Continuing the Work of
Jesus . . . Peacefully, Simply,
Together.
March 2008
Vol. 2 No.
3
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The Smartest Animal in the
World
What is the smartest animal in the
world? A couple years ago, one of my friends told me his dog was the
smartest animal in the world. He shared with me that, just the other day,
he had asked his dog three questions and his dog had answered all three
questions correctly. He could see the doubt on my face, and so he shared
with me the questions his dog had correctly answered: "First, I asked him to name his favorite baseball
player and he said, 'Ruth!' Next, I asked him what sandpaper felt like and
he said, 'Rough!' Finally, I asked him what was on top of the house and he
said, 'Roof!'"
Most people think of dogs, monkeys, or
dolphins when they're asked to name the "smartest" animal, but I believe the
smartest animal in the world is the possum. Do you think possums are smart? I
would be surprised, because you hardly ever see one except when it's dead on the
road. There's a joke that goes like this: "Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove
to the possum that it could be done!"
But you will never convince me that possums
aren't brilliant, because they will not enter a hole if there is just one set of
tracks going into the hole. They know that one set of tracks means
something is in there. However, if there are two sets of tracks the possum
will enter the hole unafraid.
Isn't that the message of Easter? We
don't have to fear the grave or death because there are tracks leading out of
the tomb. The Apostle Paul said it like this: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O
death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is
the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, stand
firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work
of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
(1 Corinthians 15:55-58)
You will only find calories and a moment's
satisfaction in chocolate bunny rabbits & marshmallow peeps, not true hope
& real joy & eternal life! As we move toward the palms and then
the cross and then the empty tomb during the Lenten season, I hope you will not
spend much time looking for chocolate bunnies or marshmallow chicks.
Rather, I hope God will bless you with "eyes to see" (Mark 8:18) so that when
you see a possum, you will see much, much more than an ugly rodent or a
disgusting mess alongside the road. I pray that possum will remind you of
the good news of Easter: the tomb is empty!
In Christian
love,
Dave Kerkove
UPCOMING WORSHIP
SCHEDULE
March 2nd
"The Love
Feast"
John 13:12-15; 15:9-12; 1
Corinthians 11:23-26
4th Sunday of Lent; Panther Puppets; Vocal
Choir
March 9th
"Sackcloth, Ashes,
and
Anointing"
Jonah 3:1-10; James 5:13-16
5th Sunday of Lent; Handbells & Vocal
Choir
March 16th
"Joy and
Sadness"
Luke 19:28-44
Palm Sunday; Vocal Choir
March 20th
"The Prodigal"
Luke 15:11-32; John 13:1-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Maundy Thursday
March 23rd
"Death and
Taxes?"
Matthew
28:1-10
Sonrise Service; Vocal Choir
March 23rd
"The Rock, the
Roll, the
Resurrection"
Mark
16:1-8
Easter; Vocal Choir
March 30th
"Can You Keep A
Secret?"
Mark 1:29-34; 3:7-12;
9:9
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MARCH
BIRTHDAYS
2 - Sandy
Zagar
4 -
7 - Sara
Broyles
9
- Missy
Buchman
10
- Cristin Lantz
12 - Carroll
Snyder
Jamie Robertson
13 - Peter
Wicks
Lucas Garrett
14
- Linda Lantz
15
- Jenna Hannemann
16 - John
Wicks
Carter Greenslade
17 - Beau
Dawes
Tim Hunt
Sandy Trent
18 - Julie
Nuss
19 - James
Conner
20 - Kent
Knoll
Grant Peters
Jamie Nuss
21 - Amanda
Marshall
22 - Dick
Wagoner
Glenn Stine
24 - Allisa Kliewer
26 - Cindy
Robertson
Janae Hannemann
27 - Kerry
Dittert
Cheryl Prazak
Joan Bailey
Colton Marshall
Emilee Schrock
29 - Karla (
Richard Reiste
Ryan Reynolds
31 - Marilyn
Daugherty
MARCH
ANNIVERSARIES
17 - Bill & Dorothy
Broyles
Ryan & Bethany (Berkenboch) Thompson
18
- Bill & Jennifer (Heefner)
Vandivier
22- Ed & Sue
Swinger
25
- Rick & Gayle (Knoll)
Arnburg
31- George &
Audrey Reiste
Thank
you to Dorothy Broyles, Bonnie Cumings, Marilyn
Hoy, Dave & Linda Lantz, Denise Moses, Chris Pierce, Jeanne Putman, Karen
Smith, Mary Snyder, and Norman & Marilyn Stine for helping put together the
February Portal and the 2008
Directory/Yearbook.
The church received a very nice thank
you
card from the
On behalf of The Good Samaritan Food Pantry,
thank
you
for your continuing
support. It is greatly appreciated and will be well-used to purchase fresh
produce for clients. Thank you. Sherryl
McAvoy, Treasurer
Thank you
to all for your
kind words of support and encouragement at the time of my retirement. I also
want to thank those who attended my retirement reception, sent cards, wished me
well and gave welcome words of advice. I have enjoyed my career as a
librarian and I now look forward to a more relaxed schedule of my own
making. So far, it is going
well.
Donna Emmert
Dear Youth Group,
Thank
you for the batteries, remote-control Air Hog helicopter,
Bible, light saver, and UNO attack. Your now
happy kid, Alex
Dear Youth Group,
Thank
you for all those gifts. You really made this one of my best
Christmas ever. Sincerely, Eric
We want to thank
all of you who
called or sent messages of sympathy after the death of our son and grandson, Ian
Taggart. Craig & Crystal Taggart &
Family, Barb & Ted Taggart
Thank
you for all of your prayers for Hannah York. She did not
have to have surgery but she is wearing a
brace.
The Family of Hannah
York
Dear Friends,
I wish to express my most sincere
appreciation for
the beautiful shawl that was selected, designed, cut, sewed and tied by the
ladies of the
I have used the shawl every day since receiving it,
enjoying the warmth and giving thanks for having friends that have a mission of
providing for those who may be in need.
Last, but not least, I appreciated meeting and visiting
with Pastor Dave, Sandy Trent and Lois Banwart in their presentation of the
beautiful shawl.
May God richly bless you in the Lord’s work.
Thank you, Murray
Luther
Our Prayers . . .
Dick & Ruth
Wagoner
Michelle
Marshall
Lois
Clark
Sue Kimpston
Jean
Burgus
Pat
Hackbart
John Knoll
Marilyn
Hoy
Ben
Swinger
Evelyn Hodson
Bill & Dorothy
Broyles
Lowell Dawes
Harold
Garrett
CLASS
NEWS
The Pathfinders
will meet on
Saturday, March 8th, at 6:30pm for a Potato Bake with Roger &
Donna Emmert as hosts.
The Bereans will meet on Thursday, March
13th, at 12pm for a catered meal. The cost of the meal is $10. Lowell
Marshall will give the devotions.
WOMEN’S
FELLOWSHIP
The Women’s Fellowship will meet on Thursday, March
6th, at 9am. Please bring a sack lunch. For our meeting on Thursday,
March 20th, Eleanor Myers and Lois Banwart will be the hostesses for
a Potato Bake. Everyone should bring their favorite topping. Lois Banwart will
lead a Bible study each meeting day at 11am.
UPCOMING MUSIC
FESTIVALS
Palm Sunday Concert
at
On
Palm Sunday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m., the Panther Creek CoB vocal choir, along
with other Adel church choirs, will worship God through music together.
Each individual choir will present one or two anthems and then all the choirs
will combine for a mass choir performance. The music for this year's mass
choir includes: "Fanfare For Palm Sunday, Worthy Is The Lamb, and Once And For
All." Coffee, punch and cookies will be served after the choir
concert. If you have any questions, please contact Denise Oneal or Pastor
Dave.
On
Sunday, April 13 at 3:00 p.m. the 55-voice McPherson College Choir will offer a
concert in the Panther Creek sanctuary. It has been three years since the
choir has traveled to central
If
you can help provide cookies for after the concert or supplies for the sack
lunches, please sign your name on the sign-up sheet that will appear on the
table in the narthex in March.
Stover Memorial Music
Festival
The 2008
Sending of the
Seventy
On Sunday, April 6,
Marilyn Keltner from the
1)
What is God doing these days in our church and surrounding
community?
2)
What are three priorities for our church based on what we believe God is
doing?
3)
How might Northern Plains District churches work together on these
priorities?
A
summary of our responses from our previous discussion of these questions on
February 3 will appear in your bulletin as an insert on March 30. On
Saturday, April 26, the "seventy who were sent" will meet at
2008 Women of Faith
Conference: "Infinite Grace"
At
least five women from Panther Creek will travel to the 2008 Women of Faith
Conference in
Baby Shower
A baby shower for Leann Reiste has been tentatively
planned for Sunday, March 30th. More information about the shower
(including where the Reiste’s have registered for baby gifts) will appear in
future Sunday bulletins.
March 30th Special
Offering:
Habitat for
Humanity
On the last Sunday of March, you are invited to make a
gift to support our local Habitat for Humanity efforts. Habitat for
Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing
ministry. Habitat for Humanity seeks to eliminate poverty housing and
homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience
and action.
Habitat for Humanity has built more than 225,000 houses
around the world, providing more than one million people in more than 3,000
communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter. Habitat for Humanity
was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller along with his wife, Linda. For more
information about Habitat for Humanity, please go to www.habitat.org.
On March 30, you are invited to place your financial
gift for local Habitat for Humanity efforts in the wicker basket that will pass
through your pew during the offertory. If you choose to write a check,
please make it out to the
Panther Creek Game Night:, Saturday,
March 1
On Saturday, March 1, you are invited to bring your
favorites games and snacks or finger foods to the
Smile!
Do you still recognize yourself when you
look at pictures of yourself from four years ago? If not, you will be
happy to know we are taking new pictures for the picture display located on the
north wall of the narthex by the elevator. Charlotte Hunt will be
available to take pictures during March on Sundays both before and after worship
(except when the weather is bad or if she is out of town). If
you have any questions, please contact
______________________________________________________________________________
300th Anniversary
Question
Three of the most popular children's books
printed by Brethren Press are "The Little Man, The Middle Man, and The Tall
Man." Can you name the Brethren leaders known as the little man, the
middle man, and the tall man? (The answer to this question appears on page
9 of this month's Panther Portal.)
______________________________________________________________________________
2008
Junior High (Grades
6-8)
10 a.m., June 9 -
10 a.m., June
14
$190
Middler (Grades
3-5)
10 a.m., June 16 -
10 a.m., June
20
$160
Primary Overnight (Grades
K-2)
6 p.m., June
20 - 6 p.m., June
21
$30 per person
Senior High (Grades
9-12)
10 a.m., July 28 -
10 a.m., August
2
$190
Grandparents & Grandchildren (K-2) 3
p.m., August 8 - 3 p.m., August 9
$30 per
person
Family
Camp
August
30-September 1
2008 SPECIAL: If it is your first time as a camper at
Other Important Summer
Dates
Dallas Center & Panther Creek Churches of the
222nd Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren in
300th Anniversary Celebration of the Church of the
Brethren at Panther
Creek
August 2-3
30th Annual Panther Creek
Retreat
August 15-17
______________________________________________________________________________
Northern Plains District Board to
Meet at Panther Creek
The Northern Plains District Board will hold its May
2-3, 2008 meeting at the
This is a valuable opportunity for Board members to
interact with Panther Creek CoB members. The Board meeting is open to any
Panther Creek CoB members who want to observe. On Friday evening, Pastor
Dave will help lead evening devotions after supper for the Board and
Deacon Training Event in
One of the five national deacon training events for 2008
has been scheduled for Saturday, April 12 at the
The cost is $20 and the registration deadline is March
28th. All
current deacons, past deacons and those who feel called to serve as deacons
sometime in the future are encouraged to attend this important training
event. Flyers/registration forms are available on the table located at the
rear of the narthex. If you have any questions, please contact the church
office or Norman Stine.
______________________________________________________________________________
One Great Hour of
Sharing
On the last Sunday of February, the
By the grace of God, we were there -
to dig in.
We were in
We were in
By the grace of God, we were there -
to take hold.
We were in
We were in
By the grace of God, we were there -
to reach out.
We were in the
We were in
By the grace of God, we were there -
to build up.
We were in
We were in
Thank you, God, for leading the
Church of the Brethren to compassionate
service,
guiding our steps as we dig in, take
hold, reach out and build up.
2008 Regional Youth
Conference
With 34,000 distinct, identifiable Christian religious
groups and organizations in the
Regional Youth Conference is scheduled from 4:30 p.m.,
Friday, April 4 - 12:30 p.m., Sunday, April 6 at
______________________________________________________________________________
March 2,
2008
1.Devotions - Kathy
Johnson, Moderator
2.Minutes - Roxanne
Hagemann, Clerk
3.Reports:
Leadership Team
Worship Team
Christian Education Team
Stewardship Team
Witness Team
Gifts Ministry Team
Deacons
Women’s Fellowship
Explorers
Pathfinders
Bereans
Jr. Youth
Sr. High Youth
Scholarship Committee
300th Anniversary Taskforce
Spurgeon Manor
Treasurer
Pastor
Other?
4. Other
Business:
2007 budget shortfall
2008 budget
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Brethren Disaster Ministries
News
A violent tornado outbreak swept through
six states on February 5-6, killing at least 57 people in
Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) staff
have been in touch with denominational representatives in the affected regions
to gather information and offer assistance. Some of the same communities
that were flooded last summer in
______________________________________________________________________________
2008 Northern Plains District Prayer
Calendar
The Northern Plain's
District Nurture Commission encourages all of us to participate in prayer for
one another, as we are admonished to do in scripture. If you would like,
you may drop them a note of encouragement during the week you are praying for
them (addresses are available from the church
office).
Week
Pray for this
church
This church will be praying for us
March
2-8
March 9-15
Greene
CoB
Common Spirit
(
March
March
23-29
Hands of Christ (
March 30-April
5 Iowa River (
______________________________________________________________________________
(The Little Man =
I.N.H. Beahm; The Middle Man = John Kline; The Tall Man = John
Naas)
______________________________________________________________________________
The Carroll Crouse Memorial Fitness
Group
Goals:
1) To become more flexible, have more energy, eat better, and feel
better.
2) Encourage those who are participating in the "Heifer International Weight
Loss Challenge."
3) Remind one another that our bodies are "temples of the Holy Spirit" (1
Corinthians 6:19).
Mondays, 6:30-7:30
p.m. Resistance - Upper Body;
please bring resistance bands and/or hand weights.
Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30
p.m. Floor Exercises; please
bring a mat or a beach towel.
Saturdays,
9:30-10:30 a.m. Resistance - Lower Body;
please bring a mat or a beach towel and
resistance bands.
Sundays, 3:30-4:30
p.m. Floor
Exercises; please bring a mat or a beach towel.
There is no cost to
exercise and all sessions will take place in the Panther Creek CoB fellowship
hall. Friends and neighbors are also welcome. If you have any
questions, please contact Peg Dawes at 515-833-2888 or pldawes@yahoo.com.
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Annual
In an effort to "shower the
"Food banks experience a drastic increase
in demand each summer," explained the committee in an announcement.
"During the school year, children in need are ensured one good meal a day
through the free and reduced lunch program in their school. However,
during the summer, families in need really struggle and many of these children
would go hungry without the help of organizations that provide food to those in
need."
Founded in 1980, the Central Virginia Food
Bank distributes almost 49,000 pounds of food each day to the most vulnerable
people - children in need, the elderly, working poor families, disabled
individuals, and others in crisis - through more than 500 organizations and
agencies feeding the hungry in five cities and 31 counties in the region.
That's 12.6 million pounds of food a year!
Conference-goers are encouraged to bring a
donation of healthy, non-perishable food. Particular needs include canned
fish and meats, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, hot and cold
cereals, pasta, and rice. Donations will be collected in the registration
lobby at the
______________________________________________________________________________
Emergency Disaster Fund Issues
$53,700 in Grants
Five grants issued
by the Emergency Disaster Fund send assistance to
An additional grant
of $19,700 aids Kenyans following post-election violence, responding to an
expanded Church World Service (CWS) appeal for displaced people. The funds
continue support for the
A grant of $15,000
continues support for a Brethren Disaster Ministries project in
A grant of $10,000
to CWS follows a devastating cyclone that struck