The Beacon
Newsletter
June 28, 2024 Volume 66, No 26
This SUNDAY: June 30, 2024
Theme: The Small but Urgent Matters
We will sit with Jesus’ prayer one more time to examine our own vulnerability, dependance, and even guilt as creatures in need. We will keep in mind that the prayer, at its core, is communal – but that any of us may bring even the smallest matters of our lives to the God who is close to us like a good and caring parent.
To prepare, please read: Luke 11:1-4.
Pastor Paula Ulrich
Sunday, June 30
9:30 a.m. Meet & Eat
10:30 a.m. Worship
Monday, July 1
Office Closed
Tuesday, July 2
Office Open 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Wednesday, July 3
Office Open 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Thursday, July 4
Office Closed
Friday, July 5
Office Closed
Saturday, July 6
B.I.C.Y.C.L.E. Ride 11:00 a.m.
Sunday, July 7
9:30 a.m. Meet & Eat
10:30 a.m. Worship
Remember to check the Breeze calendar for upcoming events and activities!
Worship on 6/23/2024:
In-person attendance 63
Offering 6/16 $3077.00
————————————
Food Bank on 6/26/2024:
Individuals served: 63
Families served: 27
Please see below for Pastor’s Annual Conference schedules and who to contact while they are away!
Pastors Away This Week at Annual Conference
(and Other Important AC News)
Pastors Paula and Anna Lisa will be at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference this coming week, July 2-7, in Grand Rapids, MI. Pastor Paula will be serving as the Chaplain for the Conference. In that role, she will be on-call for pastoral care needs and also set up and facilitate a prayer room for conference participants. She will be participating in the Minister's Pre-Annual Conference Continuing Education event, and also will serve as a "Listener" for individuals who need support during the Womaen's Caucus Dinner.
Pastor Anna Lisa will be hosting the Womaen's Caucus booth alongside the Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBTQ interests with the shared theme "making space" and radical welcome. The Womaen's Caucus Dinner will feature Heidi Ramer as the keynote speaker addressing "What is Justice?" when sexual abuse happens in the church. Womaen's Caucus is seeking a church culture in which sexual abuse doesn't happen and exploring the ways that church systems can support accountability and healing, especially through our denominational ethics process.
On Friday at Annual Conference, Pastor Anna Lisa's mother, Rachel Gross, will be honored with a reception. She founded and has directed the Death Row Support Project for 45 years, but is retiring and passing the baton to a team of coordinators. The DRSP is a letter-writing program in which individuals are paired with a person on death-row for on-going communication, caring relationship, and support.
Our Annual Conference Delegates are Donna and Joel Kline this year. Dan Ulrich also will be attending, offering leadership for Equipping Sessions on behalf of Bethany Theological Seminary.
Immediately following Annual Conference, Pastor Anna Lisa will attend Song and Story Fest at Camp Brethren Heights in Rodney, MI, as one of the featured Story-Tellers (July 7-13). She will return to BH on July 14.
While the Pastors are away: If you have a pastoral care need, please connect with the Care Team and Prayer Chain by calling/texting/e-mailing Mary Wysong.
Meet & Eat
REMINDER: This Sunday, June 30, is a potluck for Meet and Eat. Bring something to share with others! We will be decorating lunch bags for Annual Conference. These lunch bags will be used to pack lunches for the Kids Food Baskets. Bags and supplies will be provided.
Volunteers Needed!
Nurture is looking for two volunteers for our potlucks on the last Sundays of the month for Meet and Eat. One person would be in charge of making sure the coffee is started and the other person would be in charge of making sure things get cleaned up. There could be different people at each potluck or you could do more than one. There is a sign up sheet in the office or you can email or text (Ruthann.bever@gmail.com or 260-341-2965) if you would be willing to help with this for a month. We will be taking a break in July from Meet and Eat so we won’t need volunteers then but that leaves April, May, June, August, September, October, November, and December. Please consider helping!
Next B.I.C.Y.C.L.E. Rides
The next BICYCLE ride is Saturday,
July 6. We will be riding portions of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail starting in Shipshewana at 11 am. The parking lot is near the intersection of Depot and Talmadge streets. Put Pumpkinvine Nature Trial/Shipshewana in Google maps. There are a number of options for distances. We don't want to leave anyone behind so please let me know if you plan on joining us. Hope to see you then!
-Brian Zehr bkzehr@yahoo.com
260-433-6244
Please plan to stay a few minutes after church on Sunday July 7th. We need help moving all of the furniture out of the parlor, south classroom, and food bank in preparation for carpet cleaning.
Thank you! -Stewards Commission
There are discarded books in the fellowship hall free to anyone who would like to have them!
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 July 10th, 24th, 31st and August 2024, if you would like to sign-up! The sign-up sheet is located on the office countertop.
Join Plymouth Congregation church in celebration of Pride Month on Saturday June 29th from 10:00am-4:00pm for a book discussion and signing with authors of “Embracing Queer Family” authors, Katie and Nia Chiaramonte at 10:00am, a live music performance with Gabriel Kanka at 1:00pm, and a family-friendly drag show at 3:00pm!
All ages are welcome!
Ladies’ Birthday Luncheon
July’s luncheon will take place at Heritage Pointe Clubhouse on the 10th at 12:30 p.m. It will be a potluck lunch, please bring a dish to share. Please let Lois Guess know if you’ll be attending and for directions to the clubhouse.
This summer is a great time for us in Northern Indiana to appreciate one of the Church of the Brethren's gifts: Song and Story Fest. This is a week of music, storytelling, hikes, swimming, new friends, old friends (or whatever you like to do at a camp) with really good homemade food. Come for all or part: July 7-13, 2024 Camp Brethren Heights, Rodney, Michigan.
Pastor Anna Lisa is one of the storytellers, along with hot shots like Susan Boyer and Jonathan Hunter - who will knock your socks off! Plus fantastic musicians like Chris Good (married to Heidi Beck, who grew up at Beacon Heights) and Greg & Rhonda Baker (Rhonda grew up at Beacon Heights).
Read more at https://www.onearthpeace.org/song_and_story_fest_2024
Next SUNDAY: July 7, 2024
Theme: Good Bones
Guest preacher John Gardner joins us this Sunday to ponder the state of the church these days, in a culture where the gospel has been severely twisted and debased.
To prepare, please read: Ezekiel 2:1-5; Mark 6:1-13.
Published by Beacon Heights
Church of the Brethren
Editor: Alexis Shoda
Phone: (260) 482-8595
Email: office@beaconheights.net
We have two email lists for news: the Beacon (which you're reading) and the Local Congregation (which includes worship information and other announcements). Contact the Office to be added or removed from either list. We also have a private email prayer chain (active participants may contact the Office to opt-in.)