` 120 WEST MAIN STREET, NEW HOLLAND, PA 17557 Church Phone: 717-354-0226 Website: http://nhumc.us/ Pastor: Ray Voran Pastor Email: revoran@gmail.com
JANUARY 2017 MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR: I hope you all found the Advent sermons based on Christmas songs to be helpful and worthwhile. I enjoyed preparing and presenting them. They say that music is one way we discover the feelings that we share and express the truth. Of course, that does not mean that every popular song is a theological masterpiece; but it does mean that we can discover the spiritual needs and desires of people when we take a look at music (among other things). So I will continue to talk about music during the sermons from now until the beginning of Lent (basically January and February) and I will looking some of the songs by The Beatles (number 1 bestselling group of all time). Maybe you like them, maybe you don’t, maybe you have no opinion; but I think we will find that a number of their songs speak of spiritual issues. And don’t be surprised if we see that God’s word addresses these same issues……maybe from a much different viewpoint or maybe not that different sometimes. I plan to look at songs like ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, THE FOOL ON THE HILL, HEY JUDE, LIFE GOES ON, YESTERDAY, HERE COMES THE SUN, COME TOGETHER, CAN’T BUY ME LOVE, THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD, NOWHERE MAN, and ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE. We probably will not specifically talk about each one and we might wind up combining two or three in one sermon. While it is true that the Beatles were at the top of the charts several decades ago, the messages from their songs continue to resonate today. I hope these messages teach us all some things about ourselves, our society and, of course, our Lord. Happy New Year to All! Pastor Ray
Our Worship Service starts at 9:00 a.m. every Sunday. 10:00 a.m. Time of Fellowship 10:30 a.m. Sunday School Contacting Pastor Ray ~ email: revoran@gmail.com Cell: (717)333-6939 Look for me on Facebook: Ray Voran
Regular Events Knepper Care Group – Second and Fourth Mondays, 7:00 p.m. Naval Care Group – Second and Fourth Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m.
Community Senior Center – Second Thursday, 10:00 a.m. Community Meal – Third Thursday, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Bazaar Workshops – Every Tuesday at 1 p.m.
MESSAGE FROM BISHOP JOHNSON: Eastern PA Conference of the United Methodist Church Prayer Vigil January 8-14, 2017 This prayer vigil serves as a response to the Council of Bishops initiative for Praying Our Way Forward. Together, let's be in a posture of prayer for the church. I invite you - clergy, laity, congregations, and small groups across the Eastern PA Conference to pray for God's guidance. Our prayer focus is twofold: We are praying that God will help us to more effectively fulfill the 2
mission of the church and we are praying to be one in Christ. During this time, I also recommend reading Dr. Elaine Heath's new book, God Unbound: Wisdom for the Anxious Church. Please also join me on Wednesday, January 11, 7:00 pm at Lima UMC, 209 N. Middletown Road, Lima, PA 19037 for a conference-wide prayer service. -- Bishop Peggy A. Johnson Naturally, this prayer service will be held the night of our Ad Council meeting. I do encourage everyone to remain in prayer regarding these issues that face our denomination. -- Pastor Ray
OFFICE HOLDERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Don’t forget that the new offices and committee positions begin this month! Thank you to everyone for donating your time and talents!!
Sunday, January 22 we will have a brief Congregational meeting following our morning worship. The question before us is this: “Is it time for us to try to have a full time pastor?” “Are we able to meet our calling with a part time pastor, or do we need to step up and bring a full time pastor back into our church?” Please pray about this and bring your thoughts and God’s calling to your heart to the meeting on January 22. -- Pat Williams for the Administrative Board
Sheep! Sheep! Our children’s Sunday School classes enjoy active games. One of their favorite games is called simply, “Sheep! Sheep!” It is kind of a reverse Hide and Seek, where the sheep with their eyes shut seek out their leader by his or her voice. The first to locate their leader is the winner. It reminds me of all of us, really. Aren’t we seeking God always? Sometimes blindly? But we have His voice to bring us ever closer until at last we find Him. John 10:3 says “It's to Him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it's His voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” I suggest that in this new year, we the family of sheep at New Holland United Methodist Church, need to ask God to lead us onward. What is he calling us to do? We have done well in answering His call many times before. His people needed help and we sent groups to help repair homes in Appalachia, Mississippi, and New Jersey. His house needed a new furnace, and then roof, and we responded generously. Our extended family in Haiti need pure water, and we continue to respond to that need, as we do to our missionaries at Africa University. We paid off the mortgage on the church property just last year! We continue always to recognize His call to us and follow his leading to help our brothers and sisters. To give us direction in God’s calling for us, we need to work together once more. On 3
Change of Address, effective 12/13/16 Ken & Judy McLean 5450 Glenview Rd. Glen Arm, MD 21057
After the New Year we will be starting a Children’s choir. We will practice immediately after church for about a halfhour. It will be open to preschool to 6 th grade.
Look for more information about this in coming weeks.
After a suggestion was made, the Finance Committee thought it was a great idea to designate our kitchen to benefit from the Noisy Offering. Many delicious meals have been made and serviced out of our kitchen over the years including the Farm Show Dinners, Christmas Bazaar breakfasts and lunches, Christmas Teas and, more recently, the free community meals. Some of our kitchen equipment, such as the electric roasters, is in need of replacement. Replenishing the supplies needed in the kitchen is always an ongoing expense.
Noisy Offering
During the worship service each Sunday when those smiling faces reach out to you to receive your “noisy” donation, please give generously. Blessings, Finance Committee
Many thanks for your continued support of our Noisy Offering. Through your generous donations we have donated $1,106 so far in 2016. At this time, we don’t have the final tally for the fourth quarter of 2016 but will let you know the amount once it is counted the last week of December.
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1st Quarter - $350 to ELANCO Social Services Network in New Holland 2nd Quarter - $306 to Reggie & Kim Frank, missionaries serving in Germany 3rd Quarter - $450 to Larry Kies and his ministry through the Africa University. 4th Quarter - $385 for GRAICO – The goal of the GRAICO mission project is to distribute chloride solution to children in order to purify their drinking water to prevent cholera disease in Haiti.
SERVER SCHEDULE FOR JANUARY Nursery Jan. 1 Jan. 8 Jan. 15 Jan. 22 Jan. 29
Jane Keene, Sharma Menard Liz and Mark Lennon Donna Sandoe Selma Wells Cathy Williams
Lay Readers Jan. Jan.
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Julie Mitton Tim Hess
Jan. 15 Jan. 22 Jan. 29
Melissa Finkey Marie Boisrond Ginny Smith
Jan. 1 Jan. 8 Jan. 15 Jan. 22 Jan. 29
Win Hall & Sandi Rapp Tim Hess & Betsy Loguidice Selma Wells & Ken/Faye Gallagher Tim Hess & Sandi Rapp Hank & Selma Wells
Tellers
We are in need of church-time nursery helpers. Contact the church office if you are willing to help. 354-0226
Free Community Meals 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. January 19, 2017
Third Thursday of every month Thanks to all our volunteers who serve so faithfully as nursery helpers, lay readers, ushers, committee members, and all the other duties which make our church run smoothly. Thanks to each of you for the Christmas basket. Also thanks to the choir and those who came to sing at Fairmount Homes. We really appreciated it. Blessings, Dottie Baer
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).
Prayer and Praise
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Committee members in new positions as they begin their duties in 2017 Rev. Dorcas Kamanda, who will be starting an orphanage in Sierra Leone Family & friends of Virginia Meck – Shirley Wise, Lisa Oster, Harold Arment, Kelly Meadows, Michele Rolish, Helen Armaro (all fighting cancer) and George Withers, James Ennis (heart matters) Eileen McComas, congestive heart failure A smooth transition in the U.S. government
Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.
1 Darryl Smith 4 Cameron Corrie 4 Yvonne Stoltzfoos 6 Patrick Corrie 9 Nick Boisrond 14 James Trostle 15 Nesta Petit-ton 15 Richard Bullis 18 Dana Neyman 20 Bryan Knepper 24 Elliot Thomas 31 Fran Baxter
Jan. 8 Jan. 9
January Anniversaries Joe & Julie Mitton Jim & Regina Boose
* If you don’t think the office has your birthday or anniversary, please put a note in the secretary’s mailbox with this information. We wish to honor you with your name in the LAMPLIGHTER on your special day.
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January Birthdays Roy Schroll
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