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There are many ways that we mark time.
We have a liturgical calendar with feasts
and seasons, marked with changes in
worship and different colors in the
sanctuary. As we finish our church year,
we end with thoughts about the end of
time. Advent comes with its own note of
judgment, as we prepare for the first
coming of Jesus and also the last.
Christmas and Epiphany remind us of
light and hope in times of darkness. We
exchange gifts as we remember God’s
generous love. This carries us towards
Lent as we begin another cycle and season
of God’s work in our lives.
We are probably more concerned with the
holidays on our calendars. There are all
the preparations for Thanksgiving,
quickly followed by Christmas and New
Year’s. If we are fortunate, we may be
able to continue our celebrations to
Valentine’s Day, and then we wait the
arrival of Spring and fairer weather. These
times of sharing, and visiting, and
traveling often give us opportunities to
visit friends and family. They are also
often stressful with outsized expectations,
and many of us are keenly aware of
people we miss and relationships that are
broken.
The holiday decorations cannot hide the
cold and the loss we also bear this time of
year. The darkness is real. The snow and
ice are dangerous. Despite our cheer, we
often become
isolated and
depressed. The way
to ease our journey
through this season
is to remember the
truth we celebrate.
Christ comes into
our world to invite
us into another. We
can set aside the
expectations of the season and seek the
call to new life.
No doubt, we will all have many parties
and feasts. We will have gifts to buy and
share. We can also journey to the manger
and seek the savior of our world. We
don’t have to bring anything except
ourselves. We don’t have to finish any
plans or wrap anything. We can set aside
a little time each day to put ourselves
before God. You can light a candle, if it
helps you to center yourself. Give
yourself five minutes a day to simply be
present to God. You don’t need a long list
of prayers. You don’t need to control your
thoughts and feelings. Simply sit still
before God and be loved and love in
return.
For that is the gift we celebrate this
season. God’s love is the gift we seek and
the gift we give.
Greg
Celebration of
Ministry 2
Music Notes 3
Outreach 4-5
Christian Ed 6-7
Spiritual Life 8-9
Calendar 10-11
Women’s Group 11
Men’s Group 11
Worship Times 12
Contact Info 12
Preparing for the Season
C r o s s i n g s | M t . C a l v a r y
P a g e 2
On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, The Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania held a Celebration of
New Ministry with the installation of The Rev. Dr. Gregory Welin as the new Rector of Mount Calvary
Episcopal Church. The service was officiated by The Rt. Rev. Dr. Audrey C. Scanlan. In attendance
were Diocesan Representatives; visiting Clergy from other parishes; The Very Rev. Dr. Amy Welin;
The Rev. Canon Shayna Watson; and a large representation of the members of Mount Calvary.
While the necessary formalities were observed, the service was lighthearted, as a celebration should be.
The Rev. Canon Shayna Watson provide the sermon lesson. While insightful, it too was kept light and
laced with humor that had the congregation laughing.
Following the sermon, Bishop Scanlan Read a charge to the parish followed by a charge to the new
rector—mutually agreeing to support and nourish one another in God’s work. Symbolic gifts were then
presented to Father Welin to mark the occasion of the new covenant with one another. They were as
follows:
A Bible to help proclaim the Word.
Water to help baptize in obedience to our Lord.
Vestments to be among us as pastor and priest.
Prayer Book to be among us as a man of prayer.
Oil to be among us as a healer and reconciler.
Keys to let the doors of Mount Calvary be open to all
people.
Canons to be among us to share in the councils of this
diocese.
Hymn Book to be among us making music to God.
Seeds to plant the seeds and help us grow hearts drawn in love towards God.
Tools to help us to build communities of abundance and generosity
Bread and Wine to be among us to break the bread and bless the cup.
Following the symbolic gifts and prayers, Bishop Scanlan presented Father Welin as the new Rector of
Mount Calvary Episcopal Church.
At the conclusion of the service, a light reception followed in the Undercroft.
Rick Steinmetz
Celebration of New Ministry
Celebration of New Ministry
P a g e 3 V o l u m e 8 | I s s u e 4
Music Notes At this point last year, I was looking back on my
tenure and exclaiming “it’s hard to believe that
I’ve been here for only two months—it seems like
a year at this point!” It presently seems like several
years—or at the least, it feels permanent now that
Father Greg has been officially installed. That was
quite a ceremony, with participation by all—and a
shofar player to boot! Apologies to those that were
“awoken” by the blasts! Such instruments were
only used for specific and special events, so it
seemed apropos.
The blowing of the shofar reminded me of the
Bach chorale Wachet Auf! This can be found in our
hymnal as either #61 or #62. Bach’s text reminds
us that we are waiting for Christ: “Sleepers,
wake!” A voice surrounds us, the shout of the
rampart guards surrounds us: “Awake, Jerusalem,
arise!” Midnight’s peace their cry has broken,
their urgent summons clearly spoken: “The time
has come, O maidens wise! Rise up and give us
light; the Bridegroom is in sight, Alleluia! Your
lamps prepare and hasten
there, that you the wedding
feast may share.”
On Advent one, we will once
again enjoy the music of the
Pizza Club bell choir (perhaps
not as visually stunning as the
Halloween costumes seen on
November 3rd from this group!), as well as our first
Advent hymns and anthems. December 15th
(Advent three) will see the return of instruments,
soloists, and choir as we render Antonio Vivaldi’s
Gloria during the ten o’clock service. Finally, there
are the Christmas Eve services to look forward to.
A big thank you to all the people involved in these
events—it always takes time, talent, and devotion
to present these musical offerings!
Blessings!
Steve, Director of Music
C r o s s i n g s | M t . C a l v a r y
P a g e 4
The Outreach Coordinating Committee suggests taking a quick pause to
reflect on the past twelve months as we begin preparing for our
Christmas Celebrations and launching a New Year. As is true in most
years, the first six months of our outreach efforts were filled with many
volunteer opportunities in serving the homeless, helping build new and
rehab affordable housing, and supporting critical food and health
ministries. Throughout the year as these activities continued and new
partnerships emerged, our volunteers’ giving was matched by
individual and outreach financial and material support. In September, the Outreach Coordinating
Committee celebrated the year of giving at the “Experience Outreach Coffee Hour” and presented the
“2018/2019 Outreach Partners and Donations” flyer (copies are available in the Church Office or
Narthex).
Recent Activities and Offerings
Outreach work continued through the 4th quarter of the year.
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank – An intergenerational group from Mount Calvary worked at the
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank on October 7th. Nineteen volunteers of all ages participated—our
largest group to date. This work is always a meaningful opportunity for outreach and fellowship. Please
join us on Monday, December 2nd from 6:00-8:00 PM for another evening well spent!
Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg - The Shelter Team uncovered this new volunteer opportunity. The non-
profit enlists volunteers to help community members meet transportation or recreation needs by teaching
bicycle safety and maintenance and receiving, repairing, or rebuilding unwanted or abandoned bicycles
for re “cycling.” Ten Shelter volunteers stepped up one Saturday in November to help with the rehab of a
new home for the organization at 1722 Chestnut Street in Harrisburg.
Giving Tree and Christmas Blessing Express - The people of Mt.
Calvary gave generously to The Giving Tree for this Christmas
season. Mount Calvary donated a wide variety of gifts for young and old
to New Hope Mission West Shore’s Christmas Blessing Express in
Lemoyne. These gifts were placed under the tree in the Narthex and will
be delivered before Advent begins. Thank you to the Pizza Club for the
beautifully painted leaves that adorned our tree. Parishioners interested in
being a part of sorting and distributing our offerings may signup online at
https://www.timetosignup.com/nhm/sheet/225799.
Thank you everyone for making sure our neighbors have a blessed
Christmas!
(Continued on page 5)
This Year’s Giving Coming to an End in the Season of Great Expectation
V o l u m e 8 | I s s u e 4 P a g e 5
Vickie’s Angel Foundation – Located in New Cumberland, the
organization serves people dealing with active cancer treatments and
need assistance for critical living expenses – housing, auto repair,
groceries, etc. The Foundation serves a nine-county area in South
Central Pennsylvania, and since its inception, has given $3 million to
over 2,000 families.
Our 4th quarter donations were made to existing and new Outreach
Partners and for disaster relief:
$500 donations – American Cancer Society’s Hershey Hope Lodge,
Ronald McDonald, Four Diamonds Fund, Caitlin’s Smile
$1,000 donations – Episcopal Relief & Development Hurricane
Relief Fund, New Hope Ministries West Shore, Ecumenical
Food Bank, Vickie’s Angels Foundation
$2,000 donation – Direct Relief, California Fire Relief Fund
Coming Up – Save the Dates
January 26 to February 2 – Family Promise at St. Mike’s
February 2 – Souper Bowl Sunday
March 8 to 14 - Susquehanna Safe Haven Men’s Overnight Shelter
Keep Posted - many more to come
Thank you, Mt. Calvary!
The Outreach Coordinating Committee
(Continued from page 4)
Graham Cracker Houses – Following the 10:00 service on December 1,
our annual Graham Cracker House decorating activity will take place in
the Undercroft. This is an annual Mount Calvary tradition. Please sign up
on the sheet in the Narthex or call the office so there will be a house
waiting for you! Candy donations and a $3 donation
per house are requested. Also, on Saturday,
November 30 from 9-11 AM, we will need a few
engineers/artist/masons to help construct the
houses. This is a fun way to get together and to play
an important role in this making this festive annual
event happen.
Pizza Club – We are having a great time making friends and eating pizza. We
have also been enjoying lots of fun lessons, crafts, games, and of course bell
choir practice! We are looking for service projects for our Mega Pizza Club kids
(3rd-5th graders). Please let us know if you have a project that we can tackle as a
group.
Winter Fun Wednesdays – We will play games, watch a holiday movie, and
eat pizza and popcorn, while you take a few hours to check some things off your
list as you prepare for the holidays! The dates for Winter Fun Wednesdays are
December 4th and 11th, from 5:30-7:30.
Advent Family Night – Wednesday, December 18th, 5:30-7:00 PM - Join us for
a special family pizza club and meet our special guests for the evening. A
Shepherd and her donkey and lamb will join to share the story of how the
donkey got a cross on her back and what the lamb witnessed when she visited
the stable.
Cookie Exchange - Coffee Hour on December 22nd will feature our annual
cookie exchange. Bring a dozen (or more) of your favorite Christmas cookies
for all to admire and sample, and enjoy the treats provided by your fellow
parishioners. This is another Mount Calvary tradition, and a great way to share
your creativity and baking skills.
MS/HS Youth Group – We've been having fun playing
Jeopardy, enjoying Halloween games, helping at the food bank,
and bowling and tackling yard work at the Shippensburg Home.
We also visited the Icons in Transformation art exhibit in
Harrisburg, followed by banana splits. In December we will be
taking graham cracker houses to the Shippensburg Home, and
we'll be making sleeping mats for the homeless in January.
(Continued on page 7)
C r o s s i n g s | M t . C a l v a r y
P a g e 6
Christian Education
Christian Ed cont’d
P a g e 7 V o l u m e 8 | I s s u e 4
King’s Day – Sunday, January 5th. This is always a
special day in the church school year, with three special
guests, a king’s cake, and shoes filled with treats – don’t
miss it!
Souper Bowl Sunday – Sunday, February 2. On the
morning of the Big Game, the youth will be collecting
spare change and cans of soup to support local charities
that provide food for the hungry – so start setting aside
your coins and cans for this annual outreach event.
Confirmation Instruction – Youth in grades 7th and
above who are not confirmed can participate in
confirmation instruction on Wednesdays from 3:30-
4:30. The classes will begin on January 8th and
continue through
March 27th, in
preparation for the
confirmation
service (TBD).
All Saints Sunday
–The children
dressed in their
Halloween
costumes was a fun
way to learn about
the meaning of
Halloween (All
Hallows Eve).
Father Welin,
dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi, shared the message of
why we celebrate All Saints Day. We also had three
special guests share their stories: Saint Patrick (Bryan
Woodward), St. Luke (Thomas Hollingshead), and St.
Francis of Assisi (George Parks). The bell choir also
performed Amazing Grace. It was a special Sunday
and we look forward to our next performance!
Melanie, Director of Christian Education
(Continued from page 6)
Caitlin’s Smiles
C r o s s i n g s | M t . C a l v a r y
P a g e 8
RenewalWorks is a program offered by the Episcopal Church to parishes like ours through Forward
Movement. It aims to promote spiritual growth, renewal, and vitality in the church.
We've been discerning our way these past few years. Who are we? Who will guide us? To what is God
calling us in this new time in our life together, as a parish, as part of the Camp Hill community, as part
of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania? Our initial period of discernment has brought us a new rector,
Fr. Greg Welin, as he and Mt. Calvary have chosen each other to explore and live God’s call together.
Now formally established as our spiritual leader, Fr. Greg has chosen RenewalWorks to help show the
way through this next phase of coming to know and to follow God's will, to answer God’s call to
deeper life.
The work of the RenewalWorks program began with a parish-wide survey, the Spiritual Life Inventory
(SLI), in September and early October. Fr. Greg and the members of the workshop team are
enormously grateful for the response to our request to spend some time through the SLI reflecting on
spiritual life and growth and how Mt. Calvary supports them. There were 108 survey responses, taking
us well above the 90 needed to draw significant conclusions. Thank you for your outstanding support
of this program, and for helping to lay a solid foundation for our work!
The RenewalWorks office compiled our SLI responses and compared them with those of the large
number of churches that have submitted their SLI data, from both the Episcopal Church and other
denominations. Mt. Calvary received a two-part report from this analysis summarizing the results,
giving us a systematic portrait of the present state of our collective spiritual life.
(Continued on page 9)
RenewalWorks at Mt. Calvary: A Way Toward Spiritual Growth and Vitality
P a g e 9 V o l u m e 8 | I s s u e 4
The program includes a framework for interpreting these results, featuring a Spiritual Life Continuum
showing four stages of spiritual growth along
with the catalysts that help us move from one
stage to the next. The four stages are:
Exploring, Growing, Deepening, and
Centering.
The report shows that more than three-quarters
of our parish fall in the first two stages, with
most at the Growing stage. This information is
invaluable in discerning the way toward
renewal and vitality.
Working with the SLI results toward a plan
that will include findings, recommendations, and proposals for Mt. Calvary's vestry and leadership is
a workshop team comprising twelve parish representatives. The final workshop is scheduled for
December 2nd.
Like all good planning methods, RenewalWorks starts with objective data (through the SLI and
reported results), then works through reflection on our past, our present, and our vision for the future,
concluding with an action plan that describes what we need to do to get where we want to go.
Accordingly, the workshops focus on the following themes:
Workshop 1—Where have we been?
Workshop 2—Where are we now?
Workshop 3—Where do we feel called to go?
Workshop 4—How will we get there?
We look forward with confidence in God's healing and enlivening power to a time of spiritual
revitalization and growth at Mt. Calvary extending to every part of our worship, our programs, and
our lives together. As our team works to complete the RenewalWorks program, we ask for your
prayers. And we invite you to join us in praying for dedication to deeper life in the Holy Spirit using
the Prayer of Self-Dedication in the Book of Common Prayer (p.832), a prayer the RenewalWorks
team has used during its time together:
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations,
so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we
pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Continued from page 8)
RenewalWorks
C r o s s i n g s | M t . C a l v a r y
P a g e 1 0
Calendar December
1 Book Club
1 Advent 1, Combined Sunday School Program
Graham Cracker Houses, following 10:00 service
Youth Group service trip to Shippensburg Home, 1:30 - 5:30 pm
2 Food Bank, 6-8 pm
4 Winter Fun Combined Pizza Club, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
7 Men's Breakfast - Cornerstone Coffee House 8 am
8 Advent 2, Combined Sunday School Program
Vestry Meeting, following 10:00 service
11 Winter Fun Combined Pizza Club, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Women’s Fellowship Group
12 Women’s Fellowship Cookie Exchange
15 Advent 3, Combined Sunday School Program
18 Journey to Bethlehem Family Night, 5:30 - 7:00 pm
22 Advent 4, Combined Sunday School Program
Cookie Extravaganza Coffee Hour
24 Christmas Eve: Family service and Eucharist 4 pm; Choral Eucharist, 7:30 pm and 10 pm
25 Christmas Day Holy Eucharist, 10 am
29 No Sunday School
January
4 Men's Breakfast - Cornerstone Coffee House 8 am
5 Sunday School Teacher Meeting, 9:00 am (Parlor)
King’s Day Combined Sunday School and Celebration
Book Club
8 Youth Confirmation Instruction Begins (continues through March 27), 4:30 - 5:30 pm
Mini Pizza Club, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
12 Vestry Meeting
15 Youth Confirmation Instruction, 4:30 - 5:30 pm
22 Youth Confirmation Instruction, 4:30 - 5:30 pm
Mega Pizza Club, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
26 Youth Group (Homeless Sleeping Mat Making), 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Family Promise at St. Mike’s (Jan 26 through Feb 2)
29 Youth Confirmation Instruction, 4:30 - 5:30 pm (Continued on page 11)
P a g e 1 1 V o l u m e 8 | I s s u e 4
Men’s Breakfast Group
The Men's Breakfast group meets at the Cornerstone
Coffeehouse in Camp Hill on the first Saturday of
the month, October through May, at 8:00 a.m. Our
meetings are open to all men. We welcome visitors
and parish members curious about what they can do
to be better Christian men.
The group chooses a topic each year for study and
discussion, and draws session facilitators from
among its many talented, articulate, and
knowledgeable members. Dean Wharton provides
leadership and serves as Master of Ceremonies for
our sessions. This year we are exploring topics
centered around improving our Christian
relationships as father, husbands, church leaders,
employees and employers, and service leaders in our
communities, as well as learning how to better pray
and read the Bible.
Men of the parish, please
consider joining us at
Cornerstone Coffeehouse at
8:00 a.m. on the first Saturday
of the month. On your way to
the back room, you may want
to order a drink and a pastry
or breakfast sandwich from
our friends at Cornerstone
who generously provide the space for our monthly
meetings.
This year's study promises to be quite an adventure,
with our usual warm fellowship and spirited
discussion! Dean Wharton ([email protected])
and Jack Seefeldt
([email protected]) would be happy
to answer any questions.
Calendar cont’d Women’s Fellowship Group
The Women’s Fellowship Group is currently reading “The
Journey, Walking the Road to Bethlehem” by Adam
Hamilton. This book examines the birth of Jesus and will
lead us into the Christmas season. On November 13th, we
discussed Chapter 3: Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth and Chapter
4: From Nazareth to Bethlehem.
On December 11th, we will cover Chapter 5: The Manger
and plan for the New Year. Join us for cookies and coffee
as we reflect on the book and talk about exciting new ideas
for 2020. Our next book will be "Anam Cara: A Book of
Celtic Wisdom” by John O'Donohue beginning in January.
Dates to Remember: Please Mark Your Calendars:
On Thursday, December 12th at 7pm, we will have the 2nd
Annual Women’s Fellowship Cookie Exchange. Please
bring additional cookies so we can provide platters to those
who cannot bake… hoping to spread a little extra Christmas
cheer! Sunday, December 14th: Please join us as we host
Coffee Hour!
February
1 Men's Breakfast - Cornerstone Coffee
House 8 am
2 Souper Bowl Sunday (coin and soup can
collecting)
Book Club
5 Youth Confirmation Instruction,
4:30 - 5:30 pm
9 Annual Parish Meeting
12 Youth Confirmation Instruction,
4:30 - 5:30 pm
Mini Pizza Club, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
19 Youth Confirmation Instruction,
4:30 - 5:30 pm
23 Youth Group, 5:30 - 7:00 pm
26 Youth Confirmation Instruction,
4:30 - 5:30 pm
Mega Pizza Club, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
125 North 25th Street Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 17011
Address block
Address correction requested
The Rev. Dr. Gregory Welin, Rector
Pastoral Care Emergencies: 717-706-3880
Melanie Gurgiolo, Director of Christian Education
Steve Lee, Director of Music
Parish Office: 717-737-9834
www.mtcp.org | facebook.com/mountcalvary
Office E-mail [email protected]
Realm
https://onrealm.org/MtCalvaryCampHill
