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UBBC Online - November 2009
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You're Welcome at UBBC! Sunday Worship Service 9:30 AM Sunday School for all ages Coffee & refreshments at 10:30 Adult forums at 11 411 South Burrowes
Street 814 237–2708 |
Held on October 25th, the House of Care dinner raised more than $1,000. Many thanks to Pat Gong for making awesome meatballs and Karen Moser for making the delicious sauce. Jeanine Lozier, a House of Care board member, was able to obtain money from local businesses to support the event. UBBC's Board of Missions contributed $200. We are most appreciative of all these efforts. Nineteen high school and middle school youth participated in this event. They helped cheerfully with set-up, decorating, cooking, serving, and clean-up. We can all be proud. Youth included Emma and Ian Gregory, Clay Barkman, Ry Boggess, Brittany Hamilton, Graham Nye, Liz Smeltzer, Amanda Ritter, Laura Beyerle, Hannah and Carolyn Hay, Shannon Daniels, Harry Yeatman, Henry Ziegler, Audrey and Eva Kreiser, Grace and Emily Kiver, and Chanelle Murray. The House of Care is a five-resident personal care home for lower-income members of our community who have health concerns and need assistance with activities of daily living. Located at 515 W. Beaver Avenue in State College, House of Care is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization. For more information, see http://www.thehouseofcare.org Click here for more House of Care Dinner Photos In Our Church FamilyRejoice in the marriage of Bob and Natasha Etzweiler Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. The ceremony took place at Camp Blue Diamond. Bob and Natasha’s address: 659 West Hill Road, Putney VT 05346 Rejoice in the marriage of Tom and Rachel Langston Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. The ceremony took place at the New Covenant Church of the Brethren in Chester, VA. Tom and Rachel’s address: 301 Hill Street, Apt. B, Farmville, VA 23901 A Memorial Service for Elsa Lisle was held at UBBC on Oct. 24, 2009. Her family has suggested that memorial contributions be made to: Centre County P.A.W.S, 1401 Trout Road, State College 16801, or UBBC, 411 S. Burrowes Street, State College 16801. November Forums Nov. 1: Film, “Health, Wealth, and Fear” with discussion led by Charlotte deLissovoy 2009 UBBC Alternative Christmas Fair Coming Your Way ! It’s that time of the year when the clock and the calendar seem to speed up and December is here The fair showcases 20 local, national, and international charitable organizations that offer goods and services to those in need. It’s a convenient way to give a thoughtful gift to those hard-to-shop-for people on your holiday list or simply a way to make Christmas giving more meaningful. At the fair, donations are made to charities of choice in the form of a gift to friends or family members and attractive gift cards are provided. This UBBC tradition started small more than 25 years ago and has grown in size and scope to include a delicious homemade soup and barbeque luncheon, bake sale, and Alternative Children’s Fair. Come and do your holiday “shopping” and enjoy the food and let the kids
Youth Summer Work CampsThis past summer, UBBC youth participated in three different Brethren Work Camps: one in New Orleans, one in Brooklyn and one in the Virgin Islands. These work camps offer youth an opportunity to work with youths from different congregrations on projects from hanging drywall and painting to yard work and serving food. They also help our youth experience “walking in someone else’s shoes” by living in different communities. Learn more about what UBBC youth did and experienced in the Adult Forum on Sunday, Sept. 27. Disaster Relief in New Orleans - July 5-11UBBC Participants are: Clayton Barkman, Liz Smeltzer, Lucy Subler, Brittany Hamilton, Graham Nye, Ryland Boggess, and advisor Joe Loomis. Phil Jones went down with the group and gave them a day of orientation, worship, and meeting of residents before the actual work camp began
Reflections on New OrleansBy Lucy Subler I think I speak for everyone when I say that going down to New Orleans was a really great and meaningful experience. I’m sure that every person who went took away from it something individually different, whether it was a feeling of accomplishment, or just knowing that we were able to do something important and necessary. I think the first thing our group noticed was the heat. It was sticky, thick and really annoying in the beginning, but after a few days, for me at least, it went virtually unnoticed because of how focused we all were on getting the work done. Shortly after arrival, we were broken up, mixed in with youth from other groups, and assigned to houses we would work on for the week. A typical day would include getting up really early (although Brittany, Lizzie, and I were always out of bed at the last possible minute), making our lunches, eating breakfast, morning devotions, and then off to work. The various jobs included painting, texturing, caulking, putting up dry wall, trimming and baseboards, and working on the roofs. I’m sure there is much more that I don’t remember. Lots of people were able to use equipment that they may not have had prior knowledge with. (Nail guns, chop saws, stud finders, etc.) Obviously the coolest thing about our trip was meeting so many different people that had been affected by Hurricane Katrina. At the house Brittany and I worked at, the Grandfather of the homeowners stopped by everyday and brought doughnuts, so obviously everyone was always excited about that. Overall, going to New Orleans was really great and everyone was able to make new friends as well as do something extremely significant. Hopefully we can do it again sometime in the future. St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands - July 27-August 2Participants are: Laura Beyerle and Shannon Daniels.
Our St. Croix Experienceby Laura Beyerle When Shannon and I first arrived in St Croix, we were greeted by Megan our coordinator, and another participant of our work camp, Colby, who wanted to come to the airport to greet us. This pattern of friendship and welcoming arms was a pattern for our whole work camp week; our whole group clicked and we truly were a family. In fact, one of the counselors from a different state thought that another camper from Michigan, Miriam, and I were sisters. Not only did our group get along well with each other, but we were also readily accepted and appreciated by the people who live in St Croix. Of all the places I worked, the Boys’ and Girls’ club was the most appreciative. The current coordinator there came from being an assistant principal at a Catholic School, and was overjoyed to tell us exactly how we and the other work groups, that helped paint and fix up their buildings, were sent by God to places where work is needed. It wasn’t planned that we were going to work at the Boys’ and Girls’ club, because previous St Croix work camps through Church of the Brethren worked at Queen Louise’s orphanage. But the coordinator at the orphanage who would have designated work for us was on vacation that week leaving us with fewer jobs to do. Thus, needing to find work in other places on the island was how we ended up doing odd and previously unplanned jobs like painting and yard work at the Boys’ and Girls’ club. So perhaps the coordinator was right, and we were sent, or in this case directed by God to some of the areas of the island that needed the most help, from cleaning up landmarks, to filling bags of trash at beaches before we were allowed to swim. But really, it was we who benefited more from helping them than they from us. Aside from the altruistic good feeling that we were left with everyday, I know that my eyes were opened to exactly how we really do need to help people everywhere, and what small things we can do to make a big difference in peoples’ lives, for we truly are bound together and finely woven, with love. Brooklyn, NY - July 29-August 2Participants are: Emily Ritter, Grace Kiver, Ian Gregory, Audrey Krieser and advisor Debbie Ritter.
Thoughts on BrooklynBy Grace Kiver When I think of the word Brooklyn now, I think of a small church in Sunset Park. I think of a happy, funny guy who always referred to us as ‘his babies’. I think of doing hard, hot, laborious work in order to help the people of Brooklyn. I think everyone who went to the work camp will agree that it was a wonderful experience, working your fingers raw while knowing that you are contributing to the good of Brooklyn. Lessons were learned and walls were scraped of paint. Prayers were said and the homeless were fed. Games were played and potatoes were packed. We had fun helping in the community and when we went to NYC. When I was serving food at the Salvation Army, a woman I gave food to looked at me and said, “God bless you and have a wonderful weekend”. That made me feel as if what I was doing was appreciated and totally worth it. By Emily Ritter I don’t know how else to describe
Brooklyn other than it was amazing!
The feeling that you are actually |
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