Food bank-We had a terrific response to the food bank this week.  We have had recent large donations of bread (it is cheap at Fareway and Aldi), Hot Dogs, Bologna, TP, and canned veggies.  Thanks for getting involved.  Together we are doing a great community service.

Family Matters-We will have a short family matters meeting after brunch on Sept 12.  This is an opportunity to get the latest scoop on what is happening.

Treasurer's Report-Income was low earlier in the summer, but was better in August.  Thanks for your good support.  We put some basic numbers in the Bulletin this week, and will give a more detailed report at the family matters meeting. 

Painting-We have painted several of the classrooms in the west wing, getting ready for the new season. 

We need to take it to the next level!  What does that really mean?  It means that Darlene continues to give out more and more groceries, And it is getting harder and harder to keep the pantry stocked.  We have several new people each week.  There have been about 20 families this week alone.  Pray for Darlene and when you can, make a donation.

The best way for us to stock the food bank is to buy bulk supplies from HACAP in Hiawatha.  We can get many items for about 15 cents a pound.  In the last 3 months we have purchased 1 ½ tons of groceries from HACAP.  But we can't get everything that we need there.  So we buy meat, bread, etc. from Aldi, where we can get the best price on most items. Our current needs for each week are also listed below under Go & Share.

If you bring canned goods or other non-perishable items put them in the box in the foyer.  If you bring frozen goods, see Darlene or one of the pastors so we can put them directly in the freezer.  If you bring money, mark it for the food bank on your offering envelope.   Thanks.  We are together taking this to the next level.

By the way (you can think of this as a PS if you would like) We need your plastic grociey bags.  We used about 50 bags last week alone.  This is a big need.  Thanks.   

As we approach the end of summer (already!!) I am getting excited about 3 things:  cooler weather, Hawkey football, and our fall kick-off at church.  (I'm not sure that we are going to call it a kick-off this year, but it is the beginning of a new ministry season, and will be an exciting one).  September 12 should be a great day, with a new message series, a brunch, and introduction of new opportunities for small groups.  I have been studying the Gospel of Mark for a Tuesday evening class aimed at people without a strong history of Bible study.  We are also considering whether it would work for us to do a weekly service at Oaknoll on Sunday Evenings.  (We will be there this Sunday at 6:30 to try it out.  You are invited to be a part of this experiment if you wish to come.) 

We have a new opportunity to share the gospel.  On Sunday, August 15th I will lead an evening service at Oaknoll Retirement Residence on W. Benton St.  The 6:30 service will include hymns and a short message. We are investigating whether we ought to have a service there each week.  

We want to invite as many of you to join us there.  We want the service to meaningful and gather a new "congregation", offering another option for our people to join in worship.  . 

There he goes! Talking about money again!  Yes, it's that time of year.  Some summers the income goes down. It has this year.  We are not in serious trouble as some ministries are.  Our spending has been well controlled over the past 3 years, building a small surplus in the general fund (a bit over $20,000).  My preference is to keep the surplus in place this year, because I see some bigger expenses coming next year.  So I am letting you know that income is just barely meeting expenses for the first 4 months of this fiscal year. 

In addition to the general fund, we have a few more expenses we need to deal with.  Dave has challenged us to support Dr. Rudy in Haiti.  We will emphasize that offering again on August 1.  Our food bank continues to grow rapidly, and we are now out of money in that account.  We are currently surveying the food bank users, to get their feedback on this community service that we provide.  I'll let you know how that turns out. We'll probably have enough info just before school starts.  11 families have used our food bank this week. 

Claude has agreed to lead the Hymn sing on August 1, while I am out of town. Michelle Butler has agreed to play the piano.  We have about 20 people who come out each month just to sing hymns.  We are going to do a Sunday Evening service at Oaknoll on Benton St. at 6:30 pm on August 15.  We will sing a few hymns and I will present a short message.  This might be another opportunity for some people to join us in music and God's Word. 

The leadership team continues to be in contact with a young pastor in another state.  We would like to have him come as associate pastor of discipleship.  The earliest this would happen would be next summer.  We have formed a basic job description, outlining what we would like him to do.  Genesis is also working on a Job description, to see if we both want the same thing, and if we could each come up with half the money.  I am telling you way in advance that this will require a major budget shift next year, if we go ahead with it. 

            When was the last time you visited the church Resource Center?  I wander in and out of that room regularly, sometimes because I need to wander, but often in search of a book.  We have an excellent church library, and a few very good books for sale. 

            Books are close friends.  They help you see into the mind and heart of other people, and help to stretch the size of the world by introducing new ideas to think about. 

            What are some of my favorite books in the library?  In the biography section I loved Franklin Graham's Rebel With a Cause.  My college history professor edited a book called More Than Conquerors which contains short biographies of many influential people.  For the sports fan we have Kurt Warner: And the Last Shall be First.  I think everyone should be familiar with the pioneer missionary to China.  We have J. Hudson Taylor: A Man in Christ by Roger Steer. Joni Earickson exposes many of here personal internal struggles in Choices/Changes.  Though not strictly a biography for the scientifically minded I recommend The Galileo Connection: Resolving Conflicts between Science and the Bible by Charles Hummel. 

            The book that I most often look for in the library is The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis.  Lewis is always very logical and, at the same time, very clear and understandable.  He explains that there are many kinds of pain in the world and that each kind of pain needs to be seen for what it is.  It is a book dealing with pain intellectually, not experientially. 

            That brings me to last book that I want to mention.  Sheila Walsh was a nationally known recording artist and television personality (co-host of the 700 Club with Pat Robertson) when she was stricken by depression and admitted to a Christian mental hospital.  I had heard bits of this story, but never the details, so I sat down and started to read the book.  It is an excellent book, looking at pain from the inside out.  She says that sometimes the pain that we experience is the result of not being honest and open with each other.  When we try to convince each other that we are doing just fine, our denial robs us of the power of healing within the body of Christ.  Often the pain of depression is a sign that we need to deal with other issues in our lives.  I highly recommend Honestly by Sheila Walsh.

What a day we will have on July 4th.  Independence Day will include Baptisms and communion at church, then the hog roast (right after the parade) with games and music and 3 pm dedication and 4pm outdoor worship at the Big White House.  As always there will be a big parade in Coralville, and fireworks all over.  As great as national freedom is, spiritual freedom is fare greater and more important.  If God's set's you free, you will be free indeed.  

"I know what it is to e in need, I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4: 12, 13. 

Gene Vineyard is looking for a volunteer to help him with the mowing each week.  If you can help, give him a call, or talk with Pastor Gail.   

Don't forget Claude's birthday party on Saturday afternoon from 2-5pm. 

It was a bit of an eventful week at the "River."  Tuesday's rain was more than our drains could handle, wo we ended up with a small lake in the front, and a bit of water backed up into the east end of the fellowship hall.  But the rain stopped in time and the water drained out without any damage.  We had several volunteers trimming trees and bushes and cleaning out gutters and downspouts. There was some electrical wiring done.  The fire marshal's annual visit was pretty easy this year, We had to replace a battery in one emergency light, and a few things were piled too close to the ceiling in a storage room (This is a new category to me, but each inspector has his own approach to what he sees.)   

I was just going over the treasurer's report for April and May, the beginning of our fiscal year.  We started the year out with a large gift which has usually comes at the end of December.  It is great to have the money in the bank, so we are trying not to spend it now, because expenses will be higher in the winter. 

So far we have spent $5,300 less than the budget, and about $2,000 less than we have received in regular giving.  The general fund balance is now (May 31) $34, 472.75.  We have been carefully protecting this balance for the last few years. We know that some big items will be coming up in the next few years, and we want to be prepared.  We will need some parking lot maintenance next year, and will probably face some challenges in staffing over the next few years. 

I told you earlier that I will turn 66 next April, and am considering my options.  I want to work a few more years, because I still have a few goals that I want to accomplish before I retire.  (Also I would probably be bored a great deal if I didn't work).  I also talked about a young man who I believe has the gifts and the passion to help build this church up.  The leadership team continues to work on the possibilities and how this might work out.  We are not in a hurry to get a quick answer, we want to do it right and within the will and purpose of God. 

I have to say that I have felt the call of God to work with this church for many years.  The issues have changed, and I have changed, but my sense of being called by God has remained constant.  I believe that in the last few years we have properly established the right vision for this congregation.  I believe that the association with Genesis is healthy and offers great promise for the future.  My hope is to see this church strong and growing, and within the next 3 or 4 years to have the strength to start a third church in Converge Iowa City. 

Please pray with me that God will lead in all of the decisions to be made over the next few years, and in the budget and the timing.  If we hear His word, and follow His lead, the details will fall into place.  That is not to say that it will be easy, but nothing worth pursuing is ever easy.  Let's work to get it right. 

A reminder:  The first Sunday of each month we serve communion in the traditional manner.  That means this week will be traditional communion.  It also means that we will not pass the offering plates, but ask you to put your offering in one of the boxes in the back of the sanctuary.  Any loose change in the box will be used for benevolence, helping people in our own church community with special needs they may have.  You may also designate part of your check for benevolence.  This is done by marking the amounts on your offering envelope. 

Our Leadership team is composed of elders and deacons.  The team leader must be an elder.  Here is a reminder of what the policies manual says about Elders

2.  ELDERS

• a)  Elders are to be mature men who are spiritual examples to the church body and to the surrounding community.  (See Titus 1:6-9; I Timothy 3:1-7, 5:17-19).  Our senior and associate pastors, by virtue of their call, are considered Elders.  Other Elders may be recognized by the church.  The church should recognize such men by their spiritual calling and their Christian walk. 

• b)  The word Elder means overseer.  Elders are men who oversee the spiritual and discipleship concerns of the church.  The Elders shall be part of the church Leadership Team.  They shall have additional responsibilities to oversee the various ministries of the church. 

Our pastors plus Mark Jessop and Claude Williams are elders.  We have asked Jim Broffitt if he would consider becoming an elder.  We believe that he meets the qualifications, and has the Christian walk, to be a positive example for the congregation and in the community.  He has agreed to the position.  His name will be presented to the congregation for affirmation at an appropriate time in the near future.  As always, we are open to your feedback on this position.  Please share any concerns with one of the current elders. 

Thanks

I am so grateful for your ongoing support for our food bank.  We are providing very important support for some people who have great needs.  We put a list of needed items in the newsletter each week.  The one thing that we seem to have most of is tomato soup.  So, I thought I would quote from a recipe that I wrote 35 years ago for a church cookbook. 

Tomato Soup

1 can tomato soup

1 tomato soup can

1 canful of tomato soup size of water

2 canfuls of tomato soup size of saucepan

a significant source of heat

a garbage can (for the trash, not the soup).

Combine the ingredients of the soup can (first the total amount of the soup, then the total amount of the water) in the sauce pan.  At this time the can has served its full usefulness and may be discarded in the trash, unless you can possibly use it as a paint brush cleaning can or if it is recyclable.  Mix the ingredients in the pan very thoroughly (the soup and thw water.)  Place the pan with its contents on a significant source of heat so as to bring it to a boil.  Stir it occasionally while it is heating.  Cool it to a point that you can ieat it without burning your mouth.  This will make two large bowls of sour (almost too much) or three small bowls (everyone goes away hungry.)  No one understands why they make their cans of soup this size.  (A 2 inch brush is the largest that you can clean in a left over can.)

Our Foodbank is becoming better known in the community, and is attracting more and more people.  This rapid growth is using a lot of resources.  Darlene is working on setting up rules to help control cost, so that we can sustain this ministry over the long haul.  Since there are church foodbanks now in both North Liberty and Coralville, we are asking people from those areas to "shop locally."  A few months ago we could allow people to come twice a month.  We are re-examining that policy now.  Here are some items which we commonly stock, but have a high demand for (so they are always in need).

            Peanut Butter

            Jelly

            Tuna

            Canned Meats of all kinds

            Ketchup

            Milk

            Beef Stew

            Mayonaise

            Soda Crackers

            Hot Dogs

            Ground Beef

            Toilet Paper

Thanks for your strong support of this ministry.  We are making a difference in this community. 

Almost 3 years ago the church went through major change and struggle.  We survived as a smaller church questioning what we should do and which direction we should pursue.  We came up with a new organizational structure, a new vision statement, and finally a new policy and procedure document.  We decided to minister to the people of our neighborhood.  Our flood relief program launched us into a much stronger food bank ministry.  (Darlene says we are now serving about 25 families per month!  Wow!  What a lot of food!)  We have been hosting Narcotics Anonymous every Friday evening, now they are asking for Tuesday evening also.  Almost every week someone communicates a major life decision to one of the staff.  It is amazing what God is doing here, using our facilities and our people to change the lives of those he sends to us. 

I recognize that I rambled a lot in that previous paragraph.  I was trying to say that we have come a long way, and we are now seeing signs of growth.  So we wonder, "Where do we go from here?"  At the annual meeting on Sunday we will look at our vision statement and our future.  Where does our vision take us next?  What should be our next steps in church growth and ministry to Iowa City?  Sunday we'll hear a few testimonies, review and renew our vision, and finalize our budget. 

And of course, we'll eat together.  Let Lorraine know if you have special needs for cooking or keeping food warm.  She will try to coordinate the use of the ovens, etc.  See you then. 

Ann is working hard today (not unusual) preparing the annual report booklets.  The annual meeting is just a week from Sunday.  Pick up your booklet this week and read the reports ahead of time.  At the meeting we will go over the budget again, and celebrate the past year of ministry and look forward to next year.  Bring your questions, your good attitude, your appetite, and your contributions for the potluck. 

Ø      Bring a main dish and an auxiliary dish (veggie, dessert, salad, etc.)  If you don't have time to fix anything come anyway, there will lots of food.

Ø      Since there will be a couple of hours between the start of church and the potluck, you may need to keep something warm or even cook it here.  If you call Lorraine Bailey, you can make arrangements so she can manage the oven space. 

Ø      We provide drinks, etc. 

Darlene and Patti were here a couple of times this week, emptying the shelves in the food bank.  Can you believe it?  They were giving away all the food.  We appreciate their work.  Our building is getting a lot of use during the week.  People from the community are passing through, and some are being impacted with the gospel.  Through our food bank, hosting Narcotics Anonymous, the Thursday afternoon Crossing club, and the Wednesday morning New Beginnings class, we are touching many lives.  It is thrilling to see that every week we have several former Mecca residents in church.  To me it is a symbol that we are making a difference.  One of the most important factors in changing lives of these people is the friendly attitude of the congregation.  A smile, a greeting, and a short conversation says a lot to new visitors. Keep up the good work. 

Our annual meeting is coming up in just 2 weeks:  Sunday, April 25.  We will start the meeting at 10:15. After the meeting will be a potluck lunch together.  You will be able to pick up a report booklet next Sunday (the 18^th). 

We have been going over the financial figures.  We had another good year.  We took in $1800 more than we spent this year.

The new handrail is up at the west entrance.  I'm sure that you saw the cross and the fountain last week.  There are new cabinets in the foyer and a new TV in the foyer.  It is exciting to watch the finishing touches come together.  The appearance has changed a lot in the last 6 months.