As a church, we’ve had a very productive Summer, mixed with a bit of fun and sailing – a Riverboat Worship Service, an Outdoor Butterfly Release Service and a Community Movie Night!
We will close out the summer with our Labor Day Sale (September 6) and we will also extend hospitality to our community during the Harrisburg Gallery Walk (September 12).
I wonder what Fall has in store for us?
Well, for starters, in October, we will once again celebrate Harvest Home with a food drive. This year, as in last year, we will bring food items to the altar. But, instead of displaying the food items at the altar, we will place the items in our new Manna Food Pantry as they are received , so they can be used immediately to help our neighbors in need.
As a culmination to the Harvest Home celebration, on the last Sunday, October 31, we will receive a special monetary offering for the pantry. Your financial donation will go a long way when used to secure food items from the Central PA Food Bank. Stay tuned to our website for news of other fundraisers throughout the year – plans are in place for a fun “Walk” this Fall to raise more funds for the pantry.
Step by step we continue to look for ways to help our community and ways to reach out to meet our community. The recent creation of a Salem UCC Facebook page was one way to do this. On Salem’s page are updates and pictures of what’s happening at our church.If you’re a Facebook user, you can find us by searching for “Salem UCC, Harrisburg PA.” When you find us, be sure to become a “fan!”Many thanks to Jeff Smith for taking the initiative to create and maintain this page – way to go!
As we look forward to settling back into our regular routines, I pray you might leave room in your heart “to expect the unexpected” – a willingness to be surprised by God, even in the midst of disappointment.
Recently, a few kids from Penbrook UCC and their Mom stopped by to volunteer at the pantry and brought some food donations they’d collected during VBS. As we were headed up the steps from the sidewalk, a jar of spaghetti sauce slipped out of the bag and went crashing on the sidewalk. Disappointed though we were, something amazing happened. The spilled sauce formed naturally into a heart shaped image on the sidewalk (see picture on right)
Even though we were disappointed that we lost a jar of sauce, that day we shared lots of laughter, joy and amazement as we gazed at the unusual and unexpected heart shape that formed in the midst of our disappointment. A surprise that was totally unplanned and unexpected!
Indeed, what would our life be like if we chose to live each day to the fullest – to “expect the unexpected” in the midst of our seemingly mundane everyday life and times? Who knows the many surprises that await us – let’s try it, and see what God does!
On any given Sunday, things change around here. We have some diligent workers who are always beautifying the areas around the church. For our Father’s Day breakfast, there were newly upholstered chairs and beautifully decorated tables (I got suspicious when I saw ties adorning the tables and asked Sheila if Dan knew his ties were missing from his closet).
Many thanks to everyone who contributed the delicious pastries, cooked the eggs, sausages, pancakes and provided the beverages for the Father’s Day breakfast. It was a wonderful way to start our Sunday morning – complete with a Father’s Day poem and violin solo from Austin (Sheila and Dan Allen’s grandson). Pictures from the breakfast are included in this newsletter.
On Father’s Day, we celebrated all fathers, especially John Barcellona , the oldest father in our Salem family. It is such a privilege to have his 92 years of wisdom with us.
The work to restore the beauty of our sanctuary will likely continue through the end of June, into early July. With the scaffolding in place, we were finally able to retrieve Eleanor’s balloon from Mother’s Day.
In July, we will open the doors of our new Manna Food Pantry to the needy families in our community. This is a joint effort between Salem and the new church Journeys UCC. Other UCC churches, like Penbrook UCC, are also supporting this new outreach project.
We will need everyone’s help to support the ongoing needs in our community. If you would like to donate food items or monetary donations, please call the church office for more information. Donation drop off times to the church are: Monday through Wednesday 1:00pm – 3:00pm or Sundays during worship.
Also in July is our annual worship service aboard the Pride of Susquehanna, on July 25th. Boarding time is 10:00am. Be sure to get there early and bring friends – last year we were packed to capacity. Immediately following the riverboat service, George and Darlene Hillegas have invited us to their home for a picnic.
On August 8th, we will host our 2nd annual butterfly release worship service. It was very popular last year so we’ve decided to make it an annual event. This year you will have the opportunity to purchase and release a butterfly to celebrate or commemorate a special event in your life. Weather permitting, the service will be outdoors in Salem’s prayer garden. Following the service, we will host an ice cream social (with fixings for sundaes, root beer floats or an ice cream cone.) Bring friends and grandkids, it will be lots of fun!
As time moves on, there are several of our beloved members who are no longer able to join us for worship. Let us continue to keep in prayer Don and Donna Royal, Don and Edith Egan. Although they are not with us, they remain in our thoughts and close to our hearts.
This summer and always, may we pause to notice the beauty that surrounds us each day in all that God has created. Remember… “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away”(George Carlin) – stay open to experiencing the awe and mystery of our God.
Throughout the 40 days of Lent, we prayed together as a church every Wednesday at noon – seeking to discern God’s guidance and direction for our church. I look forward to hearing your insights from prayer.
During Holy Week, we cheered with the crowds on Palm Sunday, laying down palms and cloaks (blankets). A few days later we lingered with Jesus at the cross on Good Friday. For the first time, we worshipped with the friends of historic Peace Church for a Good Friday service at noon – thanks to Eleanor Kelley for the suggestion. We also had an evening service at Salem.
On Easter Sunday morning, following a hearty breakfast coordinated by Sheila and Dan Allen-- the Alleluias returned to our lips as we joyfully announced to the world Christ the Lord is Risen! The children, Elizabeth and Arianna, were among the first to announce “Jesus is alive” as they handed out daffodils to people gathered in the congregation. It was a very praise-filled worship!
In getting back to a regular schedule, we resumed Bible Study on Sunday, April 18th with a 7- week study on “The Mind of Christ.” I hope you will join us at 9:15 a.m. in the chapel.
Be sure to join us for worship and our activities in May as we celebrate Mother’s Day (5/9). We will wear “red” once more to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday (5/23).
In June, we will celebrate all Dads on Fathers’ Day (6/20) – come and join us.
A few folks have been asking about the date for the worship aboard the Pride of Susquehanna – that is scheduled for Sunday, July 25th.Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for this wonderful outdoor service on the river.
Let us continue to praise our Risen Savior – Jesus Christ!
Alleluia!
Pastor Monica
Home: 717-525-8264 Cell: 267-566-2202
Email:pastor.monica.ucc@gmail.com
Website: www.salemucc-harrisburg.org
Pastoral Letter…(March/April 2010)
Dear Friends,
Beginning with this issue (March/April), the newsletter will be published in two month cycles (similar to what happens in the summer months). The next newsletter will be available in May/June, and so on. Sherry looks forward to receiving articles and other information you’d like to share via the newsletter.
During Lent this year, we will focus on prayer – expecting God to hear us and for us to hear from God. As a congregation, we’ll be invited to pray every Wednesday at noon throughout Lent; praying specifically to discern God’s purpose and will for Salem church, moving forward -- asking “God, what are you calling us to do?”
Remember, this is not about what you as members want, or what I want …but rather, what does God want for us. And to discern that we must go to God in prayer.
May this Lenten season be a time of profound transformation for our congregation as we follow Jesus’ example of praying often. I will invite you to share what you’ve discerned from praying in the days following our celebration of Easter. I really hope you will participate in this time of prayer for our church.
En route to the empty tomb, we will travel with Jesus to Jerusalem through the cheering crowds on Palm Sunday and then tarry with him at the foot of the cross, on Good Friday, until he draws his final breath. Our Good Friday service this year will be held at the historic Peace Church in Camp Hill. Service will begin at noon.
On Easter Sunday morning, the Alleluias will return to our lips as we joyfully announce to the world that Christ the Lord is Risen Today!
May we too become eyewitnesses to the resurrection power of God in our lives and in the life of our church.
Lenten… and Easter Blessings,
Pastor Monica
Home: 717-525-8264 Cell: 267-566-2202
Email:pastor.monica.ucc@gmail.com
Website: www.salemucc-harrisburg.org
Pastoral Letter…(February 2010)
Dear Friends,
We are so very grateful to God for all that God is doing within our midst – things seen and unseen. With winter’s chill in the air, we pray God’s blessings on our members and friends who have left for the winter and we look forward to seeing them again soon. I hope the Enders send us postcard updates of their trip. We really enjoyed reading the postcards last year. Our food and fellowship at the Pork and Sauerkraut dinner in early January was absolutely wonderful! Some of our guests who came for worship stayed to join us for the dinner.
Ash Wednesday, February 17th, will signal the beginning of Lent – the forty day season of reflection for Christians. The “forty days” correspond symbolically to a time of transformation – the forty days Jesus lived alone in the wilderness enduring a spiritual time of fasting in preparation for the beginning of his ministry.
Lent is a time of study, prayer and reflection. It is a time to pause, to slow down long enough to refocus our thoughts and activities in ways that make God the priority in our lives. God makes us a priority each and every day. “Morning by morning, new mercies I see…” God greets us each new day with new mercies – mercies enough to sustain us through each day. God loves us with an everlasting love!
Remember to celebrate God’s love for us and your love for God on Valentine’s Day and always!
We had a terrific ending to 2009! In our continued efforts to reach out to our community, a group of folks from Salem went caroling at B’nai B’rith apartments. Elizabeth (Jeff & Evelyn’s granddaughter) won the hearts and smiles of all 40+ residents who came out to hear us sing. She sang Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and got all the names of the other reindeer right… I still don’t remember all their names, do you?
As a pre-service event to our Christmas Eve Candlelight service, our carolers gathered on Salem’s sidewalk – accompanied by Dave, our trumpet player — to sing to passers-by. The sidewalks were lined with luminaries to light the way to our celebration of Christmas.
There was a record attendance at this glorious Christmas Eve service—well over 100 people, many of whom were first time guests! We experienced the light piercing the darkness as we celebrated the “Miracle of Christmas” with candles, journeying together to the manger in Bethlehem.
For the first time, this service was hosted with the new church Journeys UCC which, even in its own infancy, graciously contributed a few elements to enhance the service – a Scripture echo reading of the gospel, an additional organist and soloist, the luminaries and a manger filled with hay.
The new church, with me as the shared pastor, is one of the exciting new initiatives that Salem is supporting. There are also a few other achievements that we are proud of. Rather than provide a year-in-review in this letter, I have prepared a pastor’s report summarizing many of our notable achievements in 2009. Please contact Sherry, in the church office, if you would like a copy.
With January’s dawn, we now turn our faces to the New Year and all the promises it holds…Happy New Year!
Hopefully, your transition to the New Year will be timely. I wonder how long it will take me to remember to write “2010” on my checks and other documents.
In the New Year, and always, there is usually something happening here at Salem -- thanks to our Congregational Life Committee. On the first Sunday in January (the 3rd), I hope you will join us for our first event of the year, a traditional Pork and Sauerkraut meal (immediately following the worship service)… hope to see you then!
I look forward to continuing to serve alongside all of you, as we serve God together in this New Year.
We are truly thankful for all that God has done in our lives and in our church this year! We anticipate and await yet another change in season as we welcome the embrace of winter.
As we turn our hearts towards Christmas, we will take a four-week journey through Advent to get there.During the Advent season, we are once again invited to wait expectantly as we prepare for Christ Jesus to be born again in our hearts. Deacon Chris Lawson will lead Advent study sessions exploring “Light of the world: Redeeming Light In Action.” We hope you’ll come out for study on Sundays at 9:15am in the Parlor, beginning on November 29.
On December 6, we will hold our annual congregational meeting where our leadership team will provide financial updates and updates from our various committees. This year the meeting will be held in the chapel, following which we will share a hot meal together – courtesy of our Congregational Life Team. (We have several amazing cooks in our congregation — our meals are always delicious!)
We have GRAND plans for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service celebrating “The Miracle of Christmas.” I hope you and your family will join us. A group of “Merry Carolers” will get us ‘warmed up’ before the service, singing Christmas cheers to all who walk by or drive by our church – complete with a trumpet player heralding Christmas. For the first time, Journeys (new church) will join in worship on Christmas Eve with Salem to celebrate the greatest gift of all – God becoming flesh to dwell among us in Jesus Christ. It will be a glorious celebration!
What a joy to have spent all of 2008 and 2009 with you! As we prepare to step across the threshold into 2010 and all the promises it holds…let us continue to hold onto our posture of waiting expectantly on God … waiting for “a future that has yet to be revealed to us – a future only God alone can see.”We wait – while actively trusting and hoping in the Lord to guide us through this New Year!
It is always fun to welcome in the New Year with family and friends. I hope you will join us for a traditional Pork and Sauerkraut meal on Sunday, January 3 – immediately following the worship service.
Merry Christmas to all of our Salem Family and Friends!Praying God’s richest blessings for you all…
Sundays in October, were graced with donations of food items to benefit our neighbors in need, as we once again celebrated Harvest Home.The altar reflected the generosity of our congregation, overflowing with canned goods and other food items. Many, many thanks to all of you – the people of Salem Church!
On Sunday the 25th, following our Harvest Home worship service, we spent time together as we warmed ourselves with a delicious soup, salad and bread meal.
On All Saints Day (Nov. 1st), we celebrated and remembered our saints who have gone home to their eternal rest. As God calls each of us by name, we honored each of our five (5) saints by name and sounded chimes in their memory. We are very thankful for all of our saints on whose shoulders we stand as we continue our blessed journey of faith.
Bible study continues on Sundays through November 22 at 9:15am in the Parlor. Deacon Chris Lawson is facilitating the study on “Jesus' Blueprint for Prayer” (using the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples commonly referred to as the Lord's Prayer.
Beginning this month, the Consistory will begin discernment and strategic planning to look at ways we can continue to effect meaningful ministry here at Salem.We will focus our conversations on the strengths of Salem and the needs of our community to see how we will “do what we can, not what we can’t!” We are blessed to have a very gifted, caring and committed group of leaders on our Consistory.
The new congregation, Journeys UCC, started its “preview” worship services on October 4th at 4:30pm with 40 people in attendance – in the sanctuary of our historic Salem church. They will continue with monthly worship services on Sunday afternoon and weekly Bible study groups on 2nd, 3rd and 4th Wednesdays. Please continue to hold this new church in your prayers alongside your prayers for Salem Church
God is at work in both of these congregations, calling people back into relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. Both congregations are needed to reach a wider and more diverse group of people.
Our Labor Day Sale went very well! I got a chance to meet and greet many of our members, including folks we have not seen for a while. It was great to see everyone!
Many thanks to… all who worked tirelessly in collecting items for the sale, all who donated items , all who promoted the sale and all who helped the day of the sale (as you can see, a lot of people helped to make this annual event a success this year). Jeff Smith mentioned that this year we raised quite a bit more funds than usual… great job everyone!
It was such a joy to open our doors to the community, once again, as a host site for the Harrisburg Gallery Walk on Sunday, September 13. Close to 135 of our neighbors visited with us that day. Many of whom got to experience our warm Salem hospitality – smiles, cookies, Rick’s lemonade and church tours. Our warmth was rivaled only by the remarkably comfortable temperatures of the day. Many thanks to Linda Farr for coordinating this and thanks to all who volunteered to meet and greet our guests.
The beauty of our sanctuary still draws “ooh’s and aah’s” from guests to our church. What a tremendous blessing it is to be able to worship God amidst such beautiful and sacred space, each and every Sunday!
On the last Sunday in September, in our own way, we officially said hello to Fall and goodbye to Summer . The cookie fellowship following worship was great fun – thanks to our Congregational Life team for coordinating this.
During the Sundays in October we will be “putting others first” as we step up our efforts to provide food items for our local neighbors in need. As we did last year, we will bring in food items and place them at the altar every Sunday, culminating with our Harvest Home celebration during our October 25th worship service. Bob Reed welcomes the opportunity to once again donate several boxes of food items to the Ecumenical Food Pantry from our Harvest Home food drive.
Bible study continues on Sundays, 9:15am in the Parlor. Deacon Chris Lawson is facilitating the study on “Jesus' Blueprint for Prayer” (Using the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples commonly referred to as the Lord's Prayer).
Throughout the past few weeks, you may have noticed the dust from some of the repairs being completed around the church. Thanks to our Administrative Team for their ongoing efforts to get some of the much needed repairs done.
The leadership team at Salem continues to discern ways to renew and reconnect with our mission to serve ourneighbors. We’ve continued with donations to the food pantry. We’ve also opened our space to community groups like AA, Pinnacle Health, a martial arts group, Capital Area Opera and the newly forming UCC congregation -- Journeys UCC.
This new congregation will host their worship services at Salem on Sundays at 4:30pm, beginning in October, with a blended traditional and contemporary worship format. I am deeply grateful to the people of Salem for being open to an innovative way of doing ministry -- allowing me the opportunity to serve as the Pastor of both Salem and this new Journeys congregation.
May we continue to stay open to the guidance of God’s Spirit as we do our part in ushering forth the truth and light from God’s holy word to bring healing to a hurting world.
“There is more truth and lightyet to break forth from God's holy word.”~~ (17th Century, John Robinson quote) ~~
Where did the Summer go? It was a terrific Summer… wherever it went, we know it will be back next year, but for now, we welcome the seasonal change, the transition to Autumn (Fall).
On August 9th, we worshipped outdoors and dedicated our new Prayer Garden. Our service included the release of 48 monarch butterflies … it was a glorious event! This was followed by our church cook-out, and as always, there was an over abundance of delicious food (any thoughts about opening a catering ministry, anyone?)
Many thanks to our Congregational Life ministry for coordinating the church cook-out. Many, many thanks to the folks who worked tirelessly on getting our prayer garden ready for all to enjoy (including the butterflies)…Darlene & George Hillegas, Evelyn & Jeff Smith, Dan & Sheila Allen and Rick Moore.
Thanks too to Joe Sobel for capturing these memorable events in pictures.Many of the pictures are included in this newsletter and on our website (www.salemucc-harrisburg.org)
Throughout the past few weeks, it was such a joy to see people from our community sitting on the bench, enjoying conversations or prayer in our gardens.The birds really enjoy the fountain in the middle of the garden as a place of refreshing during the hot summer days.
Salem’s new Prayer Garden is...
·An intimate, calm, and restful place to come and reflect when you need a quiet space
·A relaxing space to sit on the bench and meditate on the Scriptures or just to sit with a friend, and
The paths around the garden offer prayerful space to walk and converse with God
We concluded our Summer sermon series on “Walking with God through the Psalms” on August 30th. The Psalms were wonderful reminders of the sovereignty of God.Reminders too that God is “for us,” “with us,” “our Shepherd,” … God is all we need and God is in total control of our lives through good times and bad times! We will return to the lectionary texts beginning Sunday, September 6th.
On Monday, September 7th we will host our annual Labor Day Sale with items donated by our members. Many thanks to those who volunteered to help with this event.
This will be our second year as a host site for the Harrisburg Gallery Walk on Sunday, September 13. We hope you will come out to join us for both events and for worship… maybe you’ll even consider joining us for Bible Study.
Bible study will resume on Sunday, September 13th at 9:15am in the chapel. Deacon Chris Lawson will facilitate the study on “Jesus' Blueprint for Prayer” (Using the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples commonly referred to as the Lord's Prayer).
In the short time that I have served alongside all of you here at Salem, I continue to be amazed by what the Spirit of God is doing among us…stirring up the gifts which reside in each of us, using these gifts to build up this body of Christ here at Salem church.
May we continue to place our trust in God as God’s Spirit continues to call us to unfamiliar places and ways of doing ministry in a changing world. May we bring glory to God in all that we do!
Congratulations!Salem and a quote from Rick Moore were featured in the “Overheard” section of the UCC News, highlighting our community prayer boxministry. I hope that news of this outreach ministry inspires others to find creative ways to connect with the spiritual needs of the people in their communities.
During our worship service on June 14th, we awarded a scholarship to Liz Mace (CASA student) for her beautiful design of a contemporary prayer garden for Salem. Her parents, family and friends came to celebrate with her and worship with us. We wish Liz, and all the students and staff of CASA, all the best as they leave Salem to move to their new location in Strawberry Square. We will miss them!
We celebrated Father’s Day with a new twist. We gave the Fathers (including all men) gift certificates to Dairy Queen to enjoy a cold dessert with family. We also gave these special men a copy of America in WWII magazine.
We also welcomed 2 new Consistory members during our installation service for our church leaders – Evelyn Smith (Elder) and Richard Veet (Deacon). Congratulations!
Mary Frances O’Keefe has also agreed to provide leadership for the Congregational Life Team as Donna Royal transitions from that role. Many, many thanks to Donna for her outstanding service in leading that ministry!
While I attended General Synod, Rick Moore (our Consistory President) preached on Sunday, June 28th – thank you, Rick! It is such a blessing to have a strong lay leadership team which includes people who are willing to preach.
For the summer months (July/August), I will preach a sermon series on the Psalms: “Walking with God through the Psalms,” during times of transition, fear, loss, anxiety, renewal, promise and praise. Are you or someone you know experiencing any of those feelings? No doubt. We’re living in challenging times. Come out to hear how the messages in the psalms offer encouragement during challenging times like these.
In July, we will host a Riverboat worship service aboard the Pride of Susquehanna on Sunday, July 19th. The offering from this service will benefit the ministries of Christian Churches United.
We also have an outdoor service planned for August 9th which will include a “butterfly release” and we also hope to dedicate our new prayer garden during this service.
There’s still a lot of exciting things happening here at Salem. We hope you will be a part of the happenings, if you are able.
Best wishes for a safe and enjoyable summer!
May the peace of God surround you and your loved ones-- now and forevermore.
Congratulations!Salem was featured (again!) in the Faith Section of the Patriot News (5/8/09), highlighting our community prayer box ministry. Thanks to Rick Moore, Bob Charles and all of you who’ve continued to offer prayer support for this ministry.
MAY was a month filled with celebrations:
·We celebrated all mothers (and women) on Mothers’ Day with a special litany and flowers (which were donated by Chris Lawson…thanks Chris!)
·We celebrated a few of the women and men who have served faithfully across various ministries of Salem church: Audrey Sieger, Don & Edith Egan and Roy Manderbach(see picture in newsletter)
·We also celebrated with Sherry Powell (our church secretary), the marriage of her daughter Amanda on May 23rd
·Our youngest and newest member, Makayla Long celebrated her “first birthday” on May 26th
·Even on the last day in May (the 31st), we were still celebrating! We celebrated the birth of the Church on Pentecost with worship and Holy Communion. Many of us wore something “red” that day and planted a red or white geranium in Salem’s garden. We also welcomed 2 new members... Dan and Sheila Allen.
In June, we look forward to celebrating Fathers’ Day on June 21st. Hope you’ll join us for that celebration. It will also mark the beginning of Summer.
This summer, the UCC will celebrate its 52nd anniversary in June during the gathering at General Synod (June 26-30) in Grand Rapids, MI. I look forward to celebrating with the wide array of diverse people that comprise the UCC, membersfrom all over this nation and the world.
While I’m away at General Synod, Rick Moore (our Consistory President) has agreed to preach on Sunday, June 28th.Please come out and show him your support. I’ve heard from several people that he is quite a good preacher (no pressure Rick!)
Looking ahead to the other summer months… in July, we will host our Riverboat worship service aboard the Pride of Susquehanna on Sunday, July 19th. We also have an outdoor service planned for August 9th which will include a “butterfly release.” More details will follow. We hope you’ll make plans to join us.
We will take a short break from our Bible study group this summer, but will resume in the Fall.
Even though many of us take a break from some of our usual activities during the summer months, hunger never takes a break or a holiday. Let us continue to bring in food items for the Ecumenical food pantry which serves many of our underprivileged neighbors.
Now and always, remember…”God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Ps 46: 1). Trust in the Lord!
He is alive and his resurrection power is available to us to bring new life to the dead places in our lives,… the places in our lives where we’ve given up.
Our Easter celebration was both glorious and joyous. We welcomed our newest disciple Makayla Mary Long to our congregation, through baptism. She is just one of the cutest babies ever (but, of course, I’m a bit biased).
We had several other children of Salem with us for Easter: The granddaughters of Richard and Sherry Veet, the granddaughterof Jeff and Evelyn Smith, and the grandsonsand granddaughter of Mary Frances O’Keefe. As a pastor, I would not lie to you… all of these children were absolutely beautiful! It was truly a joy to have them with us for Easter.
Also with us was Lauren (granddaughter of Eleanor Kelley, daughter of Janet Kelley). Lauren has been nominated as a contestant in her school art exhibition. We wish you all the best Lauren!
Also visiting with Tom and Linda Farr for Easter, was an exchange student from China.
Our friends from B’nai B’rith, along with their family and friends joined us for worship and helped us with preparing our fellowship meal. We are so very delighted they’ve chosen to worship with us.
We continue to keep our sick and shut-in in our thoughts and prayers. We miss not having them with us. Let us continue to offer special prayers for Ruth Stouffer, Edith Egan, Faye Etnoyer, Alice Wagner, Richard Wagner, Mary Cage.
In May, we look forward to welcoming the Enders back from their stay in Florida. To stay in touch, they’ve been sending us postcards from their trip and time on the beach. We know they’ll be back with beautiful tans.
We continue our mission to our community neighbors. We donated 30 bags of canned goods to Ecumenical Food Pantry. That’s the most we’ve ever donated, even more than our Harvest Home donations (which was a lot!).Thanks to all of you for your extravagant generosity, especially during this time when people are most in need. Many thanks to Bob Reed for continuing this ministry.
We’ve continued our Wednesday noon prayers for our community and our church. We continue to receive prayer requests and praise reports of answered prayers through our community prayer box.
Recently, we received another donation of $7 in our prayer box. This will also be used as a down-payment on our new prayer garden.
We will continue our outreach to our community with monthly Bible Study for the residents at B’nai B’rith, on 1st Wednesdays (May 6th). Our first study in April went very well and the refreshments were delicious!…thanks to Buffy for helping to coordinate this and all the residents who attended.Special thanks to Mrs. Bigham for playing the organ for us.
As we journey through Eastertide on our way to Pentecost Sunday (5/31), we hope you’ll join us for worship and Bible study.A new 5-week Bible study series, led by Chris Lawson, began on April 26th and will nurture us on our way to Pentecost Sunday.
I am humbled and appreciative to serve alongside all of you in ministry.
We journeyed through Lent together, using candles every Sunday to light our path along the way.
During Lent, each family committed to 5 canned good items to help to feed hungry families in our community. We also received donations of linen items and a couple of cash donations for Charles, an ex-offender who is trying to re-establish himself in the community -- many, many thanks to everyone for their generosity!
On March 15th, we received another new member – Ralph Gardner. .. welcome Ralph!
We continued with our Wednesday noontime prayers for our community and church. On Sundays, we earnestly prayed over the prayer requests (over 30, so far) we’ve received through our Community Prayer Box. We’ve even received a few praise reports of answered prayers from people in our surrounding community – praise God!
Recently, we received a donation of $15 in our prayer box. This will be used as a down-payment on our new prayer garden.
We will continue our outreach to our community with monthly Bible Study classes for the residents at B’nai B’rith, beginning on April 1st.
As we come to the end of our Lenten journey and draw near to the cross, we will now prepare for the bittersweet tragedy and joy of Holy Week.
We will join the crowds lifting up our “Hosannas” on Palm Sunday (April 5th), and then bear witness to Jesus’ crucifixion and death on Good Friday (April 10th).We will even travel alongside him on the Via Dolorosa, as he carries his crosson the road to a hill called Calvary. Then, we will tarry a while at the foot of the cross, staying with him until he takes his final breath.
But, his final breath was not the end. It was the beginning of new life for you and for me. On Easter Sunday (April 12th), we will join with the 3 women at the open and empty tomb to celebrate the resurrection of our Risen Lord!
Throughout Easter and always, let us reflect and find renewed faith in the words of the familiar song by Bill Gaither:
Because He Lives I Can Face Tomorrow Because He Lives All Fear Is Gone Because I Know He Holds The Future And Life Is Worth The Living Just Because He Lives
We truly hope you will join us for worship during Holy Week and for our Easter celebration. It’s rumored too that there will be a surprise guest for Easter – you know, the guy with ‘big ears’ who lays chocolate eggs.
Alleluia!
Pastor Monica
Home: 717-525-8264 Cell: 267-566-2202
Email:pastor.monica.ucc@gmail.com
Pastoral Letter (March 2009)
Dear Friends,
As a congregation, you’re a remarkable community of faith. It was quite a moving experience to see us gathered around the Community Prayer box on Sunday, February 8th, praying individual and collective prayers of dedication. Praying prayers which dedicated the beautifully designed box, and ourselves, in a commitment to praying for our community, beginning with prayers at noon on Wednesdays.
The Community Prayer box was placed outside the church on Monday, February 9th and by the end of that first week we received 6 responses from people in our community. Let us continue in earnest prayer for our community every Wednesday at noon, and stay open to how God will surprise us with God’s amazing grace towards us and others in our community.
I contacted one of the people who requested prayer and he was overwhelmed with appreciation. He said,” I feel so special that you prayed for me.” May we continue to be Christ to more of our neighbors and when we do they too will feel special and come to know that they are VERY SPECIAL to God.
We continue to pray for our shut-ins and for our members (and friends) who are not able to join us in the many events we celebrate here at Salem. We hope to continue to include pictures for you in our monthly newsletters and on our website (www.salemucc-harrisburg.org). Whenever you’re available, we invite you, your family and friends to join us for worship services and special events. We’re having a lot of fun and we invite you to share in it with us.
A fun and joyful event was the Renewal of vows ceremony celebrated on February 15th with Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Smith and Mr. and Mrs. George Hillegas, as they re-affirmed their love and long-term commitment to each other.
Our Ash Wednesday service was a worshipful experience as we acknowledged our unquenchable thirst for God in our lives. This service called us to a time of sacrifice, to give up one thing of pleasure (fasting) to dedicate that time to more focused time on God during this period of Lent.
I hope you will embrace Lent as a time of fasting, prayer, study and reflection. Lent is an invitation to pause, to slow down long enough to refocus your thoughts and activities in ways that make God the priority in your lives.
As part of your Lenten experience, we hope you will join us as we gather on Sundays a t 9:15 a.m. in the chapel for prayer and Bible study . Our Lenten Bible study will begin on March 8th with a coordinated study of the lectionary texts for the period of Lent.
While on our Lenten journey, we will be invited to offer sacrificial financial gifts to the One Great Hour of Sharing offering (4th Sunday in Lent), to help others in need. People are more in need now than they were a year ago. I hope we will embrace the challenge and give much more than we did last year…together we can offer more.
After our time of 40 days, in a symbolically wilderness fast – an experience filled with sacrifice and doing without the more pleasurable things in our life for a more focused time with God – I pray we emerge from this time in God’s presence profoundly changed, having been molded and prepared to be stronger Christians and more effective disciples of Christ.
Along the way, on our Lenten journey, may we learn to love all things less, that we might learn to love God more.
In February, we often celebrate the hallmark holiday, Valentine’s Day – love’ s holiday!
This year, as a church, we will celebrate Valentine’s Day by including pictures of our heart throbs in this issue of the newsletter. It’s not what you’re thinking… our heart throbs are pictures of grand and great grand children who have truly captured our hearts and our love.
Valentine’s Day invites us to pause to think about those whom we love and those who love us. Many of you, the members and friends of Salem have been married over 30 years, even if you’re a widow or widower. You have experienced and treasured the love of another person.
The joy and beauty of the gospel is whether or not you are married, single, divorced or widowed, God loves you regardless!
You are the apple of God’s eye, the heart throb of God. God calls us BELOVED! God is always pursuing us with unconditional love, through Jesus Christ, yearning for us to respond to that love through our devotion and commitment to serving God and those whom God loves.
Those who are married will have an opportunity to renew their marriage vows this month. ALL of us will have an opportunity to express our love to God and acknowledge God’s love for us.
Ash Wednesday will signal the beginning of Lent – the forty day season of reflection for Christians. The “forty days” correspond symbolically to the forty days Jesus lived alone in the wilderness for a time of fasting and spiritual preparation, before starting his ministry.
Lent is a time of study, prayer and reflection. It is a time to pause, to slow down long enough to refocus our thoughts and activities in ways that make God the priority in our lives.
We will conclude our Bible study series on Luke and transition into a Lenten study on March 1st. We hope you will join us as we gather a t 9:15 a.m. in the chapel for prayer and study .
While on our Lenten journey, may the Spirit fill us, renew us and revive us in that which is symbolically our wilderness.
On the day we celebrated “Joy,” during the third Sunday in Advent, we experienced a truly joy-filled day (it’s so like God to work things out in that way!)
During our morning worship service, we welcomed two new members: Darlene Hillegas and Mary O’Keefe.
We also welcomed between 250-300 guests who visited with us as part of the Harrisburg Historical Society Candlelight tour on December 14th. It was wonderful to hear the laughter and joy in the hallways of our church as our guests were given guided tours through our church by good humored members like Linda Farr and Darlene Hillegas, dressed in period dresses; one exception was Rick Moore who refused to wear a dress (understandably so!) Other tour guides included Eleanor Kelley, Jennifer Moore, Tom Farr, Bob Charles and Hazel Lewis.
Some of our guests who passed up the tour headed straight to the bake sale, where they met Evelyn Smith, Jeff Smith, Mary O’Keefe and Donna Royal. Several guests even stayed a while to sit and enjoy coffee, desserts and conversation. It was truly a joyous day all round!
We concluded our Advent Bible study series with an average attendance of 8-10 people and lots of interactive and challenging discussion. We will continue our study sessions on Sunday, January 18, 2009 (with the study of Luke) at 9:15 a.m. in the chapel for prayer and study.
Our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service was a wonderful reminder that Christ was the Light of the World, as candles illuminated the sanctuary while the carols and scriptures illumined our hearts. This special event was heralded by a shepherd. No… wait! That was no shepherd…it was Jeff Smith.
This year we also had a choir and musical selections from Handel’s Messiah. It was quite a worshipful experience and, this year, we also included the celebration of Holy Communion.
We ended December with continued donations to the Ecumenical food pantry, in addition to clothing and other items donated to individuals in the community whom we adopted via a “Giving Tree.” Thanks to our congregational team for identifying individuals and coordinating this worthwhile effort. Thanks also to the Salem Guild for its continued donations to charitable institutions and individuals.
2008 was a year marked by change. We welcomed a new pastor, engaged in adult bible study together, mourned the loss of beloved members, and opened our doors to participate in more community related events to reach out to our neighbors, while also revitalizing congregational life activities to strengthen our life together as a church. Many members and friends of Salem stepped out of their comfort zones to volunteer to use their gifts and talents to serve in ways that helped to build up the body of Christ – here at Salem. We also resumed our food donations to feed hungry families in need – celebrated in a big way during Harvest Home and a featured article in the Patriot News.
And with all this, as we continued to serve the Lord…God added to our numbers (Acts 2: 47), notably with the addition of 2 very devoted new members in December. It was a wonderful way to close out a very productive year!
To welcome in the New Year, we will celebrate with a traditional German Pork and sauerkraut dinner on Sunday, January 4th, immediately following our worship service. We will also have a lecture and slide presentation on “The Civil War in Harrisburg,” from noted historian, Lawrence Keener-Farley. This event will be open to our community, and we hope you’ll join us.
Thank you Salem members (and friends of Salem) for how you continue to faithfully serve your God… and those whom God loves.
As a church, we have been intentional about renewing our connections to the surrounding Harrisburg community, including our inter-faith and ecumenical partners. We hosted a breakfast gathering of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, on November 12th, as part of a national movement to protest against torture.
We ended the month of November with our continued donations to the Ecumenical food pantry. Rather than hosting an open house at our church, we decided instead to host a Thanksgiving reception in the auditorium of B’nai B’rith, for the residents who live there. We provided desserts and refreshments for close to 35 residents. Darlene Hillegas donated home-made pumpkin bread which was the all-time favorite among the residents there…thank you Darlene for your thoughtfulness and generosity!
Coming up this month, on December 7th, we invite you to join us for our annual meeting to hear updates from our various ministries.
On December 14th, we will once again open our doors, from 1:00pm -6:00pm, to welcome people from our community who will participate in the Candlelight tour, sponsored by the Harrisburg Historical Society. Some of our members will be dressed in period dresses as they greet our guests, offering refreshments and tours of the church. It promises to be lots of fun! Thanks to Linda Farr for coordinating this effort.
We continue to celebrate the season of Advent, during which we patiently and expectantly await the coming of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ… God’s remarkable gift that keeps on giving! Please consider joining us for our Advent Bible study series.We gather at 9:15 a.m. in the chapel for prayer and study. Advent devotionals are also available.
All that we do during Advent will culminate in the celebration of our Christmas Eve Service, and eventually Christmas Day – when God became flesh to dwell among us, taking on the humble form of the Christ Child.
Let us celebrate this glorious event together during our Christmas Eve service on Wednesday, December 24th at 7:00pm. Bring your family, friends and neighbors.
Thanks to everyone for the part you have played in keeping us connected to each other and to our community. Edith Egan has helped to keep us connected and concerned about the needs of the residents of Thornwald Home and UCC Homes, in general. Please remember your end of year gift and donations to these retirement homes.
Please mark your calendar for our upcoming New Year’s Holiday meal on January 4th. It will signal our transition into 2009, and our expectation for it to be a good year. We will celebrate with a traditional German pork and sauerkraut meal, which will be open to the residents of B’nai B’rith and our neighbors in the surrounding community.We will extend an invitation for them to join with us to share a meal together. Thanks to our congregational life committee for coordinating this!
Thanks to all of you, faithful saints of Salem church, for joining with me in prayer as we journeyed together through 2008.
I welcome your continued prayers as we patiently await and anticipate what God has in store for us in 2009.
Even during tough economic times the people of God, here at Salem, have opened their hearts and kitchen cupboards, to donate large amounts of food items to help poor and hungry families in our Harrisburg community.
Each Sunday in October, for our Harvest Home celebration, the faithful saints here at Salem brought in their food items and placed them at the altar as an offering. On the final day of our Harvest Home celebration, a photographer from the Patriot News joined us to take pictures for a featured article in the Sacred Spaces section of their newspaper.
What a great way to highlight our ministry to the community around us!
All the donated food items went to the Ecumenical Food Pantry. Many thanks to Bob Reed who continues to faithfully serve in our food pantry ministry and who also took care of getting the items over to the Ecumenical Pantry location.
We will start the month of November off by remembering the community of Saints who have gone on before us, this year, into eternal rest. We will celebrate their lives on November 2nd during our All Saints’ Day worship service. We hope you will join us then.
On November 12th, we will open our doors to our ecumenical community, to host a meeting of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches , here at Salem.
Since 1787, when our church was first organized, God has done many amazing things in and through the congregations which have gathered in this building since then.
After 221 years, now we find ourselves in 2008. God has provided for this faith community and used the people in it to make a difference in the community around us, and even beyond.
At this juncture in time— while nestled in the midst of a historic election period for our country – I can’t help but wonder, “What does God have in mind for our church?”Will it also have historic implications?
One thing is sure: as we continue to wait and expect great things from God in the future— at this very moment, we have a lot to be thankful for. What things in your life are you most thankful for? I certainly give God thanks for all of you and your gracious ministry to me since I joined you in January of this year.
During the Thanksgiving season and always, let us continue to praise God for the marvelous things God has done, and continues to do! We can even use the words of a familiar hymn:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise God, all creatures here below.
Praise God above, ye heavenly host.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
We thank God too for the greatest gift of all, the Advent of God’s son (i.e. the coming of Jesus Christ into the world). Come and learn more about our Christian faith and why we celebrate Christ’s joyous coming to the world.
Please join us for our Advent Bible study series which begins on the first day of Advent, Sunday, November 30th. We will gather a t 9:15 a.m. in the chapel for prayer and study .
I look forward to the ministry we will continue to do together, and how God will continue to use us to make a difference in our community.
Grace and Peace, Pastor Monica Home: 717-525-8264 Cell: 267-566-2202
Email:pastor.monica.ucc@gmail.com
Pastoral Letter... (October 2008)
Dear Friends,
We ended September on a high note …“making a joyful noise unto the Lord” with a fun-filled hymn sing worship service held outdoors in our garden. This idea originated with one of our members, George Hillegas, and our music ministry team.
The temperatures are starting to cool down a bit --but I must say, our activities here at Salem seem to be going full throttle.
In our last Consistory meeting, Chris reminded us that we did not take a break this summer – we’ve held meetings every month this year. With that, she also mentioned we’ve completed all the items listed as unfinished business. I’m delighted that the past few months have been very productive, although filled with lots of hard work.
Thank you Consistory members and members of the Administrative team!Both teams have been hard at work. Consistory members continue to look for creative ways to enhance our time together while also seeking creative ways to open our doors to the community. The Administrative team continues to look for ways to improve the look of our building and grounds to create a more welcoming atmosphere for our members and guests.
Thanks too to Donna Royal who has recently agreed to provide leadership for our Congregational Life Team!
Coming up on October 5th, we will celebrate World Communion Day with all of our Christian brothers and sisters across the world. This will be a wonderful way to celebrate that which unites us – Jesus Christ. In Christ there is no east or west.
During the entire month of October, we will celebrate Harvest Home by bringing in non-perishable food items and placing them at the altar. On the last Sunday, October 26th, we will culminate the celebration with a special service.
A photographer from the Patriot News will join us on that last Sunday to take pictures of the celebration. The pictures will be included in a Sacred Spaces featured article in the Patriot News. All food donations will go to the Ecumenical food pantry in support of needy families in our community.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to worship with more of your friends, family and neighbors?Consider inviting them to come to church with you on Sundays. If you’re not sure how to go about inviting them, perhaps you can start by giving them one of our new church brochures (I hope you noticed them in the new brochure holders at the rear of the sanctuary).
Perhaps your friends, family and neighbors might be interested in joining you for Bible Study. Our Bible study sessions will continue through October (except 1st Sunday) with our discussion of “Seven Days with the Gospel of Luke." We hope to see you at 9:15 a.m. in the chapel for prayer and study.
I continue to keep all of you in my prayers. May others see Christ in us and in the ministry we provide to our community.
We had a very enjoyable and relaxing bus trip to the historic Bartram Gardens in Philadelphia in mid-August. Now here we are… at the threshold of a new season as we transition from the Summer into Fall. Of course, Labor Day signals the beginning of Fall and this year we will have our Labor Day sale once again – thanks to Jeff, Rick and Roy at the helm in organizing this year’s sale and barbeque.
On Sunday September 7th, following worship, we will open our doors to the community as one of the few churches hosting the Gallery Walk. We will offer tours of the church and refreshments for anyone visiting with us that day. The young people from CASA will get a chance to highlight their gifts and talents with music, dance and artwork exhibits throughout the church. Participation in the Gallery Walk is one of the ways in which our Consistory members are using their gifts and talents to creatively invite the community in to experience our hospitality.
Over the past few months, many of you have stepped out in faith to use your gifts to serve in ministry. We’ve seen new lay readers, ushers who are now open to leading the prayer of dedication for the offering, and folks offering great new ideas for activities which enhance our time together in fellowship. Thanks to these folks and everyone who continue to use their gifts in service to the ministry here at Salem. We also continue to do our part in supporting our local food bank and supporting important ministries of our sister churches. If the apostle Paul was here I think he would offer us encouragement to"…let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." (Gal. 6:9 New Living Translation)
We can find a lot of encouragement in the pages of Scripture and through studying the Bible. Our Bible study sessions begin again on September 7th with Chris Lawson facilitating. During this study series, we will spend seven Sundays discussing "Seven Days with the Gospel of Luke." Please consider joining us at 9:15am in the chapel for prayer and study.
Over the next few months, I am eagerly anticipating all that God has in store for us as we journey into the season of Advent.
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