Through the Columns - the Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren

Through the Columns
777 South Mount Joy Street, Elizabethtown PA 17022
The First Christmas
Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren - Dec. 2010/Jan. 2011
The Pastors
Hearing us preach, you’ve probably recognized that none of us are biblical
literalists (and neither are most of you). This begs the (fair) question,
If not literally, how do we read and understand our Bibles? This question
is especially relevant this time of year, as we begin to focus on heavenly
constellations guiding magi over hundreds of miles, angels appearing to
shepherds by night, and miraculous births. If we do not read these scriptures literally, how do we read them? What is their value for us, now?
First, we should make it clear that we believe scripture is vital; it is the
backbone of our tradition (and our preaching). It bears witness to the
life-changing message of Jesus and his way, and the tradition from which
he came. Precisely because it is so important, we wish to both save it
from the nostalgia of childhood faith, as well as the trash bin of adult
rationality and skepticism.
With this purpose in mind, during Advent we will delve into the Jesus
birth stories in Matthew and Luke (the only two—and very different—
accounts that we have). Our goal is not to prove or disprove the historical accuracy of these accounts. That debate misses the point. Our goal
instead will be to delve deeper in order to breathe new life into these
accounts with the hope that we will gain a greater understanding of what
they meant when they were written, and the message that lives on today.
For us. Now.
Here we go a caroling…
Prepare a pot of chili and a plate of cookies to share and get your vocal cords ready for
the annual chili supper and caroling scheduled for Sunday, December 19th at 5pm. The
evening will begin with food and fellowship in Fellowship Hall. Several routes are
being prepared for those who wish to bundle up and spread holiday cheer by singing
Christmas carols. You might want to bring a flashlight – no candles please. Following
the caroling you can warm up back at the church with some hot chocolate and cookies. Please join us for this evening of family fun.
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HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS
The church office will be closed on
Monday, December 27th and Friday, December 31st.
The church office will be open from 8 am - noon
on December 24th, 28th, 29th and 30th.
Regular office hours resume on Monday, January 3rd.
We wish you all a blessed Christmas season.
Pastoral Team: Greg Davidson Laszakovits, Pam Reist, Josh Tindall
Editors: Kenny & Paula Burke Layout: Judy Powell Phone: (717) 367-1000
Email: [email protected] Web page: www.etowncob.org
To receive Columns electronically instead of in print, send a blank email to
[email protected]. Follow the link in the confirmation email you’ll
receive to JOIN THE MAILING LIST. Articles & information may be e-mailed to the
editors ([email protected]) or placed in the Columns mailbox at the church.
Copy deadline is usually the second Sunday of the preceding month.
Heifer International Offers Holiday Gifts
Need a "thank-you," birthday or Christmas gift for someone? Especially
someone who is difficult to buy for? Heifer International (formerly known
as Heifer Project) may be your answer. You may donate a sum of money
to purchase an animal or "portion" of an animal or tree or bees to honor a person
or in memory of a loved one.
Please check the church library (on the shelf to the right of the wall phone) for catalogs that provide more details and stories of persons around the world who receive
these animals through your donation to assist their family in making a living. There
are Ark cards/envelopes available for you to notify your friend or loved one of your
gift.
What is “Supper Club?”
By Pam Hudson
“Supper club” is an open group made up of mostly families of young children.
We typically gather monthly on the second Sunday of the month for an evening of fellowship, lasting from approximately 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Our evening includes a
semi-guided themed potluck dinner, fellowship and open play for the kids in Fellowship Hall. Sometimes we have only two or three families and sometimes we have
seven or eight families.
We always have tasty, yummy food; we always have energetic children scampering about and we always have lots of laughs, noise and smiles. Sometimes the
whole family makes it and sometimes it’s just mom or dad with the kids. It is a grand
time to visit with other parents and share stories, recipes and parenting tips. It’s a
splendid night out for the kids and adults alike! Interested?? Please join us! Questions??? Contact Pam Hudson or Jen Poff.
PASTORS’ THANK YOU
We, your pastoral team, would like to express our heartfelt thanks:
~ for your supportive encouragement throughout the year
~ for the excellent Laity Sunday worship service on October 24,
which gave us the opportunity to worship with our families.
~ for the generous gift card for the purchase of a tree for Pastor
Appreciation
We are blessed to grow with you and together deepen our spiritual roots.
Greg, Pam and Josh
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Come celebrate the birth of Christ!
Friday evening, December 24 at 7 pm
Christmas Cantata – Child of Hope
A Christmas Message of Encouragement and Peace
Music and Orchestration by Mark Hayes;
Lyrics by John Parker; Narration by Audra Parker
White gifts will be received during the service for our local food bank. White gifts
are cans or boxes of food placed in cartons wrapped in white paper at the front of
the sanctuary during the offering. There will be a time of fellowship downstairs in
the Fellowship Hall following the service.
Recipe Club Dates
Monday, December 27
7 pm Room 112
Theme: LowFat/Low Sugar
Monday, January 31, 2011
Theme: Chocolate
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7 pm Room 112
50+ Group Activities for 2011
January 15
Saturday
Elizabethtown College Basketball vs. Albright College
Women’s game
2 pm
Men’s game
4 pm
Evening meal to follow at E-town’s Market Place
February 12
Saturday
Hershey Area Playhouse
The Importance of Being Earnest
$17; Group rate for 20 or more - $15
Sign-up sheets will be posted on the Church News bulletin board in December.
ANE VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
Recreational, CoEd Power, Women’s
Power and Men’s Power.
Saturday, January 8
Thompson Gym, Elizabethtown College
7:30 am - 8 pm
Registration deadline is December 20.
Contact Fran Strouse or Craig Coble.
ANE Sr. High Retreat
Identity
Camp Swatara
January 21-23
(6 pm Friday through lunch on Sunday)
Registration deadline is January 6.
Pastor Josh will be doing music
for this retreat.
Sunday, December 5
Carry-in meal & Forum
Sponsored by the Leadership Team
Come join the fun!
Thursday Evenings
through February
Conversation will focus on our experience with the recent District wide
hearings on homosexuality.
Following worship in
Fellowship Hall
7:30 pm in Fellowship Hall
December 19
January 2, 2011
BREAD & CUP
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Reception of New Members
During worship at 10:30 am
During worship
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Church Leadership Group Retreat
Young Center
8 am—3 pm
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Dedication of Church Leadership
Group during worship at 10:30 am
The Church Office
will be closed
Monday, Jan. 17, 2011
In observance of the
Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday
A Whole Loaf For a Peace Meal
By Gene Clemens and Jean Moyer
The Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren Peace Group invites all who wish to
break bread over concerns for peace and justice at home and in the world to come to the
Fellowship Hall on Sunday, January 16, 2011, at 12:00 noon.
The spirit of peace will be in the air, through the musical gifts of Jeff Eisenbise,
Will Hershey, Lynne Hockley and Susan Kenderdine. The tokens of communion will be
homemade bread, soup and salad - gifts of the earth. Dessert will come with the refreshment of a new understanding of how we can together be practicing the peace we proclaim as a part of the new phrase to describe our congregation: Practicing Peace, Service,
and Openness to All.
An added purpose of this time together is to enjoy the fellowship of shared vision
and to consider how we might schedule meetings and what activities you would suggest as
we practice peace as a congregation. Together we can keep the vision of peace alive!
So we may prepare for the meal, please let Gene Clemens, Dona McDonough, or
Jean Moyer know if you plan to attend. Thank you!
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Update – Child Protection Policy
By Paula Burke
Did you know that ECOB has a “Child Protection Policy?”
The CPP was initially approved at the spring Church Council meeting in 2004 after a team formed in 2001 to explore the creation of such a policy. The policy has been
amended twice since its initial creation – in 2007 and again in 2009. At the November 21,
2010 Church Council meeting, additional policy changes will be discussed. The new policy amendments are the recommendation of a task force, headed by Pastor Pam, that has
been meeting on a regular basis for the past 2 years to fully update our policy.
The CPP is a document that describes the manner in which we can assure that the
children attending ECOB and ECOB-related activities are being supervised by individuals
who have gone through background checks and received training in the CPP.
If you are interested in learning more about our CPP, copies of the policy are
available in the literature rack opposite the church mailboxes and a copy of the Appendix
is available for reading in the church library and the church office.
A Note from the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank
“Each year, we use 85,000 pints of blood to support the hospitals of Central Pennsylvania. Every single pint we collect is a result of volunteer donors giving on blood
drives or at our donor centers. There is simply no way we can provide this lifesaving gift
without your support.”
Lafiya’s next blood drive will be January 9 from 8:30-12:30 in coordination with
the Deacons’ Meal. Time slots will be available in 15-minute increments. If you are 16
or over and weigh 110 pounds, please consider taking an hour to join us. There is a 56day waiting period between donations.
Please call Nancy Becker or the CPBB at 1-800-771-0059 with any questions.
SOME OF OUR GOLDEN AGERS
at the Golden Age Dinner on October 24, 2010
Dave Willoughby, Wilbur Weaver,
Jobie Riley, Barbara Maris
Seated: Alma Espenshade,
Arlene Brown, Helen Good
Standing: Jean Herr, Arlene
Witman, Janice Lehman
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It’s Christmas Time, but Committee Busy Planning Lent Services
By Becky Kenderdine
It's the Christmas season everywhere you look. Right?
Not for a large group from this congregation who also have been thinking
and planning for Lent 2011 for many months.
One committee in particular is working on adding an artistic component to
our Lenten season -- a collage to enhance our worship experience.
But it will only be effective if YOU HELP! We need you -- everyone in our
church family -- to provide all the materials.
Please look through your outgrown or outworn clothing at home -- even better if it had some special significance to you. It could also be an old curtain or upholstery material, or any other material that could be glued down.
You will NOT get this contribution back in a physical way, but we intend for
you to receive a far greater spiritual return.
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Look for a large labeled collection box in the narthex, on the opposite side
from the mailboxes, for your contributions. We would like to have all the materials
collected by the end of December.
Happy Hunting!!
TRAIN DISPLAY TO BENEFIT PUBLIC LIBRARY
Several members of our congregation [Craig Coble, Fran Strouse, Don Bosserman, Wilbur Brubaker, Ray Powell, Travis Powell, Rod Barlet, Luke Muston,
Thomas Uhl, Glenn Book, Miles Book, Jim Hollinger and Herb High] will once
again be part of the ''Train Guys'' that will set-up, oversee and run the Christmas
Toy Train Display at the Elizabethtown Library.
This fun, family activity will be open in December on Tuesdays & Thursdays [6-8 pm]
& Saturdays [9 am-2 pm] until the 21st of December plus New Year’s Eve, 4-8 pm.
The cost is $1.00 per person and all money collected will go to the library.
Stress Free Holidays
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you
this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10, 11
The holiday season is here. What is your life like over the holidays? For
many it is one of the most stressful times of the year. How can you reduce stress when
there is so much going on?
First and foremost remember the reason for the season. Christmas is a time
to celebrate the birth of your Lord and Savior. Believers have already received the most
important and best gift ever- the gift of salvation and assurance of spending eternity in
heaven. Share the Gospel with your family and friends, especially if they are unsaved. If
they repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior they will have the greatest gift
of all.
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Pray, pray, pray. Ask God to help you put things in perspective.
Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night, your body needs time to recover from
stressful events.
Eat healthy, well-balanced meals. You do not have to try everything on the
party table. Look for fresh fruits and vegetables. Limit bakes goods and
sweets.
Exercise regularly. Your body fights stress better when it is fit.
Prioritize.
Live within your budget.
Eliminate last minute rushes, plan ahead.
Cut your to-do list in half; decide what is really important.
Be thankful for what you do have and what you can afford.
Forgive yourself and other.
Delegate tasks to others, you don’t have to do it all.
Limit your goals.
Think of others. Give to those in need – time and/or things they need.
Take one day at a time.
Take time to be still.
Nurture yourself.
Have realistic expectations of self and others.
Learn to say “No.”
Slow down.
Laugh, laugh, laugh.
Worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords with family and friends.
At the end of the day thank the Lord for everything He has blessed you with
and given you.
You can have stress free holidays and experience the great joy of knowing our Lord
and Savior.
Judy Laubenstein RN, BSN, CDE
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2010 Pictorial Directory Changes
This article has been intentionally left out.
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Paul Ament
October 25, 2010
Betty Messick
October 25, 2010
In the Spotlight
Rod Barlet is a recipient this year of a Mercedes-Benz scholarship
at McPherson College. The company recently agreed to provide
three annual scholarships to McPherson College. The college is the
premier choice for an education in automotive restoration and the
only one that offers a four-year degree in the major.
If you or anyone you know who attends our church has something to “place in the
spotlight” please submit your item for inclusion in a future issue of our newsletter.
You may send items to [email protected] or place them in the COLUMNS
mailbox.
EMERGENCY CLOSING INFORMATION FOR WORSHIP
In the event that church services are cancelled, please listen for announcements on the following stations:
Radio: WITF FM (89.5 Harrisburg)
(93.3 Lancaster)
WROZ 101 FM
KISS FM 99.3
The River 97.3 FM
WHP Talk Radio 580 AM
Bob 94.9 FM
WJTL 90.3 FM
WDAC 94.5 FM
Television: WITF-TV 33
The CW 15
CBS-WHP TV 21
abc27 (Sundays only)
Websites:
www.WITF.ORG
www.river973.com
www.abc27.com
www.wgal.com
www.whp580.com www.cbs21.com
www.bob949.com www.cw15.com
www.wdac.com
www.wjtl.com
www.993kissfm.com
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CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Elizabethtown, PA
Permit No. 43
MISSION
The Elizabethtown Church of the
Brethren seeks to live the love of
God as revealed in Jesus Christ
peacefully, simply,
together.
The church accomplishes its mission by:
- Inviting, welcoming and accepting all into a community
striving to be Christ-like.
- Nurturing spiritual growth and discipleship.
- Seeking ways to serve and promote peace and justice in our
neighborhoods and around the world.
- Worshipping God together in creative and meaningful ways.
- Promoting core values and practices from our Brethren heritage.
- Practicing responsible stewardship.