Bangor Liberty Friends Church

My Dear Friends,

Saying goodbye is one of the hardest things to do.  We’re built for community, so it feels unnatural to purposely separate oneself from deep and meaningful relationships.  This is the process my family and I find ourselves in right now.  We have loved this church and each of you in a very real way.  We have given of ourselves to you in ways that you may never know or understand.  We have also been given things from you that you may never know or understand.  To say goodbye feels unnatural, strange, and almost wrong.  But, we know that our God has ways that are not ours and understands things we cannot understand.

I trust God’s call in this.  I am so pleased in your choice of Matthew as your next pastor.  I am pleased with God’s leading to take our family to another church that, in many ways, needs a lot of the same things this church needed when we arrived here four years ago.  I am thankful for the friendships I’ve made, the work I’ve been able to be a part of, and most of all for God’s hand in every step of the journey.  I’ve laughed, cried, been at complete peace, and felt more stress than I’ve ever experienced before.  You’ve seen my best and some of you have seen my worst.  I feel as though I’ve given you everything I had to offer and I know that I’m a better disciple, husband, father, and pastor because of it.  I pray that some of you have been able to experience growth as well.

I’ll miss you all terribly and I’ll think of you often.  Please keep in touch, I can’t wait to hear about the great things God will continue to do in and through this church.  Remember to keep first things first, major on the majors, and to never forget your first Love.  Keep striving to become the image of God’s Church that I know you can be.  It’s hard work, full of sacrifice, but the payoff is huge!  I’m proud to have been a small part in the history of Bangor Liberty and of your lives.

Until we meet again,

Manny

New Pastor!

        BL Friends in a called monthly meeting on Sunday, May 31^st approved calling Matthew Bishop as our new pastor.  He and his wife, Robin, and boys, Kellen and Nate, are currently living in Fort Dodge.  They will be moving to Bangor the first part of August.  We look forward to welcoming Matt and Robin and boys to our church family and learning and growing with them!

The Perfect Father

Parishioners Tom Beckett and Sue Seibel of Mantua (NJ) United Methodist Church set out to describe “the perfect father” for the Father’s Day issue of the church newsletter.

They concluded: “Alas, there is only one perfect Father, God, and only one perfect Son, Jesus. Most of us live a life of trial and error. We fall down. We make mistakes. We need to get back up on our feet and go on. This is how we grow.

“Instead of trying to be a ‘perfect father,’ we can only pray to God and do the best job we can. The most important thing in parenting is to love your children as God loves us and support them in all they do.

“May God bless all the imperfect fathers of the world who try to raise their children perfectly.”

          -Copied, from The Joyful Noiseletter

Remember in Prayer      

~Our new pastor & family – Matthew &

   Robin Bishop, sons Kellen & Nate, who

   will join us soon.

~Our Church Family as we bid Manny,

   Jenalee, Syler, Chasley, Elena & Cici,

    farewell & God Bless!

~ Pray for our Campers & Camp Staff!

~Our VBS planning staff, Dani & Josie, for

   our combined VBS with HC-NP Friends

~Iowa Yearly Meetings Body of Reps.

   who are meeting on June 20^th to accept

   IAYM Board on Coordination’s

   recommendation to appoint Thomas A  

   Showalter as our new IAYM General

   Superintendent.  And to appoint John &  

   Brenda (Mac & Bernie) McDonald as

   Directors of Mesquakie Friends Center.

~Our 3^rd Sunday Mission emphasis -

   Quakerdale’s Summer Mobile Camps

~House of Compassion in Marshalltown and

   all whom they serve

HOC Meal Report 

On May 28^th, 19 from BLFC were involved in purchasing, preparing, serving & cleanup for 76 guests.  They enjoyed sloppy Joes w/cheese, sweet potato fries, baked beans, mandarin oranges, lemon & chocolate pudding, scotcharoos or cherries on dessert cups, milk & coffee.

Thanks to our volunteers: Bill & Rosalee, Don & Joyce, Jim & Sharon, Beth, Neil & Peg, Veronica & Bob who provided food or funds; Vi, Diane, Betty, Darla, Neil, Charlene, Tom & Jo who were in the kitchen. Our next meal is June 25^th. Join us for fun & good fellowship as we serve the ‘least of these’.

Mesquakie PO Box

The Toledo post office box 36 for Mesquakie Friends Center has been closed.  The new mailing address is PO Box 163, Tama IA 52339.

Iowa Yearly Meeting Sessions

July 29^th thru August 1^st

William Penn University

Listen - Learn - Live

Joshua 1”6-9

Keynote Speakers

Todd Follette & Arlen Daleske

Thursday Highlight

The World Café – a follow up large group

session from last year’s event

IAYM Ministries Workshop

Come hear about Quakerdale, Camp, and

our Youth & Young Adult Ministries

Friday Events

Large Group Sessions

Missions Board Updates

Christian Education

Education & Church/Child Safety featuring

A guest speaker from GuideOne Insurance

Saturday

Missions Packaging Event

12:30 pm Missions Banquet

*Registration opened June 1^st for the 2015

Yearly Meeting Sessions.  Check out the IAYM website for information about registration.

~

“Unfortunately, many people do not consider fun an important item

on their daily agenda. For me that was

 always high priority in whatever I was doing.”

Chuck Yeager

Test pilot

~

Everest VBS

Conquering Challenges with

God’s Mighty Power

Come and join BL Friends and Honey Creek-New Providence Friends during the coolest week of the summer!

Each day, kids will trek through field-tested activity stations with their climbing crews. Every station is designed to reinforce a daily Bible point in a hands-on, interactive way that keeps everyone engaged.

You don't want to miss the fun during the evenings of July 19th - 24th from 6:15-8:30pm. Kids age 3 through grade 6, invite your friends to the coolest summer adventure in 2015! Children, teens and adults pray about how you can share your God-given gifts to all the children and volunteers during the coolest week of summer. All you need is God's mighty power! Let Dani Juncker , Josie Evertsen or Alicia Daleske know how you would like to help and please sign up so we know what you are interested in. You don't want to miss seeing God's amazing work!

*Mission projects this year for the 2015 VBS are the local House of Compassion school supplies and Amari Play Center Playground at the Amari Refugee Camp located on the outskirts of Ramallah in Palestine.

* Two VBS training sessions will be held at BLFC, Wednesday July 8th at 6:30 pm. and on July 12th following Sunday School with a light snack served at both sessions.

Mission Moment

Our project for June will be the Quakerdale Mobile Camps.  These camps are held for 5-days and reach out to children ages 6 – 11 in low income areas. The camps are free to families and children since they are funded by donations. This is a highly effective way to reach kids who ordinarily would not have this opportunity. Kids participate in team sports, arts & crafts, and Biblically based character building workshops.  

Jason Kinney will come to inform us about this summer ministry on June 14.  He will share briefly during the worship service and provide a power point display during our Sunday School hour when light refreshments will be available. Our June Mission Offering will be given to Quakerdale to help support the Mobile Camps.

         Margaret Good, BLFC Missions Comm.

Make Note of this Change!

        Beginning on Sunday, June 7^th, Sunday School and Worship times were switched.  Worship is held at 9:30 a.m. with Sunday School following at approx. 10:45 a.m.  This allows for discussion of the sermon topic in Sunday School.  Intergenerational classes are held for all in 6^th grade and up.  Children, ages 4 thru those going into 5^th grade will meet on their own for Sunday School.  Three and under will be cared for in the nursery.

News from Kris

        Camp is such an awesome time of year where we can get away from our normal busyness of life. It seems that we get busier and busier every year with baseball, softball, vacations, and just the nice weather. When we are at camp, we can just have some uninterrupted time with God. Sure we play some crazy (and messy) games, but we can rid ourselves of the distractions of everyday life and really center down on what God is trying to say to us through music, speakers, His word, our counselors, the staff, and whoever else we might come in contact with. So please remember all the campers in prayer as they go to camp this year.

Youth Summer Schedule

        Youth will meet on Wednesday nights from 7:00-8:00 pm, no meal provided, unless there is something specific listed below.

June

12-14 – Little Fry Camp

14-19 – High School/Jr. High Camp

21-25 - Elementary Camp

17 – No Youth Group

24 – No Youth Group

July

1 - Fourth of July BBQ (location TBD) 6:00-8:00 pm

8 – Pool Party (details to come)

15 – Perfect Games, Ames (time TBD)

19-23 – VBS

22 - No Youth Class (help with VBS)

24 – VBS Finale Program

29-August 1 – Yearly Meeting in Oskaloosa

August

1 – Yearly Meeting in Oskaloosa

19 – Back to School BBQ, game night at BLFC, 6:00-8:00 pm

September

9 – DEEPER Classes start

Questions?  Talk with Kris Smitherman, Youth Pastor.  Text messages will be sent out to the youth weekly.

Mission Update –

Tanzania      

Our May mission project helped support the new headquarters/church in Tanzania.  The people in Tanzania have been building in stages as money comes in since 2010.  They have planted 5 startup churches all desiring leadership.  Currently they are ready to move on to the walls.  Thank you for your continued support both financially and spiritually!

Blessing Fund - It truly has been a blessing for me to be able to utilize this fund. Thank you for all you have given toward this.  We have blessed a hard working young man with art supplies from Hobby Lobby.  My son, Aden, works with him and Aden shared with me that this young man showed him a picture that he drew with the supplies.

Also this week we were able to bless a family of 7 with a family pool pass to the Eldora Aquatic Center.  I placed the pool pass in a card and the verse that came to mind was “Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened for you. Matt 7:7, which I had written in the card along with a little note to enjoy this.  I know this mom through Facebook and she had posted, “Anonymous: Taye (her oldest son) has called you the summer Santa. “  She then posted the verse!  I was overwhelmed with joy and knew that we had shown God’s love!

This fund has not only blessed the bless-ie but has also blessed the bless-er.  Now, as I come into contact with people on a daily basis I think about what questions can I ask to get to know them better?  There may be an opportunity to bless them!

-Breanne Butler, member of BLFC     

 Missions Committee

Library Ledge
Fiction Fun

This summer will be a great time to lie back with a good book from our library.  We have a large assortment of books and movies for your entertainment.

Several new books to our library are from these two series:  Tales from Grace Chapel Inn from Guideposts and Daughters of Lancaster County by Wanda E. Brunstetter.

We also have other books new to our library by Lori Wick, Karen Kingsbury, Tracie Peterson and Calvin Miller.  Stop in and see all we have to share.

Thank you to those who donated to our library.       –Kristy Albright

Bangor USFW

            We will gather at Margaret’s in Eldora on June 16 @ 1:30.  Ann will share about her recent visit to Belize and the mission work there.

Liberty USFW

          Liberty USFW will gather on June 18^th for lunch at the Brewhouse in Marshalltown at 4 W. Boone St. at 11:30 am on the 18^th for the last meeting before a summer break.