On Saturday, March 31, our Boy Scouts will be holding a spaghetti dinner in the Fellowship Hall. They will be serving this delicious meal from 3 pm to 7 pm. Tickets are $8 for adults; $5 for children 12 to 5; and children under 4 are free. You can purchase tickets from Ron or Hunter Rinehimer. You can also buy them at the door.

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One month gone already of 2012. Today is Feb. 1. Archie and I have been married nine years today. “There is no feeling more comforting and consoling than knowing you are right next to your loved one.”
Our anniversary got me thinking about time and how we use our time. Once time passes, it is gone. Whether we waste it or use it wisely it will never return. We may have more to come but there is no guarantee. Ben Franklin said, “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.”
There is much about time in the Bible – Ecclesiastes 3 is the first that comes to mind – a time for this and a time for that. (read it again) Then we know that Jesus tells us we do not know when the time will be that our end will come – so live your life accordingly.
I came across this quote that lays is all out for me. It is from Richard Baxter, an English Puritan Divine from the 17th century:
“Spend your time in nothing which you know must be repented of;
in nothing on which you might not pray for the blessing of God;
in nothing which you could not review with a quiet conscience on
your dying bed; in nothing which you might not safely and properly
be found doing if death should surprise you in the act.”
Lent will be upon us very soon – Ash Wednesday is February 22. Lent is a season for reflection and taking stock, meditating on how we use our time. It is a time to pull away from the busyness of the world and take some quiet time for soul-searching, repentance, and prayer. It is a preparatory time for Easter, when we -the faithful – rededicate ourselves to serving God.
Use your time wisely and may God bless you in the doing!

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There are Team Roster sign-up sheets on the table in the Narthex and next to the Fellowship Hall doorway. We need some key players to take positions to help our church. The teams we have listed, so far, are: Pastoral Relations, Building, Kitchen, Nursery, Stewardship and Cleaning. We also have a Fundraising Team but since this is such a diverse area, it is broken down into separate fundraisers – just pick one, or several, where you can play a part. Your participation would last for the “season” or the length of the event. Teams such as Pastoral Relations and Stewardship would probably last a year, whereas, Suppers and the 300 Club would be only until the event took place. Just sign up for whichever team you would like to join and stay on as long as you like. When your “season” is up, you can wait until the next “season” or switch teams and just keep playing.

Let’s build Emmanuel’s winning teams!

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SOUP’S ON!! Our next soup sale will be March 3. We’ll be savoring Cindy’s chicken noodle, Ron’s chili and Pastor’s vegetarian vegetable, plus another if anyone wants to share their favorite. They will cost $5 per quart. Sign-up sheets are on the tables.

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YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!! That’s what we are saying about our outing the H20ooh Water Park. What a GREAT time. Twelve kids and adults had fun splishing and splashing – just ask anyone who went. Want to get in on the action? Just come to our next meeting on February 12 after the Scouts fellowship time. We’ll be making plans for decorating and serving up a great brunch for Mardi Gras on January 19 after church. Last year’s brunch was really good and we all had fun dishing out the food. We’ve got lots of other stuff to do and plan, too, including our next mission trip.
What are you waiting for? A special invitation?
Well, THIS IS IT!!
I would like to say how proud I am to be associated with the Youth Group. Our outing to H20ooh Water Park was fun. What really made it especially fun for me was the conduct and behavior of our kids. They really represented our church with a positive attitude. I also thank all the chaperones who helped out with this event. I thank all our church members, too, for all your support which makes our events possible.

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For many years our church has gathered a special offering for Easter which has been used to support our denomination’s local institutions: Bethany Children’s Home ($150), Lancaster Theological Seminary ($250) and Phoebe Devitt Homes ($150). Any amount over the $550 needed to fulfill these gifts is used to offset our offering to Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) which we have budgeted at $1,500. Please notice that this is a special offering which is in addition to our regular envelopes which support our General Fund or Building Fund. With that understanding, we hope you will give generously to our church and also to the organizations we support.

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