FOCUS FOCUS ON ON FAITH Sunday School—9:00 am Worship—10:15 am LEAD PASTOR: Rev. Dr. Bruce C. Stevenson PASTOR OF DISCIPLESHIP: Rev. Joshua Knappenberger DIRECTOR OF MUSIC/ORGANIST: Dennis J. Duda Volume 48, Number 3 2019
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FOCUSFOCUS
ONON
FAITH
Sunday School—9:00 am Worship—10:15 am
LEAD PASTOR: Rev. Dr. Bruce C. Stevenson
PASTOR OF DISCIPLESHIP: Rev. Joshua Knappenberger
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC/ORGANIST: Dennis J. Duda
Volume 48, Number 3
2019
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We are a people
who have come together
through a common faith,
a common love,
and a common covenant
with the triune God;
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and together we endeavor
to be a community of
worship,
education,
mission,
fellowship,
and stewardship.
Faith United Church of Christ 5992 Route 378 Center Valley, PA 18034 610-282-3939 [email protected] www.faithchurchucc.org
Thank you to the newsletter crew for their help in mailing the newsletters each month -
Ruth Cressman, LaVerna Diehl, Joan Hassler, Evelyn Hovis, and Sue Walter
2018—2019 Consistory
Officers: President: Deb Orach Vice President: Kevin Long Secretary: Mary Ellen Long
Elders: Deacons: Deb Orach Colleen Kandt Justin Koser Mim Allison Tom Berghold Becky Hite Jane Van Horn Barb Scattergood Kevin Long Mary Ellen Long
Church Treasurer: Joe Orach
Liaisons: Christian Ed: Barb Scattergood Worship: Mim Allison Kitchen Krew: Jane Van Horn Budget & Finance: Deb Orach Fellowship/Outreach: Mission: Kevin Long Enduring/Memorial Gifts: Mary Ellen Long Youth: Property: Day Care: Staff Relations: Choir: Tom Berghold
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A NOTE FROM THE PASTOR
Dear Friends,
Once again we are at the beginning of the season of Lent.
Here are some things that you may not know about Lent even
though this is not your first Lent.
1. Technically Lent is not 40 days
If you take a look at your calendar, you'll notice that the
time between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday, there are
actually 46 days.
Lent is celebrated for 40 days simply because Sundays are
not included. “Why is that?” you may ask. During these
"free" days, it is traditional to commemorate the resurrection
of Christ by breaking the “fast” of Lent and celebrating with
“feast.”
2. What do Samba, music, masks, beads, pancakes and
feasting have in common?
Fat Tuesday, Carnival, Mardi Gras and Pancake Day
celebrate the same thing.
They are all celebrating Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras),
which is the last day to feast on rich and fatty foods, such as
fasnachts, before Lent begins! What makes each celebration
so different is the country in which they are celebrated and
that society's tradition mixed with Christian observances.
However, who ever thought Mardi Gras had anything to do
with something sacred?!
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3. "No Meat Fridays" have exceptions
Some Christians (especially
our Catholic brothers and sis
ters) choose to observe Lent
by eating fish, not meat, on
Fridays during Lent, but
there are a few interesting
exceptions to the rule.
In the 1600s, a group of
monks in France allowed puffins to be considered fish, since
their "natural habitat was as much terrestrial as aquatic," and
the bird was allowed to be eaten on Fridays. Two years ago,
the National Bishops' Conference approved of the consump-
tion of alligator on Friday as the beast "is considered in the fish
family."
In 2006, several American bishops have a special dispensation
to eat meat on Friday during Lent because St. Patrick's Day fell
on a Friday and it is traditional to eat corned beef brisket for
his feast day.
As someone who is allergic to most fish and very fond of a
New England Boiled Dinner which includes corned beef, I am
specially grateful for these very progressive decisions!
4. Ashes are more than what they seem
Did you know that the ashes to mark a cross on the back of
your hand (or on your forehead) symbolize God's creation of
man from ashes and that man returns to ash when he dies?
Ministers often say, "Remember, man is dust, and unto dust
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you shall return." Ashes also mark the sorrow and grief of our
personal sins and serve as a symbol of repentance. In an inter-
esting note, many wipe the ashes from their hands following
the Ash Wednesday service, but some wear their ashes proudly
as they go to school, work or run errands.
5. Christians of all persuasions may observe Lent
When I was growing up I had many Catholic friends and many
friends from my own Congregational Church. It seemed that
only my Catholic friends observed Lent so I grew up thinking
that Lent was a “Catholic thing.”
As an adult I have come to realize how appropriate it is and what
a rich spiritual experience it can be to follow Jesus’ time in the
wilderness. Many do this by giving up a single indulgence, such
as social media, chocolate, sauerkraut, or scrapple.
Others choose to add something to their routine rather than give
something up. They may choose to add more to their prayer rou
tines, devotions, acts of charity, or increase their tithe during this
season.
So there you have it: Lent 101. I’m going to give my
Confirmands a quiz based on this article on the first Sunday of
Lent, March 10. Don’t tell them! Don’t worry. I won’t be
unfair. I just want to see if they ever read the newsletter!
Peace,
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Have you ever started writing or saying something without knowing
how you are going to finish it? I know I have. It usually begins
with excitement, “O, I have THIS to add to the conversation!” and
then as I talk I realize I had no idea where I was going with that
great thing I had to add, and then I just keep going because what I
said was so great it has to go somewhere, but if there’s nowhere for
it to go then I will just keep talking until I find it—.
At one time or another, we have all been there, and we are not
unlike Moses at times. “I got this great idea. God’s people will
leave our slavery in Egypt!” Weeks later, months, years, decades
later, the people start saying, “Alright Moses, level with us, did you
have any idea where we were going to go when we LEFT Egypt?”
Too often in our lives and the life of the church, it feels like we got
roped into a “non-starter” program. It’s like that sitcom with an en-
gaging premise for the first season, but then has no place to take the
characters for the second season or beyond.
I often wonder, did Jesus know how is ministry would end when he
started? Did he know it would end on the cross, and rebirth in his
resurrection until he ascended to Heaven? We like to think the an-
swer is “yes,” but in his prayer at Gethsemane, we get a different
picture. “Father let this cup pass from me.”
For much of my life, this prayer confused me. “As God’s Son, his
chief representative on Earth, he must have known God’s plan, and
therefore he must have been ok with it before coming to Earth,
right?” Or did Jesus not know if it was going to work out? Did
God withhold some tidbits of information from him? Jesus even
alluded to the reality that nobody knows all except the Father.
FROM THE DISCIPLESHIP DESKFROM THE DISCIPLESHIP DESKFROM THE DISCIPLESHIP DESK
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It is a little unsettling to think that Jesus might not have known how
his time on Earth was going to work out. I have always taken comfort
in the fact that Jesus had it all together from the beginning. He knew
every roadblock on the path. He knew every argument the Pharisees
were going to throw at him, and he knew the only way his ministry
could end was hanging on a cross with his disciples scattered to the
four winds.
If Jesus had known all of that, would there have been a place in the
plan for him to be surprised at the lady who touched his cloak, and
after seven years of hemorrhaging, was healed? Would there have
been space for him to have been convinced to alter the focus of his
teachings by a woman who argued those lessons were not just for the
lost of Israel’s nation?
Jesus had much planned, but he also allowed much to be unplanned in
his preachings and healings. He let God guide him to the places he
needed to be. In Jesus’ allowance, he found and gave blessings and
grace.
It is hard to follow God’s lead and allow ourselves to be swept away
by the grace and blessings that await us. I am a planner. If I’m going
to start something, I like to know it will end. How else can I know it’s
worth my time?
If we plan every second of our lives, we might miss the grace and
blessings with which God is looking to surprise us.
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GROWING IN FAITH WITH FAITH
Join us in the Memorial room on Sunday at 9 am to learn
about the apostle John.
We will have refreshments and fellowship.
March 24th
PIZZA AT THE CHURCH AND ESCAPE ROOM
Must be 8 and older to take part in the Escape Room.
Stay tuned for what is planned for those under 8.
Timeline: Pizza Lunch after worship
Leave Church at 11:45-noon
Parents pick up at Escape Room site at 2:00.
April 28th
PIZZA AT THE CHURCH AND LASER TAG
More details to follow
May 19th
PIZZA AND BIKE RIDE
More details to follow
If inclement weather—Pizza and a movie at the church
For the summer—
We are going to do the campfires again. They will be on the
evenings of the fourth Sundays of each month from 6PM-8PM.
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2019 Weeknight Lenten Program
Once again Faith Church will join with our sister churches in
providing a Weeknight Lenten Program on Tuesday nights. We
will begin at 6:00 with a simple meal of soup and break followed
by worship at 7:00.
This year’s theme is the Sermon of the Mount.
Our final evening at St. John’s will include a Covered Dish Dinner.
St. John’s will provide beverages and place settings. Here is the
schedule:
March 12 – St. James Lutheran Church
March 19 – Faith U.C.C.
March 26 – Morning Star Moravian Church
April 2 – Frieden’s Lutheran Church
April 9 – St. John’s U.C.C.
This series for Lent takes parishioners
through some of the most familiar
teachings of Jesus from his Sermon on
the Mount in Matthew 5-7 and relates
them to the events surrounding
Christ’s life, death and resurrection. In
the process, the services will power-
fully reveal that the cross itself is the
ultimate sermon on the mount for our
journey of faith in this sacred season.
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Pastor Bruce,
Thank you for your visits while I was in
LV Hospital. I am doing much better since
attending Cardiac Rehab.
Thanks again,
Dennis & Carol Eisenhart
Dear Friends,
I wish to thank you for the Christmas presents that I received.
And for the flowers that the minister brought when he visited me.
I wish I had a chance to see all of you in church.
Grace Benner
Pastor Bruce,
Thank you for visiting me when I was in the hospital. Your visit
and prayers were very much appreciated. The flowers you
brought were beautiful.
Thank you,
LaMar Beck
Don’t forget to turn your
clocks ahead one hour
before going to bed
on Saturday,
March 9th!!
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THOSE WHO WILL SERVE IN MARCH
Head Usher: Colleen Kandt
Nursery: Catherine Stevenson
Financial Secretary: Tony DiSanto
March 3 March 10 March 17 March 24 March 31
Greeter Carol Beck Don &
Tootie
Koch
Diane
Neidermeier
Faye
Tirpak
Bonnie
Stenroos
Ushers Jane Van Horn
Donna
Schoenberger
Cindy Talaber
Tracy Adams
Bob &
Patti Shelly
Jerry &
Linda
Lennon
Ken & Tara
Koehnlein
Ruth Smith
Linda
Torrence
Ken &
Kim
Ritter
Faye
Tirpak
Lay
Reader
Joan Hassler Mim
Allison
Ken
Koehnlein
Karen
Talboo
Acolytes Alex & Will
King
Noah Ritter
Noah
Jellison
Damyn
Allison
Flowers Keeler AVAILABLE Ritter Talboo Walter
2019 Offering Envelopes are in the office. If you don’t
have envelopes but would like some, or have them but don’t
use them, please call Sandy at 610.282.3939.
Ash Wednesday Volunteers—March 6
Greeter: Sue Walter Ushers: Tom & Brenda Hovis
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FROM THE TREASURER—
JANUARY FINANCIALS
Special Offerings:
OCWM—$50
Helping Hands—$50
BLP—$25
Penny Party Income (change): $760
The Friedensville Cemetery located on East Saucon Valley Road
(jointly owned by Faith UCC and Friedens Lutheran Church)
has burial grave lots available for sale. The cost is $500 each
less 20% for members of either church. For more information,
please contact George Rau at 610-865-1448.
Spendable Income IN $17,994.96
OUT $22,163.99
($4,169.03)
Designated Income IN $455.00
OUT $209.00
$246.00
Combined Income IN $18,449.96
OUT $22,372.99
($3,923.03)
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From the Secretary:
The deadline for April Newsletter articles and information is March 10th. Please email to [email protected] or place them in the Secretary’s mailbox in the conference room.
2019 ALTAR FLOWER SPONSORS NEEDED! The following dates are in need of sponsors: 3/10, 5/19,7/7, 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11, 9/1, 9/29, 10/6, 10/20, 10/27. Please call the office to reserve your date (s). The cost is $35.
Many thanks for your support of Betty Lou’s Pantry as fall begins! For the last two Sundays of January and the first two Sundays of February, our regular donations included 139 items and $75.
MOST CURRRENTLY NEEDED ITEMS:
MEAT HELPERS ● CEREALS ● BOXED POTATOES
Items stocked at the Pantry include: Pork & Beans Chili Canned Fish (salmon) & Meat Canned Pasta Peanut Butter Canned Tomatoes & Canned Sauce Kidney & Black Beans Chunky Soups Canned fruit Macaroni & Cheese Canned Tuna Canned Vegetables Beef Stew Dry Pasta & Spaghetti Spaghetti Sauce Canned Tuna
Monetary Donations are a particularly effective way to help the Pantry. A donation of $10 will buy over 60 lbs of food through Second Harvest. If you are in need or know of someone in the area who is, please call 610-282-2838 and leave a message, or email [email protected] —Mike Ford
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Souper Bowl of Caring
Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who donated soup to Betty Lou’s Pantry
during our Souper Bowl of Caring Soup Drive. We challenged
the congregation to donate 125 cans of Hearty Soup. You ex-
ceeded that goal with a donation of 174 cans of soup. These dona-
tions will go a long way to keep our Pantry families warm and full
in the upcoming months.
After worship we were able to sample a variety of wonderful
soups prepared by the great chefs of Faith Church. The partici-
pants were able to “stuff the ballot boxes” for their favorite soups.
They were all delicious and the winners of Best Faith Soups are:
First Place: Mary Ellen Long’s Bacon
Potato Corn Chowder
Second Place: Marian Barrick’s Crab
Bisque Soup
Third Place: Diane Neidermeier’s
Chicken Rice Soup
A donation of $90 will be made to the Samaritan’s Fund as a result
of the soup voting. Thank you to all!
Angel Mission Sunday
Followed by Lunch!
March 31, 2019
There is still time to participate in Angel Mission Sunday. The
Mission Team will give you $25 as seed money to fund your own
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Mission Project. If interested, please see Chuck or Karen Talboo or
Pastor Josh.
On Sunday March 31, the Mission Team will be leading worship.
Instead of a traditional Sunday message, everyone who has partici-
pated in the “Angel Mission” will be sharing a brief story about
their own mission. You may do either or BOTH of the following:
-Create a poster to share your project
-Send pictures of your mission to Pastor Bruce for display
on the wall for all to see by March 18.
Following worship you are invited to join us for Lunch in Fellow-
ship Hall for a delicious lunch of Baked Ziti and Salad. Please plan
to celebrate all of Faith’s Missions.
Pie Sunday
March 17- St Patrick’s Day
After worship lunch will be served in Fellowship Hall along with
another fun tradition at Faith…PIE SUNDAY! We’ll provide a
Make-Your-Own-Salad Lunch and we ask you, our wonderful bak-
ers, to please bring along one of your favorite pies to share with
everyone. A Free-Will-Offering will be taken for the Samaritan’s
Fund.
Spring Bingo
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Tickets Go on Sale: Sunday, March 31, 2019
Ticket Price: $25 for 25 Regular Games
Play to Win: Vera Bradley Bags, Thirty One Bags, Longaberger
Baskets
More Details on Ways to Help will Follow in the April Focus. (more)
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Puzzle Answers:
Day 1 = 3, Day 2 = 3, Day 3 = 10, Day 4 = 6,
Day 5 = 10, Day 6 = 15, Day 7 = 2
PUZZLE HINTS
December will be Our Month to Help at Betty Lou’s Pantry
Our month to volunteer at BLP will be December 2019. During our
month we are encouraged to donate 100 bottles of laundry detergent.
Please take advantage of sales in order to meet this goal. You may
want to begin now! Please do not bring them to church until we get
closer to our volunteer month. We have no place to store them at
church or the pantry. Thank you.
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MARCH BIBLE READINGS
March 1 Gen. 42:29–38 1 Cor. 6:12–20 Mark 4:21–34
March 2 Gen. 43:1–15 1 Cor. 7:1–9 Mark 4:35–41
March 3 Gen. 43:16–34 1 Cor. 7:10–24 Mark 5:1–20
March 4 Gen. 44:1–17 Rom. 8:1–10 John 5:25–29
March 5 Gen. 44:18–34 1 Cor. 7:25–31 Mark 5:21–43
March 6 Gen. 45:1–15 1 Cor. 7:32–40 Mark 6:1–13
March 7 Gen. 45:16–28 1 Cor. 8:1–13 Mark 6:13–29
March 8 Gen. 46:1–7, 28–34 1 Cor. 9:1–15 Mark 6:30–46
March 9 Gen. 47:1–26 1 Cor. 9:16–27 Mark 6:47–56
March 10 Gen. 47:27–48:7 1 Cor. 10:1–13 Mark 7:1–23
March 11 Gen. 48:8–22 Rom. 8:11–25 John 6:27–40
March 12 Gen. 49:1–28 1 Cor. 10:14–11:1 Mark 7:24–37
March 13 Gen. 49:29–50:14 1 Cor. 11:2–34 Mark 8:1–10
March 14 Gen. 50:15–26 1 Cor. 12:1–11 Mark 8:11–26
March 15 Exod. 1:6–22 1 Cor. 12:12–26 Mark 8:27–9:1
March 16 Exod. 2:1–22 1 Cor. 12:27–13:3 Mark 9:2–13
March 17 Exod. 2:23–3:15 1 Cor. 13:1–13 Mark 9:14–29
March 18 Exod. 3:16–4:12 Rom. 12:1–21 John 8:46–59
March 19 Exod. 4:10–20 (21–26) 27–31 1 Cor. 14:1–19 Mark 9:30–41
March 20 Exod. 5:1–6:1 1 Cor. 14:20–33a, 39–40 Mark 9:42–50
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March 21 Exod. 7:8–24 2 Cor. 2:14–3:6 Mark 10:1–16
March 22 Exod. 7:25–8:19 2 Cor. 3:7–18 Mark 10:17–31
March 23 Exod. 9:13–35 2 Cor. 4:1–12 Mark 10:32–45
March 24 Exod. 10:21–11:8 2 Cor. 4:13–18 Mark 10:46–52
March 25 Zech. 9:9–12 1 Tim. 6:12–16 or Zech. 12:9–11; 13:1, 7–9 Luke 19:41–48
March 26 Lam. 1:1–2, 6–12 2 Cor. 1:1–7 Mark 11:12–25
March 27 Lam. 1:17–22 2 Cor. 1:8–22 Mark 11:27–33
March 28 Lam. 2:1–9 2 Cor. 1:23–2:11 Mark 12:1–11
March 29 Lam. 2:10–18 1 Cor. 10:14–17; 11:27–32 Mark 14:12–25
March 30 Lam. 3:1–9, 19–33 1 Peter 1:10–20 John 13:36–38 or John 19:38–42
March 31 Lam. 3:37–58 Heb. 4:1–16 Rom. 8:1–11
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Please call the church office with any omissions or corrections.
02 Carolee Glickman
02 Gabrielle Koehnlein
03 Tony DiSanto
03 Matthew Long
04 Glenn Scholl
05 Gail Nagy
07 Dan Schaffer
07 Weiland Hite
07 Isabel Hovis
08 Charlotte Gasda
11 Tom Davis
12 Joan Demkee
12 Jennifer Amato
12 Tim Hovis
13 Roy Slekovac
15 Dalton Biery
16 Joan Jones
20 James Tilley
22 Colin Recke
23 Lisa Koch
24 Katie Y
26 Andrew Miller
26 Thomas Miller
28 Barbara Strimple
30 Tom Herstine
31 Patricia Babos
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