Session. finalized and approved for distribution to the congregation.

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THE GLEANER Vol. CXXXIII, No. 107 September 2013 The McConnellsburg United Presbyterian Church Office: 485-4400 Pastor: 717-658-9927 email: office@mupc.org web page: mupc.

1 THE GLEANER Vol. CXXXIII, No. 107 September 2013 The McConnellsburg United Presbyterian Church Office: Pastor: web page: mupc.org My current favorite song is the new hit by Sara Bareilles called Brave. I know some...well, most of you don t listen to the same music I do, but even still I think you can relate to the lyrics. Everybody s been there, everybody s been stared down by the enemy. Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing, bow down to the mighty. Don t run, stop holding your tongue. Maybe there s a way out of the cage where you live. Maybe one of these days you can let the light in. Show me how big your brave is. At some point in our lives all of us have been too intimidated or afraid to pursue what we really wanted. We ve let words go unsaid because of a fear of vulnerability; we ve forgotten that wonderful verse from 1 John that says, Perfect love casts out fear. In some ways, so many of us live our lives controlled by various fears. Fears and insecurities about money, security, what others think of us, how we re perceived, letting people down, looking foolish, not being good enough. The list goes on and on. Bob Goff, author of the wonderful book Love Does, writes, Fear wants us to keep track of our failures like there s a page count; grace doesn t even write them down. Maybe bravery and grace actually can go hand-in-hand. There s a funny thing about bravery. Something can t be considered brave if you weren t afraid to begin with. It s only by facing a fear, by not letting your fears control you, that you can be brave. Without fear, there can be no bravery. Fears want to keep us from living fully into the image of God; grace says that fears have no place among perfect love. So just because you experience fear doesn t mean you re conquered. It s only by facing our fears, empowered by the holy spirit, that we can truly be brave. As God says to Joshua, I am with you. Be strong and courageous. Or as Sara Bareilles might say, Show me how big your brave is. Pastor Eavn

2 Session Session met on August 21 st for their stated monthly meeting at 6:35 pm in the Fellowship House. All elders and the moderator were present except for Donna Ankney who was absent and excused. Elder Mary Lou Eisenhower led devotions and opened the meeting with prayer. The June 19 th session meeting minutes were approved. The average June worship attendance was 71, the average July worship attendance was 68 and 76 individuals participated in the July 14 th Communion. Pastor Evan reported he has completed the summer course in Program Management for Villanova and will begin the fall semester next week with a course on Human Resources and one on Financial Management. He met with Wes and Chas Howells concerning their baptisms. In addition, he led worship every week as he and the congregation explored a Biblical understanding of Heaven and the new Earth. Elder Mary Lou Eisenhower reported a total of $826 was the offering during the May Presbytery meeting held at our church. This amount was donated to the Fulton County Food Basket. Elder Jack Rhodes was given an opportunity to comment on the May 18, 2013 Community Outreach Day. Jack will send Don Fowler a thank you note for his assistance with the use of the park. A donation of $100 was approved to be paid to the McConnellsburg Lions Club for the use of the park and to be paid from the general fund. The K to 3 yr. old Sunday school class teacher position is vacant. The pastor will contact congregation members as a possible teacher for this class. The Young Adult Sunday School class will not be offered until a core group within this age group commits to regular attendance. A Fundraising Memo for the Newly Installed Lift was reviewed, (cont. next column) (Session cont.) finalized and approved for distribution to the congregation. A memo was received from the stated clerk of Presbytery providing the minimum terms of call for pastors. Community Outreach Day photos were received from Renee Goodwin who provided the games. These photos will be provided for viewing on the church website. A request from Ed Wine was approved to replace his deceased sister as a Trustee of the Sloan Account for flowers. The clerk was instructed to contact Mr. Wine and complete the details. A Gideon s request was approved to have a minute for mission during worship on October 27, A Fulton County Family Partnership proposal was approved for the MUPC to fulfill the listed requirements and financially sponsor the parenting skills program beginning the week of Sept. 9 th. Included in the motion was that funding would come from the Memorial funds in the amount of $ and any additional amount would come from the general fund. A motion was approved to hold the annual church officer s (Session, Deacons and Trustees) meeting at Camp Sinoquipe on Sunday, September 29 th at 1 PM. A motion was approved to authorize the purchase of a new desk chair for Pastor Smith from Sam s Club at a cost of $180 plus MD tax. Pastor Smith s request for vacation was approved to include September 17 th 24 th ; October 1 st 17 th and December 1 st to 5 th, A motion was approved to move the stated Session meetings to September 25 th and October 23 rd. During the absence of the minister and with the confirmation of supply ministers, session members will be asked to introduce the guest ministers. Elder Janet Gordon will be the Presbytery Commissioner to Presbytery s September 24 th meeting at Mifflintown, PA. Session approved a Pastor Appreciation Sunday event to be held on October 27, (cont. next page)

3 (Session cont.) Christian Education reported three Camp Krislund campers from our congregation (full scholarships) and three campers from the community at large (75% of cost scholarships) were supported with funding from the Timothy Walker Fund. A Rally Day program will be held at 9:30 am with a breakfast to follow at 10 am on September 8, A minute for mission was approved for the 2013 Crop Walk on September 22, Elder Johnston, as financial committee chair is directed to complete action as requested from F&M Trust and M&T bank concerning various bank forms. The meeting adjourned with prayer by the moderator at 9:42 pm. Trustees Meeting of August 1, NOTE: There was no July meeting. Present: Gary Ankney, Jerry Reed, Chris Youngblood, Scott Alexander, Pastor Evan, & Gary Lininger. Pastor Evan opened with prayer; Lift Project: Project is now complete with total expenses amounting to $102,510. Fellowship House: P&H & McGarvey s will be contacted to provide a quote for reupholstering 11 chairs. Down spouting on neighboring building that was throwing water onto the street and freezing during cold weather is now fixed. Manse: Wood on the front porch has started to deteriorate in some areas and is now worsening. (Noticed during power washing) Will need additional discussion at next meeting. Sanctuary: Front doors replacement. Now complete. Touch up brown paint is available if needed. A quote of $755 has been received to replace gutter on north side of church. (Includes drip extender). Earley Painting has provided an estimated quote of $1,500 to scrape, prime, and repaint the ceiling where bad spots are now appearing. It was noticed after worship on April 7, (Trustees cont.) that more spots are appearing. The quote is an estimate as more substantial details will be available after a closer look. Earley s has also provided a quote to repair the plaster (minor areas) and repaint the walls only at $8,635. Please note that the last time painting was done, there were no pews. Estimates will be obtained to remove the hot water heater and replace with two instant hot water heaters. The second will be for the Education building as it is currently being serviced by the one for the kitchen. Further discussion is required on stained glass window repair. (Exterior painting & Plexiglas). Scott will get with Harvey Kneas and conduct a walk-through in the kitchen for suggestions on improvement. Cemetery: Additional work could still be used to straighten leaning stones. Educational Building: Ladder that was used to access the organ that is now in the basement of the Education building needs moved to the basement of the Fellowship House. Fire Exit Sign to be installed on the door at the rear of the building. Miscellaneous: Nancy s Lock & Key has now completed the changing of all locks to be accessible with one key. Gary lininger has been appointed to serve on the Nominating Committee Meeting adjourned at 8:00 with Pastor Evan closing in prayer. NEW RINGERS NEEDED!! Bell Choir rehearsals will begin on Thursday, September 5th at 6:30 P.M. in the church basement. We will be doing an introduce, review and renew session followed by a few refreshments. This would be a great time for anyone interested in learning how to ring to join us. If you ve ever been curious or just wanted to get your hands on the bells to find out what that would be like, come give it a try. Women s Ensemble will begin rehearsals on Thursday, September 12th at 7:30 P.M. (cont. next column)

4 RETURN TO FALL SCHEDULE Fall schedule will resume on Sunday, September 8, Rally Day program will start at 9:30 AM, breakfast then our Worship will begin at 11:00 AM. RALLY DAY Rally Day, "4000 years of church history". When I was a youngster, Dorothea ("Dot", sister of Noreen Mann) and I spent a lot of time at the church. We had Sunday School on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, Junior choir weekly, two weeks of vacation Bible school, youth group Sunday evenings, and occasional special services and events. I enjoyed it all very much. Remember, this was before television. We memorized some scriptures and learned a lot of Bible stories... The problem was I never learned a time line or a location to the stories. I probably had Jonah, the whale, and John the Baptist floating in the Jordan River at the same time. Since age 12 I think I have sorted much of it out. (I hope). Our Rally Day program is a time line of the past 4,000 years since God spoke to Abraham. We cover the major events to the present day for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. We will follow the events with a map projected on the wall, and a red lazar dot to direct your attention to the significant places. Taking part in the program are: Sara Beth Winegardner, Quentin Doyle, Matt Brown, Ashton Doyle, Rachel, Sarah, and Hannah Kimmel, and Dylan Fowler. The Rally Day program will be held in the sanctuary at 9:30 am on Sunday September 8. There will be a breakfast at 10:00 am following the program. Please join us for a fast, about 20 minutes, overview of 4,000 years of the history of religion. Noreen Mann WORSHIP AT WHITE CHURCH SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 AT 10:00 AM We need a clean-up crew on Saturday, August 31st at the White Church beginning at 9:00 AM. CHILDREN S CHURCH NEEDS HELP!! It is a new year and we need your help to run children s church this year! Can you donate just two or three Sundays to teach? The lesson is scripted, and you are welcome to observe before you teach! PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING and sign up in the back of the church, or contact Val Alexander ( , valonthefarm@gmail.com. Thank you! BENEFIT DANCE AND AUCTION Benefit Dance and Auction for Janis Cutchall who is battling cancer. Sept. 14, American Legion Picnic Grounds. $10 admission - picnic meal served 3-5 PM, Auction is at 5:00 PM. Sarah (Paylor) and Andy Cutchall have tickets ( ). Or you can pay at the door! Offerings for July General 10, Benevolence 2, Building Fund Offerings for August General 11, Benevolence 1, Building Fund 1,

5 SEPTEMBER LECTIONARY READINGS Week of September 1 15th Sunday after Pentecost Jeremiah 2: 4-13 Psalm 81: 1, Hebrews 13: 1-8, Luke 14: 1, 7-14 Week of September 8 16th Sunday after Pentecost Jeremiah 18: 1-11 Psalm 139: 1-6, Philemon 1-21 Luke 14: Week of September 15 17th Sunday after Pentecost Jeremiah 4: 11-12, Psalm 14 1 Timothy 1: Luke 15: 1-10 Week of September 22 18th Sunday after Pentecost Jeremiah 8: 18-9: 1 Psalm 79: Timothy 2: 1-7 Luke 16: 1-13 Week of September 29 19th Sunday after Pentecost Jeremiah 32: 1-3a, 6-15 Psalm 91: 1-6, Timothy 6: 6-19 Luke 16: September 2 - Anne Howard, Jonas Arruanno 3 - Debbie Carbaugh, Alyvia Newman 5 - Wayne MacDonald 6 - Becca Carlson 7 - Scott Shelley, Sarah Kimmel, Hannah Kimmel 12 - Marie Peters 13 - Ferree LeFevre 17 - Dorothy Doyle 20 - Mikayla Bailey 23 - Carlton Walker, Charles Williams 24 - Barbara Walker, Lucas Youngblood, Jared Carlson 28 - Jeffrey Doyle 30 - Kyriana Mitchell BACK TO SCHOOL! Sisters Margie and Martha of the Catholic Mission greatly appreciate the donations you made in the past couple of weeks. As stated in the last Gleaner they fill new backpacks every school year and distribute them to the needy children of Fulton County. Thank you for your help!! SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

6 (Fisher House) NEW ARRIVALS Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Psalm 127: 3 Amara Magdalena Keebaugh August 12, 2013 Isaac and Sarah Keebaugh, parents Ken Keebaugh, grandparent Mia Grace Marshall August 14, 2013 Justin and Misty Marshall, parents Jake and Sandy Richards, grandparents We congratulate the families! Presbyterian Women The Presbyterian Women meet the second Wednesday of each month at 2:00 PM in the Fellowship House. The first meeting will be September 11th. The program will be Operation Christmas Child. Come and bring a friend! PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGN UP FOR THE GATHERING THE GATHERING SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE - (15) - (22) Available - (29) THE FISHER HOUSE Dear loving and supportive church family. I have an update for you that is difficult to share and ask for your understanding. Several months ago I presented to you on more than a few occasions the sad story of the Fisher s. You will probably recall that they are the elderly couple whose house burnt down. There were several people that came together and the plan was to rebuild their home. The churches in the community and the community at large were asked for their support both financial and whatever skills they could share in this rebuilding process. There have been many roadblocks to overcome in the past 6 months or so. They, as it turned out have become a blessing. It has become more and more apparent as time has gone on that the temporary living arrangement that was made for them is much better for them. They have an apartment in town with everything including a social life, shopping, etc., so much more convenient for them. With their age, and both mental and physical disabilities it has become increasingly clear that this is much better suited for them than trying to live in the more isolated situation they were in before. Financially this also suits them much better. The mess I would like to fix is all the financial donations that have been made by so many of you. The person in charge of the account is planning to give what s been given through our church family back to us. If you would like your donation back you ll need to come to me or a fellow deacon and request that. Otherwise we will put it all into the benevolence fund and it will be used for other needy causes that we continuously support through this account both locally and worldwide. I d like to ask that you prayerfully decide what you would like us to do with your donation. I can share with you that the deacons are humbled by the trust you put in us to disburse this money to it s best possible use. Jo Ann Carlson (cont. next column)

FULTON COUNTY CROP WALK Building a world where there is enough food for all starts with you! Please help by participating in the Fulton County CROP Walk on Sunday, October 6th.

7 FULTON COUNTY CROP WALK Building a world where there is enough food for all starts with you! Please help by participating in the Fulton County CROP Walk on Sunday, October 6th. Since 1983, the Fulton County CROP Walk has raised $47,500 to help Church World Service in the war on hunger. Church World Service uses money raised from CROP walks to fight hunger and poverty all over the world from faraway places like Serbia and Sudan to Fulton County, PA. Twenty-five percent of the money raised by our local CROP Walk is donated to the Fulton County Food Basket. (church family) out that storage room! Any item or services are greatly appreciated. Antiques, artwork, gift certificates and unique objects do well at this event. Please consider donating to the silent auction! By doing so, you are supporting Camp Sinoquipe in providing a quality camp for our youth. Yours in Scouting, Jack Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions working together to eradicate hunger and poverty. CWS is working in some 80 countries to provide emergency food aid and long-term development assistance. They also work to promote education, reduce child mortality, combat diseases, and provide access to clean drinking water. This organization has proven to be a good steward of the donations they receive. Financial reports for 2012 show that just 13.8 cents of every CWS dollar went for overhead costs. Please consider walking in this year s Fulton County CROP Walk. You can participate as an individual or get together with family, friends and co-workers and start a team! If you cannot walk, you can help by supporting one of our participants. Please contact Patty Hall at or phall621@gmail.com for more information. Dear Church Family, Camp Sinoquipe is hosting our 4th annual Bluegrass Jamboree on September 14, As a part of this fundraiser event there will be a silent auction. We are requesting items to include in this auction. This is a great opportunity to clean (cont. next column)

8 McConnellsburg United Presbyterian Church 116 South Second Street McConnellsburg, PA 17233

Vol. CXLVII, No. 150 September The McConnellsburg United Presbyterian Church Office: web page:

The GLEANER Vol. CXLVII, No. 150 September 2017 The McConnellsburg United Presbyterian Church Office: 485-4400 email: office@mupc.org web page: www.mupc.org A LESSON IN LEARNING TO TRUST GOD My thoughts