Church of the Brethren
MO/ARK District UPDATE
June 6, 2008
District Anniversary Quilt is Completed. Women Fellowships of the MO/ARK District have made quilt blocks to be assembled in a 300th Anniversary Quilt. This quilt will be taken to Annual Conference to be displayed.
Peggy Tess took the blocks home from Women Retreat and she and Sylvia Pyrka sewed the blocks together for the quilt top. They, along with the assistance of Joyce Bybee-Brown layered and pin-basted the layers together. The Fristoe quilt club quilted it at their regular meeting in May. Joyce finished it and hemmed it. Peggy says it was a challenge, but worth the extra effort. Barbra Davis will carry it to Annual Conference.
The District is indebted to these willing workers for the labor of love on our behalf.
NOAC Bus Still Available. There is still some room on the bus to the National Older Adult Conference (NOAC) to be held Sept. 1-5 (Mon -Fri) at Lake Junaluska, NC. This bus is sponsored by the Western Plains but they are inviting MO/ARK persons to join them. The bus will leave on Sun August 31 and return from the conference on Sat Sept 6. The theme for the conference is “Come to the Water.” If you would like to join the bus ride, contact David Fruth, 620-245-0674 or Ed Switzer, 620-662-6276. A deposit of $50 to hold a place on the bus is due by June 1. (oops, but call anyway) with final payment of $160 (total $210-full bus price) due by July 15. The price includes one night in a motel going and one night on the return trip. Breakfasts at the motels will be included.
New Work Site Opens in Louisiana. Brethren Disaster Ministries has opened a new Hurricane Katrina rebuilding site in East New Orleans (Arabi), LA. The rebuilding site in Pearl River, LA, was moved to Arab in April.
The reason for making the move is that there is little work left at the Pearl River site. Volunteers have been traveling across Lake Pontchartrain down to East Orleans daily. It will be much more convenient and better stewardship for both the project directors and the volunteers to be housed closer to where they are working. The new project has been dubbed NOLA East. Volunteer groups who had been scheduled to work at Pearl River will go instead to project headquarters in Arabi, and will continue to work on cases provided by the Southeast Louisiana Recovery Network. The work will be mainly in the Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes.
An allocation of $25,000 from the Church of the Brethren's Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) helps fund the new project site, where volunteers will rebuild homes damaged or destroyed by Katrina. (From Cheryl Brumbaugh Cayford, director of news services)
Remember Anne Zimmerman. Please remember Anne Zimmerman in prayer as she recovers from a cornea transplant. Anne is experiencing limited sight and is expecting a long time of recovery. Anne can be reached at 417-256-9703 or by mail at: 7704 Co Rd 2770, West Plains, MO 65775.
News from Good Shepherd. Andree Lucore graduated from Nurses training on May 16 and is looking forward to taking her 'boards' to complete her degree in nursing.
Dr. Elizabeth Stover Lucore has completed her studies and will do her
residency at Cox Medical Centers.
The Division Street Baptist church has once again, planted a large garden in
the back of the church. They have fed a lot of hungry people in the years
since they have taken it over.
New Anniversary Book Available. A new illustrated biography about the first minister and organizer of the Brethren movement has been written to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the church. Alexander Mack: A Man Who Rippled the Waters will educate Brethren from ages 8 to 88 about important events and influences in the life of Alexander Mack (1679-1735). The text conveys, in simple terms, the 18th century political and religious conditions Mack experienced in both Germany and Holland, and later, in Pennsylvania. Written especially for children ages 8-12, the biography will be a sourcebook for all ages.
The book covers Mack's early education and work at his father's mill in Schriesheim, his flight to the village of Schwarzeneau, the forbidden baptisms in the Eder River, and the organization of evangelistic groups. The story tells how Mack devoted his life to preaching and caring for members of the German Baptists as they made decisions based on faith, and, eventually, sailed to America.
Ruthann Knechel Johansen, President of Bethany Theological Seminary says of the book: “Writing in clear and graceful prose, Myrna Grove does not simply bring to life the person and courageous faith of Alexander Mack, but by weaving the story of those who influenced him into the vision and relationships that became the Church of the Brethren, she also helps 21st century readers trace patterns of faith in such forebears.
The 64-page hardback book is enhanced with 50 carefully researched oil paintings by Mary Jewell, which portrays the time period of Mack's life. The book is available at www.mgrovebooks.com. Cost is $22 plus shipping. The book can also be ordered from Brethren Press (www.brethrenpress.com).
Church of the Brethren Credit Union Offers Checking Accounts with Debit Cards. The CoBCU is excited to announce checking accounts with debit cards. The introduction of debit cards is exciting because, for the first time, our Church of the Brethren Credit Union members can access their accounts from anywhere, said Cindy Bravos, marketing coordinator of Brethren Benefit Trust.
No minimum balance is required to open an interest-bearing checking account with CoBCU; however, a minimum balance of $25 must be maintained in a share savings account. A debit card will be issued automatically upon opening a checking account and surcharge-free ATMs are available to members nationwide. Choosing the signature option when using your new debit card will give you 5c back on every transaction. To learn more about all the benefits and how to open your CoBCU checking account with debit card, contact CoBCU at 888-832-1383 or visit www.cobcu.org.
Coming Events
June 28 Leadership Team Meeting, Greenwood Church
July 7 Installation of pastor Jerry Acosta at Rogers Mennonite
Brethren Church. Pot Luck following the service.
July 12-16 Annual Conference, Richmond, VA
August 3-9 District Camp, Hammond Mill Campground
August 11-15 National Young Adult Conference (NYAC), Estes Park, CO
Sept 1-5 National Older Adult Conference, Lake Junaluska, NC
Sept. 26-27 District Conference, Windermere Conference Center
Let's have some news of YOUR congregation. Blessings on your ministries.
Carolyn Schrock