Newsletters

December News Letter

2012-01-17T10:28:00.001-05:00

Our Community Commons Brook Park Community Church of the Brethern D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 Pastor’s Corner: A Message of Change Well I’ve done it now! I’ve crossed the line and there is no coming back now. I’m in so much trouble that I don’t know if I will ever be fully forgiven. I dared to ask the question that might just be the undoing of us all. I asked my Mom if we could change the Christmas Eve tradition to another day so that my family won’t be running from the East side to the West and trying to do a night service at church. Can you hear it? The big explosion of emotion and guilt, that comes when we dare to challenge tradition. We’ve all been there when we get married and have two families to please along with our own new traditions. It isn’t an easy balancing act, and most of us try to do it all until we physically and emotionally are so drained that the Holidays become dreaded. We all want to make everyone happy and in the end we go crazy. Change is hard and it causes us to reevaluate things that maybe we haven’t evaluated in a long long time. So what do we do? Do we continue to do the same things and cause ourselves misery? Or do we dare to try something new? Something that we can do that will both honor the old and the new. Tough questions and tough roads to plow, but necessary non the less. This time of year we are reminded of the birth of Jesus Christ and the message that He brought with Him. It was a message of change, a message that challenges the listener to reconsider their life choices. Jesus says Himself that He didn’t come to change the teachings of old, but to fulfill them. He knows that we need to honor both tradition and change. His message is received well at first, however when He continues to push for change He gets into trouble with the traditionalist. Brothers and Sisters we have seen another year of much change, and we have seen the struggle between the old and the new. I believe that this year will challenge us even more in finding that balance, as there is much change on the horizon. We can choose to fight it and try to derail it, or we could just embrace the movement of the Spirit. One way leads to stagnation and the other to fear. As your Pastor I’m choosing to embrace the change and see where it takes us. God has some great things intended for us and with that we will have to be strong and persistent. Otherwise we will get no where. Please join me this Christmas season in embracing the message of hope and change from the Christ Child. Blessings, Pastor Dan OUR COMMUNITY COMMONS DECEMBER 2011 2 Nurture Commission Cyndi Bova- Chair Jeff Gough Josh Swanson Christmas Tree We hope all are enjoying the new Christmas Tree that was donated by 2 families, we want to thank them for their beautiful gift. We want to encourage anyone to add special bulbs or decorations to the tree this season and we will wrap them up and keep them to place on the tree each coming year. Advent Readers We are excited that we have 5 special readers for Advent: November 27th – Aubrie December 4th – Nick December 11th – Morgan Allen December 18th – Julia December 24th – Mary Hill Christmas Dinner The Christmas Dinner will be Wednesday, December 21st at The Garden in Brook Park. The menu’s will be hung in the vestibule for viewing meals range from $6.45 to $10.00. Please sign the Attendance Sheet on Sunday morning or contact Cyndi, Jeff or Josh to get a reservation. Advent Cookies Advent Cookies hours will be each Sunday through December 18th. There will be no cookie hour on December 25th or January 1st, January 8th will be the first Cookie of 2012. OUR COMMUNITY COMMONS DECEMBER 2011 3 Witness Commission Mary Rohrl, Mark Pollack, Sierea Swanson and Linda Cronan Witness commission has been very busy this year. 1st.We had many fundraisers for the camp scholarship fund. Over $900.00 has been raised this year. We will continue fundraisers so our youth may attend church camp at Inspiration Hills. We were able to sponsored 7 children this last summer for church camp with money left over to start the new year. Our next fundraiser will be a silent auction over the first 2 weeks in December. Witness commission would like to thank you all for your love and support of our youth. 2nd We had many adults and children in the home day parade in July. 3rd Many church members attend the interfaith service for thanksgiving on 11/22 at Mary, Queen of the Apostle Catholic Church. 4th Community garden has another successful year. The community and church members were truly blessed by all those vegetables. Many of the vegetables were given out at the food pantry and the clothing give away. 5th Audrey's Closet had another successful year. We added a few new ministries this year. We started serving community meals in Feb. and so far have served 546 meals with the next meal on 12/17. We also started a kid's lunch program this summer and served 331 lunches. We will continue this lunch program in 2012. We opened our community cupboard to the community and so far we helped over 1069 people with food. We have had 5 clothing give away this year and served over 1000 people. Lastly the helping hands group has been busy this year during small home repairs and building a ramp. The witness commission would like to thank each and every one who has helped with any of these ministries. 6th The outside groups continue to use our church for their meeting place. As of 12/2/11 Brook Park Community Church is the newest member of the Cleveland Food Bank with a $750.00 grant money in our account. Praise Jesus. OUR COMMUNITY COMMONS DECEMBER 2011 4 Stewards Commission Greetings Brother and Sisters, As this year winds down, it brings me to my final year for being on the board. I’ve been reflecting back over the last six years. When I first was asked to serve I said “no, it’s not really something for me.” I didn’t think I was really board material. Eventually I did except, what a life changing experience decision that was. I’ve learned so many new things over this span of time. I’ve grown more as a person; it’s given me a greater respect for life, people, and has brought me spiritually closer. With all the projects that we have done over these six years, it’s helped me to get to know a lot of you. What an awesome experience that has been. I’ve been very blessed working with such great talent. For that I would like to thank all of you for trusting in me and helping the Stewards over the last years in improving our church, supporting our church and supporting all the needs of our church. Truly the stewardship of our church is more than the four members that form this committee. It takes all of us in some way to make this body of Christ work. Holman’s Bible dictionary states stewardship is: “Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation.” In the bible it reads: “When Jesus becomes our Lord, He becomes Lord of our time, talents, finances, and everything we posses. We realize that we are not our own, we are bought with a price.” (1 Cor 6:19-20) We often think of stewardship as our money in tithe to the church, but it goes further than that. Such as our talents and gifts. (Acts 11: 27-29; 1 Cor 3:10-17) How about our bodies and minds? (RO 12:1-2) Are we caring for them as God would want us to? Then there is our family. (1 Pe 3:1-7; 1 Ti 5:8; Eph 5:25-31) Are we teaching and shepherding in the way the Lord has set before us? (Eph 6:1-4) I would say I have seen our church family use our talents and gifts the way the Lord wants us to. We care for all the way our Lord asks us to. And I know you have taught and been shepherds to Bailee, Austin, Mayvis, Kristi and me many times over. I’ve been blessed to serve for our church. I look forward to the challenge asked of me. With out your support and love I would never had been able to do this job I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and happy new year. God bless and thank you, Phil Skinner Treasurer’s Report Cynthia Allen • Through November, our Total Offering (Envelopes & Loose Plate) is $87,873. We will need almost $7,700 in December in order to achieve next year's (2012) Total Offering Budget of $95,525. • Through November, our total year-to-date net income is $3,345. Although behind in our giving, we have been able to cut expenses this year, resulting in a positive bottom line. • The approved 2012 Budget, with projected offering of $95,525, shows a projected net loss of almost $4,000. • Our balance in our Audrey's Closet account is $16,322. This includes Audrey's Closet, Community Cupboard, and the Agape Meals. • We have approximately $59k in our Building Fund and have already collected $1,400 for our next Heifer Project ark! • We sent almost $900 to Camp Inspiration Hills in November. • Starting in 2012, please turn in all receipts, even if you'd prefer to donate the items that you have purchased. We will be tracking these as "Non-Monetary Donations" in order to get a better idea as to how much it actually costs to maintain our church and its various ministries. Simply write "Donation" and a description (or Expense Line Item Number) on your receipt and place in your offering envelope. OUR COMMUNITY COMMONS DECEMBER 2011

June/July/August 2011

2011-05-26T15:31:00.000-04:00

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?

April/May 2011

2011-03-27T13:32:00.000-04:00

Pastor's Corner

Ezekiel 37 is one of my favorite Old Testament stories. Ezekiel finds himself in the middle of a dry land full of bones. No life to be found, void of hope and a future. What a lonely place that must have been, and how depressing! I mean if we are honest with ourselves there are times in our lives and careers when we feel as if we also have been dumped into the valley. We sit in meeting after meeting at work with new, fresh ideas and all we get in response is “no way, that won’t work, you’re crazy, we have never done it that way before.” Or maybe your relationship has led you to the valley where you always do the same things over and over again, never trying anything new and exciting. It is a tough place to be when you’re looking for life, and want to live life. However, unfortunately, we are too often surrounded by those who would rather die in comfort, than live with change and uncertainty. For sure, life is often scary and out of control, and there is nothing more controlled than just lying there dead. God wants to show Ezekiel and you and me that there is nothing in that valley that glorifies Him. He has to come and breathe His Spirit into the dead bones to bring them to life, and then and only then is He glorified.

Brothers and Sisters lately we have seen God’s breath breathing new life into our church. We have seen many new faces in worship, we have seen many new programs proposed and started, and we have even seen a proposal for a new building. This is scary stuff for those who are happy with the status quo and the way things used to be. I mean new people sit in our seats and we may have to find a new seat or rudely ask them to move, in which case we won’t see many new people. New programs mean new ways of thinking and doing, and that is scary. On top of all that there are these crazy folks out there talking about a new building; don’t they know we are fine the way we are? I don’t mean to be flippant, but I think if you take a step back and look with Christ-like eyes, you will see Ezekiel’s story. We can choose to be bones or we can choose to be alive.

If we were to take a hard look at church history and our church’s history, we would see that our Christian ancestors had to make some radical changes in the way they did things or we wouldn’t be here today. When Sunday school was first proposed, the Church at large thought it was crazy and it would never last. When music was first introduced, the same reaction occurred. When single men and woman were allowed to sit together in worship, some thought the end had come. If we were to go back in time and worship and run church the way we do now, we would have been thrown out of the church. Make no mistake, things have changed over the years and they will continue to change. If we stop growing and changing, then we die. Is that what we want?

In closing I would like to quote theologian Richard E. Byrd, “give wind and tide a chance to change.” You may just find yourself liking the new ways, and in a few years they will be the old, comfortable ways.

Until Sunday, Pastor Dan

Stewards

• We are looking into the prices of the materials to build a platform for the praise band and their instruments.

• Another event in the works for Stewards is an after church dinner fundraiser to help cover the costs to re-vamp the bathrooms. We will be looking to repaint the walls, retile the floors, and replace the toilets.

• With spring just around the corner, weather-wise, we will be looking for help with cleaning the yard waste and soon we will be back to mowing the lawn.

• The copier in the office has been replaced. As many of you remember, we had no bulletins a few weeks ago due to the old copier finally dying of old age. The new copier can do what needs to be done, but we do ask that you ask for help in making copies as there are settings that need to be changed with each type of copy made.

Witness

• The Clothing Giveaway was on March 19th. We were pleased to serve 101 adults and 8 children. This is the most we have had for our one day giveaways. Blessings to all who helped.

• The next Community Meal is set for Saturday, April 16th from 4 to 7pm. The set up and cooking time will begin at noon that day. If you know of anyone who would benefit from coming that day, please pass along the information. Please ask them to call the church on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 8-11am to leave a name and number of those coming.

• We continue to have fundraisers for the Camp Scholarship Fund. We will be selling Easter Candy this month to build the fund. We will also be doing the Easter breakfast this year instead of the Youth Group. Our goal is for us to be able to send any and all of our kids to camp this summer, based on desire to go not on need of assistance.

Nurture

• Easter is soon with us.

• We will be soon passing out Flower Order Forms. We have always decorated the front of the sanctuary with beautiful spring flowers and this year will be no different.

• We have already shared the service of Ash Wednesday together and begun the season of Lent. The season continues this month as we head to Palm Sunday, April 17th which is the beginning of Holy Week. During Worship on Palm Sunday we will be having baptism of the Youth who have chosen to join the church family membership. On Thursday, April 21 at 7pm we will come together to celebrate Love Feast with feet washing and communion. On Friday there will be a Choir cantata and scripture readings with communion for Good Friday Service which is also at 7pm. There will also be a service on Holy Saturday, April 23rd at 7pm. This is a candle service of the extinction of the light.

• This leads us to Easter Sunday, the Service of Light! SonRise service will be at 8am followed by breakfast. Easter Worship Service is at 10:20.

Christian Education

• The CE commission has finalized the job description for the Youth Minister position. It is now posted both on the church website (brookparkbrethren.org) and in the narthex. If you know of anyone who might be interested in the position, please forward this information to them.

• We are looking for adults interested in helping out with planning and fundraising for the Jr. and Sr. High Youth, as members of the new Youth Support Team. This group will plan and direct the youth fundraising efforts (for NYC, trips, etc.), will coordinate transportation and chaperoning for youth events, and at least one representative from the YST will attend the second half of each of the Sunday afternoon youth meetings. Please let Matt, Meredith, or Tammy know if you are interested.

• The first few weeks of the new Sunday School schedule have gone very well, and overall attendance is up. Youth meeting attendance and Soteria service attendance are also increasing. Thank you to all of the teachers, helpers, and nursery staff for sharing your gifts.

• Bibles for the children and youth who had not yet received one were ordered and distributed. If you did not receive one and would like one, please let us know.

• Pastor Dan’s baptism class is currently underway and going well.

Deacons

• The book cart will be wheeled out weekly in to the vestibule. Check out the books for some great reading. Donations are accepted too.

• The Deacons are ready to start the process of nominations for new deacons. Every year three deacons come off and three new go on for a four year term beginning July 1st. Please take a few minutes and fill out a form with up to three names to call to be deacons. The forms must be completed by May 15th.

Other Important Tidbits

• Offering Envelopes-If you'd like your own box of offering envelopes, please call or see Margi Jay.

• Recycling-You know helping make the Earth a greener place is near and dear to my (Margi’s) heart. Perhaps you have noticed the green and yellow dumpsters in the school and city parking lots. You can put all your newspapers, junk mail, magazines, phone books, (yes, they take them now), and lightweight cardboard (ex: cereal boxes, granola bar boxes, anything not corrugated). The city has 2 dumpsters in the football field parking (across from city hall) lot where you can take heavyweight cardboard. They are marked cardboard only. You will notice your amount of trash drop significantly if you recycle all your paper and cardboard.

• Brethren Disaster Ministries is supporting Church World Service with its relief efforts in Japan. If you feel called to donate gifts of money you can go online at www.brethren.org/emergencydisasterfund or send donations to
Emergency Disaster Fund 1451 Dundee Ave
Elgin, IL 60120

From My Desk To Yours - Karen

I was out of the office most of the week of St. Patrick’s Day, and when I came for choir practice, imagine my surprise to see the whole flower bed outside the office window filled with purple crocuses already up and blooming. What a beautiful treat that was. Living in the Cleveland area, we have learned that Spring comes when it is ready, calendar or not. When it does finally really arrive, we are blessed to see the beauty of color and songs of birds. When it seems like we just can’t take anymore of the cold, and we are tired of being isolated from everyone, that small flower of faith pops up, and we are renewed. The change in us is as visible as the change in the earth around us. May the spring blessings find us all.

January/February/March 2011

2011-01-23T08:06:00.000-05:00

Pastor's Corner

1 Corinthians 10:13

13” No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

As I write this I have just left the emergency room with my wife in a leg brace and on crutches after she fell and badly hurt her knee. We will be seeing an orthopedic surgeon today to see if surgery is needed. This event comes at the most inopportune time. You see I’m still recovering from back surgery with one more on the way in a few days; I’m also trying to overcome a cough that won’t go away. Harmony is scheduled for a procedure to help with some preexisting issues the day after my second back surgery. Aubrie has a stomach virus that keeps coming and going, and she just started a new gym class. My mother is scheduled for knee replacement surgery. Just to add one more issue to this already chaotic situation, my jeep developed some issues while trying to get Harmony to the emergency room after her fall. Sounds like a bad joke doesn’t it? However I’m still waiting for the punch line!

1 Corinthians 10:13 can be translated in a couple of different ways. The one that is most common talks of temptation; however, the word “tempted” in Greek can also mean “tested”. This is the scripture where we get the all-familiar saying, “God will not put more on you than you can handle.” You can see where I’m going with this I’m sure. As a pastor, I encounter folks everyday who have been dumped on such as we have in the last few weeks, some even more so. Maybe you’re one of those people who read my story and say “that isn’t anything let me tell you about my life.” We all have these stories; we have all lived or are living through these trials. When these things over take us, we find ourselves thinking, “Lord how much more do You think I can take?” My favorite has always been, “Lord I wish You didn’t have so much faith in what I can handle” or I think “You may have misjudged my testing threshold.” It is overwhelming what we find ourselves in all of a sudden, and we just don’t see how we are going to get out of it. I caution on asking God what next, for when I do so there always seems to be an answer that I don’t like.

So how do we survive? How will my family and I ever get through this? I mean not just the problem of trying to be ten places at once, but what if Harmony has to miss a lot of work; what then? And if I dare say it what if something else happens?

Have you ever felt this way? I know you have, we all have. It is crazy, it is overwhelming, and it is so out of control. I believe that is the issue most at hand; it is out of control! Whose control? My control! Now we see the issue don’t we?

2010-02-17T20:38:00.001-05:00

Pastor's Corner

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

4I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

2We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

Every October churches around the world are encouraged to show appreciation to their pastor. Sometimes this is easier for some churches than for others. This past year you overwhelmed my family and me with not just October appreciation, but a whole year of appreciation. I’ve seen churches just go through the motions of showing this, but you go far beyond that, and we are blessed.

Although I agree with churches encouraging their leadership, for so many do not, I worry that we as leaders miss the opportunity to appreciate our churches. I have never served in a church that I couldn’t find something to appreciate in it. However as I sit with my brothers and sisters in the ministry I find the opposite. We are a bunch of whiners. Don’t get me wrong; there are many valid reasons for many of my friends to be cynical, but I all too often see this as the only thing they are. Leaders need to take more time looking at the positives and less time looking at the negatives.

My Brook Park family, there is nothing I like to do better than to brag about you as a church. I do give thanks daily to God for bringing us to you. Using Paul’s language, you folks have been enriched in every way, because the testimony of Christ is confirmed in you. I’m not just saying this either; this church is special and has so much to offer the community. When most churches say they are a family, it means dysfunctional at best; however, we are functional and healthy. Praise God!

I share all this because you have already done the hard part of church, preparing the soil. The hardest part of ministry in most congregations is getting it right inside the building and with each other, not a problem here. Now what we need to do is go out and invite people in.

We have a good, Godly thing here and we should share it.

My hope for this New Year is that we will be more purposeful about inviting those we know that are without a church family to come and see. That we will witness in this next year an increase of “new people” in our family, and need to have multiple membership classes. You don’t have to be a Biblical scholar to do this; all you have to do is love and invite. I know that you can do what you did with me, and I now I can’t stop talking about you.

Blessings,

Your Pastor

Nuture

We would also like to thank everyone for their help during the holidays. We had Advent readers and Dan’s Christmas Eve Service and decorators. We also had much needed help for un-decorating the church.

We are looking for some materials to make new curtains for the kitchen. If you would like to help purchase some see Pat. We have a volunteer to sew them.

Ash Wednesday Service will be Feb 17th. We are not sure yet if worship will be here or at the United Methodist Church on Smith Rd. We should know next week. Easter services will be following as we traditionally do, Palm Sunday, Love Feast, Good Friday, Sonrise, and Easter Worship.

Cookie Hours continue to be the first Sunday of the month. We will be calling on many of you to help provide cookies and to help set up and clean up. Thank you in advance.

Christian Education

Sunday School attendance continues to be lower than we would like to see. We realize with the cold and snow that it is hard to make it early enough for Sunday School, but we look forward to seeing everyone here sharing and learning together.

This should help; we already have this summer’s VBS materials selected. We will choose a week soon and let you know how you can help that week.

Safe Sanctuary is in place. With the windows in the classroom doors, and the teachers’ paperwork fill out, we are now set to make sure all of the children have their paperwork completed as well.

Stewards

In case you haven’t been able to make it to church, things have changed. Besides the brightness from the new windows, the temperature has also changed, for the better. It is amazing the difference and warmth that the work on the walls provided. The walls need to primed and painted. There will be a pay to vote for the paint color. To contribute to the building fund, there are now envelopes in the pews, or you can use any envelope and mark it accordingly. There will soon be a visual for the building fund to see how we are doing in paying ourselves back for sanctuary work. We are also looking into installing the projector screen onto the front wall. This will eliminate the crowded feeling on the left side of the stage area.

We are also going to create a permanent place for the Praise Band. The pews opposite the choir will not be returned to their place. The floor will be cleaned and the Praise Band will play from there.

Witness

We would like to thank all who helped make this a special holiday for many by donating hats and gloves and other items for food baskets.

There will be a clothing giveaway set up in April after Easter. It will again be on a Saturday. Audrey’s Closet and the building are still on our minds. The building proposal is sitting on the Building Commissioner’s desk at City Hall. We will get it done though. Whatever it takes we are determined to make this a reality which in turn will open the service project to more people on a regular basis. How it will operate and be manned is still in the planning stages, but the formal plan will be in writing soon.

Senior High & Junior High

Winter Rally for Senior High is at the end of this month. We will not be able to go due to transportation difficulties.

Our next dinner will be the SOUP SMORGASBORD. We will be serving on Nov 15th after worship just before the Congregational Business Meeting.

And NYC is almost here. We registered this month and paid our deposit for each of the seven of us going. We will begin booking our flights at the beginning of Feb. The mountains are calling to us! We have worked hard these last three and a half years and we have you all to thank for our financial success. But we are not done. Hoagies will be ready for Super Bowl Sunday, we have Easter Breakfast and perhaps a bake sale to round us off to being done. A BIG THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

The Junior High Winter Rally is set for Feb 19/20 also at Inspiration Hills. Calling all Junior High Youth who would like to go!.

Deacons

We are looking to start fellowship meals again as a way to get to know each other better. We see each other in a limited capacity each Sunday when we are hurried and see many for just a few minutes. This will give us the opportunity to share a quiet meal with just a few. We will spread the word soon about the process.

From my desk to you - Karen

So many changes are taking place. For some of us it was hard to watch the sanctuary windows being covered up. I grew up with those windows embracing us on both sides of the church. They were a big part of how I identified the church. I looked up at them and their color every Sunday for 40+ years. I listened to the wind whistle through them every season, and I never thought of them as a sieve to let the cold air in. I always thought of them as a way of hearing God speak to us. That is how I usually look at storms, as a way of hearing His voice through the world around me. I look up now and it is so light and the crosses/windows are beautiful, but the colors are missing. I know that change isn’t all bad; some changes are good. The warmth can be felt now and people are comfortable as they hear the Word, and that is a good thing. The heating bills should reflect this, and that is a good thing. And church is not really about windows, but still I will miss them and the beautiful whistling that came through them…..

November and December 2009

2010-02-17T20:20:00.001-05:00

Pastor's Corner

Well the season is upon us, just look around at Wal-Mart or the Mall. We are quickly coming to Christmas. This year I’m encouraging the church to think of good memories of Christmas past. I have started to do so in preparation for the season, and I have found that very few of my memories have anything to do with the presents I received, but more with the people I’m blessed to be with.

My first memory is of Christmas Eve service 1979. I was asked to sing a solo in Church that night. I chose to sing, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth,” and they let me! As I got up to sing, I was nervous and about to back out when Charlotte Richter the choir director, and a Saint of all Saints, pulled me aside. She told me to not look at the congregation but to look at the picture of Jesus in the back of the church knocking on a door. From that day on when I did anything in front of the church, I looked at that picture and found the comfort I needed to get through it. Every church I served, except this one, has had some picture of Jesus in the back that I have been able to look at during service.

Another memory comes from my Christmas Eve service on 2005. Just 18 days old I held Aubrie through the whole service, even during the sermon. I just didn’t want to let her go. She just lay in my arms and slept; how times change! I preached on what it must have been like for Joseph and Mary to know they were going to be responsible for raising the Savior of the world. I can’t imagine, can you? It is hard enough raising Aubrie much less Jesus!

My final memory comes from Christmas Eve 2007. It was just a little under a month before I had interviewed at Brook Park and I knew that I would be leaving the churches I was serving. It was a bittersweet service. On one hand I was excited about a new start and the wonderful church that was waiting for me, but on the other I was crushed that I had to leave the two churches that Harmony and I had grown so close to, and who had been with us since the birth of Aubrie. I remember crying all the way to church that night and trying to compose myself for service. I cannot remember what I preached on that night; all I remember is looking at Harmony and seeing the tears in her eyes. That was one of the worst Christmas services I can recall. I do remember looking at the picture of Jesus in the back of the church for comfort, and it worked!

This Christmas season instead of stressing out about the busyness or the cost, how about we just remember what makes Christmas what it is. It is about the birth of our Lord and Savior, and about spending quality time with friends and family. Neither one of those cost us a thing, but gives us all that we will ever need.

Until next Sunday,
Pastor Dan

Nuture

November cookie hour is on the first and then we will begin the traditional Advent Cookie Hours starting Nov 29 and go through each Sunday to Dec 20th. Please see a Nurture member if you can bring cookies in.

We will be doing the Hanging of the Greens a little early this year as the first Advent Sunday falls during Thanksgiving weekend. We will instead decorate the church Saturday, Nov 21st so as to not interfere with family gatherings during the next weekend. We will let you know what time soon.

On November 22nd at 7:00pm, we will be celebrating our Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service. The United Methodist Church is hosting the service and Pastor Michael Oakley from the Lutheran Church will be sharing the message.

Christmas Eve Service will be a sharing of Christmas Memories Past. Service starts at 7:00pm. We would like illuminate the parking lot and walkway, so we are asking for all one gallon milk or juice jugs (clear) to make the luminaries.

Christian Education

Sunday School is moving ahead; we would like to see more children coming. The children and the teachers all have a good time learning together, so come on in and join them. We have classes for everyone.

Otherwise Christian Education is enjoying the quiet of the season.

Stewards

Plan on staying for the Congregational Business meeting on Nov 15th after worship, beginning at 1pm. This is the time to voice praise and concerns for the upcoming years’ ideas and plans. We will be voting on the budget for next year as well as the slate of names for the board. You should be receiving the minutes from last year’s meeting soon via e-mail so you can look them over before the meeting. We will hopefully have an update soon on the roof repairs and wall siding of the sanctuary.

Witness

Witness has started taking names of anyone in need of some extra help during the holidays. They will be putting together Thanksgiving Baskets to help fill out the holiday. If you have the name of someone you would like to help, please see Diane Pollock.

We also begin now to collect hats, gloves and socks to be given to the Berea Children’s Home for the Cold Weather that is soon upon us. Please start bringing in these items so that we can get them there when most needed.

The clothing giveaway was on Oct 24th and we had a good turnout. The tables were full and we enjoyed the camaraderie with the men’s fellowship who cooked breakfast for the giveaway volunteers.

Senior High & Junior High

The Senior High youth were not able to go to the Fall rally as it happened on Homecoming Weekend for most of our girls. We are looking forward to Winter Rally in January.

Our next dinner will be the SOUP SMORGASBORD. We will be serving on Nov 15th after worship just before the Congregational Business Meeting.

Then we will be taking orders for Super Bowl Hoagies after the first of the year.

We will be registering for NYC sometime in January and booking our flights probably in February. Our balance for NYC registration is due by April 1st. It is coming up fast, and the girls are excited.

A Word from Margi

I will be setting the offering envelopes for 2010 soon. If you aren’t getting envelopes and would like them, let me know.

I will also be passing out third quarter reports in about two weeks. If you see any mistakes, just let me know.

I am also trying to get together a group of ladies to attend the Women of Faith conference here in Cleveland in Sept. 2010. If we get a group of 10 or more the price is only $89.00 per person for the two day conference. Steven Curtis Chapman and Anita Renfroe will be presenting at the conference.

Keep up with the recycling. We are really doing well filling our boxes and bins.

From my desk to you - Karen

Wow, the holidays are almost here. I feel like I should be shopping already or doing something since the stores are filled with so much holiday stuff (you know like decorations and candy and gift ideas). Am I behind already? I haven’t even put up fall decorations yet. I am however waiting very patiently to start playing Christmas music on the car CD player (Nov 1st is my day). My children make fun of me, and Bud just shakes his head. I would start sooner, but that might be pushing my family over the edge. But I love Christmas music. I love to play it loudly in the car. It makes me feel good to hear of the joy and wonder and anticipation of the birth of the Savior. So forget feeling behind with shopping and decorating and baking, pull out that music and really feel on top of the season and experience it for as long as you can.

Newsletters

December News Letter

June/July/August 2011

Pastor's Corner

Stewards

Witness

Nurture

Christian Education

Deacons

From My Desk To Yours - Karen

April/May 2011

Pastor's Corner

Stewards

Witness

Nurture

Christian Education

Deacons

Other Important Tidbits

From My Desk To Yours - Karen

January/February/March 2011

Pastor's Corner

Stewards

Witness

Nurture

Christian Education

Deacons

November and December 2010

Pastor's Corner

Stewards

Witness

Nurture

Christian Education

Deacons

From My Desk to You - Karen

September and October 2010

Pastor's Corner

Stewards

Witness

Nurture

Christian Education

Deacons

Leadership Discernment Committee

From My Desk to You-Karen

May and June 2010

Pastor's Corner

Stewards

Witness

Nurture

Christian Education

Senior High & Junior High

From My Desk to You-Karen

Deacons

March and April 2010

Pastor's Corner

Stewards

Witness

Nurture

Christian Education

Senior High & Junior High

From My Desk to You-Karen

Deacons

January and February 2010

Pastor's Corner

Nuture

Christian Education

Stewards

Witness

Senior High & Junior High

Deacons

From my desk to you - Karen

November and December 2009

Pastor's Corner

Nuture

Christian Education

Stewards

Witness

Senior High & Junior High

A Word from Margi

From my desk to you - Karen

There is nothing which God cannot accomplish.