Cherub Choir practice will begin on Sunday, September 7 for children ages Please contact Mr. Timothy for additional information.

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1 SEPTEMBER 2014 NEWSLETTER Message from the Pastor As I write this, August is coming to an end, and the month of September is quickly approaching. Summer is more or less over, and schools are back in session. Another baseball season is winding down and another football season is kicking off. Soon grass will slow down its growing and trees will begin to change into their Technicolor dream coats, preparing for a winter s rest. Time marches on. Seasons change every few months, and the passage of time and changing of seasons is nothing new. But I think more about life s journey today because this September will be, in all likelihood, the month when my son is born. Alicia s due date is September 18, and when he does arrive, I will be taking six weeks of paternity leave to bond with our son and begin to figure out what it means to be a father. Am I prepared for this next step? Of course not! But as with everything challenging I ve faced throughout the seasons of my life, I know that God is with me and will equip me for the journey. And God s also blessed me with a loving wife and an amazing extended family to be there for each step. As the seasons change, I remember that it s also now been a little over three months since my Uncle Wayne passed away. After suffering for years from Lewy body disease, watching his once active and alive body fail him, he was the first in my family from my parent s generation to pass. And just in the last few weeks, my Uncle Ron has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. At a young 66 years of age, he begins a new season of his life, one that will have at its center the dreaded c word. And time marches on. I think of one of the hymns Alicia and I had sung at our wedding. Hymn #2051 in The Faith We Sing, I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry. This is a hymn that brings me to tears every time I hear it. It s one of the most beautiful hymns I know, reminding me of God s presence with us, from the moment we are born, throughout all of the days and events of our lives, and at the moment when we close our eyes for the final time. God is there. What an amazing gift and what a reassuring promise. We have a God who loves us so much that he will never leave us alone. God will always shine a light in the darkness. September will begin a busy Fall season for Grace Church, and for me. There will be great highs (a son!) and lows. But through it all, I know God will be there. I pray that you will have that same knowledge and assurance. No matter what season you re in, please know that God loves you and is walking right there beside you. What a privilege it is to be called children of God, sisters and brothers to one another. Thank-you for sharing this gift and this journey with me, my Grace Church family. Blessings, PM Grace Photo Directory Schedule Your Appointment Now Hi, just a note to remind everyone we are currently getting a new pictorial directory together. Photographers will be at the church on Sept 25 & 26 from 2-9 pm and Sept 27 from 10a-2pm. If you would like to sign up for an appointment, I will be at both services again Sunday, or you can call or me. Thanks Amy Shuckhart, Music Notes Choir Practice resumes September 2 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. (Psalm 100: 1-2)The adult choir will commence its rehearsals for the fall and winter seasons beginning on Tuesday, September 2 at 7:00 PM. We will rehearse on alternate Tuesdays at 7:00 PM. New members are always welcome! Please contact our director, Timothy Hess ( ), for more information. Also, anyone interested in providing special music in worship, please contact Timothy. Join us in making a joyful noise to the Lord! Cherub Choir practice will begin on Sunday, September 7 for children ages Please contact Mr. Timothy for additional information. 1

2 Community Dinner Wednesday, September 3 Grace will be hosting a FREE Community Dinners the first Wednesday of each month. The next dinner is scheduled on Wednesday, September 3, 2014 from 5pm-6:30pm. All are welcome. Volunteers are needed for helping to serve, clean-up or food preparation. A sign-up sheet will be on the hospitality table in the back of the Sanctuary. For more information please contact Joyce Garner at Sunday School Kickoff Breakfast Sunday, September 7 at 9am Sunday School classes will resume in September with our Sunday School Kick-Off Breakfast on September 7. Four classes (preschool, 1 thru 3, 4 thru 6, and Youth Group) are available, as well as two adult Sunday School discussions. Join us for breakfast at 9am, with Sunday School immediately following breakfast! Blessing Bags Ministry 2nd Wednesday of the Month September 10 at 6pm Blessing Bags was contacted by another church in regards of our Blessing Bag Ministries. They are interested in learning what we do and I invited them to one of our meetings. Be sure that you all take a Blessing Bag with you in case you see someone in need. They are in the back of the sanctuary. We are in need of more supplies and are hoping to put Domestic Violence on our list of persons of needs. Currently we are looking for bottles of water, (sample size) shampoo, hand lotion, deodorant, nail files, hand sanitizer and (or) wipes, socks. We also will accept cash in order to buy items in bulk. Our meetings are the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm. Everyone is welcomed. If you have any questions contact Bev Mixell at We are also asking for anyone who has passed on a Blessing Bag to tell their story. Please write out your experiences with the Blessing Bags and place it in the offering plate on Sunday. We will post all joys at a later time. Blessings, Bev Pastor Mark s Paternity Leave As you know, Pastor Mark and Alicia are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their son, tentatively set for Sept. 18, but happening whenever he, and mom, are ready. When Baby Reisinger does arrive, PM will be taking a 6-week paternity leave to be at home, bond with, and help care for both baby and mommy. During these weeks, one of our Grace Lay Servants, Therese Finney, will be handling Sunday morning preaching duties. She and our other Lay Servants will guide the worship each week. The one exception will be on October 5, when Rev. Dr. Marlin Snider will be present to preach and help celebrate World Communion Sunday. Throughout the week, our Grace leadership will obviously be in place, and you can reach out to anyone of them or our church secretary, Elena, with questions, thoughts, concerns, limericks, etc. For emergencies, one of the other United Methodist pastors in Mechanicsburg will be on call at various times during the six weeks. Please call our Grace Lay Leader, Pat Emel ( ), in the case of a hospitalization or emergency, and she will contact the on-call pastor, if necessary. Finally, per doctor s orders, PM, Alicia, and Baby Reisinger will for the most part be staying at home during those first six weeks of Baby s life. We ll be spending the time together, resting when we can, and generally figuring out family life. We appreciate your prayers (and maybe a meal or two dropped off), but we ask during those weeks that we keep visits to a minimum, to allow us to have that time as a family. Rest assured that pictures will be ed out and posted on facebook so you all can get a look at the new addition (the baby addition, not the church elevator addition). And there will be lots of time following PM s leave to get to know Baby Reisinger. Alicia and I are so blessed to be a part of Grace Church, and we thank-you so much for allowing us to be a part of the family. There s nowhere else we d rather be during this time than here at Grace. We thank you for your prayers, cards, for the generous monetary gift we received at the church picnic (that s been invested to go toward Baby Reisinger s Duke college fund), and most especially, for just being you. Your generosity and love is a blessing and example for all. The adventure continues!! 2

3 The Sleeping Mat-ters Ministry Program Moves To Thursdays! Join us Thursday evenings from 5:30 till 7pm as we gather for the Sleeping Mat-ters ministry program. Anyone can volunteer no special skills or talents needed! From sorting, straightening, cutting, plarning, and crochet there is something for all ages to do! If you are unable to come out Tuesday evenings, but would still like to help, we do have jobs for you to do at home. For more information, contact Therese Finney. Nursery Room Attendants Grace UMC has been blessed to have amazing Nursery Room attendants. Zoe will be attending Messiah throughout the summer, and will remain in the Nursery Room throughout the year. We will be hiring a second person for the Nursery Room for fall/winter session. If you know of anyone interested in the Nursery Room Attendant position, please contact Therese Finney. Lunch Bunch Wednesday, September 24 at Noon The Lunch Bunch will gather on Wednesday, September 24 at Noon at Red Lobster on the Carlisle Pike. All are invited to join in! The Selfie Story IN THE BEGINNING: It began on June 9, 2014 when I checked my daily devotional on line. The verses for the day were 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 which talked about the different kinds of gifts. The following day s devotional used 1 Corinthians 12:12-21 to compare the function of the church to the functioning of the human body. Then the next day 1 Corinthians 12:26-13:3 cautioned us that the function of the different parts were useless without love. Having always acknowledging these passages as illustrating the root of a healthy, functioning, effective church, I became aware that a potential track was developing for a Sunday morning workshop utilizing a Gifts Survey called SHAPE. CONFERENCE: While attending our Susquehanna Conference in mid-june, several speakers and presenting groups strengthen the workshop possibility. The Conference Lay Leader stated, People who make a difference aren t the ones with credentials. In our minds and thoughts, they are those who have the right heart. We heard from other speakers in the session, We are called, and God, how am I to serve you? HERE AT GRACE: With our current growth and outreach ministries, I see a tendency beginning to develop of an old habit of Since these individuals are so good at what they do, why not ask them to takeover this? Wrong, these people are good at what they do because they have a gift for it and a passion for it because it came from their hearts. What we need to do is tap into the gift vault of our other people in order to strengthen our scope of ministries. STEPS WE CAN TAKE 1. With the frequent mention of Love and Heart, we could revisit our GOD centered heart logo form the Capital Campaign and continue to ask God what do you want to do through me? 2. Introduce the concept to the congregation by using the hymn We are the Church and filling the empty spaces in the picture of the church with working parts of the church body. This took place during Sunday service August 24th. 3. Schedule a workshop during the Sunday School time which offers persons an opportunity to Take a Selfie by participating in the SHAPE Discovering Your Gifts workshop. Introductory session will be Sept. 7. Assemble in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome. 4. Let the process proceed and stand back and watch what happens. If you have questions, contact Doris Martin mdoris722@aol.com or

4 The teen years can be challenging for all families SFP can help parents and teens tackle the challenges together! What to expect? A seven week program that meets one night each week. Each session begins with a free family meal. Free childcare is provided for younger siblings. Each week, during the first hour, parents and youth meet seperately, but work on similar skills. During the second hour, youth and parents have fun together as they play games and do family projects Youth sessions include discussions, group skills practice, and games. Parent sessions include video presentations, group discussions, and skill building activities. Learn more about For Parents: For Youth: For Families: Setting appropriate limits Setting & reaching goals Supporting goals & dreams Encouraging good behavior Appreciating parents Solve problems together Using effective consequences Managing stress Sharing family values Protecting against risks Following rules Building family communication Sharing expectations Resisting peer pressure This program is FREE for all families with a child between the ages of 10-14!! Fall Session: Tuesdays from 5:30-8:00 pm starting September 30, 2014 at Grace United Methodist Church 216 South Market Street Mechanicsburg, PA For more information or to register, contact Marla Reichart at Ext. 250 or mreichart@umhcservices.com 4

5 2014 Grace Church Mission Statement: To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ For The Transformation Of The World We celebrate and give thanks for those persons who are willing to give of their time and gifts serving in an elected position of leadership at Grace Church. For your reference, here is a list of the current Grace Leadership as well as areas of ministry. If you ve got questions, concerns, or would like to serve in a particular area, please contact the appropriate person as listed below. While these persons serve in a particular area of leadership, we celebrate that ALL of us are called to be ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Please remember to pray for these persons and for all of Grace Church! 2014 Grace Church Leadership Council The LC is the primary governing body of Grace Church. It is this Council that has responsibility for visioning, setting goals, developing plans to achieve set goals, staff oversight, as well as general decisions regarding the direction and use of the resources of Grace Church. The LC members are encouraged to surround themselves with other individuals to assist them in carrying out the tasks in their various ministry areas. Class of 2014 Class of 2015 Class of 2016 Christy Slaybuagh, Finance Sue Witters, At-Large Pat Emel, Lay Leader David Poinsett, Trustees Pete Herold, Finance Rusty Garner, Chair Matt Witters, SPRC Therese Finney, SPRC Steve Lusk, Trustees Grace Church Staff The paid Grace staff, directed by the LC, fulfills their various positions in leading and guiding Grace Church to more faithfully carry out its mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Pastor Rev. Mark F. Reisinger Organist/Choir Director Secretary Custodian Nursery Attendants Timothy Hess Elena Yarlett Bob Griffith Ashley Hughes & Zoe Novota 2014 Grace Church Ministry Team Leaders Ministry Team Leaders are responsible for leading and guiding their respective ministry area. They develop ministry ideas and gather others around them to be the hands-on leaders to carry out each ministry. Youth Ministries Pete Herold Children s Ministries Therese Finney Hospitality/Visitor Connection Doris Martin 2014 Grace Church Building Committee This team is specially elected to continue prayerfully working on issues surrounding the potential elevator addition to Grace. They handle all matters relating to this, including the carrying out of a church wide capital campaign. Pete Herold, Co-Chair Steve Lusk, Co-Chair Pat Emel Susan Hockley Jerry Graham Tom Witters Joan Staub 5

6 Mark Your Calendars: Sneak Peek at Fall/Winter Schedule Revival: Faith As Wesley Lived It Bible Study Mondays, October 7 through November 10 at 6pm Children s Sabbath Sunday, October 12 One Combined Service at 10am (No Sunday School) Mechanicsburg Parade Tuesday, October 14 at 7pm Streets of Treats in Mechanicsburg Saturday, October 18, 10a-2p Blood Drive Saturday, October 25, 9am-Noon Hayride Saturday, November 1 Cumberland Vista Game Night Saturday, November 15 Decorate Church Saturday, November 29 (10am) Dedication Service Sunday, December 7 One Combined Service at 10am (No Sunday School); luncheon Children s Christmas Program Sunday, December 14 One Combined Service at 10am (No Sunday School) Christmas Bible School for Kids Monday, December 15 through Friday, December 19, 5:30pm-7pm Choir Cantata Sunday, December 21 One Combined Service at 10am (No Sunday School) Grace UM Church Mechanicsburg 216 S. Market Street, Mechanicsburg, PA Pastor: Rev. Mark F. Reisinger mreisinger@susumc.org Home: Secretary: Elena Yarlett GraceUMC1@comcast.net Leadership Council: Rusty Garner, Pat Emel, Therese Finney, Pete Herold, Steve Lusk, Dave Poinsett, Christy Slaybaugh, Matt Witters, Sue Witters SEPTEMBER 2014 NEWSLETTER 6