Gettysburg Presbyterian Church

April 19, 2017 “The Pastor’s Page” Inside

• This Week is Laity

Sunday

• Calendar of Giving

• Course for

Personal &

Spiritual Growth

• Dates for VBS

• Hershey Park

Tickets

• Come Walk With

Me

• Planned Giving

Meeting

• PW May Banquet

• Exploring

Membership Class

• Young at Heart

Have you ever heard a good story or seen a movie you couldn’t get out of your mind. You replay scenes over in your mind until you know the phrases and monologues by heart. Stories shape us. Stories form us. Stories move us in the gut or hit us in the solar plexus. A really good story can impact us in such a way that we find our attention & action focused us in new directions. James K.A. Smith writes of story this way in his book, Imaging the Kingdom:

Stories can haunt and unsettle us, and the most skilled storytellers can do this with remarkable lexical economy. The imaginative expanse of story does not depend on the quantity of words. Rather, there can be a feel among the words, resonance, and assonances that carry an aesthetic power disproportionate to their length. Short stories and poetry are often examples of such compressed narrative power. Perhaps nothing matches the evocative power of the six-word story said to have been composed by the master of verbal economy, Ernest Hemingway: For sale: baby shoes, never worn. In just six words the story creates – and invites us into – a whole world. One might recall another brief story with similar impact: He is not here; for he has risen, just as he said.

Matthew’s gospel has an angel speak those words to the two Marys who came to the tomb on Easter morning and they become the first witnesses to the empty tomb. With those words their stories change, their life purpose is re-directed. They went expecting death and they experienced life.

How often do we approach life expecting death? We return to those places which entomb us, knowing they don’t hold life and yet they draw us. Easter is about approaching a new tomb – an empty tomb – that we might arrive at new conclusions – ones that provide hope, life and joy because it provides new ways of see-ing, doing, believing. We do not have to wander around graveyards any longer. We do not have to give in to the malaise and despair of a hopeless existence. We do not have to go it alone, because we are met along the way by the one who sus-tains us. He is not here; for he has risen, just as he said. May this be the story we live by.

Lou

Page 2

Happy Birthday to... May 1

Cheryl Betts

Margaret Curtis

Jane Howe

Joann Karchner

Isaac Myers

May 2

Erin Heeschen

Antonio Mora

Breelyn Snyder

May 3

Alan Fleckner

Bob Smith

May 4

Katherine Rice

Marlene Tindall

May 5

Luke Flinner

Tom Kuhn

Kasey Smarsh

Michael Soliday

May 6

Benjamin Angstadt

May 7

Judy Beamer

Andy Farkas

Lance Lewis

Jed Smith

Shaye Whiteman

Lawrence Wolf

May 8

Tracy Angstadt

May 9

Kelly Smarsh

May 10

Dawn Bohner

Marjorie McCartney

Thomas Smarsh

May 11

Brian May

May 12

Emma Forney-Dillman

Lauren Freeman

Alison Flores

May 13

Todd Durboraw

Brandon Hiller

Nonie Kennell

Finley Sayres

May 14

Bryn Beauchat

May 15

Sheila Howes

May 16

Indigo Huber

Bonnie O’Dell

May 17

Sadie Russo

May 18

Jennifer Tassin

Sean Zorn

May 19

Harrison Stewart

May 20

Tim Baker

Owen Decker

Ellen Piacentine

Sydney Tomassini

May 21

Amy Dreves

Paul Ketterman

Shauna Snyder

Diane Weikert

May 22

John Golanoski

Urijah Hare

Jackie Hiller

Brenda McCabe

Alice Scott

Jack Soliday

Natalie Tschop

Jake Wilhelm

May 24

Lori Bridel

Joseph Jones

Jackson Lush

Nancy Sterrett

May 25

Jacob Bankert

Louise Garverick

Beth Hans

Larry Musselman

Sarah Skoczen

May 26

Devin Miller

May 27

Karen Eskildsen

Emily Stone

May 28

Brian Stabler

May 29

Judy Inskip

Edward McCartney

May 30

Jen Decker

Jim Heeschen

Linnette Murray

May 31

Jerry Althoff

Daniel Crowe

Dennis Dowd

Michelle Gorski

Beatrice Harness

SUMMER

CHILDREN’S CHURCH

We are looking for individuals to lead

the Children’s Church during the sum-

mer months to give our regular leads

some time off. Curriculum is easy to fol-

low and everything you need is in the

box. Come share your love of Jesus with

our children ages 3 – 3rd Grade. Signup

sheets on the CE table in Fellowship

Hall. Any questions, see Cheryl.

SOUTH DAKOTA MISSION TRIP CANCELLED

It is with heavy hearts that we have been forced to postpone this year’s Lakota Mission Trip to South Dakota until 2018.

The Cheyenne River Tribal Council recently authorized funds for major construction and repair at Takini School which is the location for housing our group, as well as our clothing give-away, special dinners, and classes.

With limited storage space here at GPC, we are unable to handle any donations for this year. Thank you for all your prayers and support of this worthwhile mission. We ask that you continue to pray for our Lakota friends.

HELP NEEDED!!

Do you like to make your flower beds look fresh

and new each Spring? If you like to work with

your hands and can spare a couple of hours over

the next couple of months, we need your help at

GPC. Lucy Breighner has had surgery and can-

not weed and prune our flower beds. We need

some willing hands to come weed our flower beds

and keep them looking

great. If you can help,

please call Penny in the

church office to let us know

when you can help.

Page 3

HIGH SCHOOL FELLOWSHIP April / May

April 23 5:30 - 7:00 Dinner & Fellowship April 30 5:30 - 7:00 Dinner & Fellowship May 7 5:30 - 7:00 Year-End Picnic

MidSHIP Schedule April / May

April 23 5:30 - 7:00 Dinner & Fellowship April 26 2:45 - 5:00 Small Group April 30 5:30 - 7:00 Dinner & Fellowship May 7 5:30 - 7:00 Year-End Picnic

This Week is Laity Sunday! On April 23 our church members will be leading us in worship! Tom Kolmer will preach and others will lead our prayers and readings. Come and worship!

Presbyterian Scotland & England Trip Rev. Dale Williams (retired Presbyteri-an pastor) will lead an 11-day trip to Scotland and England from Oct. 16-26 this Fall. A brochure is on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. Contact Dale for more information at 253-8236 or 642-0123.

Discovering God’s Vision For Your Life: You & Your Spiritual Gifts

Are spiritual gifts given to only some of us? What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? How can I be sure which particular spiritual gifts I have? Are spiritual gifts permanent or temporary? What does the Bible say about each of the spiritual gifts?

The above questions are just a few of the ones that will be answered in a new course to be of-fered to our congregation. The class will start April 23rd and meet during Sunday School for 8 weeks. You must attend all 8 weeks. Sign up in Fellowship Hall. Course fee is $17.00.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

SPECIAL SEDER CLASS REMINDER

This is for our 4th and 5

th Grade Sunday School. Join Miss Marion and Ben Pontz in

Fellowship Hall along with your parents on Sunday, April 30th

at 9:30 to learn about the Jewish festival of Passover, which was the last meal Jesus ate with his disciples, and how these Jewish roots are connected to our Christian faith. Remember to let Miss Cheryl know by Thursday, April 27

th if you will be attending or not.

“Calendar of Giving” The Calendar of Giving is an opportunity for our congregation to support numerous local organizations. Through this pro-gram, we identify local organizations that are in need of smaller donations. Each month, we will be collecting specific items for the identified organization.

For the month of:

April We will be collecting items for

Survivors, Inc.: NEW and UNOPENED Toiletries – soap, shampoo, deodorant, etc. (Survivors is unable to accept hotel size toiletries.), Sheet sets, Blankets, Plug-in alarm clocks, Towels, Washcloths, Diapers, Baby Wipes, “Sippie” Cups, Baby Bottles.

Page 4

SAVE THE DATES VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

will be June 19-22, 2017 from

9:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Theme will be “Giant Slayer, Wise Guy and the King.”

Volunteer sign-ups will begin on Sunday April 23. If you can help with VBS this summer in the are of LEADERSHIP, we truly need your help. 1. 3 Group Leaders for Grades 3-5 2. Youth Aides for all ages 3. Marketplace - adults and youth 4. 2 or 3 people to plan, prepare and coordinate craft projects. We already have some ideas.

Down Upside

Exploring Membership Class Our next Exploring Membership Class is scheduled for Sunday af-ternoon, June 11. After lunch, you will learn more about Presbyterians and GPC in particular. Call the church office (334-1235) to sign up!

Planned Giving Program

Beginning April 23rd and for two more Sundays

GPC will be promoting its Planned Giving Pro-

gram. During this three week emphasis you

will be provided with information about includ-

ing the church in your will or estate plans. You

will receive more information in a congrega-

tional letter mailed out April 17.

Church Women United

Church Women United invites all local church women to a 90-minute ($3) lunch meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Wednes-

day, May 3, at the Gettysburg Church of the Brethren, 1710 Biglerville Road. Following lunch we will be

celebrating FRIENDSHIP DAY and our program will be "Kindling New Fires of Love." Our guest speaker will be

Tammy Barbour, Dir. of Adams County Children's Advocacy. A special welcome to newcomers and "Bring a Friend."

No reservations are needed. For more information, call Cheryl Potter at 337-2938.

Page 5

NEED A RIDE? If you are having trouble attending church services and/or church functions due

to not having transportation, let the Deacons help you. We are only a phone

call away. The transportation Deacon for April 9 - May 14 is Joanna McGuire

at 334-2096

Hershey Park Tickets Have Arrived!!

Pick up your pre-ordered tickets Sunday mornings in Fellowship Hall or through

the church office (see Cheryl or Penny) during the week.

YOUNG AT HEART

Our monthly meeting

will be on

Thursday, May 11th.

Our program is

Ed Suplee,

a National Park

Tour Guide.

YOUTH CLUB

FINAL GATHERING

Our program will be ending for

this school year by going roller

skating at Magic Elm Skateland in

Hanover. Wednesday afternoon

Mid-Ship youth will be joining us.

We will be leaving GPC at 4:00 PM

and returning at 7:00 PM. Make

sure to sign-up with Miss Cheryl if

you and your family will be joining

us.

Presbyterian Women May Banquet

Presbyterian Women cordially invite you to attend our annual Banquet on May 9,

2017 at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Biggerstaff of Gettysburg will be catering the din-

ner of roast chicken, stuffing with gravy, vegetable, salad, rolls and dessert. Tickets will

be available on Sunday April 23, for $12.00

We are excited to have Patricia Knutson as our guest speaker. She really isn’t a guest

though, as she and her husband are members of GPC. Mrs. Knutson is an author and

attorney. She has written three novels and is working on number four as we speak.

Maybe we will get a “sneak peek” on her new book!

So please make plans to join us on Tuesday, May 9 for a great evening of food and an

entertaining discussion from Patricia Knutson.

Page 6

Stephen Ministry

LISTEN: TO HEAR WITH THOUGHTFUL ATTENTION

Did you ever talk to someone but feel as if that person just wasn't listening? Stephen

Ministers are trained to listen well. They will hear what you have to share and respond

lovingly and non-judgmentally--rather than telling you what you should or shouldn't have

done. If you need someone who will really listen to you as you work through a problem in

your life, consider Stephen Ministry. Call Lou Nyiri at the church office 334-1235, ext. 4.

COME WALK

WITH ME

Healthy Adams County

and its partners invite

you to our 2nd Annual

Adams County “Come

Walk With Me” event.

It will be held on May

6th from 1 – 5 PM at the

Gettysburg Middle

School Stadium. (Rain

date is May 7th). This

event is family friendly,

community-wide and

free! Come enjoy a walk

of your choice on the

track or on the battle-

field and participate in

various fitness activities

for the whole family,

while enjoying music,

snacks and chances to

win prizes.

We hope you will be in-

spired by the theme and

invite your family,

friends and neighbors or

co-workers to come walk

with you! Walking im-

proves our physical,

mental and emotional

health and when we do

it together it allows us

to be more motivated

and connected! The first

500 to sign in at the

event will receive a free

give away.

For more information go

to our event website at

www.adamscountycome

walkwithme.org or call

us at 717-337-4137.

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April / May 2017

GPC WORSHIP SCHEDULE Traditional Worship @ 8:15 & 11:00 a.m.

Contemporary Worship @ 9:30 a.m.

April 23 Laity Sunday April 30 Abraham - Radical Trust May 7 Toxic Church Communion May 14 Youth Sunday Mother’s Day Confirmation

Next Newsletter Deadline:

Noon, Thursday, April 27, 2017

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

Gettysburg, PA 17325

Permit No. 198

Page 8

Gettysburg Presbyterian Church

208 Baltimore Street

Gettysburg, PA 17325

Office: (717) 334-1235

Fax: (717) 334-0666

www.gettysburgpresbyterian.org

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Gettysburg Presbyterian Church Mission Statement Gettysburg Presbyterian Church believes that God calls us to invite people to faith in Jesus Christ, and equip them to grow as His fully devoted followers. As disciples we: * study regularly * pray daily * witness boldly * live faithfully * serve passionately * give generously * worship weekly

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Streaming, What’s It All About?

We are now “streaming” our 9:30 and 11AM worship services, meaning that you can watch them live (or later) by going to our church website (www.gettysburgpresbyterian.org) and clicking on the link. Services are ar-chived, so you can watch them any time you want to. We’ve gotten feedback from people who have watched them while on vacation, while homebound, and on Sun-days when they are ill or just not able to come to worship with us. Check it out!