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JULY 1, 2020
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VOL LVII • NO 12
NATIONAL POSTAL WORKER DAY JULY 1
INCREASE Youth Ministry Plans Golf Outing By Dayna M. Reidenouer
THANK YOU , POSTAL W ORKERS ! 472.1 million mailpieces The Postal Service processes and delivers 472.1 million mail pieces each day.
48% of the world’s mail Forty-eight percent of the world's mail volume is handled by the Postal Service.
During fiscal year 2019, USPS employees traveled 1.34 billion miles to deliver mail, equivalent to 53,640 laps around Earth, 5,305 trips to the moon or about 15 trips to the sun. *Based on the average moon and sun distance.
See INCREASE Youth Ministry pg 4
By Dayna M. Reidenouer
Vacation Bible school (VBS) is an important part of summer for Grace Church at Willow Valley, 300 Willow Valley Square, Lancaster, so rather than cancel it entirely when COVID-19 prompted a shutdown, the children’s
7.3 million people All heart. The Postal Service is at the core of the $1.6 trillion U.S. mailing industry, which employs more than 7.3 million people.
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A golf outing on July 31 will benefit Strasburg-based INCREASE Youth Ministry, which offers activities such as bowling for students in grades six to 12.
Grace Church To Host “Drive-Through VBS” Checking In With Black Rock Retreat ministry team opted for a different look. This year, “drive-through VBS” will be presented in the form of a takehome activity kit, which families may pick up at the church from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 18. “The drive-through idea came from an article I read on wearekidmin.com,” explained Bethany Hirschy, director of children’s ministries and communications. “A local church hosted a kids’ church drivethrough where they handed out care packages containing snacks and a family game. We loved the idea, so we
By Dayna M. Reidenouer
Like nearly every other organization, Black Rock Retreat (BRR), 1345 Kirkwood Pike, Quarryville, has been impacted by the shutdown due to COVID-19. While the impact on the Christian camping ministry’s finances is notable, the organization’s leaders used it as impetus to create new programs to meet its own needs and those of the community.
“We have been working with several local food banks and churches to store and help order food as well as make some meals that have been distributed to local families. So far, we have supplied meals for almost 2,000 people in the Lancaster area,” BRR outdoor education director Jon Hill said on June 18. “We are also partnering with two local ministries to help provide temporary, transitional emergency housing for families who have been economically impacted by the pandemic.” BRR has also created Family See Black Rock Retreat pg 3
Black Rock Retreat will host Family Weekend Getaways this summer. The Christian camping ministry located south of Quarryville is also fundraising to meet a $100,000 matching grant.
See Grace Church pg 2
The Grace Church at Willow Valley sanctuary was full during the 2019 vacation Bible school (VBS). This year, rather than cancel the event, the church will offer a “drive-through VBS” on July 18, when families may pick up activity bags to enjoy at home.
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“Our heart really is to just be available to the kids in this community. We want to walk through life with them, and we want folks to partner with us,” said INCREASE Youth Ministry board secretary Karen Peters. INCREASE launched in 2011 as an offshoot of a church-affiliated youth center in Strasburg. Karen’s husband, Ron, has been the executive director since its beginning. Ron has an extensive background in youth ministry, and Karen is a kindergarten teacher. The couple is active at Threshold Church. Karen noted that while no particular church provides oversight to INCREASE, it has support and involvement from members of local congregations. The ministry is small, with about a dozen students in grades six to 12 from
several school districts attending events. It lacks a physical location, so every Thursday evening, Ron and Karen, along with other volunteers, pick up attendees in Strasburg, head to a local restaurant for supper, and then spend a few hours at Camp Andrews in Holtwood playing and learning about God before returning students to their respective homes. “We like to get outside as much as we can,” Karen remarked. “Camp Andrews is very generous to let us use their space.” Once a month, the ministry hosts an outing neither on a Thursday nor at Camp Andrews. Past events have included bowling, roller skating, a ski trip, and music festivals. Consent forms signed by parents or guardians are required for every event. Although INCREASE primarily serves
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