Monthly Newsletter of the First Church of the Brethren, Carlisle, PA October 2017 From the Pastor s Pen...

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1 Monthly Newsletter of the First Church of the Brethren, Carlisle, PA October 2017 From the Pastor s Pen... In autumn, the creativity of God hollers. Look at these things! These paper-thin solar cells that convert sunlight into acorns! They re everywhere, and they re made by a God who, as N. D. Wilson reminds us, doesn t know how to stop creating. Autumn reminds us that there s a world of wonder. ~Liz Kanoy The thing I mean can be seen, for instance, in children, when they find some game that they specially enjoy. A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, Do it again ; and the grownup person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, Do it again to the sun; and every evening, Do it again to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. ~G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy I recently found these two quotes and have been meditating on them. Do I see in autumn the amazing creativity of God? The falling of nuts to the ground for the squirrels to find? The delight of the colors of each leaf? What about the bright orange of pumpkins? The varieties of pumpkin and squash? Crisp varieties of apples? The garden is slowing down, ready for its sleep. The gardener is ready for a bit of a rest as well. Canning season is coming to an end. The nights are crisp, not miserable. The creeks are clogging up with leaves in amazing swirl patterns. For most of us, this isn t our first autumn, but we can come to it with new appreciation each time. This season is a gift of God. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. God s mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning great is your faithfulness, Oh Lord! ~Lamentations 3:22-23 Pastor Marla

2 News Of The Congregation The Light On The Hill WITNESS COMMISSION Our next Outreach Event is our Trunk 'N Treat Night on October 28 th from 5:00-7:00 pm with a set-up time of 4:00 pm. We are hoping to have AT LEASE 10 participants from our church who will bring their car with a fall-like decorated trunk and a bowl of treats. We are asking that you call Gloria Ramirez at if you are willing to help us. We would like to have a count to prepare space and a light meal of hot dogs, a snack pack, and a drink for $1.00. If you cannot bring your trunk and a Halloween treat, then please place some candies in a tub, which will be in the Narthex, starting October 1 st. These treats will be combined in a treat bag from the church along with church information. Invitations will be delivered in neighborhoods close to the church and posted in a few places near the church. Members of the Witness Commission will deliver fliers and we ask for your prayers as we continue to plan this fun evening. We are asking that people decorate their trunks with some autumn decorations or with sports' team decorations. If you would like to come in costume, you are welcome to do so. We have asked the CCNS staff and families to come and join us with this event, as well. Please pray for our efforts to be welcoming and inclusive! The next Two Cents-A-Meal Collection for the Global Food Initiative will be held on October 8 th. For our RESPONSE TO THE HURRICANE HARVEY & IRMA DISASTER, we will be collecting funds instead of kits. As we did with our Share the Warmth project, we will place a bucket on the Narthex Bulletin Board for every $10.00 collected. We will collect funds during October and close it down by the middle of November, so funds can be sent in time for cleanup time, even though some clean-up in Texas and Florida and other places nearby has already begun. Thanks for your help with this project. DEACONS The Deacons have planned Love Feast on World Wide Communion Sunday, October 1 st at 5:00pm. This will allow those who cannot drive DEACONS (continued) after dark to attend and get home safely. We will have the traditional foot and hand washing in the Sanctuary and traditional meal followed by Communion in the gym. We invite everyone to attend. WOMEN S FELLOWSHIP The Birthday Breakfast will be held at Walnut Bottom Diner on October 25 th at 9:00 am. We have been having a great response with attendance. Please let Gloria know if you are attending. Women will be asked to help peel and core apples for the Apple Butter Festival at the Brethren Home, scheduled October 14 th. The date will be October 12 th. Women are also needed to peel and core apples on October 18 th for Camp Eder's Fall Festival being held on October 21 st. MUSIC AND WORSHIP October 21 at 6:30-8:00 pm, come and enjoy the music of Keepin It Simple, a group with Nelson Steffy. They play Acoustic Country and Southern Gospel, incorporating various instruments. If you have heard this group before you know how good they are and if you haven t you are in for a treat! There will be a free will offering and dessert will be available following the concert. Invite your friends and don t miss it! OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Start preparing for Operation Christmas Child Shoebox collections. Don't wait till the last minute. Perhaps we could make this a banner year for the shoebox gifts for the children of the world. The deadline for us is November 19 th. You will need to designate an age range of either 2-4, 5-9, or years. The older ages are the ones usually in most need. Fill with maybe one 'WOW' item and then smaller items like small toys, finger puppets, slinkies, foam balls, school supplies, pencils and sharpeners, crayons, small notebooks, markers, coloring books, personal care items like combs, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, wash cloths, clothing like socks, shirts, hats,

3 OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD (continued) scarves, mittens, and sunglasses. DO NOT include candy, toothpaste, used or damaged items, war-related toys, food, snacks, powdered drink mixes, liquids, lotions, vitamins, or breakable glass items. Jeanne Bobenage is our chairperson for this project, so if you have questions, please check with her. THANK YOU A big Thank You to the congregation for helping Project Share with Tuna and CARES with wipes. Here are the figures year-to-date: Tuna Wipes Jan. 56 Jan. 10 Feb. 50 Feb. 11 Mar. 87 Mar. 18 Apr. 47 Apr. 17 May 43 May 22 Jun. 70 Jun. 16 Jul. 21 Jul. 7 Aug. 54 Aug. 25 Sep. 13 Sep. 10 Our goal for Project SHARE is 50 cans of Tuna/Chicken per month. You are helping these organizations with your donations. The Witness Commission wishes to thank Pam Lebo for preparing the meals for our Salvation Army Soup Kitchen Meals. She has done an absolutely stellar job of cooking for up to 100 hungry people! CARLISLE COMMUNITY NURSERY SCHOOL Carlisle Community Nursery School (CCNS) is planning the ever popular Picture Day on October 4 th and 5 th! They will also be having their Halloween Parade on October 30 th and October 31 st. Come enjoy the parade! CROSS KEYS VILLAGE October 14 th from 8:00 am 1:00 pm the Apple Butter Festival will be held outside the Nicarry Entrance and in the Nicarry Meetinghouse. The sights, smells and tastes of the season will mix with fun family activities at the CROSS KEY VILLAGE (continued) festival. Members of the Replogle family still make apple butter the old fashioned way-boiled in a copper pot over an open fire and you can buy some, along with baked goods and more. An indoor yard sale and a vast selection of previously read books will also be part of this fun for the whole family event. Admission and parking are free. October 21 st from 7:00 pm 8:30 pm the First Capital Brass will perform at the Nicarry Meetinghouse. Performing throughout Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland since 1991, the brass quintet First Capital Brass is comprised of five professional musicians from the Central Pennsylvania area who perform a variety of music. This free concert is open to all. CAMP EDER 39th Annual Fall Festival will be held on October 21 st from 10:00 am 4:00 pm. The Fall Festival is a celebration designed for the whole family. Fun and fundraising for Camp Eder s programs. There will be a benefit auction, food (Pit Roasted Pork and Turkey meals), sandwiches, soup and baked goods. There will be shuttle buses available to get you around. CARLISLE AREA RELIGIOUS COUNCIL Labyrinth Prayer Service/Prayer Walk will be held on October 1 st at 2:00 pm. The event will be held at the newly built Labyrinth in Biddle Mission Park, 311 E. North St., Carlisle. A prayer walk using the Labyrinth provides a metaphor model of our faith life journey as we face many turns we did not expect in our search for a quiet center. Please join us for this inter-faith service where we set apart the labyrinth as a place of prayer and worship, discernment and discovery, healing and reconciliation, celebration and thanksgiving. PROJECT SHARE GIANT RECEIPTS On behalf of Project SHARE, we want to make you aware that once again this year GIANT is having their receipt campaign to benefit Project SHARE. GIANT will donate $1.00 for every receipt they receive for both food and gas dated October 1 - October 31 up to $5,000. Receipts must be turned in before November 3 rd.

4 PROJECT SHARE GIANT RECEIPTS (continued) Please put your receipts in the shoebox in the narthex (the box covered with a GIANT newspaper ad). Thank you! CARLISLE TRUCK STOP MINISTRY The Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry will be sponsoring their Fall Fundraising Banquet on October 7 th starting at 4:00 pm. There will be a Silent Auction, full course dinner at 5:30pm and entertainment featuring Harmony. Tickets are $12 and are available prior to the fundraiser. No ticket sales at the door. The event will be held at New Fairview Church of the Brethren, 1873 New Fairview Church Road, York, PA. Please see the flyer for contact number to purchase tickets. CHILDREN S AID SOCIETY ANNUAL DINNER Please join us on October 21 st at 5:30 pm for a celebration of food, fellowship and another year of service to children and families. The highlights this year are the 30th Anniversary Celebration of The Lehman Center and entertainment by Christian acoustic guitarist Mark Cable. Ticket prices are $30/Adult and $15/ Children (12 and under). The dress is business attire. For reservations please visit PROJECT SHARE Thank you for your donation of the 54 cans of Tuna. We appreciate your generosity which helps us bring joy to the people in our community. Thank you for your support of the mission of Project SHARE. It is much needed and appreciated. God Bless, Debra Hess Dir. Dev/Major Gifts ON EARTH PEACE Dear Friends, Thank you for supporting the ministries of On Earth Peace. Because of you, we re making a difference. Your gift of $100 will ensure that the message of peace and justice continues to be spread. Your steadfast support of our ministries enables us to bring powerful programs of training and accompaniment to the individuals, groups and congregations we serve. ON EARTH PEACE (continued) We thank you for your generous and continued support. Every dollar, every prayer, and every volunteer hour is valuable to us. I m grateful for all you do to help us as we work for peace and justice in our nation and in our world. Sincerely, Bill Scheurer, Ex. Director Lamar Gibson, Dir. Of Development THE FRIENDS OF CROSS KEYS VILLAGE The 57th Annual Chicken BBQ, Auction and Car Show were held in August. This is our largest one day fundraiser every year. We cannot do this without the support of many, many people and we want to say Thank You for all your help. As a quick recap we wanted you to know that our income from the BBQ is at $34, with the expenses at $12, and that leaves us with a profit of $21, So a huge thank you to ALL! None of this happens without our countless volunteers. The Friends commitment to donate $80,000, including the Good Sam Club of the Brethren Home, Brethren Home Education Assistance Program and Professional Artist Series for 2017 is well on its way. Again THANK YOU to one and all. We accomplished our goal For the Glory of God and my neighbor s good. For the Residents, BBQ Co Chairs for 2017, Annette Boyer, Mary Kay and Roger Turner Thank you Gloria for all your assistance this year with enlisting volunteers from your church to bake some goodies for our Bake Sale table, along with helping to staff our ice cream stand with volunteers again this year for the entire day. Your efforts and those of your church volunteers each year do not go unnoticed. Thank You to everyone! CARLISLE TRUCK STOP MINISTRY, INC. For most of us, summertime means a break from routine. But there is no break for our chaplains. In addition to ministering to the normal trucker traffic, there is additional need for those traveling and may get lost, those whose cars breakdown and unfortunately, for those involved in accidents.

5 CARLISLE TRUCK STOP MINISTRY, INC. (continued) This brings to the forefront the need to share the Word of God with those that we come in contact with; to at least give them an opportunity to hear of God s grace and mercy through His Son, Jesus Christ. Our prayer is that we as individuals, and as a ministry, put our efforts and resources into what will last. We finished our fiscal year with our expenses being about $5,000 over our income, but as Chaplain Craig said, the Lord always knows just what we need, when we need it, and He is faithful to provide it. We continually praise Him for supplying all of our needs. As always, we continue to ask for your prayers and financial support. Our chaplains are an extension of a much larger body of believers (you!) who love the Lord and want to see others come to know Him as their Savior. Please pray for them. Also, would you pray for our Board of Directors as we seek God s wisdom and discernment in using His resources for His ministry and His glory? Serving with you for Christ s glory, David Bell, Sec./Treas. CHRISTIAN CHURCHES UNITED You are invited to join us for our 40th Anniversary Banquet which will be held on November 14th at 5:30 pm. The banquet will be held at the Best Western Premier Hotel, 800 E Park Dr., Harrisburg. We will be featuring special guest speaker Shane Claiborne author of The Irresistible Revolution and Co-author of Red Letter Revolution: What If Jesus Really Meant What He said? Tickets are $40 each. For tickets: Joys, Sorrows, & Concerns PERSONS FROM THE CONGREGATION who have been ill, hospitalized, or needing prayers this past month include: Paul Miller, Carol & John George, Sara VanAsdlen, Virginia McCoy, Ruth Young, Jean Wert, Clair Tritt, Pete Thumma, Phyllis Givler, Dot Bruckhart, Mary Jane King, Pastor Marla FREIENDS OF THE CONGREGATION who have been ill hospitalized, or needing prayer this past month include: the Nigerian girls that are still in captivity by Boko Haram, Dorcas Yakubu, Flooding in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and the Caribbean Islands, the wild fires in the western part of the country, Christi Fraker, all the children starting school SYMPATHIES TO the Donnelly family in the passing of Ethel McElwee on September 2 nd, sister to Trudy, to the Madeira family in the passing of Ron Madeira on September 21 st. Also, to the Quintero, Harriet Harmon and Wingert families

6 RECIPE OF THE MONTH Pumpkin Gingerbread Total Time 1 Hour Ingredients 3 c Sugar 1 c Vegetable Oil 4 Eggs 2/3 c Water 1 (15 oz) Can Pumpkin Pie Puree 2 tsp. Ground Ginger 1 tsp. Ground Allspice 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon 1 tsp. Ground Cloves 3 1/2 c All-purpose Flour 2 tsp. Baking Soda 1 1/2 tsp. Salt 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder Happy Birthday Happy Anniversary Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 9X5 inch loaf pans. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and clove. 3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans. 4. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour. ~Allrecipes.com

7 First Church of the Brethren 1340 Forge Road Carlisle, PA The Light On The Hill Address Service Requested Pastors: Jim & Marla Abe Secretary: Linda Shindledecker Church Office A Christian Community Sharing the Love of God Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship 10:15AM carlislecob.org office@carlislecob.comcastbiz.net