Greetings in the Name of the baby Jesus, the one who is coming!

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1 St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church 158 S. Hoernerstown Road Hummelstown, PA The Rev. Martha S. Boyd Phone: /FAX Church St. John on the Web: StJohnhtown.com DECEMBER 2015 Greetings in the Name of the baby Jesus, the one who is coming! We wait in anticipation for many things in our life. What are some of the things that you wait for, hope for, or wish would come sooner? Perhaps as a parent, you are anxious for the days when you will have more sleep, or your child(ren) will be able to speak and really let you know what they think, or when they finally get through the teenage years, or graduate from school, or get their first job. Or maybe you are waiting for retirement, counting the days until you have freedom of your days, no longer bound to strict schedules. Or it could be that you are waiting to find out the result of a medical test, hoping for the best. Or perhaps, you are just waiting to see what tomorrow brings, or hoping that next year will be better than this past year. Or maybe you re waiting to see what will happen at St. John s. What will the future bring? We are a people in waiting always it seems---anticipating that next thing in our lives, wondering as we wander this earth in community with one another, wherever we happen to be living. It is the message of Advent which dominates our thinking. Even though it is only four weeks in the church year, Advent reminds us of what is coming and more importantly, who is coming. The long awaited birth of a baby boy, by two parents, who have hopes and dreams for their child, and who are in utter amazement, wonder, and fear about being chosen to raise a child of God, one that does not belong to them, but to the world. He is coming, this child, Emmanuel, the one spoken of in the Scripture of the Bible. Jesus the Christ comes in the midst of all of our waiting for earthly things, in all of our wants and needs, and says: Do not worry, I am here, I have come that you might have life, that you would know you are loved and there is more to life than just what you are experiencing. You are my beloved children and I am with you. We celebrate the hope that Christ brings to the world this month but it is a message for all times; a message that needs to be remembered and repeated, over and over again as we make this incredible life journey a gift of from God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in whom I offer this prayer for all of you: May the blessings of God who is rich in mercy, slow to anger, and who brings light to a dark world with the gift of a newborn Son, dwell with you and your family during this Christmas time and for all of time to come. Merry Christmas, Pastor Martha

2 Pastoral Care Pastor Boyd may be reached by calling the church office at and leaving a message in mailbox 1. You may also contact her via at: stjohnpastor158@gmail.com. If there is an emergency, she can be reached by: Cell phone: or Home: Pastor s Hours Monday Thursday from 9:00 am to 1:00 p.m. Hours are subject to change depending on meetings, etc. Please leave a message if there is no answer. Holiday Ofice Hours Wanda will be on vacation the week of December 27h. She will return to the ofice on January 5th. Pastor Boyd will be on vacation December 28 through January 2nd. Pastor Ursula Schrefler, Zion Union Deposit, will be on call and can be reached by Children s Sunday School Schedule Sunday School ages 5-12 during worship Nursery Room is available for those under 5 Confirmation Class Sunday mornings 10:30 am Advent Has Begun As you enter into this time that has become so busy in our world, take a deep breath, slow down and reflect on the birth of our Savior and the faith journey we are on together. To help you with this, Advent Devotionals are available for use at home. This year s devotion by Martin Marty is sure to inspire and move you to Look Up and is available on the hallway table outside the worship space. WE NEED YOUR HELP We need readers for the Service of Lessons and Carols on December 28. A sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board across from the secretary s office. Christmas Eve Service December 24 th 7 P.M. Traditional Worship Service Service of Lessons and Carols: Join us Sunday, December 27th for a service of lessons and carols at 9 am. No Sunday School this day. Poinsettias can be ordered for Christmas Eve: Forms are available for your poinsettia orders. Please ill out a form as to how you would like the wording for your poinsettias in the bulletin and include that with your payment. All plants are 4-5 blooms per pot. Colors available are red and white. Cost is $9.00 each. Forms and payments must be made when you order. All checks for poinsettias must be made out to the Altar Guild. Forms and envelopes are available on the hallway bulletin board and narthex tables. Last day to order is December 6. Thank you, Altar Guild. John D. Cassel Memorial Cow Project Fund Envelopes for the Cow Project Fund are available on the hallway table for the month of December. The money collected will be divided between the Ecumenical Food Bank of Harrisburg and the Hummelstown Food Pantry. Inaugural Fellowship Coffeetime On Sunday, December 6 th plan to spend a little more time at church. After the 9 a.m. worship service, we will hold our irst fellowship coffeetime. Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be offered in the library and conference rooms. Plan to participate in good fellowship and time to catch up with members and friends. These fellowship times will be held on the irst Sunday of each month. Thanks to Pastor Martha and the Evangelism committee for donating the refreshments for this irst event. WORSHIP TIME UPDATE At the Congregational Meeting held on November 15, we voted to continue with one service at 9:00 am. Join the community in worship and praise of the Loving Lord!

3 Remember Our Home Bound With a Christmas Greeting Scedella Mader Janet Garrison Middletown Home Frey Village 999 W. Harrisburg Pike # N. Union Street Room 231 Middletown, PA Middletown, PA Kay Swartz Annie Bordlemay Country Meadows Frey Village 451 Sand Hill Road, Room N. Union Street, Room 116 Hershey, PA Middletown, PA Daisy Cassel Ethel Fackler Lebanon Valley Brethren Home 3525 Canby Street, Room Grubb Road, Room 303 Lefler Harrisburg, PA Palmyra, PA Nathaniel and Elizabeth Ricker Julia Espenshade 403 N. Duke Street 601 Wilhelm Road, Room 138 A Hummelstown, PA Harrisburg, PA Kay Swartz celebrates her birthday on December 5th. Kay s address is Country Meadows, 451 Sand Hill Road, Room 366, Hershey, PA Tim and Stephanie Kimmel are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter, Maggie Hall to Christopher Tran. The wedding ceremony was celebrated at St. Augustine Church in Elkridge Md. on Nov. 14, After a honeymoon in The Dominican Republic, the couple will reside in Catonsville, Md. THANK YOU: *for all of the cards and acts of kindness during my recent illness. -Elizabeth Deimler *Thank you, St. John Lutheran Church, for your "MAG" nificent Efforts!! Thank you for collecting magazines and glossy paper! Your support helps both the Ronald McDonald Houses of Hershey and the environment! We have received: over $291,000 since 2004 which equals 9,800 tons of paper! We truly appreciate your part in the success of this program, as we strive to support the many families who use the "House that love built!" Ronald McDonald Charities of Central PA *ST. JOHN'S PART: About every 5 to 6 weeks, Harry and I deliver approximately 350 lbs. of glossies to Ronald McDonald House. That equals well over a TON a year from St. John! Thank you for supporting the cause!! Gloria & Harry Mader *from the Ecumenical Food Pantry for our donation of $ from last year s Cow Project. *to the Altar Guild for their $500 donation to the Hummelstown Food Panty with a percentage of the proceeds from the Corn Soup Sale. *from Lutheran World Relief for our gift of $ and for our gift to Lutheran World Relief s Quilt and Kit Shipping Fund. Music Offering at St. John December 13, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. St. Mark Lutheran Church of Mechanicsburg is bringing their choir on the road and presenting a Christmas program at St. John's! All are invited to this 40 minute musical offering. Mark your calendars for this free musical and enjoy fellowship afterwards. A free will offering will be donated to the Cow Project (which will be given to the Hummelstown Food Bank.) May the Christ child dwell in your hearts, minds, and bodies and his light of love and hope fill you all year long. Merry Christmas Pastor Martha and Jerry Boyd

4 Technology and Faith Did you know that Pastor Martha is on Facebook? If you are on social media, and you would like to connect with her, search Martha Boyd of Mechanicsburg, PA to find her, and send her a friend request. Other connections you might want to make: ELCA and the Lower Susquehanna Synod. Be a part of the virtual community of Christians and keep up to date on what's happening in the larger church. Bishop Dunlop s Advent Message NOVEMBER 27, 2013 BY SHARRON BLEZARD Watch Bishop Dunlop s Advent Message and be sure to share it with your friends and check back during each week of Advent for highlights of ministries across our synod where Lower Susquehanna Lutherans are partnering with others to feed the hungry as we have been fed by Christ. Go to: Advent Offers Opportunity to Plan Legacy Gifts As another Advent dawns upon us, our eyes, ears and hearts turn to consideration of the end of this time. With those thoughts are practical considerations of the end of this calendar year. If you are thinking about a special gift to change the world, consider gifting your congregation or ELCA ministry. The ELCA Foundation offers a host of special giving opportunities. Transfer of stock, donations of life insurance, and Charitable Gift Annuities are among some of the many offerings you may make this tax year through the ELCA Foundation. These gifts can beneit you, the giver, and theproclamation of Christ in the world. Call Pastor Liz Polanzke, Gift Planner for Central PA, to get started in time for those gifts to count in 2015! The services of the ELCA Foundation Gift Planner are complementary to all congregations and donors through the generous partnership of your Synod, and the following: Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministry, Camp Mt. Luther, Diakon, Gettysburg College, Lutheran Camping Corporation, Lutheran Campus Ministry at Penn State, Lutheran Theological Seminary- Gettysburg, Luthercare, Sequanota Camp and Conference Center, SpiriTrust Lutheran, and Susquehanna University. Thank you for all that you share! DID YOU KNOW.. One out of every five persons lives in extreme poverty, and one out of every nine persons is hungry. In the U.S. 49 million of our neighbors (including 16 million children) cannot count on having enough to eat each day. Our ELCA works in 60 countries, including the United States, for systematic change through Agriculture and nutrition Water and sanitation Health care and prevention Income and savings Education and training And Do You Know our Lower Susquehanna Synod works collaboratively to: Provide more World Hunger dollars than any other synod in the ELCA Feed hungry schoolchildren through weekend backpack and summer lunch programs Feed body, mind, and soul through innovative social ministry programs and alternative worshiping communities Feed neighbors through food and clothing banks Feed hope through community meals and food-packing events We share a living, daring confidence in God s grace.

5 St. John Council Minutes October 13, 2015 Present: Pat Ignatosky, Marge Baranowski, Mary Jo Hanley, Pastor Boyd, Marge Plouse, Lauren Leshak, Irma Mengel, Gloria Mader, Keith Kahley, Dwight Bretz, and Joyce Potteiger. Absent: none The meeting was called to order at 7:03 pm by VP Pat Ignatosky Devotions were read by Marge Plouse with Gloria Mader reading in November. The agenda for the meeting was approved. The minutes from September council meeting were approved with one correction. The Investment that is coming due is to be re-invested. Motion by Lauren Leshak to invest in the 19 month/1.24% money market, second by Mary Jo Hanley. Motion passed. There was discussion of the budget. Motion to keep the insurance at bronze A by Mary Jo Hanley, second by Joyce Potteiger. Motion passed. Motion to add 10,000 to budget (for capital building cost) by marge Plouse, second by Lauren Leshak. Motion passed. The area marked building on the envelope will also be used for capital improvement starting in Previously it had been used for building maintenance. The treasurer s report was read and approved as submitted. The Pastor s report was approved as submitted. There was no president s report. Committee reports: Worship and Music (Marge Plouse): There will be a joint Thanksgiving service with Zion Union Deposit and Union Deposit United Methodist Church on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving (November 22, 2015) at Zion. Offering will still go to the Hummelstown and Central Pennsylvania food banks. There will be one Christmas Eve service at 7pm. Learning and Youth (Gloria Mader): Very low attendance. Social Ministry (Pat Ignatosky): September and October involved LWR Ingathering and service projects. 125 bars of soap were collected. A monetary collection took place as well. Encourage the use of the clothing bin to donate to community aid. Shepherding/Evangelism/Stewardship (Gloria Mader): The plan is to start a monthly fellowship after the 9am service. Alter Guild (Pat Ignatosky): A potluck was held for Pastor Boyd s installation on September 27. The chicken corn soup sale was held on October 3. Thank you to all who donated time, baked goods and money to offset cost. Next meeting is October 27, Long Range Planning/Facilities (Dwight Bretz): $1,300 dollars will be needed for amps, and $2, 165 for new speakers. Motion by Marge Baranowski to use Wert Estate money to purchase amps, second by Pat Ignatosky. Motion passed. Council will wait on the new speakers. Swatara Creek Lutheran Community (Mary Jo Hanley): no report. Safe Child Policy (Mary Jo Hanley): Policy projected to be completed for next meeting for review. Old Business: Website/Facebook: Need pictures from cameras, not phones. Still working on the updated site. Nominating Committee: Sandy Bittenbender and Carol Hamm. 5 needed for council in Constant Contact: Motion to proceed with the use of this program by Lauren Leshak, second Gloria Mader, motion passed. Mutual ministry committee selected-debbie Leshak, Darryl Hamm and Dick Bello. New Business: Pastor Martha will be at a first call overnight retreat during the second week of November. Wanda has requested vacation the weeks of November 29 th and December 27 th. This was approved. Motion to adjourn by Mary Jo Hanley, second by Dwight Bretz. Meeting was adjourned at 8:34pm. The next council meeting will be on Tuesday, November 10 at 7:00pm. Respectfully submitted, Mary Jo Hanley

6 Our Stewardship for December Altar Guild Gloria Mader and Katherine Daniels Assisting Ministers 6 Kim Balog 13 Brenda Kahley 20 Chet Cassel 27 Marge Plouse Ushers and Greeters 6 13 Jerry Boyd Bulletin Sponsors 6 placed by Dwight and Kelli Bretz 13 in honor of Keith Kahley s birthday 20 placed by Dwight and Kelli Bretz 24 placed by Fred and Louise Bretz 27 placed by Dwight and Kelli Bretz Flowers 6 in memory of Harry and Mary Travitz 13 in memory of Harold Gleim 20 John D. Cassel 27 placed by John and Mimi Martz Benevolence Update Giving thru October $ Needed thru October SHORT -$ January God Loves a Cheerful Giver As of October 31, 2015 October through to Sept. Year Date GENERAL INCOME 8, , , BANK INTEREST NET OPERATING INCOME 8, , , LESS NET BUDGET EXPENSES 10, , , NET LOSS/GAIN (1,380.61) 8, , As in September, expenses exceeded giving, however, the year to date financial posion connues to be strong with year to date giving exceeding expenses. -Submied by Marge Baranowski, Treasurer. The 2016 flower chart is posted. Altar flowers are $30.00 for two vases per Sunday. There are many open dates available. Check to see if a date is available for you. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Balog. The Epiphany of our Lord St. John Church is hosting the Epiphany Service this year on January 6, at 7:00 PM. Pastor Boyd will preside at the liturgy and Pastor Schreffler will be preaching. There will be light refreshments served afterwards. Snow Cancellation Information St. John will follow the Lower Dauphin School District schedule for cancellations of meetings or social functions in the case of inclement weather. If school is closed, no meetings, functions, or office hours will be held. If questions arise regarding cancellation of Sunday services, tune in to TV Station WHTM ABC27 or WHP 21. Thanksgiving Eve Service: $232 in offering was collected as well as approximately 50 pounds of non-perishable food from the Thanksgiving Eve Service. A check and a letter is being sent to the Hummelstown Food Pantry. Altar Guild Is Looking For Some New Members: We are low in membership. A few more ladies will make a huge difference. The time commitment in the Altar Guild is minimal. Really! We meet 5-6 times per year on a Tuesday evening at church at 7pm. If you already have attended a Sunday worship, helped a member clean up after a service, came to help out on election day or soup sale, donated a baked good or chicken/broth, you are 90% there don t be shy, come join us! Let any member know you want to join! Thank you. Please remember to bring nonperishable food items to church and place them in the basket in the hallway for the Hummelstown Food Pantry. They especially can use spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, chicken noodle soup, peanut butter, jelly, saltines, and Ritz crackers. Please remember that the Food Pantry will be preparing Christmas baskets for those less fortunate and they always need canned fruit and vegetables, stove top stufing mix, etc. for Christmas dinner. Newsletter deadline for the January issue of The Eagle is Tuesday, December 15th.

7 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Quilting Tuesdays 8 to noon 12:00 PM Evangelism Meeting Faith Formation meeting at Trinity Lutheran in Camp Hill 6 Advent 2 9 am Communion Worship Coffeetime follows worship 7 8 7PM Council Meeting Advent 3 9 am Communion Worship 2 PM St. Mark Concert at St. John Harrisburg Conference Meeting Advent am Communion Worship 7:00 PM Christmas Eve Service Christmas Day Office Closed :00 a.m. Service of Lessons and Carols No Sunday School New Year s Eve Secretary s Vacation through January 4 Pastor Martha on Vacation December 28 through January 2 New Year s Day Office Closed