INCREASED NEEDS AT THE FOOD PANTRY- The local food pantry typically receives fewer donations during the months of September and October.  With so many layoffs taking place locally, the number of families needing assistance through the food pantry has increased.  For the past two months, 140 families were served each month.  Please make an extra effort to place something in the shopping cart during the next few months to help meet the increasing needs.  Monetary donations can also go a long way and can be placed in the offering plate designated for the food pantry.  Thanks in advance.   

More 300^th Anniversary Events and News

The Associated Mennonite Bible Seminary is hosting 300th anniversary events with Jeff Bach on October 2nd & 3rd.  There will be speakers including Tom Schieffer, Rebecca Slough and Ruthann Johansen.  At 7:00 p.m. on the 3rd there will be a public congregational event with singing and storytelling.

Cedar Lake, Cedar Creek and Pleasant Chapel are having a combined celebration coming up on September 7th beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Using skits from the anniversary website each of the three churches has 2 skits that they will be acting out and will have displays and banners set up in the fellowship hall and food of course.  The name of this event:  Back for the Future.

Sermons from the 300^th Anniversary Annual Conference are available on DVD.  The church has a copy. 

Portrait of a People summarizes the findings of the Brethren Member Profile 2006, the most comprehensive and representative survey of Brethren members ever conducted.  To order, call BrethrenPress at 1-800-411-3712 

Together Conversations Report:  What We Said, What We Heard, and Why It Matters – The Church of the Brethren completed a major church wide conversation about what it means to be the church.  This conversation was carried out in denominational conferences, district gatherings, and hundreds of congregational small groups.  North Liberty participated in these conversations.  Feedback from many of these gatherings has been reviewed and summarized in a small book by Steve Clapp.  A complimentary copy has been sent to us.  Additional copies are available for purchase from Brethren Press.  See the book shelf in the north narthex if you would like to read the findings.

On Earth Peace’s ministry of Reconciliation –presents its first-ever workshop catalog for 2008-2009.  Discover faith-based communication and conflict transformation workshops for individuals, families, and congregational and district leadership.  Bringing a workshop to your congregation or district has never been easier.  Booking and fee information is included in the brochure.  The brochure is in on the bulletin board in the church office.

District Conference Preview: September 19^th, Friday evening’s speaker will be 2009 Annual Conference Moderator Dave Shumate. Following Friday’s service there will be a time for fellowship; a praise and worship band is scheduled to play; and there will be time to meet the moderator, Dave Shumate. Congregations are being asked to bring a tray of cookies (2+dzn) to share for the weekend (drinks and alternative snack will be provided). Saturday, On Earth Peace will be guiding us through a trial consensus process. And of course, this is all happening at beautiful Camp Mack! Our Moderator, Dave Wysong, and the P&A Committee have a great weekend planned!

300th Anniversary Logo

This is the year of our 300^th Anniversary of the Church of the Brethren.  Many activities will take place in Church of the Brethren congregations.  North Liberty is planning some things.  Watch the bulletin and newsletter for highlights of the 300^th Anniversary.  Below is the explanation of the logo.

The logo illustrates the anniversary theme: Surrendered to God, Transformed by Christ,
Empowered by the Spirit.

The central symbol represents both wheat and flame. As is suggested by John 12:24-26a, the scriptural text on which the theme is based, the grains of wheat emphasize surrender as they fall to the ground and die,

transformation as they sprout with new life, and empowerment as they bear fruit in new heads of grain. The wheat whiskers point to Christ as they form a cross.  Flame expresses surrender in burning and transformation in refining. It also testifies to the power of the Spirit.

Water connotes surrender, transformation, and empowerment through baptism into Christ's death and resurrection along with being "born of water and the Spirit."

The circle conveys the concepts of wholeness and unity as well as the world in which we are empowered to minister. The openness of the circle suggests that we not only need but welcome continued surrender, transformation, and empowerment.

Becky Goldstein from Boise, Idaho, designed the logo.

Brethren share 300th Anniversary devotional at NCC assembly.

Representatives of the Church of the Brethren who attended the annual General Assembly of the National Council of Churches also took part in a traditional event during that gathering, a "communion dinner" during which each denomination comes together to build community among its own ecumenical representatives.

For the past several years, Brethren have joined with representatives from Quaker bodies and the American Baptist Church USA at the communion dinner. At this year's dinner, general secretary Stan Noffsinger gave each attendee a copy of "Fresh from the Word," the devotional book published by Brethren Press for the Church of the Brethren's 300th Anniversary. Having a few extra copies, he also gave one to NCC president Michael Livingston.

Livingston received several questions from others about the book, with people asking how they could get a copy. As a result, Noffsinger was invited to a microphone during the General Assembly in order to give information about how to order the book from Brethren Press.

From this, much interest was generated in the 300th Anniversary. Three

other denominational leaders requested to be a part of the Committee on Interchurch Relations events during the 2008 Annual Conference: Roy Medley of the American Baptist Churches USA, Stan Hastings of the Alliance of Baptists, and Thomas Swain of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.

--Jon Kobel is manager of the office of the general secretary for the General Board.