Jesus said, Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

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1 Page 1 3 Jesus said, Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. 4 How can someone be born when they are old? Nicodemus asked. Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother s womb to be born! 5 Jesus answered, Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again. John 3:3-7 April finds us in the throes of spring! It is my favorite time of the year because it is the season of hope. In spring, the literal and metaphoric seeds that lay dormant for several months timidly poke their heads through the warming earth then burst into full bloom. On the threshold of spring, we begin to notice a quiet awakening within ourselves. The intentions that we set during the long days of winter may have lain dormant these past months, but now we see the first green heads pushing through, and we realize that the dawn of something new is upon us. Spring is the season of renewal. Encouraged by the increase of light and warmth, we can't help but to feel more energized. It gives us the strength and energy to allow new beginnings to fully awaken in our hearts and in our lives. Now is the time to ask yourself: What is longing to be born deep in the slumbering buds of my inmost being? What changes and rebirths should I be nourishing? What seeds of new beginnings were resting in the underground caverns of my mind and are now waiting to burst forth? As the warmer breezes start blowing across the meadows, let that remind you of the work and warmth of the Holy Spirit moving and dancing all around you. And as you see the blooming trees and flowers that we love so much, let that remind you of how, with the help of God, something beautiful can surely grow. As you watch nature explode with its awakening hues, let that be a reminder for you to allow the Spirit to arouse you to burst forth in your quest to be all that God has called you to be. Blessings, Rev. Kathy

2 Page 2 The choirs and orchestra are practicing on our Easter music and by the time you get this newsletter you may have been uplifted and inspired by that music. I hope that many of you were able to enjoy the Ecumenical choir that did the cantata "Behold The Lamb". I'm sure the experience was enjoyed by all of the choir members involved and certainly those who were able to be part of the audience! It was one of those "ah ha" moments and the message rang clear! Beautiful, simply, beautiful! The month of April should be somewhat less hectic for the music program although it will be time for rehearsing the music for the upcoming Music Appreciation Sunday in May! Soon to follow after that will be the summer schedule and we would like to have some volunteers to commit to doing special music for our Sunday services. You have plenty of time to think ahead so when the sign up sheet goes up, be the first in line! Hope to hear some vocal solos and duets as well as some instrumental solos! I know there are some young musicians out there who we would all love to hear from! Don't forget to sign up! April Rehearsal Schedule Sunday, April 10 th & 24 th Joyful Singers Thursday, April 7 th, 14 th, 21 st, 28 th 6:30 PM Chime Choir 7:00 PM Sanctuary Choir & Men's Chorus April Special Music Sunday, April 3 rd Sanctuary Choir Sunday, April 10 th Chime Choir Sunday, April 17 th Sanctuary Choir Sunday, April 24 th Joyful Singers Darlene P.S. Nature report...wow do I have a report for you! First, I must say all the bird houses have had their spring house cleaning and the birds are checking them out. The red tail hawks built a new nest this year and are now are a little further away! I need more power in my binoculars! We have been getting a stiff neck looking up all the time trying to locate the pileated woodpeckers! We are hearing them frequently but still have had no luck getting any pictures! And today...our little property alert dog, Bella took her position on her chair where she is able to see all that is happening out the front living room window. She has a distinctive bark for a deer and for an occasional cat, a growl for a squirrel and today a new bark! I went to the window and she was barking at a young "jake" turkey! He was just slowly strolling up the driveway as though he was going to the back door! I'm sure hoping to see him again and hopefully more! Steve did manage to get his picture! Funny thing was I had just said I don't have anything to write about in my article! Steve's comment..."well I guess God gave you something"! Amen! He sure did! And so I made the 15th dateline!

3 Page 3 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 27 Sunrise Service w/ communion 6:58 AM Breakfast 8:00 AM Joyful Singers Worship Service w/ communion 10:30 AM 3 Worship Service 10:30 AM Soup Kitchen 8:00 AM Chime Choir 6:30 PM Sanctuary Choir 7:00 PM April 1 April Work Bee 9 AM - 1 PM 10 Joyful Singers Worship Service 10:30 AM Worship Service 10:30 AM 18 WIMPS Bingo at Homewood 6:15 PM Joyful Singers Worship Service 10:30 AM

4 Page 4 Thank you to our Volunteers! April 3 April 10 April 17 April 24 2 nd Sunday of Easter 3 rd Sunday of Easter 4 th Sunday of Easter 5 th Sunday of Easter Ushers Sandy Lehman & Elvin Myers Altar Guild Carol Brown Acts 5:27-32 Acts 9:1-6, (7-20) Acts 9:36-43 Acts 11:1-18 Lectionary Psalm 150 Revelation 1:4-8 John 20:19-31 Psalm 30 Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19 Psalm 23 Revelation 7:9-17 John 10:22-30 Psalm 148 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35 Altar Flowers Anna Mae Foreman Dee Hildebrand Lisa Crisamore Joyce Stambaugh Memorial Vase Betty Thomas Acolyte Mikayla Gebhart Cole McKowen Ryan McKowen Joe Crisamore Worship Leader Lay Reader Greeters Pat Warner Jean Gross Dave & Donna Wiker Elvin Myers Dee Hildebrand Mike & Connie Neiderer Nursery Beth Mensinger Toni O Neal Melisa Altland Children s Portion Jess Waltersdorff Julie White Melisa Altland Rev. Kathy Special Music Sanctuary Choir Chime Choir Sanctuary Choir Joyful Singers Money Counters 10 AM Bill Waltersdorff Lois Nelson Kim DeGroft Carol Brown Betty Thomas Janet Brown Elvin Myers Joanne Hoffman Jim Messinger Kim DeGroft Lois Nelson Sandy Lehman

5 Page 5 Our Members: John & Maybelle Altland, Mabel Baer, Karen Bathgate, Mary Jo Bollinger, Barry Brown, Scott Carl, Dale Danner, Clara Eisenhart, Jeff & Kathy Flickinger, Allen Hoke, Betty Hoke, Bev Kiser, Pam Kiser, Helen Klinedinst, Grace Kraft, Gladys Leese, Marie Luckabaugh, Anna Mae Mummert, Lois Nelson, Allison Orchowski, Pat Parks, Linda Pentz, Ruby Ruth, Norma Strausbaugh, Ruth Yohe. Friends of the congregation: Janet Betlyon, Joe Crisamore, Johnny Davis, Janet Eichelberger, Clarence Fritz, Michelle Gemmill, Susan Howes, Janet Hulfeberg, Tony & Debbi Izzo, Hailey & Logan Kehoe, Sharon Krout, Mary Jane Lynch, William Mazol, Carissa McComas, Carol Melhorn, Hope Miller, Diane Moul, Caroline Mummert, James Mummert, Bo Rhodes, Kurt Riser, Jackson Salemme, Lee & Betty Sands, Sandy Shultz, Russel Snyder, Donna Spinelli, Larry Sullivan, Deb Warner, Vicki Zanni, Mike Zohrbaugh. Our friends at home who we want to know are missed, yet are always in our hearts. The men and women proudly serving our country: Josh Barday, Phillip Hammond, Kody Lauchman, Joey Myers, Brandon Shepard, Shane Warner. 1. The Council approved updated policies for weddings and use of the building with updated fees. There is no building use fee for member's funeral luncheons. 2. The sanctuary screen will be installed by June 1 st. 3. VBS will be July 25 th -29 th. All volunteers who help will need to have their clearances on file before VBS begins. The clearances are free for volunteers and you can apply for them by visiting and Please see Michele if you need additional help. 4. Gluten-free crackers will be included with communion bread beginning on Easter. 5. There will be a Church Work Day on April 9 th from 9 AM to 1 PM. Lunch will be provided. Please come to help ready the rooms for painting and help clean the old office and some closets. 6. Thank you to Jim Messinger for the hooks and clothes trees in the bathrooms. 7. Thank you to Larry Spangler for making wall repairs. Directory Changes Allison Orchowski is doing well. Thanks for all the prayers and cards. Allison and family would like to thank the Ladies of Lischeys for the flowers and card at Christmas they are beautiful. She is in all day Kindergarten. She goes for her next Hershey check up May 13, We will drop the soda can tabs off at the Ronald McDonald House that day. Bill Hersh & Jean Gross 1366 Chami Drive Spring Grove, PA Bill (717) Jean (717)

6 Page 6 Food Sale ELECTION DAY - APRIL 26, 2016 :We will be serving food for breakfast, lunch and supper. We will also have soup by the quart and all kinds of baked goods. Donations of baked goods are needed as well as help that day and also on Monday, April 25 th beginning at 8:00 AM to prepare food. A schedule needs to be set up for Election Day. If you can help, let Joan know. This is a good fundraiser, but in order for it to be successful, we need help. Joan Messinger A CARD SHOWER is being held by the family for Carol Brown s 70 th birthday. Please mail her a card around April 23 rd to 1333 Brown Rd, Spring Grove, PA Thanks for helping to celebrate her birthday! * - denotes 80 or older April 3 Jessica Lehman April 7 Mitch Hildebrand April 10 Kari Hamme April 16 Rev. Kathy Seiler April 18 McKayla Linker April 20 Dana Lecrone April 23 Carol Brown April 24 Elizabeth Luckenbaugh April 26 Larry Spangler II April 29 Crystal Kottcamp April 30 Kimberly Bolden Youth Room Renovations Update - We've made some great progress this past month on the Renovation Project. Paint colors have been chosen, new furniture ordered, and old furniture designed to be repurposed. Now it's time for your creative and mechanical talents! The day has been chosen for us to come together and make this all happen. Saturday, April 9 th is the day we will be at the church working on these rooms. Come out to help us create inspirational space for our children and youth to assemble the building blocks of a strong Christian faith. We will get underway at 9:00 A.M. and hope to be finished by 1 P.M. To continue to assist financially, mark your giving envelopes " Rooms." If you have any questions, see Rev. Kathy. ** - married 50 years or more April 10, 2009 Justin & Emily Walker April 11, 2009 Brandon & Linda Hubley April 11, 2015 Joshua & Kayla Almoney April 12, 1952 John & Maybelle Altland** April 16, 1977 Robert & Brenda Maslanka April 21, 2007 Mitch & Lauren Orchowski April 25, 1992 Bud & Michele Hamme April 26, 1980 Damian & Carol Allen April 26, 2008 Brent & Anne Bakner

7 Page 7 CONGRATULATIONS to Jean Gross on being a Volunteer of the Month with the York County Area Agency on Aging! THE WIMPS held the Easter Egg hunt on Saturday, March the 19 th. Thanks to everyone for their donations and to everyone who was able to help prepare and work the day of. Hopefully all the little ones had a great time! Next month we will be sponsoring a Bingo Night for the residents of Homewood at Plumcreek on Monday night, April 18 th. We will carpool from the church at 6:15 PM. We will again ask for your help in supplying prizes for them. We will have a box placed in the overflow room and would appreciate any wrapped snacks, such as candy, crackers, and cookies, etc., and some sugar free snacks are greatly appreciated. The ladies like jewelry! Stamps, Dove soap, and boxes of tissues are also a favorite. Please volunteer to help on that evening or donate some goodies! We appreciate your help! This mission can be shared by our men folk as well! Join us! The residents enjoy the evening! ON SUNDAY, APRIL 10 TH, we will have a guest speaker. Paula Holtzinger is currently a sophomore at Messiah College, where she is studying for a double major in Social Work, as well as Peace and Conflict Studies. Paula has spent the past few summers doing mission work in the Philippines, Buffalo NY, and Nicaragua. This summer, God is sending her to Cambodia with the non-profit group English Language Institute China (ELIC). Please come support Paula as she shares about her previous mission trips as well as her upcoming trip. A love offering will be taken to help support her Cambodian trip with ELIC.

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9 Page 9 The Fundraising Committee is asking the congregation for your continued support as you have given for the last eleven years. This year, instead of individuals or businesses sponsoring certain items, all monetary contributions will be used to defray the cost of the handbags and jewelry. All individuals or businesses names will be listed in the program the following way: Bronze contributor $1.00 to $50.00 Silver contributor $51.00 to $ Gold contributor $ and up If you are interested in making a monetary contribution, please do not put your donation in the offering. Please give your donation to Chris DeGroft, or any member of the Fundraising Committee. This is the only way we have of keeping track of these donations. You will receive a letter regarding your donation that can be used for tax purposes. Other ways you can support the bingo is to donate door prizes, baked goods, or fresh fruit. Last of all, we need your help to set up on the morning on the bingo and help the night of the bingo. With the help of many people, this has been a very successful fundraising event for us each year. This bingo appears to be very popular and could be our best year ever. If you have any questions, or are interested in helping with the bingo, please contact Chris at or , or any member of the Fundraising Committee. Thank you in advance for your support. The Fundraising Committee Chris DeGroft (chairperson), Russ Bolden, Don & Wendy Carl, Dick Myers, Connie Neiderer. OUR DEEPEST CHRISTIAN SYMPATHIES are extended to Ruth Yohe on the passing of her husband, John. John entered the church triumphant on Wednesday, February 24 th. OUR DEEPEST CHRISTIAN SYMPATHIES are extended to Anna Mae Mummert. Her son, John Mummert, passed away on Thursday, March 17 th, due to injuries sustained in a car accident. Please keep the family in your prayers. THANK YOU to everyone for your cards and prayers during my recent foot surgery. Thank you to the Miners for the beautiful flowers and to the WIMPS for the beautiful valentine card. Thank you also to Beth and Toni and everyone who helped in nursery while I was recovering. Thank you to Diane for taking attendance. Lisa Crisamore

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12 St. Peter s Lischey s United Church of Christ 5671 Lischeys Church Rd. Spring Grove, PA April 2016 Page 12 If you are spiritually weary and in search of rest, If you are mourning and you long for comfort; If you are struggling and you desire victory; If you recognize that you are a sinner and need a Savior - God welcomes you here in the name of Christ. To the stranger in need of fellowship, to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, And to whoever will come - Sundays Worship Service 10:30 AM