Nokesville Church of the Brethren News

There is a really cool picture here if you get Java :)

A Newsletter of the
Nokesville Church of the Brethren Connections

Contacting the Pastor

by e-mail at

pastor@nokesvillecob.org

or by phone at

703-594-2685 (Office)

The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria

Ekklesiar Yanu�wa a Nigeria (EYN)

It is the largest national body of Church of the Brethren in the world, with over 150,000 members. The energy and vitality of the membership has resulted in active evangelism and church planting efforts within Nigeria and recently to other neighboring countries. A key body within the life of the Nigerian church has been the ZME, or Women�s Fellowship. Most married women become members, and its active programs and presence are seen by many as �the backbone of the church.� ZME choirs are highly-visible in congregations and are a central part of worship. Youth programs and numerous other ministries are also active in EYN. To support the leadership needs of a growing church, pastoral training has been a continuing challenge, as 10-15 new congregations are formed annually. Invitations to the US church to send teachers for key assignments become areas for meaningful partnering in ministry:

Kulp Bible College, near Mubi, is the major training institution for Nigerian church leadership with an enrollment of approximately 180 students;

The church-sponsored Comprehensive Secondary School, based on the west end of the KBC and EYN headquarters property, and

Hillcrest School in Jos, a K-12 school which was started by the Church of the Brethren and now run by a consortium of missions, providing American-style education for the children of mission workers throughout West Africa and others seeking this educational preparation.

Pray ... with Thanksgiving

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

I've heard a lot of droopy prayers in my life. Hey, I've prayed a lot of them, too.

Prayers of desperation --God, you've got to help me!
Prayers of self---God, things are so awful!
Prayers of resignation --God, if you want to leave me unemployed, then I can't stop you!

But I'm learning how to pray a different kind of prayer --prayer said with thanksgiving. I learned it from St. Paul who, writing from prison, taught me a most powerful lesson. He said, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Strange. Here he is suffering himself, yet he's telling me to pray with thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is the seasoning that makes our prayers edible to God. After all, who wants to hear people whine all the time? I've learned that you can't whine and give thanks in the same breath. Self-and thankfulness don't mix any better than oil and water. In fact, mixing thanks with prayer somehow changes it. When we remember what God has done for us in the past and think about who he is in the present --and express that in thankfulness --our prayers become more gentle, more trusting somehow. Thankful prayers are offered with faith. And faith is an essential ingredient for prayers that God chooses to answer.

We remember the Pilgrims on Thanksgiving Day, not so much for their turkey dinner, but for the sheer faith that inspired them to give thanks in a year that saw nearly half their number die of sickness. Yet they prayed with thanksgiving.

When your annual day of feasting is over, you may bemoan your extra helpings of dressing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. But if you can hang on to the "thanks" part of Thanksgiving, you'll be a different person. Because when you learn to talk to God about your needs --mixed with a healthy dose of heartfelt thanks --then you have crossed the divide from whining at God to real prayer.

Happy thanks-!

AMAZING PUMPKIN COOKIES

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup raisins

2 1/2 cups all-flour

Hint: Chocolate chips or nuts may be substituted for raisins

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and pumpkin.

In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, raisins and flour. Stir into pumpkin mixture.

Drop cookies by the heaping teaspoonful on to cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly browned around edges.

Remove from oven and place on cooling racks. Frost with your favorite powdered sugar glaze or leave plain.

What does God look like?

A little girl was busily drawing a picture. When her mother asked what she was drawing, the girl replied, �I�m drawing a picture of God.�

�But, honey, no one knows what God looks like,� said the mother.

�Well, they will when I get through!�
The Pilgrims, shown here celebrating their first Thanksgiving, were a group of Puritans who landed at Plymouth Rock, in what is now Massachusetts, United States, in 1620. In 1621 Governor William Bradford of New England proclaimed a day of �thanksgiving� and prayer to celebrate the Pilgrims� first harvest in America. United States president Abraham Lincoln, following the precedent of a number of states, designated a national Thanksgiving Day in 1863. Now Thanksgiving Day falls annually on the fourth Thursday of November.

SERVE needs your help to make this year�s

OPERATION TURKEY ... a success!

Help us bring a Happy Thanksgiving to our community�s neediest families! Your gift will enable SERVE to support the programs that give Thanksgiving baskets to more than 1,400 individuals and families. Operation Turkey also helps us throughout the year as we provide supplemental foods to our area�s neediest families. Those served are identified by local social service Departments and through SERVE�s client lists. You can get involved in three ways:

2 Donate food, including any of the following:

Stuffing	Cranberry sauce	Bisquick
Canned Fruit	Yams/Sweet potatoes	Rice
Gravy	Cornbread/muffin mix	Boxed desserts
Coffee/tea/cocoa	Canned Pumpkin	Potatoes
Canned Vegetables	Pasta and Sauces	Applesauce
Peanut Butter/jelly	Cream soups	Sugar

3 Make a donation to SERVE (suggested donation $50.00). Checks should be made payable to SERVE and mailed to:

SERVE, Inc. 10056 Dean Drive, Manassas, VA 20110.

4 If you�d like to volunteer, please call Jan Hawkins, SERVE�s Director of Volunteer Services at 703--or email hawkins@serveinc.org. Volunteer signups began on October 6, 2008. : volunteers are needed at various times from November 8 to November 24. Join the Operation Turkey Volunteers and �gobble� with a great team!

November 2008
The First Thanksgiving in America

Building Better Lives for America's Disabled Veterans

Wounded service members returning from Iraq face a long road to recovery. Thanks to modern protective body armor many who would have died from their combat wounds now survive, but body armor doesn�t protect limbs. The majority of amputees from the Iraq war and war on terror in Afghanistan are treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Always high in spirit, these young soldiers and Marines aggressively tackle their rehabilitation to restore their lives to normal, and the Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust is there to help them. The Charitable Service Trust supports a wide-of heartwarming programs that honor our nation�s veterans by providing the care and services they need to help build productive lives.

Army Sgt. Erick Castro was riding with five other soldiers in an armored personnel carrier near Fallujah, Iraq, when it was struck by a light armor weapon fired by an enemy insurgent.

� I remember lying on the floor and not being able to stand up, said Castro. I pulled up my leg and I saw the two other guys holding their legs. I was hit in the femur. � The young combat engineer�s leg was amputated at the hip.

When Castro was out of surgery, doctors and therapists started preparing him for a revolutionary prosthetic device that would replace his lost limb. Thus, he started a journey through medical centers in Germany and Washington, D.C., to regain lost mobility using a device that didn�t exist before the computer age.

The DAV Charitable Service Trust provides essential therapeutic and rehabilitative programs supporting our nation�s disabled veterans. Funds to support the Charitable Service Trust result from the generosity of donors through workplace campaigns like the Combined Federal Campaign, United Way, and other workplace giving programs across the country.

What�s Happening at Kids Club?

On Friday, October 31st, Kids Club will have its annual Halloween Trick-or-Treat walk through. A list of participating businesses will be recognized in December.

On Monday, November 3rd, Kids Club went on a trip to Cox Farms in Chantilly. Hayrides, a pumpkin patch and many slides, forts and farm activities provided hours of active fun for 46 children-our largest field trip!

On Tuesday, November 4th, after our mock election, the kids made their own pizza lunch. We also made fall crafts and talked about what the Thanksgiving holiday meant for each of us. Please visit our bulletin board to read the children's responses!

On Wednesday, November 26th, the children will make our annual Stone Soup Supper based on the fable, "Stone Soup" in which 3 returning from battle, convince a village that even by sharing just a little, we all can have more. The children love to peel the"stones" (potatoes) and other fresh veggies. They combine those along with some, addside of homemade, finish with pumpkin pie, and its a meal fit for a king! Kids Club will gladly accept donations of raw veggies, pumpkin pie mix, cornbread mix, mini-pie crusts and chicken bouillon on or before November 24th. Place any items in the old kitchen, along with your name so we can thank you!

Currently, the enrollment at Kids Club is at record capacity. We are very thankful for the space and the consideration the church provides in order to serve many families. I am also thankful for my amazing staff and support crew, Sharon Bishop, Janice Grimm and Rainbow Preschool. Kids Club also would like to recognize Ms. Roberta, who gave of her time so selflessly during our summer sewing day and our end-of-summer party. We could not have survived without help! As the holiday season approaches, we are reminded everyday of such blessings. Kids Club wishes safe and thankful Thanksgiving holiday to all!

Martha Early Circle
November 2008

The Martha Early Circle last met on October 22, 2008 in the Aid Room where we tied and pinned 3 lap robes. We sent 36 lap robes to the Veteran�s Home in Richmond. Roberta took 10 comforters and 6 baby blankets to Linton Hall.

We were saddened by the passing of our faithful member, Lucy Flory. She has pieced many of the tops we�ve been able to share. She has helped tie and hem many of the comforters. We will miss all her work, humor & faithfulness.

We welcome anyone who would like to give us a helping hand. Our next meeting will be on November 12th at 10:00 am.

Roberta Messamer
Martha Early Circle