Envoy. Palmyra Church of the Brethren. Volume 24, No. 11 December 2013

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1 Envoy Palmyra Church of the Brethren Volume 24, No. 11 December 2013

2 October saw us crawl out of the red and into the black and from empty stock room shelves to some inventory. We had two excellent fund raising efforts.

We are still waiting for the results of Gravel Hill UMC Cemetery Ridge 5K.

Church of the Latter Day Saints. We have virtually stopped buying non-perishables. In October, businesses donated 8565 lbs.; churches, 2640 lbs.; organizations, 4103 lbs.

2 2 October saw us crawl out of the red and into the black and from empty stock room shelves to some inventory. We had two excellent fund raising efforts. The Pastabilities Dinner broke both attendance and money received records. Final totals are $3,200. The Walk for the Caring Cupboard coordinated by Sandy Fausey, raised over $5,500. We are still waiting for the results of Gravel Hill UMC Cemetery Ridge 5K. We are now anticipating a major infusion of nonperishables from a number of sources led by the Boy Scout Food Drive, numerous church Harvest Home collections, and $1000 worth of product from the Church of the Latter Day Saints. We have virtually stopped buying non-perishables. In October, businesses donated 8565 lbs.; churches, 2640 lbs.; organizations, 4103 lbs.; and 47 Individual donations, 1449 lbs. That is 16,757 lbs. of product. We purchased 6111 lbs. for a total intake of 22,868. Now for some troubling news, our number of families is up to over 130 per week. Previously, the largest number of families were coming to us just once a month. Now we see more families coming numerous times per month. New families are young with children, single parents, and middle age families with and without children at home. I attribute the increase to two factors. More and more large employers of entry level personnel are cutting their hours and overtime so as not to comply with the Affordable Care Act. Also, our families are stocking up (taking their maximum amount) in anticipation of the cuts in SNAP (food stamps) that went into effect November 1. Celebrate the holiday season, and our Brethren heritage by purchasing shares of animals for loved ones through Heifer Project International. Founded by Church of the Brethren member Dan West nearly 70 years ago, Heifer Project International fights hunger and poverty by providing animals and training in their care to families with the condition they give animal's firstborn to another family. That family will do the same, so the impact of the original gift will be felt long after the end of the holiday season. Today Heifer is active in 30 countries across 5 continents and has helped over 20.7 million families. Outreach team members will be available at the Heifer table in the fellowship hall during December 1,8, 15, and 22 at fellowship 30 along with at the Santa Breakfast on December 7 with cards to provide to those in whose name you are donating the gifts. For more information on Heifer Project International, go to Miles in Memory of Peter Haldeman! Donations will go to Youth attending National Youth Conference. Sign up at the mail slots to bike, walk, run, kayak, horse ride or to sponsor participants. Campaign runs through June 1, Contact Dennis Coffman, with questions.

Pop tart & fruit breakfast Ornament making Gingerbread house building Crazy Christmas games Thanks to everyone for their cards, prayers, visits and concerns as I am going through chemo.

3 3 Hey Kids! Join us for a Christmas Celebration Saturday, December 14 9:00-11:30 a.m., Fellowship Hall Sign-Up Sheet The 2014 Altar Flower sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board by the church office entrance. Please sign up for the week and/or weeks that you would like to donate the flowers on the altar. Pop tart & fruit breakfast Ornament making Gingerbread house building Crazy Christmas games Thanks to everyone for their cards, prayers, visits and concerns as I am going through chemo. Ruth Ann Heisey The Christmas Lunch (Dutch treat) at the Hometown Restaurant will be on December 11 at 12:00 noon. A sign up sheet is at the mail slots. CONGREGATIONAL TIDBITS FOR DECEMBER HEALTH CONCERNS: Bob Rhine, Alice Ruth Gingrich, Erma Hott, Art Zellers, Carolyn Buffenmyer, Nancy Hartman, Anna G. Wagner, Ruth Ann Heisey, Grace Weaver OUR SYMPATHY TO: Glayds Felker, Connie Felker and Tim & Barbara Felker on the death of Clyde Samuel Felker. The family of Grace Weaver who passed away on November 15. CONGRATULATIONS TO: Josh Flowers who was sworn in as a member of the Indiana State Bar and is licensed to practice law! It has been a very long and at times hard road for him especially with two little ones and Kathy working to support everyone. DIRECTORY UPDATE: Jeff Finkbiner: oaktree@paonline.com

4 4 Christmas Cards for Shut-ins Send Christmas greetings to some special folks this year! Take a few minutes to join in this annual Christmas Ministry with your friends at Palmyra Church of the Brethren by adding these names to your greeting card list. We ve included the names of folks who are homebound, who ve lost close loved ones during the last few years, and others coping with particular challenges. Unless specified, please check the church directory for addresses. Don t be limited by the list though you probably know other folks who could use some extra holiday encouragement! AND...make a Resolution to offer loving encouragement throughout the New Year! Helen Bailey Ruby Barb Don & Dolores Bashore Ray Bashore Jay Baum Lebanon Brethren Home 1200 Grubb St., Fake Green House Palmyra, PA Fern Beam Sarah Brandt Dorothy Brubaker Pauline Bucher Esther Buck Inez Cline Mary Conkle Ruth Cutman Adam & Kay Diebus Paul & Evelyn Dietz Lennie DiMatteo Kirby Dubble 1310 Grubb Road Palmyra, PA Mary Fackler Jay & Evelyn Frantz Walter & Alice Ruth Gingrich Tim & Karen, Katie Haldeman Arlene Hartman Ruth Ann Heisey Michael Hoover 1103 Gravel Hill Road, Grantville, PA Erma Hott Martha Hunsicker Al Kaylor Carl Kreider Ellen Lebo Robert & Shirley Martin Ruth Smith Leroy Snoke Nancy Steckman Hal & Jean Steiner Anna G. Wagner Anna K. Wagner Mary Walborn Junior & Jean Waybright Grace Weaver Hill Farm Estates 200 Kauffman Road Annville, PA Ralph & Mary Weaver

5 5 Office Closed! The church office will be closed on December 24 & 25 and December 31 and January 1. Please call the church office and follow the prompts to leave a message for the pastor on-call for any emergencies during these days. Someone will return your call as soon as possible. You re invited to a Coffee House (Proceeds benefit the Youth Fund.) Saturday, November 30 6:00 10:00 p.m. At the Gathering Place $5 per person 2014 Directory The staff is already working on the 2014 directory. Persons who haven t already contacted the church office are reminded to call Gail Wagner at or her at gwager@palmyracob.org with any address, telephone, or changes during Forms will be placed in all teams and Sunday school classes mail slots to be completed with their new organizational information no later than Janu- Enjoy live music by musicians from around the area. Coffee and baked goods available for purchase. Musicians welcome, contact Will Mattern, matwitchey2yahoo.com Baked good donations, contact Bethany Clark, bclark@palmyracob.org Worship Service Cancellation Procedure In the event of inclement weather, please check the following media for notifications: 1. Church s website: at the bottom of the home page, look under Announcements. 2. WLBR, 1270 AM 3. WHP CBS 21 - continuous updates on the TV screen or on their website, and click on "Stormwatch" Tab.

6 LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO. Several months ago I walked into the sanctuary on a Sunday morning and immediately spotted a couple I hadn't previously met.

Since that time they have worshipped with us regularly in the 10:30 service, joined the New Beginnings Sunday school class and have become members of our congregation.

6 6 LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO. Several months ago I walked into the sanctuary on a Sunday morning and immediately spotted a couple I hadn't previously met. "Hi", I said as I extended my hand, "I don't believe I know you folks". And that's how I met George and Teresa Keller. Since that time they have worshipped with us regularly in the 10:30 service, joined the New Beginnings Sunday school class and have become members of our congregation. With an address of Barley Lane, it's a pretty fair assumption that George and Teresa live in the Wheatstone development off Lingle Ave. Sure enough, Teresa, George, and Jack, their 10 year old Westie, met me at the front door. We settled in for a good visit. Teresa is a native of Portland, Oregon. Armed with a nursing degree, she joined the Navy and headed for Bethesda Hospital in Maryland. George was raised in near-by Camp Hill. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a BS in Chemistry and later received a PH.D. in Biochemistry from Penn State. It was during the time in Maryland that George and Teresa met. Eventually, they settled here in Palmyra since George had family in the area. Teresa has been a nurse for 28 years. The past 13 1/2 years she has been the school nurse at Forge Elementary. She has formerly served as a Parish Nurse, having been the first in the county. She is also trained in arthritic exercises as an instructor. George works at National Institutes of Health more commonly known as NIH. And yes, he was recently on a forced vacation with the government shutdown. Now back on the job, he travels to Bethesda, MD, one day a week and works the rest of the week at home in licensed technology. In fact, he developed the program that deals with the licensing of new medications. The Keller's have a blended family of five children: Emily lives in Shanghai and is a fashion designer, Chris in Oregon is a professional photographer. Living in Virginia is Jacqie, manager of an upscale jewelry store, Laura is in New Jersey and is the music administrator for the Lincoln Center Chamber Society in NYC, and Tyler, at home, is finishing his college career with an on-line program in game design programming. They have one granddaughter and two grandsons. Phewwwww! I was privileged to have a personal demonstration of the robot that George and Tyler developed over a 3 year period. This robot can be used in many ways. Teleconferencing for companies around the world or in a classroom for a child at home, unable to attend school are just two ideas. George also initiated the Robot Team at Palmyra High School which is still active. George and Teresa both have a heart for outreach and serving. Teresa serves as secretary for PACC. George has a vision of having available a product that he has developed called a Hear Assist Sound Amplifier for all who would benefit from it. He would love to see PCoB include this as an outreach project. This serves a very different purpose than the Soundmates that parishioners use for the morning service. While George's "hobby" revolves around his invention opportunities, Teresa also enjoys gardening, reading, walking Jack, and has developed a new interest of card stamping. We happily welcome George and Teresa into our PCoB family.

7 7 Atlantic Northeast District Conference Wrap-Up The 44 th conference was held at Elizabethtown College, Leffler Chapel and Performance Center, on October 4 & 5. Standing on the Promises was the theme. The Moderator was Thomas Fritz, member of the Hempfield congregation. Spring Creek was the host church for this year s conference. A total of 193 delegates attended, representing 72 of the 80 congregations. On Friday evening, a Minister s Recognition Dinner was held, hosted by the District Ministry Commission. Newly ordained, licensed, interim, and placed minsters were recognized as well at ACTS graduates. Friday evening s worship service was attended by 254. They were inspired by a 55 member district choir, led by Emery Dewitt. The speaker was Pete Kontra who presented the message, The End of Religion. An offering of $2,110 was taken for the Barbabas Fund. Saturday s business included the following: Approved disbanding of New Creation Fellowship Approved a budget for 2014 of $628,304. Approved the following slate: Moderator Elect David Ulm Program & Arrangements Rudy Bean Gifts Discernment William Cave, Marilyn Havrilla, Joann Martin Standing Committee James Myers Alternate Standing Committee- Misty Wintsch District Board Chair David Stauffer Church Development & Evangelism John Shaffer Ministry Galen Brumbaugh, Carol Doering Nurture & Christian Education Suzanne Schaudel Stewardship Ray Flagg Witness & Outreach Melody Keller, Ed Liskey Consecrated Sherry Eshleman, from the Lampeter congregation as the 2014 Moderator. Conference for 2014 will be on October 3 & 4

8 Historic Brethren Documents Now On-line You know how useful technology is.until it isn t?

What was the discussion in church conferences in the late 1800 s? What was life like on the mission field in the 1960 s?

and denominational offices (and even churches!) No one archive or library in the US contained a collection of all the publications.

Yet many of them were so deteriorated that they could not be handled without being damaged.

The cost seemed prohibitive until a grant was obtained which covered 90 % of the expenses. Additional funds were raised through generous donations as well.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU Each Sunday morning many people volunteer their time and talents to enrich our worship experiences.

8 8 Historic Brethren Documents Now On-line You know how useful technology is.until it isn t? Well here s an example of technology at its finest, with excerpts taken from a Church of the Brethren Newsline article: How has Brethren theology changed since 1708? What was the discussion in church conferences in the late 1800 s? What was life like on the mission field in the 1960 s? These are among the questions that, until a few years ago, could only be answered by turning pages of dusty (and sometimes fragile) Brethren publications located in basement archives of colleges and denominational offices (and even churches!) No one archive or library in the US contained a collection of all the publications. Representatives of the [church] recognized that these old periodicals were valuable sources of information. Yet many of them were so deteriorated that they could not be handled without being damaged. With that in mind, a group met at the Brethren Heritage Center in Ohio to determine how to make these old newspapers, magazines and journals accessible on the Internet. The cost seemed prohibitive until a grant was obtained which covered 90 % of the expenses. Additional funds were raised through generous donations as well. Today, most of the publications are available at no cost online. To access them go to archive.org/details/ brethrendigitalarchives and learn more about your unique denomination. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU Each Sunday morning many people volunteer their time and talents to enrich our worship experiences. Some of these people are quite visible the members of the choir and worship leaders, for example. Others serve behind the scenes by caring for children, placing flowers on the altar, ushering, or providing seasonal decorations for the sanctuary. A wide variety of tasks awaits you! For example, the Team is looking for. PCOB Children s Ministry. a volunteer or two to make sure that the pencils in the pews and attendance pads are available and sharp. Another task is monitoring the children s activity bags so that these bags have all the items needed to keep a little one s attention during worship and other services. If you have a working knowledge of PowerPoint, we need you to create and project slides for worship services. If you are interested in helping, please contact Carol Hoke or Lorrie Fackler-Long. The Worship Team

9 9 Cold Season Hydration Feeling dry and scratchy?? The cause could be dehydration. The cooler months of the year can sometimes make you neglect your daily water intake because you don t feel parched and aren t sweating like you do in warmer weather. But, here are three reasons to keep your water cup filled during fall and winter: Hydrate Despite the Chill you need to drink the same amount of water year around and maybe even more in the winter. Your body loses a lot of water during the cool months from day-to-day activities like breathing, staying warm, and urination. Winter activities like skiing, sledding - and even snowball fights - can lead to dehydration. Know the signs of dehydration (dizziness, headaches, constipation, dark eye circles) and quickly guzzle up some water. H20 Beauty - dry, nippy air can leave skin cracked and flaky, but water promotes skin circulation and can plump up your skin. While applying a hydrating moisturizer (fellas, too!) can help keep skin from cracking, adequate water consumption is key for flake-free skin. Water For Health in order for your body to fight illnesses, your body has to create mucous, which requires sufficient water to produce. Mucous membranes act as a barrier to catch and destroy harmful bacteria and viruses that want to enter your body. Cool, dry weather sucks up moisture quickly, which is why your lungs, throat, nose, and lips feel incredibly dry when you wake in the mornings. You should use a humidifier in your bedroom to keep your lungs and nasal passages lubricated. That way, your active mucous membranes can protect your body from outside invaders. The moral of the story? Drink PLENTY of water all through the winter months! Care Resources for the Holiday Season By Audrey Finkbiner, Coordinator of Congregational Care The holiday season stirs up difficult feelings for some of our family members, friends, and neighbors. All is not calm and bright. Merry Christmas! rings hollow to a person who suffers from depression, illness, or trauma. Happy Holidays! does not necessarily fit for a family that has experienced a death or other significant loss in recent months or years. How can we address this painful reality? Abbey Press created a collection of CareNotes that address issues of sadness and grief that seem to hit especially hard over the holiday season. You may have already seen them on display near the mailbox center in the sanctuary. These booklets are provided for you to use and to share with others who might benefit from the tips, information, and ideas they offer. After you ve read the booklet, keep it for reference or return it to the rack for someone else. May we all glimpse the deeper joy that can emerge as we walk together through life s valleys and shadows toward the light of Christ.

10 Christmas Eve Service Tuesday, December 24 Come and enjoy and time of warm fellowship and refreshments in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 p.m. Worship will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary.

10 10 Christmas Eve Service Tuesday, December 24 Come and enjoy and time of warm fellowship and refreshments in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 p.m. Worship will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Child Protection Policy Information Sessions The staff and education team have been working diligently for a number of months to update our Child Protection Policy in order to be in compliance with Pennsylvania State law and our insurance policy. The education team will be hosting two informational sessions during Fellowship 30 on December 8 th and 15 th in the Parlor. These sessions will be used to go over the policy and address the requirements for our child/youth helpers. We are asking especially that anyone who works with children or youth (SS teachers, advisors, nursery attendants, etc.) plan to attend one of these sessions, but would certainly welcome anyone who has a concern for the safety of our children/youth and adult helpers to attend. Copies of the policy are available on the church website and outside the church office. SERVING IN DECEMBER Date Greeters Ushers Flowers Child Care 12/1 Dave Smith Roy & Jean Summers Brenda Heisey Tara Garber 12/8 John Grace 12/15 Carol Grace George Bell, Paul Bucher, Mike Collins Andy & Mary Cantrell Vicki Ford Donna Fawber Via Allison Mattern Dawn Nye, May Smith 12/22 Steve Hoffer No Flowers Betty Smith 12/29 Robert Smith Steve & Elaine Hoffer

11 Christmas Breakfast Christmas is just around the corner!! Spread the Christmas cheer and join us on Saturday, December 7, for our annual Christmas Breakfast!

Adult meals are just $6 each and children s (ages 4-12) are only $4 each, while infants through age 3 eat absolutely free! All meals can be purchased at the door.

Gifts in a Jar on Sale for the Holidays Thanks to everyone who donated canning jars for this fundraiser!

All items will be on sale at the Christmas Breakfast on December 7 th and then during Fellowship 30 each week of December after that until they are gone.

11 11 Christmas Breakfast Christmas is just around the corner!! Spread the Christmas cheer and join us on Saturday, December 7, for our annual Christmas Breakfast! Warm up with a hot, all you can eat, pancake breakfast with friends and family! You won t want to miss out on this exciting event! Adult meals are just $6 each and children s (ages 4-12) are only $4 each, while infants through age 3 eat absolutely free! All meals can be purchased at the door. The Christmas Breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, December 7, from 7:30-10:30am in the Fellowship Hall. Proceeds benefit the Youth Fund. Gifts in a Jar on Sale for the Holidays Thanks to everyone who donated canning jars for this fundraiser! We have assembled an assortment of different recipes to help you with your Christmas Shopping this year. All items will be on sale at the Christmas Breakfast on December 7 th and then during Fellowship 30 each week of December after that until they are gone. Peace Pilgrimage This year is the 54th annual Peace Pilgrimage, a 10 mile walk between Nazareth and Bethlehem (in Pennsylvania) during the Christmas season to witness for peace. This year s walk is on Saturday, December 14. This pilgrimage is symbolic of the journey of Mary and Joseph and a great way to prepare your hearts and minds for the Christmas season. For more information, check out Over the past couple of years, members of our youth group have participated in this event and found meaning and enjoyment from the journey. This year we would like to extend the invitation to all who might be interested in attending. This is an all-day event. We will meet at the church at 8:45am and return around 10pm. Those interested in participating should contact Bethany Clark. You are invited! Bible Reading Marathon It s been four years since our last Bible Reading Marathon. How long does it take to read the Bible cover to cover nonstop? Working together, we can accomplish it in just a little over 80 hours. Beginning with Genesis 1:1 at 12:01 am on January 1, 2014 volunteers will take turns (15 minutes each) reading the Bible from the sanctuary pulpit, starting wherever the previous person left off. The reading will continue day and night until we reach the last chapter and verse of Revelation. We will need lots of volunteer readers. Timed signup sheets will be posted in mid December.

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Palmyra Church of the Brethren

Palmyra Church of the Brethren TODAY Calendar Sunday, April 2 - Sunday, April 9 5th Sunday in Lent 9:00 a.m. Worship 10:00 a.m. Fellowship 10:30 a.m. Study MONDAY 7:00 p.m. AA 7:00 p.m. Al-Anon 7:00 p.m. Pastoral Relations Team - Staff