Creekside Connection - Creekside Church of the Brethren

Creekside Connection January 2012

Pastor’s Ponderings Read Matthew 7:7-8 At a family gathering, a grandmother was coaxed into doing something she had never done before. After much friendly badgering, she climbed slowly up on an exercise bike. She took her time getting in just the right position. She waited a few moments. Then, nervously, she said, "All right, you can turn it on now." Sometimes it is hard to get started. This is the time of the year where we reflect on the past year and look forward to a new beginning, a fresh start. I am fascinated by the human desire for renewal and new beginnings. St. Benedict in his Rule for monasteries writes "always we begin again.” And so in this time of year, our hearts’ desires are kindled. We have a sense of longing for a richer life in the world. January 1 gives us a sense of hope of changes we would like to see in our lives and so we sit down and make some resolutions. Our resolutions are our commitments to change whatever we see in our lives that we believe should or should not be there. You know what I am talking about. Resolutions are fine but the problem occurs when we make our resolutions with such high expectations without first cultivating the change of heart necessary to prepare space for these new possibilities to take root. So how is it that we begin cultivating a change of heart? New Year’s is a time for reflection in our lives. We reflect on what has gone on before and on listening for the longing of what is to come. Most of us are hungering for more depth in this time of transition. We are recognizing the opportunities of new doors and thresholds opened. Doors and thresholds are symbols of new and unexplored possibilities. We can envision a powerful move of God. St. Teresa of Avila, the 16th-century Carmelite mystic, wrote the classic book The Interior Castle in which she likened the soul to a castle made with concentric rooms. As we deepen in the spiritual life, we move further into the interior castle of our souls and discover hidden rooms previously unavailable to us. These hidden rooms put us in touch with a deeper understanding of God in our lives. Deep in our souls resides the spirit of Christ ready and waiting to open the door to something beautiful. So this year let’s begin our New Year by making a commitment of reaching into our souls and opening the door to a deeper understanding of what God is doing in our lives. Often we make resolutions out of the busyness of our lives. So why not do it differently this year. Let’s decide to spend an hour or two listening to the longings of our heart. We might find that out of that quiet and stillness, we might find our goodness and holiness rather than things we should fix. Through every door, we might find a true love of ourselves and God. So tell me, what door might you open today? I look forward to seeing where God leads you. In the Lord’s love and joy, Pastor Janet

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JANUARY Birthdays Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan

1 4 5 6 7 7 8 13 17 19 20 23 23 27

Jean Mann Paul Ritzmann Fred Walters Bertha Ramos Danny Rohrer Carver Dewitt Gall Jenny Cooper Rosemary Pletcher Byrl Shaver Megan George Esther Houston Janet Vardaman Carolyn Colver Betty Kelsey

JANUARY Anniversaries Jan

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Ned & Jerry Hostetler

OUTREACH NOTES As Creekside welcomes in 2012 we praise God for the many blessings we have been given and look forward to what wonderful things await us in this New Year.

ATTENDANCE NUMBERS Worship

Sunday School

12/4

84

58

12/11

90

12/18

114

12/24

134

81

The Outreach Team is so excited about the many ways we hope to make a difference in the lives of people in our community. We know many of our church family may have the opportunity to work outside the local area doing God’s work in a disaster setting or on a Mission project etc. Outreach Team wants you to know we now have a “Request for Funds Form” located in the church mailboxes that you can fill out prior to your departure, letting us know about the opportunity you plan to be a part of and the anticipated financial expenses you will incur. We ask that those forms be turned in to Angi Marcin or Sharon Houser. With our budget for 2012 we know our funds will be more limited but we hope to be able to provide some reimbursement to each of you who have that opportunity and want to let you know prior to your trip how much we can reimburse. May God bless each of us this year as we do his work at Creekside, in Elkhart or wherever we may have the opportunity to serve.

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2011 SUNDAY

1

8

MONDAY

TUESDAY

2

3

9

10

9:30 a.m. – Worship 10:45 a.m. - Church School

WEDNESDAY

4

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

5

6

7

12

13

14

NO VOLUNTEER FELLOWSHIP

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9:00 a.m. – Fellowship Team Mtg.

6:30 p.m. – Outreach Team Mtg.

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

9:30 a.m. – Worship 10:45 a.m. - Church School

9:30 a.m. – Worship 10:45 a.m. - Church School

9:30 a.m. – Worship 10:45 a.m. - Church School

CAMP

6:30 p.m. Church Board Mtg.

MACK 3

O R N E R P.O. Box 158, Milford, IN 46542 Phone: 574-658-4831 Fax: 574-658-4765 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.campmack.org

The CAMP REP MEETING SCHEDULED for Saturday morning, January 21 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. is the only Camp Rep meeting scheduled in 2012. All Camp Reps are urged to make it a priority! Be Camp’s guests for brunch. Get your new materials and learn what’s happening at Camp Mack! Prepare to share the news! THIS YEAR CAMP MACK’S ANNUAL DINNER HAS MOVED TO MARCH 2ND. Hopefully weather will be better than at the end of January. Mark your calendars now and plan to enjoy an evening of great food, fellowship and entertainment and learn what is happening at Camp. Hear firsthand about financial needs related to the Becker reconstruction. Hors d’oeuvres are at 6:15 p.m. with the banquet at 7:00 p.m. Barbie Stenacker will be the guest speaker sharing about the Deaf Camp’s partnership with Camp Mack. Piano and Violin dinner music will be provided by Pastor Ruth Yoder and her son, Ben. SEE PICTURES OF THE BECKER TO BE. Keep up to date on Camp happenings! Check out the Camp Mack website: www.campmack.org. and/or the Camp Mack Facebook site. APPLICATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED FOR SUMMER STAFF, 18 years of age or older, with a heart for the ministry at Camp Mack. Applications are available at the Camp Mack website or persons may call or e-mail camp for an application. THE FEBRUARY QUILT RETREAT is Feb. 16-19 for beginning and experienced quilters. Enjoy the peace of winter at Camp Mack! PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for committed summer staff and camp counselors. Quiet Place Quote: “If the whole inanimate creation is eagerly looking forward to the appearing of Jesus, this same hope – even a brighter hope should grip your heart and mind.” Joni Eareckson Tada.

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The Hoosier Neighbor column is a small part of Creekside’s hospitality. Our hospitality extends not only to our Neighbors outside of the church but to our Neighbors sitting right in front of us in worship. Hospitality is a genuine desire to know our brother and sister in Christ in a deeper way. Who are our neighbors and what do they desire for our church? We hope you enjoy the column and take the opportunity to find out more about our monthly featured Neighbor. God bless!

Ron Nicodemus

How long have you been attending Creekside:

6 months

What is your favorite scripture or hymn: Phil 6:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This was also the favorite verse of my daughter, Taryn, and we designed a stained glass window using this verse as a memorial to her. What does hospitality mean to you? Hospitality is welcoming all God's creatures and sharing His love. My prayer is that my handshake, my walk, my friendliness will make a difference in someone's life. What do you like about Creekside church? The themed creative worship services and the acceptance and welcoming spirit we've been shown. What is your vision for Creekside church? My vision for Creekside is that "We Dare to Share." Share God's love and abundant gifts to all. My prayer is that all Creeksiders would say as Isaiah said in verse 6:8 ". . . . Here am I Lord, send me."

December 2011 Connecting at Creekside December was a full month for Team Spirit. Planning and leading Advent and Christmas Eve services based on Hope, Peace, Joy and Love was a joint effort by the pastors. On Christmas morning, Pastor Rosanna led an informal family worship. We appreciate your help in making these services special by writing an O Antiphon for our call to worship, lighting candles, reading Advent meditations, or providing “surprises” for Rosanna’s story box. Team Spirit was blessed by your Christmas cards and greetings, as well as the “goodies” left on our desks! After Christmas, Pastor Janet and Byrl were able to celebrate holidays with family members, and McFaddens left for Indonesia to visit Katy. In the dark days of winter, may our eyes be open to the light of Christ, who enlightens everyone (John 1:9). We wish you all a good year ahead, and pray that God will bless and grow this congregation in 2012. Pastors Janet, Rosanna and Betty

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Wonder stick: An interview with Grace Mishler Church of the Brethren Newsline December 14, 2011

The following interview with Grace Mishler, Church of the Brethren member serving in Vietnam with support from the denomination’s Global Mission and Service office, is by Vietnamese journalist Löu Vaên Ñaït. It is reprinted here with permission. The article originally appeared Nov. 15 in English in the “Vietnam News Outlook” social section, a publication whose circulation is nation-wide:

VNS photo by Vaên Ñaït

Grace Mishler is serving in Vietnam with sponsorship from the Global Mission and Service department, placed at the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Working with disabilities issues, she was interviewed for White Cane Safety Day in Vietnam by a journalist from the Vietnam News Outlook, a publication with national distribution.

The visually impaired struggle to be more independent by using a white cane that allows them to better integrate into society. “With my cane, I feel more independent in Vieät Nam. It’s my best friend here,” says American Grace Mishler, whose eyesight began to fail when she was 31 years old. Today, at 64, Grace works as a consultant at the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Her work, which aims to raise public sensitivity and compassion about the disabled, is supported in part by Church of the Brethren Global Mission based in the US. Grace settled in Vieät Nam 12 years ago after an initial three-week visit. Having travelled all over the country, she is never without her cane. When I arrived at her house for an interview, she insisted that she first demonstrate how to cross a busy street with the white cane. She showed me the moves which she had learned from her friend Leâ Daân Baïch Vieät, who studied mobility training for the blind in the US at the University of Pennsylvania. He later returned to teach blind people in Vieät Nam. “Leâ was the master of mobility for visually impaired people. Unfortunately, he died from cancer after he set up the first mobility-training course in Vieät Nam,” she adds.

VNS photo courtesy of Nhaät Hoàng Centre

On October 15, 2011, a visually impaired man crosses a busy street on White Cane Safety Day, which was celebrated for the first time in Vieät Nam this year.

Grace says that most visually impaired people in the country do not know how to use the cane, and they often don’t go out because they feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. Few of them own a white cane, which began to be widely used in the early 20th century in France, the UK, and the US. Her biggest concern now is that few blind people in Vieät Nam choose to use a cane. Without it, they stay isolated from friends and the community.

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The three things that have helped her survive in Vieät Nam are her hat, sunglasses, and white cane, she says. “Even though the cane helps me, I know sometimes I can still get really nervous,” Grace admits. She struck me as a woman of strong self-determination, with an iron spirit. She has had several difficulties in her life. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at aged 31, she later discovered that she had leukemia, which was successfully treated and remains in remission. During her first few days in Vieät Nam, Grace says she felt odd when she stepped out onto the street, hearing the roaring sound of motorbikes. She often took a taxi or motorbike to travel because of her fear. She says the streets in Saøi Goøn can be difficult to navigate without assistance, from either a cane, a seeing-eye dog or another person. The pavements are often crowded with parking lots for motorbikes or kiosks, she says. In 1999, before coming to Vieät Nam, she relied heavily on her cane during a five-week stay in India. Later, when she moved here, she found that the roads here were more organized than in India. During her 12 years here, she has not had any accident, except for one fall in a bathroom. More young people in Vieät Nam are beginning to use the white cane, which helps them to walk and use public transport. Hoaøng Vónh Taâm, 18, who was born with a visual impairment, travels by bus to his university in District 3 from Nhaät Hoàng Centre for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Thuû Ñöùc District. He learned how to use the cane from teachers at the centre. “Thanks to the cane, I travelled independently to high school, and now I can attend university,” says Taâm, who wants to become a tour guide. A few weeks ago, Taâm got lost when he was going home because the bus suddenly changed route. He got off and began walking. “I was able to get home because of my cane and what I was taught,” he says. Leâ Thò Vaân Nga, director of the centre, was trained in Australia in mobility techniques for the blind. Nga, who is not visually impaired, says the white cane is like a long finger for the people who use it. Without the cane, they can feel isolated from the community, refusing to participate in social activities or studies at school. In Vieät Nam, there are only about 20 lecturers around the country who can teach mobility techniques for the blind. Nga said that when she studied in Australia, as part of her training, she was dropped in the middle of nowhere blindfolded, and had to find a way to return to a previously appointed location. In Vieät Nam, Nga teaches the same practical techniques as well as several theory classes. “Walking on the street, I understand the challenges that the blind face, and know the importance of the white cane,” she says. She hopes to develop more orientation courses for the blind. “Even sighted people get lost, so the course is very important.” Recently, four five-day courses on mobility techniques were offered to teachers at schools for the blind and other schools. Symbol of independence To raise awareness about the visually impaired, Vieät Nam celebrated the first White Cane Safety Day on Oct. 14, with 50 visually impaired people walking with their white canes down Nguyeãn Chí Thanh Street from Nguyeãn Ñình Chieåu Blind School in HCM City. The special day was initiated in 1964 by the US Congress in a joint resolution that designated Oct. 15 as White Cane Safety Day. Renamed Blind Americans Equality Day by President Barack Obama this year on Oct. 14, the day recognises the contributions of Americans who are blind or have poor vision. “On this day, we celebrate the achievements of blind and visually impaired Americans and reaffirm our commitment to advancing their complete social and economic integration,” Obama said. Not only does the white cane offer protection and help the visually impaired live independently, it also alerts motor vehicles and pedestrians to yield the right of way to the person using the cane.

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The Creekside Connection is published monthly to keep members and friends informed of church programs and to report news about the people of Creekside Church.

Cindy Harman Administrative Assistant & Editor E-mail: [email protected]

Pastors Janet Shaver E-mail: [email protected] Rosanna McFadden E-mail: [email protected] Betty Kelsey E-mail: [email protected]

website: www.creeksideconnected.com

Office: 60455 C.R. 113 Elkhart, IN 46517—9183 574—875—7800 574—875—7885 fax

Creekside Church of the Brethren

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