Bangor Liberty Friends Church

 Spreading Love

With February here already, a lot of us are probably starting to think about Valentine’s Day.  If you’re married you’re wondering how best to express your love to your spouse on this day.  If you’re not married, you’re probably even trying harder to find that perfect way to impress that special someone.  Nevertheless, this day is set aside on the 14th of February each year to celebrate our love for that special someone in our life.  Who would have thought that an outlawed Roman priest named Valentinus or Valentine would still be remembered and honored so faithfully today just for supposedly being martyred for performing weddings outlawed by the Emperor and writing one note to his sweetheart from jail signed “from your Valentine”?

As Christians there is nothing at all wrong with celebrating St. Valentine’s Day, after all it is sort of a reminder to us that we have another day set aside each week to show someone else how much we love them.  That day is Sunday, or for us as Christians it is “The Lord’s Day”.  This is the day we have set aside to worship and praise God together as a body of believers. 

                        “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

It’s a time to learn together from God’s Word – The Bible; to be encouraged and uplifted by the fellowship of the body through the singing and praying; and also being confirmed, challenged, or convicted by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of God’s word and His abiding presence challenging us to always be growing in our relationship with Him.

            Actually, one day a week isn’t really adequate enough to tell Jesus how much He means to us.  Each day is a chance to grow in our relationship with Him and to fall deeper in love with Him just as much as each day is a chance to fall deeper in love with the people you love in your life.  We can love Him because He first loved us.  We know what true love is because He showed us:

                        “This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” – 1 John 3:16 (NIV)

And in that he displayed to us how we should love one another; not just the people we like, but even the people who we may find to be less likeable are to be loved by us with the same love Jesus loves us with.  So let’s pledge together to make February the month of love and truly attempt to put into practice both of the two greatest commands as Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  If we practice these each day what a difference we will all make and see on a daily basis.

- Dean

Christian Education Training Workshop

Friends in the area have opportunity to attend a CE Training Workshop, which will be held at Marshalltown Friends Church on Saturday, March 17th, from 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Topics:  “You are a gift” based on Ephesians 4:8,10-12, Adult Ministries, Children’s Ministries, Behavior Management and Round Table Discussions.  Please bring examples of adult and children’s curriculum that you use in your church to share with others.

Registration Fee: $5.00/person includes lunch.

To Register: Contact Charlotte Stangeland at 641-676-1532 or 414 N 2nd St, Oskaloosa IA 52577.

You’re Invited!

 to a Banquet for all ages,

Saturday, February 24 - Noon

Vennard Collge, University Park, IA

Sponsored by Quaker Men of Iowa

Kent Bottenfield will be guest speaker and musician. 

He is a former St. Louis Cardinals All-Star Pitcher.

Tickets $10 reserved before Feb. 17

$12 after Feb. 17

For reservations call 641-672-1250 or 641-673-8357

A Silent Auction Craft/Bake Sale will be held before and after the Banquet at Vennard College.  All funds raised from this event will go to Iowa Friends Disaster Service.  Lots of Crafts and Bake Sale items are needed for the Silent Auction.

Kent Bottenfield, the banquet speaker and musician, pitched 16 years in the major league. Since his retirement, his passion is music and he has taken his keyboard on the road to give his testimony to the world. This banquet is for everyone - men, women, boys, girls and teens!

House of Compassion Report

20 BLFC friends were involved in purchasing, preparing, serving and clean up for 50 guests.  Our menu was liver and onions or ham and potatoes; green beans and bacon; mixed fruit; corn bread and honey; pudding and Boston Crème pie from Hy-Vee and drinks. 

Most guests were excited to see the liver and onions, but others were grateful for another option.  Seconds and thirds were given, making us wonder where they put it all.  The green beans were enjoyed as usual and pudding seemed to hit the spot for many, especially with a little whipped topping added.   More people than usual returned to tell us how they liked the meal and to say thanks.  The Young Family sent several packages of venison, which we set out in Ziploc bags and people were free to take them as they left.  The bags were gone quickly.  Our next meal will be February 22.  Come join us and be blessed.

Lawn Mowing Opportunity

            Anyone interested in mowing the church lawn for the upcoming summer should contact Will Macy or Joe Feltz to apply.

Library Ledge:   

Marriage Builders

            Simply visiting our church library can improve your marriage!  During February the window ledge will display books to help you better understand your mate, develop deeper communication, or spark some romance.

            There are books for the young person considering marriage, for newlyweds and for the couple wanting to spice up a long-term marriage.  Dating your Mate will inspire your own creativity.  Tenderness and 24 Other Ways to Make a Marriage Work will help you understand and fulfill your God-given roles.  The H.I.M. Book is a humorous manual for wives.  A Very Good Marriage is a humorous and touching collection of thoughts on what it takes to love and stay married over 50 years.

            Good marriages don’t stand still.  They need to grow or will become stale.  If you’d like to take a growth spurt in your relationship, check out one of the books or books-on-tape available on the library ledge.

Snowed In?  Not Feeling Well?

          If you happen to miss Sunday Morning Worship, Pastor Dean’s morning messages are now available on the church web site each Sunday afternoon.  Check out www.BLFChurch.org.  Thank you to Isaac Good for providing this service.

Children’s Church

We will continue to study the Ten Commandments on February 11 and 25.  Our service projects will be sending valentines to college students and making tray favors for residents in a nursing home.  Children who are age 4 though 5th grade are welcome to participate. 

Liberty USFW

            Audrey Norman will host the February meeting of Liberty USFW on Wednesday, February 21st at 7:00 pm. Please note this change in date.  The ladies are reminded to bring new children’s mittens, gloves and hats to give to the local elementary schools.  Liberty USFW welcomes others to participate in the mittens/gloves/hats project--leave your donations in the church office by February 25th if you’d like to participate.  Thank you!

Bangor USFW

The ladies of Bangor USFW will meet at the home of Fern Tuttle, 1:30 on February 20.  The program will be given by Ann, and Margaret will bring refreshments. 

2007 Blizzard Blast

February 23-24

Sponsored by Young Friends Board of Iowa Yearly Meeting

Worship and registration will be at Marshalltown First Friends, 2409 South Sixth St, at 9 p.m. Friday evening. From there youth will go to the Marshalltown YMCA for a lock-in and the following activities:

Worship - Swimming - Volleyball

Basketball - Movie Room - Board Games

Snacks - Pizza Party

Breakfast will be served at Marshalltown First Friends Church Saturday morning.

The early registration deadline has passed but youth can still

attend at the cost of $25 at the door.

Please RSVP using the registration forms available at the church.

A medical release/parent permission form also needs to be

filled out and sent with the registration.

Marriage is not so much finding the right person, as it is being the right person.” 

- Charlie Shedd

BLFC Mission Committee 

We are already one month into the New Year and thought we would bring you some updates on the project “Friends Bringing Hope” of which Karen Bauer is the founding director.  This is one of the projects we had for our Thank Offering in November; we sent $1,090 to Karen to help with this project.  She has shared some of the project’s accomplishments this first year, which have been very fruitful. 

All the work of the FBH has been provided on a volunteer basis.  There are no paid employees.  This program has saved lives, provided income from cows’ milk, profits to widows and orphans, provided food, medicine, vitamins, school supplies, clothing and a few toys to orphans, widows groups and schools, developed a program for micro-enterprises for widows to make a sustainable living, built a water tank on the farm for the dry season, provided productive grass seed to a dairy farm, provided funding for homes for displaced families, as well as other productive support to the widows and orphans in Kenya.

Karen led a successful work team to Kenya in June 2006, and is organizing another work team this June.  She will be sending out information about this later, and is praying that God will call at least four people to participate in this work team.  She is thankful for our financial support, and God’s blessing, which has been vital to the success of this work.  They continue to pray for God’s guidance as the work continues in Kenya. 

Magazines Available!

            In the church entryway you will find a rack on the wall with a variety of magazines and newsletters available for you to borrow or keep.  If you find something that is very helpful to you, don’t feel you need to return it.  There is a magazine waiting for everyone…men, women and children. 

Check out the Reader’s Digest humor sections, or read the Iowa Friend for news about what is going on in Iowa Yearly Meeting churches.  New Man has articles of interest and challenge for the men while Good Housekeeping will appeal more to women.  Birds and Blooms has wonderful photos that appeal to children of all ages.  Citizen is full of world news and political information; while Neurology Now shares research and ideas regarding our brains.  Guidepost is a winner with its short inspirational stories.  These and more are available for your browsing and borrowing pleasure.  Check out the magazine rack!  And feel free bring your own magazines to share with others.

Do You Know…?

In honor of Valentine’s Day--Pucker Up!

1. Who committed the greatest betrayal in the Bible with a kiss?

a.       Peter

b.       Charlton Heston

c.        Judas

d.       Moses

2. After she broke the jar of perfume, where did the woman who lived a sinful life kiss Jesus?

a.       on the nose

b.       on the feet

c.        in the kitchen

d.       on the head

3. How does Paul tell people to greet each other?

a.       with a Hershey’s kiss

b.       with a holy kiss

c.        with an affectionate kiss

d.       with a gentle kiss

4. Who wanted his hairy son to come close and kiss him?

a.       Isaac

b.       Kong

c.        Abraham

d.       Esau

5. According to Proverbs, what is like a kiss on the lips?

a.       a smack in the face

b.       the words of a deceiver

c.        a cool breeze

d.       an honest answer

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4-8 year-olds, “What does love mean?”

“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”  Bobby, age 7

“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.” Nikka, age 6

“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.”   Tommy, age 6

“Love is what you makes you smile when you’re tired.”  Terri, age 4