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| The November issue of Susquehanna LINK can be viewed and downloaded at www.susumc.org/link |
Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Remember our Heritage
By Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist
November – 100 years ago
Park Avenue UMC in Chambersburg was dedicated November 29, 1925. Looking to establish a second congregation in the northern part of city, the United Brethren denomination purchased the old dormitory and gymnasium of the Penn Hall school. The dormitory was initially used as rental apartments, with rooms reserved for the parsonage family, while the gymnasium was remodeled for worship – with the basement swimming pool filled in but never actually removed.
In November 1975 Park Avenue opened their 1925 cornerstone assisted by Kenneth Gabler, who was present as a 13-year-old when the building was dedicated. Items were added and the cornerstone resealed with the assistance of 12-year-old Leslie MeGehee, anticipating she would be present for a second opening of the cornerstone at the 2025 centennial celebration.
December – 50 years ago
The December 1975 Wyoming United Methodist reported on the week-long celebration of the centennial of the Hemlock Grove Church in Greentown, Pike County. A mission festival highlighted former pastor Rev. David Flude, then with UMCOR under the General Board of Global Missions and later with the American Leprosy Mission in South Africa. The Sunday preacher was Bishop James M. Ault, which service included opening of the 1875 cornerstone and was followed by an informal dinner. The evening program featured a concert by “God’s Children” of the Gouldsboro UMC.
In 1913 the 1875 structure was jacked up in order to add a basement and fellowship hall, and in 1987 a two-story 36x96 addition completed the present building. One of only three Pike County churches within our Conference, Hemlock Grove was for many years part of the multi-point Sterling charge and is presently a station appointment with 200+ members.
Merry Christmas from Everstand. Your History of Impact Has Carried Us Every Season.
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At Everstand (formerly the United Methodist Home for Children and Board of Child Care), we believe every child deserves moments of connection, joy, and belonging—especially during the holiday season. Throughout the year, we provide enriching experiences for youth in our care. But when the holidays arrive, supporters like you make the true magic possible.
Your generosity brings hope and reminds our youth and families that they are not alone. This holiday, there are meaningful ways you can help light up their lives:
Your donation makes a direct impact.
It helps us provide warm holiday meals, gifts, and meaningful experiences that create lasting memories. It also funds programs that offer year-round support, giving youth the tools, confidence, and hope to thrive long after the holiday lights fade.
Christmas Gift Sponsorship
Each child creates a wish list—approximately $150 worth of items. By sponsoring a wish list, you help fulfill a child’s personal wish. Funds are needed by Friday, December 5, 2025. You can donate online or mail a check (memo: “Christmas Drive”).
Christmas Gift Shopping
Love to shop? Let us send you a child’s or living unit’s specific wish list. Gifts must be delivered between December 1 and 12, 2025. Please contact us by November 14 to request a list. Missed the deadline? No worries! You can shop on our Amazon Wish List Christmas Store and bring cheer to the young people at Everstand!
Everstand Christmas Store
At this event, youth shop for gifts to give to loved ones—bringing pride, connection, and joy. We also provide gifts for families who otherwise could not afford them.
You can shop via our Amazon Wish List, and your purchases will be sent directly for distribution.
Other ways to offer support:
- Host an Everstand speaker at your group or event
- Request a campus tour to learn more
- Join the Everstand Volunteer Corps to get updates on holiday opportunities
All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Gifts beyond holiday needs help sustain our broader programs.
Thank you for making the season brighter for our youth!
Disaster Response Ministry - Tioga County Rebuilding
In late summer of 2024 a flood hit the Tioga County. Particularly hard hit was Westfield and the surrounding area. For over a year many residents affected by the flood have been displaced from their homes. They are living in hotels, campers, and with friends. After assessing the damage a year ago and “mucking out” all the mud and debris the floodwaters brought into the homes, the rebuilding began. As many of you know, it is a slow process. Those who are hoping to get into their homes, sooner rather than later, struggle with the long wait.
Recently, I had the opportunity to tour the area that is most affected and see for myself the homes that are in need. One home had a work team from the United Church of Christ in the Frederick, Maryland area. They had successfully pulled out all the walls saturated with water which had created black mold and were beginning to work on the floors that had been damaged as well. Their goal for the week was to get the house ready for the next crew to come in and do plumbing and electrical work so that insulation and dry wall could be installed. Again, it is a slow process – one step at a time.
There are many other homes in need of repair. Some won’t require as much work as this particular home, some that will also need to be gutted, and some that need debris and overgrowth removed from the outside.
Work teams are needed. All skill levels are needed. Christmas is coming. Let’s put some families back in their homes for Christmas.
For more information you can call Sara Shaver, Disaster Relief/Volunteers in Mission Coordinator at the conference office (717-766-5376) or Kristin Hamilton, Executive Director of the Tioga County Development at khamilton@developtioga.org, 570-723-8232.
Rev. Sara Shaver
Disaster Response Coordinator
drc@susumc.org
Web: www.susumc.org/drm
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Volunteers in Mission - Using Our Gifts from God
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Many years ago, a small church in North Carolina received a part-time-student pastor. The church was small and struggling and the members were concerned that they would not be able to continue in the years to come as they just weren’t able to do what they used to be able to do. Early in the new pastor’s ministry, the membership met to discuss their concerns. The pastor asked them one simple question: “What is one thing you do well?” The answer was “we are good cooks.” So, the pastor helped them develop a new ministry around their gift for cooking. Each week a few members would scour the obituary column. If there had been a death in their community, they would cook and deliver a meal to the family. It wasn’t long before the church began to grow. By the time the pastor was ready to graduate from seminary three years later, the church was ready to become full-time simply because the members used the gift that God had given them to bring comfort and love in a time of distress to their community.
We have a similar story in the Susquehanna conference but instead of cooking they cut wood. At Greater Buffalo Run Valley UMC Pastor James Jacobs held an “Out of the Box Outreach” brainstorming session. An idea was born to provide firewood to folks in the area who need it to heat their home but are unable to cut and split it anymore.
Three months later with an implementation plan, a safety plan, a federal grant, and a grant from the Susquehanna Conference the church was ready to start work. The first year over 25 families were provided wood so that they could heat their homes.
The ministry continues to grow with multiple dump trailers, splitters, and wood cutting equipment. Also, the community has gotten involved with local township and tree trimming companies providing a steady stream of wood and also even helping to process some of the wood.
The outreach currently has over 30 cords of wood cut and split ready to deliver to homes for the 2025/2026 heating season as well as providing some for customers at the local food bank to pick up.
Greater Buffalo Run Valley UMC thought outside the box, using the gifts God had given them – skills to cut and split wood. So, the question for all of us is “What gifts has God given me?” Someone in your “neighborhood” has a need, a need that you can use your gift to alleviate. It is said that “God works in mysterious ways” but sometimes, even most times, God works through the simple acts of love, comfort, and mercy that each one of us can provide in our own ways.
Try it. It will change lives – including yours.
VIM Coordinator
vim@susumc.org
Web: www.susumc.org/vim
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Help Us Welcome New Susquehanna Conference Staff
We’re excited to welcome two new staff members to the Susquehanna Conference team! Each brings unique gifts to help us love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously. Please join us in celebrating and praying for them as they begin their work among us.
Sunshine Sassano - Administrative Assistant Freedom Trail District
Sunshine is excited to work alongside those who are making a difference in God’s Kingdom. She finds inspiration in Christ’s endurance to the end, which gives her hope and strength to persevere through challenges. A fun fact about Sunshine - she loves making voices for stuffed animals!
Kelly Stoner - Executive Assistant to the Board of Trustees
Kelly is eager to put her administrative skills to work in meaningful ways for an organization that has been part of her life for many years. She’s inspired by faith-filled conversations with people she respects, which deepens her understanding and commitment.
Turning the Page: The LINK’s Next Chapter
Matthew Shineman, Director of Communications
For 55 years, The LINK has connected the people and ministries of the Susquehanna Conference through stories of faith, discipleship, and transformation. Across decades and formats - from print to digital - it has served as a thread weaving together our shared witness to Christ’s love at work in the world.
And now, we’re turning the page once again.
This edition marks the final PDF version of The LINK. It’s a change we make not with sadness, but with purpose - because how we communicate must evolve just as our ministry does. This isn’t the end of The LINK; it’s the beginning of its next chapter.
Over the summer, we conducted a communications survey to better understand how clergy and laity engage with the Conference’s communication channels. The results were illuminating. The contrast between readership of the QuikLINK and The LINK was striking: 93% of respondents said they read the QuikLINK every week or most weeks, while only 54% said the same for The LINK. Meanwhile, 24% said they rarely or never read The LINK, compared to less than 2% for the QuikLINK.
These numbers tell a clear story. While The LINK has a loyal readership, it isn’t reaching or engaging people in the ways we hoped. For some, it’s viewed as supplemental - a “nice-to-have” rather than a “need-to-read.” Others shared that they weren’t entirely sure what The LINK was meant to be. Given the significant time and creative energy that goes into producing each PDF edition, the impact simply didn’t match the investment.
But The LINK’s purpose - to tell stories of God’s work across our Conference - is as vital as ever. If the QuikLINK is our space for news, The LINK is our space for narrative. The QuikLINK delivers headlines; The LINK goes deeper. The QuikLINK tells us what’s happening; The LINK reminds us why it matters.
The survey also confirmed that storytelling is something you want more of - stories that highlight lives transformed by Christ, ministries that make a difference, and people living out our mission of making disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world. You also told us you want more videos, podcasts, and multimedia ways to engage those stories.
So we’re reimagining The LINK for a new era of storytelling. Starting in 2026, The LINK will move from a static PDF to a dynamic, interactive email experience, sent directly to your inbox - where we know engagement is highest. This new approach accomplishes several key things:
It meets readers right where they are - their inboxes.
It allows us to track engagement so we can keep improving.
It opens the door to richer content - embedded videos, podcast links, and visual storytelling.
We’ll also move to a quarterly, thematic rhythm - Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall - that gives us space to explore ministry stories in depth. Each edition will focus on a theme and include interviews, features, and reflections that inspire and equip. We may also create special editions around key moments like Annual Conference, Advent, or Back to School.
This evolution also makes production more efficient. By removing the heavy design work of creating PDFs, we can spend more time creating and curating stories, photos, and multimedia that capture the heart of our connectional ministry.
Ultimately, this isn’t about doing less - it’s about doing better. The LINK will remain the Conference’s home for depth, reflection, and storytelling. It will continue to highlight the people and ministries that embody transformation, build shared identity, and remind us that we are linked together in Christ’s mission.
As your Director of Communications, I want to thank everyone who has made The LINK what it is - from those who contributed stories and photos to those who faithfully read each issue over the years. Since its founding in 1970, The LINK has been more than a publication. It’s been a living record of our faith in action - of who we are and how God is moving among us.
The format may be changing, but the mission remains. We will continue to tell the stories that connect us, that deepen our discipleship, and that shine light on the Spirit’s work across our Conference. In this new form, The LINK will carry forward the same spirit that’s animated it for 55 years - a spirit of connection, transformation, and grace.
Thank you for being part of the story thus far. The next chapter begins soon - and I can’t wait to share it with you.
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