The Pastor's Searchlight
This newsletter is actually intended to be our entire summer issue (June thru August), though we will update you with a new calendar of meetings & events for each month, as well as our schedule for worship assignments (ushers, liturgists, nursery care, acolytes, communion elders) as we go along. This is going to be a busy summer season as you will see below, and we will need everyone's participation as faithful and devoted disciples of Christ to impact our local community through outreach and mission. I realize we all can view summer time as a "gearing-down" time for vacations, family time, and recreation…and that is partially true-opportunities for God's "re-creation" of our spirit and our family relationships is important! But also true is the fact that summer provides us with new opportunities to reach out to Belle Valley and love its residents with expressions of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Summer simply cannot become an excuse to "shut down" mentally and spiritually when it comes to God's call to action in the lives of others around us! We need everyone to plug in where they can and must: 1) helping with ministry events, 2) supporting the lawn maintenance schedule in the foyer by signing up a few times over the course of the season, 3) supporting any grounds work-days to spruce up our facility's attractiveness to the community, 4) supporting our recycling efforts to financially support our budget, 5) inviting friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family to our full schedule of events in order to introduce them to our faith family and ultimately to Christ, 6) being faithful to maintain regular financial support over the "summer sag" as most ministries experience the trials of sagging cash flow, 7) don't give up the habit of regularly meeting in worship (Hebrews 10:25)-for this gathering is crucial to how we encourage, support, and build each other up to face life's battles and serve Christ in extraordinary ways! Let's link arms and voices together this summer to accomplish amazing things for Christ!
Yours In Christ, Dave
P.S. Thank you all for the special birthday celebration at our coffee hour on April 26th! All of your cards and gifts not only softened the blow of turning "50," but also bathed my family and I in the warmth of God's love and your sensitive care! I am grateful to be called your pastor!
Don't forget! The Deacons have special envelopes in the pew racks for all those who wish to donate to their caring & assistance ministry during communion Sunday each month.
Will You Dare to Love Unconditionally? We conclude our Fireproof Your Marriage series: Based on clips from the hit independent film "Fireproof" -the story of a firefighter's struggle to try an experiment with his marriage, at his dad's request, called The Love Dare…the goal: a marriage to last a lifetime!
June 7: (Communion) "A Better Way of Loving" (I Corinthians 13:4-7)
June 14: 1st Sunday of the summer schedule: 10am! Father's Day Coffee Hour after worship!
Other Communion Sundays: July 12, August 2
Next Sermon Series-June 14-28: "The Case for Christ": Based on Lee Strobel's account (book by the same name, published by Zondervan, © 1998) as an atheist and critical investigative legal journalist/editor for the Chicago Tribune, who personally investigated the credibility of the evidence for Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God-his cross-examinations of a dozen scholars.
We Need a Commissioner to the Lake Erie Presbytery meeting to vote on our behalf, June 16 (Tuesday @ 3pm) in Meadville, PA. We will carpool together, and it will take most of the day (w/travel). Are any past elders able to volunteer to go and fill this role? See Pastor Dave.
The Annual Belle Valley Rummage Sale was a Sweet Success! Over $2,200 was raised for the ministry of Belle Valley Church due to everyone's involvement this year! We'd especially like to thank Kim Ragen for coordinating the entire event overall once again this year! She had great help from Jim Ragen, Nancy & Leo Marzka, Rita Postlewaite, Nancy Leube, Bobbi Schlosser, Sandy McConahy, Chuckie Lavelle, Charlie & Judy Blanchard, Edie Hudson, Chris Tombaugh, Doris Feeney, Edna Cole, Barb Poirier, Gwen Ebert, Bruce & Jean Moorhead, Bonnie Marshall, Marge Dunham, Bonnie Renaud, Fred Marshall, Rich Alstadt & family, Pastor Dave. We also thank Diane Ebert for coordinating the baked good sale this year! She had lots of donations and help from Kim Ragen, Nancy Marzka, Rita Postlewaite, Florence Marshall, Sandi Bootes, Sandy McConahy, Anne Seamans, Bonnie Marshall, Alyce Gibbens, Edna Cole, Carla Leasure, Carey Nicholson, and Nancy Leube. So many of you donated your treasures toward the sale and we thank you as well! Please forgive us if we missed anyone! Great job everyone!
3rd Annual Community Blood Bank Bloodmobile Drive! Thanks once again to all who helped with our 3rd annual bllod mobile drive w/the Community Blood Bank on May 9! The following came to donate: Pat McConahy, Anne Seamans, William Totman, Clay Woodring, Carla & Rick Leasure, and Sallie Barnes. We thank all those who donated baked goods and breakfast rolls for our hospitality area as well-Sandy McConahy, Anne Seamans, Edna Cole, and Pastor Dave. Please forgive us if we missed anyone!
A Huge Thanks!...to Rick Leasure for repairing our outdoor marquee by the front doors and for the creation and erection of the Cross by the roadside, made from timbers saved from the dismantling of our old tower. We also thank Jim Ragen for the welding repair of our larger portable marquee just to the west of the building.
Bring Encouragement to One of Our Own Serving in Iraq! Many have asked about Blake's mailing address while he's serving in Iraq-please feel free to send cards and letters of encouragement and prayer support to: Sgt Blake Myers; B Co 1/112th 56th SBCT;
Unit # 6260; APO, AE 09378.
Join in the fun this summer! Everyone's Invited!
June:
June 2: Adult Study Group, 12:30pm @ Fellowship Hall-All are welcome! Refreshments provided!
June 5 (4:30pm) & 6 (8am): Recycling-unload newspapers onto truck for redemption
June 7: (Communion Sunday) Homemade Spaghetti Dinner, 12:30-2pm, $5 @ the door (families pay no more than $25)-proceeds to benefit our summer VBS outreach! Donations welcome! Invite all you know! If you are able to help set-up or serve or clean-up, please sign up in the foyer!
June 8: Session mtg. @ 6:30pm
June 9: Adult Study Group, 12:30pm @ Fellowship Hall-All are welcome! Refreshments provided! (Last mtg. for the summer)
June 13: Church Grounds Spruce-Up Workday! Beginning at 9am…come one and all to plant flower beds, paint the recycling newspaper trailer, hose down the picnic pavilion, or other odds 'n' ends around the facility!
June 14: Start of 10am summer schedule; Fathers' Day Celebration Coffee Hour
June 18: An Evening @ The Erie Playhouse: "The Altar Boyz"-the hit musical comedy about a squeaky-clean boy band from Ohio, who met in church, and are guided by God's voice to share the Gospel through pop music. Join Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham for this "holy hit"! Starts @ 7:30pm (we'll meet at 7 in the Playhouse lobby!); tickets will be $17/adults, $9/students+seniors. Sign up in the foyer!
June 21-25: Discovery Canyon VBS, 6-8:30pm; Free to all kids, pre-K thru 6th; experience the wonders of the Word in story, dynamic music, creative crafts, science lab antics, wacky games, and zany friendships! Refreshments will be provided-a free-will offering will be received for the Mission School Project! Donations are always appreciated from those who are unable to be directly involved! If you'd like to help donate snack items, please see Anne Seamans (825-5421)…craft items? Please see Sandy McConahy (825-5400).
June 28: Picnic Pavilion service of worship @ 10am
June 28: (Penny Sunday) Interested in Exploring what it means to become a member in full standing? We recently received new members on May 31, and maybe you were there to witness the celebration! We'd love to invite you to a special luncheon after worship on Sunday, June 28, for all those who have been worshipping and fellowshipping with us regularly for awhile now, but haven't yet made any decisions about formal membership. This will be a very informal, yet informative time of fellowship, food, fun, and "facts" (I get carried away with alliteration sometimes) about BV church, our mission, and the Presbyterian branch of the Christian faith. Please remember that this date is one of our outdoor summer services at our picnic pavilion (11am), so dress casual. Please see Pastor Dave (397-1861) for more details. We can receive new members at any time after you've received appropriate preparation.
July:
July 5: Pastor Dave on vacation-communion moved to July 12!
July 10 (4:30pm) & 11 (8am): Recycling-unload newspapers onto truck for redemption
July 12: (Communion) An Afternoon with the SeaWolves as they take on the Akron Aeros! 1:05pm game starts (we'll meet at 12:30 at the gate); discount tickets for groups of 20 or more are $5 each (reserved seats; kids <14 and adults 55+ are $4 each)-also includes ball cap, souvenir discounts, entry into group sweepstakes. Promotions include: "Scratch & Win Sunday" Wendy's scratch-off card (guaranteed winner), petting zoo, catch on the field after the game.
July 26: (Penny Sunday) Picnic Pavilion service of worship @ 10am
July 31: "Drive-In" Movie Night (Tentative) Ice Cream Sundaes @ 7:30pm, movie @ dusk-ultimate parking lot drive-in experience! (20x30 vertical screen & sound-surround)
August:
July 31 (4:30pm) & August 1 (8am): Recycling-unload newspapers onto truck for redemption
August 2: Communion
August 8: An Outdoor Concert in our parking lot @ 6pm, featuring some of Erie's most dynamic talent! (A fundraiser for our church)
August 10: Session mtg. @ 6:30pm
August 23 or 30: Annual Cook-Out w/our Christian brothers and sisters from Community Christian Church! (Tentative) 2-4pm Swim at Belle Valley Pool, 5pm Cook-Out Picnic Supper, 6pm Games for kids of all ages, 7pm S'mores on the fire & Campfire sing-along!
August 30: (Penny Sunday) Picnic Pavilion service of worship @ 10am
September 6: (Labor Day Weekend) Communion (Last Sunday of the Summer Schedule @ 10am)
Sept. 13, return to usual Sunday schedule (9:30am SS, 11am worship)
Any Church Family Needs… sickness, hospitalization, funeral reception after the loss of a loved one, financial need, etc. Please contact the Deacons through Kim Ragen (825-4554 or 392-5831) or Pastor Dave (397-1861)!
Contact Pastor Dave at 864-8171 or email.