Pastor's Corner
If you are reading this, then I guess Mr. Camping was wrong again; if you’re not reading this, then I guess he was right. The May 21 Judgment Day memo is the brainchild of an 89-year-old radio evangelist named Harold Camping. Using a mathematical system of his own creation to interpret obscure prophecies in the Bible, Camping originally predicted that Sept. 6, 1994, would be Judgment Day, or the day of the "Rapture" when Christian believers will ascend to heaven, leaving the rest of humanity to its deservedly dreary fate.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:3)
One of Aubrie’s favorite things to say is “wait for it.” I watched Marmaduke, the movie, with Aubrie, and in it the dog farts in bed and says, “wait for it” before he does it, and Aubrie just loves to say it now. Many years ago the prophet Habakkuk had the same message, just not about expelling gas. So things are bad, we can all see that, but when is it bad enough? When will God put an end to it and call the game? The Bible tells us we do not know the time, but it will come. So what do we do in the mean time? We wait for it. And while we wait, we prepare! We make sure that we are walking the path with Jesus, and then we make sure others are doing likewise. Our job as a church is to get others to join us on our journey. We do this by showing the love of Christ to all we can. We won’t do this by fighting and gossiping, but by loving. We have a job to do, and we have to do it in a way that is counter cultural. Love all, forgive all, and be at peace with all. It isn’t easy but it is required!
Brothers and Sisters the end times will come. I don’t know when, and if we are reading this, then May 21st wasn’t it. We are commissioned to be travel agents and help others as well as ourselves prepare for the trip. Ask yourself what you are doing to help this? Ask yourself what you are doing to hinder this? Increase the positive and decrease the negative. If we can do this, we will all have happy endings.
Until Sunday, Pastor Dan
Stewards
• We have a lot of plans for the summer months to keep us busy. To start we’d like to thank the ladies who weeded the flower beds a couple of weeks ago. That was a big job and it looks good. Unfortunately, with the spring we are having, we will need to have it done again and again to keep up with it. We are also looking for some donations of some perennials to pretty up the beds and so that we don’t have to keep planting. Any and all help is appreciated.
• We will be making a permanent cabinet for the sound box in the back of the sanctuary. This, when done, will match the praise band stage up front.
• We will also be working on some new storage for the Community Cupboard as it is growing in use and donations from some outside sources. You will notice the deep freezer in the fellowship hall. This was donated to us to use with the Community Cupboard so that we can also take in meats and other frozen foods to distribute.
• We are planning to have a meal or two after church to help fund some needed updates in the bathrooms. Happy eating and easier on the budget.
• A big thank you to Berlene and Rose (and anyone who helped put them up) for making the sheers for the windows in the sanctuary to help cut down on the sun glare (now we need sun to test them out).
Witness
• We had a Clothing Giveaway on May 14th. We had an amazing 200 people served that day! What a blessing it was. We also gave out 8 Bibles to some children who came with their parents. They were truly excited to receive a Bible of their own, and we were just as excited to give them out. We also opened up the Community Cupboard to several in need. We are hoping to set up two more giveaways in the summer. The first will be June 25th and the second will be August 13th when the garden starts to produce its harvest.
• The next Community Meal is set for June 18th serving from 4-7. This is being advertised on Craigslist, in the Brook Park Memorial school newsletter, as well as at the clothing giveaway in May. This meal will be a cookout. The sign up is going around for helpers and donations.
• The next project is going to be lunches in the summer for neighborhood children. There is a need in this area for a program as there are many children in the Brook Park schools who receive breakfast and lunch at school and then have nothing during the summer months. We would like to fill that gap and feed our children. Margi Jay will head up this summer project. It will be from June 14-Aug 18 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30-1pm serving. All three Brook Park schools will be notified. Parents are also invited to stay with their children and eat. There will be fliers passed out inviting them to VBS in August as well.
• For the past month in between the raindrops the Helping Hands have been building a ramp for Pat Cronan. They have worked hard and enjoyed the camaraderie. Bless them.
Nurture
• We have a couple of semi-quiet months ahead of us. However, we are planning to continue Cans for Cookies through the summer months. This means cookie hours will continue and we are asking for help with baked goods (maybe more pastries for morning time in July and August, than the usual cookies). June 5th is the next cookie hour.
• Summer worship hours begin on June 12th. Worship will begin at 9:20 am with announcements and this will hopefully allow us to be out before the summer sweltering heat hits.
• Father’s Day is June 19th and we will recognize our dads as we did our moms for all the love they give to us.
• On July 10th Brook Park Home Days ends their weekend with fireworks and we will have our annual picnic in the back yard of the church to fellowship together and watch the fireworks. Please bring your own meat and dish to share as well as your table ware and lawn chairs to sit on.
Christian Education
• After reviewing more than a dozen applications and conducting four interviews, the Christian education commission and Pastor Dan have agreed upon a candidate for the Youth Minister position to present to board. This will take place at the 5/17/2011 board meeting.
• Sunday School continues to go very well. We have decided to continue Sunday School in the Summer, in the form of a single combined-ages class, meeting at the normal time during worship. Sunday School will revert back to the current a two-class model again in the Fall.
• During worship on the last Spring-schedule Sunday, the CEC will recognize all of the children who have participated in Sunday School this calendar year and all of the teachers who have volunteered their time. Additionally, new high school and college graduates will be recognized. If you know of anyone in the church who is graduating, please let someone on the CEC know!
• VBS curriculum (Inside Out and Upside Down on Mainstreet) has been ordered. VBS will be held from August 7th-11th, from either 5:00PM – 7:30PM or 5:30PM – 8:00PM, depending on what works best for the volunteers and attendees. Parents and volunteers, please mark your calendars – it’s going to be a blast!
Deacons
• The Deacons are now in the discernment process for three new deacons. Their term is for 4 years with 3 coming off each year. Their new year begins on July 1st. Please keep the deacons in prayer as they go through this process for you.
From My Desk To Yours - Karen
Well, American Idol and Dancing with the Stars are over for the summer. A couple of let downs as far I’m concerned, but life goes on. I also randomly/intermittently watched The Biggest Loser this season. I was impressed. Not only was this a show about changing lives for the better, mentally and physically, it was a show about working together for everyone’s benefit. Weekly they had to choose who would go home, and they honestly agonized about it. Sometimes contestants purposely gained a pound or two to be forced off to save another from going home. They seemed to be there to help each other. It was not every man for himself. What an amazing concept to help each other out. The end result was also not a popularity contest with America voting; it was each person’s gain (well loss actually) that got them where they were. The one who won was there because she had truly changed herself for the better, for herself and her family. But they were all winners on that show; no one came away unchanged. They were all healthier and happier with themselves. Why can’t that be the way we all live-helping each other win and winning to make a change for the better in our lives. Why do we have to vote for the prettiest and the most popular when we can work together and all be winners?
