Home News About Us Programs Calendar Photos Directions Contact Us Other Links	Mission Sunday Coming This Fall! In the Church of the Brethren, one of the most essential ways to put faith into action is through service to others. In celebration of the many opportunities we have as a church and as individuals to make a difference and share God's love with our communities, our nation and our world, the Witness & Worship Ministry is planning a special worship service in celebration of service and volunteerism this fall.  The event will include a potluck meal, as well - more information will be coming in the September issue of Grace Notes! Gift of the Heart Kits In conjunction with the Mission Sunday, however, we will also be collecting items to include in Church World Service Gift of the Heart Kits (hygiene and school supplies). To assemble each Hygiene Kit we will need: One hand towel measuring approximately 16" x 28" (no fingertip or bath towels) One washcloth One wide-tooth comb One nail clipper (no metal files or emery boards) One bar of soap (bath size in wrapper) One toothbrush (in original packaging) Six Band-AidsŪ One-gallon plastic bag with zipper closure Please do not bring toothpaste; toothpaste that has an extended expiration date will be added to kit by Church World Service just prior to shipment. To assemble each School Kit we will need: One pair of blunt scissors (rounded tip) Three 70-count spiral or tape-bound pads of 8" x 10-1/2" ruled paper or pads with 200-210 sheets of ruled paper.  (Please do not bring loose-leaf or filler paper.) One 30-centimeter ruler (12") One hand-held pencil sharpener One large eraser Six new pencils with erasers One box of 24 crayons (only 24) One 12" x 14" to 14" x 16" finished size cotton cloth bag with cloth handles (a pattern is available at the CWS Web site, if you would like one. You do not need to bring all of the items to fill a kit; we will put the combine the donated items to make complete kits to be delivered to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Each kit also should include $2 for shipping costs.  If you would prefer to donate money toward finishing kits and shipping costs, the donation may be put in the offering any Sunday morning through the end of September.  Please remember to designate your gift for "Mission Sunday Kits." Hunger doesn't take a vacation! Credit crunch.  Housing crisis.  Rising food prices.  Record-high fuel costs. Chances are, these words are getting to sound familiar; too familiar.  The economic situation for families around the world seems to become more fragile every day. Some of those families live right here in Ambler, and there is a way you can help!  During July and August, the Witness & Worship Ministry will be sponsoring the Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation food drive for the Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard. Mattie Dixon, the executive director of the cupboard, has said that the food items they need the most right now are pancake flour, syrup, cereal and soup.  Personal items are also appreciated, with soap at the top of her list. You can bring items to the church anytime - there's always a collection barrel that David M. checks to take deliveries to the cupboard - but during July and August there will be a special table for donations in front of the coat racks in the narthex. The Community Cupboard is open Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., any day for emergencies and other days by appointment.  If you would like more information about the organization, visit http://community-cupboard.org/ or call (215) 628-3002. Senior high students reach out to Graterford readers The students in the senior high Sunday school class completed a short unit on prison ministry this year, using materials from Mennonite Central Committee and welcoming Marie M. as a guest speaker.  Marie, as many of you know, volunteers with the literacy program tutoring men who are incarcerated at Graterford correctional facility. Although class members are too young for safety reasons to participate in person in prison ministry programs, we wanted to do something to demonstrate to the men at Graterford that they have not been "written off" by society as a whole. Marie worked as a go-between for us and got us a "wish list" of books from the men involved in the literacy program.  Because the books they requested were quite inexpensive, the class was able to supply a dozen new books for their library.  We have received a very nice note of appreciation from the program's internal director, telling us that the men were very excited and pleased with the gift. If you have a passion or volunteer commitment that you think the senior high youth might enjoy hearing about, please speak with Shawn or Angie M. about scheduling a time in the fall to come share your experiences with the class.  And if you want to learn more about volunteering at Graterford, you might want to find some time to chat with Marie! EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES Brethren Peace Fellowship Fall Retreat The Brethren Peace Fellowship will hold its annual fall retreat from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Miller Homestead, 1124 Lake Road in Spring Grove, Pa. David W. Shenk will speak on his life experiences of living in conversation with people of other faiths.   Lunch is included, but you have to bring your own cup, bowl and spoon.  Recreational activities are available from 3 to 5 p.m.  Childcare is available for those who register ahead of time.  The cost is $15 for an adult, $5 for a child, with a maximum fee of $35 per family.  For information, call Jean and Walt Moyer at (717) 367-2656 or send them an e-mail at waljean@embarqmail.com. Amish Tour A one-day Amish Tour in Lancaster County will be held by the Atlantic Northeast District from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6.  The cost per person is $40, which includes an Amish dinner at the home of Abner and Mary Soltzfus and bus transportation to a wholesale farmers' market, an Old Order Mennonite church, an "Amish Wal-Mart," a weaver and broom shop, bake shop and quilt shop.  Anna Buckwalter, 96, will be the guide (health permitting).  For information, call (717) 560-6488. Earl K. Ziegler is collecting the reservations. Peter Becker Golf Outing Peter Becker Golf Outing is coming up Oct. 6, so reserve the date on your calendar if you're interested! ANE District Love Feast The Atlantic Northeast District is planning a district-wide Love Feast at 4 p.m. Aug. 24 at Peter Becker Community.  Look for more information in the bulletin over the summer. Preaching Peace Seminar Preaching Peace will bring a seminar to Messiah College from Aug. 12 to 14.  The event is called, "On Being a Peace Church in a Constantinian World," and will feature keynote speakers Brian McLaren, Dr. Craig Carter and Dr. Sharon Baker. The cost of the conference is $145 per person, which includes lunch and dinner Wednesday and Thursday. Air-conditioned rooms are available to stay at the college, as well.  The cost is $45 per night for a single, $30 per night for a double.  More information is available at http://www.preachingpeace.org/conf_constantinian.htm or call (717) 392-1550. Bulletin art needed The Witness & Worship Ministry invites people from the congregation to submit their own original artwork to be included in church publications, especially the new bulletins that will be arriving in September. The artwork can be done by hand or computer-generated. It should be no wider than four inches and no taller than five inches, and it must be able to be reproduced as a black-and-white photocopy. The artist's name should be submitted with the artwork, but it does not need to fit within the space constraints. If you would like more information about this project, please ask any member of W&W: Bonnie B., Ruth B., Lori H., Angie M. or Betty Lou N. Sing Your Favorites Pastor Judith has received several requests from the congregation to include more songs from the maroon songbook in the morning worship services.  She is not familiar with the songbook, however, so help her out!  Take the time to jot down two or three of your favorites from the songbook and put them in the pastor's mailbox, or send them to amblercob@verizon.net. In the spirit of worship The members of the Witness and Worship ministry and Pastor Judith have been noticing that our time during the Sunday morning worship for sharing our celebrations and our concerns with the congregation has not always been as, well ... worshipful, as it might be. This time in our service is important, though.  It serves to share information, yes, but it also helps strengthen the bonds of our Christian family here at ACOB.  And just putting our request into words is, in itself, a lifting up of our hearts and minds to God. A few tips, then, for sharing concerns on Sunday mornings.  The person's name (or, if they wish to remain anonymous, a brief description) is sufficient for God, who already knows our cares before we speak them.  The rest is for us.  Tell us your relationship to the person (coworker, friend, neighbor, father, sister ...) and give us a short explanation for the request. For example, "My coworker, John Doe, has been diagnosed with cancer and would appreciate your prayers."  Or, "My sister-in-law is mourning the unexpected death of her father and I'd like you to keep her family in your prayers." Please use the time during fellowship hour or during the week to follow up with people who have asked for prayer during the worship service, letting them know that you have heard their request and intend to honor it during the week. If you would like to discuss this time in our worship further, please let Pastor Judith or W/W chairwoman Bonnie B. know so that we can hear your thoughts. Kindly Take Note... The deadline to submit items for the September edition of Grace Notes is Sunday, Aug. 24.  Early submissions are always appreciated! The church office has become aware of one or more budding writers/artists in the congregation who have been practicing their skills on posters and bulletin board items in the main hallway.  The office requests that those talents be put to work coming up with a design to submit for the new bulletin covers rather than causing damage to items on the walls.  Thanks! Please remember to turn off all cell phones or electronic devices before entering the sanctuary for worship.  There are 168 hours in a week; let's all try to "unplug" for one of them. Worship bags are provided for young children who are learning to participate in the Sunday morning service. Please do not take the items in the bags (other than the artwork the children create from the materials) to other locations in the church or to your home. Recipe Of The Month Looking for a healthier burger for the grill?  Try these salmon burgers. In a medium bowl, combine 1 6-oz. can of skinless, boneless salmon (drained) with 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs, 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, 2 Tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise, 1 egg (beaten), 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp.  parsley flakes and 1/8 tsp. garlic salt.  Mix well - the mixture should be moist.  Shape into four burgers.  Grill until both sides are brown and enjoy.  You can also substitute canned tuna for the salmon. Recipe submitted by Angie M..  To share one of your favorite dishes with the congregation, send to amblercob@verizon.net or give a copy to the church office.