The Church Window (print edition) – October 2002
Notes From My Knapsack
Sat., Nov. 9 at 9 am is our annual Program Planning Retreat for all elders, deacons & deaconesses, and officers of the congregation.
Organizational Evangelism is the theme this year, as we review our fellowship groups, programs, and events in light of how they help us share the good news of God’s love made known through Jesus. We’ll spend some time in worship and prayer together, a little Bible study, do some practical exercises in personal evangelism, and then use the rest of our time ‘til noon to review 2003 from Epiphany to next Advent.
Every group in the church should be represented, and all members are welcome. At noon, some of us will stay for lunch and the budget committee will meet to take our ministry priorities from the retreat and put them into dollars and sense.
Please be with us for all or part of Nov. 9 and our PPR!
In Grace & Peace,
Pastor Jeff
* * * * * * *
Stewardship & the Diaconate
Over the next few months, various members of the deacons and deaconesses will share the offering meditations. They will tell us about their look into some of the different outreach causes the congregation supports, from Disciples Mission Fund causes like Homeland and Global Ministries, to local work like LEADS and the Housing Coalition.
First Nora Lee Orr and other Women’s Group members will tell us about Church World Service (CWS) and their Blanket Sunday offering, which is a special offering over and above our budget and mission giving, along with the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost envelopes.
The youth will also be preparing for the CROP Walk Sun. Oct. 20, which is also a CWS support, of which 25% stays in Licking County. After the first three weeks on our CWS giving, we’ll hear about the Mental Health Assn., the Jail Ministry, the Regional Capital Campaign, overseas missions, and many others. All of these presentations from members of the diaconate will help prepare us for the Annual Congregational Mtg. in January, and allow the diaconate to fulfill their scriptural mandate (Acts 6:1-6 & I Tim. 3:8-13) of helping manage our outreach.
* * * * * * *
Pastor Jeff will present “Your Family History: A Story Worth Telling” on the rescheduled date of Sat., Oct. 26, at 11 am at the new Newark Farm Park north of Cedar Hill Cemetery on Rt. 79.
* * * * * * *
Regional Assembly – Springfield, OH Oct. 18 & 19
Please pray for our delegates and pastor as they help
in the work of the larger church
* * * * * * *
Wednesday Bible Study
10 am, October & November
“Christian Essentials”
starting with the Letter of Jude
(haven’t read that one lately, have you?)
* * * * * * *
Youth Meetings
Oct. 13 – 6 pm
Oct. 20 – CROP Walk after church to 5 pm
Oct. 27 – 6 pm
Saturday, September 28, 2002
Monday, September 23, 2002
[Note for Knapsack readers: these short Scouting related articles show up each week on the e-mail distributed "Things To Do This Week in Scouting" edited by the amazing Steve Hoar of Licking District, and are posted in the local news page of www.wclt.com. They show up here in bunches of four to six every. . .four to six weeks!]
pax et gratia, jbg
Commissioner's Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
What so many Scouters don't get to experience in Licking District, and what
I'd like to be able to share with the readers of this feature, is the great
variety of people who are all important to Scouting.
Of course, there are all the Cubmasters and Scoutmasters, and Den Leaders
and ASMs, and Pack and Troop Committee chairpeople who are the "first line"
of adult Scouting. As any active Scouter knows, it takes a whole bunch of
"characters" to do character building for our youth, and we've got 'em in
our units. What about beyond the unit level? There are characters there, too!
You may not see them at the next Camporee, but at the District Golf
Challenge, Mark Evans (along with his brother and dad) did another fine job
this summer bringing together a number of business and industry leaders to
bring both dollars and awareness of Scouting to a new level. At the Council
Executive Board, many more folks who you'll not likely see at the next
Roundtable, but veteran Scouters like John Weaver and Norm Sleight of
Licking County, gather round a table to set plans and agendas for all of
Simon Kenton Council. And at the Commissioners' College, you may not all know
Sharon Scheidegger, Nancy Liming, or George Wilhelm, but they were
representing our district among dozens from all around the council.
Men and women in all walks of life are involved in bringing the Scouting
program right down to the basics, and we're thankful for all of them!
* * * * * * *
Commissioner's Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
While we're talking about the wide variety of people in a variety of roles that it takes to provide Scouting, I want to go from the District to the Council level for just a moment.
Whether you're at a Commissioner College, meeting historians of the Tuskeegee Airmen, or church custodians who specialize in historic preservation, or at a Council Exec Board meeting with the heads of our largest local utility and the state cable news network, you can't help but be struck by how necessary each and every member of the structure is to keep the whole standing. Even when celebrities are brought in for special purposes, like Clark Kellogg or Archie Griffin, you can tell that they know what Scouting is, and why they're there to help.
At Woodbadge or Pow-Wows, you meet materials engineers and sales professionals, data entry folk and machine language programmers, corporate execs and the people who serve lunch to corporate execs. But in the uniform shirt of the BSA, whether with blue, red, green, or silver shoulder tabs, we're all simply Scouters. All vitally necessary, and also all necessarily equal in our potential involvement in this amazing organization.
* * * * * * *
Commissioner’s Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
Saturday, October 12th, while Cub Leader Training is going on just across the hall, the District Commissioner Staff will meet from 9:30 to 11 am at Second Presbyterian Church in Newark. In what will be a quarterly schedule of district level meetings, all district scouters involved in roundtables, unit commissioning, or rechartering are invited to join for a time to review the rechartering process.
The recharter period is a crucial time for unit continuity – in simpler terms, units that can’t get their charter reviewed, corrected, and correctly turned in tend to be units that drop. That means a gap in how Scouting is available in that area, and we don’t want that.
If you are a current or former commissioner, please join us on the 12th; a number of folks in Licking District are close to qualifying for the Commissioner’s Key or Arrowhead, and we’d like to get those awarded this spring as appropriate!
Questions? Leave me a message at 928-4066, or e-mail disciple@voyager.net, and I’ll get back to you or get the right person to call you with the right info.
* * * * * * *
Commissioner’s Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
On a personal note, I got a real satisfaction from my September Scouting magazine (sent free to all registered adult Scouters). On page 16 is an article about an Eagle Scout project that really defines what an Eagle Scout project can be, and that alone would have made the article worth reading – and my recommending!
But the real joy was in reference to the young man’s grandfather, in whose memory the project was completed. Gene Hunsberger was an Assistant Scoutmaster in my home troop, “Lucky” 7 of the former Pottawatomie Council, now Troop 907, LaSalle Area Council. Bill Eckert, the long-time Scoutmaster of T-7 (with 50+ Eagles to his credit, including yrs truly), brought on board Mr. H to help the troop while I was in high school, and while I didn’t get to know Mr. Hunsberger as well as my younger brothers did, he was a great asset to the troop where he continued his Scouting career until his untimely death just a few years ago.
The book described in the article was one he did indeed read from at troop campouts when a Sunday morning called for chapel service, and the book’s history with him as a corpsman in WW II and Korea was part of our troop lore. Congrats to Evan Hunsberger on making Eagle, and to Scouting Mag for helping honor a veteran and scouter like his grandfather Gene.
Makes you want to read your Scouting Magazine, doesn’t it?
* * * * * * *
Commissioner’s Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
James E. West, the legendary first Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, was once asked what the three most important things for a prospective adult leader were. His answer: “Training, training, and training.” Jim Francis, our District Chairman, would probably add, “And some training!”
One of the amazing advantages to being an adult leader in the Scouting Movement is the training program. You have training for all branches of the program, at all levels, and now “position specific” training, and you know that other adult leaders that you meet at Pow-Wows, Council Scout Shows, Jamborees, NOACs, and at Philmont have all been through much the same basic steps.
Whether it’s offering the Fast Start video to new adults in your unit, getting scouters off to Basic or Outdoor training, or going off to any one of the many specialized training experiences offered through the year around the council, make sure you keep “the next step” of training in front of you and your fellow Scout leaders.
Questions? Leave me a message at 928-4066, or e-mail disciple@voyager.net, and I’ll get back to you or get the right person to call you with the right info.
* * * * * * *
Commissioner’s Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
Charters: Ya Gotta Have Em! Yep, a charter is a must. Because Scouting loves paperwork? Not hardly; no Scout leader, whether professional or scouter really enjoys fussing with forms and rosters, but the charter is the one indispensable tool for managing our membership, maintaining communications, and supporting continued advancement and/or training.
The charter, with all the right names, ranks/positions, and addresses, allows the Scouter from the council, Boy’s Life and Scouting from national BSA, and other critical communications to get to the right place. Charters may be returned for lacking certain key indications about adult leadership, especially designations for Tiger Cub or Webelos den leaders. Registration info helps us to track who we’re gaining and just as importantly, who we’re losing and at what age. Heads of organizations (pastors, board chairs, club presidents) need to sign the charter and submit a “free” registration: as much so they know who they’re working with as much as so we can know who they are.
And don’t forget that every penny of the now $10 reg fee goes to Irving, Texas to support the registration management and training support programming of the National Council, so they don’t fundraise out from under local councils. That’s where all registrations, especially adults, are reviewed, and that’s a key element of our youth protection strategy.
Questions? Leave me a message at 928-4066, or e-mail disciple@voyager.net, and I’ll get back to you or get the right person to call you with the right info.
pax et gratia, jbg
Commissioner's Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
What so many Scouters don't get to experience in Licking District, and what
I'd like to be able to share with the readers of this feature, is the great
variety of people who are all important to Scouting.
Of course, there are all the Cubmasters and Scoutmasters, and Den Leaders
and ASMs, and Pack and Troop Committee chairpeople who are the "first line"
of adult Scouting. As any active Scouter knows, it takes a whole bunch of
"characters" to do character building for our youth, and we've got 'em in
our units. What about beyond the unit level? There are characters there, too!
You may not see them at the next Camporee, but at the District Golf
Challenge, Mark Evans (along with his brother and dad) did another fine job
this summer bringing together a number of business and industry leaders to
bring both dollars and awareness of Scouting to a new level. At the Council
Executive Board, many more folks who you'll not likely see at the next
Roundtable, but veteran Scouters like John Weaver and Norm Sleight of
Licking County, gather round a table to set plans and agendas for all of
Simon Kenton Council. And at the Commissioners' College, you may not all know
Sharon Scheidegger, Nancy Liming, or George Wilhelm, but they were
representing our district among dozens from all around the council.
Men and women in all walks of life are involved in bringing the Scouting
program right down to the basics, and we're thankful for all of them!
* * * * * * *
Commissioner's Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
While we're talking about the wide variety of people in a variety of roles that it takes to provide Scouting, I want to go from the District to the Council level for just a moment.
Whether you're at a Commissioner College, meeting historians of the Tuskeegee Airmen, or church custodians who specialize in historic preservation, or at a Council Exec Board meeting with the heads of our largest local utility and the state cable news network, you can't help but be struck by how necessary each and every member of the structure is to keep the whole standing. Even when celebrities are brought in for special purposes, like Clark Kellogg or Archie Griffin, you can tell that they know what Scouting is, and why they're there to help.
At Woodbadge or Pow-Wows, you meet materials engineers and sales professionals, data entry folk and machine language programmers, corporate execs and the people who serve lunch to corporate execs. But in the uniform shirt of the BSA, whether with blue, red, green, or silver shoulder tabs, we're all simply Scouters. All vitally necessary, and also all necessarily equal in our potential involvement in this amazing organization.
* * * * * * *
Commissioner’s Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
Saturday, October 12th, while Cub Leader Training is going on just across the hall, the District Commissioner Staff will meet from 9:30 to 11 am at Second Presbyterian Church in Newark. In what will be a quarterly schedule of district level meetings, all district scouters involved in roundtables, unit commissioning, or rechartering are invited to join for a time to review the rechartering process.
The recharter period is a crucial time for unit continuity – in simpler terms, units that can’t get their charter reviewed, corrected, and correctly turned in tend to be units that drop. That means a gap in how Scouting is available in that area, and we don’t want that.
If you are a current or former commissioner, please join us on the 12th; a number of folks in Licking District are close to qualifying for the Commissioner’s Key or Arrowhead, and we’d like to get those awarded this spring as appropriate!
Questions? Leave me a message at 928-4066, or e-mail disciple@voyager.net, and I’ll get back to you or get the right person to call you with the right info.
* * * * * * *
Commissioner’s Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
On a personal note, I got a real satisfaction from my September Scouting magazine (sent free to all registered adult Scouters). On page 16 is an article about an Eagle Scout project that really defines what an Eagle Scout project can be, and that alone would have made the article worth reading – and my recommending!
But the real joy was in reference to the young man’s grandfather, in whose memory the project was completed. Gene Hunsberger was an Assistant Scoutmaster in my home troop, “Lucky” 7 of the former Pottawatomie Council, now Troop 907, LaSalle Area Council. Bill Eckert, the long-time Scoutmaster of T-7 (with 50+ Eagles to his credit, including yrs truly), brought on board Mr. H to help the troop while I was in high school, and while I didn’t get to know Mr. Hunsberger as well as my younger brothers did, he was a great asset to the troop where he continued his Scouting career until his untimely death just a few years ago.
The book described in the article was one he did indeed read from at troop campouts when a Sunday morning called for chapel service, and the book’s history with him as a corpsman in WW II and Korea was part of our troop lore. Congrats to Evan Hunsberger on making Eagle, and to Scouting Mag for helping honor a veteran and scouter like his grandfather Gene.
Makes you want to read your Scouting Magazine, doesn’t it?
* * * * * * *
Commissioner’s Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
James E. West, the legendary first Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, was once asked what the three most important things for a prospective adult leader were. His answer: “Training, training, and training.” Jim Francis, our District Chairman, would probably add, “And some training!”
One of the amazing advantages to being an adult leader in the Scouting Movement is the training program. You have training for all branches of the program, at all levels, and now “position specific” training, and you know that other adult leaders that you meet at Pow-Wows, Council Scout Shows, Jamborees, NOACs, and at Philmont have all been through much the same basic steps.
Whether it’s offering the Fast Start video to new adults in your unit, getting scouters off to Basic or Outdoor training, or going off to any one of the many specialized training experiences offered through the year around the council, make sure you keep “the next step” of training in front of you and your fellow Scout leaders.
Questions? Leave me a message at 928-4066, or e-mail disciple@voyager.net, and I’ll get back to you or get the right person to call you with the right info.
* * * * * * *
Commissioner’s Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish
Charters: Ya Gotta Have Em! Yep, a charter is a must. Because Scouting loves paperwork? Not hardly; no Scout leader, whether professional or scouter really enjoys fussing with forms and rosters, but the charter is the one indispensable tool for managing our membership, maintaining communications, and supporting continued advancement and/or training.
The charter, with all the right names, ranks/positions, and addresses, allows the Scouter from the council, Boy’s Life and Scouting from national BSA, and other critical communications to get to the right place. Charters may be returned for lacking certain key indications about adult leadership, especially designations for Tiger Cub or Webelos den leaders. Registration info helps us to track who we’re gaining and just as importantly, who we’re losing and at what age. Heads of organizations (pastors, board chairs, club presidents) need to sign the charter and submit a “free” registration: as much so they know who they’re working with as much as so we can know who they are.
And don’t forget that every penny of the now $10 reg fee goes to Irving, Texas to support the registration management and training support programming of the National Council, so they don’t fundraise out from under local councils. That’s where all registrations, especially adults, are reviewed, and that’s a key element of our youth protection strategy.
Questions? Leave me a message at 928-4066, or e-mail disciple@voyager.net, and I’ll get back to you or get the right person to call you with the right info.
Sunday, September 22, 2002
Hebron Crossroads 9-29
"Hebron Reads. . .About Pumpkins!"
by Jeff Gill
For those lucky few who get this paper on Friday afternoon, from 6 pm to 6:30 pm the world famous Devine Farms Barrel Train ride will give free rides to kids on the north side of Hebron Christian Church (Cully Ave.) starting from the rear parking lot. Then from 6:45 pm to twilight, the tractor-led string of blue barrels will move to the south side of Main St., meeting in front of Hebron Elementary on Deacon St.
Devine Farms is on Way-West Main St., aka Rt. 40, on the south side of the road -- brake when you see pumpkins! Stump pumpkins, stuffed pumpkins, even real pumpkins arrayed in ranks for the assault on October. Buy them large or small, for painting or carving, but get 'em here in Hebron. Miss Fickle's Drama Club from Lakewood High will be staffing the refreshment area this year, so you can help them in their fundraising while enjoying seasonal goodies. Charla and Ralph will have the usual corn maze, displays, and oh yes, the Barrel Train.
Speaking of Hebron Elementary, Michelle Henry tells me that our local Ohio Reads program, unsurprisingly named "Hebron Reads!", is getting started again with a new school year. Mrs. Henry says she and the other reading teachers are looking forward to sharing reading tutoring tips with some of us old regulars, and with some new tutors. This begins my fourth year with the program, and I can testify that the tutor gets as much joy of learning out of helping teach reading and improving reading skills with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders as those kids do. I've learned about flying pigs, motorcycle riding mouses, and talking moles, and where else can you do that?
Parents, high schoolers, community volunteers are all welcome, but you must be trained, and be able to tutor at some point in the school day between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm.
Call Hebron Elementary at 928-2661 and say you want more information about the "Hebron Reads!" program. Training for returning and new tutors is planned at two times, on Wednesday morning Oct. 2 or Thursday afternoon Oct. 3, and then you'll be matched up with a child for the weekly reading time. You can be a great help to our school by volunteering just a half-hour a week, and if you can give a full hour or two, they can make good use of your time.
Kara Glaser continues to inspire everyone in Hebron. As most of you know, the surgeons did end up recommending the removal of her foot, but largely because of the strength and mobility they think they can promise her with a prosthetic for her lower leg and foot. They mention everything from soccer to square dancing, and for that we're thankful.
But the story should also be told, speaking of strength, that Kara has not been content with giving away a big chunk of her stuffed animal collection. She's been sending her aunt out to buy more with gift money she's gotten. . .so she can give away even more to the other children on her floor.
Kara will be missed at Children's Hospital, but it is only fair to say that she won't miss the place very much herself, and should be home by the time you read this. Welcome home, Glasers!
And we also congratulate Megan Curran and Scott Amick on their wedding this weekend; they get to test out the new air conditioning at Hebron Christian Church, where Mayor Mason and myself will co-officiate at their marriage celebration. A beautiful fall evening is anticipated for them, and we hope they come back and visit Dick & Shirley often.
Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and an occasional carver of pumpkins; if you have harvest tales or Halloween news to report for October, call 928-4066 or e-mail him at disciple@voyager.net.
"Hebron Reads. . .About Pumpkins!"
by Jeff Gill
For those lucky few who get this paper on Friday afternoon, from 6 pm to 6:30 pm the world famous Devine Farms Barrel Train ride will give free rides to kids on the north side of Hebron Christian Church (Cully Ave.) starting from the rear parking lot. Then from 6:45 pm to twilight, the tractor-led string of blue barrels will move to the south side of Main St., meeting in front of Hebron Elementary on Deacon St.
Devine Farms is on Way-West Main St., aka Rt. 40, on the south side of the road -- brake when you see pumpkins! Stump pumpkins, stuffed pumpkins, even real pumpkins arrayed in ranks for the assault on October. Buy them large or small, for painting or carving, but get 'em here in Hebron. Miss Fickle's Drama Club from Lakewood High will be staffing the refreshment area this year, so you can help them in their fundraising while enjoying seasonal goodies. Charla and Ralph will have the usual corn maze, displays, and oh yes, the Barrel Train.
Speaking of Hebron Elementary, Michelle Henry tells me that our local Ohio Reads program, unsurprisingly named "Hebron Reads!", is getting started again with a new school year. Mrs. Henry says she and the other reading teachers are looking forward to sharing reading tutoring tips with some of us old regulars, and with some new tutors. This begins my fourth year with the program, and I can testify that the tutor gets as much joy of learning out of helping teach reading and improving reading skills with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders as those kids do. I've learned about flying pigs, motorcycle riding mouses, and talking moles, and where else can you do that?
Parents, high schoolers, community volunteers are all welcome, but you must be trained, and be able to tutor at some point in the school day between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm.
Call Hebron Elementary at 928-2661 and say you want more information about the "Hebron Reads!" program. Training for returning and new tutors is planned at two times, on Wednesday morning Oct. 2 or Thursday afternoon Oct. 3, and then you'll be matched up with a child for the weekly reading time. You can be a great help to our school by volunteering just a half-hour a week, and if you can give a full hour or two, they can make good use of your time.
Kara Glaser continues to inspire everyone in Hebron. As most of you know, the surgeons did end up recommending the removal of her foot, but largely because of the strength and mobility they think they can promise her with a prosthetic for her lower leg and foot. They mention everything from soccer to square dancing, and for that we're thankful.
But the story should also be told, speaking of strength, that Kara has not been content with giving away a big chunk of her stuffed animal collection. She's been sending her aunt out to buy more with gift money she's gotten. . .so she can give away even more to the other children on her floor.
Kara will be missed at Children's Hospital, but it is only fair to say that she won't miss the place very much herself, and should be home by the time you read this. Welcome home, Glasers!
And we also congratulate Megan Curran and Scott Amick on their wedding this weekend; they get to test out the new air conditioning at Hebron Christian Church, where Mayor Mason and myself will co-officiate at their marriage celebration. A beautiful fall evening is anticipated for them, and we hope they come back and visit Dick & Shirley often.
Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and an occasional carver of pumpkins; if you have harvest tales or Halloween news to report for October, call 928-4066 or e-mail him at disciple@voyager.net.
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