CURRENT OFFICERS AND CONSISTORY MEMBERS | President | Camille Daniels |
Vice President | Dwain Straight |
Secretary | Deb Dietrich |
Treasurer | Jim Rinehimer |
Trustees | Nelson Horwath |
| Donald Myers |
| Brad Bunnell |
|
When will it ever end? Another day – another snow storm! I’m really lovin’ Pennsylvania. But we are so blessed.
There are so many folks out there who don’t have a place to come in from the cold or if they do have a place, they
may not have the money to pay for electricity or oil or even food. Some of us tend to blame their predicament on
those folks but much of the time it’s not their fault. We need to do all we can to assist those who aren’t able to take
care of themselves. We have some food and funds in the Wapwallopen Ministerium that may be of use to them. If
you know of someone locally who could use some help, please tell them to give us a call here at the church. We treat
each contact as strictly confidential.
Some of us have been enjoying a meal on Wednesday nights here at church as we share a time of fellowship. We
continue to eat at 6 and worship at 7. We would love to have you join us. Our numbers have been lower this Lenten
season due to the cold and snowy weather. Hopefully before Easter it will turn around. If you are able, please come
and fellowship with us.
Since many of you can’t get out right now I would like to remind you that this gives you plenty of time to read your
Bible and to spend time in prayer. This can be a time to thank God for all your blessings and also a time to pray for
others and for yourself. It isn’t a bad thing to ask God to bless you and your family. Your church could also use your
prayers. When you are alone talking to God it is easy to be sincere. There is no one else listening. You don’t have to
feel as if you must impress anyone else with the words you use. Just be real and honest and go to God with sincerity.
You can shut out all distractions – the doorbell, the telephone, the television – and invite God in.
God asks that we worship Him with our concentrated minds as well as with our wills and emotions. Use this time to
spend time with God in prayer and Bible reading and study. It will be a blessing to you and to those you include in
your prayers. Have faith that God hears and answers..
“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”
Be blessed and be a blessing. God loves you.
 Share on Facebook
 Tweet This Post
We are saddened by the passing of Adele Majewski on
February 9. Adele was a faithful member of Emmanuel
and we will miss her smile and kind spirit (and pineapple
squares). Our thoughts and prayers are with Donnie
Myers and Adele’s family and we offer them comfort
and support in their time of grief.
Our support and compassion is given to Cindy Heller
and her family as her son, Brian, entered eternal rest on
February 20. May God’s peace sustain you.
We offer our sympathy to the families of Charles “Bob”
Kania who passed away February 1. Our condolences
go out to his son and daughter-in-law, Ron and Dawn
Kania, to Lois Kania, and to our past member, Rhonda
Brand, Pauline Shock and Raymond Kania and their
families.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
We received thank you letters for some recent
benevolence donations. On the bulletin board in the bell
tower are letters from:
Phoebe Ministries thanked us for our donation which
will be used to support Phoebe-Devitt Homes and their
work to ensure their residents have access to activity
programs, comprehensive Pastoral care, and cuttingedge dementia care. Last year, Phoebe provided over
$12 million of charitable care to residents who
otherwise would not have been able to afford the care
they needed.
Lancaster Theological Seminary thanked us for our
benevolence donation. This offering is included in their
Annual Fund which supports the ministry of theological
education to prepare students to become leaders for
congregations, other settings of ministry and for society.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
The envelopes for the annual OGHS offering are in your
pews. During the year, there will be envelopes for Neighbors
in Need, Strengthen the Church and the Christmas Fund (for
retired pastors and their families on very limited pensions).
We also give to Our Churches Wider Mission through our
fundraisers. That’s 5 UCC missions each year. In addition to
those, we can give to Pennies from Heaven (the Guatemala
clinic offering during Lent), VBS Mission, McKinney Clinic,
CROP Walk and, in past years, Disaster Relief (hopefully we
won’t need this one this year). Opportunities to give to these
missions are provided because members have a “soft spot” for
one or another, or perhaps all of them. We are encouraged to
give to the ones that move our hearts and that we feel strongly
about. All these offerings are given “above and beyond” our
regular envelope and plate offerings that are needed to support
our church at Emmanuel and continue our local presence in
our own back yards. Your generosity is appreciated here at
home and around the wider world. May God bless you as
much as you bless others.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
This is a great way to support the Youth Group without
spending anything extra. You’re just going to spend that
money at the grocery store anyway so why not give the
Youth Group some help with their finances? For every
$1,000 worth of cards they sell, they make $50. Please
see Marc on Sunday mornings or you can call Denise at
the church office (868-5675) during the week.
Mission Trip
The Youth Group will be heading to Virginia for this
year’s mission trip. Many elderly and needy people live
just inland of the beautiful beaches and tourist sites. The
homes they live in are in disrepair and need renovation.
Our youth will provide help to get homes repaired and
maintained, and offer hope by reaching out in Christian
service. Work will include general home repair, painting,
and deck and wheelchair access construction. They will be
going from June 21 to 27 (Sunday to Saturday). The cost
per person is still $289 so they have some fundraising
projects coming up. Please support them as they
represent Emmanuel UCC and bring help and hope to
people who need our assistance. Anyone who would like
to join them on the trip, please see Pastor Penny.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
We have had several inquiries about receiving automatic
contributions for offerings. Some of our members have
decided to use this method to schedule their weekly,
semi-weekly, monthly, etc., offerings. One member is
using automatic withdrawal so that she isn’t bothered
writing a check every week. Another couple uses this
method when they are out of the area. They realize the
importance of regular giving. If you overlook making
out your check or if you’re not here, the bills still come
and those businesses expect, and rightly so, to be paid on
time. Your offering ensures that funds are available
when needed. It is processed the same way as any other
automatic withdrawal from your account, such as car
payments, insurance premiums, or mortgage payments.
You set up with your bank when and how much is
forwarded to the church. A check arrives in our mail and
is counted with the offering on Sunday mornings. It’s
that simple.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
In addition to the Youth Group’s Weis and Carones Card
Fundraisers, we have a Gift Card Fundraiser which is a
great way to help our church. The Fundraiser Sheets are
on the table in the narthex. Just look over the list (and
there’s a lot to choose from) and mark how many cards
you want. As with the Youth Group’s fundraiser, this is
essentially a “no cost” fundraiser. You are just
purchasing gift cards in the amount that you would
normally spend at that store or restaurant. The
fundraising part is that Emmanuel purchases them at a
discount which helps our bottom line. Please pay Jim
Rinehimer for your choices.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
Crestwood High School:
Honors: Aaron Kleger, Brad Kotarsky, Hunter
Rinehimer
Rochaster Institute of Technology Dean’s List:
Kimmy Bernetski
Morgan Rinehimer is pictured as a member of the Tall in the Saddle 4-H Horse and Pony Club. She was elected President for 2015. Ride on and ride hard, girl!!
Brrr – that’s COLD!! Scouts from Boy Troop 434 attended Polar Bear Camp February 6-8, 2015, at Camp Achehela. They slept out in the bitter cold in tents and participated in competitions against other area troops. Some of the boys are pictured building a fire, one of the competitions, in the snow. Good luck with that! Troop 434 had 2 patrols made up of 6-7 scouts, one of which won 3 rd place on Febuary 7.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
My goodness – it’s cold. I suppose that’s what one is to expect in January/February. The secret is just to enjoy
life whatever the weather.
Lent is coming in just a couple of weeks on Feb. 18 (Ash Wednesday). I encourage each of you to come to
fellowship suppers on Wednesday nights at 6pm during Lent and then attend services at 7pm following. I plan
to share some thoughts on Psalms this year.
Lent is a time to make a special effort to come closer to God by either giving up something (chocolate is
probably the most given up food during this time) or adding another discipline to your day to day life. This is to
bring you closer to God and prepare ourselves for the glorious Easter Day.
I have printed here the Prayer of St. Francis that may assist you in that endeavor. If we could all pray this
prayer each day, truly taking it to heart, it would bring us all closer to fulfilling a life lived as a Christian.
PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.
May God bless you day to day! Stay warm.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
Our Conference Minister, Rev. Alan Miller, was
recently hospitalized for rupture of a blood vessel in
his bowel. He is slowly recovering and is expected to
return home soon. If you would like to send get well
wishes, his home address is 5433 Tannery Road,
Schnecksville, PA 18078.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday,
February 18. We will again prepare Lenten suppers
prior to our services on the Wednesday evenings
during Lent. These light meals will be shared in the
Fellowship Hall at 6:00 pm. We will then gather at 7:00
pm in the church for service. A sheet is on the table in
the narthex for those who will volunteer to prepare
meals. Our Lenten meals and services are open to
everyone and we welcome you to come and join us.
Whether you can come for supper or not, please gather
with us for worship.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
UDPATE: Due to the extreme cold temperatures on February 15th, the Mardi Gras has been postponed.
Mardi Gras celebration after worship on February 22nd. There will be lots of food and games to enjoy! Donations will be accepted and all donations will support the youth who are attending their annual mission trip in June.
******************************************************
PARTY TIME!!! We’re serving up our annual
Mardi Gras Brunch on Sunday, February 15, after
worship. Once again we’ll bring the tastes and sounds
of the Big Easy into our Fellowship Hall. Our menu
will include red beans and rice, quiche, chicken
fingers, tater tots, and, of course, the King Cake. We’ll
also have games for everyone to enjoy and crafts for
the kids (and kids at heart). Please plan to stay and
support us through this fundraiser so we can go on our
mission trip this summer.
MISSION TRIP – Virginia Beach will be the site of
our mission trip this year. Most of us know the beauty
and fun of going to the beach. But what we don’t see
are the areas where people are struggling to live. Just
beyond the beaches are homes in disrepair where the
elderly and low-income families live in dilapidate
conditions. These are the people we help by repairing,
painting and constructing decks and wheelchair access.
Most of our time will be spent working on homes
during the day with camp activities, worship and
group time in the evenings. Friday will be our “free
day” to see local sites and then enjoy a special Friday Night Fellowship. These trips have been a real eyeopening
experience for us. It is beyond our
imagination that people in the United States live in
such terrible conditions. We are just thankful that we
have a church family who supports us in making the
world a little better – one mission trip at a time.
The trip costs $289 per person so we are asking for
your support. One way to help is by coming to our
Mardi Gras Brunch. Your donations will go toward
our trip. If anyone would like to go with us, please see
Pastor Penny. Adult chaperones are welcome.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
Hilda Lewis sent a thank you card for the fruit basket
from the Sunday School. She also enjoyed the
Christmas caroling. Her card is on the bulletin board
in the bell tower.
I wish to tell you how much I enjoyed hearing the
“old time carols” sung by the members from my
church and the fruit basket. It made my day. Thank
you. Gladys Peters
We received several thank you’s from Bethany
Children’s Home. Two letters from Kevin Snyder
thanked us for our monetary support and for the
Christmas gifts. A very special thank you card was
signed by the youth in Keck Cottage who received the
Christmas gifts.
We received a thank you letter from the Department
of Veterans Affairs for the Christmas cards we
collected for the veterans residing at the VA Hospital.
It is on the bell tower bulletin board.
Share on Facebook Tweet This Post
[Praise to the LORD] LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. — Isaiah 25:1 (NIV)
|
Upcoming:
Emmanuel UCC Calendar
- Sunday, March 8, 2015
-
- Sunday, March 15, 2015
-
- Wednesday, March 18, 2015
-
- Sunday, March 22, 2015
-
- Sunday, March 29, 2015
-
- Wednesday, April 1, 2015
-
- Sunday, April 5, 2015
-
|
