I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

John 8:12

Lamplighter - November 2009

----------------------------------

Pastor Dan Mohler is headed to the land of pyramids

Never have we felt a stronger kindred spirit than we did recently with John and Dee Cook.  Part of the reason is the common history of our families.  It began 40 years ago when our three families were in Hawaii.  Mary attended high school with John and his brother.  John’s father, James R. Cook, officiated at our wedding 38 years ago in Honolulu. Both our fathers served at the church and our families were all good friends.  Pastor Jim was a large influence in my decision to enter the ministry.

 Last spring we invited Pastor Jim to be our speaker at the men’s retreat at North Bay.  When Jim’s wife, Shirley, was diagnosed with cancer a few days before their scheduled arrival, their son, John, volunteered to step in for his father.  This opened a wonderful time of renewed friendship and sharing.  During that visit, John felt led to ask if I would be willing to go with a team of U.S. pastors for teaching at two pastors’ conferences in Egypt.

 I leave Philadelphia on October 29^th for this 12 day trip.  The first place we go to is the Al Minya region.  On a side note, when I discussed our destinations and received my shots for the trip at the health department, I was given a paper to read. It warned westerners not to travel to this area due to Islamic terrorism.  I understand we will be traveling there under armed guard. After Al Minya, we travel to Alexandria for the next conference.  Sounds like an interesting trip.

 Egypt is a developing nation in the lower half of the world’s economies and presents many challenges for people from the west.  I just read that “encouraging conversion to the Christian faith is illegal.”  And because of Islamic extremism in the country “a state of emergency has been in effect since 1981.” 

 I woke up the other night with a strong burden to pray for these Egyptian pastors who work in a very harsh environment of Muslim oppression.  A revival has been going on in Egypt for a number of years and literally millions have come to the Lord.  This is wonderful, but there is a natural backlash against those people who are perceived as being a part of making this happen.  I ask for your prayers for protection of the U.S. pastors and the local pastors in Egypt.  What dear souls they must be.

 If you would like to be a part of the blessings of this trip and helping with the $4000+ expenses, you may designate a gift to “The Egypt Trip” through the church offering.  Thank you for your love and prayers.

When John and his wife, Dee, came for the Family Fall Festival recently, they asked Mary and me to reenter missions full time with them at IMI [Indigenous Ministries International] in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  He has asked me to be their executive administrator. They are overloaded with administrative tasks and need someone to relieve them of this burden to be free for ministry.  I would also be involved in teaching indigenous pastors overseas a few times each year in the Middle East, Indonesia, and India.  Our background in the United Arab Emirates gives us an international as well as a missions’ viewpoint that would mesh well with IMI. 

 We ask you to pray with us during this trip, October 29^th to November 9^th.  We also ask for prayer regarding joining with Indigenous Ministries International. 

 So please pray,

Pastor Dan

===============================================================

Operation Christmas Child

Filled shoe boxes are due Nov. 15—Dedication Sunday

Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is a Samaritan’s Purse ministry that takes shoe boxes filled with gifts and Gospel literature to children around the world.  Here’s the instructions as to how you may help in this ministry:

 How to pack a shoe box:

1. SHOE BOX

Use an empty shoe box (standard size, please) or a small plastic container. You can wrap the box (lid separately), but wrapping is not required. Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift.

 

2. BOY OR GIRL?

Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14.  Mark the correct age category on a label, and tape the label to the top of your box.  (We’ll have extra labels if needed.)

 

3. FILL WITH GIFTS

Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child

 

4. INCLUDE YOUR DONATION

Please donate $7 or more for each shoe box you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online (www.samaritanspurse.org) by using the EZGIVE option, or you can write a check to “Samaritan’s Purse” (note “OCC” on memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. If you or your family are preparing more than one shoe box, please make one combined donation.

 

5. BRING TO CHURCH ON NOV. 15

Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and bring to the church on Dedication Sunday,  November 15.  Or, you may drop boxes off during the week of the OCC Relay Center, November 16-22.  The Center will be open 10am-4pm, Monday-Saturday and 1-6pm on Sunday (22nd).

 

 

Editor’s Note:  Nancy HUDLER is leading our church’s participation in this ministry.  Contact her for more information and/or to volunteer to help.

 

===============================================================

 

Have we forgotten God?

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has grown.

 But we have forgotten God.  We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.

Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole of the American people.  I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

—Abraham Lincoln,

1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation

 

===============================================================

Offering

for Maryland/Delaware State Missions

Church Goal:  $900

Received as of 10/25/09:  $307

Recycle to benefit others

Here’s items some ladies of our church are recycling with your help.

Wendy Clough—has put out receptacles for aluminum can pop tabs.  These go to help with kidney dialysis/research.

Kate Galyen—has a receptacle in the library for all types of plastic lids from sodas, food products i.e. peanut butter, milk bottles, etc.  These will help provide chemotherapy for cancer patients who  cannot afford it.  ALL those lids we take to the landfill remain there.  They are NOT recycled according to Kate.

Jane Brandenburg—works with Joni and Friends Wheels for the World.  Items i.e. manual wheelchairs/parts, aluminum canes, crutches, walkers, etc. are received at the church.

 

=========================================================================

 

Do you have a need?

One of our church members is excited about implementing a ministry of service to help church family members with shall we say “whatever”.  Services would be offered for FREE.  In order to get the ministry off the ground we need to know of your needs.  Some suggested areas are:  house keeping, raking leaves, auto repair, general household maintenance i.e. painting, changing a light bulb, window washing, etc., transportation to the doctor or grocery store, computer repair, or maybe just a couple hours of conversation. 

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we’ll need people of our church family who would like to offer their services in these or other areas. 

We’ll have a couple clipboards available @ church for everyone to sign up—those who have needs and those who are willing to provide their service.

 

======================================================================

Here’s a heads up for VBS 2010:

Saddle Ridge Ranch—Drivin’ Home Answers

Saddle up for VBS 2010 where kids will be ridin’ the range and roundin’ up questions like, “What is God’s plan for me?” and “How can I be like Jesus?” At the end of the day, they’ll discover God’s Word has all the answers!

I'd like to ask everyone to pray about how they will participate....beginning NOW!

The best way to contact me for now will be email VBS@fbne.net .... or call the church and leave a message for me.

 

Thanks,

Tina Gibson

Announcing—new photo directory

coming in 2010

We have contracted with Olan Mills to do a photo directory in 2010.  Photo sessions dates will be March 5 & 6 (Friday & Saturday).  Photos that are purchased will be processed by Easter, April 4, 2010.

 

Everyone who has a photo session will receive a FREE 8”X10” photo AND a photo directory.  Photo purchases are optional. 

  

There will be no charge to the church (unless we’d like to get extra directories over the number we are allotted

Olan Mills has a new feature that will enable us to have our photo directory and roster on line which is password protected.

 

A photo directory is an important resource for our ministry.  We’re counting on EVERYONE to participate.

 

===================================================================