` 120 WEST MAIN STREET, NEW HOLLAND, PA 17557 Church Phone: 717-354-0226 Church Fax: 717-354-7942 Website: http://ignite.nhumc.us/ Pastor: Ray Voran Pastor Email: revoran@gmail.com
NOVEMBER 2012 It Doesn’t Make Sense! God tells us things at times that simply do not make sense. I mean we look at the world and think we have a pretty good idea of what is going on around us. We know what it means to be happy and live a successful life. But then God may say something that really upsets the apple cart. One example of this is found in Matthew 5:4. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn.” Blessed are those who mourn? Are you kidding? Everyone knows that the point of life is to be happy – do the things that make you feel good – avoid the bad feelings. Why would anyone want to mourn? Of course, Jesus does not shy away from telling us to go against the flow of the world. Saying something loudly and often does not make it right; and the message we receive from the world on this point is, quite frankly, wrong. We do not reach happiness by pursuing it – by doing the things that make us feel good. The way to real, lasting happiness and joy is to pursue God and to grow in His ways. What is the first step towards Godliness? Mourning! Not for anything that happens physically, but being aware of our spiritual state – seeing the sin in our lives and feeling genuinely sorry. God cannot help those who think they need no help (see Jesus’ conversations with the Pharisees). However, when we understand that we are falling short of what He has in mind for us; when we realize that we need help and will not make it on our own; when we are aware of our sinfulness and mourn over it, then God can, and will, do something about it. Jesus continues in Matthew 5:4 – then we will be comforted. I am thankful that God has plans and ideas that go above and beyond what the world has to offer (I Corinthians 1:25 tells us that the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom). May we all be aware of any sin in our lives and repeatedly come to the cross to confess, be washed clean and comforted. And follow the ways of God without being distracted by the world! Pastor Ray
Our Worship Service starts at 9:00 a.m. every Sunday. Sunday School is at 10:15 a.m. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday IGNITE service starts at 4:00 p.m. with fellowship
The lay leadership committee has already met and come up with several nominations (of course, we hope you say “yes” in a cheerful voice if you are asked to serve), but we would like to know who feels called to serve as well. If you are interested in being a part of one of the committees or have questions about what they do, feel free to contact the church office. -- Pastor Ray
Contacting Pastor Ray ~ email: revoran@gmail.com Home: (717) 656-0812 Cell: (717)333-6939 Look for me on facebook: Ray Voran
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Upcoming Events November 10, 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. Annual Christmas Bazaar November 20, Charge Conference, 6:30 p.m. November 22, Thanksgiving Day We are truly blessed! December 1, Christmas on Main and New Holland UMC Christmas Tea
Regular Events Knit Wits – Every Saturday, 1:00-2:30 p.m. Craft Workshop– every 2nd and 4th Tuesday, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Knepper Care Group – Every other Monday at 7:00 p.m. (check calendar) Naval Care Group – Second and Fourth Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. Seniors meet at Yoder’s Restaurant – Third Saturday, 11:15 a.m. Burgers-n-Bibles –First Thursday, 11:30 a.m., at Wendy’s Restaurant LUMINA ministry – Second Thursday, 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Nominations Time! We are nearing Election Day in our nation (I heard that PA is not considered a “battleground” state this year. We will have to see what happens on Election Day; but this should mean that we miss out on some of the commercials!). However, it is also time to fill some slots on the committees that do the work of the church. 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nursery Volunteers Many, many thanks to everyone who worked in the nursery during 2012. Your commitment to this important ministry of the church is greatly appreciated. I believe everything went well. There were 14 adults and 12 teens who volunteered in the nursery. Again, thanks so much for your willingness to serve the youngest members of our church! The nursery schedule for 2013 will soon be worked on. Again, only the first quarter of 2013 will be filled in to allow for new volunteers to be included on the schedule. I would like to have at least enough volunteers to cover 13 weeks (a quarter of the year) which would allow each volunteer to serve in the nursery only four times a year. A few individuals have asked to be removed from next year’s schedule bringing my target figure down to only 9 weeks covered each quarter. If you are not serving in the nursery and would like to do so in 2013, please give me a call at 354-7857. A background check with the Pennsylvania State Police and with the Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance will need to be obtained a copy kept in the church office before you will be able to serve in our church nursery. You can contact me for the proper forms and procedures. Again, a great BIG THANK YOU for providing care for our little ones in the nursery! -- Selma Wells, Nursery Coordinator
The statistics on church attendance that came out with the 2010 census are sobering: 43% of adults in America report that they attend church, but based on attendance figures, the actual number is only 17.3%. And that number has dropped consistently since 1990. If the trend continues, roughly 8.5% of adults will attend church in 2050. Churches have declined in 2/3 of the counties across America, including Lancaster County. Churches from 40-190 years old have consistently declined. Churches that are growing provide only half the growth that is needed just to keep up with population growth and maintain that percentage of church attendance. The fastest growing “faith groups” in the county are “atheists” and “nonreligious” (those who simply do not care about religion). Those outside the church respond to surveys in the following ways: Sermons are boring and don’t relate to my life. Church members are unfriendly to newcomers. Churches are only after our money. We want quality, trustworthy programs for our children. Now this is clearly not good news, but I don’t think it is all bad either. For one thing, there are plenty of people out there who are not currently active in any church. We have an opportunity to present the truth about God to them (Ignite the Light). And, of course, God has not changed -- He says that not even the gates of hell will overcome His church. Our changing society won’t either. And … even though ultimately we place things in God’s hands, we still have some control over what happens. As our culture becomes more secular, the church has 3
a greater opportunity to make a difference; to shine like a beacon in the night. There are steps we can take as a congregation to be revitalized and recharged. There will be more about this in the time to come, but the first step is Personal Revitalization: Real revival and new growth always begins with hearts being changed and renewed. When God changes the church, He begins by changing people. We must once again fall in love with Jesus so that the church is more about a relationship with Him and less about structures and organizations. I encourage everyone to take part in the daily Bible readings (if not another devotional book). Spend time thinking about the different passages and ask God to help you see how you can put his teachings into practice. I hope more people are able to attend the adult Sunday school class that meets following our worship service. Please pray for discernment as we move forward in the Lord. God is not done with New Holland United Methodist Church! -- Pastor Ray
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DON’T LOSE THE KEYS! It is a sad day when we can’t find our keys, but it is even worse when we forget our church’s Kies: Larry Kies, missionary with Africa University, whom we support. Unfortunately, we are a bit behind on his support this year. You can contribute to this important ministry at any time. Simply use your offering envelope and include the amount in the line marked “other.” Be thankful for this opportunity to work for the advancement of God’s kingdom.
FARM SHOW DINNER TOTALS FOR 2012 Thanks to all the cooks and workers who made the 2012 Farm Show Dinners possible. With your help, NHUMC and Ranck’s UMC were able to serve 426 dinners. A profit of $3,717.65 was tallied, with $2,044.70 as the NHUMC share and $1,672.95 for Ranck’s UMC. – Fred Naval
BAZAAR NEWS The annual New Holland United Methodist Holiday Treasures Bazaar has been scheduled for Saturday, November 10, 2012. According to chairperson, Pat Williams, this event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. A group of ladies from the church, led by Jane Frybarger and Judy Trost, have been meeting several times a month to craft the usual variety of Christmas ornaments and decorations. Some other items will include lap robes, Christmas wreaths, dish cloths, and holiday table toppers in two sizes. Also featured will be the used book sale, attic treasures, and the popular theme basket silent auction. In Fellowship Hall a baked good table and the luncheon will be held. Cathy Williams will head the baked goods table, which will feature many homemade items designed to satisfy those with a sweet tooth. Sugar-free items will also be available. The luncheon, headed by Fred Naval, will include homemade baked potato soup, black bean soup, pulled pork barbeque sandwiches, hot dogs, and cake for dessert. The church, located at 120 W. Main St., is handicapped accessible.
FOOD TABLE Ladies and Gentlemen! Please consider baking, cooking, preparing or harvesting an item(s) for our church’s annual Christmas Bazaar on November 10. We will have three long tables set up in Fellowship Hall for your contributions. Popular items are: cookies, cupcakes, sweet breads, candy, brownies, pies, cakes, Chex Mix, home canned goods, items from the garden, red beet eggs, and whatever else your culinary imagination can conjure. As Lois Seldomridge mentioned when she delivered her items last year, presentation is a huge factor in catching the eye of the buyer. So, you might want to take that into consideration when you are thinking of how you can contribute to the food table. All items will be received on Friday evening, November 9, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday morning from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Please have your donations wrapped, identified and priced. Thank you for your help. For questions, see Cathy Williams. – Cathy Williams
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Veteran’s Day ATTIC TREASURES Don’t forget to collect your attic treasure items for the Christmas Bazaar. Bring them in from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Monday, November 5 Thursday, November 8 Friday, November 9 -- Jane Keene 4
We will be showing a video in observance of Veteran’s Day during our worship service on Sunday, November 11, 2012. We hope to include pictures of all individuals and family members of the church who are serving or who have served in the military as a way of expressing our thanks for their dedication. Please submit pictures to the church office by October 28 if possible to ensure that we have things ready to go.
NHUMC Financial Update
The Call:
An LED Team Update
Our mission at New Holland United Methodist Church is to “Ignite the LIGHT!”: that is, to Learn, Involve, Gather, Help and Trust in His Love. This is what we members of NHUMC are called to do. This mission has been confirmed through prayer, realized through action, and is the active focus of a group of members called the “LED Team”. The LED Team is dedicated to defining and working specific plans to ensure that we continue to act where we are called: to continue to work in the mission of NHUMC. All of us are members of the LED Team! Whenever we strive to Learn by reading the Word; whenever we Involve another person in our faith; whenever we Gather and share our worship; whenever we Help another person as Christ loves us; whenever we Trust as we pray for the church; we are acting in accordance to the mission. We are igniting the LIGHT. We are part of the Team. And there is always an opportunity to answer His call The LED Team has been a witness as the Lord Energizes Disciples (LED) through the blessings over the last year. We have witnessed members shining into the lives of others, illuminated with the love of Christ like a Light Emitting Diode (LED). We have seen God moving and are tracking His blessings as we move in his will through the Road Map for Strategic Ministry seen posted around the church building. The LED Team will continue to organize within His will to realize action aligned with our call. Watch for monthly updates from the LED Team, here in The Lamplighter. Will you work to hear His call? Will you continue to “Ignite the LIGHT”? Will you join the LED Team?
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The financial picture at NHUMC as we approach the end of our budget year is going better than expected. As of October 15 we have expenses that are $11,500 under what our budget was projected to be. Unfortunately, our income has also decreased from what was projected by $2,100. But due a greater reduction in expenses over the loss of income, our deficit that we are operating with has been reduced by 53%. One of the items I would like to bring to your attention is the Kies family who we have been supporting in Zimbabwe. Each year we pledge $2,000 to help support their mission, and this year we have only collected $110 toward our commitment. If you could seek the Lord’s guidance in the support of their mission, I am hopeful we will be able to reach our goal for this year. Another item I seek your prayers with is our mortgage payments. This year we have been facing a decline in our mortgage offerings. We need $3,239 per quarter to meet our mortgage payments. The first quarter $3,437 was given; followed by the second quarter with $3,041; and the third quarter, $2,885. The declining amount given to our mortgage payment does place an increased load on our normal expenses being met. Something coming up next year will be a capital campaign that both the Finance and Trustee Committees will work on, and it will be for the replacement of our roof. The main section of our Church roof over the sanctuary has been wearing thin, rusting and simply wearing out. Many of our longer-term church members can remember this roof for a countless number of years – it is estimated that the roof is approximately 100 years old, and it has been deteriorating. In the coming months we will be starting a campaign to fund the roof removal and replacement, hopefully, in the coming spring and/or summer. – Sandi Rapp, Finance Chair
The Annual Christmas Tea Along with Christmas on Main Are Featured in December
Why Don’t You Try This Pie & Cake Time-Saver? Thanksgiving is coming and so are the busy days that demand your time and attention. Well, there is an offer to help eliminate the stress. It’s easy – not hard to do – and stress-free! The church will be having a Harting’s Bakery pie sale & angel food cake sale for the Thanksgiving holiday. Our selections of pies will be lemon sponge, apple with lattice crust, cherry crumb, coconut custard, mince with crust, and pumpkin custard. Angel food cakes can be bought either plain or iced. The order forms will be available at the back of the sanctuary or give Norece a call at 656-2509. Orders are due Sunday, November 11, with pick-up Tuesday, November 20, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. ALL PROFITS GENERAL FUND.
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This year, on December 1, 2012, as in the past years, the Annual Christmas Tea will coincide with the Christmas on Main program sponsored by the New Holland Business Association. Entertainment will be by the Garden Spot Village Voices, a 50-member choir made up of residents of the local retirement community. Beginning at 6:00 p.m., the hour-long program, led by director Maryann King, will feature the traditional Christmas hymns as well as the secular music of the season. The New Holland UMC youth will teach several advent crafts to the young people of the community from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Items left over from the annual Holiday Treasures Bazaar on November 10 will be available for sale before the entertainment. Following the musical entertainment, approximately 7:15 p.m., the Annual Christmas Tea will be held in Fellowship Hall. Tea, coffee, punch, cookies, pretzels, nuts and candy will be served as light refreshments. – Betty Hostetter, co/chair with Norece Richwine
NHUMC
Thanks for supporting the pie and cake sale. -- Norece Richwine
A Christmas Tea Wish List Donations to our Christmas Tea would be gladly accepted. These are the things we need:
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small cookies candy and mints nuts red Hawaiian punch 7-up -- Norece Richwine (656-2509), Betty Hostetter (354-8014)
November Focus: The New Holland Food Bank
Thank you, church, for all your concern, prayers and cards as I go through cancer treatments. – Jane Keene Thank you to Barb Mask, Dolly Blessing, Val Voran, and Tim and Tracy Hess for making cakes for the funeral luncheon for Renny Williams. The family was very appreciative for the luncheon, and I appreciated your willingness to contribute. Sincerely, -- Karen Miller A big THANK YOU to Ginny Smith and Fred Naval for helping with the funeral luncheon for Renny Williams. As stated above, the family appreciated the luncheon and I appreciated your willingness to serve. I couldn’t have done it without you both! Sincerely, -- Karen Miller Many thanks to all who participated in making the 40th anniversary of the Farm Show Dinners a success. Total served to both Ranck’s and NHUMC were 426. Net profit for NHUMC was $2,044.70; Ranck’s, $1,672.95. Profit for each is almost identical to last year. – Fred Naval
Free Community Meals 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. November 15, 2012 Third Thursday of every month Ranck’s United Methodist Church at the New Holland United Methodist Church Dinner is served with all ages welcome. -- Dee Kopicz, Outreach Chair at Ranck’s United Methodist Church (610-223-8207)
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November is our month to collect items for the New Holland Area Food Bank. The Food Bank is now being administered by Elanco Social Services Network (ESSN). ESSN also provides numerous services for those in need (housing, transportation, etc.) as well as acting as a referral agency for folks in need of counseling and other services. ESSN relies on local business, churches and organizations for their funding. We have decided to have an offering basket in the back of the sanctuary during the month of November. All donations received in the basket will be given to ESSN to help them continue the good work they have started. Thank you for your generosity!
Birthdays: Nov. 2 Nov. 7 Nov. 8 Nov. 12 Nov. 16 Nov. 19 Nov. 19 Nov. 23 Nov. 24 Nov. 26 Nov. 27 Nov. 28
Joshua Hess Kathy Phillips John Mask Jeff Good Justin Stoltzfoos Betty Hostetter Ken McLean Sheila Arment Selma Wells Joey McComsey Jane Frybarger Mervin Stoltzfoos
Anniversaries: Nov. 19 Nov. 20 Nov. 22 Nov. 27 Nov. 29
Brian and Lynne Corrie Dave and Judy Trost Charles and Esther Smith Tim and Tracey Hess Rick and Lucinda Boone
Please forgive us if your birthday or anniversary was not listed. We want to have it recorded, so please call the church office (354-0226) so we can update our records.
Prayer and Praise
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Praise Through Poetry Cynthia Immel-White
Marching Toward the Mark We all have our part to do, To be the men and women God has enabled us to be. We all have things we are going through, Keep pressing toward the mark. God is our light in dark moments Be determined, it is His desire For us all to seek and speak spiritual truths And lift up our brothers and sisters in hope. We are not to manipulate or demonstrate ways That are worldly or grieve the Holy Ghost. Be all that God wants you to be. We are appointed We are anointed Be led by the Spirit, not your own feelings Don’t give up; don’t give in Step out in faith Be bold Be courageous In the Army of our Lord Every man, woman is adored We cannot afford to turn our backs on others who lack spiritual truths We all have our part to do To shed God’s glorious light In a cold, dark world. Lead the lost home, through marching into gates where broken hearts and souls await Matthew 7:13-14
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Dan Hill, friend of Cindy White, health concerns Scott Hable, friend of Cathy Williams, surgery and treatments for cancer Linda Escabido, friend of Ginny Smith, financial concerns and health issues Ethel Ludwig, recovering from foot surgery Anastasie Edma, Nirva Gauthier’s mother, health concerns Harry Maclay, recovering from surgery Abe Klaasen’s family, father-in-law of the Masks’ daughter, on his recent death Mary Jane Delgado, recuperating from foot surgery Jane Keene, cancer treatments Michelle Sager, friend of Sheila Arment, who suffered a stroke Dottie Baer, going through rehab Brad Hostetter, his wife and children, as he is on deployment in the Middle East for an 8-month tour. Ann Mickolin, friend of Alice Weiler, recent surgery Charlotte Maclay, recovering from surgery Anne Hall, recovering from surgery Mary Jane & Angel Delgado, health concerns Our servicemen and women ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SERVER SCHEDULE FOR THIS MONTH Nursery Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov.
4 11 18 25
Selma Wells & Vanopolie Gauthier Cathy Williams and Florence Petit-ton Vicki Gannon and Arentz Menard Pat Williams and Guy Petit-ton Lay Readers
Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25
Pat Williams Selma Wells Dolly Blessing Marie Boisrond