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Newsletter for New Holland United Methodist Churh, New Holland PA

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Page 1: Lamplighter Newsletter

120 WEST MAIN STREET, NEW HOLLAND, PA 17557

Church Phone: 717-354-0226 Church Fax: 717-354-7942

Website: www.nhumc.us

Pastor: Susan D. Sliker

JANUARY 2011

We are soon into a new year and new decade. It is hard to believe that 2010 is almost over. I hope

it was a great year for you, and you experienced God’s presence in new ways. I know I did. And I

see Him moving in amazing ways in the life of the Body of Christ at NHUMC. Praise be to God!

Jonathan Edwards was one of the greatest preachers of his time. In 1722, he drew

up a list of seventy resolutions, dedicating himself to live in harmony with God and

others. The following resolutions give a picture of the serious purpose with which

Edwards approached his relationship with God. He resolved:

To do whatever is most to God’s glory

To do my duty, for the good of mankind in general

Never to do anything which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour

of my life

To study the Scriptures steadily, constantly, and frequently

To ask myself at the end of every day, week, month, and year if I could

possibly have done better

Until I die, not to act as I were on my own, but entirely and altogether

God’s

Nehemiah 10:29 says, “They entered into ... an oath to walk in God’s Law ... and

to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord.” We read that God’s

people made an oath, vowing to follow all the commands, laws, and regulations of

the Lord. This oath was so serious that they were willing to accept the curse of God

if they failed to keep these commands.

Our resolutions need not be as serious as that, but any resolution to follow God is

not a casual promise. Rather, it is a solemn and serious declaration that – with the

help of the Holy Spirit – we can renew every day. So what needs to change in this

upcoming year for you? What promises, oaths, vows have gone by the wayside in

your life? Words are cheap and the Body needs to continue to act on our resolutions.

We can only wait to see the surprises God has for each of us. I can’t wait ... He has

been so good this past year and has moved in surprising ways ... Praise be to God!!

Happy New Year!

-- Pastor Susan

Page 2: Lamplighter Newsletter

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A Phone Call Away If you have any pastoral needs, please do not hesitate to call the pastor (354-8306). Your needs are her

needs – go out to lunch, dinner, spend time talking, go shopping, a phone call, a prayer, etc. Please know

that God loves you.

The pastor always strives to be a phone call away, but she needs to know your needs. Please call and

leave a message if no one is home! Love to all! -- Pastor Susan

Our Worship Service starts at 9:00 a.m. every Sunday.

Sunday School is at 10:15 a.m.

January 2

Isaiah 60:1-6

Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12

“God’s Guiding Spirit”

Epiphany Sunday

Installation of Officers

Holy Communion

January 9

Isaiah 42:1-9

Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17

“God’s Favoring Spirit”

January 16

Isaiah 49:1-7

1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42

“God’s Inviting Spirit”

Human Relations Day

January 23

Isaiah 9:1-4

1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23

“God’s Liberating Spirit”

January 30

Micah 6:1-8

1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12

“God’s Spirit of Humility”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Calling All High School Students

We are in the early stages of planning this

year’s high school confirmation class. This

gathering is open to everyone from ninth

grade and up.

The title of the program is Making

Disciples and has been very successful and

meaningful. It is an adventure that will allow

one to be both a servant of the church and a

growing disciple as well. The class will work

together and also individually with a mentor.

A mentor in this process is not one who

knows all the answers, or one who can cite

vast numbers of scripture references from

memory. A mentor is one who has a genuine

faith and who is involved in trying to grow in

that faith from day to day. A mentor is one

who is willing to share his or her journey of

faith with another person.

The confirmands will lean more heavily on

genuine interaction with a member of the

church. This 13 week course will allow for

flexibility between student and mentor. The

different sessions address particular topics

and activities that they will share together.

If you are interested and/or have questions,

please do not hesitate to contact Pastor Susan

at 354-8306. More information will be

available for the class as it forms. A kick-ff

gathering will be planned. I hope to hear

from our senior high youth. Love to all, and

hope you are having a great school year.

-- Pastor Susan

Page 3: Lamplighter Newsletter

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New Challenge

In 2011

The worship committee, working with the

pastor, has decided to preach from the

Lectionary in 2011. The Lectionary is the list

or table of Scripture lessons or passages to be

read in Sunday worship services and on other

specific occasions. The list is in a three-year

cycle (A, B, and C cycle), starting the first

Sunday of Advent (the start of the new church

year).

There will be three lessons read each

Sunday – one from the Old Testament, one

from the Epistles and one from the Gospels.

There will also be a Psalter reading, and they

might point to a unifying theme.

Here are a few compelling reasons for

Lectionary preaching:

1. It keeps us in continuity with a

tradition of the church that dates back

centuries. Also, we are united with

sister churches by meditating on

essentially the same scriptures.

2. It forces us to struggle with the

questions of what God is trying to tell

us. This prevents us from mounting

our theological “soap box,” where we

seek to find a pretext for what we

most enjoy “harping” about. Without

the lectionary, how many preachers

would choose to preach on the texts

that contain controversy or conflict –

they would stay away from them and

only preach from texts to make the

congregation feel good.

3. It allows us to view the Bible as a unit

and helps us see how the gospel grows

out of the Old Testament tradition and

gives us a greater appreciation of our

Jewish roots.

4. It makes clear that we Christians live

in the world, but are not of the world.

The liturgical calendar, on which the

lectionary is based, focuses on the

qualitative dimension of time rather

than merely marking chronological

time. Our whole concept of time and

eternity revolves around the Incarnate

Word, Jesus, the Christ. Our lives are

ordered by His life, death and

resurrection. Without the discipline of

the Lectionary, it becomes easy to

focus on this world’s agenda. The

liturgical calendar makes plain that we

are passing through time, but we live

in the realm of God’s eternal purpose.

So once again the body of Christ starts on

a new adventure together as we move in

God’s way – trusting and obeying His Word

and acting in ways to glorify Him. Are you

excited? Are you seeing the Spirit moving?

He is ... let’s await the surprises He has in

store for us in the new year ... together in

worship and service to ignite the LIGHT in

our lives and in the lives we touch for Him.

-- Pastor Susan

Come ... Join Us!

On January 11, the 2011 Administrative

Council will join for their first meeting at

7:00 p.m. Please join us in Chapel Hall as

our external consultant, Kip Wolf, will be

here to present the strategic road map that has

been completed. He will also discuss goals

and objectives we have begun to align with

“Ignite the LIGHT”. Come out and see how

God is moving in our church!

-- Sandi Rapp

P.S. We are calling “prayer warriors” to the

sanctuary at 6:45 (before Ad Council) to pray

for our church.

Page 4: Lamplighter Newsletter

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The Truth Project

Will Start on January 13

Please remember to sign the enrollment sheet

at the back of the sanctuary

or call Pastor Susan with questions.

Do you really believe that what you

believe is really real? The focal point of

Focus on the Family’s The Truth Project is

the concept of truth itself. What is truth?

Why is it important? What role does it play

in God’s purposes in the world, our purpose

as humans and God’s plan for salvation

through Jesus Christ? This study also

demonstrates how truth frames the nature of

the cosmic battle that rages all around us

between the truth claims of God and the lies

of the world, the flesh and the devil.

From this starting point, The Truth Project

launches into a systematic and comprehensive

tour of looking at all of life from God’s

perspective. Whether we are talking about

philosophy and ethics, anthropology,

sociology, history or science, God has given

to us a standard and a plan for seeing all of

life the way He sees it. And ultimately,

because of this, we are called to impact

culture by being deeply involved in the world.

The Truth Project was birthed to see a

radical transformation occur throughout the

Body of Christ. The vision for this study is

simple – “that we may see the Lord a little

more clearly, that we may hear His truth

claims with more clarity, and that we might

be conformed more and more to His likeness”

(2 Corinthians 3:18). This study is for

believers and will cure spiritual anemia. It

will also equip and disciple believers. Wait

for more information about the formation of

these classes to start in the near future. Also

there will be a promo shown before worship

in the coming weeks. If you have any

questions, please contact Pastor Susan at 354-

8306. Start praying about your involvement

and the transformation of the Body of Christ

at NHUMC.

This year’s classes will start on Thursday,

January 13, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at

the parsonage.

– Pastor Susan

Server Schedules for This Month

Nursery Jan. 2 Jane Keene & Neika Boisrond

Jan. 9 Larry & Pat Knepper & Ben Wagner

Jan. 16 Barb Mask & Nick Boisrond &

Arentz Menard

Jan. 23 Donna Sandoe & Elizabeth Wagner

Jan. 30 Toby Wagner & Beatrice Gauthier

Greeters Jan. 30 Gordon and Betty Heal

Page 5: Lamplighter Newsletter

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THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

-- NOW ITEMS –

This is the last article I will be writing

as co-chairperson of the NOW

Committee. It has been a great run, and

Norece and I want to thank everyone on

the committee and beyond who have

helped to make the past two and ½ years a

wonderful success. We have continued

with some tried and true activities and

also instituted some new ones. We are

both looking forward to some new

challenges in our work with the church.

We want to take this opportunity to

wish Vicki Gannon, as new chairperson of

the NOW committee, the best of luck and

pledge our support. – Betty Hostetter

Thanks to many:

We want to thank Cathy Williams for

chairing the food bank collections. She

has done a fantastic job. To that same

end, we wish to thank the volunteers who

have worked tirelessly at the food bank

over the years – Peg Cessna, Bob

McLean, Harry and Charlotte Maclay.

Also, many thanks go to Yvonne

Stoltzfoos for chairing the annual back-

pack project with St. Stephens. Also

thanks to Jane Webster and her husband,

Graham, who have put together a very

successful book sale in the spring.

Thanks to everyone who helped make

the Christmas on Main/Christmas Tea

event a huge success. Once again we had

standing room only in the sanctuary for

the Marini Harps. Tea, punch, coffee and

cookies and other Christmas goodies were

served in Fellowship Hall following the

concert. Everyone appreciated the

decorations put together once again by our

own decorator extraordinaire, Norece

Richwine. The kids’ activities were well

attended. Pat Williams and her crew put

together a lot of projects for the kids, and

they were enjoyed by all.

We would be remiss if we did not

mention our other co-chairperson, Cindy

White. She helped with some projects,

but because of health issues could not

attend meetings or participate in some of

our other projects. Thanks Cindy.

If we have missed anybody, please

accept our apology.

Best wishes to you all!

-- Betty Hostetter & Norece Richwine Blankets and Tools:

Once again this year, our Mothers Day

and Fathers Day projects, purchasing

blankets and tools in honor of and in

memory of our Mothers and Fathers, was

a wonderful success. We have again

received a patch from Church World

Services to add to our banner which is

displayed at the rear of the sanctuary near

the double doors. The patch is to

recognize our contributions of $1,000 for

the BLANKETS+ program.

Contributions to this program help

Church World Services be there for

families recovering from a disaster by

providing blankets, tools, and other

necessities. Thank you for supporting this

worthwhile project and at the same time

honoring your loved ones.

Bazaar Item:

To date we have a profit of $3,171.34

from our annual Bazaar:

Lunch $413.30

Baked Goods $483.00

Books $110.50

Attic $206.37

Silent Auction $623.00

Crafts $1,331.17

Thanks to all who helped make this

Bazaar a wonderful success, especially

our special co-chairs – Jane Frybarger and

Judy Trost (crafts), Karen Miller

(baskets), Selma Wells and Ginny Meck

(books), Jane Keene and Dottie Baer

(Attic Treasures and Christmas Room),

Norece Richwine (baked goods), Fred

Naval (luncheon). Once again proving it

takes all of us to make an event

successful. Thanks!

Loretta Zimmerman & Betty Hostetter,

Bazaar 2010 co-chairs

Page 6: Lamplighter Newsletter

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Good News! John and Barbara Mask’s

granddaughter, Heather Parmer, recently

graduated with honors from Berk Tech

Institute in Reading. She is now working as a

medical assistant at Welsh Mountain Medical

and Dental Center.

New Address: Cameron Corrie’s address at

college is as follows:

York College of Pennsylvania

Penn Hall Box 37

York, PA 17403-3651

Attention former and current Boy Scouts:

If you have any Boy Scout memorabilia (hats,

badges, photos, pine wood derby cars, etc)

that you would be willing to have on display

on Boy Scout Sunday, please see or call

Norece Richwine (656-2509).

Knitting-Crocheting Group will not meet

again until January 8, 2011, according to the

leader, Jane Frybarger.

Attic Treasure Sales

At UMC Church in Lancaster

The Otterbein United Methodist Church at

North Queen and Clay Streets in Lancaster

are scheduling Attic Treasure Sales every

second Saturday of the month, from 8:00 a.m.

to noon. Visit the Attic Treasure Sale to get

lower than garage sale prices.

Future dates are January 8, February 12,

March 12, and April 9 (all the second

Saturday). -- Office

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

PRAYER AND PRAISE Ken Beears family on the death of

grandson, Dupree Beears, 17, in

motorcycle accident

Kathleen, granddaughter of Gordon and

Betty Heal, in hospital with kidney

infection

Nora Johnson, health concerns

Ashley Holloway, friend of Cindi White,

cancer

John Rinier, brother of Dolly Blessing,

complications of lung cancer

Sarah Martin, friend of Shirley Givler,

brain tumor, stage 2 cancer, radiation

treatments

Ron Hammons, Karen Miller’s step dad,

health concerns

Servicemen and women who are on duty

far from families.

Page 7: Lamplighter Newsletter

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Free Community Meals

5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

the 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)

Cheers to Larry Knepper, Ray Neyman

and Hank Wells for helping to put up

the Christmas decorations in the

sanctuary. – Fred Naval

I would like to thank everyone for their

cards, calls, and prayers during my

recent surgery. Everything went well

and I am back to normal. – John Mask

Thank you to all who contributed food

to the New Holland Food Bank during

the months of November and

December. Our 30-some bags of items

helped to stock the shelves and assure

enough food for the first part of the

winter. The Food Bank volunteers also

send their thanks. – Cathy Williams

Thank you for the visits, cards, prayers,

and phone calls during my surgery,

hospitalization, and stay at skilled

nursing at Garden Spot Village.

– Pat Knepper

Cheers to Patty Good, Bill Middleton,

Mark Lennon, and Ray Neyman for

helping to move furniture in the

sanctuary and Fellowship Hall for the

Christmas Tea event.

– Fred Naval

Thanks to all who ordered Harting’s

Bakery pies. I hope everyone enjoyed

their Thanksgiving desserts whether at

home or if you took your pie as a

special surprise to your Thanksgiving

host or hostess. I am sure it was

appreciated. Because you were so

gracious in ordering (and enjoying!)

pies, I am happy to announce that the

proceeds of $162 have been deposited

in the general fund. Many pie thank

you’s! -- Norece Richwine,

Pie Sale Chair

Thank you for the plethora of mittens,

gloves, hats and scarves you so

willingly contributed to our “mitten

tree.” In January the items will be

given to the Welsh Mountain Medical

and Dental Center for distribution to

their young patients.

– Cathy Williams

Thanks to all who serve our church in

so many ways. Your faithfulness is

appreciated. -- Pastor Susan

Birthdays:

January 1 Roy Schroll

January 2 Patti Good

January 4 Cameron Corrie

January 4 Yvonne Stoltzfoos

January 6 Patrick Corrie

January 8 Sharon Heisley

January 14 James Trostle

January 17 Harry Maclay

January 18 Dana Neyman

January 24 Elliott Thomas

January 30 John Baxter

January 31 Fran Baxter

Anniversaries: January 8 Joe and Julie Mitton

January 9 Jim and Regina Boose

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.

Page 8: Lamplighter Newsletter

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Contributed by Shawna Lewis-Beauchamp

Pizza Dip

½ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup finely chopped green pepper

1 tablespoon of butter

2 ½ cups pizza sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup finely chopped pepperoni

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Bread sticks ... or something to dip in.

In sauce pan sauté onion and green pepper in

butter until tender. Stir in pizza sauce,

mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, parmesan

cheese and Italian seasoning. Cook and stir

over medium heat until dip is heated through

and cheese is melted. Pour into bowl or crock

pot. Serve with breadsticks.