WESLEY MESSENGER. Worship Schedule. March Volume 10, Issue 3

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1 WESLEY MESSENGER March 2018 Wesley United Methodist Church 40 West Main Street, Strasburg PA Church address: Web: Volume 10, Issue 3 Inside This Issue: Worship Schedule 9:00 am Blended Worship 10:00 am Holy Grounds Fellowship 10:30 am Sunday School Worship Schedule Worship 1 3 Pastor s Ponderings 2, 5 Friends at Home 4 Upcoming Events Missions 5, 6 Lifetree Café 6 Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday & Thursday Office Phone: Rev. David Alderson - Pastor Kim Badman - Organist/ Choir Director Holly Miller - Secretary Sunday, March 4 3rd Sunday in Lent Jesus Trial - Peter s Denial Psalm 17:1-7 John 18:12-27 Sunday, March 11 4th Sunday in Lent Jesus and Pilate Psalm 145:10-13 John 18:28-40 Sunday, March 18 5th Sunday in Lent Jesus Condemned Psalm 146 John 19:1-16a Sunday, March 25 Passion/Palm Sunday The Crucified Messiah Psalm 24 John 19:16b-22 Thursday, March 29 Maundy Thursday Jesus Last Words Psalm 24 John 19:23-30 O u r M i s s i o n : W O R S H I P G O D ; S E RV E G O D ; W I T N E S S f o r G O D ; b y t h e P O W E R o f G O D t h r o u g h t h e H O LY S P I R I T.

2 Pastor s Ponderings I wanted to share an article that came across my desk recently (thank you Holly). It s an article from churchleadership.com, that talks about how smaller congregations, while attempting to keep up with the mounting demands of an aging facility, can easily squander their last resources for ministry. The author says such churches must decide for the people of God rather than their present building, before it s too late. Enjoy the article: I came to Calvary United Methodist, Lemoyne, Pennsylvania, in my favorite pastoral role, as one who rescues. Calvary was once a vibrant 700-member church with two full-time ordained pastors, a staff of eight, and an average weekly worship attendance of 338 (1963). Calvary was big church and had the building to prove it a 20,500 square-foot Romanesque Revival fortress with a replacement value of $5,280,000. Through the decades of mainline decline, Calvary declined, too, but at a gentle rate. Leaders and members made necessary adjustments. They learned to live within their means. Yet at the same time the 110-year-old building continued to exert its claims at a rate that was becoming irritating and eventually alarming. In my first year at Calvary we had to address two critical risk recommendations from a recent insurance inspection: jersey barriers for a parking lot near the nursery school ($3,000) and a ventilation hood for the 20- burner gas oven ($21,000). Year two the air conditioning unit gave out ($20,000) and the dreary lighted sign in front demanded replacement ($5,000). Year three we filled and patched the sinkholes in the parking lot ($11,000) but held off on the resurfacing ($30,000) that would have completed the job. In year four we rescued the Red Cross on the State Street tower ($6,000) and replaced some of the very old gas pipes that were beginning to leak ($4,000) in the boiler room. One of the trustees reminded me the boiler pipes and cast-iron radiators have lasted much longer than we have a right to ask (estimated cost $42,000). The organist reminded me that the leaking expression shades need repair soon ($29,000) and a hole in the blower reservoir needs repair now ($4,000). Should I start playing hymns on the piano? At one point in year four I tried to take us on the offensive. I convinced the leadership to hire an architect and draw up plans for a welcome center. The renovated restrooms, infant care room, and coffee serving area would be near the entrance of the sanctuary. It would surely give us the $64,000 makeover we needed to hold the younger visitors. The congregation was cautiously positive. Some, but not enough, pledged financial support. In the end, I was the one to pull the plug. I could not in good conscience put them in a debt that would likely hasten death. So here we are: loving our tabernacle, temple, synagogue, house church, but not able to afford it. We cannot improve items of décor, comfort, or convenience. We are waiting for the next large ticket item that will empty our savings or drastically change our lifestyle, such as giving up the organ for the piano or closing off part of the building. It is an unfinished story with a probable finish. And the finish is that Calvary church will do what dozens of formerly large churches have done in the city where we are located and thousands have done across the country. They will gather on the deck of the Titanic to sing Nearer my God to Thee as it goes down. That is, they will exhaust their last spiritual gifts for ministry, their last impulses to form surrogate family, their last bit of confidence that they have a message the community needs, exhaust them for the lesser cause of keeping their building open as their numbers dwindle. Last one out, turn off the lights! As their pastoral leader, my strong desire is that Calvary would avoid that probable finish. They deserve better than the pall of fatalism that settles over a disappearing congregation in an oversized building. To that end, I have asked the leaders and congregation to join me in three actions: (How may these actions apply to Wesley UMC?) - continued on page five - 2

3 Karen Bender, Chair-Worship worship Kim Badman, Organist/Choir Director Becky Perry, Altar Guild March Altar Flowers 2018 Lenten Worship Services & Noon Lunches March Sundays are open for those who wish to place altar flowers in celebration, in memory of a loved one, or to the glory of God! Sign-up is in Epworth. Noon Lenten Worship Services, sponsored by the Strasburg Ministerium, are held on Wednesdays throughout Lent at First Presbyterian Church of Strasburg, 101 S. Decatur St., at 12 noon. Strasburg area churches prepare the service and provide a light lunch. Everyone is invited to attend as we prepare and repair our hearts and minds during the Lenten season. Stewardship of Attendance 9:00 am January February February February March 7 - St. Michael s Ev. Lutheran Church March 14 - Wesley United Methodist Church March 21 - Victory Church Saturday, March 17 8 a.m. MARCH LAY READER SCHEDULE DATE Fellowship Hall BLENDED WORSHIP March 4 John Lewis Join Us! March 11 Karen Bender March 18 Vicki Henderson March 25 Roy Rineer Pastor s Hours Special Music Calendar Mar 4 Doug & Lynda Houck Mondays: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Office) 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Meetings) Drop-in Hours from noon-2 p.m. Tuesdays: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Office) Drop-in Hours from noon-2 p.m. Wednesdays: Visitations and Sermon Prep No Drop-in Hours Mar 11 Shirley Groff Thursdays: Mar 18 Virginia Hookway Mar 25 Bill & Kay Hawes Fridays: 3 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Office) Drop-in Hours from noon-2 p.m. - OFF -

4 Bring in March with Style: Share the beauty of Christ s love with those at home! Mim Brendle Happy Birthday, Mim! 35 Prospect Road Strasburg PA Mim s Birthday : March 5, 1919 Robbie Golston 433 South Kinzer Avenue 46 VSA New Holland, PA Robbie s Birthday: October 29 June Good 2001 Harrisburg Pike Apt B246 Lancaster,PA June s Birthday: July 14 Jerre Groff Oakleaf Manor, Room B Wabank Road Millersville, PA Jerre s Birthday: May 29 Eva Kohlmaier c/o Donna Bitterman 44 Denlinger Avenue Strasburg, PA Eva s Birthday: May 20 Blake E. Nicholson, Jr Harrisburg Pike # ML415 Lancaster PA Phone: (717) Blake s Birthday: January 10, 1923 Melvin Rosier The Glen at Willow Valley, Room Willow Valley Square Lancaster PA Phone: (717) Mel s Birthday: August 9 John & Evie Sigman 2001 Harrisburg Pike EW381 Lancaster, PA John s Birthday: September 21 Evie s Birthday: September 12 Communion & Compassion Wesley recently received a thank you letter from Ms. Kay Richardson on behalf of a client of hers who received rent support from us. The money was given by Pastor Dave from the Pastor s discretionary fund. Our giving to this fund on holy communion Sundays supports the Pastor in his effort to provide to those truly in need. God has blessed us with many riches. We are truly doing what we are called to do by supporting those in our community in need. Bob Marshall, Chair of Advisory Council Wrestling with Words Seeks Support for New Church in Kenya The Wrestling with Words Sunday school class was recently visited by Elizabeth M. Wambua, a native of Kenya who lives locally in Lancaster. She is a friend of Janet Kingsley. She talked to the class about life in Kenya and her upcoming mission project to build a new church in her native land. She was leaving shortly after our class and will be gone for six weeks to oversee this ongoing project. The class was moved by her love for Christ and her desire to reach out to people in her former home. The class gave her a contribution to help her with this project. Perhaps this is something the church as a whole would like to support. 4

5 Pastor s Ponderings continued from page two Accept that we are a healthy small church rather than a sick larger church. This is not easy for anyone who remembers the glory days nor for the pastor who wants to be the hero who brings them back; but it is the critical first step to survival. If we seek new constituents to breathe life into a larger church, our efforts will be desperate and will come across that way. Come fill our seats, our offering plate, and our fading programs! On the other hand, if we rest in our strengths as a small church and there are many our invitations can be spontaneous. We are not recruiting; we have something good to give away to those who may be receptive. Face the reality of an oversized building. Sometimes the elephant in the room is the room! We need to keep talking about the mounting and impossible demands of the building(s). For nearly 50 years in ministry I have been waiting for the anonymous widow to surprise everyone by leaving the church a million dollars at her death. It hasn t happened yet! I count the rich widow s gift among the many fantasies that distract God s people from taking necessary action. Frank talk about limiting and even dangerous conditions in the building forces the congregation to ask after its core identity. Before it s too late, decide for the people of God over the present building. We re not there yet at Calvary. If we abandon 700 Market Street now, we lose precious worship ambience and the capacity for two vital ministries. But that day may be coming. I try to remember that any given congregation has outlived at least two buildings, sometime nearly a dozen. Every church knows what it is to pick up stakes and move on. Calvary was started as a prayer meeting in a lawyer s office across the street from its present location. It is not that buildings don t matter; they do for all the reasons specified above. But when it comes down to choosing between a vital congregation in dynamic equilibrium or squandering the resources of that congregation to maintain an oversized building, the God of Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) should win out every time. This article is excerpted from Small on Purpose: Life in a Significant Church (Abingdon Press, 2017) by Lewis A. Parks. Hannah s Pasta & Your Patronage 11, our 10:30 am Sunday School In June-July, Hannah Alderson will be traveling with the First Presbyterian Youth Group to share the light of Christ with children of Naples, Italy. The youth will bring Vacation Bible School to children living in poor conditions. To raise funds for this trip, Hannah invites you to join in the mission by attending her spaghetti dinner following Sunday school on Sunday, March 11. Your support by donation is welcome and appreciated! If you would like to provide a dessert, please sign up in Epworth. 5

6 Chair - Carol Rice Lynda Houck, Pastor Dave Alderson missions Pennies for Missions In January, we raised $55.91 through Pennies for Missions. Pick up a soup can on the counter in the Epworth Room. Then at home, for every meal you eat, place two pennies in your soup can. Pennies collected on last Sunday of the month support our mission projects. Wednesdays 6:30 p.m. Pole Barn You re welcome just as you are. Your thoughts are welcome; your doubts are welcome. We re all in this together. God is here, ready to connect with you in a fresh way. L Sunday, May 6 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. A D Cost: $12.00 per person I Tickets will be available in April. E The committee is in need of door prizes. S If you want to donate a new or gently-used item, you may bring it to the church and put it in the kitchen. T Please mark it For Tea. E A Save these Dates for the Church Yard Sale! Friday, April 13-8 a.m. to 2 p.m. & Saturday, April 14 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. One space $15 and two spaces $25 for both days. Call Kay Graybill at , if interested in a space. If you don t have enough items for a space, we will accept donations for the church tables. 6