Shenkel United Church of Christ SHARINGS AND CONCERNS February 2015 SHENKEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 1580 Shenkel Road Pottstown, PA 19465 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Shenkel United Church of Christ’s “The NEWSLETTER” is a monthly publication prepared, edited, and mailed by the leadership and staff to all members and friends of the church. It communicates news about our life, purpose, and mission as a Church of Jesus Christ. Information related to our partnership as a member of the United Church of Christ and wider church/community out- reach is included on a regular basis. The Church is located at Unionville & Shenkel Roads in North Coventry Township.
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Shenkel United
Church of Christ
SHARINGS AND CONCERNS
February 2015
SHENKEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
1580 Shenkel Road
Pottstown, PA 19465
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Shenkel United Church of Christ’s “The NEWSLETTER” is a monthly publication prepared, edited, and mailed by the leadership and staff to all members and friends of the church. It communicates news about our life, purpose, and mission as a Church of Jesus Christ. Information related to our partnership as a member of the United Church of Christ and wider church/community out-reach is included on a regular basis. The Church is located at Unionville & Shenkel Roads in North Coventry Township.
February 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
*Sunday Choirs Communion
2 HSCO (Home School Co-op)
3
4
Agape: 7 PM
5
Community Lunch Bunch: 11:30 AM —1:30 PM * Thursday Choirs
February’s Special Offering…. The Special Offering for February will benefit the
Camp and Retreat Scholarship Fund.
This fund will continue to provide opportuni-
ties for our children and youth to be involved
in church camping programs and retreats wher-
ever and whenever available.
Pampered Chef Fundraiser Sunday, February 15, 2015
12:30 p.m. Church Social Hall
You are invited to attend a Pampered Chef Party that will benefit Shenkel UCC. Please come and enjoy seeing many of the products demonstrated as well as some delicious food prepared right be-fore your eyes. Wendy, our consultant will be preparing a wonderful pasta dish and a delectable dessert.
Please come and bring a friend!!
If you are unable to attend the party, you may order something from the catalogue. See Louise or Tootie for a catalogue and order form. Also please call our home 610-385-3716 to inform us if you will be able to attend as we will need to have an estimate so we can cook the proper amount of food.
Mid-day Dinner Club is open to young-at-heart adults of
any age who enjoy eating out and would like to get to
know other Shenkel members a little better. If you are a
“regular” and plan to come, please remember to check
off your name on the plate in the narthex no later than
the Sunday before the lunch so your reservation can be
made on time. If you are a “newbie,” please call the
church office no later than the Thursday before (or just
add your name to the plate on Sunday) if you’re able to
join us!
SHENKEL
QUILTERS
The Shenkel Quilters
will meet in February
on Tuesday, the 10th
and Tuesday, the
24th at 9:30 in the
Church Social Hall. Don't let the cold keep you away!
See you then!
Margie Allen
CARD MAKING CLASS
The card making class meets on the
third Thursday of each month at 10 AM
in our social hall. The cost of the class
is $8.00 which provides each partici-
pant with three beautiful cards.
The next meeting date is Thursday, February 19th at 10
AM. To insure there will be enough materials prepared
for everyone, please call Connie Armbruster at 610-326-
6516 if you plan to attend.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry has been at
work behind the scenes, and we thank
June Hartung for her years of dedica-
tion as the point person for this ministry - we have appreci-
ated her time and efforts and beautiful shawls and baby
blankets over the years. As of 2015, this ministry will be
lovingly continued with Joan Palubinsky as it's chair.
There is not a set meeting time for this group - anyone who
can crochet or knit can do these at home and then leave
them at the church in the Agape room (in the basement off
of the social hall) or you can contact Joan Palubinsky at 610
-451-4849 to arrange a pick up. The Agape group then
blesses each one and then they are ready to be given a
home. Recipients have been those who are ill or going
through a rough time, new mothers, (the baby blankets are
given at baptisms) or for someone who just needs to know
they are loved.
We are in need of additional crocheters/knitters, and/or
yarn donations. One of our hopes for 2015 is to bless the
shawls during a church service and at some point have
some available for people attending services to use while at
the church - especially during the winter months!
COMMUNITY LUNCH
BUNCH Thursday, February 5. 2015
COME ONE, COME ALL….
For our February event, we will be entertained by "The Dogs," a barbershop style group of singers from Faulkner Swamp
Church.
Come out for a great lunch, some super entertainment and a
time of fun and fellowship. Your friends and neighbors are
invited too. Please sign up on the sheet in the narthex.
The cost of the event is $6.50, which covers your lunch and the cost of the program.
WHEN: Thursday, February 5, 2015
from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Shenkel UCC’s Fellowship Hall
1580 Shenkel Rd
Pottstown, PA 19465
For more information please call Ruth Klein at 610-326-4520
RAINBOW THEATER BUS TRIP
To all planning to go on the Lunch Bunch trip
to the Rainbow Theater in May to see the
"The Hallelujah Girls", please note that you
must pay for the trip ($63) no later than March 5, 2015.
Payment should be made by check made payable to Sam
Wilson or, if you are paying with cash, put your money in an
envelope marked Rainbow Theater Trip with your name and
phone number on the front. You can bring your payment
with you to Lunch Bunch on February 5, or March 5. The
bus for the trip will leave the parking lot at 10 AM on Thurs-
day, May 7th and will return to the church at approximately
4:30 PM.
Sharing the Love
(again!)
A group from Shenkel will be head-
ing down to Old First UCC in Center
City, Philadelphia for an Urban
Work Camp over Valentine’s week-
end, February 13 – 15.
You can support this group with your contributions
of men’s winter clothing for Old First’s clothing
pantry - they are in particular need of warm socks
and long underwear. We are also looking for some
volunteers to prepare breakfast casseroles or cof-
fee cakes, or to donate fruit, coffee or juice for the
Saturday breakfast we will be serving to 80 home-
less folks. Please contact Pastor Bonnie if you can
help. Thanks!
PAGE 9 MORE INFORMATION….
Ronald McDonald House (Shenkel UCC Sunday School’s Mission Project)
ABOUT THEM It’s something we see every day – children healing because they’re surrounded by their families. And while RMHC may not be able to make the medicine taste better or erase the pain of a much-needed treatment, we can help lessen the burden for nearly nine million families each and every year. Since 1974, our network of local Chapters have been making children happier and healthier by keeping families together – giving them a place to rest and re-fresh. A place that feels like home.
WHAT THEY DO Helping a sick child fight their illness takes a big enough emotional toll on a family. Adding a financial strain can make it all almost too much to bear. RMHC can help address those problems, whether they involve housing that’s
near a hospitalized child, the expense of staying together in another city, or even getting basic medical and dental
care in a vulnerable community.
WHAT WE CAN DO Pop Tab Collection
Collecting pop tabs is a great way to teach kids about helping others and the importance of recycling while raising funds to help children and their families at the same time. Some of our Chapters raise thousands of dol-lars with their pop tab collections – up to $30,000.
From this week through the end of this Sunday School year, the students will be collect-
ing pop tabs so all you have to do is save those tabs off soda cans, Campbells soup cans, etc. (that
you would throw away anyway) and bring them to church to deposit in the large container available in
the narthex. During the month of May, we will be delivering the tabs to the Ronald McDonald House in
Hershey, PA and make a dinner for the families that are staying there. More information with another
way you can help will be sent to you closer to that time.
Thank you for your support in 2014
The Cluster Outreach Center wants to
thank everyone that contributed to our
Annual Holiday Food and Toy Program
and for the donations that we received
during the year in support of our Pro-
grams.
Over 200 families received food boxes that included a
turkey with all the trimmings and shopped for toys do-
nated by individuals, businesses, local worship centers
and Toys-for-Tots. Over 55 families participated in our
Adopt-a-Family Program.
2014 was a busy year of growth for the Outreach Center.
We distributed over 754,000 pounds of food and 13,000
personal care items. We have seen 287 new families over
the course of the year.
The Cluster Outreach Center is grateful for the dedica-
tion we receive year after year from everyone that be-
lieves in our mission.
PAGE 10
STEWARD’S CORNER
Hello Shenkel Family,
I am writing this today, January 18, 2015, and do I have a story to tell you! I know you won’t be read-
ing this until the Newsletter comes out, but you probably will remember this day anyway. The weather
wasn’t fit for people or animals to go outside! It was 20 degrees outside of my house and the roads
were freezing up fast. It was not good to be driving, but it was Sunday and there were 20 brave people
who decided to come to the early service of worship, and some of them were able to get home before the roads became
too slippery.
But Pastor Bonnie was concerned that other members may not realize how dangerous it was becoming to drive on the
icy roads. So phone calls were made to alert people that Sunday School and the late service were canceled, and they
should stay home to avoid the danger of driving on the very icy roads. Most people agreed with that; however, some
people had already left home and were on their way to church. Most of them arrived safely, except for one car getting a
bump in the rump….I mean in the “trunk!”
Now there were 10 people stranded in the social hall because they didn’t dare try to go home for awhile and folks
started to get hungry. (So was I.) Then we realized that Pastor Bonnie had gone home, walking across the icy ground.
Soon she returned with pots and pans filled with food! And 10 hungry people sat down to a delicious luncheon pre-
pared by Pastor Bonnie! I had hoped they’d leave a little for me, but they sang a table grace (that’s a song) and pro-
ceeded to lick the platters clean!
I thought you all should know this story. You have a talented, generous pastor who meets the needs of the
“Flock.” (That means YOU!)
(And that includes ME!)
Thankfully,
Steward
Adult Sunday School
Held each Sunday morning at 9:30
in the social hall.
Feb. 1 - “Youth--Adult Bible Study”
with Cameron Dushanko
Feb. 8 -- “Introduction to Marriage Equal
ity and the Bible — Part 2”
(rescheduled from Jan. 18)
Leader: Pastor Bonnie
Feb. 15 - “Dispelling Foster Care Myths"
Linda & Andrew Foss
Feb. 22 - Video tape - "The Hiding Place"
All are welcome to join us.
GOOD STUFF….
Lent 2015 - A River Journey!
In his book, Falling Upward, Richard
Rohr writes, “You are already in the eter-
nal flow that Christians would call the di-
vine life of the trinity.” This Lent, we will
have an opportunity to journey along and dive into that divine river.
Here are some of the experiences we will have before we reach the
thriving abundance of the flood plain of Easter Sunday:
Ash Wednesday, February 18: Preparing for the Journey - Matthew
6:1-6, 16-21
Repent February 22: “Changed by the River” - Mark 1:9-15
Invite March 1: “Moved by the River” - Mark 8:31-38
Voice March 8: “Challenged by the River” - John 2:13-22
Engage March 15: “Healed by the River” - 2 Kings 5:1-14
Realize March 22 (Easter Cantata): “Carried by the River” -
Jeremiah 31:31-34
No kayak, paddle or special clothing needed - join us!
THE MUSIC MINISTRY AT SHENKEL UCC MOVING FORWARD! Happy February! As we head further into 2015, I wanted to let you know of some of the plans that I have
for the music program at Shenkel—a “sneak peak,” if you will! In addition to all of our regularly sched-
uled ensembles and groups (see below), I am planning an intergenerational choral piece, arranging for a
brass quintet for Easter, and starting work on our Easter Cantata, “Once And For All” (which will be per-
formed on March 22nd!) This New Year has great musical ideas in the works—so stay tuned!
Chancel Choir (adult choir)- Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings from 7:30-9:00 in the sanctuary
at Shenkel UCC. All are welcome and encouraged to attend! The Chancel Choir sings every week (with a
few exceptions) and leads the Christmas and Easter Cantatas.
Cherub Choir- Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings from 6:15-
6:45 in the Sanctuary for children in Kindergarten - 2nd grade. The Cherub Choir sings on the second
Sunday of each month.
Joyful Noise Choir- Practices are held on Thursday evenings in the Sanctuary from 6:45-7:30. This en-
semble is open to children in 3rd-5th grade.
Chime Choir- Practices are held on Sunday mornings during the early service from 8:15-9:15 in the So-
cial Room. This ensemble is open to adults and youth who are in 6th grade and older. The Chime Choir
rings every other month, usually on the last Sunday of the month.
Youth Choir- Rehearsals for this ensemble are held on Sunday afternoons from 12:00-1:00 in the Sanc-
tuary at Shenkel UCC for students in 6th-12th grade. The Youth Choir sings on the third Sunday of each
month and also participates in the Christmas and Easter Cantatas.
We are still looking for a few dedicated volunteers to form a “Tech Team.” These folks would be respon-
sible for the set-up and maintenance of any technological needs of the church (i.e. helping to set up the
sound system in the grove for summer services). For more information, please contact Pastor Bonnie or
myself! The summer is still far away, but if this is something that would interest you, let’s get the ball
rolling.
I am looking forward to what 2015 has in store for the music program here at
Shenkel. Thank you all for making me feel so welcomed, appreciated, and ac-
We will be rehearsing for our next cantata on Saturdays, January 31st, February
21st and (dress rehearsal) March 21st from 9 to 11:30 AM. Please make every
effort to attend each rehearsal session. Thank you.
Free Love Missions and Coventry Woods Need YOU!
The facilities at Coventry Woods offer endless opportunities for Shenkel and our commu-nity. Particularly with the sale of Mensch Mill, retreats and off-site ministry and fellowship (do any of you remember "Fernbrook Frolics"?!) are exciting possibilities! The letter below was sent by Consistory to express a need for refurbishing Fernbrook and pledging our sup-port through "Free Love Missions", the community outreach program established here at Shenkel a few years ago by Aaron Gray. This is not a plea for money. The money is already
there, but needs to be dedicated to restoration.
You can further support the future use of Coventry Woods by sending individual letters to emphasize the value of dedicating money and manpower to this cause. Letters can be drafted similarly to the one sent by Consistory or better yet, reflect how Fernbrook has im-pacted you personally in the past and your hopes for its future. Additionally, stay tuned for
volunteer opportunities through "Free Love Missions".
December 23, 2014
Jay Erb, Chairman
North Coventry Parks and Recreation
845 South Hanover Street
Pottstown, PA 19465
Dear Jay,
On behalf of Shenkel UCC , I would like to express our interest and enthusiasm in
future use of the facilities at Coventry Woods. Our congregation, and the 169 affili-
ated churches of our wider Penn Southeast Conference are in dire need of accom-
modations for both daily and overnight retreats and programs.
We support your efforts to refurbish the lodge and cabins and eagerly have volun-
teered assistance through our community outreach group, “Free Love Missions”.
We look forward to contributing toward Coventry Woods’ restoration and are ex-
cited about the many opportunities it will provide the community.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Lynne K. Moyer
Consistory President
YOU CAN HELP…. PAGE 12
Dear Shenkel Family,
I wanted to share with you an update on my situation - you are welcome to
disseminate the information with the congregation as you see fit.
As the people who joined for the Skype session with the adult Sunday school
class may remember, I was living in Israel/Palestine on a tourist visa. The
time to renew that visa was at the end of December. I left Israel the week be-
fore Christmas with the intention of returning on December 29th via the Al-
lenby bridge which connects Israel and Jordan.
When I arrived at the Israeli side the immigration agents took me aside for questioning. After searching my
name on Google, they discovered that I was connected to two organizations, the partners of the UCC with whom
I was interning. Several hours of questioning and waiting passed but in the end I was denied entry. I knew this
was a possibility as several other Global Mission Interns before me have also been denied entry under similar
circumstances. The work of non-violence and human rights advocacy poses a threat to the status quo of Israeli
occupation in the Palestinian lands. The Israeli government is hyper-aware of such groups & rejecting foreigners
is a convenient way to dismantle progress of peace-building and human rights.
Two weeks have passed since that initial denial and I have filled that time in conversation with others who have
also been denied entry. I have reached out to both partners with whom I was interning & availed myself of their
legal advice. This time was also spent in close conversation with Peter Makari, the Area Executive of the Middle
East and Europe office at Global Ministries. After reviewing the options, it was deemed unlikely that I'd be per-
mitted to re-enter Israel during this calendar year.
With this option off the table, Global ministries began to consider reassigning me for the duration of my service
term. The result of those discussions is that I am moving to Beirut, Lebanon on Sunday, January 18th, to start
working for the Middle East Council of Churches. While I am deeply disappointed to be banned entry to Israel/
Palestine, this opportunity in Lebanon will be an exciting new adventure. During this waiting period, I have been
grateful for good friends in Jordan who have been gracious and comforting hosts & have assured me that I am
welcome to stay with them whenever I need to in the future.
I look forward to being in touch with the Shenkel community and am always happy to hear from you! Thanks
for your thoughts & prayers - I appreciate the encouragement from afar.
Peace,
Ariel
On Sunday 12/14, when Ariel Royer was in Pal-
estine, Shenkel folks appreciated the opportu-
nity to chat with her about her experiences via
Skype. Ariel is serving as a Global Mission In-
tern in the middle east.
GOD’S PRECIOUS CHILDREN
From Gary and Deborah Winters:
It is with great joy I share with you this long awaited news from Liberia. It is back to school!! Our students will start their school year Monday February 2nd. Thanks be to God!
The number of new cases of Ebola has reduced to the point the government of Liberia feels it is safe to be back in school. Let us all keep our students in prayer for safety and to do well in school.