JONESTOWN UNITED METHODIST PO

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1 JUMC happenings MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF JONESTOWN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NOVEMBER 2018 Church Events Sat., Nov 10, 12-2pm 15th Annual Thanksgiving Celebration The chorus goes: Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul, Thank You, Lord, for making me whole, Thank You, Lord, for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free. The Psalmist in chapter 95, verse 2a gives this direction: Let us come before Him with thanksgiving. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus. In this month of November Thanksgiving record each day the blessings God has given you and be thankful. At the end of the month marvel at all he has done and be thankful. NOVEMBER MISSION PARTNER UMCOR: Hurricane Relief Thurs., Nov. 15, 6:30pm refreshments & 7 meeting The Way Forward Sun, Nov. 18, 10:00am Harvest Home Youth Sunday & Luncheon 7:00pm, Community Thanksgiving Service Sun, Nov. 25, 1pm Church Decorating JONESTOWN UNITED METHODIST PO Box West Market Street Jonestown, PA Phone: info@jonestownumc.org Web:

2 Thanksgiving is typically a day set aside for family, feasting, and football. It is a time to remember and give thanks for the bounty of the land, the beauty of friendships, family ties, and freedom. It is especially important to remember the freedom we experience through Christ. As you prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, here are a few suggestions to include in your planning for a festive day and season. G IVE generously of your time, talents, and treasures. The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6 R EMEMBER God and His many blessings. You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18a A CKNOWLEGE God s goodness and mercy. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:6 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Psalm 100:4 T RUST IN THE Lord, and do good; so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security. Psalm 37:3 I will INSTRUCT you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Psalm 32:8 T RAIN yourself in godliness.! Timothy 4:7b U SE your gifts and talents to expand God s kingdom. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. Romans 12:6 D I DELIGHT to do Thy will, O my God; Thy law is within my heart. Psalm 40:8 E MBRACE love. Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and He who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 I would encourage you to incorporate these nine principles into your daily routine beginning November 1. Doing so will not only enhance your Thanksgiving celebration; you will also grow deeper as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

3 Pastor s Notes Thank God for the Basics! Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Psalm 100:4 The everyday blessings of life are so basic that we often take them for granted. Paul Rees tells of a man whose job it was to transport people who had been committed to a mental hospital. After delivering a patient one day, he was walking to his car when a voice called out, Hey you! It came from an upper floor of the hospital. Looking up, the man called back, Are you speaking to me? Yes, came the reply. I want to ask you a question. Have you ever thanked God that you have a healthy mind? The driver suddenly realized that in the fifteen years he had been bringing people to this hospital he had never once thanked God for a good mind. Psalm 100 gives three basics for which to give thanks (it s one of my favorite Psalms). First, there is God s grace, We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (vs. 3). Although spoken to Israel, this verse can also apply to Christians. We are God s redeemed people because Jesus Christ purchased us with His own blood. Then there are God s gifts, It is He who has made us (vs. 3). Every natural ability and talent, every strength of temperament is put into us by God s wise design. Have you ever thanked Him for who you are? Finally, there is God s goodness, For the Lord is good and His love endures forever (vs. 5). From this source comes sunshine, rain, food, clothing, shelter, health of body, mind and spirit, strength to go through challenges of all kinds and life itself. Let s thank God for the basics. Meditating on His grace, His gifts and His goodness will help each of us see that the basics are the most precious blessings of all. As we approach the month of November and all that it brings let us think on these things all month and all year long not just on Thanksgiving Day for every day is a gift from God. Use it for His glory and bless others because you are blessed!! Love in Jesus, Pastor Susan

4 2018 HUNTED CHURCH WALK-THROUGH If you missed it, I hope this brief explanation inspires you to help next year. Our walk-through last year was an successful experiment. Halloween night 2017 we opened the church to the myriad trick-ortreaters who were populating the otherwise lonely streets of Jonestown. We led them through a maze of rooms and hallways, past scenes of some strange and scary Bible stories. We welcomed guests into our dark, candle-lit sanctuary, where they heard a spiritual hymn which represented the lonely longing of the human heart that is seeking God. After brief instructions the group walked past a swooping dove meant to represent the Holy Spirit (possibly the least startling special effect.) Our bell tower chimed with each group that entered and proceeded down the dimly-lit back sanctuary staircase. The first scene they came to was Jesus and Mary, standing at a tomb. Mary was mourning the death of her brother, but also the failure of her spiritual leader, Jesus, to come in time to heal him. Lazarus, she was sure, did not need to die. Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Jesus wept. Jesus called in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, Take off the grave clothes and let him go John 11:32, 35, The visitors proceeded to a scene reenacting Jesus walking on the water. The disciples, seeing his figure approaching in a manner that no human should, cried out in fear: It s a ghost! (Mt 14:26) Another spooky story befitting the Halloween spirit that is enchanting our culture these days. I think we can create a better spiritual representation through Scripture than the world can through haunting tales of goblins and witches. The walk-through proceeded up the stairway to a scene from Daniel: suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plastered wall near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees knocked. Daniel 5:5-6 Dead bones coming to life was the last scene we presented to travelers who may not have been familiar with the Bible s wonderful and wild stories. He asked me, Son of man, can these bones live? I said, Sovereign Lord, You alone know. Then he said to me, Prophesy to these bones and say to them, Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life Ezekiel 37:3-4. Will these stories be useful to attract new people to follow the Lord Jesus Christ? All Scripture is God-breathed and useful in teaching 2 Tim 3:16. We will add scenes from Luke 16, the rich man and Lazarus, Daniel in the lion s den from Daniel 6, and the medium from Endor bringing Samuel s spirit back from the dead from1 Samuel 28. These stories play to the truth that all of us know: there are spiritual matters that affect each life, and it is important to notice this truth. The world may think Halloween is a good way to interact with the spirit world, but the church knows better. It is God s world and the Holy Spirit is the connection that brings people to the way, the truth, and the life found in Christ alone. We are not adding a Halloween celebration to our church schedule, but we are putting forth spiritual truth in a way that is well connected to our cultural context. Please walk through October 31st 6-8pm. on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

5 LCCM NOON MEAL Friday, November 2, 10:00am Lebanon Co. Christian Ministries If you can help, please contact Amanda Robinson ( ) or Bob Hillegas ( ). 15TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION Saturday, November 10, 12-2pm Jonestown U.M. Church along with the other churches of the Jonestown community are planning the 15th Annual Thanksgiving Celebration similar to the previous year s celebration. Please consider helping by: Help with set-up, 9-10:30am Help in the kitchen, 9:30am-2:30pm Be a server, 11:30am-2:30am Help with clean up, 2:30pm till? Bake cupcakes Advise Pam Gray of shut-ins who could use a meal Provide musical entertainment A sheet is in the bulletin insert to fill in. If you have questions, please call Bob Hillegas, Coordinator ( ). PRAYER BREAKFAST Friday, November 16, 8:30am Esther s Restaurant EXERCISE CLASSES Every Monday Kick/Punch, 6:00pm, Ripped, 7:00pm In the Fellowship Hall ADVENT PRAYER TENT A prayer tent will be set up in the fellowship hall during the Advent season. It is designed to be a place of refuge and solitude during the hectic holiday season. There will be a short meditation and Scripture reading for each of the Sundays of Advent. Please make use of this opportunity to enrich your discipleship journey. The tent will remain open until Epiphany (Jan. 6, 2019). POINSETTIAS Order by Sun., Dec. 2 Please use the envelopes on the windowsills in the sanctuary to place your order for poinsettias, available in red or white, for the Christmas season. The cost is $6.75 a plant. Poinsettias may be taken after either Christmas Eve service. ANGEL TREE The Christmas tree in the narthex will be decorated with angels by Sunday, November 18. Each angel lists a gift needed for a boy or girl. Please consider taking an angel, buying the needed gift, wrapping it, and returning it under the tree by Sunday, December 16. When all the angels are taken from the tree, we hope to redecorate the tree with socks, hats, and gloves. Contributions will be given to Lebanon Co. Christian Ministries. PRISON MINISTRY We would like to give to the women in prison during the holiday season by collecting stamps so they can send Christmas cards (we have the cards). For the men in prison we need stick deodorant which may be purchased at the Dollar Store. Please place your contributions on the designated table in the narthex by December 9. CHURCH DECORATING Sunday, November 25, 1:00pm Decorating will continue throughout the week. Please join us. This is a huge undertaking! We need lots of help!

6 HARVEST HOME/YOUTH SUNDAY Sunday, November 18, Service, 10:00am Please notice some new Care Booklets out in the narthex on the turn-style book rack. There are various new titles for adults and teens covering such topics as: grief, loneliness, depression, anxiety, dementia, peer pressure, fitting in, bullying, suicide prevention, drugs and alcohol. They are there for the taking to help you or a loved one. Let a Care Team member know if you have a care concern we can help with. A new list of college students and shut in or nursing home residents is in the narthex on the JOY table. Please take one, and send a note to let them know we are thinking of them. We always appreciate your donations of food, money, or your time to help those in need. Let Pam know if you d be interested in volunteering. Some of the items needed are: canned pasta,baked beans, canned fruit, chicken noodle soup, peanut butter, or any other non-perishable food. Thanks so much for your help. Monies donated for this year s CROP walk will be divided between JOY, LCCM, and CWS (Church World Service), so a lot stays locally. WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY Wednesdays, 7:00pm At the home of Lewis and Eleanor Artz, 201 Highland Drive, Jonestown. Our study will be Living with Courage Lessons from the Life of Daniel. CDs OF 8:30am WORSHIP Audio CDs are available of the 8:30am service each Sunday. If you or someone has missed a Sunday and would like a CD, please call Jeff Reichl ( ). If you can donate blank CDs to record services, see Jeff Reichl. Luncheon to follow We will celebrate Harvest Home by bringing specific items of food to fill Thanksgiving baskets for local, needy families. On Sundays, Nov. 4, 11, 18 please contribute pack-ages of instant mashed potatoes, cans of sweet potatoes, cans of green beans, cans of creamed or kernel corn, cans of turkey gravy, cans of applesauce, cans of cranberry sauce, boxes of filling. We would also would like to have a turkey for each basket. If you would like to contribute a turkey or money to purchase one, please see Pastor Susan. Please place your contributions on the windowsills in the sanctuary. Please join us on Youth Sunday as the youth lead our worship service on the theme, Hope. A lasagna dinner will follow the service. Your donations for the dinner will fund our youth retreats and activities. MUSIC MINISTRIES Youth Choir, Sundays, 5:30pm in the multipurpose room under the direction of Gary Miele ( ). Kid s Choir rehearsals every other Sunday, 6:00pm under the direction of Gary Miele ( ). Adult Bell Choir rehearsals every other Sunday, 6:00pm under the direction of Norma Artz ( ). Senior Choir rehearsals Wednesdays 6:30pm under the direction of Norma Artz ( ). Praise Team rehearsals Wednesdays 7:15pm under the direction of Tom Robinson ( ). NEWSLETTER DEADLINE Sunday, November 18 Baskets with copies of the current newsletter are in the rear of the sanctuary and in the narthex. Read it on our website It looks so much better in color!

7 SUNDAY SCHOOL CHALLENGE The children of the primary department of the Sunday School have been given a challenge to memorize 26 Bible verses by the end of the year. These verses are from the Gospel Alphabet from Samaritan s Purse. Please encourage the children to take this challenge. COFFEE & FELLOWSHIP Sundays, 8:30-11:00am Stop by the table in the narthex for light snacks and beverages and a few minutes of fellowship. To make this event a success, we need people to bake each week or provide a store-bought snack. Please contact Maria Shuey ( ). REDNER S SAVE-A-TAPE To redeem the tapes, you must use your Save-a- Tape or gas card at the time of purchase. We need the entire tape with the portion showing the price-based points for that day at the bottom. The tape will display either Today s Contribution or Today s total price-based points or Today s Save-a-Tape Total. If the tape doesn t have one of these lines at the bottom, we cannot redeem them. ELECTRONIC GIVING Interested in simplifying how you give to the church? We encourage you to support the ministries of this church even when you are unable to attend. Decide what amount you want to give each Sunday, and your commitment can be honored electronically, similar to what you may use for financial payments. There is no fee for E-giving. Go to the church website: and click on E-giving. Follow the instructions to set up your account. If you have difficulty, contact the Financial Secretary, Carvel Keiser (carvelkeiser@comcast.net). HELPING HANDS We need helpers for minor construction projects people with skills in plumbing, electric, roofing, painting, siding, etc. We are also looking for minor construction projects. If you know of anyone who needs gutters repaired, a window replaced, painting or wall work done, or other minor construction projects, contact Bob Hillegas ( ). PICTURES/INFORMATION for CHURCH WEBSITE If you would like to provide information or digital pictures, please submit items to Jeff Reichl (rike110@msn.com). Jeff, our webmaster, oversees changes and updates the website: PUPPETEERS & PROPATEERS Wednesdays, 6:30pm Would you like to be a script writer, set designer, sound, lighting, video manager, seamstress or crafter? We also need an older teen or adult assistant mainly to document performances. The puppeteers achieve levels. The highest level is Master Puppeteer. To achieve this level, they must perform outside of our home church. It would help to have another person to transport kids, stage, props, etc. Please contact Lori Jackson ( ). LCCM BENEFIT DINNER Thursday, November 15 5:30pm Auction, 6:30pm Dinner At Lebanon Area Evangelical Free Church, Jonestown. Music: Brothers in Grace Gospel Quartet. Cost $25.00 each. Table sponsorships $300 (includes 8 tickets). Obtain tickets by calling LCCM at , x211 or lyonel@lccm.us. Deadline to order tickets is Nov. 10.

8 Four fellowship groups meet the needs and interests of the congregation. If you have a suggestion, please contact Pam Gray ( ). There is no membership to any of these groups. Just come when you can. The next scheduled activity will be Jesus at Sight and Sound on Dec. 27, 7:00pm; 29, 3:00pm. If you have ordered tickets, please pay Pat Sheehan (check made out to JUMC). Tues., November 6, 1:00pm Judy Mowry ( ) organizes this group on the first Tuesday of each month in the basement of the church at 1:00pm. At this meeting we will have fun with games and puzzles. We also enjoy snacks and great fellowship! We will continue making caps for children in the hospital as an ongoing mission project. LADIES NIGHT OUT Friday, November 2, 6:00-10:00pm Meets in the basement for crafting (bring whatever craft you like or a game) scrapbooking, and a social time. Karen Bene ( ) is the organizer. Come visit, craft, and order pizza! We have been busy helping with church projects. ADVENTURE GROUP This is for families and adults for indoor or outdoor adventure type activities. Lori Jackson ( ) is in charge of organizing activities so see her with suggestions. FACEBOOK Search for "Jonestown United Methodist Church." THE WAY FORWARD General Conference, which is the governing body of the United Methodist Church, will meet February 23-26, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri to consider options for our impasse over homosexuality (ordination and marriage). There are currently three main plans. A brief brochure is available on the window sills of our sanctuary with a synopsis of each plan. At General Conference other plans could be introduced, and we do not know of them or what they may include. We need to be informed and pray for this event that could change the United Methodist Church as we know it forever. So to keep us informed and aware of this upcoming event we have invited Rev. Jeff Raffauf to come to JUMC on Thursday, November 15 to share about the important gathering. Pastor Jeff is one of our delegates from EPA (a full list is available in the narthex). We will meet at 6:30pm for fellowship and refreshments in the Fellowship Hall with the actual meeting starting at 7:00pm in the sanctuary. Jeff will bring a lay person, and they will share lots of information and hopefully will take time for a question and answer time as well. We hope you will make this evening a priority and pray and seek God s will for our Church. NEW MINISRY OPPORTUNITY Do you have any idea how many children in Jonestown do not have proper meals on weekends? More than you can ever guess. I am not telling, but it is not acceptable. The Jonestown Council of Churches has made a commitment to help make a difference for these children. The program is called Power Packs. The concept is to send food home with a child over the weekend. We need volunteers on Thursdays at 3:00pm at the Jonestown Elementary School to pack the food. If enough people from all 3 churches volunteer, each of us would help once every month or so rather than each week. We are making a schedule, and if you would like to help or if you have questions, please contact Pastor Susan ( ). Thanks, we can make a difference in the Kingdom.

9 Friends and members of our church may activate the prayer chain by calling the pastor or one of the team leaders indicated by a star (*). Team 1: *Lewis & Eleanor Artz ( ) John & Nancy Rhen ( ) Teri Light ( ) Annie Grant ( ) Team 2: *Larry Major ( ) Jeff & Diana Waltermyer ( ) Rick & Wendy Kline ( ) Ernestine Fahler ( ) Team 3: *Doris Crouse ( ) Judy Mowry ( ) Kay Horner ( ) George/Nancy Rautzhan ( ) VERY IMPORTANT! Start by calling one of the following people: Pastor Susan ( ; ) Lewis Artz ( ) Larry Major ( ) Doris Crouse ( ) November Prayer Focus The Suffering The more prayer, the broader and deeper the river of blessing A.B. Simpson Upcoming Events Sunday, December 2, 5:00pm ADVENT FAMILY NIGHT Christmas Around the World Monday, December 24, Contemporary, 6:00pm; Traditional 8:00pm CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES Thursday, December 27, 7:00pm; Saturday December 29, 3:00pm SIGHT AND SOUND THEATRE, JESUS

10 NOVEMBER GREETERS 4 8:30am Mel & Debbie Unger, Phil Lengle Colin Crouse 4 11:00am Ginger Krissinger, Jeff & Diana Waltermyer, Dawn Miele 11 8:30am Pat & Lorna Sheehan, Colin Crouse 11 11:00am Ginger Krissinger, Jeff & Diana Waltermyer, Dawn Miele 18 10:00am Youth 25 8:30am Charles & Marilyn Kohr, Sue Humpf Colin Crouse 25 10:00am Ginger Krissinger, Jeff & Diana Waltermyer, Dawn Miele NOVEMBER LITURGISTS 4 8:30am Shirley Fortna 11am Diana Waltermyer 11 8:30am Pat Sheehan 11am Lori Baker 18 10:00am Youth 25 8:30am Joy Wolfe 11am Sallie Meyer 1 Penny Fahler 7 Ralph Major 7 Judy Reichl 8 Amanda Showers 8 Teresa Tennant 9 Eleanor Artz 9 Roy Sholly 12 Paul Deiter 14 Jody Yeagley 16 Pam Hillegas 18 Sam Denson 19 Kevin Fahler 19 Emily Shertzer 21 Colin Crouse 22 Makenna Lambrecht 26 Devon Reichl 28 Charles Kohr 30 Deb Unger NOVEMBER NURSERY 4 8:30am Lorna Sheehan 11am 11 8:30am Brenda Rudy 11am 18 10:00am Pam Gray 25 8:30am Tish Baird 11am Please contact Claudia Clark ( ) if you can serve in 11am nursery. NOVEMBER FLOWERS Cost: $25/vase 4 Artz / Reichl Reichl NOVEMBER CARE TEAM Week of November 4 Pam Gray Week of November 11 Lauren Deiter Week of November 18 Jim & Judy Mowry Week of November 25 Ingrid Steiner NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 1 Frank & Tish Baird 7 Elmer & Phyllis Krall 9 Charles and Marilyn Kohr 14 Kerry & Brenda McQuate 20 Rick & Teri Light 29 Carvel & Laura Keiser 30 Mike & Christine Spangler

11 November 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Noon Meal 10am Women s Night Out 6:00pm Pastor s Sabbath 4Worship 8:30/11am Sunday Sch.9:45am Kid s Choir/Bells 6 Youth Choir 5:30pm Youth: Big Church Night Out 5 Kick/Punch6:00pm AA Meeting 6:00pm SPRC 7:00pm Ripped 7:00pm Trustees Work Session 7:00pm 6 Friends Together 1:00pm Youth 6:30pm Worship Mtg. 7pm 7 R.T. 1:00pm Sr. Choir 6:30pm Puppets 6:30pm N.A. 7:00pm Bible Study 7:00pm Praise Team 7:15pm 8 9 Pastor s Sabbath 10 15th Annual Community Thanksgiving Celebration Worship 8:30/11am Sunday Sch.9:45am Youth Choir 5:30pm Youth 6:00pm 12 Kick/Punch 6:00pm AA Meeting 6:00pm Ripped 7:00pm Church Council 7:00 13 Youth 6:30pm 14 R.T. 1:00pm Sr. Choir 6:30pm Puppets 6:30pm N.A. 7:00pm Bible Study 7:00pm Praise Team 7:15pm 15 LCCM Auction/ Dinner 5:30, 6:30pm The Way Forward Refreshments 6:30pm Meeting 7:00pm 16 Pastor s Sabbath Prayer Esther s 8:30am Harvest Home Youth Sunday 10:00 Luncheon to follow Youth Choir 5:30pm Kid s Choir/Bells 6 Community Thanksgiving Service 7 19 Kick/Punch 6:00pm AA Meeting 6:00pm Ripped 7:00pm 20 Youth 6:30pm 21 R.T. 1:00pm Sr. Choir 6:30pm Puppets 6:30pm N.A. 7:00pm Bible Study 7:00pm Praise Team 7:15pm Pastor s Sabbath Worship 8:30/11am Sunday Sch.9:45am Church decorating 1:00pm Youth Choir 5:30pm Youth 6:00pm 26 Kick/Punch 6:00pm AA Meeting 6:00pm Ripped 7:00pm 27 Youth Party: Church decorating 6:00pm 28 R.T. 1:00pm Sr. Choir 6:30pm Puppets 6:30pm N.A. 7:00pm Bible Study 7:00pm Praise Team 7:15pm Pastor s Sabbath