NEWS FROM THE GROVE September 2017 Mark Bowyer, Pastor

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1 NEWS FROM THE GROVE September 2017 Mark Bowyer, Pastor 668 Wakemans Grove Road, Edinburg, VA Web Address: Office: FROM PASTOR MARK: Is God There? I made a friend at the Billy Graham Training Center last weekend. John is a professional counselor, and he told me a great story! He was counseling a woman who was really angry with God. She was so angry that as she listed off all the ways God had been unfair to her, she wouldn't even make eye contact- staring at the wall, etc. John was having a really bad day himself- his faith weak and his resolve thin. Finally, when she had paused, he said, I really envy you! She was amazed. Why? She asked. My faith is really small today (he made a gesture with his fingers just a pinch apart), but no one could be as angry as you and not believe in the One you're angry at! It was a good observation, and it helped them both. The retreat we were attending was called, When God is Silent, led by former Pastor and Seminary Professor, Steve Brown. I would like to share with you a few insights from the weekend; which I am very grateful to have attended. In our scientifically biased world (meaning we are expected to have proof before we take anything seriously), we are always searching for evidence that God is really there- some miracle that appears to break the rules of science to prove God is real. (No criticism of science is intended here, indeed science is a vital tool of discovery that was actually developed by people of faith and serves us well today.) But we must remember that science is limited to the realms of matter and energy. The realm of the Spirit is difficult to quantify by scientific means. But that doesn't mean it isn't real! C. S. Lewis used to call this world the land of shadows, insisting that the Spiritual realm was more real than the physical. As his wife, Joy lay dying of cancer, he would comfort her by reminding her that this world was, only shadows. Real life hasn t begun yet. Actually, our world, while looking for concrete proof of God, is also full of talk of faith. How many books and movies are driven by the theme of following one s heart or believing in some kind of destiny? Magic permeates a fair number of books and films for both adults and children. It is as if we know there ought to be something more than we can merely see, but we are not quite sure how to get there. As Steve Brown told us, Hunger and thirst don t prove there's food and water, but it s a good indication there might be! In the 19th century, pioneering psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud said that humans had projected a father image in the sky to fulfill some deep longing for a father figure. He was among those who believed that man had invented God. But he failed to consider that more obvious truth- that our longing for a father reflects the reality of the Father who is in Heaven, just as thirst reflects our longing for good water. So, if God is indeed real (and He is, I want to assure you), why is it so hard to prove? Why, sometimes, does He seem so distant, so silent? Read many of the Psalms, and you will find you're in good company if you re asking these same questions: Psalm 10:1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalm 42:9 I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" Psalm 74:9 We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. So, first of all, take comfort from the fact that God s own book is full of passages about people who had a hard time with their faith. He understands! Remember too how far apart we are from God. Yes, He is a close and intimate friend through His Son, Jesus Christ, but He is also the mighty God and Creator of all things. Once in a while, He needs to remind us of that. Look at the sequence of the wonderful God-seeking passage of Isaiah 55:Isaiah 55:1 Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Here again is the image of thirst. All our thirsts are really thirst for God! A few verses later:

2 Happy Birthday to these special September people: Sept. 1 Barry Arey 4 Ethel Estep 4 Ayla Williams 5 Connor Wakeman 5 B.J. Silvious 5 Tabitha Silvious 5 Andie Miller 6 Jasmine Wakeman 6 Tammy Bullock 8 Kaydence Wakeman 8 Tinley Proskey 9 Nelson Wakeman 10 Tessa Feller 10 Zachary Funkhouser 12 Jaydn Bly 13 Jamie Lam 14 Paul Feller 14 Lisa Tamkin 15 Bill Lam 15 Frankie Myrtle 16 Jedidiah Crowder 16 Austin Wakeman 19 Kim Dodson 20 Jeremy Wakeman 21 Sydney Tharp 21 Kenny Funkhouser 21 Chip Wood 22 Crystal Hollingsworth 22 Carrie Proskey 24 Dean Minnick 25 Morgan Hollar 25 Dennis Wakeman 27 John Lam 27 Todd Lam 27 Lacy Kreitzer 29 Loretta Wakeman 30 April Baker 30 Joseph Hill If you have additions or corrections for the birthday and anniversary list, please contact Dawn Baker. Best Wishes to these special couples celebrating anniversaries this month: Sept. 2 Mr. & Mrs. Kurt George 5 Mr. & Mrs. Ronnie Hoffman 6 Mr. & Mrs. Fred Garber 6 Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Tusing 7 Mr. & Mrs. Edward Trelawny 9 Mr. & Mrs. Mike Richman 13 Mr. & Mrs. Martin Burner 13 Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Foltz 17 Mr. & Mrs. B.J. Crisman 19 Mr. & Mrs. Tim Falkenstein 19 Mr. & Mrs. Al Vann 25 Mr. & Mrs. Daron Dodson 27 Mr. & Mrs. John Hunsaker 29 Mr. & Mrs. Eric Proskey 28 Mr. & Mrs. Barry Arey 30 Mr. & Mrs. Todd Lam Youth Club After-School Program The Youth Club After-School Program (formerly KFC) will kick-off on Wednesday, September 13 and continue through Wednesday, November 16 from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Please contact Mandy Tharp for more information. Volunteers are needed for teachers, recreation and to help in the kitchen. Winter Worship Schedule Beginning September 3 through May 27: 10:00 a.m. Sun. School 11:00 a.m. Worship Page 2

3 THANK YOU Dear Church Family: Thank you for the goodie bag and the covered dish meal celebrating my high school graduation. It was greatly appreciated! ~Kyle Foltz Dear Church Family: Thank you so much for honoring my high school graduation. The goody bag, gift card and luncheon were greatly appreciated. As I transition into this new phase of my life, I am excited to be attending Virginia Tech! Please keep me in your prayers throughout my college journey; as support is instrumental to my success! Thank you again for your thoughtfulness! ~Will Lam RECENT BAPTISMS: On Sunday, August 6th at the home of Rick & Cathy Looman on the Shenandoah River, some amazing individuals were baptized into our family of believers. Congratulations to: William Eberly Samantha Silvious Tabitha Silvious Alexis Silvious Lilly Tharp Sydney Tharp Haley Tharp FAMILY PROMISE HOST CHURCH ROTATION SCHEDULE (4th ROUND) 10/1 ~10/8 Strasburg Christian Church 10/8-10/15 Antioch COB 10/15-10/22 Wakemans Grove COB 10/22-10/29 Valley Pike COB 10/29-11/5 Mt. Hermon UMC 11/5-11/12 St. John Bosco Catholic Church 11/12-11/19 All Souls Anglican Church 11/19 ~ 11/26 TBD 11/26-12/3 St. John s UMC 12/3-12/10 Saumsville Christian Church 12/10-12/17 Lebanon Lutheran Church 12/17-12/24 Strasburg Assembly of God 12/24-12/31 TBD Prayerfully consider helping with this round of Family Promise, October We PROMISE you will be blessed in many ways!! Page 3

4 SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS NURSERY (1 & 2 year olds) All year: Diana Barton Gloria Markley Linda Miller PRESCHOOL (3-5 year olds) 1st Qtr.: Kim Balderson KINDERGARTEN/FIRST GRADE 1st Qtr.: Karey Mullins SECOND GRADE/THIRD GRADE 1st Qtr.: Tessie Lam FOURTH GRADE/FIFTH GRADE 1st Qtr.: Donna Lear JUNIOR HIGHS (6th, 7th & 8th Grades) 1st Qtr.: Mandy Tharp CBYF (9th 12th Grades) 1st Qtr.: Adam & Kristi Zirkle SUNDAY SCHOOL SINGERS DIRECTOR Laura Funkhouser EXPLORERS Mark Bowyer ALPHA LOGOS John Dove will find teachers within the class GOOD SAMARITIANS Teachers within the class SEEKERS Fred Garber Gary Shipe Harold Ebersole FRIENDS IN CHRIST Libby Rocco Ronnie Hoffman Diana Zirkle ADULT Ned Conklin Donna Shrum Jean Wilkins SUNDAY SCHOOL SECRETARY Sharon Foltz A special thank you to Jean Kohne for getting teachers for the first quarter and to all the teachers who prayerfully considered and said yes!! Thank you for listening to God s call. A total of $6, was disbursed for the 2017 Fall Semester by the Lula Wakeman Hardy Scholarship Committee to: Cameron Baker Lauran Baker Kyle Foltz Kaitlyn Wakeman Thomas Lam William Lam Grace Eberly Meredith Bauserman Page 4

5 Let Us Help You! For the past several years the Deacons have budgeted money to assist with the payment of anyone who needs to attend counseling at the Family Life Resource Center ( ) in Harrisonburg. The FLRC offers counseling in marital problems, divorce, parent-child relationships, addictions, etc. If you need help to pay an insurance co-pay or if you do not have insurance for counseling, please consider letting this fund help you. You would sign a release of information form which would give permission for a bill to be sent to the church. This will all be held in strict confidence. The cost for counseling is $120 for the first session and $90 for each succeeding session. The Church will cover 80% of the patient s responsibility up to five visits. Please contact Pastor Mark to arrange for services. The Deacons are always available to give assistance in any way be it financial aide, visitation in homes, hospitals, meals, anointing services, etc. Sometimes things happen of which the Deacons are not aware. So if you know of anyone in the congregation or community who needs assistance, please let one of the Deacons know. The Deacons names and phone numbers are printed in the bulletin each week. Don t hesitate to call! CALLING ALL SINGERS... Wakemans Grove Church Wakemans Grove has always been blessed with a strong musical ministry. This is only possible through the dedication and commitment of singers coming to rehearsal and parents making a priority to bring their children to practice. Music is an excellent way to imbed the word of God in your heart and singing is good for the soul! Please see if one of our musical groups will be a good fit for you. Adult Choir - open to all interested adults who want to come out and join in the fun of making music for the Lord. Rehearsals on Wed. from 8:00 to 9:00 starting September 13th The Grove Youth Band - youth focused band with a contemporary sound. Rehearsals on Wed. from 7:00 to 8:00 starting September 13th Wakemans Grove Junior Choir children s choir - K thru 6th grade. Rehearsals on Wed. from 6:15 to 6:45 starting on September 13th Sunday School Singers - ages 1-4, practice during the Sunday School hour. Prayer is Top Priority Make prayer the number one priority of your life. It was through prayer that Jesus saw victory and blessing. Who doesn t want that? We all need to be prayer warriors. 1. If you miss anything in life don t miss prayer. 2. If you need to miss any service of the church, don t miss the prayer meeting. 3. If you find yourself so busy that you don t know what to do first pray first. 4. Always let God have the last word; in other words when you pray, take time to listen. Music is a powerful part of worship! Don t miss the opportunity to be part of this! Please give me a call at or chat with me after church. Libby Rocco Choir and Band Director ~ source unknown Page 5

6 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. declares the Lord. 9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. If we want to find God, it may take some effort- after all, we are pretty puny compared to Him, and besides, our sinfulness is a major distraction! If you want to find me, says God, push aside your sinful distractions long enough to hear what I am saying to you. And His message to us will always be full of grace. Also, remember. God tells us to use our memory, our testimonials of His goodness in the past. If you don t hear Him today, remember the last time you did! Remember the kindness and firmness of His promises when you last heard them. We are told to remind one another of the times He spoke and acted. The ancient Israelites were instructed to build cairns (rock piles that took some effort to make) at sites where God had spoken or His activity clearly seen. In Hebrew, these are called ebenezers, or stones of help. Remember too that God s silences serve God s purposes. As an insightful Jr. High student told her group at Brethren Woods in June, The teacher is always quiet during the test. Steve Brown put it differently, but it was the same idea, God rarely talks in the process of your life until the process is finished. What I am doing now, you do not understand, but you will later. -John 13:7 Apply that to your cancer, your kids, your conflict, etc. God speaks in His time for His good purposes. He is always on time from His perspective! And there are many ways to seek Him in the meantime. Read His word, remember His goodness in the past and talk about that with others. Set aside time to listen- walking in the woods or sitting by the fire or in the break room at work. He can meet you in all those places and more! Think about that- Amen! Blessings Pastor Mark LIBRARY REPORT CALLING ALL TEACHERS!! As a new Sunday School year begins, consider taking advantage of the many resources available in our church library! From books, videos, & DVD s, there are a variety of tools that can help you in your classrooms; from children to adults. For adults and youth, there are many books on subjects such as manners and customs in the Bible, the life and times of Jesus, atlases, people in the Bible, etc. These could be great resources in helping to fill out stories or lessons. Many commentaries are available from Matthew Henry s concise commentary on the whole Bible to those on individual books, such as Genesis, John, Proverbs, Ruth and more. For younger children, many books and audiovisuals are available as teaching aides. For example, Veggie Tales Josh and the Big Wall would go great with the storybook about Joshua. These are just a few examples of what is in the library. We hope you will take advantage of them. If you need any assistance finding a particular item, please ask and we will be happy to help you! Have a wonderful Sunday School year! Librarians, Pam McCubbin and Barbara Garber Page 6

7 ONLINE TITHING AND FUND CONTRIBUTIONS Wakemans Grove's website, now offers online tithing and fund contributions. These secure transactions are through PayPal, and you do not need to be a PayPal member to do this. This happens the same way as any online transaction - funds get debited directly from your debit or credit card. At this time, there isn't an option for automatic weekly or monthly withdrawals. This is a great way for people to give an offering if you're away or not able to come to church. You can designate a specific fund, memorial name, or envelope number. Just follow the instructions. Please contact Angie Vann if you have any questions about using the online tithing. CARDBOARD CITY A HOMELESS EXPERIENCE, SEPTEMBER (5PM 8AM) to be held at Antioch Church of the Brethren. This is an overnight fundraiser for Family Promise of Shenandoah County. Please let Libby Rocco or Pastor Mark know if you would like to form a team for Wakemans Grove and sleep in a cardboard box overnight!! Activities include soup kitchen meal, A Homeless Journey Walk Through, packing blessing bags, a scavenger hunt and more! Prizes will be awarded for the most money raised by an individual, most money raised by a team, most creative house, and the first place team in the scavenger hunt. Anyone who raises $100 will receive a free tee shirt. Volunteers will be needed as well so if you don t want to be on a team, you can still be involved! From the Secretary s Office: If you are currently responsible for a commission or committee mailbox and its contents, please check your mailbox regularly and clear it of old materials. It seems that the mailboxes are continually full. With the mailboxes being located right outside of the sanctuary doors, let s keep this area neat and uncluttered in appearance to our visitors of the Grove. Also, please remember that when you leave the church building to TURN OFF ALL OF THE LIGHTS. Thank you for your cooperation. MEN S RETREAT AT BRETHREN WOODS.. Held September 29 October 1 with Doug Hostetler as speaker on the theme Every Man Has a Story. This theme is based on Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another. Men age 16 and older are invited to challenge one another and grow in their faith together. The cost is $85, which includes all meals, housing and activities. The registration deadline is Monday, September 25. To register, visit Please plan on joining us at camp!! Page 7

8 JUNIOR HIGH FELLOWSHIP We have been blessed with new members to the group this Fall. We have 6-8 that attend regularly and more are always welcome! We hate to see our 8th graders move on up to the CBYF as Freshmen this Fall but we know they will do great things! They will be missed. We ended our summer with a camping weekend for the outgoing and incoming members at the home of Rick and Cathy Looman. They were happy to host on their beautiful river property. We had a great weekend of fun, food, fellowship and games. A HUGE thank you to George Daugharty, Jr. for bringing a message on Sunday to the group. As Advisors, we will have a short meeting after church on Sunday, September 17th to go over the upcoming events with parents and answer any questions they may have. We would also like to try and plan our upcoming year and get ideas from the group. Our group will continue our Bible Study with Pastor Mark during Youth Club this Fall. We also plan on attending the District Fall event in October. The group plans to help Men s Fellowship with the Turkey & Oyster Supper on November 11th. As always, thank you for supporting the youth of The Grove! Missy and Jimmy Hollar Daniel and Amber Foltz Thank you! The Bible School Committee would like to thank each of you who helped to make Bible School such a success this year!!! We had an average of 100 attendees each night! Our offering total was $1, and was sent to Heifer Project International. Thank you again for your support of our Galactic Starveyors! APPLE BUTTER BOILING Save the Date! October 14 ~Snitting October 15 ~ Boiling Karey Mullins, Laryn Ritenour, Mandy Tharp, Kristi Zirkle Page 8

9 THE ANNUAL SHENANDOAH COUNTY PREGNANCY CENTER WALK FOR LIFE Date: Saturday, September 30, 2017 Where: Massanutten Military Academy (MMA) Bowman Field Time: 8:00 a.m. to Noon Distance: Two Miles Please consider joining the Wakemans Grove Church team for the Shenandoah County Pregnancy Center Walk for Life just contact Lynda Burner or Karen Hoffman.to obtain a Sponsor Sheet and join in the fun! Even if you choose not to walk, please feel free to join the other associated activities held in connection with the walk on Saturday, September 30 th which include: Continental Breakfast for Walkers: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Walk For Life Opening Ceremony: 9:00 a.m. morning Motorcycle Run for Life: Registration and line up starts at 9 a.m., MMA $15 per bike/ $20 with passenger. For more information contact info@reasontc or call The funds raised during this Walk for Life will stay here in Shenandoah County and help the Pregnancy Center continue to provide a compassionate response to women and men who are facing an unexpected pregnancy or struggling with the responsibilities of parenting. The Center provides assistance through prenatal education as well as transportation to doctors appointments when the need arises. Through the Center s education program, parents, both mothers and fathers, learn to understand their infant, toddler, adolescent or teen so they can teach their children and love them as well, all in a loving Christian environment. The Center also sponsors a clothing exchange and dispenses emergency diapers and formula. Please mark your calendars to participate in this worthwhile event on September 30th! Donations will be collected each Sunday beginning September 3rd through September 24 th, after the morning worship service in the vestibule. Please support the Wakemans Grove Team with your generous pledge for this worthwhile charity WHERE MERCY TRIUMPHS! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUP- PORT! THE AUCTION NUMBERS ARE IN!!!...And they are GREAT!! The 2017 Shenandoah District Disaster Ministries Auction raised a record $225, to support the disaster response efforts of the Church of the Brethren. Included in this amount is $10,925 given in memory of the late Warren Rodeffer and earmarked for local disaster relief efforts. Mr. Rodeffer, longtime project and equipment manager for the Shenandoah District Disaster Ministries Coordinating Team, died May 4 at the age of 79. The previous record had been 2011 s total of $221, The GRAND total for 25 years of the Disaster Ministries Auction: $4,537,035.62! If you had ANY part in this success, a most heart-felt THANK YOU! **To donate to the relief efforts of the recent devastation in Texas, please send to: Emergency Disaster Fund, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave, Elgin, IL ~Please indicate *Hurricane Harvey on the memo line of your check~ Page 9

10 WEDNESDAY PIECEMAKERS SUMMER is Gone. A nice potluck luncheon was hosted at the home of Ann Follansbee in June. A Celebration for members with birthdays in January thru June. We assisted Community Mission Church of the Brethren and other area churches on a project for women in Ghana, West Africa. We prepared quilt blankets for the children of Family Promise. Four church members received lap quilts and seven went to hospital patients. We no longer give to A Small Hand, which closed in July; however, we are seeking a new location in which to contribute. FALL WELCOME from our crew Ann, Barbara, Carolyn, Claudia, Janet, Jean, Jeannie, Jeri, Judi, Kay, Laura, Leona, Judy, Martha, Nancy, Pat, Susie, Teri and Susan From The Grove Cookbook Glazed Peaches (pg. 180) In Memory of Grace Cook 3 16 oz cans of peach halves in own juice 1 orange 1 lemon 1 pkt artificial sweetener Diet whipped cream, optional Drain peaches, saving juice. To juice, add 2 teaspoons grated orange rind and 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind and juice from both orange and lemon. Simmer, uncovered, until syrup is reduced by half. Add packet of sweetener to juice and carefully add peach halves. Poach gently 15 minutes, spooning syrup over fruit constantly, being careful not to break fruit. Pour into bowl and chill. May serve with diet whipped cream. Makes 8 servings (2 peach halves each) Page 10

11 NEWS FROM THE CBYF: It s time to welcome the new 9th graders and get ready for another year of service and fellowship! We will pick up our Bible Study with Youth Club on Wednesday evenings beginning September 13th. We invite all of you to come in time to eat dinner with us. If you arrive after school, you can have fun with friends or we can help with homework/studying. Bible Study will follow dinner. On Sunday, September 24th, we will have our official Kick-Off for the coming year! Please bring a packed lunch. After lunch we will travel to Brethren Woods for an afternoon of team building on the ropes and zip lines. We will enjoy dinner (provided by camp) and vespers by the lake, before returning to the church. Looking ahead, everyone should mark their calendars for our annual APPLEBUTTER boiling on the weekend of October 13-14th. The District Youth Cabinet is organizing a Barn Dance on October 15th! We are looking forward to a fun and exciting year! Adam and Kristi Zirkle Advisors Page 11

12 CHILDREN S CHURCH Children s Church will be held on the first and third Sundays of each month, beginning with the first Sunday in September and continuing through May. Children ages 3 years to 2nd grade are welcome to attend. Thank you to Jean Kohne and Ashle Dirting, who are coordinating Children s Church this session, along with the help of many others. Love Feast We invite everyone who is in the love and faith of Jesus Christ to participate in our fall Love Feast & Holy Communion on Sunday, October 1st at 6:00 p.m. The service will include a Self- Examination, Fellowship Meal, the Feet washing (or hand-washing) and the Bread and Cup Communion. There will be a nursery provided for those who have younger children. If anyone needs a ride to the church for Love Feast, please contact one of the Deacons or the Church Office. Please set aside the evening of October 1st for this important service of blessing for us as Brethren. WAKEMANS GROVE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN 668 WAKEMANS GROVE ROAD EDINBURG, VA Page 12