March 2019 Newsletter
Do Not Fret (Easy for You to Say)
“Do not fret over those who prosper in their way, those who carry out evil devices. Do not fret—it leads only to evil”. - Psalm 37:7-8
As we enter another month, the season of Lent, and the approaching spring may these words from Talitha Arnold, a UCC minister, be a guiding light and a reminder for God’s ways in your life.
"Do not fret," the psalmist proclaims three times in eleven verses. That's like telling someone, "Don't think of elephants." And they immediately think of elephants. No wonder one Biblical commentator wrote of Psalm 37: "The Psalms are of different qualities and this is not one of the greatest."
Besides, we have a lot to fret about in our 24/7 world. Just turn on the news or read the paper or scan Facebook. We have real problems. All the psalmist had to worry about were evildoers, exile, disease, crop failure, and famine.
All kidding aside, Psalm 37 offers much-needed wisdom for our time. It doesn't just say "don't fret." It provides a way to deal with our fears: "Trust in the Lord and do good. Take delight in the Lord. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in God and God will act."
Trust. Do good. Take delight. Commit to God's way. The psalm is filled with action verbs to break out of the paralysis that our anxiety produces. Take the next step, the psalmist says, and trust that God is with you.
The psalmist also knows that sometimes the best antidote to anxiety is not to do anything—with intention. "Be still before the Lord, wait patiently for God." In a word, trust that God is at work in the world, even when we're not. Try to take a break today from your work and the news to remember that truth.
Certainly a message we all need to hear as we experience the difficulties of life all around us. May our trust be in God who loves us and values us to no end. And may our choices and devotion show that we know we are in the good of our God when struggle arises in our lives and may we give thanks for God’s faithful hands upon us.
Blessings and Prayers for all God’s People,
Pastor Nate
Prayer: When fear and fretting get the best of us, O God, help us to trust and delight in you again. Amen.
Worship Schedule this month:
March 3rd -- (Theme of Worship: Astounding Glory) Transfiguration Sunday. Exodus 34:29-35; 2nd Corinthians 3:12- 4:2; Luke 9:28-43a. All Church Retreat, no first Sunday fellowship.
March 6th – Ash Wednesday @7pm (ToW: From Dust We Have Come, To Dust We Shall Return) Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion Shared.
March 10th - (ToW: Wilderness Companions) Psalms 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13. Intergenerational Choir Sings. Sunday School following worship.
March 17th – (ToW: Strong and Tender) Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35. Praise Group in Worship. Sunday School following worship.
March 24th - (ToW: Open Invitation) Isaiah 55:1-9, 15; 1st Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9. Normal Sunday School to follow worship.
March 31st – (ToW: Embracing Love) Joshua 5:9-12; 2nd Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3,11b-32. 5th Sunday conversation for youth and adults, regular children’s Sunday School to follow worship.
Look Further Ahead
April 7th – (ToW: Something New) Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8. First Sunday Fellowship to follow worship.
HOLY WEEK April 14-21st – Maundy Thursday Service 7pm, Good Friday Service 7pm, Easter Sunrise 7am, Breakfast 8am, and Easter Service 9:15am.
GODLY PLAY & SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
During Wednesdays in Lent we invite you to join us for informal worship gatherings in the fellowship hall. We will again be doing worship in interactive ways that keep us moving and thinking in new and meaningful ways. Our theme is spiritual practices and some of the ideas and topics will be taken from the website, https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com. There are many ideas, books, quotes, and thoughts found on this website and we will weave much of what it has to offer into our time together, it is my hope that there will be many little take aways from each experience.
5th Sunday Conversation
We all have favorite ways to refer to God, whether it be a certain name or way of addressing God, and that may be helpful and keep us personally close to God. What about other folks? Are there ways of talking about God and naming God that may cause others to feel distanced from God, instead of brought closer? Do the names we give God cause us to limit who and what God is? Join us on March 31st during the Sunday School time and let us listen to one another, speak with one another, and grow with one another in experience the diverse names and presence of God. These conversations are meant to help us all grow in our faith, grow in our connection with our church family, and to help us be exposed to new ideas or thoughts. Our purpose is to spend time in thought and prayer and conversation as God’s family. Our goal is not to change minds, pick sides, or seek discord, but to instead seek to live in God’s great mercy and presence for us all. All are welcome.
Mifflinburg Backpack Project
We are collecting food items for filling backpacks for school children in the Mifflinburg elementary and intermediate schools. We are in charge of the month of March again this year. There will be 5 weeks that we will fill backpacks for the young people. We look forward to your generosity and support for this ministry that helps young people to have some of the healthy food items they need when they are not in school over the weekend. Items can be brought to the church and placed in the big green box in the back of the church. We will be packing back packs on Wednesday nights following our mid-week worship time (about 8pm).
Below is a list of items needed for each backpack, each week.
# Mini macaroni & cheese (microwaveable) # Granola bars
# Mini chef Boyardee or similar microwaveable food products # Fruit Snacks
# Snack-pack puddings # Mini Cereal Boxes
# Pop Tarts # Drink boxes/pouches
# Fruit Cups # Individual packs of Crackers
Souper Bowl of Caring Thank You
Souper Bowl of Caring donations for Dreisbach were 175 items and $75 in donations for our local area. That is great, thank you for your support. Nationally the Souper Bowl of Caring ministry has brought in nearly $9 million in items and monetary donations for this year across the country.
Easter Egg Hunt
The Easter Egg Hunt will take place on April 20th at 10:00am. We will have it rain or shine so come prepared with rain gear if necessary. Children ages 1-10 are welcome to attend. We just request they be signed up ahead of time so we can prepare appropriately. We are in need of candy donations and volunteers to help prepare and hide the eggs. Sign Up sheets will be in the back of the sanctuary. A donation box will be under the table for the drop off of Easter Egg Hunt items. Monetary donations are also accepted. Contact Pam Pfirman or Chelsea Mensch if you have any questions.
Vacation Bible School
Warmer temperatures are on the way and so is Vacation Bible School. This year we invite you to “ROAR” with us June 10th thru the 14th. Closing will take place Sunday, June 16th during worship. This epic African adventure engages the whole herd. At “ROAR”, kids explore God’s goodness and celebrate a ferocious faith that powers them through this wild life. Registration forms will soon be available in the back of the sanctuary. As always lots of help is needed to make the week run smoothly. Please contact Judy Willow or Pam Pfirman to see how you can help.
SAVE THE DATE!
The 2019 Spring Adopt a Highway cleanup will be held on 4/28/19. This is the optimal date for those organizing the event as we recognize it is not the Sunday before Rummage Sale given the change in Rummage Sale dates for this Spring.
The Dreisbach Diner is getting ready to open for business!
Our 1st hosts and dates have been set. Each date will only accept 8 attendees as a way to create the ability for spending quality time with the hosts and guests. An announcement will be made for each "Diner Night" as it draws nearer to the time with a sign-up sheet in the back of the sanctuary.
April 24 @ 6PM - Robert & Tammy Pierce
June 19 @ 6PM - Clint & Julie Rockey
August 16 @ 6PM - Sharon Houseknecht & John Rein
If you would like to join in on the hosting fun (either at your house, organizing a dutch treat dinner at a local restaurant, etc.), it's as simple as picking your month, the date and time in the month, and what activity you would like to host. We are currently seeking hosts for October 2019 and January 2020. If enough interest is expressed for hosting, we can certainly go to a monthly Dreisbach Diner schedule but wanted to get us going with bi-monthly frequency. Please contact Julie Rockey if you would like to host.
Upcoming Meetings
The next Membership Committee meeting will be held on March 11th @ 7PM. The meeting will focus on planning for the Godly Play series in Lent along with other ways to engage members that provides a meaningful and uplifting experience for all through membership at Dreisbach. Please contact Julie Rockey if you would like to attend or have questions on the committee's focus for 2019.
The Dreisbach UCC Prime Timers will be meeting at the Old Turnpike Restaurant, Thursday, March 21st at 12:30pm. Come and enjoy lunch and a time of fellowship. Lunch will be Dutch treat. Anyone 50 or older is welcome to join the group. A signup sheet will be located in the back of the sanctuary.
Long-term Capital Project Estimates
When the CARE Fund idea was presented to the Congregation on December 9, 2018, it was noted that several long-term capital projects were being looked into for estimated costs so the Congregation would have an idea what possible costs might be should these items be needed in the future. To date, three potential capital projects have been identified with a range of possible costs as follows:
1. Septic repair/replacement – Estimated cost range - $35,000-$40,000 – time range – Not known
2. Renovate bathrooms to ADA standards – Estimated cost range - $40,000-$65,000 – time range – Not known
3. Repaving of parking lot - $35,000-$40,000 – Estimated cost range - $35,000-$40,000 –time range 8-10 years. Note, resurfacing/crack repairs could be a shorter time period but much less costly.
Total estimated cost range for these three projects is $110,000-$145,000.
We would ask you to consider these project costs when you are asked to vote Yes or No on the one-time request for seed money to initially fund the CARE Fund in the near future when there will be a Congregational meeting to vote on this.
If you have not completed and turned in the short 6 question survey that was presented when the CARE Fund was presented to the Congregation please do this soon. Your input is encouraged and appreciated. The questionnaires are located on the back table in the sanctuary.
♫♫CHOIR NOTES♫♫
There is room for adults, teenagers, and children for all of the choirs: Chancel Choir, Intergenerational Choir, and Bell Choir. God Loves a giver who desires to thank Him for all your gifts and talents that our Lord has given each one of us. There are FREE lessons for anyone who wants to learn how to sing, and lessons for those who would like to learn how to read music.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…Serve the Lord with gladness…and Come before His presence with singing! Psalm 100
Together we can make a joyful noise to our Lord!
2019 Lent Breakfast Schedule Sunday Morning- 7:30 AM
3/10 William Swinehart, Esq. Pam Eberhart and Friends
Attorney w/Wiest, Muolo, Noon, Swinehart and Bathgate
3/17 Rev. Tim Hogan The Disciples
Pastor, St. Paul’s UCC
3/24 Robert Dluge, Esq. Singing Ding-a-lings
Attorney w/Diehl, Dluge, Michetti and Michetti
3/31 Ms. Carol Steckel, PA-C The Young Adults
Physician’s Assistant
4/7 Stephanie Rader-Titzel Youth
Associate Conference Minister, Penn Central Conference
4/14 Marvin Rudnitsky, Esq. Friends-N-Faith
Attorney w/Rudnitsky, Hackman and Potter
Spring Rummage Sale
Rummage will soon be gathering in attics, basements, and garages for the sale, May 9,10 and 11. This will be an opportunity to raise several thousand dollars for mission projects in our community and elsewhere. Carol Willow will direct the project. Judy Willow will recruit the volunteer workers, and Connie Bastian will provide publicity. Rummage may be brought to the church starting May 5th after Sunday School. Much help is required to make the sale a success. We welcome and need new volunteers; they are important as the sale grows in size. Please consider helping. For more details please check the April newsletter.
Thank You
Gary & Deb Hallock wish to thank the Dreisbach family for all the visits to Marie and cards at this time of sorrow.
God Bless You,
Gary, Deb and all our family