Sunday, July 31, 2011

August newsletter

House-to-House
Family of Hope House Church                                       August 2011

“Re-membering” at FOH reunion

I heard a story on NPR some time ago of a man using a table saw who accidentally cut off one of his fingers. The severed body part flew off into the corner of his shop among scraps of wood, sawdust and other debris. After he managed to stop the bleeding he and his family looked frantically for the missing member of his body, hoping they could take it with them to the hospital to reattach it and save it.

Remembering is something like that. Sometimes a prized part of us becomes lost, has for some reason been dis-membered. Maybe our parents or others have intentionally hidden some significant part of our family’s story from us. Or maybe we’ve just plain forgotten some things from lack of reviewing some parts of our story. Or we may have willfully cut off some painful part of our past we simply didn’t want to deal with, or some relationship we no longer wanted to be apart of.

But distancing ourselves from parts of our past can be like losing a part of ourselves, like a body part, or member. In remembering we are re-attaching, are re-connecting, so that healing and growth can take place.

At our August 12-14 Family of Hope reunion we have the opportunity to be blessed by re-connecting with some members of our congregational body’s past. We anticipate lots of joy in that, and want to be open to any opportunity for healing as well.

August lectionary texts

8/7 Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 Romans 10:5-15 Matthew 14:22-33
8/14 Psalm 133 Genesis 45:1-15 Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 Matthew 15:10-28
8/21 Psalm 124 Exodus 1:8-2:10 Romans 12:1-8 Matthew 16:13-20
8/28 Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c Exodus 3:1-15 Romans 12:9-21 Matthew 16:21-28

Notes, prayers and praises

 * A FAMILY OF HOPE REUNION will be held at Guy and Margie Vlasit’s
Old Massanutten Lodge Saturday, August 13, beginning with a noon picnic and cookout and continuing with fellowship and reminiscing in the afternoon. At 12:30 Sunday we will have a carry-in meal and informal worship service at the Lodge. You can find reunion updates online at http://familyofhopehousechurch.blogpost.com.

 * PRAY FOR BECKY MORLAN, whose mother recently passed away, and for KARLA MAY, with a serious condition affecting her aortic heart valve.

 * BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Gail Blackburn 8/30! Michael and Lois Riviera-Wenger’s anniversary is 8/2, Alma Jean and Harvey’s is 8/8 and James and Ruth Stauffer’s 8/30.

 * ELLY AND NEIL NELSON’S new phone number is 540-430-0563.

.* MICHAEL AND LOIS RIVIERA-WENGER returned to Kentucky July 17, where Mike will stay temporarily while Lois spends some time with her daughter Tonya in the Tidewater area. Continue to pray for their son Scott who has been deployed to Afghanistan.

 * RACHEL STOLTZFUS went to spend some time with her daughter in Hyattsville, Maryland, in July.

August services    worship at 4 pm, meal at 6 (except 8/14)              
                       
7 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802        574-6141
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                                            
Carry-in meal

14 Location: Guy and Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr,  K’town    908-0391
12:30 Carry-in Meal, followed by informal worship, singing and sharing
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                                             

21 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave         432-0531
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                     
Carry-in sandwich and finger foods meal

28 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802          564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: James Stauffer                  
Carry-in meal

Friday, July 8, 2011

Family of Hope Reunion update

A Family of Hope reunion/picnic is being planned for 12 noon Saturday, August 13, and 12:30 pm Sunday, August 14, at the Vlasits' Old Massanutten Lodge B & B near Keezletown. The Saturday event will begin with a cookout and include lots of sharing and visiting. The Sunday noon meeting will begin with a carry-in meal brought by current members, followed by a service of singing, sharing and worship. 
Free lodging is available for out of town guests. Please contact harvyoder@gmail.com to add more names, for more information or to indicate you can attend.

Here's a partial list of past members and attendees over the past twenty years, with those who have already expressed an interest in attending (besides our local members, of course) in italics:

Armetsriter, Sue
Blackburn, Gail
Boardman, Lynn
Bontrager-Thomas, Sherry ??
Brainard, Kate
Czecholinski, Laurie and Ron
Detweiler, Wayne
Dumas, Cande, Josiah
Eliot, Kari
Gilmore, Sherry
Glunt, Mark and Donna  
Good, Dorothy, Ronnie and Jason
Gottfried, Eric and Rosella
Greenawalt, Ted and Kimberlee
Gullman, Dave and Debbie
Hairston, Will and Susie
Harrelson, Charles
Hinz, Fred and Rachel
Horton, Heather
Ivanitsky, Serge and Dora
Johnson, Bruce and Ann
Kanagy, David
Kreider, Barry and Erika
Kuepfer, Amy and Clayton
Lenker, Mark and Marie
Levesque, Trish
Martin, Bruce and Jewel
Matthews, Chris (formerly Sottolano)
Morlan, Becky
Moyers, John
Nafziger, Marj
Patterson, Audrey
Raboin, Peggy
Rossen, Judy
Sacra, Donna
See, Adela
Sottolano, Craig and Jenn
Weaver, Karen
Weaver, Shari
Webb. Ron
Westfall, Michael and Julie
Underwood, Donnie and Jeanine
Youman, Austin
Zimmerman, John and Ruth Ann

July 2011 Newsletter

House-to-House
Family of Hope House Church                                        

July 2011

We are one in the Spirit

We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
And we pray that all unity
May one day be restored. 

Chorus: And they'll know we are Christians by our love,
By our Love,
Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride.

Chorus

We will walk with each other,
We will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other,
We will walk hand in hand.
And together we'll spread the News
that God is in our land.

Chorus

All praise to the Father,
From whom all things come,
And all praise to Christ Jesus,
God’s only Son,
And all praise to the Spirit,
Who makes us one.

Chorus
copyright 1966 Peter Scholte (with permission)


Notes, prayers and praises

 * VIRGINIA MENNONITE CONFERENCE ASSEMBLY meets at Eastern Mennonite School July 28-31. Everyone is welcome to the inspirational evening sessions at the EMHS auditorium.

 * GET FOH UPDATES at http://familyofhopehousechurch.blogpost.com.

 * BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Billy May 7/30, and Lois Riviera-Wenger 7/30!  Guy and Margie’s anniversary is 7/27. Sorry we missed having Isaiah May’s birthday listed last month, June 27!

.* WE WELCOME MICHAEL AND LOIS RIVIERA-WENGER as new members of Family of Hope! Their address is 204 Homes Lane, Staunton, VA 24401. 502-525-8650. Pray for their son Scott who is being deployed in Afghanistan.

 * PRAY FOR RACHEL STOLTZFUS, who was at RMH due to another mild stroke May 28-30, for BERTHA SWARR who is at Oak Lea for more physical therapy, and for KARLA MAY, diagnosed with heart problems.

July services    worship at 4 pm, meal at 6 (except 7/31)              
                       
3 Location: Guy and Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Drive,  K’town 908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy and Margie Vlasits
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                                             
Carry-in Meal

10 Location: We are meeting with the Mt. Clinton Church of God  867-9162 congregation, located just west of Mt. Clinton at 4 p.m.
Bible Study: Pastor Michael Fallin                
Billy and Karla May will provide the “kettle meal.” We are to bring salads.

17 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802        574-6141
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                                            
Carry-in Meal

24 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802          564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                     
Carry-in Meal

31 Location: Mass meeting of area Mennonite congregations at EMU’s University Commons at 10 a.m. with pre-gathering music starting at 9:45. Pastor Danisa Ndlovu, President of Mennonite World Conference and bishop of the Zimbabwe Brethren in Christ Church. will speak,. Lunch will be served afterwards for a suggested donation of $6.