Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren 5651 Beaver Creek Rd., Bridgewater, VA 22812 Glenn Bollinger, Pastor Sunday School 9:45 Worship Service 11:00

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JANUARY 2011 Page 1 Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren 5651 Beaver Creek Rd., Bridgewater, VA 22812 Glenn Bollinger, Pastor Sunday School 9:45 Worship Service 11:00

This month’s birthdays Church Office 540-828-2767 Parsonage 540-828-7402 1 Joe LaPrade E-mail: [email protected] 1 Maggie Newman Church Office hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m. 3 Golden Brunk Website: http://beavercreekchurchva.org 4 Sam Evans 4 Kasey Cyzick Send newsletter items to Lisa Houff at [email protected] 6 Laura Grove Wall Follow Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren and Beaver Creek COB Youth on Facebook 9 Susan Miller and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/beavercreekers) 14 Theresa Eckard 22 Michael LaPrade The Special Needs Sunday School Class 22 Emma Eckard would like to thank the kids of the church for 24 Jody Cyzick their participation in Advent Music Minutes. For 25 Anna Suter the four Sundays of Advent, we all sang songs 25 Scotty Evans of the season together. It was great singing with 27 Cole Wheelbarger you! -- Carolyn, Doug and Bill 28 Greg Evans 28 Elizabeth Wright 30 Stuart Wood The Beaver Creek children presented their Christmas program on Sunday, MARK YOUR CALENDARS December 19th, which featured Christmas traditions around the world.

Rebecca

31—Youth New Year’s Eve/Lock-in at the church; 8:00 p.m.—9:30 a.m. Bring snack, sleeping bag/pillow, etc. Cereal and donuts will be provided for breakfast. Kendall

Chandler Harley

1— Emma

3—Jr. Hi Work Camp Regis- tration (details inside) 4—Women’s Fellowship Sunset Group, 7 p.m. Ryan 5—Women’s Fellowship Scotty Sunrise Group, 9:30 a.m.; Choir 7:30 p.m. Thanks to Regina Harlow and LaDawn

6— Epiphany Knicely for their leadership. Thanks also to Bill Wood for playing the piano, Sean 12—YAT 6:30; Choir 7:30; Music & Worship 8:30 and Chase Dunn for leading music, and to everyone who helped with costumes 20—Exec. Cmte. 6:30; Com- missions 7:30; Board 8:30 and refreshments.

Page 2 SHENANDOAH DISTRICT NEWS CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN NEWS P. O. Box 67 * Weyers Cave, VA 24486-0067 Church of the Brethren * 1451 Dundee Ave. * Elgin IL 60120 www.brethren.org 540-234-8555 or 1-888-308-8555 E-mail: [email protected] / website: www.shencob.org Annual Conference Reveals 2011 Logo The District Office will be closed December 24 – January 3 and will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 4.

 Housing Needed

Irv and Nancy Heishman, mission coordinators in the Dominican Republic, will be returning to the Harrisonburg area on December 13 to be near their children who attend JMU and EMHS. They are looking for a furnished apartment or house in the Harrisonburg, Bridgewater or Broadway areas to rent for at least six months. Contact Paul Roth for further information Moderator’s Explanation of the 2011 Annual Conference Theme ([email protected] or 540-896-

2162). VISION: I envision Annual Conference 2011 to be an occa- sion with multiple opportunities for inspiration, discernment, John Kline Homestead Nears GoalThere is fellowship, learning, challenge, service, and more for the gath- "exciting news" coming from the John Kline ered delegates, members, and friends of the Church of the Homestead preservation project, according to Brethren—centered in Jesus Christ who is Lord of the church and Savior of humankind. leader Paul Roth. The project is within $5,000 of raising the $425,000 needed to purchase the THEME: In considering what theme would serve this vision historic Kline family property by the end of this for Annual Conference 2011, several possibilities flowed year. through my soul. I want the theme to be centered in Jesus Christ and to flow from the Gospels. I also want it to be simple enough for almost anyone to grasp, broad enough to keep us  John Kline Homestead Preservation Trust centered in the big picture, specific enough to challenge our vision together, and sensitive enough to be in touch with cur- This trust was created in 2006 in hopes of preserving rent Brethren life. and eventually being able to purchase the home of Elder John Kline, a leader of the Brethren during the Civil This journey brought me to the phrase Gifted with Promise: War and a martyr for peace. The homestead is in Broad- Extending Jesus’ Table. Time and again this past year as I have participated in Brethren gatherings (NOAC, Intercultural Con- way, Va., near Linville Creek Church of the Brethren ference, New Church Planting Conference, Mission & Ministry where Roth is pastor. Board, and others) and as I have heard calls for response to diminishing membership and to the church’s mission, the latter The date has not yet been set by Park View Federal phrase has resonated in my soul. Later, the first phrase Credit Union of Harrisonburg, Va., for closing on the emerged to center the extending, especially as I considered how Acts 2:39 and I John 2:25 highlight the gift of God’s property, Roth said. The homestead Board of Directors promise. will plan a celebration event after the property has been purchased. When I have prayed for whether another theme might emerge, my heart kept returning to Gifted with Promise: Extending This fall the homestead hosted a number of events both Jesus’ Table. As a primary text for this theme, I have chosen to encourage the raising of funds and to highlight the the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. This story is one of few to appear in all four Gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; peacemaking witness of Elder John Kline as a key anni- Luke 9:10-17; and John 6:1-14). Mark (8:1-10) and Matthew versary of the Civil War approaches in 2011. (15:32-39) add a feeding of 4,000. In the story, Jesus’ disciples request him to send the crowds away to be fed. Jesus responds "We just completed our third Candlelight Dinner in the by challenging the disciples: “You give them something to John Kline house with 88 guests enjoying a traditional eat” (Matthew 14:16). In every age including our own, Jesus continues to challenge disciples to respond to people with the homemade meal and the conversations of people who sustaining benefit of the Gospel whether in compassionate ser- lived in the house sharing their concerns about the ru- vice, forgiving grace, or abiding hope. In Gifted with Promise: mors of war in the fall of 1860," Roth reported. Actors Extending Jesus’ Table, Brethren encounter a challenging as- played the parts of people who would have lived and signment: worked in the house at that time. An actor playing John (1) to discover afresh their giftedness with Gospel and (2) to Kline "read from his Jan. 1, 1861, diary entry, fearing envision their role in loving the world enough to share the the impact of secession and war upon his family and physical and spiritual benefit of the Gospel. This theme con- congregation," Roth said. nects our common interests in spirituality and service, practice and prayer. We extend the table with promised resources of grace and love. The theme calls us to mission and evangelism More Candlelight Dinners will be offered in 2011. where we not only share and invite but we cultivate disciple- Tentative dates are Jan. 21 and 22, Feb. 18 and 19, ship as we offer tangible resources of food, clothing, medical March 18 and 19, and April 15 and 16. Tickets are care, and more. At the table, we share, we receive, and we $40 per plate. Seating is limited to 32. Reservations learn. I envision worship, Bible studies, reports, and other as- pects of the 2011 Annual Conference all centered around this will be received beginning Jan. 3. For more informa- theme: Gifted with Promise: Extending Jesus’ Table. tion contact Paul Roth at 540-896-5001 or [email protected] . —Robert E. Alley, September 2010

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To facilitate communications with the Beaver Creek Cemetery Board of Directors, please address all correspondence to: Beaver Creek Cemetery Assoc., Inc.

c/o Dennis R. Miller

204 High St.,

Bridgewater, VA 22812

“We want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers, cards, gifts, visits, food, phone calls, beautiful flowers, and the bowl of goodies given to us in 2010. They were all very much appreciated.“ —Carl & Ruth Smith

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50 No. Permit

Harrisonburg, VA 22801 22801 VA Harrisonburg,

2011 JANUARY

U.S. Postage Paid Paid Postage U.S. Nonprofit Organization Organization Nonprofit

A psychologist has determined that the Monday in the last full week of January is the most depressing day of the year. This year, “Blue Monday” falls on January 24.

Cliff Arnall calculated this date based on a combination of bad weather, Christmas debts, broken New Year’s resolutions and the end of the holiday break.

But no matter how bleak things seem — regardless of the time of year — Christians always have reason for hope. Thankfully, we can look beyond our earthly circumstances to the promise of new life with God forever.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”

From humble beginnings In 1804, William, a 21-year-old from a poor family, decided to go to New York City to find a job. He told a neighbor his plans, saying he knew how to make soap and might work in a soap factory.

The neighbor said, “Just remember to be a good man, give your heart to Christ and pay the Lord all that belongs to him. Give a dime of every dollar you make, make an honest soap and you will be a happy and wealthy man.”

Sure enough, William found a job making soap. Later, he became part owner and then sole owner of the business. His product line — and giving — expanded greatly. He gave many millions of dollars to the Lord’s work throughout the world, far more than 10 percent of his wealth.

William Colgate died in 1857 at age 74, but his legacy and company, Colgate-Palmolive, still thrive.

Our first loyalty The beginning of a new year is a good time to consider our compelling — and sometimes competing — loyalties. Our first loyalty must always be to our loving Creator. “You shall have no other gods before me,” says the first commandment (Exodus 20:3, NRSV). Although other loyalties are important (family, country, work), God is the top priority.

Brand new I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.

I am your next chance at the art of living. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last 12 months.

All you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination. All the good you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all you hoped but did not will, all the faith you claimed but did not have — these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to him who said, “See, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5, NRSV). —Author unknown