressed their desire to become members. And so, Pastors Paula and Anna Lisa have decided to honor their desire by making them honorary members in our community, with the hope that they will be baptized and become official members when they are a little older.
We also welcome Mark and Denise Cross. They lived in Fort Wayne before moving to Illinois for a time; and while there they joined Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin. They have been attending Beacon Heights since last fall, and are joining through a transfer of letter from Highland Avenue to Beacon Heights.
We welcome Ginny Drew through Affirmation of Faith. Ginny began attending during Advent last December, diving right into the many seasonal activities of our community. It feels like Ginny has been part of our community for a long time already!
We welcome Angela Ruiz as well. Angela began attending in September on the same Sunday that we welcomed our refugee family. She herself knows what it's like to be a refugee, coming to the United States from Chile with her family when she was a child. We are so glad that she is joining us through Affirmation of Faith.
A light reception will follow worship, complete with trivia answers for the "New Member Trivia Game." Be on the look-out for that as we learn more about our new members, and welcome them into our family of faith! New Members -- we are so delighted that you are joining us!
A Special Thank You
Thank you to Brenda Galbraith and the education committee for the wonderful job organizing the Easter Egg hunt. It was so amazing to have so many children present. Thanks for all!
ReFRESH Update April 2024
Carpet options have been narrowed to just a few, available for you to see on Sunday. Please place a sticker next to your top choice; we plan to order the carpet very soon – the first MAJOR step in Phase 2 of ReFRESH!
Earlier this week you should have received a link to a brief survey with questions about how we might best use our space, and how ReFRESH can help make that happen. We very much want to hear from you, so please take a few minutes to respond. We’ll share the results at the Council meeting next Sunday (the 14th), along with more updates. See you there!
Weekly Food Bank Update
Thank you for all your donations! Currently, the most needed items are pancake mix and broth. Monetary donations are also appreciated.
Shoppers are needed for May 2024, if you would like to sign-up! The sign-up sheet is located on the office countertop.
March 2024 Food Bank Statistics
Open 4 Wednesdays
Families served: 83
Individuals served: 241
Food donations
Beacon Heights: 375 lbs.
Associated Churches: 960 lbs.
Other Churches: 895 lbs.
In addition, Beacon Heights shoppers spent $1226.87 for 877 lbs.
20 Beacon Heights Food Bank volunteers spent 182 hrs. to keep the Food Bank operating in March
Thank you to all the March 2024 volunteers
Mike Crill, Brenda Galbraith, Paula Crill, Jeanie Lantz, Sharon Heitz, Jan Lung, Maurie Sperry, Dianne Lung, Mary Whitehead, Joan Thompson, Ev Kilgore, Lois Guess, Susan Harroff, Tom Coursen, Rachel Harroff, MaryJane Coursen, Sean Harroff, Brandon Fox, Kyla Zehr, and Jane Vorndran
Ladies’ Birthday Luncheon
You are invited to join the Ladies’ Birthday Luncheon group at Pizza Hut, 3820 East State Street, on Wednesday, April 10 at 12:30 p.m. There is no reservation necessary. Just show up for lots of laughter and fellowship! (If you were hoping to go to Union Street Market at Electric Works in April, as discussed at the last meeting, please consider going there another time with family/friends. Jeanie Lantz and Mary Whitehead can assure you that it is a lovely place with good food, but it didn’t seem like the best fit for this group.)
Cardboard and Workday
Diana's Poplar Village Garden needs more cardboard for the best layering and mulching practices! Support this community garden with your unneeded boxes - you can drop off at the garden (2107 Broadway) or bring to the collection tub in the church kitchen. See more volunteer and donation opportunities at https://www.facebook.com/poplarvillagegardens . Next workday is Sunday, April 21 at 1pm - what a great way to celebrate Earth Day after a powerful worship service with David Radcliff - want to bring your lunch and work alongside some Beacon Heights friends?
A Ukulele is Available
Have you ever wanted to learn how to play the ukulele, or would you like to have one to play? One of our members has a new ukulele that she'd be happy to share with someone who would enjoy it. Please let Pastor Paula know if you would like to have it.
Next SUNDAY: April 14, 2024
Theme: The Unexpected V.I.P.
Special guest speaker Todd Eastis, Assistant Executive Director, Camp Mack
Published by Beacon Heights
Church of the Brethren
Editor: Alexis Shoda
Phone: (260) 482-8595
Email: office@beaconheights.net
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