HILLTOP NEWS · 2014-07-25 · 4 There would be no Hilltop News without your contributions! Please submit articles for the March 2014 Hilltop News before MONDAY, February 24, 2014.

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1352 Slate Hill Road

Camp Hill, PA 17011

Phone: 717-737-8150

E-Mail: [email protected]

Website: www.slatehillmennonite.org

Office Hours: Tuesday through Thursday

9:00-4:30; Friday by appointment

HILLTOP NEWSFebruary 2014

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Slate Hill Mennonite Church1352 Slate Hill Road

Camp Hill, PA 17011

Phone: (717) 737-8150E-mail : [email protected]

Website: www.slatehillmennonite.org

Pastor: Lynn Shertzer

Associate Pastor of Community Life: Joy Fasick

Administrative Assistant: Fran Leiter

Lay Elders: Jen Fredrick, Dave Bauman, Caleb Miller,

Ron Hershey

Church Office Hours:

Monday: No office hours

Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Friday: By Appointment

Staff E-mail Addresses:

Lynn Shertzer: [email protected]

Joy Fasick: [email protected]

Administrative Assistant, Fran Leiter: [email protected]

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Hittin’ the Books!

As most of you know, I recently began a graduateprogram pursuing a Master’s in Counseling on theMarriage, Couple, and Family Counseling Track atMessiah College. The church board has chosen to

provide funding towards my graduate credits. Since YOU are part ofthat equation, I’ll use Hilltop articles like this to keep you informedof my progress.

This semester is much different for me as I’m now taking 6 creditsinstead of 12 – a much better balance for my family, personal, andwork life! Since our classes are scheduled in condensed 8-weekmini-semesters, this also allows me to focus fully on one class at atime. I’m now nearly halfway through my Group Counseling course.

After learning of the Living with Anxiety Support Group that will bestarting here at Slate Hill in March (see page 28), I specifically sched-uled this class for early spring. It has been a wonderful fit! ThoughLiving with Anxiety is designed to be a support group – an opportu-nity for journeying together – and not a group counseling situation,much of what I’m learning about group process still applies. To alarge extent, these same concepts also fit into the other “groups” thatmany of us are a part of regularly – care group, Sunday Schoolclasses, committee meetings, Ladies’ Fellowship, and more. It is aperfect situation to be able to immediately apply my learning.

Thank you for your encouragement, prayers, and financial supportduring my studies. I thoroughly enjoy my work here at Slate Hill andam grateful that I have the opportunity to gain new skills to use inministry.

Joy Fasick

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Upcoming Events …..………………………………….Page 4

From the Church Board …………………….………….Page 5

Quilter’s Attic & Recipe Collection …………..….. ..…Page 6

Anniversaries & Marriage Encounter Weekend .….…..Page 7

“Who at Slate Hill?” & MWC Plea..…………………..Page 8

Birthdays ………………………….. ……………...…. Page 9

Rules for my Daily Life …………………………. …...Page 10

Meet Maxine Zook ……………………………….…....Page 12

Fruitful Christmas Update …………………….…….....Page 14

New Baby & Cash for Causes..…………….……….…Page 15

New Books in the Library……… ……… …………….Page 16

Blessed in the Mess, Ladies Program.…………………Page 19

Ministry Assignment Nominations ………………..…..Page 21

Thank You & “Who” Answers .……………………….Page 22

In Honor of Florence Detweiler..…….………...….…...Page 23

News from the Wellness Outreach Committee ………..Page 24

First Farm Show in 50 Years!......……...……………....Page 26

Living with Anxiety …………………………………...Page 28

Hello from Dallas! ……………………………………..Page 29

Hittin’ The Books! ………………………………...…..Page 31

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There would be no Hilltop News

without your contributions! Please submit articles for the

March 2014 Hilltop News

before MONDAY, February 24, 2014.Early submissions are

GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Feb. 2 Hershey Bears Game with Cumberland Vista

Feb. 6 Ladies Bible Study and Fellowship ~ 9:30 a.m.

Feb. 7 Visiting with Cumberland Vista for Singing, Skit,and Snacks ~ 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 11 Christian Ed. Commission meets ~ 7:00 p.m.

Feb. 17 MRC Volunteer Day ~ 8:00 a.m.

Eat at Hoss’s to support New Hope Ministries

Feb. 20 Ladies Bible Study and Fellowship ~ 9:30 a.m.

MCC Craft Night ~ 7:00 p.m.

Feb. 22 MYF Banquet and Auction

Feb. 24 Book Discussion Group meets ~ 7:00 p.m.

Mar. 6 Ladies Bible Study and Fellowship ~ 9:30 a.m.

Mar. 10 Living With Anxiety Support Group ~ 7:00 p.m.

Mar. 20 Ladies Bible Study and Fellowship ~ 9:30 a.m.

MCC Craft Night ~ 7:00 p.m.

Mar. 29 CCO Benefit Salmon DinnerMar. 31 Book Discussion Group meets ~ 7:00 p.m.Apr. 8 Blessed in the Mess Ladies Program ~ 7:00 p.m.Apr. 12 Gardening Seminar by George Weigel ~ 10:00 a.m.Apr. 26 Chicken BBQ and Blood Drive

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Living with Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural component of the body’swarning system. However, when anxiety isextreme, cannot be controlled, or occurs with-out anxiety-producing circumstances, it canbe problematic and may cause physical andemotional symptoms as well as changes in

thinking and behaving over time. If you suffer from this type of anxi-ety, you are not alone! In fact, according to research from the Uni-versity of South Carolina, anxiety is the most prevalent psychiatricdisorder in the United States.i

Beginning in March, Slate Hill will host a monthly support groupcalled Living with Anxiety. The group is sponsored by the WellnessOutreach Committee and will meet on the second Monday of eachmonth at 7 PM. While there are many types of anxiety disorders, ourgroup seeks to address anxiety in general. We intend to work towardwellness that encompasses mind, body, and spirit, noting that well-ness does not require absence of illness. The leadership group be-lieves that God has created us to live in community, journeying to-gether through joys and struggles. This is not group therapy and thiscommunity is not to replace professional services from a personalphysician and/or mental health practitioner. Rather, the purpose ofthe group is to provide a gathering place for persons who share thecommon experience of living with anxiety and to reframe anxietyfrom the Christian perspective. We’ll be using the book The AnxiousChristian: Can God Use Your Anxiety for Good? by Rhett Smith forreflection and discussion.

It is our prayer that this group will be meaningful not only to thosealready in our Slate Hill family but also to others in our community.We ask that you join with us in two ways. First, please pray that Godwill provide connections to those in need and that this group may bea way to foster hope in Christ in the midst of struggles, to shareGod’s love and grace, and to build relationships with our neighbors.Second, please help us spread the word. If you know someone whomight benefit from this experience, share this article or tell themabout the group. If you have a place that you can hang a flyer, pleaseask Linda Mininger for one.

We would be glad to talk to you about the group in general, aboutspecific prayer requests, or to help you determine if Living with Anxi-ety may be a good fit for your own life. Contact any member of theleadership group – Joy Fasick, Ben Fredrick, Ron Hershey (chair),Linda Mininger, or Connie Werner.

iAs cited in Youngstedt, S. D., Kline, C. E., Ginsberg, J. P., Zielinski, M. R., & Hardin, J. W. (2011).Bright light treatment for high-anxious young adults: A randomized controlled pilot study. Depressionand Anxiety, 28(4), 324-332. 5

Your Slate Hill Church Board

In my November report, I solicited congregational input for theChurch Board’s discussion of eligibility guidelines for the schol-arships which we provide to high school, undergraduate andseminary students. The philosophy statement for this scholarshipfund says, “In light of the fact that young people are still in theprocess of formulating their theology, their values, and theirworld view, and given our strong belief in the Anabaptist under-standing of the Christian faith, we believe that the ScholarshipFund should be designed to encourage our young people tochoose a Christian education with a Anabaptist/Mennonite em-phasis.” Those who responded to my appeal were unanimouslyin support of this philosophy.

At our January meeting, the Board considered this input. We alsoreviewed our current policy, our past practice in applying theguidelines and the foundational documents of various church-affiliated educational institutions. We unanimously approved thefollowing modification in the wording of our guidelines whichclarifies our current practice and our intent moving forward: TheScholarship Fund will only be used for those enrolled at accred-ited Mennonite high schools, Mennonite colleges, MennoniteSeminaries, and Messiah College.

Students wishing to apply for a scholarship for the 2014-2015academic year are now welcome to apply by contacting me.Early approval is especially important in the case of those institu-tions which have a deadline for matching our scholarship.

We support all of our college students, whether or not they qual-ify for our scholarship. Quite a few are living away from homefor the first time. Keeping in touch is important. We would liketo pair each student with a member of the congregation whowould commit to pray for the student, contact them about onceper month, and team up with others to send care packages at theend-of-the-semester crunch time. If interested, contact Joy Fasickwho will gladly give more details and match you with a student.

Lamarr Widmer

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Attention Sewing/Quilters!CCLEANLEAN OUTOUT YOURYOUR QUILTQUILT OROR SEWINGSEWING CLOSETSCLOSETS FORFOR

MCCMCC

Yes, it’s getting to be that time of year again!The PA Relief Sale will be here before youknow it and the Quilter’s Attic is collectingquilt-related items now to prepare for theirbooth. Dig out those used/unused/unfinished

quilt-related items that are no longer needed or wanted.

For a detailed list of wanted items, please see the or-ange flier posted on the bulletin board by the Nursery.Items can be dropped off at the 10,000 Villages store inEphrata or given to Rose Haury to deliver.

Sharing Our Best, Volume ll

The final categories of recipes we are so-liciting for the next cookbook are vegeta-bles and breads and rolls. Please contrib-ute your recipes by dropping copies inthe designated box in the coffee fellow-

ship area or enter them on-line at www.fundcraft.com.The log in ID # is 8628-12HO (that’s the letter O, not thenumber 0). You may also email Amanda Musselman [email protected] or give recipes to any ofthe following committee members: Cindy or AmandaMusselman, Rachael Zimmerman, Fran Leiter, KaraMiller, or Lucy McAloose. Of course, we are still accept-ing recipes from all categories since we will be ending theproject soon.

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Lonie (left) and Chris (right) enjoy a momentwith the Penn State Nittany Lion

Lonie sporting

a FarmShow

milkshake-m

ustache

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First Farm Show in 50 Years!

Without a thought, many Slate Hillers religiously trek to the Farm Showeach year. Tasty baked potatoes, scrumptious milk shakes and countlessstalls of farm animals attract eager Farm Show visitors and awakenmemories of farm days gone by. For some, missing a Farm Showwould almost be akin to missing Christmas!

However, some of our neighbors, though they have long hoped to join thethrongs of Farm Shower devotees, have never made it there. At least notuntil this year.

Although Chris, a resident of Cumberland Vista, has lived in Central PAfor nearly 50 years, he was never able to attend the Farm Show. Whilesome residents went to the Farm Show when their parents were healthy,this never happened for Chris. Now, with many parents of the residentsbeing either too frail or deceased, residents no longer have that opportu-nity. It is impossible for the limited staff at the group home to take thecrew as one group without losing a few in the crowded halls of the FarmShow complex. Plus, conflicting work and day-program schedules fur-ther complicate things.

For this reason, appeals were made for Slate Hill volunteers to be “FarmShow buddies” to residents of Cumberland Vista. Messiah College stu-dents, Matt Bergey and Sara Wagner joined Ulli Klemm in making theFarm Show a reality for three of the residents.

“I loved the butterflies,” said Margie, a Cumberland Vista resident. Mattand Sara took Marge to the Butterfly House, where she held a butterflyon the end of a cotton swab dipped in Gatorade. “Can we do the butter-flies again?” was Margie’s common refrain for the remainder of the after-noon.

Residents, Chris and Lonie, loved seeing the farm animals and watchingthe horse cart judging. They devoured their baked potatoes as if theywere candy and enjoyed pausing at the many display booths tastingcheese, Lebanon bologna, and mustard dips, and popcorn. Lonie, who isnon-verbal, smiled countless times as he even dared to pet a horse. “Ihope I get to come again,” said Chris.

If you missed an opportunity to be a buddy this year, January 2015 isn’tthat far away. It’s fun and easy to bring such joy into the life of one of theresidents. 7

~Happy Anniversary~

If your name is missing from this list, or the information is incorrect, please

let the church office know so we can correct our database. Thanks!

Jan and Daryl Heiges February 6

Consider a Mennonite & BrethrenMarriage Encounter Weekend

"A weekend of discovery...

A lifetime of love..."The next Mennonite & Brethren Marriage Encounter Weekendin our area is February 14 - 16, 2014 and will be held at Ken-brook Bible Camp, 190 Pine Meadow Road, Lebanon, PA17046 – just 50 minutes from Slate Hill!

Marriage Encounter is an invitation to come away from theworld, spend an entire weekend focusing on your spouse andyour relationship with each other, and work towards God'sideal for marriage. It takes couples beyond the frustration, dis-appointments, or loneliness that can be a part of your everydaylife.

Go to www.marriageencounter.org for more information, foranswers to frequently asked questions and to register. You mayalso email [email protected] or call (717) 569-5676for more information.

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WhoAt Slate Hill?

1. At 10 months of age this person traveled the Alaskan-Canadian Highway.

2. Who collects cat items and Cats Meow houses?

3. Who loves techno music?

4. Whose first car was a black Trans Am?

5. Who was supposed to be a twin?

Answers on page 22

Mennonite World Conference is still looking forguestrooms in private homes (1000 needed!) for theworld assembly in Harrisburg coming July, 2015.Register on-line at www.mwc-cmm.org - click on the"Pennsylvania 2015" link to apply for this thrilling

opportunity to meet more of God’s people from across thecountry and around the globe. Make new friends and seeGod and His work through another person’s eyes or culturewithout travel expenses! All that is needed is a bed, break-fast, and drop off and pick up at a nearby designated shuttlestop. You will be given a $15 honorarium for each adultguest per night, and $5 honorarium for each child per night.Host registration is open through March 2014, so pleaseconsider opening your home and heart to new opportuni-ties.

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Last spring we had a spectacular garden-ing seminar led by George Weigel withover 100 in attendance. This spring(April 12) we are planning for anothergardening seminar event. This one willbe entitled “Gardening with Mother Nature”. Sometimes we makethings harder on ourselves in the garden than necessary. By takingcues from the world’s best gardener – Mother Nature – we can be-come kinder, gentler and better gardeners and save ourselves un-necessary work in the process. Horticulturist and garden writerGeorge Weigel will talk about some of the ways we can changeour bug control, fertilization, weed-fighting and more in this freetalk at Slate Hill on Saturday, April 12, beginning at 10 a.m. in thefellowship hall. Be sure to sign up early.

On April 26 we are planning to hold another blood drive in asso-ciation with the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank. This event willonce again be held during our Spring chicken BBQ event. Wehave had several successful blood drives, and we hope to donateover 15 pints again. Plan to donate the gift of life if you are able!

Have you ever played corn-hole? This is the widely popular sum-mer sport of tossing corn-filled bags at a slanted wooden targetbox with a hole in the middle. You get one point for getting thecorn-bag on the target box, and three points for getting it in thehole. The Wellness Outreach Committee is planning a HilltopFamily Fun Fest on June 7 in which corn-hole will be the game ofchoice. This community party will include food, live music, a teamcorn-hole tournament, an 18-hole golf style corn-hole game andmuch more for all ages. Please pray about this opportunity forcommunity outreach. Stay tuned for other announcements aboutthis event and the many ways in which you can help!

If you have other questions about these events or about the Well-ness Outreach Committee, contact any of the members: JoyFasick, Anna Wendell, Roger Myers, or Rod Petersheim.

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News from the

Wellness Outreach Committee

The Wellness Outreach Committee wishes to remind you of someof the activities that we have been involved with this winter, andgive you a hint of our new activities coming up this year. The mis-sion statement of the Wellness Outreach Committee is “At SlateHill, engaging community members is an important aspect of livingour faith. As part of that mission, we will interact with the commu-nity by offering whole health opportunities, recognizing that Godcreated us as intricate beings encompassing mind, body and spirit.”In that spirit, the Wellness Outreach Committee has been perform-ing monthly blood pressure checks at church on Sunday mornings.In March, we are planning to start an anxiety support group. Due topopular demand, we are planning for another Gardening Seminarand another Blood Drive this spring. Finally, we are planning on afamily fun event for the community this coming summer (morehints at the end of this article).

We extend our thanks to Theda Klemm and Sue Weigel for theirfaithful service with the blood pressure screening this past year.Many of you have stopped at the station on Sunday for a quick up-date on your blood pressure health and have enjoyed their cheeringdisposition.

Ron Hershey, Ben Fredrick, Linda Mininger, Kerry Harker Roth,and Joy Fasick are planning for an anxiety support group that willmeet monthly beginning in March. The group will start March 10and continue to meet on the second Monday of each month. It’simportant to note that this is not group therapy; rather, it is an op-portunity to journey together with others who share the commonexperience of anxiety. The discussions will be based on the bookThe Anxious Christian by Rhett Smith. We hope it will be helpfulto the Slate Hill family, but also an opportunity to meet a need inour community and build relationships with our neighbors. Pleasejoin us in praying for those goals.

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If your name is missing from this list, or the information is incorrect, please

let the church office know so we can correct our database. Thanks!

JD Edwards Feb 2

James Bounma Feb 4

Anneka Chubb Feb 4

Kalvin Walter Feb 5

Evarae Tothero Feb 6

Jeff Beck Feb 7

Pat Fleischer Feb 7

Lois Beck Feb 10

Don Bauman Feb 12

Sam Hart Feb 13

Paul Sollenberger Feb 14

Micah Fredrick Feb 15

Gene Seitz Feb 16

Kerry Watts Feb 16

Deborah Saline Feb 21

Sam Zercher Feb 21

Beth Barnes Feb 24

Tom Ly Feb 24

Khanthaly Bounma Feb 25

Joy Fasick Feb 25

Denise Moyer Feb 26

Kerry Harker-Roth Feb 27

Bill Malay Feb 27

Lucy McAloose Feb 28

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Rules for my Daily Life

As I mentioned in my Faith Journey Reflectionseveral weeks ago, I find reading the obituariesof some of those who have gone before a greatencouragement to walk with the Lord. Here is a

sample from a Slate Hill member and a great example for us all tofollow.

ZIMMERMAN. FANNIE B., daughter of Levi and Katie (Bucher)Zimmerman (both deceased), was born near Mechanicsburg, Pa.;died Jan. 20, 1933 in a Hospital in Harrisburg, Pa.; aged 37 y. 1 m.1 d. Sister Fannie accepted Christ and united with the Slate HillMennonite Church in 1913 and remained a faithful member as longas health and memory served her. Father died Feb. 15, 1916;Mother died Oct. 7, 1924. She is survived by 3 brothers and 2 sis-ters: Benjamin, Elizabethtown, Pa.; Susan (Mrs. Jesse Harbold),Camp Hill, Pa.; Joseph, Hershey, Pa.; Katie (Mrs. R. E. Emen-heiser), Rheems, Pa.; and Levi, Harrisburg, Pa. Funeral serviceswere held from the home of her sister Mrs. Jesse Harbold, byBrother J. B. Seitz with further services at the Slate Hill church, byBrothers C. B. Hess, J. B. Seitz, and Samuel Hess. Interment in theSlate Hill cemetery. After her funeral these words were found writ-ten on the first page of her Bible.

Rules for my daily life:1. To follow the Shepherd to the pastures and to the water. John 10;

Psalm 23.2. To pray for myself.3. To read a portion of God's Word. John 5:394. To study every moment.5. To count my blessings.6. To turn everything into some good. II Cor. 4:8-10.7. To make somebody else happy.8. To be content with my lot in life. Psalm 16:5,6; I Tim. 6:6-9;

Phil. 4:17.9. To remember that some day will be the last one on earth.

By Her Sister. GOSPEL HERALD - Volume XXV, Number 47 -February 16, 1933 page 990, 991 and 992

Submitted by Carol Moser23

In Honor of Florence Detweiler

On a cold Sunday morning in January we honored Florence for themany years she devoted to Sunday School and Summer BibleSchool. I was one of the people who stood when we were asked tostand if we were one whom she had taught. As I stood there for afew moments I started to reflect on my life at our church. I believethat every decision we make in life is like a dominogame. All decisions have many outcomes, some goodand some not so good, much like dominos.

Florence, many years ago before I was born, was askedby my great grandmother to bring my father and his two brothers tochurch and Florence’s decision to do it was the first domino thateventually affected my life many years later. I’m sure that althoughthis was Florence’s way of showing God’s love, even she to thisday doesn’t realize all the seeds she’s planted to bring people to theLord.

Yes, Florence brought my father to Sunday School, but she didn’tstop there. She continued with the next generation of my family andbrought me and my sister to Slate Hill when we were young. Thisled to the rest of my family coming to Slate Hill and becoming apart of the church family.

Florence planted the seed that led me to Christ and the start of mywalk with God. Slate Hill became the place where I developed life-long friends, met and married my beautiful wife Judy, and raisedmy family. Now as I think of my grandson coming to our church Ican’t help but reflect that Florence’s legacy continues into thefourth generation!

Like Dominos falling one right after the other, Florence’scommitment to children, not only in our church but in ourneighborhood, has many trails of dominos falling in all

different directions for the Lord.

So Florence, from the one of your Sunday School/Bible Schoolchildren, thank you so much for what you have meant in my lifeand that of Slate Hill.

By Jeff Walter

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Now that you have the answers,visit with each person to learnmore about their life experience!

1. Lucas Stoltzfus

2. Cindy Musselman

3. Kathrine Beck

4. Lynn Shertzer

5. Ken Eshleman

“Who” Answers(from page 8)

Thank You!

I just wanted to join my sister and brotherin thanking y'all (you all) for the work youput forth in making my Dad's (Joe Weaver)special day memorable. It took him severaldays to recover from all the excitement!Everything was so thoughtful and it wasgreat to speak with folks about our Dad andto hear how much everyone enjoys hisspirit and perseverance. I feel like the par-ent now! I loved re-meeting peopleI knew from way back when....Youhave a church family that is verywarm and friendly and we all feltit. Many thanks! Pat Lichty

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Meet Maxine ZookTucked in a spacious, two-bedroom apartment at Messiah Village,Maxine Zook is still getting used to her new home. Having spentthe last 43 years in a quaint ranch house off Trindle Road in CampHill, her move to this Tuscarora apartment in May 2013 is still re-cent. A well-worn Bible, the devotional, Our Daily Bread, and a

Bible Word Search book graces her circularkitchen table. Her seven-year old cat, Destiny,an import from Virginia, steals a comfortablespace on her carpeted living room floor. Shequilted the wall hanging over her sofa; it holds aspecial place for Maxine. It is made with piecesof the dresses worn by her beloved mother. Ata tender age of 80, Maxine’s story started longbefore her move to Messiah Village.

GROWING UP

It was the worst year of the depression with one in four people be-ing unemployed. The average person earned $1,550 a year and agallon of gas cost ten cents. It was in this setting that MaxineHartzler was born in Allensville, PA on October 19, 1933. Thefourth sibling of eight, Maxine lived with her parents on a truckfarm in the Big Valley. Her father directed traffic by Teletype atthe Enola (Railroad) Yard in East Pennsboro Township. At thetime, it was the world’s largest freight yard. Her mom took care ofMaxine and her two brothers and five sisters.

RELOCATING TO CAMP HILL

On New Year’s Day, when Maxine was six years old, Maxine re-calls her family piling all their belongings into their family’s car –with a butchered pig tied to the side – and moving to CampHill. “I have no idea how we got all our things down here.”Maxine wonders. “We were all stuffed in our car.” The two homesin which Maxine lived as a child both lacked indoor plumb-ing. What fun!

As a child, Maxine recalls raising goats and drinking theirmilk. She would get up at 5:30 a.m. to milk cows and worked tire-lessly in the family’s garden. She remembers the long walks tocatch the school bus that would take her to the Lower Allen GradeSchool, which included trudging through snow storms.

Quilt by Maxine

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After roughing it with outhouses for several years, Maxine and herfamily moved to a home on Rossmoyne Road, complete with an in-door bathroom. The only time she fellowshipped with any boys wasat church. She graduated high school from the Messiah Academy(which operated on the campus of Messiah College) in 1953.

CALLED TO SERVE

After high school, Maxine accepted a Voluntary Service assignmentin Washington, DC. She served as a nurse’s aide in a children’shome. This challenging setting, combined with being her first timeaway from home, required the staff to convince her to stay. The fol-lowing year Maxine moved to Akron, PA. Here she cooked for mis-sionaries preparing to leave for and return from missionary assign-ments through Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). In no time,she earned the reputation for making the best fruit pies.

Through MCC’s Summer Service program, Maxine learned of anopportunity to be a secretary at the Brookland Plantation. The for-mer indigo dye and cotton plantation nestled on Edisto Island, SouthCarolina, became a home for wayward boys in the 1950’s. Maxineworked there a total of three years.

ANA-BAPTIST

While in South Carolina, Maxine decided to attend a Baptist Church,the only church around. This decision angered her devout Mennon-ite parents, who knew that Baptists did not embrace the peace posi-tion. Her parents drove down to the Brookland Plantation andpicked Maxine up and moved her. Back in Central PA, Maxine be-came a nurse’s aide at the Polyclinic Hospital on Third Street inHarrisburg.

THE HAMILTON STREET MISSION

In addition to Sunday morning services, Maxine and her siblingswere expected to attend Sunday evening and Wednesday night ser-vices. Sunday evening services were hosted, on a rotating basis, bySlate Hill, Steelton Mennonite, Churchtown Mennonite and theHamilton Street Mission in Harrisburg. The latter was an outreachby Lancaster County Mennonites to African Americans. Maxinewould go to the mission Saturday and Sunday evenings, wherepreachers sought to win souls for Christ. It was at the mission thatMaxine met Merlin Zook, whom she married in 1965. Merlin hadcome to Harrisburg to work as a meteorologist for the Common-wealth of PA Department of Environmental Resources. Hailingfrom Mennonite stock in Somerset PA, Merlin’s parents told him tofind a Mennonite Church when he headed to the big city. He notonly found Slate Hill, but he also found his sweetheart. Together,Maxine and Merlin raised two children: Kevin, who resides in At-lanta, GA and Kathy, who lives in Richmond, VA. 21

It’s Time forMinistry

AssignmentNominations

Romans 12:4-6 “Just as each of us has one body with many mem-bers, and these members do not have the same function, so inChrist we who are many form one body, and each member belongsto all the others. We have different gifts, according to the gracegiven us. ”

I Peter 4:10 “Each one should use whatever gift he has receivedto serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its variousforms.”

We believe that every person at Slate Hill Mennonite Church is aminister with gifts given by God and if called to use those gifts inministry both within the congregation and in outreach and serviceto the world. Have you recognized your gifts? What gifts do yousee in others? Often the things that come naturally, bring enjoy-ment and give passion point to our gifts.

Many gifts are needed to have a healthy, functioning body ofChrist. Please prayerfully consider who God is calling and equip-ping for service here at Slate Hill in the coming year. Nominationforms are in your church mailbox. Please return them by Febru-ary 16 to Barb Springer’s mailbox.

Thank you.

Barb Springer, Chair of Gifts Discernment Committee

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Attention Ladies!

Blessed in the Mess, a women’s evening of fun, food,fellowship, and finding out how to recognize God in themidst of your busy, messy, ordinary life, will be held inthe fellowship hall on Tuesday, April 8, from 7:00 - 8:30p.m. Rachel Springer Gerber, author of Ordinary Mira-cles: Awakening to the Holy Work of Parenting (HeraldPress, 2014) and minister of youth and young adults forMennonite Church USA, will speak about the difficulty -and gift - of finding God in the chaos and distraction ofdaily life. Invite family members and friends to this spe-cial evening, which will also include music, skits, andtime for conversation. Look for more details about thisspecial evening in the coming months.

The Princess and Curdie, continued

Did you learn anything from this book?I learned that we have to trust God, even when it’s really hard.Like if your father is away I think it would be hard, but you canstill trust God that God will take care of him. And if yourmother was in the hospital because her appendix burst, youwould be quite as scared because you don’t know if yourmother would live through it. But you have to trust God.

Any favorite lines?When the grandmother said: “Curdie, you will recognize methe next time you see me.” It’s like God saying, “Ellie, youwill know Me the next time you see Me.’ You need to trustthat you will see Him.

How would you rate this book?5 stars out of 5

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SLATE HILL MEMORIES

With fondness, Maxine remembers Sunday School teachers givingtheir students a candy cane and an orange for Christmas, and mari-gold plants for Easter. She also recalls attending Summer BibleSchool, held each evening for two weeks, as well as helping growpotatoes and tomatoes on a farm located where Zimmerman’s’ AutoShop is now. Selling the produce raised in this Victory Gardenhelped fund MYF activities and mission trips. Two-week Evangel-istic meetings at Slate Hill and three-day Bible Conferences overThanksgiving holiday also were a vivid part of Maxine’s nurture inthe faith. “We never had turkey on Thanksgiving; instead we wentto church. There was always soup, celery and carrots.”

THE SOUND OF MUSICMusic has always played a most significant part in Maxine’slife. Countless hymns are imprinted in her heart. “I love music,especially the old four-part a cappella hymns,” Maxine notes. “Ican’t get used to music on a wall.” Hymns like One Day At A Time,Savior, Like a Shepherd, Lead Us, and Sweet Hour of Prayer echofrequently in Maxine’s heart. A member of the Grantham OratorySociety and the Elizabethtown Chorus for years, Maxine deepenedher faith and devotion to her Lord through her singing.

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

But Maxine’s faith would soon face its darkest challenge. In the1970’s, Maxine was diagnosed with a vocal cord dysfunc-tion. Treatment failed. She was told the devastating news that shewould no longer be able to sing. “It was the saddest day of mylife.” As during every difficult time in her life, Maxine turned tothe Bible verses she memorized throughout her childhood and teenyears to sustain her. Verses like Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust inthe Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own under-standing. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thypaths” helped Maxine cope.

TRANSITION TO LIFE BY HERSELF

Maxine has always enjoyed being crea-tive. She converted her 2nd bedroom to aquilting room. “My mother taught mehow to quilt and I taught my daugh-ter.” Maxine also enjoys embroideringand knitting. Frequently, she embroi-dered wall hangings for the MYF Auc-tion and other fundraisers.

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Since Merlin’s death in August 2007, Maxine still finds it hard toadjust to lonelier evenings. “Evenings are the hardest. They getlong. I am always glad when Messiah has a program I can goto.” Maxine doesn’t know how she would have gotten thoughMerlin’s death without God’s presence. “Merlin is in heaven andI’ll see him there someday. Without God, it would not be worthliving.”

Calling friends, staying in touch with her sisters, and going on oc-casional trips helps break some of the monotony. “I always enjoypeople’s company and phone calls.” Like the song says, “With theLord by my side, I can keep going.”

WORDS OF ADVICE

“We all need friends. Don’t be afraid to talk with people whenyou need help. If it wouldn’t be for friends in the church family, Iwould not know where I would be today.”

“Read your bible every day. Learn Scripture verses. They willhelp you in years to come.”

UPDATE of Children’s Church

Christmas OfferingLast month we reported that 200 fruit cups were given to theresidents of Cumberland Vista. However, an additional 100fruit cups were purchased with the cash offering so a total of300 fruit cups were donated to the Cumberland Vista resi-dents. Thank you, children, for your generosity and forbrightening the days of our Cumberland Vista friends.

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What lessons did you learn from this book?

God will always protect us and will always be with us, andwill give us the right direction. The grandmother is sort oflike God because she’s pure-hearted.

You have read a lot of books. How would you rate this book whenyou compare it to others?

5 stars (out of 5)

“The Princess and Curdie” by George MacDonaldReviewed by Elizabeth (Ellie) Fredrick

What is the book about?

It’s about how Curdie listens to instructions and has to goto the king’s palace because of what is happening there.The grandmother sends him there. It’s about followingGod’s directions, even in the hard times. We have to trustGod, like how Curdie trusted the grandmother and knewshe would take care of him.

Favorite characters?

Yes, definitely the grandmother and Curdie. I liked thegrandmother because she was kind. I liked Curdie be-cause he was courageous. He wasn’t stubborn and he fol-lowed what he was told to do.

I also liked Lina. You can learn a lot about her becauseof what happened to her and how she was growing betterand better. She protected Curdie and was a great compan-ion for him.

Any favorite scenes?

I liked the battle scene because Curdie was just a minerboy who didn’t have a big sword. I also liked a scene thatshowed how courageous Curdie was when he slept in thedangerous woods.

Continued next page.

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JUVENILE BOOKS

JUV/B/LEY The Boy in the Wooden Box, a Memoir by LeonLeyson, one of the youngest members on Shindler’slist. This book is a legacy of hope and a call for allof us to remember all of those who did not have achance for a tomorrow.

EASY READER BOOKS

S Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect by RichardH. Schneider.

T The Adventures of Obadiah by Brinton Turkle.

T Rachel and Obadiah by Brinton Turkle.

Book Reviews

“The Princess and the Goblins” by George MacDonaldReviewed by Micah Fredrick

Who is your favorite character in the book?

Curdie because he’s adventurous, fun, and interesting to readabout. He follows instructions fairly well and listens to hisparents.

Why should people read the book?

It’s a very good story, very interesting. It really does representsomething - It’s about following God.

Is this a kids’ book or is it good for adults also?

Pretty much all ages. It’s not super-scary or super-intense.

Any favorite scenes?

I have two favorites: When Curdie is spying on the Goblinsdown under the mountain. And when the Princess Irene goesto find her Grandmother.

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Cash for CausesThank you to the 39 households who contrib-uted $3,213.96 toward the mortgage by pur-chasing gift cards here at church for their gro-

ceries, gas, or for redemption of other gift cards! GiantFoods, Karns, or Weis Markets donated 5% of the total ofeach card purchased toward our mortgage through theirCash for Causes program.

We all need groceries and gas and a few gifts throughout theyear. Please consider buying gift cards from Gene Mussel-man who sells them between the worship service and Sun-day School each Sunday. You’ll find him by the stairs or inthe fellowship area, sporting his breastplate of gift cards.5% of your purchase will be contributed toward the mort-gage without costing you one more cent! Every household isinvited to participate in the Cash for Causes gift card pro-gram - just think how much faster our mortgage could bepaid off if we all participated!

CongratulationsJeremy and Sara Chubb!

A new son, Jurrien Rhys was bornJan 3rd to Sara and Jeremy. He joinsbig sister, Anneka.

Gift Card

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NEW BOOKS IN THE

LIBRARY

FICTION

F/DIC A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

F/EVA The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans.

F/HUN The Note: A Story of Second Chances by AngelaHunt. This is a powerful allegory of God’s loveand forgiveness. A healing story for every parent,child, and seeker.

F/LaH Mark’s Story: The Gospel According to Peterby Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins - book two ofthe Jesus Chronicles. This thrilling novel vividlydepicts the day before Jesus’ crucifixion and thedanger that early believers faced as they boldlyproclaimed Him Christ the Lord.

NONFICTION

176/CAR Don’t Call It Love: Recovery from Sexual Ad-diction by Patrick Carnes, Ph.D. This clear, help-ful guide discloses the way toward healing twistedrelationships and reclaiming healthy sexuality.

230/ART Being Christian: Exploring Where You, God,

and Life Connect is written by Stephen Arterburn

and John Shore. Have you ever asked, “How do I

know that God loves me personally? Will being a

Christian help me get rid of bad habits? Why are

there so many Christian denominations? Should I

join a Bible Study Group?” This book gives infor-

mation to help answer these and many other ques-

tions.

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248.2/HAI Teatime in Mogadishu: My Journey as a PeaceAmbassador in the World of Islam by Ahmed AliHaile as told to David Shenk. This is an inspiringtestimony of the huge impact of growing up in a lov-ing family of faith and of this peacemaking author’schoice to live a Christ-centered life.

248.3/Wil The House on McCully Street: Miracle StoriesThat Will Enlarge Your Vision of God by GladysBlews Wilson. These stories will help you experi-ence the work of the Holy Spirit in your own life.

262/MAC Who Stole My Church? By Gordon MacDonald.This novel reveals what many churches today are ex-periencing. How does the church meet the needs ofall its believers but not abandon the dreams and de-sires of all within the church?

616.8/HEM Love is A Choice: Recovery for Codependent Re-lationships by Drs. Robert Hemfelt, Frank Minirth,and Paul Meier. Read about ten proven stages to re-covery from codependency with a new dimension -seeing God’s unconditional love as the answer toyour hunger for love.

640/BAR Creative Home Organizer by Emilie Barnes. Thisbook offers fast and easy methods to have a lifestyleof efficiency, organization, and simplicity.

783.9/REY Songs of Glory: Stories of 300 Great Hymns andGospel Songs by William J. Reynolds. This bookreveals little-known, pertinent information as to thereasons for the writing of these particular songs.

808/ROT Migrant Muses: Mennonite’s Writing in the U.S.by John Roth and Ervin Beck. This book contains asurvey of Mennonite poetry and fiction, plus otherrelated topics of Mennonite writings.