Nokesville Church of the Brethren

September 2023 Newsletter

PASTOR’S PONDERINGS

This month I thought I’d share some Bible verses that have been meaningful to me.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. -2 Corinthians 1:3 (NIV)

This verse assures me that whatever hard things I’m facing, God will use it to bless others. Sometimes this happens even as I’m still in the difficult season. To know that the God of the universe is redeeming my situation and working through me to help redeem another’s is so inspiring and encouraging.

This next verse continues to impact me as I read it from the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition.

For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. -Luke 1:37

The angel Gabriel spoke this message to Mary as he delivered the news, she would carry Jesus in her womb. What reassurance to have as we move forward in faith with fear nipping at our heels!

Lastly, for this month, here are excerpts from Romans 8 beginning at verse 26—a great reminder of the power of God’s love.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose… What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

May you be more and more aware of God’s grace, power, and peace through Jesus Christ.

Pastor Janet

SERVICE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Blessings Box: Needs are posted in the weekly Beacon

Senior Socials: The group continued their monthly gatherings through the summer. This fellowship opportunity is open to all seniors in the Nokesville community, so continue to invite friends, family and neighbors.

Field of Boaz: (local participant in Growing Hope Globally.) A fall blessing and celebration of the crop will be held on October 28^th at 1:00 at Midland Church of the Brethren’s Apple Fest. As a fund-raising effort, NCOB will be seeking volunteers and bakers of fall-themed baked goods (i.e. Apple pies) for a bake sale (on site). Contact Dianne Nelson or Lyn Ficili to sign up to help.

The Growing Hope Globally project in northern Virginia includes five Church of the Brethren congregations (including Nokesville) that are working with the organization to grow crops on 10 acres of farm property in Midland, Va., and then donate the income from the sale of the crops to food security and hunger relief. https://www.brethren.org/news/2023/eyn-a-wounded-healer/

CWS Hygiene Kits: District Conference is collecting items to be assembled into Hygiene Kits (see list of items). Items are to be place in totes in our Narthex by September 30^th. Individual items may be purchased – there is no need to purchase all items in each kit.

CROP Walk: This will take place on September 24^th at 12:30 at Jenny Dean Park. NCOB is teaming up with MCOB. Please sign up to be a walker or to support a walker.

CONGREGATIONAL LIFE

Upcoming Events

Join us September 8^th for our Food Truck Friday. We will host Wayne’s Delicious Eats from 4-7. Join us on the lawn for dinner or take your meal home with you to enjoy. We look forward to seeing you there!

All Church Camp Weekend will by Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Join us for the entire weekend or a day for some fall, mountain air! Sleeping arrangements include cabins or bring a tent or RV. Please see the flyer and registration in the bulletin for more information.

We will host a Trunk or Treat on Oct. 28^th. We hope to have a variety of trunks and games for the children of our congregation and the community. Please see Kelsey Southard if you would like to help organize the event or host a trunk.

Coffee Hour: We continue to support the weekly coffee hour. We encourage you to consider signing up to bring a snack to share. Breakfast snacks can be as simple or involved as you choose. Coffee hour is a wonderful time of weekly fellowship that is enjoyed by all ages.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

The Christian Education Team is excited to announce that our Sunday School year will begin September 3! Classes this year are Preschool (in the fellowship hall 3s preschool classroom), elementary K-5 (located on the balcony level on the left side), the youth 6th-12th (located across from the pastor’s office), and adults (fellowship hall, second floor, second door from the left). We would like to thank everyone who has volunteered to help teaching this year! We couldn’t do this without you!

If you have any questions please reach out to anyone on the Christian Education Team.

Jackie Bear, Coleen Rother, and Carrie Diethorn Christianeducob@gmail.com

Youth & Parent Get-Together Sunday, September 10th

All 6th-12th graders and their parent(s) are encouraged to join us as we plan for the remainder of 2023 and 2024. We will meet immediately after church in the fellowship hall, and lunch will be provided. Please let Heather Nelson or Jackie Bear know if you plan to attend by September 5th.

RAINBOW PRESCHOOL

We began our school year with an Open House on August 23 and the first day of school was August 24. There are still openings in some of our classes if you or anyone you know is interested. For more information email us at rainbowpreschool538@gmal.com. School hours are 8:45 to 11:45. There will not be an afternoon class this year.

A special thank you to Cubby and Charlotte Bear for all your help getting our school year started. We appreciate everyone’s help and support!

GROWING HOPE GLOBALLY—MIDLAND CoB

The Growing Hope Globally project in northern Virginia includes five Church of the Brethren congregations that are working with the organization to grow crops on 10 acres of farm property in Midland, Va., and then donate the income from the sale of the crops to food security and hunger relief.

My late brother, Lorne, was the “hype man” credited by Growing Hope Globally for his role in starting the “Field of Boaz” project. But it takes work and enthusiasm from everyone to make such a project work and continue to be a blessing.

The first year, they exceeded their goal and raised over $13,000 to send to Guatemala Nebaj Quetzaltenago. In the second year it looks like a sixth and seventh church will be added to our cooperative and we hope to send our folks internationally to visit the project so they can bring home the story of Growing Hope Globally.

My dad’s church–Eden (N.C.) First Church of the Brethren–took a “seed” from my brother’s enthusiasm and started their own Community Garden of Eden on church property. My father, Herb Holmes, serves as coordinator of the project.

The church sits in a triangular lot in an underprivileged section of town. This year they are growing the crops on their own to make sure they know what they’re doing and have what the community will need to be successful–water, security, access, tools, and good soil.

Fifteen people came out to help plant more than 200 vegetable and flower plants, and the garden was planted in less than an hour! But two weeks later, a tornado went through and threw the trellis into the trees and shredded many of the plants. My father was downhearted after a year of detailed planning and so many gracious volunteers and donations, but most especially because the community garden was in honor of his late son’s mission. I told my dad that God was just pruning the plants for a better harvest, to which he laughed and answered, “Who raised you?”

The community garden now has an abundance of squash and zucchini and the church is making meals with the crops, serving more than 100 meals when they open their doors to serve to the community dinners. They also deliver vegetable baskets to over 30 homes in the community, telling them the story of the growing Community Garden of Eden, and inviting them to the Community Meals and to worship with them.

FLOWER SHARING

We have created a Signup Genius so you can order flowers online. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4EABAE29A4F94-2023

Your offerings can be made through our website. https://www.continuetogive.com/ncobbudget

SERVING SEPTEMBER 2023

Sept. 3

Sept. 10

Sept. 17

Sept. 24

Worship Leader

Mark Tinsman

Coleen Rother

Chris Taylor

Ron Croushorn

Children’s Story

Rev. Charlotte Bear

Pam Flory

David Radcliffe

Dianne Nelson

Nursery

TBD

Pianist

Suzie Evans

Organist

Mary Weybright

Hymn Leader

Jeannette Funkhouser

Flowers Are given to the glory of God by

Heather Nelson in memory of Kay Nelson

Mary Weybright in honor of Labor Day

Pam Breslin in honor of Suzie Evans birthday

Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Coffee Fellowship 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m.

Pastor Janet’s Office Hours

Tues – Fri

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

jcmyers2@outlook.com