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Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Friday, November 13, 2020
Discovery Place: Advent Resources
Discovery Place is open and ready to meet your needs for resources for small groups or Sunday School classes. The first Sunday of Advent is Thanksgiving weekend, so it is not too early to think about a study for Advent! Order early to avoid disappointment, as quantities are limited. Choose from the following titles:
looks at this Christmas classic in a new way: through the lens of faith. He uses the iconic tale to help us understand God’s greatest gift of the Christ child and of the kingdom Christ came to build. 4 sessions. (Also available – study books for Children and Youth.)
Hamilton (2017). As the earthly father of Jesus, Joseph’s place in the Nativity story is sometimes overlooked, but contains valuable lessons for all of us. 4 sessions. (Also available – study books for Children and Youth and a large-print book.)
Who Needs Christmas, by Andy Stanley (2019). The remarkable details of the Christmas story are what make it so believable. And Andy Stanley tells us why, after so many years, it took something unexpected to get people’s attention. 4 sessions.
Because of Bethlehem, by Max Lucado (2016). In this Bible
study, Lucado explores how the One who made everything chose to make himself nothing and come into our world. Jesus’ birth gives us the promise that God is always near us, always for us, and always with us. 4 sessions.
Christmas Gifts That Won’t Break, by James Moore (2017). As we journey through Advent, we reflect on the unbreakable gifts God has given us: hope, love, joy, and peace…and of course the greatest gift of all: Jesus. 5 sessions.
Finding Bethlehem In the Midst of Bedlam, by James Moore (2015). This study explores how God comes to us even in the midst of chaos and how we can, in turn, be light that the world seeks, especially during the Christmas Season. Christmas or confusion, Bethlehem or bedlam…which will you choose this year? 5 sessions.
To read full descriptions, go to our website, www.discovery-place.org, click on online catalog and search by title. There are several other resources from which to choose. In the online catalog choose “advanced search” and under subject, select Christmas/Advent to see a complete listing of all Advent resources we offer. God’s blessings to you as we celebrate the upcoming seasons of thankfulness, joy, and hope!
Serving Christ with you, Joni Robison
Church Bells are Ringing
Rev. Jennifer Williams
Fishburn United Methodist Church in Hershey has established a schedule of ringing their church bell as a Call to Prayer for an end to the Coronavirus and are inviting you to participate.
Every Sunday at 10 a.m. and each Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. the church bell will be rung as a reminder to pray. Please join them at these times in praying for a resolution to the pandemic.
Prayer changes things. As Holocaust survivor, Corrie Ten Boom, puts it, “The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something and enter into God’s realm where everything is possible.”
Remembering Our Heritage
Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist
November – 100 years ago
On November 1, 1920, Dr. Joseph M.M. Gray was transferred from the Grand Avenue Church in Kansas City MO to the Elm Park Church in Scranton. He would serve there until 1928, when he was transferred to the Detroit Central Church in Michigan. In those years it was common practice to rotate Methodist preachers who had national reputations as great orators among the denomination’s flagship congregations in major cities. Before retiring in 1950, Dr. Gray (1877-1957) would go on to serve as chancellor of American University in Washington DC and senior pastor of the prestigious Bexley Church in Columbus OH.
It so happens that Dr. Gray’s 1920 Pennsylvania appointment was actually a return home. The son of charter member of the Central Pennsylvania Conference Rev. Joseph Gray (1840-1918), Dr. Gray was born in Montgomery PA, recommended for the ministry by Littlestown Centenary, and ordained by the Central Pennsylvania Conference in 1901.
December – 50 years ago
December 13, 1970, marked the first charge conference and a time of planning for the newly formed Paxton United Methodist Church. A merger of the Harrisburg Trinity, Harrisburg Sixth Street and Paxton churches, the united congregation was meeting at the Paxton location, described as “only partially satisfactory” and inadequate “when necessary to bring the entire congregation together” and “between the worship hours and the church school hour.” A site committee had been formed and was looking at “virtually every possible area along Linglestown Road and North Progress Avenue.”
The Trinity building (former Methodist) on North 17th Street was dedicated in 1923 and now houses the Harris AMEZ congregation. The Sixth Street building (former United Brethren) at Sixth and Seneca was dedicated in 1913 is now home to the Macedonia Baptist Church. The original Paxton building (former Methodist) was erected in 1860 and now houses an independent congregation. The merged Paxton UM congregation moved into its present building on North Progress Avenue in 1974.
Continue your Mission: Memory Care
Albright Care Services recently received a letter from the family of Charles Misner, who passed away in September at Normandie Ridge Senior Living Community. The beautifully written letter was accompanied by a donation for the Memory Care Residence at Normandie Ridge. Here is a portion of the letter written by John Misner, Charles’ son on behalf of the family.
Dear Albright Care Services:
Please accept the enclosed gift on behalf of Charles P. Misner, former resident of the memory care community at Normandie Ridge. It was difficult for Dad to relocate to Memory Care from his and mom’s apartment, but your thoughtful staff welcomed Dad and helped him enjoy being the only male in Memory Care. We enjoyed visits with Dad and his new friends, until COVID-19 forced everyone into isolation. s
Unfortunately, Dad’s health declined during isolation. We eventually met with Hospice the day before Dad died and received permission to visit him in-person to say goodbye.
After his passing, we sat with Dad in his room as a family, while various members of your staff dropped by to share stories about Dad. Then, the ladies from Hospice quietly asked us to leave the room while they dressed Dad in his commemorative Navy clothes. We then spent over an hour as a family in a private visitation. We realized with COVID-19 restrictions, this would likely be the only visitation before his graveside service.
The funeral home arrived and when we were ready, we stepped out into the hallway expecting to find it empty. Instead, the hallway was filled with residents and the Memory Care staff. Everyone came to pay their final respects to their friend Charlie. They stood as his flag draped body processed from his room through the hallway. Amazing Grace played softly in the background. Their gathering was overwhelmingly sincere, respectful and heartfelt. Our family was touched and blessed beyond words by this tribute.
Thank you for this wonderful Memory Care ministry at Normandie Ridge.
The Misner Family
We spoke with John about writing the letter and he said, “I wanted the staff to know how much this meant to our family. Having that time to sit with him to say goodbye was something we will never forget. We will also never forget the residents and staff who saluted him when he was brought out of his room.”
The staff at Normandie Ridge Memory Care are a shining example of being called to serve, and Albright Care Services is proud that they are part of our family. Albright invites you to continue your mission by joining us at one of our six locations. Visit www.AlbrightCare.org for information on senior living, day programs, giving or volunteering.
Changes at Mission Central & Auction
This year has been an unusual year by all standards, and Mission Central has been very busy. Our mission of “connecting God’s resources with human need” has continued, and we have worked to serve even more this year with the needs brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In early March, we started our focus on distributing masks and PPE to first responders, medical professionals and other critical agencies. So far, $101,000 in masks and PPE have gone out, impacting almost 350,000 people. We expanded our focus on distributing material goods to those in need. Our medical ministry really picked up due to the increased need brought about by COVID-19, and we began to focus on a school program ensuring that students had the necessary food, hygiene items and activities to sustain them during the summer and fall months.
Now, Mission Central Activity Kits are going out to equip students with the necessary supplies for school whether they are virtual or in person. These include pencils, rulers, erasers, paper, scissors, pens and all the items needed for the work of a new school year.
We have received many items from UMC churches’ collection of Care Kits for Annual Conference… thank you!! Care Kits as well as basic hygiene items are going out to ensure students have safe experiences wherever they are schooling and to assist the homeless community in mitigating the spread of coronavirus.
Our global ministries have picked back up, and containers were just shipped for Sierra Leone, Liberia, Haiti, Romania and Ghana. We are gearing up our disaster ministries, and our warehouse is loaded with cleaning/flood buckets ready for distribution during hurricane season.
We continue to find creative ways to continue our mission of “connecting God’s resources with human need.” Through September, (and thanks to your support!) more than $7.5 million in resources has gone out to assist 1.5 million people.
In addition to this work, we had big changes in our infrastructure. While action was initially taken at our Annual Conference in 2016 we were able to close on the building and secure a new mortgage in August, just three months ago. Since then, we have been operating solely as Mission Central, Inc.
We are grateful for the start and support given to us by the United Methodist Church and the vision of Bishop Irons. We look forward to continuing to maintain these strong ties with the Susquehanna Conference.
The future for Mission Central, Inc. is limitless, and we expect to see the growth continue as we strive to meet the needs our world faces in the best and most innovative ways possible. We continue to be beyond grateful for all our supporters have done for us in the last 18 years and look forward to all we can do with your support that will allow us to pay off our mortgage and truly be debt free. We appreciate your prayers and support as we look forward to what the next chapter brings for us!
Thank you, Susquehanna Conference!
Silent Auction Baskets Needed for Fundraiser
Next year, in 2021, Mission Central will be hosting two events - an online auction and our annual Gala. These events raise a significant percentage of our operating revenue each year, and we have always been grateful for UMC support!
This year, we will be hosting a silent auction for themed baskets at both events and would love your support! Baskets can be put together completely or you can send materials for a basket to be made here at Mission Central. You can even send some basket materials (to go with others to make a basket.
Here are a few basket ideas, but please feel free to create your own!
- Family Game Night - games, movie gift cards, popcorn
- Coffee and Tea - mugs, coffee, tea, spoons
- Chocolate Basket - all things chocolate
- Kid’s Favorite Library (great for adults too!)
- Hot Off the Grill - marinades, skewers, grill supplies
This is a great activity to be put together by your business, work group, kids of all ages, church youth, confirmation classes, UMW or any group of family/friends AND a great way to support Mission Central!
These baskets will be auctioned off at either our online auction or our Gala. The baskets/basket materials are due February 1, 2021. Please sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040f49afa82ca1fc1-baskets.
If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Titzel by phone (717-766-1533) or email (stitzel@missioncentral.org).
Thank you in advance for any consideration that you can give these requests. We are looking forward to lots of fun in 2021!
Serving God, Feeding Essential Workers
By Rev. Brent Salsgiver
Recently, I found myself stuck in my office for 45 minutes staring at a computer screen as someone talked. Like most of you, I have had to adapt to online meetings, online worship, and of course, online school. However, on this particular day I would rather have been outside with the people of Paxton UMC handing out free chicken dinners. The meeting was mandatory, but there are times when being a Christian can be really fun.
The day looked so different than the day we originally planned a few months prior, before our lives were turned upside down by the pandemic. We wanted to feed those who are hungry but we also needed money. Then COVID-19 came into our lives. Like many of us, we watched from our windows as we saw essential workers taking on this pandemic. We saw our community step up as doctors, nurses, nursing home staff, ambulance drivers, trash companies, delivery workers, and so many others took this pandemic on as they served, protected, and cared for us. As the pandemic grew, so did our realization that a chicken dinner fundraiser was not an option. We pushed the date back once, twice, and maybe three times.
Then a member of our leadership team sent an email. He said that God had been annoying him for the previous couple of days. He said his idea was crazy and probably wouldn’t work, but he wanted the church to buy the 400 chicken dinners we planned to sell and give them away to those who were so essential. It took the twelve members of our leadership team a few days before God started annoying us. We quickly began to see that in fact, God was calling us to do something unconventional and feed those around us who have taken care of us during this pandemic. As a pastor, these are the God-moments that are amazing and fun to watch.
A few days later we all sat together and realized that God was giving us an opportunity to live out Jesus’ mandate to love others and feed those who are hungry. It wasn’t hard to see that if we were going to live out a practical day to day faith than we needed to take seriously the story of the feeding of the 5,000. This is when Jesus sat in a field and fed over 5,000 people with nothing more than a few fish and loaves of bread. Before this miracle, Jesus’ close followers, his twelve disciples, wanted to send the people away to eat. However, Jesus had other plans. He wanted the disciples to feed them. They pleaded with Jesus to send the people away, but Jesus said to his followers “You feed them”. They were shaken because prior to Jesus, the idea of helping had barriers and who you should help had restrictions. However, Jesus came preaching a message of love for all, without restrictions. This mandate hasn’t changed. We are still called to love all and care for our neighbors especially during trying times like this.
So there I was, stuck in a zoom meeting as the people of Paxton handed out 530 (we had to order more) chicken dinners to those who were working so hard during this pandemic. I could hear people laughing as visitors drove up with their tickets and picked up their chicken dinners. Someone came into my office and told me about a delivery that was made to a local fire station and the shared love that was felt as they dropped off two dozen chicken dinners. As they left, I saw their beaming smile and once again was reminded that Jesus knew what he was talking about.
We admit that we are just a group “of imperfect people doing our best to Know, Love, and Serve God.” We know that we probably missed some people and for that we apologize. If we could, we would have bought more. We are just a small part of our community doing our best to take care of one another. Like everyone, we are scared, annoyed, tired, and masked. However, on this day we realized that when we intentionally live out Jesus’ mandate to love and take care of one another, all of those negative feelings begin to lessen. We see that we aren’t alone and that when we come together, we are so much better than being alone.
I am thankful for chicken dinners, even when they don’t bring in money. I am thankful for every person who had to work while the rest of us had the opportunity to quarantine. I am thankful for zoom meetings that allow me to sit back and see God at work. And I am thankful for this community that is so amazing when we come together.
A Good Measure of Blessings…
By Doug Hoy, Disaster Response Coordinator
The Conference Disaster Response Ministry shares in a partnership with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), to respond to disasters of all kinds. It provides communities with relief assistance as they face the recovery process. The ministry works through the local church to support readiness, response, relief/recovery, and restoration efforts. Much of this is accomplished through cooperation, coordination, and collaboration within the United Methodist connection as well as through the larger disaster response community. At times, it is necessary to focus our efforts on equipping those in that connectional system with the resources and equipment they require to continue ministry and mission. And, this was the case as the pandemic took shape.
Many church leaders were faced with the question of how to continue ministry in a safe and sanitary way while adhering to the guidelines offered by the Governor and Secretary of Health and supported by Bishop Park. It became evident that the demand for personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies would challenge the nation’s supply chain. In turn, it became even more challenging for those leaders to acquire the needed supplies and equipment. And, while the Disaster Response Ministry was able to immediately assist with determining the collective needs of the Annual Conference, it was not clear how those needs were going to be met.
In in the book of Luke, we read and learn how important it is to give generously. Jesus teaches that, as we share the gospel, we should do so with an attitude of overflowing love and kindness, because someday we shall reap what we sow. And, those offerings will be returned in the same measure by which they were given, “pressed down, shaken together and running over, [it] will be poured into your lap” (Luke 6:38, NIV). Let that sink if for a moment. Whatever we are doing in ministry and mission, we will receive in return in measured proportion to what we have given.
When you consider this, what form of measurement are you using when you share with others in your community? How big is your congregational measuring cup? And, what kind of measure will you receive in return? A cup...a pint...a quart...a gallon...perhaps bigger? As the Disaster Response Ministry contemplated meeting the needs of the Conference, the answer was figuratively “poured into our laps,” in the form of hand sanitizer, 55 gallon drums to be exact. Through partnerships with UMCOR, FEMA, and other Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), the ministry was blessed beyond measure with nearly 900 gallons of hand sanitizer and 50,000 face coverings.
With a blessing this size, congregations throughout the Conference could now be equipped to continue reaching into their communities as they faced the challenges of pandemic survival. And, with assistance from a larger number of God’s servants, who answered the call of Isaiah 6:8, saying “Here am I. Send me,” 16 drums were distributed throughout each District and face coverings delivered to the District Offices. But, the overflowing of blessings did not stop there.
…Pressed down, Shaken Together, and Running Over
Scripture calls us to “Carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2), looking out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4), while using “whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). And, congregations throughout the Annual Conference have taken this to heart in a very meaningful way.
Schools across the nation have certainly struggled to provide a safe and sanitary educational environment for students in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of congregations have stepped in to help by opening their facilities as remote learning sites (See September issue of the LINK). In an effort to support them, the Disaster Response Ministry reached out. And, as a result of our large measure of blessings and your faithful and continued giving to shares of ministry, unmet need were filled, including face coverings, hand sanitizer, touchless thermometers, and access to cleaning supplies.
A number of churches in the Harrisburg District have partnered with the Community Classrooms initiative to provide a safe environment where students can learn. The Journey Church (Harrisburg) is providing a full day community classroom experience for students in the Harrisburg School District.
“We decided to open up as a remote learning site because it is a vital need in our community and we believe the church should be meeting those needs wherever possible. Providing a safe space for kids where they can get access to the internet and loving adult support,” said Pastor Kris Sledge.
“In Matthew 25, Jesus calls us to meet the practical needs of those around us, and during these incredibly uncertain times when a lot of kids don’t have a sense of normal, we are able to provide a safe space for them.”
“The Disaster Relief provided us with extra masks, thermometers, and hand sanitizer that we use every day. One of our volunteers brought in fabric markers on Monday and the students got to decorate their masks. They loved it!”
Linglestown Life’s Rockville campus (Harrisburg) also opened its facilities to students in grades 1-5 in the Susquehanna Township School District.
“We realize that so many students are at home in our district who need extra support, as well as parents/guardians need a break to complete work, care for other kids, or simply to run errands. Our goal is to help care for students and families in this way. The donations of sanitizer, thermometers, and masks from the Disaster Response Ministry will make volunteers and students feel and be safe in our learning space,” according to Campus Pastor Taylor Pfaff
Additionally, Highspire United Methodist Church is providing remote learning space to aid Steelon-Highspire students.
Other churches in the York and Williamsport Districts have stepped up to provide remote learning sites for students in their local area as well.
First Church (Williamsport District) is providing a remote learning environment for students in the Williamsport area. They are opening their North Campus to students to give them a safe space to do their work. And, while the main focus is academic, they are using the opportunity to introduce students to the Bible through stories, songs, and prayers.
According to Ben Conrad, Director of Community Engagement, “When our area went to a hybrid school schedule due to COVID-19, it was clear that our community needed people who could step up and step into the need of child-care and supervised education.”
“The resources the Disaster Response Ministry was able to provide First Church, “will allow us to continue providing this necessary service to our community.”
First United Methodist Church of Chambersburg and Stewartstown UMC (York District) are also hosting learning support centers for local students in the community.
“The face coverings we received from the Disaster Response ministry will allow us to continue to keep students and staff safe,” said Pastor Steven Livermore, First UMC.
“Our most difficult task right now is maintaining a sanitary environment for the students,” according to Sandy Pietrowicz, Director of Children’s Ministries at Stewartstown UMC. “Assistance from the Disaster Response Ministry has eased this burden, allowed us to maintain a safe environment, and continue this mission of love.”
We are reminded in Hebrews 6:10, that “God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.” Because of the many blessing we received and acts of service and help from across the United Methodist connection, we can continue to let our “light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Food Trucks for Outreach
“So where is your church?” a neighbor asked at our free food truck event. When our volunteer replied that it was across the street, the neighbor replied “Oh, I’ve never noticed it.” The moment was deeply important for us as a new campus of the Linglestown Life multi-site congregation. This question has helped us remember how much work we have to do to gain trust, rapport, and friendship in our neighborhood. To many people in our neighborhood, we are just a brick building on the corner of two busy roads. In determining and witnessing the why of this Linglestown Life Campus, which is to have the “heartbeat for the community,” this neighbor’s question has pushed us to evaluate how to better be present with our community.
Over a year ago, Rockville UMC merged with Linglestown Life; we are now Linglestown Life at Linglestown and at Rockville. Since this merger, the Rockville Campus has been figuring out how to reach and partner with our community. We are in the process of making an educational and community center called Ray’s Place out of an old garage building; we will use it to create meaningful programs in partnership with the Susquehanna Township School District.
With the merger of new ideas and a sense that God is calling us to reach our neighborhood and the northern part of Harrisburg (sometimes called Rockville), Linglestown Life has been figuring out how to reach people, specifically through food. So, we hired a food truck for an evening in September and October to invite our neighbors to come for a free takeaway meal. Our hired food truck set up shop and we gave free food tickets to anyone who completed an information card. We also displayed our future education building to begin developing a connection with the space. The purpose of this event was for our launch team, who will start a new weeknight service next September, to make social connections to our neighbors and help them realize that we are indeed present and caring, and to bring some life into our community.
In the COVID-19 era, gathering indoors over a Bible study is not very appealing to neighbors without a connection to our faith community. The food truck model of gathering neighbors is non-invasive, very relaxed, and it allows people to socially distance themselves. As a pastor of a small rural community last year and now as an urban pastor, I think this model of the food truck is highly usable for any church, wherever you are. If you can invite people to your space and share free food with them, the connections are more meaningful and less transactional. We were intentional in using our volunteers to talk to people and ask them about their jobs and kids and lives. We didn’t have them over for a transactional yard sale or chicken barbeque to just say, ‘see you on Sunday.’ We gathered their information and had meaningful conversations with them to communicate that we’re here to partner in the betterment of our shared community. We spent time learning peoples’ names and stories so that we will be able to empower other ministries or create something together that will benefit our neighbors.
As a millennial pastor, I see that there are many people who are skeptical of churches and who may not know they are even present in the area. Like the reality of climate change, the reality of a post-church America is not far off down the road for our grandkids to deal with; it’s here, right now. We aren’t interested in preserving what was, but in being creative with the hand we’re dealt. Our former Methodist church was likely not the only one to be a building that the neighbors forgot about or that was more of a landmark on a road than an active community gathering space. Your church in a city, a rural town, or even the suburbs can always use more ways to reach your literal neighbors and spaces. Don’t start with the assumption that people know about your community and are waiting to arrive on a Sunday. Start with the assumption that God is working in your mission field already and that you just need to find a creative way to show up where people are already gathering. A food truck event like this can be helpful to help people know that your church is active in partnering with the community, not for the purpose of transactional evangelism, but for the purpose of loving your neighbor.
This model of using a food truck for gathering your neighbors and strangers to your faith community may be incredibly helpful in your ministry context. If you want help with such a missional outreach, feel free to contact me at tpfaff@susumc.org.
School of the Arts Thrives in Pandemic
By Rebecca Ciabattari, Director, SOTA
Saint John’s-Newberry United Methodist Church supports many ministries, one of which serves local students and community members within the heart of Newberry, located just outside Williamsport, PA. The STJNUMC School of the Arts (SOTA) has been able to provide creative ways to allow students to continue pursuing the arts even in these tough times. Working closely with members of church council and Rev. Dr. Lenore Hosier, we developed a safety and security plan where students would be safe to follow their dreams and serve the Lord through this unique ministry built upon the arts.
All of our students are asked to fill out an online contact tracing form prior to arriving at the church facility for practices or lessons. This ensures that only students who are healthy and have not been exposed to the virus are able to attend. In addition, while our usual concert events have been postponed for fall 2020, we have been working hard to create new ways for our students to continue performing and serving.
Students at SOTA are able to develop musical skills or pursue a variety of distanced dance classes, ranging from beginner to advanced modern dance or ballet. Instrumental lessons include online voice instruction with our teacher Megan Havrilla, who has diligently honed the craft of teaching virtually. Our piano instructor Diane Havrilla, and our double bass/guitar instructor Tim Breon, are able to teach while masked and distanced from students who learn also while masked. Brass instructors, Philip Herfort and Rebecca Ciabattari have been able to utilize the large square footage of our terrific indoor facility or to move lessons outdoors to the center courtyard, taking every precaution. These students may have the opportunity to perform selections during the church services coming up this November or December.
Our dancers have been rehearsing weekly within 10’x10’ squares marked on the floor of the rehearsal hall. Theresa Kendall, our dance instructor, has been working extremely hard to choreograph dances which would allow students to never leave their boxes, thereby maintaining proper distance from one another. Most recently, Theresa and Pastor Hosier collaborated to allow our dancers to perform for the congregational services the first two weekends in October. One class was invited to dance during the indoor services while maintaining proper distancing from one another as well as from congregants. Several additional classes were able to perform outside in the church parking lot for family members and congregants, taking place either before or after church services. These events provided a goal for our students to learn and focus as well as it was a true blessing to those who observed our students dancing for Him!
Recently, our dancers were invited to perform outside one of our local nursing homes for residents to be able to watch out of their windows! We are so grateful for the opportunity to provide an outreach of ministry to residents in this nursing facility where a moment of joy may be a blessing like no other.
Our ministry reaches students, families, and our community in a unique, caring manner. We have had countless stories from our students who have grown to love the arts and the Lord through what has become a most special kind of community. While SOTA looks and feels much different in 2020, we are overjoyed to continue to work for our Creator in such a way during these trying, unprecedented times; and we look forward to the bright future we have waiting for us down the road!
sota@stjnumc.com • schoolofthearts.susumc.org • facebook.com/sotafriends
2020 Camp Comeback Campaign Surpasses Goal
By Rev. Kevin Witt, Director of Camp & Retreat Ministry
Thanks Donors! Celebrating $110,000 in Gifts!
Thank you for practicing generosity as your way of life. Thank you for stepping up in a time of great challenge to be a blessing. Thank you for demonstrating in such a remarkable way what God can inspire when we unite in faith as the people of the Susquehanna Conference. Thank you for helping to sustain a vibrant Camp and Retreat Ministry and our places of sacred common ground, so persons can continue to draw closer to God, to experience Christ’s love in community, and return with purpose to do good and love neighbor. The ripple effect of your foresight and grateful living as donors will reverberate for years and touch the lives of thousands.
You have made real the wisdom and joy that comes from recognizing the flow of blessings and goodness from God that never ceases regardless of what is happening. You are a part of that flow by sharing what you have received. No circumstance can separate us from the love of Christ. Be encouraged by the words of the Apostle Paul.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. - Thessalonians 5:16-19
Moving forward into 2021, plans are underway for summer camp to resume safely at less than full capacity as the ongoing challenges of COVID remain. We proceed with deep gratitude to God. We thank God for you and your unquenchable responsiveness to the Spirit as donors. We learned something invaluable this year. Together we can and will overcome financial shortfalls arising from less guests and campers in these challenging circumstances. There is much to celebrate! Thank you for being ongoing ministry partners.
Thursday, November 12, 2020
Seeing People as Jesus Sees Them
On Sunday, September 20, the first of four services celebrating the appointment of our four new district superintendents was streamed from Bethany UMC in Red Lion. (View here: tinyurl.com/DSinstallCB) This service celebrated the appointment of Rev. Catherine E. Boileau as the new York District Superintendent. Following is an edited version of her installation address.
Scripture references: John 5:1-9, Romans 8:31-39
Rev. Catherine E. Boileau, York District Superintendent
I am grateful to be here in this place today, in this moment. For this place is an Ebenezer for me. You remember what an Ebenezer is? “Thus far has God brought me.”
It is not just because I served here. There is something that happened here, right down there on a piece of this communion rail, that makes me think of the man lying by the pool at Bethsaida.
You see, when I came to Bethany, it was not in the usual way. I was introduced by a District Superintendent, but not appointed. I arrived broken in body, struggling with an illness which had led to my going on disability. By all counts, it was an illness that meant I would not be able to be in full time ministry again for a long time, if ever.
And so I was here, like the man lying by the side of the pool, unable to find that magic pill or enter the swirling waters of healing. Unable, even with one of the best and most compassionate physicians, to find a way to reverse the damage that the illness had done. Like the man lying by the side of the pool for all those many years, I was certain that without God’s help my story of illness would remain unchanged.
There are, of course, two important differences between my story and his story. The first, thanks be to God, I was only sick for a handful of years, not 38. Can you imagine; lying beside that pool for 38 years? No wonder the man lost his hope.
And the second difference, is that unlike this man, I never was alone. I had a circle of people called the church— friends who stood with me, who never gave up on me, who fought for me in prayer on days I could hardly pray for myself, and refused to give up on me. A friend and colleague named Mike Druck promised to fast from chocolate the entire time I was on disability, more than 2 years. My District Superintendent, Roger Mentzer, battled in prayer for me, refusing to accept that I would not be able to return full-force into pastoral ministry. I had a Lead Pastor named Charlie Salisbury—perhaps you have heard of him? At the end of the day I would cry and fuss because I was exhausted after preaching a sermon, and he would say, “What you can give me in a 10-minute conversation on vision is worth a whole week of everything else.” I had a people housed in this beautiful space called Bethany, who received me and embraced my gifts, even when I felt that I was less than I used to be, and who prayed for me.
It was, in fact, at that very spot I now call Ebenezer, during a healing service one night after we had prayed for everyone else, that they prayed for me. And the waters of God began to move when they had seemed to be so still for so long. And miraculously, not by my doing, or even by my wonderful doctor’s doing, the healing waters of Christ began swirling into my broken body, and I began my journey of healing.
Now it is true, that my healing took a long time, but looking back, it started in that moment, and throughout it all, I was never alone. And just as Jesus visited that man by the side of the pool at Bethsaida that day, here is my testimony: that Jesus also has visited me. He visited in the fullness of Psalm 103, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits.” In the fullness of who He is, Jesus came to me in my physical healing, but He also came in spiritual healing and the forgiveness of sin.
Unlike this man, I have never been abandoned. The Body of Christ has always been around me and is with me even in this moment. We are scattered today all around the globe, but unlike this man, we in the people called church are never alone.
So let’s look at the gospel text.
As we read the story in John 5, there’s no explanation of why Jesus would seek out this man to be healed. I love this healing story because it is clear that it doesn’t happen because this is a man of stellar faith. It’s not even because this man is likeable. In fact, quite the opposite; the man is lost in the bitterness of his condition and his sense of abandonment. Maybe you’ve met someone like this, who after years of disappointment, offers the same series of laments: Nobody comes. Nobody’s here. Oh, if only...
Jesus looks at the man and asks the simple question: “Do you want to get well?”
Listen again to what the man says. “Well every now and then an angel comes and stirs up the pool, and nobody comes, and I can’t get there, and…” He never even answers Jesus’ question.
This is not an example of stellar faith. Even as we move further down in the text, even after the man is healed, and people ask him, “Who healed you?” The only response he gives is, “I don’t know.”
This isn’t the Samaritan woman running around and saying this Jesus is amazing and told me everything about myself!
This isn’t the Syrophoenician woman who says even the crumbs under your table would be enough, Lord. Heal my child.
This is not faith like the centurion who says just give one word, Lord, and my servant will be healed.
This isn’t even Mary and Martha wrestling in faith and saying I know Lord that at the end of the age there will be a resurrection and our brother will be raised.
This isn’t stellar faith, nor even ordinary faith, but a lament that things aren’t working the way this man thinks they should. If only. He doesn’t offer anything that would attract us to him.
But we’re not Jesus. And let the record show, that of all of the people gathered by the pool that day waiting on a miracle, it is this guy, that Jesus chooses to visit. It is this guy, with nothing to offer, not even a mustard seed of faith, that Jesus chooses to heal.
Which is what makes this story such a story of grace. And reminds us that Jesus doesn’t choose people because we are so lovable, but because Jesus is so loving.
And that’s what gives me hope.
This isn’t the story about how right we do things, but a story about how right God is. A story that reminds us that God visits us not because we have it all together, but because God is a God of compassion who is steadfast in his love.
This is a God who loves us and is willing to look beyond our lack of faith, our selfishness and our brokenness; who looks beyond our grumpy days, or the days we can offer nothing that would attract God to us. Because Jesus loves this man and love us, nonetheless.
Why I love this story is because it reminds me that my story is also a story of grace. God didn’t heal me because I was so deserving or because I did things better than anyone else.
God didn’t call me to ministry—here’s a fact—or even into this ministry, because I’m brighter, more faithful, or have it more together than someone else. God called because that’s the work God is in, loving the broken, healing the wounded, and seeing us through the eyes of what can be restored in us rather than what is lacking in us.
And here’s what I learned as the church loved me when I didn’t have much to offer, and when God loves us as a simple act of grace: that whenever everybody else abandons you, when you feel you are less than yourself and part of you has been destroyed or left behind, when everybody else sees you as less than; Jesus never will. And when everyone else abandons you, Jesus never does.
I want to say to those of you who might [read this] — that if everyone else has abandoned you, Jesus will still show up for you.
Jesus doesn’t wait ‘til your life is together or you overcome the addiction or you have things figured out. Jesus shows up for you just as you are. And God’s people called Methodist are here to love you too.
If I have one prayer for us, York District, as we start this journey together it would be that we would see people, really see people, as Jesus sees people, as Jesus saw this man. For when Jesus saw him, it changed everything. And when we see people like Jesus sees people, it will change people’s stories as well.
We are so good at seeing the label or the lifestyle or the category or the race—arranging people into our categories—and never really seeing the child of God who is in front of us.
Oh church, if there was ever a way we could witness to the incredible compassion of our God in this current chapter in history, surely it would be to look at every person and to really see them.
In my journey, I once had a friendship with a man I’ll call Danny.
Danny had been a part of our community for quite a while but when he visited us in a community ministry, he would stay at the back. Before people left for the evening, I let them know that we would be happy to pray for anyone who came up to the front, but Danny never came forward.
I congratulated myself on being respectful of his space, until one day he burst out, furious with me. “I stayed, and you didn’t pray for me.” I apologized.
After the community meal that evening, Danny stayed and began to tell me his story. One story fell out in jagged edges and Danny was full of rage and tears. “I don’t know why I’m crying,” he said. “I can’t remember how many years it has been since I have cried.”
Danny had endured more wounds than I will ever know, but the one that hurt him most was that because he mostly lived on the streets, no one would look at him. I could understand why. Danny was big and strong and his face showed his pain, an intimidating presence to be sure. But there behind the pain, was a heart that was kind and protective and wanted to be loved. Of all the wounds in his life, here’s the one that mattered most to him now, No one ever looks at me.
My husband and I were at Sheetz the next week, when who should I see but Danny. Danny, who was yearning for people to see him. In my somewhat over-exuberant personality that sometimes can be a blessing as well as a curse, I loudly called out his name and ran to him with exitement. The Sheetz was crowded and everyone stopped to see this spectacle I had just made of both of us. I spent a few minutes talking to Danny, then as I left said to my husband, “Oh, what if I embarrassed him? I hope I didn’t scare him off.”
The very next week, I felt a tap on my shoulder. The kind of tap when someone teases you and walks on the other side to pretend as if they weren’t the one who tapped you. Grinning broadly, there was Danny. And a long term friendship was born.
I’d like to tell you that our friendship was like a Hallmark movie, and all Danny’s problems (as well as my own) disappeared, and that it wasn’t full of mistakes and jagged edges and struggles. But, I wasn’t there to fix all Danny’s challenges just as he was not there to fix all mine—yet we are truly friends.
Danny has taught me many things, not the least of which is there power that is released in a human life and heart when we allow people to be truly seen. And counted. And valued. And loved.
York District let’s pray for the eyes to see people as Jesus sees them.
That’s one prayer I have for us today.
But here’s the other. In order to see it, let’s flip our vision from the eyes of Jesus to the eyes of the man, the man who doesn’t see Jesus at all.
Here’s Jesus, the Lord of life, the ‘Niagara Falls of living water’, who has come all this way to stand with this man in his lament at the pool, and say, “Buddy, do you want to be healed?” And the man is so busy looking at the pool, remembering a past time when an angel came and stirred up the waters, that he misses the reality that it is God who is standing right there with him in this moment. He’s waiting for an angel, but God has shown up. Just for him. The same God who created heaven and earth. The God who formed him and made him as he is, who gave him gifts and graces to be shared, the God who put the stars on their course and the sun and the moon on their paths, the God who was on his way to a cross to die for both his sins and for his healing. That God. And all the man can do is look at the pool and sigh.
Oh if only. If only, some angel would come. If only, someone would carry me. If only.
As if God’s love and power are so limited that only the first one in the pool can be blessed. As if God is capable of running out of compassion or power. As if God is a God who is so limited that He will only come once in awhile to bless His children. As if God, like us, is limited.
The problem is the man is so focused on the pool of what has been, he doesn’t see Jesus at all.
Church, let’s be honest. We pray for the [eradication] of coronavirus and healing of our churches and our culture but if we are honest, sometimes we spend far too much time looking at the pool of where we have been rather than looking at the God who stands before us. Who wants to do a new thing.
Ah, if only, we say.
If only. If only we had the right pastor or didn’t have to wear masks or we could gather together, then God would move.
If only. If only the angel will come, as it once did, and we can go back to doing things the way they are, then God will move.
When God saw us, really saw us, lying by the side of the pool, in our sin and death, God did not send an angel, but so much more than an angel. God came in Jesus Christ. That was the man’s only hope, and ours.
It is true that sometimes God does send us the angel and miracles happen that we can’t explain. Just as I can’t explain why my healing came that night on this spot.
When those blessings come every once in a while, we give God thanks, but it is not an angel we need to be looking for.
It is not the pool of water that we need most, but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified who is always our hope; the same Jesus who is the same yesterday today and forever. Instead of looking at the pool of what God’s done in the past, let’s lift our eyes and put them square on Jesus; the Jesus who doesn’t need an angel to stir our hearts because He is greater than our hearts, and he doesn’t need a pool because his blood has made us clean and by His stripes we are healed.
So let’s pray these two things in this new chapter together:
Let’s pray for eyes to really see each person in our path.
Even if they voted for a different candidate.
Even if they’re from a different cultural or ethnic group.
Even if they disagree with you about the theology of the church.
Let’s pray for eyes to see every person as God sees them.
And...let’s pray to take our eyes off the pool.
Because God is still God and the same yesterday, today and forever.
Because God is larger than coronavirus, and larger than any challenge that we face.
Because God is not limited to go back and repeat, time after time, the miracles of the past.
Because His mercies are new every morning.
Let’s get our eyes off the lament and all the excuses of what can or can’t happen, and back on to the living God, who right now, right here, is standing in our midst.
For if God is for us, what is coronavirus or all our other challenges to stand against us?
If God is for us, then let’s not watch too much at the pool waiting for an angel to come like one did in the past,
but let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our less than perfect faith.
For, if God did not hold back his son but gave him up for all of us, will He not give us all good things?
And if we do fix our eyes on Jesus, then maybe we will hear Jesus say to us, as he did to the man that day, “Church, do you want to get well?” “Come, take up your pallet and walk.” “Come, take up your cross and follow me.”
And here’s the promise I am holding to, and invite you to believe as well: “That neither death, nor life. nor angels, nor principalities, not things present, nor things to come, nor powers, neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
So let’s pick up our pallets and walk, York District.
Let’s rock this next chapter.
God is already in our midst, and God is with us, not against us.
Amen and amen.
Good News about Young Clergy Leadership!
By Kim Shockley, Coordinator for Pathways of Spiritual Leadership
The Lewis Center for Church Leadership published an annual report of clergy age trends in the UMC - https://www.churchleadership.com/research/clergy-age-trends-in-the-united-methodist-church-1985-2020/. For the first time, the Susquehanna Conference appeared in the top 10 (page 11) with 10.1% of our clergy being under the age of 35. While this is good news, it is also a great reminder that as many more of our clergy are approaching retirement age, it is the responsibility of every congregation, especially the Staff Parish Relations Committee, to be investing in younger leaders who may be sensing God’s call to ministry!
God’s Kitchen Serves Love
Recipient of The Marty Cox Award For Christian Unity
By Pastor Laura Kincaid
Pork loin! Mashed potatoes! Macaroni and cheese! Ham and green beans! All the good comfort food you could want, plus a big scoop of fellowship - this is what God’s Kitchen in Middletown has been serving up on Tuesdays since January of 2018! Winners of the Marty Cox Award for Christian Unity, God’s Kitchen began as the idea of laity and clergy from Wesley UMC and Evangelical UMC who wanted to provide a free meal for the community in Middletown. God’s Kitchen was born and grew to include Highspire UMC, Geyers UMC, and New Thing UMC. It began as an outreach to those in need, but expanded to include anyone in the community who wanted fellowship and a good meal.
All meals are served at Wesley UMC, but each church takes a turn providing the meal and cleanup once a month. There is one central cooperative board that makes the decisions, and one treasurer who keeps track of the funds. The volunteers have been very faithful and cooperative, and the community responded with enthusiasm! The emphasis of the meals has always been interaction, so takeout meals were discouraged unless there was a serious need, and each church was to provide volunteers whose only job was to sit and talk with folks coming to the meals.
Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, the meals at God’s Kitchen are on hold until the Spring. Prayerfully, the folks of Middletown are hoping they can get back to some good eating and connection then!
The enthusiasm of laity like Tina George was key in the dream of God’s Kitchen coming to life. They and the following churches and pastors are recognized by the Bishop’s Committee on Christian Unity and Interfaith Relations for their work in God’s Kitchen:
- Wesley UMC - Rev. Peggy Spengler
- Highspire UMC - Rev. Willie Caraballo-Lopez
- Evangelical UMC - Pastor Bob Graybill
- Geysers UMC - Pastors Stevan Atanasoff
- and Don Walters
- New Thing UMC - Pastor Joanne Darrow
We thank you for your example of the good things that happen when we work together in Christian unity!
2020 Annual Conference Award Recipients
The J. Marlene Atanasoff Spiritual Formation Award
Recipient: Charles “Chuck” Kauffman, Charlton United Methodist Church, Harrisburg District
The Center for Spiritual Formation grants this award annually in memory of Marlene Atanasoff, a graduate of the two-year Ministry of the Spiritual Direction program. It recognizes an outstanding advocate of John Wesley’s principles of mercy, justice, and piety.
The Marty Cox Award For Christian Unity
Recipient: God’s Kitchen, a cooperative ministry of the Middletown/Highspire Area United Methodist churches (Evangelical, Geyers, Royalton Emmanuel, Highspire, and Wesley) in the Harrisburg District
The Bishop’s Committee on Christian Unity and Interfaith Relations annually recognizes an individual or congregation that demonstrates outstanding involvement in ecumenical ministry. See article on page 15.
The Flying Dove Award
Recipient: Mt. Nittany United Methodist Church, State College District; Christopher K. Passante, pastor
The Peace with Justice Committee of the Conference Board of Global Ministries grants this award to the church that has made the largest financial donation to the Peace with Justice Fund.
The Bishop D. Frederick Wertz Award
Recipient: Rev. Dr. Stephen E. Gallaher, retired elder
Lycoming College grants this award annually in memory of Bishop Wertz, president of the college from 1955 to 1968. It recognizes a clergy or lay person who has rendered exceptional service to God through the church.
The Thomas K. Cartwright Scholarship
Recipient: Allyce Fogel, Hicks Memorial United Methodist Church, Altoona District
The Enlistment and Interpretation Committee of the Susquehanna Conference Board of Ordained Ministry annually awards this scholarship to a young adult who is called to ordained ministry. The award honors the memory of Rev. Dr. Thomas Kevin Cartwright.
The Rev. Dr Maud K. Jensen/Rev. Dr. Karen E. Layman Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund
Recipient: Allyce Fogel, Hicks Memorial United Methodist Church, Altoona District
The Susquehanna Conference Women in Ministry grant this scholarship to a female seminarian. The award is made in memory of Maud K. Jensen and Karen E. Layman.
The One Matters Award (I)
Recipient: Salladasburg United Methodist Church, Williamsport District; Janelle M. Moser, pastor
Discipleship Ministries annually recognizes the congregations in each annual conference that reported increases in baptisms and professions of faith (as reported in the previous year’s statistical reports). The award celebrates the power of intentional discipleship development and community engagement.
The One Matters Award (II)
Recipient: Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church, Harrisburg District; Bobby Jones Jr., pastor
This year, the Susquehanna Conference recognizes the congregation that had the second-highest number of baptisms and professions of faith, as reported in the previous year’s statistical reports.
Honoring Our 2020 Retirees
These retiring clergy will be formally celebrated next year
with the 2021 retiring class.
2020 Class of Ordained Elders & Provisional Elders
Commissioned as Elders
Dilip R. Abayasekara was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He is married to Sharon Abayasekara; and he is the father of Allison and Alex. Dilip attended Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka; and he is a graduate of Palm Beach Junior College, University of Florida, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. He is recommended for ministry by Camp Hill United Methodist Church and later by Middlesex United Methodist Church, Harrisburg District. He currently serves Catawissa Avenue United Methodist Church in the Lewisburg District.
Denise M. Haskins was born in Newport News, Virginia. Denise attended Newport High School in Newport; and she is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA) and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. She is recommended for ministry by Calvary United Methodist Church, Harrisburg District. She currently serves Aldersgate United Methodist Church (Mifflintown) in the State College District.
David J Keyworth was born in Midland, Michigan. He is married to Meghan Keyworth. David attended H. H. Dow High School in Midland, MI. David is a graduate of Albion College in Albion, MI, and Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. He is recommended for ministry by Midland First United Methodist Church, Saginaw District, Detroit Conference (now Michigan Conference). He currently serves the Trinity Charge Marysville (Dellville, Bethel, and Salem) in the Harrisburg District.
John F. Mackey was born in Chambersburg, PA. He is married to Alison Mackey; and he is the father of Millie. John attended Chambersburg Area Senior High School in Chambersburg, PA. He is a graduate of Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, PA), Yale University (New Haven, CT), and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. He is recommended for ministry by Evangelical United Methodist Church (Middletown), Harrisburg District, and currently serves the Claysburg Charge in Altoona District.
Robert J. Marsh was born in Carlisle, PA. He is married to Amy. He is the father of Danielle, Alicia, and Aaron Marsh; and he is the stepfather to Lauren and Jared Boudreau. Bob attended Boiling Springs High School in Boiling Springs, PA. He is a graduate of Eastern University and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Bob was recommended for ministry by the former Grace United Methodist Church, Carlisle, PA, Harrisburg District. He is presently serving Bedford United Methodist Church, Bedford, PA in the Altoona District.
Timothy R. Parker was born in State College, PA. He is married to Sasha Parker; and he will be the father of a son in August. Timothy attended Hershey High School in Hershey, PA; and he is a graduate of Geneva College and Methodist Theological School of Ohio in Delaware, OH. He is recommended for ministry by the Halifax United Methodist Church, Harrisburg, District, and currently serves the State College Mission Field in the State College District.
Commissioned as Provisional Elders
Tammy J. Blose was born in York, Pa. She is married to Chad Blose; and she is the mother of Nathan, Alexander, Sarah, Joshua, and David. Tammy attended Red Lion High School in Red Lion, Pa and she is a graduate of Millersville University and Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ. She is recommended for ministry by Barts Centenary United Methodist Church, York District, where she currently serves.
Todd A. Christine was born in Altoona, Pa. He is married to Autumn Christine; and is the father of Paytyn and Tristan. Todd attended Tyrone Area High School in Tyrone, Pa; and he is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. He is recommended for ministry by Bald Eagle United Methodist Church, Altoona District; and he currently serves the Trough Creek Valley Parish (Hope in the Valley and Trough Cheek) of the United Methodist Church in the Altoona District.
Hannah P. Sledge was born near Grove City, PA. She is married to Kris Sledge. Hannah attended Franklin Area High School in Franklin, Pa; and she is a graduate of Messiah College and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. She is recommended for ministry by the Harrisville United Methodist church; and she currently serves the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in the Harrisburg District.
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