Bangor Liberty Friends Church

Thank Offering Service

 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. I Chronicles 16:8

            Our Thank Offering Service at Bangor Liberty will be during worship, at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, November 21, 2004, followed by a potluck meal.

            Our offering will be divided between Camp Scholarships, General Fund, Friends Disaster Service of Iowa, and Andy and Lisa Stout.

            Camp Scholarships are a great way to help our young people attend camp each summer. The decisions for Christ and the spiritual growth that happen there make it the most important factor in the growth of God’s Kingdom.

            The General Fund is important in our local meeting to help supply many needs to our own congregation but to meet needs in our community as well.

The Friends Disaster Service has aided people who have losses through no fault of their own, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and fires.

            Mike and Kay Cain are retiring and Andy and Lisa Stout are replacing them at Friends Boys School in Belize. Our mission pledge would go to their work in Belize.           

            As always if you have a specific project or mission of your choice you may so designate.

                        BLFC Missions Committee

Thanksgiving

Our power is shut off, and suddenly we become thankful for electricity. Our garbage is not picked up, and suddenly we become thankful for the garbage collector’s weekly stop. A good friend dies, and suddenly we discover how much he meant to us. Our water becomes too polluted to drink, and suddenly we appreciate pure water.

            Why is it, Lord, that we take for granted the uncounted blessings of life until they are removed from us? We take for granted, the mind You have given us, the beauty of the earth around us, the rain and soil combining to produce our food, the love of family and friends surrounding us.

            Today we thank You for being patient with us, for not forgetting us when we forget You, for loving and forgiving us, for music and singing, for rest and leisure, for those who understand us, for laughter and joy, for being with us now.

            Most of all we thank You for not withholding the blessings of life from us even though we take them for granted. Take us from worship into the world where we turn words of thanksgiving into deeds of service.

The Devil & Thanksgiving

            There is an old European story about a traveler who came upon a barn where the devil had stored seeds which he planned to sow in the hearts of people. There were bags of seed variously marked “Hatred,” “Fear,” “Doubt,” “Despair,” “Unforgiveness,” “Pride,” “Greed,” etc.

            The devil appeared and struck up a conversation with the traveler. He gleefully told the traveler how easily the seeds he sowed sprouted in the hearts of men and women.

            “Are there any hearts in which these seeds will not sprout?” the traveler asked.

            A melancholy look appeared on the devil’s face. “These seeds will not sprout in the heart of a thankful and joyful person,” he confessed.

-The tragedy of our day is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer.

Thanksgiving Prayer

     We come to this table today, O Lord, humble and thankful and glad.

     We thank Thee first for the great miracle of life, for the exaltation of being human, for the capacity to love.

     We thank Thee for joys both great and simple-

           For wonder, dreams and hope;

           For the newness of each day;

           For laughter and song and a merry heart;

           For compassion waiting within to be kindled;        

           For the forbearance of friends and the smile of a stranger;

           For the arching of the earth and trees and heavens and the fruit of all three;

           For the wisdom of the old;

           For the courage of the young;

           For the promise of the child;

           For the strength that comes when needed;

           For this family united here today.

Of those to whom much is given, much is  required. May we and our children remember this.

                                                            -Amen

Looking Ahead

February 4 & 5, 2005 - Becoming Your Favorite Church with H.B. London - A Ministry Conference sponsored by Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends, Oskaloosa, IA.

            Early Registration Deadline is January 14, 2005 which will save you some money. The Quaker Men of IAYM will host their annual banquet in conjunction with the Ministry Conference on Friday evening at Vennard College. All conference attendees are welcome. Saturday sessions will be held at College Avenue Friends Church. Lunch tickets are available for the Saturday noon meal at College Avenue Friends Church. Conference brochures and information are posted on the bulletin board.

Children’s Church

Our November lessons will include forgiveness and thankfulness. We’ll be making gifts to thank workers at the Southridge Nursing Home and creating cards for adopted Grandparents. Children, age 5 through grade 5, are welcome to join us November 7 and 28.

Liberty USFW

            Ladies of the Liberty USFW group are reminded to bring scissors to the next meeting which will be a work night at Lora Bachman’s home on Wednesday, November 10^th at 7:00 p.m. Also bring any soup labels, box tops for education and stamps that need to be trimmed. Several projects will be worked on this evening.

Bangor USFW

            The next Bangor USFW meeting will be held November 16, 1:30 p.m., at Ann Nichols’ home. Ann will provide the program and Fern will bring refreshments.  Our Christmas offering (including penny jars) will be collected and shared between the mission fields of Jamaica and Cuba.  Discussion will continue regarding projects for our December 14 workday. All ladies welcome.

Monday Night Bible Study

          Our study of the book of Luke continues. We’re now in chapter 12 and would welcome others to join us at 7:30 on Mondays. We’re meeting in homes during the winter months, so watch the bulletin for the location. November 8^th we will gather at Good’s.

Adopt-A-Family

The House of Compassion sponsors this program every year. With the offering of gifts and food a low-income household can have a better Christmas.

As an adopter, we ask that you:

1) Contact Betty or Margaret by Nov. 15^th with the number of individuals you wish to adopt or with the amount of cash you wish to give to provide gifts for a family. It’s fine to go together with another person or family and share a family. (Margaret can purchase and deliver if you wish.)

2) Call the people as soon as you receive their names and let them know that they have been adopted.

3) Furnish a food box. Food suggestions are provided.

4) Call again when you have purchased the gifts & food and set a time to deliver.

Thank you in advance for participating in this rewarding project.

The Library Ledge:

Mission Memories & Challenges

            “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 14:15  We have books that will teach and challenge you to reach out to tell others the Good News of Jesus and His love.

            101 Ways Your Church can Change the World gives simple, practical and effective ideas to help Christians reach out to a hurting world, the way Jesus did.

            Short biographies of Christian heroes are included in The Smoke of a Thousand Villages. These people prove that if you give your life fully to Jesus you will never lack for adventure!

            These are just a few of many books about missionaries and mission work. Look for others displayed on the library ledge.

Annual “Messiah” Presentation

            The Central Iowa Choral Society will present its annual performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 5 at First United Methodist Church, 202 W Main St in Marshalltown. Child care will be available.

            All central Iowa singers are invited to participate in this event. Rehearsals will be from 2:00-4:00 p.m. on Sundays, Nov. 7, 14, 21, and Dec. 5.  Sunday, Nov. 28 the rehearsal will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. with a reception following. Rehearsals will also be at the First United Methodist Church.

Through the Prayers of Others

Have we ever stopped to think how many blessings come into our lives that we do not deserve and for which we have not even asked God. Why? Probably someone else has prayed in our behalf.

House of Compassion Report

October 28 - Our menu was enlarged with extra food left in the kitchen. We served 58 a choice of sloppy Joes or BBQ pork sandwiches, beets, green beans w/bacon, macaroni & cheese, applesauce, bananas, cookies or cake and milk & coffee. Volunteers: Tom, Vi, Joyce, Mary S, Bess, and Royal provided food; Betty, Wayne and Fern prepared; Keith, Leo, Sherry, and Fern served; Vi, Mary, Royal and Lisa were on clean-up.

With no volunteers from our church for monitoring, Jean contacted Jim Drummond, a plumber in Marshalltown, who enjoys staying.  He said he was looking forward to visiting with the 4 men and 1 couple.

Our next meal is Thursday, November 25, Thanksgiving day.

Congratulations!

            A new little girl has joined the Tim and Jennifer Grafke home! Noella Joann Grafke was born at Mary Greeley in Ames on Wednesday, October 27^th at 6:36 p.m., weighing 5 lbs, 14 ozs and she was 18” in length. Her name, Noella, means “beautiful one from heaven” in the Hawaiian language! Congratulations, Tim and Jennifer!

Pizza & Skating Party

            Due to the whooping cough outbreak in local schools in late October, the Christian Ed. Committee decided to reschedule the Skating Party.

            Come join us on Sunday evening, November 14, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Skatetown in Marshalltown. Everyone is invited to meet at Zeno’s Pizza at 4:30 p.m. to enjoy pizza and fellowship before the skating party. Bring $$ to pay for your own pizza order.

Used Library Books

Several extra copies or older books have been sorted out of our church library and will be available in the entry way for you to enjoy in your home. It may be a long, cold winter and you'll want to have plenty of good reading material available. If you'd like to leave a donation, it would be used to purchase new library materials. 

Being Thankful

            The month of the year is November, and it is a time of celebrating the harvest. Many countries in the Northern Hemisphere of the world celebrate the harvest between October and November. In America it is called Thanksgiving Day. It is a time to give special attention to being thankful and giving thanks for the fall harvest of food from the fields and gardens.

            It is also a time to reflect on the blessings we have - family, friends, etc. - and most important, our Heavenly Father. We Christians also celebrate the harvest. We thank God for all He has given us. Can you think of things God has given you that you should be thankful for? I’m sure you all can….

            God is so good to us, and His good gifts are all around us. We can thank Him for giving us His only Son. Isn’t that wonderful?

            We can be thankful to have God to pray to, talk to and cry to. He has promised to always hear each of His children. Read I Peter 3:12.

            I thank God that His work has found each and every one of you. We have the most precious name to share - JESUS! Our God loves us so much. May He keep you in His care.

                                                -copied