Survey Questions Answered

Transcription

1 A Thanksgiving Day Prayer Lord, so often times, as any other day When we sit down to our meal and pray We hurry along and make fast the blessing Thanks, amen. Now please pass the dressing We're slaves to the olfactory overload We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold But Lord, I'd like to take a few minute more To really give thanks to what I'm thankful for For my family, my health, a nice soft bed My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head I'm thankful right now to be surrounded by those Whose lives touch me more than they'll ever possibly know Thankful Lord, that You've blessed me beyond measure Thankful that in my heart lives life's greatest treasure That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place And I'm ever so grateful for Your unending grace So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You've provided And bless each and every person invited Amen! Inside this issue: --Scott Wesemann Witness Commission 2 Scriptures, Servants, & Stats 3 Tiny Timbers Tidbits 4 Krista Hollinger Update 5 Calendar 6 Birthdays & Anniversaries 7 Survey Questions Answered Thank you for filling out your pastoral surveys! I have appreciated reading, reviewing and analyzing them. Your input is necessary and appreciated as we discern together God s will for our congregation s future pastoral leadership. As I read them, I came across some questions that I d like to answer. Since the survey was anonymous, no one s name is attached to any of these, and hopefully you will find them relevant and helpful. Some of them specifically relate to future staffing, while others ask more general questions about the overall ministry of the congregation. I m not sure what an associate pastor does. Do we have any candidates? An associate pastor can do whatever the congregation desires. Typically an associate will compliment the gifts of other staff. In other words, if a senior pastor is gifted to preach and teach but is not strong in areas of youth and visitation, then an associate would focus his/her attention here so the overall ministry of the congregation is strengthened, nurtured and solidified. One reason we distributed surveys is to garner a sense of what areas you, the congregation, feel we need to address and then formulate a job description based upon this knowledge. As far as candidates are concerned, there is a search process that must begin before we are able to interview that includes oversight from the District. Therefore, we are unaware of any candidates who may be interested in the position at this time. Do you feel WGT needs a full-time associate pastor? Answer: No. I think everything seems to be running smoothly. November 2010 Kenneth Stewart We currently have the equivalent of a full-time associate. Both Pastor Don and John work a minimum of 20 hours per week, which equates to hours of weekly pastoral ministry on top of the hours I put in. At this point, Pastor Don is focusing primarily on visiting homebound members and elders, along with visiting regular participants and preaching quarterly. John is preaching monthly, leading both Sr. and Jr. High youth monthly, teaching Sunday School weekly, and visiting on an as-needed basis. Both are accountable to me by providing time sheets which track their ministerial activities each week. We feel the salaries of all people being paid should be disclosed. Everyone employed by the church body, from salaried persons such as myself to people paid an hourly rate, have their wages disclosed in the annual unified budget. At each Fall Congregational Business Meeting, members vote to approve the Board s recommended budget for the following year. A copy of this budget can be secured in the office by any participant of the church, members or nonmembers alike. Some congregations do not disclose the wages of their employed persons, but we operate on a principle of transparency, openness and full-disclosure with regard to this matter. The itemized budget should be included in next year s Yearbook and Directory. The itemized budget used to be published in each Yearbook and Directory when we outsourced this job to another company. However, when we Continued on page 4

2 Page 2 News from the Witness Commission On December 3, we will be taking the church to the Elizabethtown Holiday Parade. The theme is "Under The Tree". We would like to do the nativity & will need volunteers to be Mary, Joseph, etc. This can include some live animals as well. We also would like people to sing including the children. We are open to any ideas the church members have. We are looking forward to working with everyone to be part of a community project. We received a request from Ryan Braught who is a church planter with Atlantic Northeast District of the COB to support a church plant in Marietta. After prayerful consideration we decided this is something we would like to support. The name of the church is Veritas and they are renting space in another church in Marietta. For more information go to In the summer of 2011, 450 youth and adults will converge around Elizabethtown to work on nearly 70 homes of the elderly, retired, infirmed and poor. The dates are July 31 - August 6. WGT will be a part of this endeavor along with other churches in Elizabethtown. More info to follow. Go to and WWWGROUPWORKCAMPS.COM. The Witness Commission members are Doug Brenneman, Deb Klugh, Jason Leonard, Steve Smith & Louene Trout. We welcome comments & suggestions. Thank-you for your support and partnership in all of our projects. YOU ARE INVITED TO OUR 2ND ANNUAL LASER TAG LOCK-IN Who s Invited? ALL Jr. & Sr. High Youth & Friends Date? November 19th & 20th Time? Drop 11 pm, Pick 5:30 am Cost? $15 for Youth Group Members, $30 for Friends (Money is due by 11/7 to reserve your spot) RSVP By: Sunday, November 7th to or What to Bring? A snack to share The cost of your ticket includes 2 slices of pizza, unlimited drinks & popcorn, & video game tokens. We are asking that you do not bring extra cash with you. There will be plenty to do, eat, & drink! REMEMBER NO CELL PHONES are allowed at youth events. Do not bring them with you. The advisors will have their cell phones (see numbers above) & will be able to be contacted if necessary. Looking forward to a great night! Brethren Disaster Relief Auction Report The 34th Brethren Disaster Relief Auction was held on September 24th & 25th at the Lebanon Valley Expo. Approximately $425,000 was raised! Here are some of the highlights: Summers End Quilt $ 8, Haiti Rebuilding Project $50, Heifer Auction $48, Quilt Auction $37, Food $34, Theme Basket Auction $15, Baked Goods $13, Amish Doughnuts & Pretzels $ 6, There were approximately 1,000 registered bidders in attendance with 13 volunteer auctioneers conducting the auction. The Board of Directors wishes to thank all who participated by donating time, items, and various other items & work that made the 2010 Brethren Disaster Relief Auction a success!! Connec ions - the Sunday gathering in the fellowship hall at 9:15 am - continues to meet weekly for people who want to connect to God, God s Word, & each other. Topics have included: child-like faith, surrender, pride, confession, sacrifice, wisdom, righteousness, belief, fear, and zealousness. Topics are explored through the study of Scripture & discussion. Anyone is welcome, any time for one, or more, Sundays. Questions can be directed to Janet Myers, , or myzan@embarqmail.com.

3 Page 3 November Sermon Texts & Servants November 7 November 14 November 21 November 28 Messenger Pastor Kenneth Acts 13:1-13 John Weber Acts 15:36-41 Pastor Kenneth Acts 17:16-34 Janet Myers Organist Mary Jane Smith Mary Jane Smith Janet Myers Pianist Sylvia Weaver Brenda Geib Special Music Choir Combined Men s Choir Choir Children Sing! & Sarah Kolp Offertory Nicole Drawbaugh Chorister Regena Tripp David Myers June Kolp Glenn Weaver Greeters Randy & Karen Ginder The Klugh Family Cindy Collins & Diane Sides Greg & Julie Ramsey Leader John Weber Don Hollinger Don Hollinger Don Hollinger Ushers Youth New Horizons SS Class Faith Seekers SS Class Homebuilders SS Class 8 am Nursery/Toddler Daryl & Angie Harnish Mike & Marcia Hawthorne Nursery Shawn & Lisa Cannon Abbi Schwanger & Cindy Seitz Tanya Stewart Marilyn Keener Toddler Jackie Sawyer & Adrienne Fellenbaum Deb & Rebekka Klugh Jackie Sawyer & Adrienne Fellenbaum September & October Stats September 26 October 3 October 10 October 17 Total Sunday School General $5, $4, $5, $5, Building $1, $ $ Deacon $81.00 $20.00 $70.00 Seminary $50.00 $25.00

4 Page 4 Fall is in the air at Tiny Timbers these days...we visited an apple orchard, saw apples growing on trees & picked one, learned some interesting things about apples (and stink bugs too) and got some delicious apple cider....we cut, cooked and pressed some apples into yummy applesauce to eat for our snack and turned an apple peeler, amazed at how fast it took the skin off the apple!...we went to a pumpkin patch to see how pumpkins grow in fields and bought some to take home with us. We also got to take a fun ride out to the pumpkin field in a blue barrel train, thanks to Mr. Kevin s dad, Mahlon Charles....we cut open a big orange pumpkin and scooped out the slimy stuff & seeds inside and we played with little pumpkins hauling them around in our trucks....we played pizza parlor, ordering and serving each other. We also made a real personal pizza for our snack one day! In this fall season we have had lots to be thankful for...safety, general good health, lots of energy, many interesting days & the support of you as the West Green Tree Church family. We appreciate your prayers so much and ask that you continue to remember us as we share God s love each day! Miss Char, MWF Teacher GIANT A+ SCHOOL REWARDS PROGRAM Tiny Timbers has the opportunity to participate in the GIANT A+ Rewards Program. Tiny Timbers receives 1% cash back on eligible purchases at Giant Food Stores by using your BONUSCARD when you shop. Parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, relatives etc. can be involved. The money that we make with the GIANT A+ Rewards will be put into a scholarship fund for families having difficulties with tuition payments. This is how to begin: Go to Click on designate. Enter the first three digits of your last name and your BONUSCARD number. Click Log in. Enter the preschool ID number for Tiny Timbers: Click Designate School and you re ready to go! If you have an older Bonus Card, you may need to update your info by calling Questions? Cindy Seitz at marmesgzz@yahoo.com, or call at Thank you so much for your Prayers, Love, and Support, The Tiny Timbers Staff and Board Survey Questions Answered (continued from cover) purchased a new copier in 2008, we purchased a machine that would do this job for us, which eliminated the need to outsource, thereby saving approximately $2,000 in the process. Unfortunately, our machine cannot publish booklets as large as the previous ones, which required cutting some of the information that was previously printed. Publishing the budget was one of those cuts, since it consumed several pages in each Yearbook. A copy of the budget is distributed at each Congregational Business Meeting and can otherwise be secured at the church office anytime. I would hope that no changes would be made to our two worship services. I have always believed that it is not the style of worship (contemporary or traditional) that matters as much as the content of worship (who/what is being exalted, served and adored). As it stands, I have no plans to change the styles of the worship services. The last time we reviewed the worship styles and Sunday morning schedule, overwhelmingly people preferred the current structure we have with an 8am contemporary service followed by a 10:30am traditional service, and I have no plans to change this in the future. A change of this nature would require the blessing of Nurture Commission, followed by Board and subsequent approval by the congregation. Thank you for providing honest feedback through these surveys. They will be utilized to help the leadership of the congregation discern God s will for future staff. As always, you are welcomed to direct other questions you have to me or Mary Jane Smith, Moderator. Thank you for being a congregation that seeks to be of one heart and mind (Acts 4:32a)! Your fellow servant in Christ, Kenneth A. Stewart, Senior Pastor

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6 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Beth Moore Bible Study Jr. High Clubs, Sr. High Clubs, & Young Adult Bible Study Girl Scout Troop Mtg. 6:30 pm :00 am Sunday School 9:15 am Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Dedication Beth Moore Bible Study Tiny Timbers Board Mtg. 8 9 Congregational Business Mtg. 7pm Girl Scout Troop Mtg. 6:30 pm 10 Jr. High Clubs, Sr. High Clubs, & Young Adult Bible Study Women s Crochet class 8:30 am Men s Woods Event 4 pm 14 8:00 am Sunday School 9:15 am 15 Beth Moore Bible Study December Newsletter Submissions Due Board Mtg Jr. High Clubs, Sr. High Clubs, & Young Adult Bible Study 18 Girl Scout Troop Mtg. 6:30 pm Youth Laser Tag 11 pm 19 Youth Laser Tag 5:30 am :00 am Sunday School 9:15 am 22 Beth Moore Bible Study Jr. High Clubs, Sr. High Clubs, & Young Adult Bible Study (church office closed) (church office closed) Anointing Sunday 8:00 am Sunday School 9:15 am 29 30

7 Page 7 Anniversaries 11/3 - Toby & Helen Weber 11/5 - Brad & Kari Gantz 11/7 - Joel & Kelly Garber 11/11 - Randy & Karen Ginder 11/18 - Charles & Charlotte Riggleman 11/24 - Matt & Peggy Harry 11/25 - Jamie & Gale Longenecker 11/26 - Kipp & Diane Kulas 11/27 - Rick& Vicky Swartz Birthdays 11/2 - Dustin Heistand 11/4 - Evan Sucharski 11/6 - Helen Cochran 11/7 - Donna Murphy, Nichole Winters, Tanya Stewart 11/9 - Adam Mummau 11/10 - Ella Louise Kile, Rose Thompson 11/11 - Jason Miller, Derek Groff, Lance Haverkamp 11/12 - Ruth Carlson, Raymond Shoemaker 11/13 - Earl Shenk 11/14 - Liane Sucharski, Margaret Stumpf, Mike Grim 11/15 - Andrew Kulas 11/17 - Michael Cicero Jr., Autumn Ginder 11/19 - Madison Harry 11/20 - Walt Johnson, Samantha Ginder 11/21 - Audrey Garber 11/23 - Jayden Gingher 11/24 - Joshua Flowers, Holly Leonard 11/26 - Zachary Grove 11/28 - Kathy Risser, Aiden Hawthorne 11/30 - Mellanie Williams, Courtney Peffley DOERS OF THE WORD "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" James 1:22 We all know the story of the good Samaritan. The interesting thing about this story is that the Jews and Samaritans really didn't care much for each other. I don't know if it was racial, ethnic or whatever, but that really doesn't matter. In God s eyes, there are no differences between people. God s word tells us to help those in need. On Sept. 3, Duane and I were traveling on 283 to go to Hershey for a football game. We came across three men on the side of 283 with a pickup truck and a flat tire. One of the men was motioning like they needed a jack, another man yelled jack. We stopped and loaned them our jack. One of the men mentioned that they were trying for over an hour to get someone to stop. Can you imagine how many cars and trucks would pass them on 283 in an hours time on the start of the Labor Day weekend? You may wonder how this relates to the good Samaritan. Well, there were 2 black men and 1 white man and they looked pretty scruffy. It's a shame, but, in our world there is so much stereotyping. That is probably why no one would stop. Aren't you glad Jesus never stereotyped? One of the men offered me money. I refused it. I just told him that if he gets the chance to help someone else then just pay it forward. Steve Bender

8 WEST GREEN TREE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN 740 Greentree Road Elizabethtown, PA WEST GREEN TREE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN Kenneth A. Stewart, Pastor Donald E. Hollinger, Pastor John Weber, Ministry Intern Paula M. Jones, Administrative Assistant Phone: Fax: Our Purpose Statement We intentionally develop friends of Jesus Christ by sharing God s love through words and deeds. Sunday Service Times: Contemporary 8:00 am Sunday School 9:15 am Traditional Wednesday Service Times: Jr. High 7:00 pm Sr. High 7:00 pm Young Adult Bible