Pastor: Tim Harvey Minister of Nurture and Music: Carol Elmore E-mail: Churchoffice @oakgrovecob.org Website: www.oakgrovecob.org Phone: (540) 774-3217 DEADLINE FOR NOVEMBER VISITOR: OCTOBER 15 NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE: Rena Brown Carolyn Broyles Jonna Detweiler Nancy Hylton Josephine Keller Sarah King Carla McCauley Emily Nelson OCTOBER P u b l i s h e d b y : Oak Grove Church of the Brethren 2138 McVitty Road, SW Roanoke, VA 24018 Love Feast Our Love Feast will be Sunday, October 7, at 5:00 p.m. The first Sunday in October is Worldwide Communion Sunday, and this day is set aside by most Christian communities to observe the Lord s Supper. For those who have difficulty kneeling or bending to wash feet, we offer the option of washing hands. Childcare will be provided. Peace & Justice Sunday School Class by Tess Anderson The Peace & Justice Group is happy to announce the continuation of the Sunday School class they led this summer. We will resume on October 7 (classroom to be announced), and plan to continue using the Speak Peace daily reader, as well as offering occasional special topics. Our emphasis is to look to scripture to conform our lives to the present-day world. We would love to have a diverse group of thought and opinion as we peacefully and respectfully encourage each other to consider all sides of an issue. If you have not yet found your Sunday School home or would like to visit our class to see what we are about, we would love to have you join us. All are welcome! 2018 Our experience is that the visitors will be blessed more than the visited, but it s a win for everyone! Come share a joyful noise! Joyful Hearts Fall Bazaar Saturday October 20 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. See page 2 for article Fall Meeting Sunday, October 21 3:00 p.m. Church business, including approving the 2019 budget and electing Board members On Thursday, October 25, the Joyful Hearts will meet at the Famous Toastery at 9:30 a.m. for breakfast. After eating, there will be table games at the church. Let Joyce Harmon know by Sunday, October 21, if you plan to go. Come Caroling by Carol Elmore Join in on October 9 (Tuesday) at 1:00 p.m. Meet at the church and carpool to 2-3 homes to sing a few hymns for some folks who can t easily get out. Red Cross Blood Drive Saturday October 27 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fall Bazaar by Martha Gregory PAGE 2 by Randall Eakin The Roanoke Valley CROP Hunger Walk is a community led fundraising event to end hunger. This will be held on Sunday, October 14, 2018, starting at 1:30 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church. The money raised will help those in the Roanoke Valley and around the world with food and water. Our church has participated in this walk for many years. We would love to have you walk with us or donate to this project. Brochures and donation envelopes for the CROP Walk will be provided at upcoming Sundays at church. If you would like to register for the walk or donate online, please go to crophungerwalk.org and select the team choice for Oak Grove Church of the Brethren. Thank you for your help. Feel free to call Randall Eakin with any questions. Calling All Disciples by Carol Elmore Let s get together, Disciples Class, at Garst Mill Park on Sunday, October 14, from 4:00-6:00 p.m., for a potluck! It has been way too long since we ve gathered outside of the church building. If you ve ever been in the Disciples Sunday School class, we re calling you back! We want to eat and brainstorm about things we d like to study and do together in our future. Bring a dish to share. Virlina Northern Area Women 2018 Fall Meeting The Virlina Northern Area Women 2018 Fall Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 16, at Camp Bethel. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., and the program will start at 10:00 a.m. The theme will be Experiencing God on Life s Journey. Suzanne Rhoades will share her 12-day, 165- mile journey backpacking the Camino de Santiago, an ancient path for a new pilgrim. We will also have group sharing of God sightings and special places where we have experienced God in our lives. The offering taken at the meeting will go to Camp Bethel for camperships. Lunch, provided by Camp Bethel, is $12.00. Registration forms will be available after church on Sunday mornings, or you can call the church office for one. The registration deadline is October 1, so send in your forms right away! Oak Grove s Fall Bazaar will be held Saturday, October 20, from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. We will have an area devoted to handcrafted items, ranging from wooden cutting boards to photography, pottery to Christmas decorations, jewelry, and doll clothes. There will also be a bake sale, Country Store, Kitchen Café, and SERRV items made from other countries. It takes many good cooks, willing canners, talented crafters, woodworkers, and flower arrangers to stock the fellowship hall and prepare the food for this event. Thanks in part to Patricia s mom, Helen Ronk, we have again been canning here at the church. She donated her delicious green beans a few less than usual this year, due to some hungry deer. So our canners decided to can peaches and tomatoes, also. The Country Store is one of our most popular booths, and it should be well-stocked again. Jellies and jams, apple butter and homemade candy, chow chow and beet pickles, as well as fresh produce will be found there. Some of our crafters have been meeting regularly throughout the year. Lots of their donations will be found with the handcrafted items. The Kitchen Café will be serving ham and sausage biscuits for breakfast and hot dogs for lunch. We need two crews to help in the kitchen beginning at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast shift and at 10:30 a.m. for lunch and clean up. We also need volunteers to help in the various areas and to work at the check-out tables on Bazaar Saturday. Plan to come early to watch the making of apple butter in our back parking lot. Be available to help fill the jars around 1:00 p.m. It will be offered for sale. We will be setting up the Bazaar during the week before October 20 and will need to have everything returned to normal, by Tuesday, October 23. We will be available following morning worship on Sunday, October 21, for shopping (October 21 is also Fall Council Meeting). The distribution of the funds raised at the Bazaar is decided on by the Missions and Service Commission. For several years, a large portion of the funds has gone to support the Good Samaritan Fund here at Oak Grove. Good Samaritan funds are used to help members of the community with rent and utility payments, as well as payments for medications. This is one of the many outreach ministries that has been supported by our Bazaar in the past. Look for more information in the Sunday bulletins and decide where and when you would like to volunteer. Mark your calendars now and plan to participate. Please contact me with any questions or suggestions.
Letter From the District PAGE THE VISITOR 3
Brethren Heritage Festival October 6 Virlina District News PAGE Camp Bethel s 31st Brethren Heritage Day Festival will take place Saturday, October 6. Breakfast will be from 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Ark. Booths will be open throughout the camp from 9:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. There will be lots of food, children s fishing, wonderful crafts and sale items, plenty of Brethren Heritage items and demonstrations, live music, and fellowship! More information on Heritage Day can be found at www.campbethelvirginia.org. Listening to God in a Noisy World Television, the internet, cell phones, social media updates, constant breaking news alerts, and many other distractions make it hard to listen to God. Join the Spiritual Development Retreat Committee at Camp Bethel on Saturday, October 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for our annual Fall retreat. We will learn and reflect together on how to be more attentive to God s voice and presence. The event leaders, Hannah Oakes and Dick Gottshall, will each offer their own guidance and perspectives on this topic. The cost of the event, which includes lunch, is $25.00. Visit www.virlina.org/events to download a flyer/registration form. Compelling Vision Process District Meetings October 14-20, 2018 During the coming year we will be engaging in the Compelling Vision process outlined by the Annual Conference. Every district, including ours, will sponsor meetings to enable individual members of the denomination to have a voice in this process. Kevin Daggett, a member of the Compelling Vision Process Team (CVPT) and pastor of the Dayton (VA) Church of the Brethren, will be leading the sessions in the Virlina District. Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, chairperson of the Compelling Vision Process Team, recently described the district conversations in this way: As summer gives way to fall, the process launched at the 2018 Annual Conference will help the denomination discern God s call and develop a compelling vision to guide us into 4 the future is moving into a new phase. Shaped by the conversations that took place at Annual Conference, the Compelling Vision Process Team has designed a two-hour event to engage members in deeper conversation around God s call for us as a church. The meetings in the Virlina District have been scheduled as follows: Sunday, October 14 Bassett CoB, 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, October 16 Pleasant Valley CoB, 6-8 p.m. Saturday, October 20 Summerdean CoB, 9-11 a.m. Saturday, October 20 West Richmond CoB, 4-6 p.m. Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate in an event. In preparation please: pray for the church and the Spirit s guidance as we move through this process; visit the Compelling Vision website at www.brethren.org/ac/compelling-vision.html, and read about the Compelling Vision process (especially if you were not at Annual Conference and are unfamiliar with it); reflect on scriptures that inform our ministry and life together as the body of Christ; and bring a Bible and, if possible, a smart phone, tablet, or laptop to the event. Disaster Volunteer Appreciation Dinner The annual Disaster Response Volunteer Appreciation Dinner will be held at Germantown Brick CoB on Sunday, October 21, at 5:00 p.m. Invitations will be mailed to volunteers, but all persons interested in disaster response or those who have supported disaster response through making kits, financial aid, or prayers are invited to attend. 2017-2018 volunteers will be recognized as part of the program. To reserve your place, contact the District Resource Center at 362-1816 or virlina2@aol.com. Virlina District Conference November 9-10, 2018 at Bonsack Baptist Church For information, go to http://virlina.org/district-conference.html
PAGE 5 Acolytes by Martha Gregory October Middle & High School Events Sunday, October 7 5:00 p.m. Love Feast Wednesday, October 10 6:00-6:50 p.m. Instrumental Ensemble rehearsal in the sanctuary Wednesday, October 17 5:00 p.m. Meet at Famous Anthony s (at SW Plaza) for dinner before Bible Study (bring $). All youth are invited. 6:30 p.m. Intergenerational Bible Study in the sanctuary Wednesday, October 24 6:30 p.m. Intergenerational Bible Study in the fellowship hall Sunday, October 28 5:00-7:00 p.m. Senior High Youth families dinner and Bible Study at the Harveys (be listening for what to bring) Looking Ahead... November 4 Instrumental Ensemble to play in worship November 7, 14, 28 5:45 p.m., meal; 6:30 p.m., Christmas Play practice November 9 & 10 District Conference Youth activities. Overnight at Camp Bethel (following Friday evening worship). Vans will transport youth to Camp at 8:30 p.m. from Bonsack Baptist Church. Saturday will include games, meals, raking leaves, hiking, and low ropes course. $20, register with Carol. December 2 5:00 p.m., Children and Youth Christmas Program December 8 2:00-4:00 p.m., Youth Families Christmas Lupper Party in the home of Leland and Sharon Flora. We will eat lupper (combo of lunch and supper) at 2:00 p.m. The Floras are providing ham, mac and cheese, and drinks. We will sign up for salads, bread, and desserts. Then we will have some holiday games and devotions. Bring a gently used or new coat to share with someone in our community who needs one. January Jr. & Sr. High workcamp registration I enjoy having the opportunity to share the Children s Story on Sunday and hope all the children remember the things we discuss. Recently we talked about acolytes and how they minister to our congregation. Acolyte is not a word we use every day. One meaning of the word is a helper. We may not think of ourselves every day as ministers. However, we can share our faith and minister to others in many ways, on many days, and at many ages. At Oak Grove, an acolyte serves as a helper during the morning worship service. As the Sunday morning service begins, they carry the light of Christ into worship to light the two candles at the front of the sanctuary. We feel ourselves to be gathered in the presence of God. At the closing of the service, they carry Christ s light back into the world. Jesus is for people everywhere, and we are to help share God s light with the people of the world. If you are at least eight years old, you are welcome to serve as an acolyte. It only takes about 15 minutes to learn what you need to know to be an acolyte. Many of you have watched your friends serve on Sunday mornings. I will be happy to practice with you as many times as you need until you feel comfortable serving in this way. You may continue to be an acolyte through high school, if you would like. I hope the children and their parents will talk about this opportunity for service. Please let me know if you are interested in sharing in this way. Demonstration by Barbara Mann October leaves come falling down, a patchwork quilt as they hit ground. Their colors brighten each new day. They cover yards, then pass away. Our lives are like a falling leaf. They may seem long, yet they are brief. We each have color of our own and talents that are ours alone. Our God can use each person s skill to spread His love and do His will. We need to use all that we have to show our God s abiding love.
PAGE 6 Sunday Morning Statistics Date Sunday School Worship Budget Special Gifts September 2 66 93 $15,093 $25 September 9 65 116 $4,975 $147 September 16 54 120 $3,427 $100 September 23 56 101 $2,746 $300 Upcoming Sermons Sermons and worship services in October will continue our theme of Disciples Quest, as we work our way through the long, broad narrative of the Old Testament. October 7: October 14: October 21: October 28: God s vision for the people Exodus 19:3-7; 20:1-17 Renewing the covenant Joshua 24:1-16 Moral failure in high places 2 Samuel 11:1-5, 26-27; 12:1-15 Solomon becomes king 1 Kings 3 A Word from Pastor Tim... Fall Bible Study In keeping with our Old Testament emphasis in worship, our Fall Bible Study will focus on four books in the Old Testament that typically do not get much attention in Christian worship: Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations. The topic of the first lesson will be a Brethren view of the Bible and will also note the presence of difficult Biblical passages. What do we do with Scripture that challenges our assumptions and makes us uncomfortable? The remaining four weeks will be devoted to these four Old Testament books. Three of these (Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations) touch on difficult topics like genocide, racism, patriarchy, anger at God, and disappointment when life does not work out the way we had hoped. They can be difficult to read but ask some very human and very contemporary questions. The fourth book (Song of Songs) is of quite a different character, as it affirms the beauty of romantic love. Note: Fall Bible Study will be held on the Wednesday evenings of October 17 and 24, and November 7, 14, and 28. We will have dinner at 5:45 p.m., followed by our study at 6:30 p.m., with the exception of October 17. On that evening, there will be no dinner, and the study will be held in the sanctuary.
October 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Cutoff for reservations for No. Area Women Fall Meeting 9:00 am Crafts 5:30 pm Property 2 3 7:00 pm Choir 4 6:30 pm Christian Education 7:00 pm Missions & Service 5 6 7:30 am Breakfast at Camp Bethel 9:00 am Heritage Day Booths open at Camp Bethel 7 5:00 pm Love Feast 8 9:00 am Crafts 9 1:00 pm Caroling 7:00 pm Peace Group 10 6:00 pm Ministry & Worship 6:00 pm Youth Ensemble rehearsal 7:00 pm Choir 11 12 13 8:30 am Listening to God in a Noisy World at Camp Bethel 9:30 am Staunton Ave. Food Distribution 14 1:30 pm CROP Walk 4:00 pm Disciples Class at Garst Mill Park 15 9:00 am Crafts 16 9:30 am Northern Area Women Fall Meeting 17 12:00 pm Munch Bunch at Pete s Deli 5:00 pm Youth dinner at Famous Anthony s 6:30 pm Fall Bible Study 7:30 pm Choir 18 19 20 8:00 am Fall Bazaar Setup for Bazaar 21 3:00 pm Church Council 5:00 pm Disaster Response Vol. Dinner at Germantown Brick 22 23 Pack-up of Bazaar 24 5:45 pm Dinner 6:30 pm Fall Bible Study 7:30 pm Choir 25 9:30 am Joyful Hearts breakfast at Famous Toastery, then games at church 26 27 9:00 am Blood Drive 28 Pledge cards received 5:00 pm Senior High Youth families dinner and Bible Study at the Harveys 29 30 31 Coming in November... November 3 Fall Workday at Camp Bethel November 4 Daylight Savings Time Ends November 7, 14, 28 Fall Bible Study November 9 & 10 District Conference November 11 Church Board Retreat November 15 Joyful Hearts Thanksgiving Luncheon November 18 Community Thanksgiving Service