Stone Church of the Brethren BULK RATE

1623 Moore Street NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Huntingdon, PA 16652 U.S. POSTAGE

PERMIT NO. 116 Phone: 814-643-3390

Email: stonechurch@verizon.net

Or Current Occupant

SSttoonnee CChhuurrcchh NNeewwss

Stone Church News April 2013

Bicycling to Washington DC— An Important Message

BIKE RIDE to promote climate change awareness—Saturday, April 6, you

are invited to St. James Lutheran Church at noon for a potluck to welcome

a group of bike riders who have a powerful message to share with

legislators. Huntingdon citizens are encouraged to come, bring a dish to

share and hear the message from these riders from PA Interfaith Power and

Light who are riding from State College, PA to Washington DC (200

miles in 4 days). Along the way, the riders are stopping at local

congregations, colleges and CSAs to spread the word. At St. James Lutheran, participants will be talking about

Biking in Huntingdon and discussing ways to dream about possibilities. If you’d like to join the riders after

lunch, you are welcome to bring your bike and head towards Orbisonia, their next stop.

Your Official Leadership Team Report

Empty Bowls Dinner

Please join us on Friday, April 26 from 5-7 p.m. at the Stone Church of the

Brethren, 1623 Moore St. for Empty Bowls 2013! Tickets are only $10, which

entitles you to a ceramic bowl filled with the soup of your choice. All of the

bowls are made and donated by members of the community such as Bethany

Benson, Jack Troy, Carolanne Currier, Matt Wren and Juniata College ceramic

students. All proceeds go directly to local food banks, Huntingdon Food Pantry,

Mt. Union Food Pantry, Southern Huntingdon Food Bank and The Salvation Army

Food Pantry. We hope you can join us; bring your family and friends to help fight

hunger! Tickets will be on sale beginning April 22 at the Ellis Hall desk or at the

door. For additional information or questions, please call 641-3362

Dear faithful readers,

Did you ever notice that I spend a lot of time talking about money in these

newsletter articles? I guess that makes sense. After all, I’m part of a group tasked with

discerning how best to manage the church’s finances. Over the years, I’ve noticed a

trend with our team in regards to budget-related issues. We worry. We celebrate. We

worry. We celebrate. Worry. Celebrate…

Just when it looks the most gloomy and doomy, the Lord provides as it were: Maybe

it’s in the form of a good old-fashioned, end-of-year boost in attendance and

generosity. Maybe church leaders come up with a creative, sensible, mathematical

solution to the not-as-bad-as-we-first-thought problem. Or maybe someone gets

inspired to bestow an extra, unexpected, above-and-beyond sort of gift.

The latter happened recently. The church received $9,400 from an anonymous

source to help pay down the mortgage! How awesome is that? In addition to such a

thoughtful gift, the Finance Team had already paid $38,000 in collected renovation

fund pledges. This leaves us with a current outstanding principal balance of only about

$120,000 and enough left in the bank to cover 12 full months of payments. (Incidentally,

the Leadership Team had previously approved of making automatic monthly payments

from the appropriate checking account.) So we won’t be worrying about that one again

for a little while anyway!

In the meantime, we’ve got to figure out how to cover the cost of much-needed roof

repairs come Spring…

Warm wishes,

Brooke Meadows

Leadership Vice Chair

Ps. In other non-money news, small groups have begun to meet as part of the Vital

Ministry Journey (VMJ). May God bless this time of reflection, relationship, and

renewal for our congregation. We journey toward an unknown outcome. And when we

get there, we’ll surely have cause for celebration.

The Vital Ministry Journey…. Groups are meeting and others are just getting started. Thank you to the following facilitators:

Jim Bookhamer

Daisy & Jeff Decker

Christy Dowdy

Dale Dowdy

Chris Gibboney

Dottie Hershberger

Dick Landrum

Melissa & Bert McBrayer

Brooke & David Meadows

Guen Porcelli

Donna Rhodes

Laren Seganos

Joanne Thurston-Griswold

Kim Witkovsky

Chuck Yohn

News from the Church of the Brethren, April 2013 Edition:

Bethany Theological Seminary appoints new

president

Bethany Theological Seminary’s Board of Trustees has announced Jeffrey W. Carter of

Manassas, Va., as the seminary’s tenth president, to begin July 1.

Carter comes to Bethany with years of pastoral and denominational leadership. He is currently

pastor and head of staff at Manassas Church of the Brethren, a position he has held since 2003.

He is a graduate of Bridgewater (Va.) College with a bachelor’s degree in international studies.

He earned a master of divinity degree from Bethany in 1998 and a doctorate in ministry with a

concentration in practical theology and hermeneutics from Princeton Theological Seminary in

2006. Carter has served in various denominational capacities.

Bethany trustee Rhonda Pittman Gingrich chaired the Presidential Search Committee. “As we

began our work, the committee sought input from a variety of constituencies,” she said. “A deep

love for Christ and the church, a passion for intellectual and spiritual growth, pastoral experience,

a commitment to building relationships within the denomination, and dynamic communication

skills were among the many desired qualities identified during the information gathering stage.

Dr. Carter not only embodies these qualities; he also brings the necessary leadership skills to

fulfill the current strategic plan and a vision for the future.”

—Jenny Williams directs Communications and Alumni/ae Relations for Bethany Seminary

TAIZE WORSHIP There is one more Taize service scheduled for this spring, April 21. It will be at 6pm in the Sanctuary. We would love to have you join us. It is a simple and meaningful worship experience of scripture, music, and silence woven together into a contemplative time of community and personal prayer. If you have not experienced this, please do consider...

MESSENGER MUSINGS

The First Day of Spring, 2013

This year the first day of Spring did not come on March 20th

, its usual arrival date. It came a

few minutes after 1:00 on the morning of Monday, March 18 when I heard a car drive up our

driveway. I went out to meet the arrivals and walked straight into Gene’s arms. What a wonderful

relief to have my husband back after nearly a week! Best of all he could walk and talk and hug.

Gene had been at Pittsburgh’s UPMC-Presbyterian Hospital since Bob Brumbaugh drove him

out there early on the morning of March 12. He checked into the hospital at 7:30 and had surgery

at 10:40.

With several fractured, compressed vertebrae (painfully collected over a number of years) Gene

had been having severe pains, which he described as “someone sticking a sword into my side” and

we were hopeful that this fairly new procedure of kyphoplasty would give him some relief from

that pain. (The surgeon inserts a hollow needle, balloon attached to one end, into the area beside

the vertebra and then injects “bone cement” into the space to form a stronger spine.) The doctors

fixed three of Gene’s compressed vertebrae.

Bob’s agreeing to take Gene to the hospital—and bring him back home—was indeed an answer

to prayer, since I had begun feeling ill a day or so earlier. As it turned out, some unknown person

had passed a nasty germ onto me, for I had a day or so of frequent vomiting and ended up with

fatigue and misery that far surpassed that of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome—which has been my

frequent visitor during the past twenty-two years. (On the bright side: Being unable to eat anything

has allowed me to lose several pounds!)

Bob is the grandson of Calvin and Mae Whitsel, members of the Sugar Run Church, where my

father once served. Mae fed my parents and me huge sugar cookies, accompanied by big, thick

white mugs of tea. The couple raised turkeys on their Hill Valley farm, and we drove out there on

a snowy Christmas Eve to pick up a turkey that they had promised us. We got stuck in the long

lane! Bob knew all about who had dug us out and how they went about it. “That’s how they always

did it!” Numerous drivers had gotten stuck in that lane over the years.

What a great family is the Church of the Brethren! It extends far beyond Sugar Run and Stone

Church—it’s all over the world. There’s a lot of love and caring—and sharing good food—in

addition to the preaching and singing. Those themes occur frequently in the pages of Messenger. If

you don’t already subscribe to our denominational magazine, please consider trying it. See our

church administrative assistant for details.

---- Alberta Haught Goshorn

SPOTLIGHT …Loren & Donna Rhodes

Each month a different person, team or item will appear in our "SPOTLIGHT" section. The purpose of this feature is to provide enlightenment and to get a glimpse into various aspects of our church community.

Person of interest: Loren & Donna Rhodes Job Title: Loren—organist and accompanist; Donna—pianist Period of Service: 4-5 years. We began substituting for Susie Leamer as needed and continued to serve following her retirement. Supervised by: We coordinate with Marty Keeney. Approximate number of work hours per week: Loren—7 to 8; Donna—3 to 4

One sentence job description: We provide hymn accompaniment, preludes, offertories, postludes which could be in the form of solo, organ and piano duets, or 4-hand piano duets.

Best part of job: There are two best parts. The first is assisting in the worship experience of the Stone Church congregation. We enjoy sharing our music together, and we are humbled when we know the music may have enriched the worship experience of those gathered.

The second is that we can do this together as a couple. Our home congregation, Spring Run Church of the Brethren, called us to play piano and organ duets before we were dating. We think there was an ulterior matchmaking plan in place!

Toughest part of job: finding time to practice!

Men’s Breakfast—Saturday, April 20 – 8am

All men in the congregation are invited to join with a group of men from the congregation as we gather once a month. As noted, we will meet on Saturday, March 20 at 8 am for a meal, fellowship and moments of reflection. This is a great opportunity to get to know one another in a deeper way and experience the joy of the journey together as men. If you have questions, see Pastor Dale.

FOOD PANTRY—April’s Food Pantry items of the month are beans—green, kidney, etc. You may drop off your items in the food pantry wagon located outside the sanctuary organ door at any time. Monetary donations are also welcome.

Work Days – April 5 & 6 Bring your work gloves and help get Camp back in shape for spring and summer. Friday starts at 9:00am and includes coffee, snacks and lunch. Saturday is the BIG day, starting with pancakes and sausage at 7:30am and including lunch. Projects may include wood cutting, splitting and stacking, staining, caprentry, raking, cleaning, and more. Individuals and groups are welcome.

It’s important to let Camp know if you plan to attend. Please call 814-667-2355 or e-mail campbluediamond@verizon.net.

Quilt & Craft Camp – April 19-21 Bring your craft project, and join the camaraderie of creating beauty with friends. This is the perfect opportunity to carve out time to work on, or maybe even finish, that craft project that’s been tucked away in a closet. More info is on the bulletin board near the church office.

Father/Son Retreat – May 3 & 4 This is a great opportunity for dads and sons – grandfathers are welcome too! The theme will be “Gone Fishin’!” There will be canoeing and Randy Yoder will take the group fishing. Besides the water sports, there’ll be a wiener roast, games, a night hike, craft and a Bible Study. Cost is $30 for adults and $20 for boys K-6. More info is on the bulletin board near the church office.

Senior Adult Day – May 31 Spend the day at Camp with special guests Pat, Mark, Tracy and Leah Muthler, who recently served for 2 weeks in a day-care center in Ethiopia. You’ll hear stories of hope in this part of Africa. Musician Chiz Rider will also share his music and story. Cost is $10 for the day, which includes lunch and a supper-to-go. More info is on the bulletin board near the church office.

Summer Camp Registration is open and early bird savings are available until May 1. Don’t forget about the Multiple Sibling and Bring a Friend to Camp discounts. If finances stand in the way of a child going to camp, check out the new scholarship chart in the brochure and consider applying.

Have questions or need a brochure? Contact your Camp Representative, David Meadows, at 814-599-6017 or meadowd@juniata.edu. Brochures are available at the back of the sanctuary and in the conference room.

Coming—NOAC: September 2-6, 2013, Lake Junaluska, N.C

Healing Springs Forth

Registration is now open for National Older Adult Conference, the denomination’s 50+ adult

conference. A registration brochure is available on the Bulletin Board which invites adults over

50 in each Church of the Brethren congregation to worship, learn, play, create, and fellowship.

Several persons from Stone Church have attended and have returned with high

recommendations for this event!

allanish Performs at Stone Church April 12—The Huntingdon County Arts Council is pleased to present a

concert with Callanish on April 12 at the Stone Church of the

Brethren. Callanish, a Celtic band based in central Pennsylvania,

plays Irish and Scottish music in the traditional style. Their repertoire includes lively jigs

and reels, haunting airs, and rollicking songs from Ireland, Scotland, and elsewhere in

the British Isles. The band regularly plays at festivals and concert series, as well as at

weddings and parties. More information is available on the web at

www.callanishband.com

The concert is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at the door for $12,

$10 for Huntingdon County Arts Council members. For more information, please contact

the HCAC at 814-643-6220 or by e-mail at huntingdonarts@gmail.com

Hattie Meal What: Benefit Pasta Dinner & Silent Auction

Why: To help cover veterinary expenses for

Hattie, the service dog of Jen Warsing, a local deaf woman

When: Saturday, April 13th

Doors open at 5:30 for Silent Auction

Dinner served at 6:00, followed by

brief presentation about Canine Companions for Independence,

featuring a live puppy-in-training!

Where: Stone Church Fellowship Hall

Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for children 10 and under

For tickets: Please contact Laura White

251-4363 or laura.jamie@gmail.com

The Hattie Meal is a service project of Leadership Huntingdon County Class of 2013

Dinner preparations courtesy of Lisa Hosler

We Remember…..

Shirley A. Wagoner November 28, 1929 – February 24, 2013

A celebration of Life Memorial Service was held at Stone Church of the Brethren on March 7, 2013. Pastors Dale and Christy Dowdy officiated at the service.

Shirley Wagner was born on November 28th, 1929, in Fullerton, Orange County, California, the oldest daughter of Albert and Donna Williams; she spent all of her early formative years on the west coast. In the fall of 1947 she entered Manchester College, in North Manchester, IN. It was at college orientation that Bob met Shirley and their romance began. In May of 1951, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and the two of them headed to Chicago, where Bob enrolled at Bethany Seminary. Shirley and Bob were married on June 15, 1952 at the First Church of the Brethren, in Chicago, IL and just this last year celebrated 60 years of life together. To this union two children were born, Nathan and Annamarie. One of the saddest days of Shirley’s life was December of 2008 when Annamarie died suddenly following a routine surgery.

Shirley was always a teacher. Throughout her years, Shirley was employed as an elementary school teacher in school districts in Illinois, Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Shirley received her master’s degree in education from Boston University in 1968, and her PhD in education from the University of Maryland in 1981. Shirley was a member of Stone Church of the Brethren. We will miss the determined spirit and enthusiasm for life that Shirley shared!

Mavis I. Diehl May 27, 1924 – March 10, 2013

A funeral service was held at Robert E. Peters Funeral Home on March 14, 2013. Pastors Christy and Dale Dowdy assisted by Rev. Donna Rhodes officiated at the service.

Mavis I. Hobson was born in Melbourne, Australia, on May 27, 1924. She was united in marriage to William A Diehl on August 4, 1945, in Melbourne. After her marriage, she and Bill came to Huntingdon where they resided all their married life. Bill preceded her in death on July 31, 2004. They were the parents of two children, Brenda and Robert. She worked at JC Blair Memorial hospital, in the cafeteria at Huntingdon Area High School and at the JB Kunz Co. She retired from employment as a sales clerk at the former JC Penney in 1982.

Mavis was an active member of the Stone Church of the Brethren, where she belonged to the Agape Sunday School and offered her wit and wisdom in the varied topics of discussion in the class. She will always be remembered for her warm and engaging personality and that wonderful Australian accent. We have been blessed to journey with Mavis Diehl!

Dear Stone Church, Boy Scout Troop 28 would like to say

a big thanks for allowing us to use your church. We have needed it for a lot of things just this month alone.

We made 506 quarts of soup in the kitchen, used the Fellowship Hall for our Court of Honor and are quite active there over the winter.

Thank you for your patience and generosity with us. Sincerely,

Simon, Scribe

March 22, 2013 Dear Stone Church,

I want you to know how much I appreciate your support of my Eagle Scout Project. I began collecting school supplies and gently used sports equipment in August and finished collecting in November. When Jorge came to Huntingdon at the end of November and early December he took three suitcases worth of

donations back to Guatemala. On March 8, 2013, the Juniata College Choir departed for a Spring Break Concert Tour in Guatemala. They were able to

transport the remaining supplies, twelve suitcases of materials, to the school in Guatemala. I am grateful to you for your part in the success of this

project. Another big part of the project was storing the collected donations prior to sending them to Guatemala. I am grateful to the church for providing storage space for this project and also for allowing me use of the building for sorting and packing the donations and weighing and labeling the suitcases for

transport. I am grateful to be a part of such a caring faith community. Best regards, Logan Fultz, Troop #28, Huntingdon, PA

Youth News

Registration for NATIONAL JUNIOR HIGH YOUTH CONFERENCE is due APRIL 19! Stone Church Youth Fund will pay $120 of the $155 registration fee. All Middle Schoolers and their parents should have received an e-mail with details. Check out www.brethren.org/nihc or contact Pastor Christy.

Have YOU signed up for a camp at CAMP BLUE DIAMOND for the summer? The best deal is for you when you complete the registration by May 1!!

Middle School & Senior High Sunday School…

The students in our Middle School have had a fascinating study focused upon many world religions. Special guest speakers have been Andy Murray, David Witkovsky, Anthony Bullet, Seth Weill and several JC Muslim students. Pam Grugan has coordinated this great study. We will look forward to the Middle Schoolers sharing some of their learnings in a worship service coming soon!

The Senior High Sunday School class is currently participating in the Vital Ministry

Journey, led by facilitators David and Brooke Meadows.

April Birthdays

1—Margaret Fisher 13—Brenda Furry 22—Dean Wenger

2—Debra Garman 13—Dianne Shingler 22—Sara White

3—Pamela Adams 13—Meghan Wright 23—Madeline Quarry

5—Emma Janelle Musser 13—Olivia Ghaner 24—John Swigart, Jr.

6—Joanne Krugh 14—Betty Ann Cherry 26—Martha Swigart

7—James Ake 14—Katherine Frandsen 27—Ruth Heaton

7—Melissa McBrayer 19—Carolyn Lidston 28—Anthony Rivello

8—Chris Baker-Shuck 21—Wilfred Norris 30—John Keiper

8—Micah Dowdy

April Anniversaries

1—Joan & Stephen Engle 16—Donna & Kenneth Evans

5—Sarah & Donald Braxton 29—Jennifer & Todd Newman

15—Sylvia & Tom McDowell

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 1– Quilting– QR 6 Kindermusik– 203

2 1:30 meeting– CR 4 Kindermusik– 203

3 ***Fold Newsletter*** 4 Power Up Gambia dinner– FH 6 Kindermusik– 203

4 4 Christian Ed Tm-CR 5 JC Pasta– FH 5:30 Young Adults 102 6 Kindermusik– 203 7:16 Choir

5 6 Noon: Potluck— St. James Lutheran Church/Climate Change Awareness Bike Ride

7 Lunch with Lisa 7 Bells– SA

8 1– Quilting– QR 6 Prayer Shawl-CR 6 Kindermusik– 203 7 Habitat for Humanity Rm 102

9 4 Kindermusik– 203

10 3 Finance Tm—CR 2-5 JC Seder Prep-KN 5-9 Tuten class—FH 6 Kindermusik– 203

11 11:30 OAM– 102 6 Kindermusik– 203 7:16 Choir

12 4:30 Hattie’s Helpers Set-up– KN/FH 5 Callanish Concert (Huntingdon Arts) SA

13 4:30 Hattie’s Helpers Benefit dinner-KN/FH

14 7 Bells– SA

15 1– Quilting– QR 6 Kindermusik– 203

16 4 Kindermusik– 203 7 District Ministry– FH

17 7 Witness Team– CR

18 12:30 Vital Pastors- Rm 102 6 Kindermusik– 203 7:16 Choir

19 20 8 Men’s Breakfast 102 9-Noon Deacon Training Event– Roaring Spring COB

21 6 Taize– SA 7 Bells– SA

22 1– Quilting– QR 6 Kindermusik– 203

23 4 Kindermusik– 203

24

25 2-7 Empty Bowls Set-up– FH/KN 6 Kindermusik– 203 7:16 Choir

26 12-9 Empty Bowls

27

28 2 Worship at Westminster Woods 7 Bells– SA

29 1– Quilting– QR

30 Key 102–Room 102 CBD–Camp Blue Diamond CR-Conference Room FH-Fellowship Hall KN-Kitchen

QR-Quilting Room GS-Gathering Space SA-Sanctuary WW-Westminster Woods

April 2013