2017, Issue 9 NOVEMBER West Richmond Church of the Brethren ANOTHER WAY OF GIVING We now have a brokerage account set up to facilitate donations of stock. Instead of giving cash, consider giving appreciated stock directly to the church. This gives you a dual tax benefit. You avoid paying taxes on the capital gains, and you can write off the full value as a donation when you itemize your taxes, if you have owned the asset for more than one year. Please consult your financial advisor and if this is something that would work for you please contact Alyce Newman, our Treasurer for additional details. Please bring a dish to share if you are able ~ but don't let that keep you away! Join us in celebrating the ways in which God has been at work in and through us over the past year and next year as we approve the 2018 budget. From the Pastor 2 In Our Congregation 3 Calendar & Schedule 4-5 With Our Community 6 Around the District 7 Your Help is Needed 8
P age 2 The Herald With a Spirit of Thanksgiving Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 I n our culture today, we tend to jump from Halloween to Christmas; Thanksgiving is all but ignored. That s unfortunate. Daily we are bombarded with advertising designed to convince us we need more, more, more. More than ever, we need to be intentional about setting aside time to be grateful. I encourage you this month to do just that. I n your own devotional life, consider keeping a gratitude journal. Each day, take a few moments to jot down the things you are grateful for. These can be amazing events like finding a new job or welcoming a new baby. Of equal importance, this list can contain many of the daily blessings that we also take for granted: an unexpected call or message from a dear friend, the beauty of a new day, the warmth and glow of that first fire in the fireplace. Keeping a gratitude journal can help us maintain a healthy perspective amidst all the anxiety and discouraging news we hear day after day. P ractice gratitude with your family. Often we do this around the Thanksgiving table, name one thing we have been grateful for this year but we can and should do this more than once a year. If not at mealtime, encourage your children to offer specific thanks during their bedtime prayers alongside their petitions. T ry to cultivate a culture of gratitude in your neighborhood and at work. I once heard that it takes ten positive statements to counteract one negative one. Look for sincere ways that you can express gratitude and appreciation to your co-workers and neighbors. It can be infectious and improve everyone s morale! F inally, let s continue to give thanks together as a congregation. I am grateful for our fine musicians, for our heart for peace and social justice, for so many who give so generously of their time (particularly our Pastoral Search Committee), and for your faithfulness in worship. I am grateful to be on the journey with you, Tracy
2017, Issue 9 Page 3 In Our Congregation H APPY BIRTHDAY! Emmanuella Joy Dedrick was born on Tuesday, October 24 at 10:15 am. She weighed 7 lbs. 8.3 oz. and measured 20½ inches. Ella s happy parents are Dustin & Carrie Dedrick. WEST RICHMOND IS HOSTING CARITAS THIS YEAR! On December 2-9, thirty-two men will arrive at 6:00 pm and leave by 5:15 am each day via the CARITAS bus. We will serve supper, provide breakfast and bagged lunches and have many other ways we will need your help. There is a sign-up sheet in the gathering room. This week we want to highlight providing health kits for each guest. Sandra Martin will be purchasing items and on November 19 during fellowship hour, we will assemble the kits. We are placing a CARITAS donation jar by the sign-up sheet, for contributions towards purchasing kit items. Sandi Davis, Dustin Dedrick and Carol Goss are on the planning committee and will gladly talk with you about opportunities to be involved. Carol will help to form meal preparation groups where needed. We are excited that once again we can be God's hands of love as we serve the homeless in our community. West Richmond Church of the Brethren 7612 Wanymala Road, Henrico, Virginia 23229-4239 Phone: 804-288-6439 Fax: 804-282-4408 www.wrcob.org wrcob@wrcob.org Interim Pastor... Tracy Hartman (804-928-8695) Interim Pastor (Visitation)... Dick Shreckhise (717-371-6393) Administrative Assistant... Barbara Beers (804-338-3482) Coordinator of Music... Gabriella Ryan (804-615-4638) Sunday School... 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship... 11:00 a.m. Church office (M-F)... 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. If no one is in the office or the line is busy, voice mail will pick up please leave us a message. Items for the bulletin s weekly newssheet MUST be submitted by noon each Thursday to the church office. All articles for the Winter edition (December & January) of The Herald are due in the office by November 15, 2017. CALLING ALL WHO KNIT OR CROCHET It's that time of year again Sandi Davis is looking ahead to December when our C.A.R.I.T.A.S guests will be here. She'd like to have scarves and hats for each of them... about 35. Please use a knitting weight of 5 or double strand of knitted worsted so the scarves are nice and warm. She can provide the yarn. Contact Sandi for details.
S unday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 (away) 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 National Jr. High Sunday 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship 7:00 pm Executive Committee 9:45 am Ladies Circle 5:45 pm Hull Street Ministry 6:30 pm Cub Scouts 6:30 pm Handbells 7:15 pm Bluegrass Concert at Skipwith UMC 7:45 pm Choir VIRLINA District Conference 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 8:00 am Men s Breakfast 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship 7:00 pm Church Board 10:30 am Ladies Circle 6:30 pm Cub Scouts 6:30 pm Handbells 7:45 pm Choir 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship 12:15 pm 10:30 am Ladies Circle 1:00 pm Volunteer 6:30 pm Handbells 7:45 pm Choir Thanksgiving Day Office Closed Office Closed 6:30 pm Cub Scouts 26 LAMB s Basket Collection 8:00 am Men s Breakfast 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship with a Guest Speaker 27 28 10:30 am Ladies Circle 6:30 pm Cub Scouts 29 6:30 pm Handbells 7:45 pm Choir 30 6:30 pm Ladies Nite Out In at WRCOB! C.A.R.I.T.A.S. cots will be delivered Saturday morning, December 2! Help is needed to clear out the gathering room and many other services for an entire week. Sign-up soon!
Who s celebrating and Who s Doing What in 2... Wyllys Vanderhoff 4... Sean Solanky 6... Virginia Vassar 7... Cameron Sabel 9... David Layman 11... Flora Vassar Karl & Jan Hoff 12... Zack Hurst Annie Lipato 14... Sue (Mullins) Aigner 15... Sophie Saunders 16... Denise Diamond Donald Lum 17... Brett Mitchell 18... Betty Meyer 19... Campbell Mitchell Fred & Paula (Crawford) Bryant 20... Bob Gangwer Donnie Holsinger 21... Mary Young 22... Adam Clark (13 th ) Kevin & Barbara Beers 23... Matt Ludwick Jennifer McCloud Patrick & Pamela McCloud (15 th ) 24... Tina Brockman Comfort Frimpon Chelsea Goss 25... Greg & Gayle Adams 26... Carol (Walbridge) Goss 28... Rebecca Wilson 29... Janet Brunk Lauren Gangwer Colleen Wampler 30... Fern Damour November 5 12 19 26 30 Greeters (Dolly Guyer) Dolly Guyer Sandi Davis Paula Bryant Betty Altic June Diehl Acolytes (Belinda Layman) Worship Leaders (Lib Kinzie) Jr. High Sunday Shirley Wampler Barbara Beers Shawn Baker Nursery Care (Sandi Davis) June Diehl & Faye Urban Kenny & Joyce Keithly Shawn Baker & Monica Sek Joel & Dolly Guyer Fellowship Hosts (Sandi Davis) Betty Altic & Richard Barry Jori Carter & Thoko Lipato Carry-in Meal Susan Robertson Tellers (Nancy Martin) Betty Altic & Sandi Davis Jeff Goss & Alyce Newman Joel Guyer & Larry McCann Bob & Pat Gangwer Care Giving (Barbara McCann) Betty Fuller Want to be included in any of these activities? Please contact its coordinator. If you cannot fulfill an assigned date, please swap with someone and then contact the church office.
P age 6 With Our Community The Herald COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING SERVICE? For more years than this editor can remember, the Skipwith Area Ministers (or SAM Club as some have been know to call them) have joined together on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving for a combined Community Thanksgiving Service. This year the group is comprised of Skipwith United Methodist Church, Colonial Place Christian Church and ourselves. In past years Skipwith Baptist Church and Richmond Mennonite Fellowship have participated. This year it was decided to not have the service. Instead, they are collaborating in these two community events this holiday season: Bluegrass Concert on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:15 pm by the Sleepy Hollow Bluegrass Band at Skipwith United Methodist Church Christmas Vespers Service, on Sunday, December 17 at 4:00 pm with special concert guests, the American Youth Harp Ensemble, playing Christmas and Advent hymns and carols at Colonial Place Christian Church Both events are free, but at each an offering for a community charity, to be announced, will be taken. Hull Street Ministry the 1 st Tuesday of each month, you can prepare meals or help serve; see Barbara McCann or Susan Robertson Community Kitchen the 3 rd Tuesday of each month, various tasks are completed; see Betty Altic or Judy McCloud LAMB s Basket the last Tuesday of the month we empty the shopping cart by the front doors, all types of non-perishables can be donated daily, as well as money to purchase fresh eggs; see Sandi Davis
2017, Issue 9 Page 7 Around Our District DISTRICT CONFERENCE Virlina District congregations gather annually to worship, fellowship, learn, and handle business items. The 2017 Virlina District Conference will be held on November 10 and 11 at the Grandin Court Baptist Church (2660 Brambleton Avenue, Roanoke, Virginia). The theme will be Listen to the Spirit! with the scripture focus Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying... Revelation 3:13-22 (NRSV). Moderator Timothy Emmons and Moderator-Elect Debbie Humphrey will guide our time together as we hear reports, call new leaders and discuss the 2018 budget for the district. Samuel K. Sarpiya, 2018 Annual Conference Moderator, and David A. Steele, General Secretary of the Church of the Brethren, will be our preachers. Samuel Sarpiya will speak at the Ministers and Spouses Dinner and preach at the Saturday morning worship service. David Steele will preach at the Friday evening worship service. PILGRIMAGE XXII Pilgrimage XXII will be held March 16-18, 2018, at Camp Bethel. People from 59 congregations in our district have attended this event which is a spiritual retreat for adults of all ages. It is for the young and old, for the new Christian and the one who has been a Christian for decades. Pilgrimage is for everyone because no matter where a person is on his or her faith journey, it is always good to take another step and draw closer to God. The basic structure of the weekend is the same each year with talks, small groups, fun times, inspiring worship services, and much more. Yet God continues to work in wonderful ways through this ministry, and we give Him all praise and honor! The only way to truly understand what Pilgrimage has to offer is to experience it. Prayerfully consider if this is your year to attend. If you would like more information, please contact Karen Haynes at (336) 765-5263 or <haynesmk1986@yahoo.com> or go to <www.experiencepilgrimage.com>. NATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE (NYC) Participants in National Youth Conference (NYC) 2018 will focus on the theme Bound Together: Clothed in Christ. The scriptural theme is from Colossians 3:12-15: As God s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Kelsey Murray is the 2018 NYC coordinator and Carol Elmore (Virlina District) is an advisor on the National Youth Cabinet. NYC will take place July 21-26, 2018, in Fort Collins, Colorado. The event is for youth who have completed ninth grade through one year of college at the time of NYC (or are age equivalent to this range) and their advisors. (Information from Newsline for March 18, 2017)
West Richmond Church of the Brethren 7612 Wanymala Road, Henrico, VA 23229-4239 Phone: 804-288-6439 www.wrcob.org Fax: 804-282-4408 wrcob@wrcob.org Place postage stamp here! ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED For the past few years, the Nurture Commission has asked Carol Goss to create the Nursery and Fellowship Time schedules. These jobs require your time and effort so she wants to be as accommodating as possible. Do you have specific dates you'd like to serve or dates to avoid? Singles, do you have someone with whom you'd like to work? Do you have a specific need such as pairing with someone more active? She will be composing these 2018 lists this month. Please notify her of special requests yet this month. Once the lists are completed, it will be your responsibility to switch dates. As with many other tasks we do, these jobs are beneficial to the life of our church. Fellowship hour provides a time for gathering with our "distant" neighbors, greeting visitors and interacting with people of various ages. Nursery is a welcoming accommodation for families and a way to nurture our youngest members. A few more notes: (1) Please be in the Nursery room by 10:45; (2) Fellowship provisions can be as minimal or as expansive as you like; (3) Last year an individual's standard number of service dates were 4 -- she hopes to keep it from becoming 5. Thank you for your generous service. Carol Goss