Envoy. Renovation Dedication Date Announced! Ministry Architects is Coming to PCOB! Sabbatical for Pastor Lohr in Palmyra Church of the Brethren

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1 Envoy Volume 28, No. 2 February 2017 Palmyra Church of the Brethren Ministry Architects is Coming to PCOB! Imagine strong, revitalized and sustainable Children s, Youth and Young Adult Ministries in our church! Accomplishing this requires careful assessment and planning, strategic use of available resources, knowledge of and coaching in best practices, and regular evaluations with needed adjustments, all guided by clear values, goals and objectives. Shorter paths may provide quick fixes, but such strategies prove to be unsustainable and short lived. Our success in these important areas of ministry will impact our ability to live out our mission statement; to invite, welcome, nurture, disciple, equip, empower and inspire all persons to live and serve in the way of Jesus. For the past year the Education and Pastoral Relations Teams have been working with staff to prepare for a consultation with Ministry Architects, a consulting firm from Tennessee. In the same way that our building renovations included the skills of architects and engineers in order to produce a high quality result, we have sought Ministry Architects to guide us in building solid, effective and enduring ministry structures. They will be here over the weekend of February to interview parents, teachers, helpers, advisors, leaders and church members, to assess our current ministries, resources and opportunities, and to make clear recommendations that will guide our efforts in building strong, revitalized and sustainable ministries. Thirteen listening sessions have been planned on Friday and Saturday, the 24th and 25th, with designated groups participating in each session. On Sunday, February 26 at 3 pm Ministry Architects will give the assessment report to the congregation in the Gathering Space. Please watch for the Listening Session schedule and information on how to participate. Strong involvement from the congregation is important to the effectiveness of this initiative. Renovation Dedication Date Announced! Please mark your calendars for Saturday, March 25, 5-7pm for a Phase I Renovation Dedication Celebration! Join us for a delicious meal prepared in our new kitchen and enjoyed in our newly renovated fellowship hall, a dedication ceremony, a celebration of those who have contributed time, talent and treasure, and a report on the overall costs of the project and the strategies for debt retirement and additional phases. Details about how to register for the event will be announced soon. Sabbatical for Pastor Lohr in 2017 The Board of Administration has approved the request of the Pastoral Relations Team to grant Pastor Lohr a two month Sabbatical in Denominational guidelines prescribe a period of Sabbath Rest for every seven years of pastoral service. It has been fourteen years since Pastor Lohr s last Sabbatical. Allowances were approved by the Congregational Council in the 2017 Budget for coverage during the Sabbatical. Pastor Lohr has announced the dates for the Sabbatical as July 17- September 17, He has been in conversation with the Pastoral Relations Team on the study focus of his Sabbatical. The Pastoral Relations Team encouraged Pastor Lohr to take this Sabbatical believing that the congregation would benefit greatly from this opportunity for him to step back, rest, study, reflect and pray as he seeks to discern God s guidance for the future direction and ministries of our congregation. Upcoming Envoy articles will address the value of Sabbaticals for the congregation, the plans that are being made for coverage, and the study focus of the Sabbatical.

2 2 Scout Sunday, February 5 February is Scout Month. Scouts will be sitting together and assisting in the February 5 worship service. This church has sponsored the Boy Scout Troop since February, 1967, and the Cub Scout Pack since February, Neither would exist without the sponsorship of this church. February 5! The youth will be collecting non-perishable food items as part of the Souper Bowl of Caring. However, this year s collection will be a little different! We will set out 2 large boxes beginning Sunday, January 29, each labeled with one of the two teams playing in the Super Bowl. Your task will be to add donations to the box of the team you wish to win the Super Bowl! Don t care who wins? Ask a friend I m sure there will be plenty of fans ready to win your vote! Food donations will count as one point per item. Monetary donations will count as one point per dollar. Then, on Sunday, February 5, Super Bowl Sunday, we will total the collections and announce the winner! All donations will be given to the Caring Cupboard. All-Church Appreciation Sunday Coming Soon! Three Cents a Meal The Three Cents A Meal offering will be received on Sunday, February 19. For this offering, we set aside three cents for each household member for each meal we have and then collect that money in February and September. The first two of every three cents received will go to support the Global Food Crisis Fund, which assists in developing food security for the hungry throughout the world by providing food, tools, seeds, livestock and education. The third cent will support the Caring Cupboard here in Palmyra and its mission to help those in need in our community. The Palmyra Church of the Brethren generally collects around $1,000 or more with this offering. Whether you have been saving those pennies since the last Three Cents a Meal offering or prefer to give paper money or write a check, all gifts will be appreciated and will be put to good use for those in need. February 12 has been selected as the Sunday to express appreciation to one another for the many acts of service that build up the Body of Christ at the Palmyra Church of the Brethren. Persons nominated by each team will receive special recognition during worship. This special Sunday is a celebration of all who contribute time and talent to the work of our vibrant congregation.

3 3 The Annual Hearts Party! Saturday, February 11, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. In the Gathering Place Play a Yahtzee-type game. Eat yummy snacks and desserts. Great fun for the young & old at heart. Happy Valentine s Day Date Serving In Ushers 2/5 Flowers Ellen Lebo Laura Whitman 2/12 February Kuchanda DY NA Dennis Runkle 2/19 2/26 Andy & Bethany Hoffer NA NA Child Care Brenda Heisey Samantha Auer Cindy Groff Donna Fawber Via Deb Blouch Cindy Albaugh Betty Smith Shirley Spahr

4 4 Our musical groups are looking for more participants! Praise Team Chancel Choir Chancel Bells Drum Circle Also.Men s & Women s Ensembles!

5 5 The Caring Church From Infancy to Primetime By Pastor Bill Cave I pose the following three questions for you to ponder: 1. How do you define authentic spirituality? 2. Is authentic spirituality the same for all people? 3. What does a mature spirituality require of me? The scriptural texts which provide the context for these questions are Romans 14:1-4 and Romans 14:7-13. Authentic spirituality involves a very complex challenge, one with which serious followers of Jesus have always had to struggle. On the one hand, there are those whose lifestyle is hyper-religious which is evidenced by quickly passing judgment on others and being offended by mystery and uncertainty. On the other hand, there are those who present with a cool non-shalance which is evidenced by an anything goes attitude. Unfortunately, this attitude is quick to embrace our rights in Christ at the expense of our responsibilities in Christ toward one another. We are not to be content, however, with merely finding some middle ground of compromise between these two approaches. As serious followers of Jesus, the task before us is rather that of finding, as author Charles E. Poole suggests, something higher, greater, and deeper than either of these two approaches to life, something that reflects authentic Christ-centered spirituality. In the two scriptures referenced above, Paul addresses this higher and deeper approach by calling upon those who are more mature in the faith to accommodate and to be patient with those who are still new to the faith. Refrain, he says, from passing judgment; love one another and take each other s struggles seriously in order to promote a joyful acceptance of diverse perspectives. This, Paul believes, is the hallmark of authentic Christ-centered spirituality. This is the level of spirituality that the good folk of Palmyra Church of the Brethren are seeking to embrace. We are serious about welcoming, as Charles E. Poole observes, a simpler, quieter, kinder, truer, purer, and more passionate life of love and witness. Paul called the community of believers in Rome to this kind of authentic spirituality for it produces a communal life that is bighearted and openhanded. This is exactly the higher ground that informs and is shaping us as a caring community of persons who choose to follow Jesus peacefully, simply, and together. Authentic spirituality, we believe, is not just about how we feel and talk but more about the way we live and act. Congregational Updates! We offer our prayers for the health concerns of the following: David Kulp, Bob Rhine, Ginny Hallacher, Ray Bashore, John Heisey, Vera Freed, Sam Gingrich, Nancy Hartman, Carol Kulp, Sarah Brandt, Bill Cave, Dick Groff. We extend our sympathy to the family of Ruth Smith who passed away on December 31st. We welcomed Ken Maulfair into our membership on Sunday, January 22nd.

6 6 The music department is preparing for a season of reflection and celebration sure to "ignite the spirit, enrich the mind, and empower the positive" - the late Helen Kemp. Please come and be part of the musical spirit as we journey through Lent and arrive at the Glory of Easter. For most church choirs, as well as with the PCoB Chancel Choir, there is little to no increase in younger members joining the ranks of our aging participants. My hope is that this can change so the choir becomes intergenerational and increases in size and diversity. To do this we must: 1. Make note of the benefits of intergenerational choirs and promote them. 2. Understand, address, and support our vocal and physical changes so that we can ensure successful lifelong participation. 3. Continue to vary our repertoire selections so that they remain relevant while still contributing to an optimal musical environment that provides success for a diverse population of musicians. 4. Have fun embracing the musical, social, and cultural aspects of this dynamic group experience as we learn from one another. We are recruiting vocalists from teens to adults for the praise team and for Chancel Choir, bell ringers and substitutes for Canticle Bells, and an experienced percussionist for Praise Team. Canticle Bell Choir: Rehearses in the Sanctuary on Wednesday evenings at 7:15 p.m. Praise Team: Rehearses on Thursday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary Chancel Choir: Rehearses on Thursday evenings at 7:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary Women's Ensemble rehearsals will be as follows: March 8, 15, and 22 at 6:15 p.m. singing March 26th with drum circle and then again March 29th, April 19th and 26 at 6:15 p.m. singing April 30th. PCoB s music ministry will provide a program of word and song for the residents of LVBH on Wednesday, March 1st at 7:00 p.m. Please come and listen to the Chancel Choir, Men's & Women's Ensembles and Canticle Bells as we offer selections from our current choir season's programming. Thank you to Bob Bucher for building a new podium for the music director. We are glad to announce the addition of Elsie Reynolds to the Chancel Choir and Praise Team as well as Greg Baiocchi to the Men's Ensemble. Welcome Elsie and Greg Special Music Summer Schedule: By Jeff Clouser, Director of Music Sundays: June 11th through September 17th. Vocal / Instrumental / Drama / Art / Liturgical Dance Please Sign Up Today Outside the Choir Room

7 7 Library Request LVBH Auxiliary Presents Jonestown Male Chorus Sunday, February 19, 7:00 p.m. DiMatteo Worship Center Do you subscribe to Messenger? Do you retain back issues? If so, might you be willing to donate the November, 2015 and the December, 2015 issues to the library? We try to include a copy of each Messenger in our collection, but we're missing those two. Thank you for your assistance in keeping us complete and up to date! Health Ministry News By Teresa Keller, Parish Nurse As we age, we often suffer from more than one ailment, such as heart disease and diabetes, or high blood pressure and glaucoma, etc. When each component is treated with its own prescription without due regard for what might happen when the drugs interact, it spells trouble. In today s world of specialization, we often see more than one physician and the physicians don t always know of all the drugs we re taking either because we forget to tell them or because they forget to consult the chart each time they prescribe something new. Also, even when potential interactions are well-monitored, sometimes we forget to take the right dose at the right time, or decide on our own to discontinue or cut back on a drug or two, or to add over-the-counter remedies, vitamins, and herbal supplements without informing our physicians. Now, keeping that in mind, look at some statistics: Over a 3 rd of all hospital admissions for persons over 65 are due to drug-related problems or the toxic effects of drugs. The average number of medications prescribed for elderly patients is 4.5 and in the nursing homes it s even higher at 9. You put all these statistics together with someone who may be a little confused or who doesn t store their meds appropriately and there is potential for trouble. The most frequently seen harmful interactions involve three groups of drugs heart drugs, pain drugs, and drugs used to treat depression/psychosis. For instance, Prozac, Zoloft, Coumadin, Digoxin, Demerol, and Darvon are some of the drugs that warrant special attention because they are prone to interact with other drugs more readily than others. What can you do?? Keep an updated list of every medication, the doses and the frequency of the dose that you take, and take it with you every time you see a doctor. An index card works nicely for this and remember to do it in pencil medications and dosages change! Make sure your doctors (all of them) know about any vitamins and supplements you take or wish to take. Try to stick with one primary physician who coordinates your care with the other physicians you may see and also with the pharmacy. If you start a new drug or supplement, ask your doctor if it will interact with any of your other medications. Remember, YOU are your own best advocate for the safety of your own health!

8 8 The Church Mouse Attends a Concert Periodically, the Church Mouse will be offering observations on things going on around at PCOB. Look for stories in upcoming newsletters! If I'm going to become known to you folks, I'd just as soon you call me by my name. I'm not just any church mouse. I'm special because I've learned to love you folks called Brethren, the people who gather with their friends, who laugh a lot and whose hearts are warm. My name is Nibbles. Over the years I've learned to know the lady in church named Eileen. She wakes me up almost every week day morning when she comes in to practice on that loud sounding thing she calls an organ. (I have organs inside me but none of them sound like that!) Anyway, lately she's been playing something else. They sound like bells; maybe that's why I hear people talk about handbells. Well, one Sunday afternoon last December, I was just getting settled for my afternoon nap when noises started in the church. What is this interrupting my quiet time? People came in and sat down and pretty soon the lady named Eileen came out and started to play music on those handbells. Sometimes she even held 2 bells in each hand. How she knew what to play I'll never know because she didn't have one of those black things in front of her with a white paper on it with lots of little black circles and lines. "How many people are here?" I wondered. Well, the only way I can find out is to run around on this soft carpet and count the feet. I hope nobody steps on me! Okay, I'm tired out from all that running and dodging of people moving their feet, but I managed not to lose count. I came up with 156 feet, let's see divided by 2 means there were 78 people. That's pretty great for a rainy, foggy, windy afternoon. I can't forget to tell you about two other very special parts of the afternoon. Eileen didn't play everything by herself. Another lady named Evelyn sat at the big piano and played along with her, except instead of one note at a time, she had all 10 of her fingers and her feet going. Remember, I know about moving feet. Just as things were ending, the curtain on the side balcony opened and there were some other people playing some other bells. Eileen was surprised to see them. I could tell she didn't know about this by the look on her face. The man named Jeff was waving his arms to tell them when to play and he told everyone that they were people from bell choirs that Eileen had directed over the years. Well, that about ended the afternoon except they said there would be something to eat. So I decided to check that out. I heard something about cheese and you know me and cheese. So, I'm off until something else happens around here. Hopefully, they'll have food. I like these Brethren who always seem to have food.

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12 12 Palmyra Church of the Brethren Continuing the work of Jesus. Peacefully Simply Together 45 North Chestnut Street, Palmyra, PA Office: Fax: Website: STAFF Lead Pastor Dennis M. Lohr Coordinator of Congregational Care Bill Cave Director of Young Adults Ministries Rachel Witkovsky Director of Youth Ministries Bethany Hoffer Director of Children Ministries Missy Thompson Music Director Jeff Clouser Office Administrator Gail Wagner The mission of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren is to Invite, welcome, nurture, disciple, equip, empower and inspire all persons to live and to serve in the way of Jesus. Envoy is the official publication of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren. It is published 11 times a year. Editors are DeeAnn Daniels, Deb Wilson and Gail Wagner. Deadline for the March 2017 s Envoy is February 9, articles to: envoy@palmyracob.org Please include the month the article is to be published.