the Cedar Chips and wisdom to help me to fulfill God s purpose of my life in my remaining days. Pastor s Corner

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1 January 2019 the Cedar Chips Pastor s Corner My 30/30 years old has been eventful. God was gracious to grant me peace and keep me safe. What s next in the New Year to come? Actually, I don t want to know. God already knows. My morning therapy was having coffee with the birds. They made me smile while watching them eating, chirping, hopping, flying, drinking, and taking a bath in the birdbath. They live here. Bed and Breakfast! A tree and bushes at my house were their beds. I fed them and refilled fresh water for them all year round. There were many of them: sparrows, finches, doves, blue jays, cardinals, ravens, robins, woodpeckers and who knew what else. Often a squirrel and a bunny joined the crowd. and wisdom to help me to fulfill God s purpose of my life in my remaining days. For I am God, My purpose shall stand, and I will fulfill my intention Isaiah 46: Give thanks to God for his faithfulness and gracefulness. Healthy and Happy 2019 to you and yours Look forward to love and to serve in God s name. God is Good! Life is Precious! Signed Pastor Kris Our Vision Cedar Grove Presbyterian Church seeks to glorify God through nurturing spiritual growth, developing faithful discipleship, and serving our community. These birds enjoyed shelter, food, and bathing. They knew to take turns at the birdbath and at the bird feeders. When they heard noises they flew up and flew away mostly together. Then they came back. I watched them and pondered I could only feed them and provide them some comforts. They had to look out on their own to survive. I thought of myself. How blessed I am! God has been watching over me. Immanuel God with Us is real at all times. I continue to pray for God s love

2 Pork & Sauerkraut Dinner January 11 6:00 PM. 9:00 PM Pork and sauerkraut dinner at 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 11th featuring pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, green beans almandine, Dessert & Beverages. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.. Reservations requested. Sign-up sheet is on bulletin board. Oldies But Goodies by Chris Rowles. Poodle skirts, flat tops and t- shirts welcome. Donations appreciated. Wednesday Morning Women s Bible Study Wed. Morning Women s Bible Study & Intercessory Prayer. We meet every Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. Intercessory Prayer Time is prior to the Bible Study. The study is Letters of John. You are encouraged to attend, we would love to have you. Thank you! We have reached our goal for a new office computer. Thank you to everyone for your contributions! February Cedar Chips Please submit any articles by January 21, 2019 A New Year s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. Unknown Annual Congregational Meeting The annual congregational meeting will be held after morning worship on Sunday, January 20, All church members are urged to attend. Church friends are welcome to attend to learn more about the church life. PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN January 7-12:30 p.m. Lesson 4: God with Us when We Seek God Facilitator: Betty Ferstler Hostesses: Edie Kurtz Special Offering: Hunger February 4-11:45 a.m. CT Meeting February 4-12:30 p.m. Lesson 5: God with Us When We are Powerless Facilitator: Edie Kurtz Hostesses: Pastor Kris Ladies! You are invited! May 3rd 5th The women of Cedar Grove PW would be pleased to have you come to our annual retreat. The retreat will be held at St. Mary s of Providence Retreat Center, located between Elverson and Honey Brook. This is a great time of rest, relaxation and spiritual refreshment. More details will follow. Contact Cedar Grove s office at or Edie Kurtz at for more information. Enter In Tired of making small talk at church about the weather or sports? Then follow Edward Welch s advice to enter in to the lives of your fellow worshipers. A churchgoer once asked Welch, author of Caring for One Another (Crossway), two simple yet profound questions: What was the best thing about your week, and what was the worst thing about your week? About a month later, when some issues were weighing heavily on Welch s heart, he wondered who d be willing to pray for him. Immediately, the person who d asked him those two questions came to mind. When worshipers are willing to enjoy one another s blessings and be burdened by one another s difficulties, Welch says, the body of Christ gets built up. 2

3 Dear Members: Each year the Presbytery, Synod and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) adopts a per capita budget that funds the operating expenses of the denomination. Each Church is requested to forward that amount to the finance officer of their respective presbytery by January 31, Based on our active membership at the end of 2017 our portion amounts to $2, for This amounts to a contribution of $36.00 per member (not per household). It becomes a part of funds accrued and designated for per capita. In addition to running the various offices of our denomination, much of each per capita dollar includes allotments to new church communities, well established churches, General Assembly meetings and national and international ecumenical initiatives. The Session seeks your per capita offering to satisfy these obligations. In 2019, the per capita amounts are as follows: General Assembly $ 7.73 Synod of the Trinity $ 2.30 Donegal Presbytery $24.75 Cedar Grove $ 1.22 Total $36.00 per member Please forward to the church office no later than January 25, 2019 the amount of $36.00 per member so that Cedar Grove s contribution can be remitted to the Presbytery in a timely manner. A per capita envelope has been included with your 2019 envelopes. It may be dropped into the offering plate or sent in. Please write your name on the envelope. It you do not get offering envelopes you may mail a check made payable to Cedar Grove Presbyterian Church or drop it in the offering plate. PLEASE MARK CHECKS PER CAPITA. We thank you in advance for your continued support of Cedar Grove s ministry, which is connected to the work of the Presbyterian Church (USA). If you have any questions, please contact the church office. Sincerely, Session of Cedar Grove Every January, the Christian church worldwide marks the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This ecumenical octave, or eight-day observance, lasts from January 18 (the Feast of St. Peter) to January 25 (the Feast of St. Paul). The week is based on Jesus prayer to his heavenly Father in John 17:21 that his followers may all be one so that the world may believe that you have sent me (ESV). Jesus knew that if Christians were fiercely divided, people outside the faith wouldn t want to learn more about him. The theme for the 2019 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is from Deuteronomy 16:20 (NRSV): Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue. SNOW CANCELLATION POLICY!! If Church services are cancelled due to weather conditions, you can now hear about it through three different sources. You can check on our website tune in to radio station WJTL 90.3 FM (in Lancaster), WGAL or you can simply call the Church office ( ) and listen to the recorded message. If services are cancelled, you will hear a cancellation message. If services have not been cancelled, you will hear only the standard recorded message. 3

4 Giving versus Receiving...remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'" - Acts 20:35 (NIV) We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. - Winston Churchill ( ) Generosity during life is a very different thing from generosity in the hour of death; one proceeds from genuine liberality and benevolence, the other from pride or fear. - Horace Mann The 2019 flower chart Cost is $25.00 per week. Checks payable to Cedar Grove Presbyterian Church and mark Flowers. Fill out an envelope, include payment and put in box at the bulletin board. If you would like the flowers on the week you provided them, pick them up after the 10:00 a.m. church service. **Please note: If you have the flowers on a Sunday do not take the flower liners. There are white Styrofoam cups under the communion table for you to put them in. Special dates ~ January 2019 New Year s Day, January 1 Epiphany, January 6 Baptism of the Lord, January 13 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 21, 2019 The world is round so that friendship may encircle it. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin 4

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6 Coloring Page for All Ages! 6

7 January Worship Assistants Greeters & Ushers 6-Vickie & Ray Kahler 13-Larry & Sue Bowersox 20-Barbara Smith & Nancy Fiedler 27-Bob & Barb Zook Elder On Call: Jane Downes (717) Deacon On Call: Barb Zook (717) Teller: Elder on Call Helpers: 6-Carol Seaman 13-Bob Zook 20-Barbara MacMaster 27-Barbara (Bob) Zook Liturgists 6-Ron Deshong 13-Scott Sweigart 20-Vickie Kahler 27-Diana Boley Providing Flowers: Jo & Ron Rodgers in Memory of Howard Pop Sweigart. 27- Trustee on Call: 6-Don Oakes 13-Glenn Zook 20-Doug Weaver 27-Glenn Zook Anniversaries - January Birthdays - January 2-Doris Wells 6-Robert Ferstler 6-Brenda Sassaman 7

8 The Cedar Chips Cedar Grove Presbyterian Church P. O. Box Division Highway East Earl, PA Phone: (717) Address Service Requested January 2019 Annual Congregational Meeting Pork & Sauerkraut Dinner January 11 6:00 PM ~ Dinner at 6:30 PM Sunday, January 20 Following Worship If you would like to have your sent by , please contact the church office by phone or e- mail and we will add you to the list. cedargrovepc@frontiernet.net