Stone Church News May 2012

check out our new website!

www.huntingdonstonechurch.org

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

Stone Church News May 2012

STONE CHURCH on the WEB

The new Stone Church web site is up (huntingdonstonechurch.org). Thanks to Andrew Murdock, who offered his work to Stone Church to present the “new look.” We hope this

site will continue to be revised and useful for all who search for Stone Church for information. You will note that the monthly calendar can be found on the site, as well as

the newsletter. The site was originally designed by Mark Dowdy in 2007, and now has been expanded and will continue to be updated.

THANK YOU ANDREW!

A new Facebook page group for Stone Church has been created by Heather Fisher, and for those who regularly use Facebook, this is another way

to be “in touch” with what is happening at the church. THANK YOU HEATHER!

DID YOU KNOW…

… $5400 was raised for the Huntingdon County Food Bank from the recent “Empty Bowls” event held at Stone Church on Friday, April 13? Thanks to all that came to support this event. … Over 80 first graders and their teachers came to Stone Church on Thursday, April 12th as part of a field trip to learn more about Juniata College and our community? Pastors Christy and Dale Dowdy welcomed them into the sanctuary and talked about the history of Stone Church and our building. … Pastor Christy and Dale Dowdy have the longest pastoral tenure in Stone Church history? The Dowdy’s began their pastorate in August of 1999, and are now serving their 13th year. Pastor John Middlekauf served for 12 years, from 1947 to 1959.

Three Cheers for Dale and Christy Dowdy — Our Longest Tenured Pastors!

September of 1999. It was a great big historical moment

for our congregation, a milestone worth celebrating.

That’s when Dale and Christy Dowdy began serving as co-

pastors of Stone Church of the Brethren. They’d relocated

here from Nebraska with their three young sons Mark,

Micah and Stephen.

All of a sudden about twelve and a half years later… two

of the boys are in college, the third is in high school, and

we all have another milestone to celebrate. Christy and

Dale have pastored here longer than anyone else! It’s

official. They are the longest tenured pastors in the history

of Stone Church. If

you feel so moved, please

take a moment this

month to let the Dowdys know how much you have been

blessed by their faithful service among us.

[This celebration is brought to you by Anonymous, who enlisted the help of

Anonymous in order to surprise the pastors.]

Camp Discounts Don’t forget that families sending more than one child to week-long camps are eligible for a $25 discount per child. Or, bring a friend or relative who has never been a CBD camper and you’ll save $25. See Camp brochure for details.

Father/Son Retreat – May 4-5 This is a great time for Dad and sons (K-6) to share a weekend at Camp. This year’s theme will be Gone Fishin’ and there will be canoeing, fishing, games and more. Cost is $30 per adult and $20 per child. Call 667-2355 or visit campbluediamond.org to register. Senior Adult Day – June 1 Join special guest, Pastor Joel Nogle, as he leads worship through song and storytelling! Cost is $10 per person, which includes a morning snack, lunch and supper to go. More information is available on the church bulletin board, or you may visit campbluediamond.org. 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.

Stone Church College Graduates

Andrew Deike

Andrew, the son of Roxann Deike of Huntingdon and Randy Deike of New

York City, will be graduating from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland on May 20. His

major is Theater and English and his plans are to stay in Cleveland to look for work. In the

meantime, he will audition for parts in shows in Cleveland and wait on tables!

Ian Busko

Ian, the son of Mary and Kevin Busko, will graduate from Penn State University on May 5,

2012. He is an Information Sciences Technology (IST) major. He has had several interviews in his

field.

Chris Porcelli

Chris, the son of Guen and the late John Porcelli, will graduate from Penn State University on

May 5 with a double major in Telecommunication and English. This summer he will fulfill a

graduation requirement with a paid internship at Penn State.

Folk College with Simple Gifts

Huntingdon County Arts Council, May 25-27—A fun and friendly weekend of playing

and hearing folk music is planned for this weekend of May 25-27 at Juniata

College. A gospel hymn sing will be offered at Stone Church Sunday morning, from

8:45 – 10am. There will be 3 concerts, 68 workshops, 2 coaching & jamming

sessions, singing, dancing and other events. For more information and registration,

see the bulletin board or the church office for a brochure or contact the HCAC at

643-6220 or www.folkcollege.com.

A Mother’s Day Gift Idea— Global Women's Project is inviting participation in its

annual Mother's Day Gratitude Project. “Simply send a donation to GWP in honor of a woman

you know and love (including your name and address as well as the recipient's name and

address), and we will send her a lovely handwritten card indicating that a gift has been made

in her honor. Donations will be used to fund our partner projects in Rwanda, Uganda, Nepal, South Sudan,

and Indiana--all of which focus on improving the lives of women.” Memorial donations are also welcomed.

To participate in the Mother's Day Gratitude Project send donations to Global Women's Project, c/o Nan

Erbaugh, 47 South Main St., West Alexandria, OH 45381. Gratitude cards will be mailed in time for Mother's

Day if requests are received by May 6.

Youth News

The Middle School Sunday School class is engaging in a study of “Exploring our

Faith: Conversations about baptism and church membership.” It’s a focused time

for them to think about baptism and what it means to be a church member, as

well as explore some of the history of Stone Church and our Christian heritage.

It’s a time for questions, challenge and learning. Sunday mornings during Sunday

School, 9:30 – 10:30 am, from Sunday, April 22 until the last Sunday of May.

Senior Highs are invited to the Grugan place on Sunday, June 10 for an

afternoon of fun, inquiry and learning.

Youth parents and families!!! Mark your calendar for June 10: a Picnic is being

planned for all Middle School and High School youth and their families at 5:30

pm.

Terrific Tuesdays— The Christian Education Team is working on a summer event

for children, grade five and under. This event will be held at Stone Church on

select Tuesday evenings in June and July—Tuesday, June 12, 19 and 26 & July 10,

17 and 24. We have not confirmed a definite time but it will most likely take

place between 6-8 pm and last approximately 90 minutes. Come, listen and

explore Bible stories, participate and engage in activities, create and have fun

with snacks and more! Look for more details and info in our next newsletter and

bulletins.

THANK YOU— Christy, Dale & Stone Church Community,

Thank you for supporting our Empty Bowls dinner. We love having the use of your facilities and hearing the positive feedback from you all and those who come to the meal. This year we raised a total of $5320.00 through the dinner & bowl sales and other donations. Again thank you for your generous hospitality and support.

Pax-O, Mud Junkies, Catholic Council & Art Alliance

May is Older Americans/Adult Month

May is Older Americans Month, a perfect opportunity to show our appreciation for the older adults in our communities. Since 1963, communities across the nation have come together to celebrate Older Americans Month—a proud tradition that shows our nation’s commitment to recognizing the contributions and achievements of older Americans. The theme for Older Americans Month 2012, Never Too Old to Play...encourages older Americans to stay engaged, active and involved in their own lives and in their communities. In celebration of Older Americans Month, communities can plan and promote events and activities honoring older Americans.

Each May, the Church of the Brethren observes Older Adult Month, an opportunity to celebrate God’s gift of aging and the contributions of older adults in our congregations. By recognizing the gifts of older adults, we honor their legacies and on-going contributions to our lives and our faith communities. This year the theme is “Aging with Passion and Purpose”. This month Stone Church will be facilitating ways to lift up and honor the gifts, talents and abilities that our seniors have to share. Watch the weekly bulletin and e-mails to learn more about these special opportunities to celebrate, appreciate and grow with our older adults. One of the resources we would like to share on a monthly basis is Connecting Generations, a monthly denominational meditation, containing a scripture, meditation, and prayer about some aspect of growing older: spiritual tasks of aging, role changes, the challenge of caregiving, transitions, and leaving our legacy. This specific devotion was written by Kim Ebersole, Director of Family Life and Older Adult Ministries. Go to www.brethren.org to find this and other monthly meditations for and about older adults.

Walk in the Newness of Life See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 NIV

Many people view old age as a "desert time" — arid and desolate, barren and lonely, monotonous and unwelcoming. Those words paint a pretty bleak picture of the last years of life. With images like these, it is no wonder this worldly idea of aging is greeted with dread. With apprehension, people cling to the false hope of a fountain of youth, for who would want to age into a vast wasteland of meaningless years? But this is not what God has in mind for our later years. God's image of aging and old age is bountiful and beautiful: doing new things, bearing fruit, and striving toward what lies ahead. Oasis, not desert.

The Biblical vision of aging is a time of finding new meaning and purpose in life: God doing new things in the lives of elders. The Bible is full of stories of older adults answering God's call to be actively involved in God's work in the world: Moses and Aaron, Abraham and Sarah, Zacharias and Elizabeth, Daniel, Anna, and many others. Stories of God doing a new thing in one's later years. Stories of new life.

The last part of life is not like the beginning; it is not a repeat of the first half. The second half is a different adventure — deeper, richer, fuller — as new things and new opportunities continue to unfold in our lives. Just like the people of the Bible, God calls us to new experiences and ways to serve in our "old age." We can walk in the newness of life if we are open to hearing the call.

God of renewal and all life, no matter our age, may we hear your call. Amen

SPOTLIGHT …Diahann Mosier

NEW FEATURE: 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: Diahann Mosier Job Title: Administrative Assistant Employment: January of 2011 - Present Supervised by: Pastors Christy & Dale Dowdy Approximate number of work hours per week: 36

One sentence job description: Office duties—creating forms and publications such as the weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter; accounting (weekly deposits, payroll, bill payments, etc.); answering phone calls (and fending off telemarketers); updating and improving office efficiency while trying to be frugal; wrestling with the copy machine; tossing file folders like salads; reining in the sometimes wayward office computers and working with any artsy/creative stuff I can get my hands on. (Disclaimer: Dear readers, please forgive my run-on ‘one’ sentence.)

Toughest part of job: Trying to remember to write everything down so I don’t forget to follow through on various tasks—excuse me while I write that down… wait… what was I doing?? Oh yeah—and trying not to allow my office desk to look like my home desk.

Best part of job: My work environment. I have the kindest, most wonderful bosses a girl could ask for—ones that accept and support me, even with the dashes of purple in my hair, my attempts at morphing a punk rock artist’s wardrobe into office attire and all of the other ways my sprouts of uniqueness choose to bloom.

LUNCH WITH LISA Sunday, May 6, following worship

Plan to reserve your place by calling the church office, e-mail or Facebook and enjoy a great meal and fellowship

May Birthdays

1—Stephen Engle 11—Andrew Wenger 16—Joseph Porcelli

1—Leah Lashlee 12—Richard Furry 20—Joyce Keiper

1—Brooke Meadows 12—Donald Mitchell 22—Sarah Deike

3—Jill Keeney 13—Henrik Berger 23—Sharon Bookhamer

3—Landon Meadows 13—Jack Wagner 25—Rosemary Plane

7—Logan Fultz 14—DeLois Fluke 27—Mavis Diehl

10—Jeannie Lashlee 14—Pam Grugan 31—Amber Port

10—Anne Siems 15—Jacob Wenger

May Anniversaries

15—MaryAnne & Jason Montoro 25—Jeannie & Ethan Lashlee

24—Pat & Tom Kepple 27—Brooke & David Meadows

Buck Season Opening May 1

st

That’s right! Time again to

bag some

Huntingdon Farmers’ Market Bucks!

No license required, just a commitment…

to eating more fresh, nutritious, locally-grown food

to support and strengthen the market, its environmentally-responsible farmers and our local economy

to help increase access to market produce for folks who otherwise couldn’t afford it

What are Huntingdon Farmers’ Market Bucks? They’re “fake money” that can be used like cash at the Huntingdon Farmers’ Market. They come in $1 and $10 denominations. They’re sold at a 5% discount (i.e. $9.50 buys $10-worth of Market Bucks). How will the Market Bucks help folks otherwise unable to afford market produce? Donations may be made toward the purchase of Market Bucks for use by persons who get gov’t food assistance (i.e. SNAP benefits, formerly known as Food Stamps, now on EBT cards). When folks use their EBT cards at the market, they’ll receive $1 of “Bonus Bucks” (donated Market Bucks) for each $2 they spend. How can people buy Market Bucks and/or make donations to support the “Bonus Bucks” program? Market Bucks purchases and donations may be made using cash or check in May and June:

in the back of the sanctuary following worship on Sunday mornings (see Guen Porcelli)

at the Stone Church office Mon-Fri mornings (see Diahann)

at Boxers, Standing Stone Coffee Company and Curves (Huntingdon)

at the Farmers’ Market (in June only) – open Thursdays, noon-5 p.m., Portstown Park pavilion (across from Laney’s Feed Mill)

Other questions? Interested in helping out with the project? Please e-mail Laura White at laura.jamie@gmail.com (or call her at 814-251-4363 after May 30th). A component of the Stone Church Witness Team’s “Daily Bread Initiative,” the Market Bucks/ Bonus Bucks program is a cooperative project involving the Huntingdon Forum of Churches, area farmers, the Center for Community Action, the Salvation Army, St. Vincent dePaul Society, Huntingdon House, and Mary Alexander Outreach.

Grocery Gift Cards—Every card helps our church! Purchase a Stone Church Grocery Gift Card on Sundays at the back of the sanctuary or in the church office. Coordinators, Barb Purdy and Cheryl Ritchey, have challenged everyone to purchase a card one week out of every month for the next year.