Tuesday, July 7, 2009

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
July 27-31
5:30 – 8:15 PM
Children ages 4 through 5th grade are invited to be a part of the excitement at our Vacation Bible School, Camp E.D.G.E Campers will be served a light supper each evening.
CAMP E.D.G.E. Vacation Bible School 2009 takes children to an extreme adventure camp where they Experience and Discover God Everywhere! It's an action-packed, adrenaline-filled expedition that teaches kids their strength comes from God. Through rockin' contemporary music, larger-than-life recreation games, mind-boggling science activities, extreme sports videos, and cool, challenging crafts, kids will learn how to live on the E.D.G.E. in their faith.
Items Needed for Theme Decor
If you have any of the items listed below and are willing to loan out for a week or so, please let Leesa Holloway or Cheryl Secunda know. Arrangements can be made for pick-up.
Artificial Christmas trees (any size)
Tree stumps or large logs
Pine cones
Ferns or potted plants (real or silk)
Sleeping bags, backpacks, camps stools
Mountain bike and helmet
Camping lanterns
Plush
MUSIC AND WORSHIP
During this month of July, I wanted to give special attention to the patriotic songs that we sing as a nation. Daniel Crane Roberts, rector of the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Brandon, Vermont wrote "God of our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand" in 1876 for the centennial Fourth of July. The hymn tune to which it was originally sung was RUSSIAN HYMN. The hymn was sent anonymously to the committee revising the Episcopal Hymnal of 1872 and it was accepted. Several hymn tune names have been given to this hymn but George C. Warren, the organist at New York City’s St. Thomas Episcopal Church, composed NATIONAL HYMN in 1892. This is the tune we are most familiar with.
Francis Scott Key wrote the patriotic hymn known as our National Anthem on September 14, 1814 in Baltimore, Maryland near the end of the War of 1812. Key had been on assignment as an agent of the United States to negotiate the release of a prisoner held by the British fleet. Though the British agreed to free the prisoner, they kept Key with the fleet to keep secret the plans of an attack on Fort McHenry. All day on September 13, and throughout the night, Key and his party watched helplessly until by the light of day, the U.S. flag was still flying over the garrison. The tune is the work of an unknown composer and had been known in the United States as early as 1793. Congress made "The Star Spangled Banner" the national anthem on March 3, 1931.
Samuel Francis Smith who became one of the outstanding Baptist preachers of the 19th century wrote "My Country ‘Tis of Thee" in 1832. It is a strange coincidence that the tunes of our two most frequently sung patriotic songs—"The Star-Spangled Banner" and "My Country ‘Tis of Thee’ have unknown origins. Ironically, both tunes come from England, the country from which the nation won its independence over 200 years ago.
Katherine Lee Bates, a New England college teacher, wrote "America the Beautiful" one summer evening in 1893 at Colorado Springs after visiting the summit of Pike’s Peak with a group of friends. It is one of the worthiest and certainly one of the most moving and popular of all our American patriotic songs. The imagery of the "alabaster cities" used in the last stanza was prompted by a visit to the Columbian Exhibition in Chicago during that same year. Samuel A. Ward composed MATERNA for the hymn "O Mother Dear Jerusalem." There are two different dates for the origin of this tune: one in 1882 and the other is 1885.
One of the most moving pieces of music played at the funeral of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 is "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" otherwise known as the Navy Hymn. William Whiting wrote the hymn in 1860 for a student at Winchester College who was about to sail to America. John B. Dykes composed MELITA in 1861 and no other hymn should be sung to this tune.
Source: Handbook to the Baptist Hymnal
Dennis Bucher
YOUTH HEADING TO ST. SIMMONS ISLAND
Eight of New Hope’s youth group will be attending the Youth Retreat July 16-18 at Epworth-by-the-Sea in Georgia. Cheryl Secunda and the pastor are the chaperones.
YOUTH GAME NIGHT AT THE CHURCH
Friday, July 10
7:00 – 10:00 PM
VBS FOOD AND CRAFT NEEDS
If you would like to support VBS, but working with children isn’t "your thing," perhaps you could help by donating any of the following items:
Kraft Mac and Cheese
25 oz. packages of crème sandwich cookies
20 count corn dogs
22 oz. brownie mix
22 oz.bag chicken nuggets
1 lb. bag of potato chips
bag of 12 cups of ice cream (chocolate and vanilla)
package of 10 flour tortillas
4 cup bag shredded cheese
24 family pack of individual pudding cups
6 pack individual Jell-O cups
apple juice, juicy juice or white grape juice
64 oz. ketchup
Please check the signup sheet at the back of the sanctuary.
Cash for craft materials also would be welcomed. For planning purposes, we ask that donated items be delivered by July 19.
Halifax Urban Ministries Food Drive
Did you know that HUM has a goal of 350 tons of food for the hungry for 2009? The HUM website lists participating churches and amounts of canned goods donated. As of June New Hope Baptist has given 375 pounds. Our small church has given more than Central Baptist or First Baptist, Daytona. Keep up the good work!
Countryside Lakes Assisted Living
July birthdays will be celebrated on Wednesday, July 15. Meet Bill Batchelor and others in the lobby at noon. This is a good opportunity for service for those who do not drive at night or whose schedules do not allow a weekly commitment.
BOOK EXCHANGE
In connection with the Wednesday night Bible study on forgiveness, we have on order Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve by Lewis Smedes. Recommended by the pastor, this book should be available mid-month.