Sunday November 28, 2021
9am Traditional Service in the Sanctuary
10am Sunday School All Ages
11am Contemporary Service in the Family Life Center (FLC)
COVID19 Protocol Update
First Church leadership asks that congregants wear masks while inside the building per CDC recommendation.
This is recommended NOT mandated.
Covid in Franklin County
The latest statistics for Pennsylvania and Franklin county as of 11/10/21 reveal that the number of tests for covid are positive in Franklin county 11.4% of the time. This is the lowest in the south central region (12.9-17.7% in other counties). That is significantly less than in early September (19.1%) This is great news. Hospitalizations are also decreasing. However, The number of people fully vaccinated is still quite low at 38.5%. The total statewide is 59.2%.
The recommendations from the CDC have not changed at this point. Masks are highly recommended for everyone indoors. The covid vaccine is highly recommended as well. Booster shots are available for people previously vaccinated 6 months ago including those over 65, those with serious health problems, and those in the public arena as part of their jobs. Vaccines are now approved also for children 5-11 years old. Finally, the flu shot is also strongly suggested. - ~Dr. Hurley
Watch our services on youtube at 12pm!
We also have a dedicated phone number so you can listen to latest recorded service at 717-899-4JOY (4569).
We are asking folks not to mail donations through the US Postal service. Please hand-deliver them to the church, because we are having issues with receiving mail. We also have online giving available as well. Thank you for blessing us!
In Traditional Service this week:
Pastor - Steven M. Livermore
Organist - Ben Schellhase
Reader - Denise Lucas
Advent Wreath - The Gotwald Family
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Altar flowers
Last Week The basket of flowers were in loving memory of David Thomas Wright. Given by David and Shirley Wright.
Today The flowers are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Nancy Bowser. Given by Kim and Jerry Overcash and family.
MINISTRY UPDATES
Children's Ministry
Pray with us Tuesdays at 2:52pm.
Worship Bulletins for kids to engage them with the service are available at the welcome tables.
Our Sunday Children's programming begins at 10am. Children ages 4yrs through 5th grade will meet on the 2nd floor.
The infant/toddler room is open for Infants - 3 years and nursing mothers on Sundays.
It is staffed with volunteers during the 10am SS hour.
There is a designated family area in the FLC for families with little ones at the 11am service.
If you would like to volunteer in this important ministry, please email Brianna.
Youth Group
Illuminate Youth Ministry will be meeting in backyards this September on Wednesday nights. A full schedule is on the events page at illuminateyouth.org.
Hungry Hearts
Egg Cartons -We have more than enough and no more room to store egg cartons for HH so, please stop bringing them to the church. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
Hungry Heart's Clothing MissionThe Clothing Mission has remained open since last January. From January until June, we asked our customers to fill out request forms and the ladies did their best to fill those orders. Since June, customers have been making appointments to shop for themselves on Thursday afternoons. During that entire time the ladies have been meeting on Thursday to size and sort donations. When the elevator quit in August, several of our volunteers were unable to continue because they couldn't manage the stairs. We also found that without the elevators we weren't physically able to move donations downstairs. With the help of some special young men from our congregation we were able to move all our stored winter clothes from the NAPA building to the basement and continue to meet the needs of our community.
With the elevator still out of order and our stored clothing already on display, we need to ask for donations of winter clothing, blankets, and housewares. The catch is that we can only accept donations if you are willing to carry them to the basement. The bins are in the Faith and Fellowship Sunday School classroom and items can also be left on tables in that room. If you are unsure of where to leave donations please talk to Carel Fish on Sunday and I will be glad to give you the short tour of the basement. You can also call me for info. (717 264 4354). Please only donate items that can be used at this time (winter clothing) and that you are able to carry to the basement. Thanks to you all for making this mission possible as it greatly benefits our neighbors.
Team Haiti
Sponsors are Needed for Haitian Children at Kaendra's Place orphanage. School of Hope tuition sponsorships at $140 a semester or $280 for the school year. Fall semester tuition is due now. Talk to Pastor Steve or mail haiti4fumc@gmail.com for more information.
Pastoral Care Ministries
GriefShare group meets Mondays at 1:00 PM. For more information or to register for the seminar contact Gail at 717-263-8491 ext. 207.
Stephen Ministry is here to walk with you through difficult journeys. If you need someone to listen and to care, call Gail at 717-263-8491 ext. 207 for more information. Also, please take a moment to read this wonderful testimony from Bill Holland entitled The Story of Rosemary's Bible.
Women Connect
Women Connect now has a private Facebook Group! All women in the church are invited to join!
Our next meeting is December 18. Hope to see you soon!
Sunday December 19, 2021 - one combined service at 10am.
The 9 o’clock hour will be an all church fellowship hour in the FLC with hot and cold beverage and sweet bites for refreshments.
Joyful for Jesus (formerly Joyful Jingle) gift shop will be giving out Christmas gifts this year by partnering with Hungry Hearts food distribution on Thursday, December 16th and 23rd 9 o’clock to noon. Since there are several community programs focused on gifts for children, we focus on gifts for adults in our community that may not otherwise get Christmas gifts. We are asking the church family for donations of men’s slippers, men’s gloves, women’s slipper socks, gift baskets and small kitchen appliances. Also, wrapping paper and gift bags. Sunday, December 12th you can bring completed baskets and other items to the Family Life Center, after the service and join in the fun of making gift baskets. Several small appliances can be purchased from Kohl’s Black Friday Deals November 21-26 with mail-in rebates for final cost of less than $5 for Toastmasters and Hamilton Beach. https://blackfriday.com/ads/black-friday/kohls?page=10 Thank you for shining the joy of Jesus to our community. Question? See Susie Kunkle or call 717-352-2562.
Christmas Eve Service Times
4p Informal in the FLC / 7p Family in the Sanctuary / 9p Lessons and Carols in the Sanctuary.
Sunday December 26, 2021
One combined service at 10 o’clock in the FLC.
Mt. Asbury Retreat Center in Newville is hosting their 2nd annual drive thru Christmas Lights Show! This event takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening from November 26 to December 19. ILLUMINATE YOUTH is volunteering at this great event, and we invite you to join us in helping!
Here are the ways you could join us and support this ministry:
- Help at the Lights Show on November 28, December 11, and December 18.
- Bake Cookies for the event
- Donate to raise money for the Retreat Center
If you are interested in helping in any of these ways, or would like more information about the Lights Show, please contact Collin .
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Important Note regarding upcoming events: If you are planning a church event, please contact Stacey in the church office so that we can coordinate all events in the church and are not overlapping ministries. Thank you!
Please contact the church about hospitalizations as we no longer are contacted when parishioners are hospitalized.
Chancel Choir-Practice is held Wednesday nights at 7:00. All singers welcomed! Contact Diaconal Minister Linda Peppernick at lindapeppernick@embarqmail.com
Post-High School Connections - First Church Friends: I am looking for people to connect with our post high age young adults. Check-in texts, notes, and emails are a great way to let them know they're a part of the family even when they may not be able to attend regularly. If you're willing to friend one of our post high young adults, please contact Beth Stahl (stahlfamily2000@gmail.com or 717-375-8011).
200th Anniversary – 2022 will mark the 200th Anniversary of the birth of First Church. We are looking for interested individuals to be part of the committee planning our celebrations. Please contact Pastor Steve at pastor4fumc@gmail.com if you would like to help.
Evening Bible Studies:
Intergenerational Study -Interested in making connections between faith and real life? In building intergenerational relationships within the church? Consider joining this discussion-based Bible study at 5:30 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of every month. Study is designed for youth Grade 7 or higher in the company of their parents. All adults welcome!
“Wednesday Bible Study” @ 6:30 PM and meets every Wednesday in the Preschool Classroom (Apple Place). We will be studying the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah lived and wrote in a dark time. Studying the ministry of the prophet Jeremiah, you will get a glimpse of what it is like to have a personal relationship with God, for God and a human to be together and you will discover how you can grow in your own personal relationship to God. This study will also stream on Zoom. Study guides are available to pick up at the Welcome Center or you can download a copy here.
Elevator Update -We have been told it will be 10 weeks from the time the parts are ordered until work begins which is the end of January or the beginning of February. The bulk of funds has come from endowment and a CD, leaving $20,000 to be raised. To date contributions of $10,310 have been received. Thanks for giving as we fund the remaining $9,690 needed.
Friendly reminder that if you need to take tables out of the FLC please return them by Wednesday night so they are available for Thursday morning food distribution.
Refugee Resettlement: Please contact Clint Bolte (717) 267-2157 to volunteer with helps for the family. Donations can be sent to Congregation of the Sons of Israel, 109 East King Street, Chambersburg 17201—memo “refugee resettlement”.
Free Advent Devotional Guide Don't let Christmas sneak up on you this year. Prepare your heart and take joy in the spiritual journey that leads you to that holy day! Best-selling author John Piper offers 25 devotional readings to sweeten your worship of God's Son this December. Available to pick up at the Welcome Center, one per family.
Prayer and Study Group
FUMC Prayer & Study Group-
You are invited to join us on a new journey toward intimacy with God. We will be studying different prayer techniques and spiritual rhythms. We will meet on Zoom December 14th at 6:30 here.
Meeting ID: 869 2125 5975 Passcode: 7yWCpF
We use Padlet to post our comments & experiences All the group information will be on Padlet. The link is https://padlet.com/lindsayzubal/18h7uvhpvekgim5k. If you have any questions email Lindsay
Advent Study - In the early church, Advent was a season of fasting and prayer, similar to the season of Lent. It was a time of stillness and preparation, in anticipation of the birth of Christ. The Advent wreath is a simple practice of this anticipation, the light gradually building toward the arrival of the Light of the World on Christmas Day. The four Advent candles—Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace— also build on each other. Hope remains that Love will come for us, causing Joy to spread and Peace to fill our lives. Please consider joining us as we explore practices to make room for more hope, love, joy, and peace in our lives this Advent season. We will begin as a full group in the FLC at 10:00 a.m. before splitting into smaller groups for discussion. All are welcome!
PRAYER, PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22 (KJV)
We lift our prayers to the Lord!
Healing for Sarah Baker – medical procedure 11/19
Healing prayers for Bunny Parson
Continued healing for David Livermore (Pastor Steve's brother)
Healing for Paul Bridegam and wisdom for the Dr's
Healing prayers for Matt - more improvement
Prayers for Charlie Rock
Healing prayers for a Cousin Jay in hospital
Healing for a nephew Terry
Continue praying for the people of Haiti & Afghanistan
Pray for our government leaders
Prayers for Norine Selby (Glenn & Natalie Aylesworth’s daughter)
Pray for all those who take the gospel to a broken world in need of healing
Pray for those who are grieving this holiday season
Pray for Stephen Ministry
Continued prayers for Postal Service
Healing for those with Covid
Safety and protection for school children and those working in school systems
Pray for First Lights -Connecting the light of the church to the heart of families to ignite the faith of the next generation
Pray for Illuminate Youth Ministry
Pray for Hungry Hearts Ministry
Pray for yourself that you might be true to Christ even if you are rejected.
Prayers Needed for:
Linda Leidig
Kathy Beaston
Barb Armstrong
Peggy
Deb Ewing
Shirley Jones
Evelyn Jones
Susie Bulger
Betty Naugle
Praise and Thanksgiving!
We celebrate the presentation of Elsie Eloise last Sunday!
We praise God for those who seek to live a new life in Christ!
Endowment Fund Status
as of September 30, 2021
The total amount of principal (market value) in the Endowment fund is $1,412,978. This is an increase of $59,086.28 from the beginning of the year. As you know we cannot spend the principal amount. We can only spend the interest earned. The amount available (interest earned) is $221,164. The amount available by category is as follows:
General $88,653 Music $41,017 Facilities $40,484 Missions $11,723 Scholarships $39,287
So far this year the Fund has purchased a mobile sound system ($2,200) for use at the park and the church. We supported building/repairing a wall ($3,000) at the Haiti Orphanage for safety and security. We provided uniforms and books ($2,000) for the students at our school. Uniforms are very important in Haitian society so that the children are not bullied or targeted by traffickers. In the near future the Endowment Fund will contribute $29,500 towards the repair of the elevator.
Please consider contributing to the Endowment Fund. In addition to the support the Fund has provided this year, examples of past year support are:
Stain Glass Windows – Pastoral Support to Sierra Leone – Visits to Haiti – Adult Work Camp – Continuing Ed Conferences – Auto Repairs for a Missionary – Noah’s House – Video/Streaming Equip. – Sierra Leone Initiatives (5-year commitment)