News & Events

April Newsletter

Published on by Janet Myers

Nokesville Church of the Brethren

April 2024 Newsletter

 

 

 

PASTOR’S PONDERINGS

Having an April birthday, I paid attention when I was younger to the saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” The last few days have included quite a bit of rain. So, I’m hopeful! This is the beginning of the gardening season. Our daughter has her starter plants sprouting inside her west-facing glass doors. As we move towards mid-May, she’ll transition them to their outside locations.  These sprouts had their first chance at growth when she put the seeds in soil and cared for their watering needs. But the real growth happened because of God.

As the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he addressed dissension over which leader to follow. Should they follow Paul? Or should they follow Apollos? Paul confronted their tendencies toward quarreling by reminding them of how Apollos and Paul have each done their part.

Is Apollos important? No! Is Paul important? No! We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work God gave us to do. I planted the seed of the teaching in you, and Apollos watered it. But God is the One who made the seed grow. So, the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God is important because he is the One who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose. And each will be rewarded for his own work. We are workers together for God. And you are like a farm that belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 3:5-9, International Children’s Bible)

We are to be co-workers who plant and water seeds for God. Then, we trust God for the growth. What seeds are we planting and watering? Are we sowing seeds of discord, disagreement, and dissonance? Or are we sowing seeds of unity, encouragement, and love for all? Each of us has seeds to plant. And each of us has what we think should be the garden plan. But have we gone to God for the best seeds? And God’s plan?

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The seeds that we plant together for God will be our testimony to the world of how to garden. We all have a gardening job to do at any given moment. Are you planting good seeds? Are you watering faithfully? As we do this together, God will make things in the kingdom garden grow. Then everyone will see blooms and fruits of God’s love.

Pastor Janet

 

 

 

CONGREGATIONAL SPRING FORUM

Nokesville Church of the Brethren

April 14, 2024

Following worship with fellowship meal

Please bring a dish to share

Come share the business of our church

 

 

 

MANY THANKS!

Sheldon & Peggy wish to send a thank you to their Church friends for the cards, visits, and well wishes on Facebook  for Easter and their 69th anniversary.   It made both occasions special.

 

 

 

 

SERVICE & COMMUNITY ENGAGMENT

The Fellowship of The Least Coin The Service & Community Engagement Team decided to continue this project that aids women and children. On Mother’s Day, May 12, our children will be given a special project to do. Adults can help, too. Be sure to come to find out more!

New Blessings Box The new Blessings Box arrived and was assembled by Brentsville’s high school students in FFA. Thank you for your generosity and support of this ministry to and with our community.

Senior Social Events continue on the third Wed. of every month @ 11:30 a.m. with lunch provided! We have some new and exciting programs planned for the coming months. Such as ‘exercise on your level’; a barbershop quartet; therapy dog presentation; and more! Invite your friends. This is for the whole community.

 

April Senior Social invite your friends!! 

We are hosting a local Barbershop Quartet for the month of April on Wednesday April 17th @ 11:30 a.m.! You don’t want to miss this!

Let Nancy Hedges or Jo Ann Stanto know how many extra folks will be coming so that we can provide enough food for lunch (again there is no charge, but you may make a donation towards the food if you like).

 

 

 

SHOEBOX MINISTRY

For the last ShoeBox Ministry goodie box of the year to our only college student we’d like donation be delivered on April 21st. Please place your homemade items, other snacks & gift cards in the container provided in the Narthex.

 

 

 

 

CONGREGATIONAL LIFE

We will continue to host coffee hour before Sunday School each week.  We encourage you to consider providing breakfast for the congregation.  You may also consider signing up with a friend.  See the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.

Community Yard Sale on April 20th.  Vendor spots are now open up for both congregation and community members.  You can sign up for a vendor space by scanning the QR code on the flyer. If you would like help organize the event, please reach out Pam Breslin or another member of the Congregational Life team.

 

 

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS ARE BACK!

Food Truck Fridays will be starting up again May 10th!

To find out what trucks will be joining us this year please visit our News & Events page here: https://nokesvillecob.org/2023/05/01/food-truck-fridays/

 

 

RAINBOW PRESCHOOL NEWS

Our new updated website has been launched:  rainbowpreschoolncob.org. A big THANK YOU to Pam Breslin for all her hard work and expertise.  Thank you to Tracey Hladky for all her help and to Elizabeth Evans for editing.  It was a team effort!

We still have openings for the 2024/2025 school year so please feel free to share our website with anyone who is interested or have them email us at rainbowpreschool538@gmail.com.

 

 

 

FLOWER SHARING

We have created a Signup Genius so you can order flowers online. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4EABAE29A4F94-46656315-2024

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

 

 

 

SERVING APRIL 2024

 

 

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.

pastor@nokesvillecob.org

 

We bought that bus!

Published on by Tracey

Northern Virginia Brethren played a key role in making the bus for Queensland Girls’ School roll!  The Ken & Ted event put the project of acquiring the bus put the New Community Project’s She has a Dream campaign over the top. Now disabled children needing transport, teachers living at distance, and sporting teams looking for a match – they’ve all got a way to get there!

 

Death Row Support Project

Published on by Tracey

How to become a pen pal to an inmate

A person on DR (Death Row) often spends up to 23 hours each day in a small cell for years and sometimes decades.  Letters can bring a ray of hope to the darkness of DR.  For those on the outside, learning to know just one prisoner can dispel some of the misconceptions and fears about prisons and the people locked away inside.

My pen pal is a black male, 48 years old who has been in prison for 27 years serving 2 life sentences.  He was raised by an abusive, bipolar, addicted mother.  When he was first arrested, his own son was one year old.  They have been trying to build a relationship by phone and he has never met his three grandchildren.  He is a spiritual man and says, “I am not a victim, and I stand in my own responsibility.”

Some positive changes went into effect at his prison in the past year.  As part of that, he has worked outside; he shovelled two city blocks of snow and was paid $ 1.26 for 3 hours work.  He earns 24 cents an hour for 5 days a week and $6 a month for school.  He says, “A good month, I earn $33.”

We have been writing back and forth since October 2019.  Since the pandemic reached peak, I have been seeing reports on the COVID-19 situations in prisons.  I am concerned for my penpal as I have not heard from him since February 10th.  I became interested in the Death Row Support Project since reading an article in the Brethren Messenger.  I then read the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson which convinced me to become part of the project.  The application is very simple and done on-line.  The commitment is one letter a month for a year.  I’m feeling a relationship developing already that I’m sure will last longer than one year – God willing.

For more information, contact Lyn Ficili at lficili@gmail.com.

 

Church Camp Weekend

Published on by Janet Myers

We are planning the “All Church Camp Weekend” for September 29-October 1.  Stay all weekend or come for a day.  Brethren Woods, in Keezletown, VA offers a beautiful, serene campground that is perfect for fellowship.

This is a fun weekend of fellowship at Brethren Woods in the mountains of Virginia. We have currently reserved cabins for the weekend. If you are interested in coming but would prefer to stay in the A-Frame (building with bathroom in it), please reach out to Pam Breslin or Jackie Bear. We may still be able to book the A-frame. Please also let us know if you or your child are interested in participating in the Challenge/Ropes course. We will need at least 6 people to commit to participate to book the activity.