IN THIS ISSUE: ONE-DAY WOMEN’S RETREAT PLANNED page 3
Octorara OCTOBER 17, 2018
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXVIII • NO 38
SOUP, SANDWICH, AND TALK
Word UP Community Ministries will host a free Soup, Sandwich, and Talk event on Thursday, Oct. 25, at Word UP! at 160 Route 41, Gap. The meal will begin at 6 p.m. Attendees may come for the meal only or stay and hear a message afterward. Individuals who would like to help serve or provide soup may contact Buck Mowday at 717-330-0561 or buckmowday@gmail.com. SUPPORT GROUP
The Southern Chester County Chapter of the Compassionate Friends will meet on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the West Grove Friends Meeting House, 153 E. Harmony Road, West Grove. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 17. The Compassionate Friends is a self-help support organization that has a mission to assist bereaved families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of any child of any age and to help others be supportive. All bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings are welcome to attend the meetings to participate or just to listen. Attendees may bring a friend or relative. For more information, readers may contact Jackie at 610-932-5343 or email SCCTCF@gmail.com. UPCOMING MEETING
will meet on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Salisbury Township Building, 5581 Old Philadelphia Pike, White Horse. Gwen Dickenson will present a program titled “William Chester Ruth, Salisbury Township Inventor.” Ruth’s cinder spreader and road grader patent models are on display in the Landis Valley Museum and were exhibited at the 2017 Pennsylvania Farm Show. For more information, call 717-442-4071.
By Francine Fulton
Each year, millions of young children in impoverished countries receive shoeboxes full of gifts thanks to Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a program of the Samaritan’s Purse ministry. The local community had an opportunity to meet Jaki Steward, a former shoebox recipient, during a program presented on Oct. 6 at Gateway Church in Parkesburg. The program was hosted by Amy and Will Shaw of Chester Springs, who are the OCC area coordinators for the Greater Philadelphia Area Team, which includes Chester and Delaware counties. Steward, 23, explained that when she was only a few months old she was left at an orphanage in Guatemala by her young mother. During Steward’s time
at the orphanage, she lived with 70 to 80 other children. She said that one of the worst parts of the experience was sharing a toothbrush with 10 other girls. “At night, we lined up and passed that brush down the line,” she noted. “Most of the time, we just used water (to brush), or occasionally, we brushed with soap.” She said her favorite memories of living in the orphanage were when American missionaries came to visit. “They came to spend time with us and they gave us hugs, and my favorite part was the candy they would bring us,” she said. “I loved how special they made us feel, and we got to eat something besides beans and rice, which is what we ate every day. When the missionaries came, we got spaghetti or pizza.” See Shoebox Gifts pg 3
Jaki Steward received a shoebox gift from Operation Christmas Child (OCC) when she was a child living in an orphanage in Guatemala. Now a national spokesperson for OCC, she recently presented a talk at Gateway Church in Parkesburg.
CMBC Welcomes New Pastor
PAINTING CLASS
Parkesburg Library, 105 West St., Parkesburg, will offer an painting class on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m. The class is open to both novice and experienced artists. Artist Geraldine Guzman will guide all participants through the class. There will be a fee for instruction and materials. Registration is required, and space is limited. For more information, stop by the library, call 610-857-5165 or visit www.parkesburglibrary.org/event/ art-class-painting.
OARA To Present Haunted Park pg 5
Speaker Describes Impact Of Shoebox Gifts
Chris Lenhart officially became the lead pastor at Calvary Monument Bible Church on Sept. 1. Prior to that, Lenhart served as associate pastor at a Quarryville church for several years. He also coaches football at Solanco High School.
Local Churches To Host Conference
By Ann Mead Ash
By Marcella Peyre-Ferry
In March, Chris Lenhart did not know that Calvary Monument Bible Church (CMBC), 1660 Mine Road, Paradise, would soon be looking for a lead pastor when he resigned from his associate pastor position at Wesley Church in Quarryville after 14 years. “I felt a call to leave the church I was at … to pursue a lead position in another local church,” said Lenhart, who still lives in the Quarryville area. “(I) stepped away in faith believing that God had prepared (an) opportunity. (My wife, Sheila, and I) trusted that God had worked out the details and prepared our next place.” Lenhart, who was raised in Holtwood and graduated from Penn Manor, said that he and his family were committed to staying within the county. With a lot of prayer seeking God’s direction and support from mentors, Lenhart took See Pastor pg 9
Three local churches will jointly host the 2018 Alliance of Mennonite
Evangelical Congregations (AMEC) Conference on Friday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Oct. 21, at the Mount Vernon Christian Church, 1 Lighthouse Drive, Kirkwood. The public is invited to attend worship services and a variety of special activities that will be a part of the conference, including a children’s program on Saturday, Oct. 20. “It’s just a time for us to get together, and anyone is invited to See Conference pg 2
The public is invited to attend special worship services and presentations at the AMEC Conference Oct. 19 to 21 at Mount Vernon Christian Church in Kirkwood. The conference is a joint effort by Mount Vernon Christian Church, represented by pastor Mervin Charles (left); Andrews Bridge Christian Fellowship, represented by pastor Vernon Myers (center); and Media Mennonite Church, represented by pastor Jesse Johnson.
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Welsh Featured In Calendar pg 5 Sixth Annual Fair To Feature Crafts And Food pg 7
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