District of Idaho & Western Montana Church of the Brethren

District of Idaho & Western Montana Church of the Brethren Volume 6, Issue 3 September 2011 Sue Daniel, Editor Idaho & Western Montana District Conference 2011 October 7-8 Community Church of the Brethren Twin Falls, Idaho "Who do you say that I am?" Mark 8:29 Worship Music Business Insight Sessions Cooking Contest Details and Registration Information on Page 5 Nampa Calls Interim Pastor On August 1, Tom Vance began his duties as interim pastor of the Nampa congregation. He describes his role at Nampa COB as "intentional interim," and he has been busy implementing ideas to encourage health and vitality in the church. Having been raised in a pastor s home, Tom was called into the ministry in 1964, and in 1969 was ordained in the Southern Baptist Church. His service in the U.S. Marine Corps included a tour in Viet-Nam. Tom earned a master's degree from New Orleans Baptist Seminary and a doctorate from Golden Gate Baptist Seminary. His continuing education includes levels 1-4 Conflict Management training. After serving as pastor in various churches for twenty years, he worked as Director of Missions for Southwestern Oregon, then Team Leader for the Northwest Baptist Convention. He also has interim pastor experience. In 1967, Tom married wife Brenda. The couple has three adult children and seven grandchildren. Camping, motorcycling, touring and reading are listed among Tom's hobbies. We welcome Tom and Brenda to the Idaho & W. Montana District. May God bless them in their ministry at Nampa and in the district. We look forward to many opportunities to become better acquainted with and work with them. Tom & Brenda Vance

Page 2 Congregational Prayer Partner Connection... During the months of September, October & November... Boise Valley will be in prayer for Community Twin Falls Bowmont will be in prayer for Nampa Fruitland will be in prayer for Mountain View Nampa will be in prayer for Fruitland Mountain View will be in prayer for Boise Valley Community Twin Falls will be in prayer for Bowmont Please continue to be in prayer for your sister congregation's health and vitality, personal concerns (health, family, relationship, employment issues, etc.), special events in the life of the church, birthday and anniversary celebrations, and opportunities to connect with others in the district. "Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you're not willing to move your feet." Diisttrriictt Executtiive Posiittiion Announcementt The Idaho and Western Montana District is seeking candidates for the position of District Executive. This is a half-time position that could be filled by an individual or a team. It is available January 1, 2012. The district is comprised 6 congregations in Idaho-- Boise Valley, Bowmont, Fruitland, Mountain View, Nampa, and Twin Falls. Camp Wilber Stover, the district camp, is located at New Meadows, Idaho. Interested and qualified persons may apply for this position by sending a letter of interest and a resume via e-mail to: OfficeofMinistry@brethren.org. A position description is available upon request. Applicants are requested to contact 3 or 4 persons who are willing to provide a letter of reference. Upon receipt of the resume the individual will be sent a candidate profile that must be completed and returned before the application is considered complete. Fifth Sunday District Worship Service October 30 ~ 5:00 p.m. Boise Valley Church Building Labor Day Weekend Work/Play Days Saturday, September 3: Work day with projects for all skill levels. Meals provided. Sunday, September 4: Play Day--we'll join the New Meadows Community for Meadows Valley Days. All-community worship service in the park, parades, exhibitors, kids activities, prime rib barbeque concerts, car and logging show. Sunday evening: hotdog roast at the campfire with a short praise and worship time. Monday morning, September 5: Continental Breakfast hosted by Nampa. Camp Work Weekend: September 17-18 The goats have done a great job on the back 20 acres. Now it s time for us to clear out the dead brambles and brush, and to repair the fence line. Meals on your own; snacks provided for breaks. Bring your own saws, loppers, gloves, etc. Come and enjoy one last weekend at camp before winter! Amsey Bollinger Building Expansion: Phase #1 is complete. In order to start and complete phase #2 an additional $15,440.00 is needed. Continued support for the project is encouraged and appreciated.

Good News!! ~ from the Idaho congregations... Page 3 Boise Valley: We give thanks to the Lord for being with so many of our church family as they travel, go camping, and experience the beauty of God's creation throughout the past weeks. A steady attendance at our Yard and Bake Sale at the church on June 4th resulted in a profit of approximately $1500 for the building fund. Thanks to all who attended and helped to make this a successful activity for our church and community! We have just completed a Wednesday evening patio Bible Study on the Fruit of the Spirit. We enjoyed meaningful discussions and nice evenings in some beautiful backyard settings. Plans are being made to paint the interior of the church. We all enjoyed attending Pastor Ed's 80th birthday celebration given by his family at his home. Several of our members attended and helped with Camp Stover. The Neighborhood Meeting that is part of the building permit process for Ada County was held on August 3. The Lord provided us with wonderful messages from Debbie Peterson, Julie Dillehay, and the Blue Dove musical group in the absence of Pastor Ed for three Sundays as he and his family traveled across the United States. Bowmont: Wow! Summer has been busy and has flown by! It has been a bitter-sweet time as we say good bye to those that have been called home to heaven & sweet as we celebrate weddings and new babies that are arriving. Our family at Bowmont has been busy with the Father s Day Bar-b-que, Kid s Club, Camp Stover, 4-H, Fairs, and Rodeos. September 11 th will be our Sunday School Kick-off and Baked Potato Bar Potluck. We look forward with grateful hearts and blessed anticipation on what blessings the Lord has for us this fall! Community Twin Falls: Due to those attending Annual Conference, Camp Stover and various vacations during the month, Bible Study and dinner on Tuesday nights was discontinued. It started back up on August 2nd. The Women's Prayer time is meeting on Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m. On August 21st, a baptism was held in Rock Creek following the morning worship, followed by a church potluck. During the month of September we are hoping to have a Harvest Festival and Canning Extravaganza. A planning meeting is scheduled to prepare for our Thanksgiving Meal. We are very excited to be hosting District Conference this year and looking forward to a very meaningful and exciting time. Fruitland: The men are beginning to meet at least once a month for a light dinner and evening study. The Fruitland church family celebrated the baptism of Kelsea Bayes on July 24. The church collected paper products for Jubilee House and delivered them to Twin Falls at Fifth Sunday Worship Service. Our Women's Retreat was held August 26-28 at Camp Stover. The activities included a study, painting on some buildings and furniture, crafts of making rag rugs and cute little boxes for gifts, as well as lots of delicious food. The youth will cover the labels on water bottles to advertise our church and to sell at the city's annual Fruitland Fun Days on Sept. 10. The ladies will also have a yard and baked food sale on the Olde School lawn across from the city park. Mountain View: The Mountain View Church family have celebrated three weddings recently. In June, Tim Terry and Wanda Travis were married; in July, Larry Best and Suzanne Arnold tied the knot.;terry Hoskins and Marie Winchester were wed in August. Marie took the major responsibility for our yearly yard sale in August, with the help of several people in the congregation, with proceeds going to the benevolent fund. In August, Becky Goldstein, Terri Raynor and Allison Lee conducted three nights of Vacation Bible School for children. Troy Wade left us, with our prayers, to begin his freshman year at ISU in Pocatello. We continue to assist Bethel Ministries in their discipling of men who have been incarcerated. Many stories of transforming grace have come out of that ministry, for which we praise God. Nampa: The congregation welcomed interim pastor Tom Vance and his wife Brenda at a reception following worship on July 31. We recently bid farewell to Mat and Emily Ayers with appreciation for their work with the youth of the church. Mat and Emily have returned to McPherson, KS, to pursue employment opportunities there. They will be missed. In support of the Love, INC. Backpack Ministry, we filled 20 backpacks and provided supplies for an additional 8 packs. Our children are enjoying singing, games, crafts and their old friend Chatter at PandaMania, the VBS program being offered during the 11 am worship service each Sunday this summer under the direction of Tanya Murphy-Thomas. Pastor Tom will facilitate a "Growing Through Conflict" weekend September 9-11, offering information and inspiration relating to how God uses conflict to help us grow and have deeper relationships with Him and His children. Nampa COB women will gather at the Ashley Inn in Cascade for their annual retreat September 16-18.

Page 4 BDM Idaho District Fund Drive Continues Brethren Disaster Ministries Idaho District continues to seek donations to support travel for local volunteers who serve on BDM projects. Designated envelopes should be available at each of the churches. Donations may be received at your church or sent directly to: Brethren Disaster Ministries - Idaho District % Howard Garwick 7984 Joplin Road Nampa, ID 83687 BDM volunteers are currently engaged primarily in new builds from the ground up in response to devastating tornadoes in Virginia and floods in Tennessee. This month, Howard Garwick is serving as project director in Pulaski, VA. Idaho volunteers are scheduled to work at one of the project sites the week of February 5-11, 2012. Each site has a capacity for 15 volunteers. Rex and Jenette Freeman will serve as project directors during the month of February. Note of Appreciation... TO: Members of Church of the Brethren District Fellowship FROM: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho THANK YOU for your recent donation of pull tabs, which we received July 27. We applaud your generous spirit! This year, our House celebrated its 23rd year of providing families with a "home away from home" while their children receive medical treatment in Boise, with approximately 600 families a year calling our House their home. Our volunteer-driven recycling program plays a huge part in helping our families during their stay with us... Because you take the time to pull as tab, collect a can or donate any of the other recycling items we can turn into cash, we can give our families those "extras" which can make their lives a little easier while at the House. September 21 is the International Day of Prayer for Peace (IDPP). Our invitation to you is simple: Plan a public prayer event about violence for the week of September 21 focused on local or global violence. An initiative of the United Nations and the World Council of Churches, the International Day of Prayer for Peace is a time when the guns, armies and militias go silent as 24-hr ceasefires are observed around the world, and when people and grassroots groups join in celebration, prayer and speaking out about their hopes for a more peaceful world. * Betty Winchester, Mountain View Church, will collect your saved pull-tabs and deliver them to Ronald McDonald House. Contact her at 376-2345 or 375-0604 (Mt. View Church). Each member of the district s six churches is encouraged to contribute $5 per quarter ($20 per year) to help meet the district faith budget. The district exists to support and promote the ministry of its congregations, assisting with resources for members, pastors and leadership, and providing a connection to the denomination and the larger church. Your gift on the last Sunday of each quarter is appreciated! Since 1901, the Inglenook Cookbook has been a tradition passed from generation to generation. The success of the series has been its appeal to common people, those who embody the principles of simple living and value wholesome food, tastefully prepared. The new Inglenook Cookbook looks to follow in that same tradition. A contemporary cookbook that reflects our rich Brethren heritage, upholding the values we share. Visit www.inglenookcookbook.org to submit a recipe, share a memory or become a tester.

Page 5 Moderator's Corner... Idaho & Western Montana District Conference 2011 October 7-8 Twin Falls Community Church Greetings Idaho Western Montana District, We are getting ever closer to conference. The program committee has met and we have a wonderful conference planned. We need your help. The committee has agreed that we will not have a single speaker during conference. We have decided to offer the time to people within the district. What we are asking is for people to meditate on the theme, "Who do you say that I am?" from Mark 8:29 and answer the question with some type of special. It can be a skit, song, scripture reading, testimony or devotional--anything that demonstrates your understanding of Jesus. Please submit your specials to tfcob@aol.com or call me at 208-490-1357 so we can coordinate the schedule. The conference will have an old-fashioned tent revival atmosphere, complete with tent. Housing information will be coming soon. The Twin Falls church is researching hotels, members willing to open their houses, and we do have RV space available. Start planning today. If you have any questions about conference, what we are looking for in a special, registration, or dietary restrictions, please contact me at tfcob@aol.com, 208-490-1357 or at the church, 208-733-3789. Please be in prayer for the conference and those who will be sharing. It is going to be a time of refreshing and getting closer to Jesus and each other. Mark Bausman Moderator, Idaho Western Montana Ministers' Workshop Facilitated by Lowell Flory, Bethany Theological Seminary Younger Generations and the Relevance of Church (.4 CEU for ordained ministers) Friday, October 7, 12:30-4:30 pm Community Twin Falls Church 2011 District Conference October 7-8 Registration Form Name of Adults: Home Church: Registration: # of adult registrations X $10.00 = # of child registrations X $ 5.00 = # of youth registrations X $15.00 = (youth meals & activities included in registration fee) Meals: Lunch--Saturday 12:00 pm, Dinner--Saturday 5:00 pm # of adult lunches X $ 5.00 = # of child lunches X $ 3.00 = # of adult dinners X $ 5.00 = # of child dinners X $ 3.00 = Total enclosed $ (There will be a free-will offering for breakfast and refreshments) Name and age of youth & children: Registration Deadline: September 23, 2011 Please mail pre-registration form before September 23 to: District Conference 2011 % Konnie Baines 2670 NW 4th Avenue, Fruitland, Idaho 83619

District of Idaho & Western Montana Church of the Brethren 2011 Calendar of Events Sept. 3-5 Sept. 17-18 Sept. 21 Sept. 23 Sept. 24 Oct. 7 Oct. 7-8 Oct. 30 Nov. 1 All-District Fall Retreat @ Camp Stover Camp Stover Work Weekend International Day of Prayer for Peace District Conference Registration Deadline Water Shut-off at Camp Stover Ministers' Workshop @ Twin Falls 12:30-4:30 pm District Conference @ Twin Falls Fifth Sunday Worship @ Boise Valley, 5:00 pm District Board of Directors Meet @ Mt. View, 6:30 pm A Joyful Voice is a quarterly publication. Please submit articles or items of interest from congregations or individuals to: Sue Daniel, District Executive 5801 E Victory Road Nampa, Idaho 83687 Phone: 208-442-7260 Email: IdahoDE@q.com Check out the Idaho District Website at: http://www.idcob.org/ District of Idaho & Western Montana Church of the Brethren 5801 E Victory Road Nampa, Idaho 83687