Shenkel United Church of Christ
SHARINGS AND CONCERNS June 2013
SHENKEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 1580 Shenkel Road Pottstown PA 19465
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Shenkel United Church of Christ’s “The NEWSLETTER” is a monthly publication prepared, edited, and mailed by the leadership and staff to all members and friends of the church. It communicates news about our life, purpose, and mission as a Church of Jesus Christ. Information related to our partnership as a member of the United Church of Christ and wider church/community outreach is included on a regular basis. The Church is located at Unionville & Shenkel Roads in North Coventry Township.
2013 Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2 Communion Sunday School Closing
3 Home School Co-op
4 Zumba: 5:15 PM
5 Agape: 7 PM
Church Picnic: After 10:45
10
One Service only: 9:30 AM inside
Home School Co-op
16
17 Y Team: 5 PM
Healing Prayers Randy Berriker is preaching.
23 One Service only: 9:30 AM Inside
30 One Service only: 9:30 AM Inside Rev. Deb SpinkWinter is preaching.
7
Community Lunch Bunch Indoor Picnic: 11:30– 3:00 PM
8 Spring Conference Meeting
Choir: 7 PM
9
One Service only: 9:30 AM Inside
6
11
12
Zumba: 5:15 PM All committee chairs meet with Spiritual Council: 7 PM Consistory: 7:30
18
13
14
15
21
22
Choir: 7 PM
19
Mid Day Dinner Club: Noon at Longhorn Steak House
20 Card Making Class: 10 AM
BOCE: 7 PM
Choir: 7 PM
26
27
Zumba in the Grove: 9 AM
Zumba: 5:15 PM
24
25
Community Meal: Noon at Zumba: 5:15 PM Christ Episcopal
Music and Worship: 6 PM Choir: 7 PM
28
29
PAGE 3
1580 Shenkel Road, Pottstown PA 19465 610.326.3535 Email: shenkelucc@aol.com www.shenkelucc.org Pastor Bonnie L. Moore 484.524.8280 blmoore@comcast.net
The Pastor’s Pen CONSISTORY OFFICERS
Office Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs. 9 AM to 1 PM
“And you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.”
President
- Acts 1:8
Jeff Graef Vice President James White Secretary Lynne Moyer Treasurer Ken Bevan Financial Secretary Chris Gray Assistant Financial Secretaries Lori Scharneck Doug Allen Director of Music Ministry Rev. Douglas R. Holder Elders Sherry Mocarski Lynne Moyer Bill Faust Chris Gray Gary McDermit Deacons
When Jesus told his disciples this, I wonder if he realized that Christianity would one day be a world-wide religion? His disciples began being Jesus’ witnesses on that first Pentecost, as Jesus had instructed, in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, but the story of God’s love quickly spread into the continents of Europe and northern Africa. Soon after Christianity traveled across the Atlantic to North America, missionaries, including those from the American Missionary Society, formed by a number of Protestant churches included the Congregational Church (one of the four denominations that later merged to form the United Church of Christ), were being dispatched around the globe to share the Good News. In the 1950’s, the phrase “what goes around, comes around” took on a new meaning for Shenkel UCC, as our supply pastor, the Rev. Dr. Ed Schlingman, who was serving on the Evangelical and Reformed Church’s Board for Global Ministries, brought home stories from his world-wide travels, as well as associates from around the world to fill the pulpit at Shenkel. In addition, trainers and trainees at the E & R church’s national Voluntary Service Center, located at Camp Fernbook, (ask the Bades, Barb Sweinhart or Betty Kreiger if you want to know more about this!) were regular visitors and participants in the ministry of Shenkel UCC. It was our turn to welcome witnesses to the Christian faith from a wide range of countries and traditions right here in our own sanctuary! This part of Shenkel’s history had a huge impact on making us the globally-minded and theologically curious congregation we are today. This Fall, while I am on sabbatical, Shenkel UCC will have an opportunity to reinforce that rich part of our identity by once again hosting international speakers in our pulpit. You will have a chance to meet Osmond Mbaeri from Nigeria, Chu-Chin Chen from Taiwan, and Edith Agnes Jaward from Sierra Leone, among others. Our guests will preach, teach Sunday School, and in some cases, enjoy sharing a meal after worship with you. More details will be available by late summer. I hope you will look forward to being recipients of the Good News as much as continuing to be Jesus’ witnesses this Fall!
Jeff Graef Aaron Gray James White
Be God’s, Pastor Bonnie
Andrew Foss Rick Viti
Newsletter Editor: Judy Embriani
Assistant Editor: Jody Sweinhart
Assistant Editor: Bill Baseley
PAGE 4
SHENKEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
6/2
Jesse and Barb Painter
NEED SPONSOR
NEED SPONSOR
Early: Carol Pearson Late: Barbara Brown
Early CUL: Lynne Moyer Late CUL: Jim White
6/9
Bill and Carolyn Baseley
NEED SPONSOR
NEED SPONSOR
Tootie Hine
Bert and Sandy Peterman
Roberta Peterman NEED SPONSOR and Tootie & Louise Hine
NEED SPONSOR
Ben and Sherri Mocarski
Bob Brown
6/16
6/23
NEED SPONSOR
NEED SPONSOR
NEED SPONSOR
Louise Hine
Jesse and Barbara Painter
6/30
NEED SPONSOR
NEED SPONSOR
NEED SPONSOR
Faye Pedrick
Ed and Faye Pedrick
* CUL = Communion Usher Leaders (will recruit members to assist in serving communion.)
HOLY COMMUNION “Flours” is a collection of pantry items or a monetary donation of your discretion to the Cluster. If a cash donation to the Cluster is made, a wheat arrangement will be placed on the altar. Altar flowers are $30.00 and bulletin dedications are $6.50. Food Sculptures are also gladly accepted. You can also dedicate a Choir Anthem with a donation of $30. With everincreasing costs of choral music, this sponsorship will help stretch our budget and continue to bring quality music to Shenkel. Dedicate your anthem to someone special, an event in your life, or just to the fact that you love music. Thank you for this needed contribution to Shenkel. Blue envelopes are in the Narthex for your sponsorships. The are many dates open for sponsorship and dedication during this and the upcoming months. Please complete one of the special flower/bulletin/ anthem envelopes below the sign-up chart, enclose your payment, and either put it in the collection plate or in the Secretary’s box by the office door. You should sign your name on the chart in the narthex by the appropriate date.
Shenkel UCC celebrates the sacrament of Holy Communion at both services on the first Sunday of each month. Each time communion is served, some of the bread and non-alcoholic wine that has been consecrated at the altar will be saved in a traveling communion kit, ready to go to the homes or hospital rooms of members who were unable to be present, and would like to receive the sacrament. Please let Pastor Bonnie know if you, or someone you know, would appreciate “distance-communing” with their Shenkel Church family!
ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS….
PAGE 5
MAY CONSISTORY HIGHLIGHTS…. Received thank-yous from the Pottstown Cluster and Heifer Project International for our financial support of their ministries Planned a Q and A session for all committee chairs regarding Pastor Bonnie’s sabbatical on June 11 at 7 pm Learned that Kaleena Sweinhart and Ben Mocarski have been accepted into Lancaster Seminary’s Leadership Now program Approved replacement of the electric panel in the parsonage for safety issues Approved the use of the church building for the P.A.L.S. home school co-op during the 2013-14 school year Heard initial plans for a “Free Love Mission League” being organized by Aaron Gray Complete copies of Consistory Minutes are available from the church office upon request..
DO YOU HAVE NEWS FOR THE BULLETIN OR THE NEWSLETTER? Just a reminder that all bulletin announcements should be at the church office by each Tuesday at noon to be included in that week’s bulletin. Newsletter articles must be submitted by the 15th of each month to be included in the next issue. PLEASE NOTE….the July and August issues are combined, so all information for both months needs to be at the office by June 15th.
as of April 30, 2013
YTD
Current Fund
O.C.W.M
Actual
42,025.28
4,039.50
Budget
59,090.26
3,666.67
Difference
(10,064.98)
372.83
SAVE-A-TAPE PROGRAM This is the easiest way to help our church financially. Just ask for a Save-A-Tape card at the customer service spot at your local Redner’s store. Show your card at the register when you check out, then bring your register tapes to church and deposit them in the box in the Narthex. These tapes are collected routinely, presented to the store, and Redner’s donates a percentage of your total purchase to the church. Be careful to bring your tapes in regularly instead of saving them at home, as they do expire if not redeemed within a certain time period. Also, please return the entire register tape. Redner’s will not accept any register receipt that has any part of it removed. Keep up the good work and thank you, Redner’s!
PAGE 6
FOR YOUR INFORMATION….
CAMPING OPPORTUNITIES With the closing of Mensch Mill, the Penn Central Conference, United Church of Christ, has graciously offered us the program at Hartman Center Camp, Conference and Retreat Center as a way to keep lifting up the importance of outdoor ministry for us here at Shenkel. The Hartman Center offers weekly camping sessions from June 16th through August 3rd, with a variety of specialty camps. They also offer discounted pricing for early bird registration. Please visit www.hartmancenter.com to check it out.
Brochures and registration forms are available at the church office. And as always, Shenkel will reimburse campers from Shenkel 50% of the registration fee from our Campership Fund.
June 2 - Meeting (All Church Picnic) July 13-14 - Camp-out in the grove July 14 - Youth Sunday August 9 - Reading Phillies Game Dates Coming Soon: July- Cabin Weekend Trip August- Hershey Park
PHILLIES PHEVER…. READING PHILLIES NIGHT…. Join the baseball fun on Friday, August 9, 2013. Forty (40) tickets have been ordered at $10.00 each, including transportation by bus from the church. There will be no steps to climb to our seats, and of course, there will be fireworks! Please sign up on the sheet in the narthex. Contact Ann Baccari, your resident Phillie Phanatic, with any questions. Go Phils!!
ANNUAL SHENKEL PICNIC WHERE? Shenkel Grove WHEN? Sunday, June 2, 2013 – after the 10:45 service WHAT TO BRING? A side dish OR a salad OR a dessert to share Your place setting Lawn chair, if you want And your appetite! MENU: Chicken from Jerry’s and beverages – Compliments of the Fellowship Committee We will have games for all ages provided by Linda and Andrew Foss. Don’t forget to bring your lawn games – volleyball, horseshoes, bocce ball game or a board game or a deck of cards for something less strenuous!! Please let Linda or Andrew know if you will be bringing a game so they can plan accordingly. To help defray the cost of the chicken, we will be taking a free will offering. Anything over and above the cost of the chicken will be given to the Church.
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE — COME JOIN THE FUN!! Tootie Hine Linda Foss 610-385-3716 610-741-6949
PAGE 7
SHENKEL LOVES TO GIVE…. Pottstown Cluster News – June 2013 The Cluster welcomes all cash, food and clothing donations between the hours of 8:30 am to 12:00 pm on Monday through Friday. Please come to the back door off the alley. Parking spaces at the rear of the building are reserved for people dropping off donations. PANTRY NEEDS: Oatmeal, juice, jelly, boxed potatoes, canned fruit, soy baby formula, baby food and canned soup. Please contact Sherrie at 610-970-5995 for more information. DRY GOODS AND VOLUNTEER NEEDS: Spring and summer clothing, sheets and blankets, pots and pans, and small appliances. Toiletries: toothpaste, soap/body wash, deodorant, and shampoo. Cleaning products: clothes and dish detergent, toilet and multi-purpose cleaners. Diapers (sizes 3,4,5) Please contact Vicki at 610 970 -5995 for more information. CHAPLAIN OFFICE REQUESTS GIANT print Bibles, Study Bibles, Volunteer Chaplain needed. The Pottstown Cluster is holding their third annual Signature Page Campaign. This year there will be two signature pages appearing in the Pottstown Mercury. Your financial donation will help them to expand and continue serving families in the Pottstown community. Please sign up in the narthex after the service if you wish to support this campaign. Thank you for your support.
Recycling Reminder….Please remember that we collect only aluminum cans here at the church for recycling. But please continue to recycle all your other recyclables at home.
AS ALWAYS…. The Pottstown Cluster Food Bank collection at Shenkel is the 1st Sunday of each month. Please place your items in the large plastic bins in the narthex. AND...Please bring in your used cell phones and empty ink cartridges and place them in the box across from the nursery, or in the box located on the coat rack shelf across from the office. The cartridges are recycled to Staples, and the church receives credits toward the purchase of office supplies. The used cell phones are given to the police department to be distributed to abused women.
During the month of June, we will be accepting offerings for the Family Thank Offering/ Strengthen the Church, which is the UCC’s annual offering to help build our denominational future. Funds are directed to your church’s conference, local churches and various important ministries. Please be as generous as you can.
God’s Precious Children If you can read this, consider yourself better off than 42% of the population in Liberia. God’s Precious Children is a Christian relief and development organization working in the educational system. Their mission is to give young people in need a better chance at a brighter future through an education in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not only by funding tuition for needy students, but by raising the level of education through teacher training workshops, and renovating, equipping and building of schools in Liberia. On Sunday, June 30th, UCC pastor Rev. Deborah Spink-Winters will share more about this ministry she and her husband founded in 2000. Worship will be held in the Social Hall, so that their slides will be readily visible.
PAGE 8
BULLETIN BOARD….
COMMUNITY LUNCH BUNCH END OF SEASON INDOOR PICNIC June 6, 2013 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM DON’T MISS THE FUN! COME ONE AND ALL FOR: A picnic lunch, fellowship and tons of fun. Our last event for the season is always a special one. There is no money collected at this one, but we ask that everyone brings a favorite picnic side dish to share. The main course (Jerry’s fried chicken) and dessert will be provided. There will be games of all sorts and lots of special fun….like those terrific ice cream sundaes we all love. Just before we close, you will get to build your own -- just in time to ruin your dinner!
Please sign up on the sheet in the narthex or call the Shenkel UCC church office at 610-326-3535 by the Monday prior to the program to reserve your spot.. For more information , please call Ruth Klein at 610-326-4520.
Prayer Shawl Ministry Shenkel UCC’s Prayer Shawl Ministry is happy to provide anyone in need of comfort with a beautiful prayer shawl. If you know of someone who would benefit from one, please call the church office. They also make baptismal blankets. Anyone who likes to knit or crochet is encouraged to help with this wonderful ministry. If you have any questions, please speak to June Hartung at church, or call the church office at 610-326-3535.
SHENKEL QUILTERS On May 28th, The Shenkel Quilters had a very busy session. We did a lot of measuring and cutting today, with some math thrown in. A clue to our quilt theme is " lots and lots of colorful flowers." This quilt is an original design, so there will be no other quilt quite like it. I think it will be beautiful and it will be a bed-sized quilt. Our meetings for June are Tuesday(s) the 11th and 25th at 9:30 in the Church Social Hall. We will not meet in the months of July and August. Have a great summer! Margie Allen
Mid-Day Dinner Club Shenkel's Mid-day Dinner Club meets at 12 noon on the third Tuesday of each month – and you’re invited to join us! The next meeting date is Tuesday, June 18th , and we’ll be eating at Longhorn Steak House. The Mid-day Dinner Club is open to young-at-heart adults of any age who enjoy eating out and would like to get to know other Shenkel members a little better. Call the church office if you’re able to join us!
CARD MAKING CLASS The card making class meets on the third Thursday of each month at 10 AM. The cost of the class is $8.00 which will provide all participants with three beautiful cards. In June, the meeting date will be June 20th. To insure there will be enough materials prepared for everyone, please call Connie Armbruster at 610326-6516 if you plan to attend. Hope to see you on June 18th!
PAGE 9
STEWARD’S CORNER While strolling through the church one day In the merry, merry month of May I was taken by surprise By a pair of happy eyes In the merry, merry month of May! It turned out to be our dear Judy In the office doing her duty When I heard her say that she Was as happy as could be; Because she was a M.O.B. In the merry, merry month of May! Now I was very surprised There were tears now in my eyes Did she go and join a mob? Was she giving up her job? In the merry, merry month of May? Then I heard her on the phone Smiling like a queen upon her throne She was explaining that she Was a very happy M.O.B In the merry, merry month of May! Then she explained that her daughter Was getting married in the Merry, merry month of May And the role Judy would play Was the M.O.B – Mother of the Bride! In the merry, merry month of May! I was a happy M.O.B. Mouse on Board In the merry, merry month of May! Love, Steward
Summer worship Schedule…. June 2nd is the last Sunday we will have two worship services for the summer. June 9,16, 23 and 30 there will be one service only, held inside at 9:30. Beginning on July 7th, we will worship at 9:30 a.m. in the Grove, weather permitting. Summer worship is informal – lawn chairs and beach blankets are welcome!
Healing prayers are now offered on the third Sunday of each month at both services. The Prayer Chain list is continually being updated. Request for prayers should be placed in the prayer box in the Narthex, or get in touch with any member of the Wholeness Committee. If anyone has a special prayer request, please contact Ann Baccari or Freda Wanner. Prayer requests will be carried for one month. If anyone is interested in ministering on the Prayer Chain, please contact Ann Baccari or Freda Wanner. Members of the Wholeness Committee are Ann Baccari, Ted Gray, Tootie and Louise Hine, June Hartung, Carol Stubbe and Freda Wanner.
Worship and Music Committee Notes Throughout the month of April, members of the Worship and Music Committee interviewed regular early service attendees in an attempt to find out what those members like and don’t like about the early service. Thank you to everyone who was so willing to share their thoughts with the interviewers. A full report has been typed up and copies will be made available in the narthex should anyone want to see a full report. A committee of all those people interviewed who expressed an interest will meet to take those results and decide what changes (if any) may want to be made to the 8:30 service. The committee members are Marie Bade, chairperson; Margie Allen, Ruth Brewer, Barbara Burhans, Ron Pearson, Sharon Sabo and Carol Stubbe. If someone who had expressed an interest in the committee was forgotten, please contact Marie Bade.
PAGE 10
SHARING WITH OUR CHURCH FAMILY AND FRIENDS‌. During the month of June,, Shenkel will be praying for these randomly selected members and friends of our congregation :
06/01 06/01 06/01 06/02 06/03 06/04 06/05 06/06 06/07 06/09 06/11 06/13 06/14 06/16 06/16 06/18 06/19 06/20 06/24 06/25 06/25 06/25 06/28 06/28 06/29 06/30 06/30 06/30
Luckenbach, Barbara Yocom, Barry Andrien, Brian Brewer, Ruth Painter, Barbara Martens, Eric Apgar, Robyn Terrell, Samantha Allen, Margie SABO, SHARON Coyne, Jaxson YOCOM, DAWN HINE, TOOTIE Derman, David Bevan, Elizabeth Bade, Marie MCCULLAGH, Myles COMISHOCK, STEVEN Sakal, Olivia Bevan Jr., Kenneth Keim Jr., William HAMPTON, JEREMY Stubbe, Stanley Lloyd, David Baker, Logan Terrell, Steve MEGNI, GABRIELLA Foss, Michael
6/2
Lynn, David and Katherine Derman Lyndsey Martin Charlotte White Denise, Joe, Joseph and Dylan Yannick June and Frank Hartung
6/9
Kurt Kutz Collin Gray Laura, Bill, Jimmy and Nathanial Faust Dottie McCann Jeremy Matthews
6/16
Roberta Peterman Karen, Randy, Christian and Nathan Gerber Chris and Ted Gray Wanda and Steve Craner Kathy and Ron Lloyd
6/23
Eric Klein Marion and Russell Iezzi Lori Scharneck Jess Miller Jared Reid
6/30
Nicole Miller Sara Helmers DeDe and Pete Wanner Sandy and Ray Rowe Lois Iezzi
A special thank you to all those who worked so hard on our Spring Cleanup Day on Saturday, May 18th. The outside of the church looks great, and the new plantings by the labyrinth make the space even more special!!