This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:“Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns.”

(Jeremiah 4:3 NIV)

April is the month I begin to think about planting my garden plot in the Community Garden. One of thefirst things I will do is to take a shovel/hoe and break up the hard soil and root out all the weeds before I beginto plant. This is the third year Kathy and I have planted a garden. I remember at the beginning of Novembercarefully removing all the old left-over plantings and weeds and carefully turning over the soil in preparation forwinter. That is why I was so surprised, when toward the end of April last year, I discovered that the soil of myplot was very hard and many weeds had taken root. Some of these weeds had roots several inches deep. Therewas nothing to do but harrow and weed. Only then could I plant.

Any farmer can tell you that “fallow” or “unplowed” is earth that has been hardened or has lainuncultivated for a season. It must be plowed if the seed is expected to grow and produce fruit. This has aspiritual application. The people in Jeremiah’s day were guilty of letting their hearts become hard and unbroken.They needed God’s Word, but they were to “not sow among thorns.” Ground that is not tended to producesweeds, thorns, and briers. In the New Testament, Jesus used similar language in the Parable of the Sower. Inexplaining this parable, Jesus said the thorns were “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, andthe lust of other things,” which our Savior said will “choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19).The cares of the world, materialism, and the lusts of the flesh hinder the Word of God. The farmer knows thatthe ground must be prepared before the seed is planted. If the ground is not tilled, he can only expect a crop ofthorns and weeds.

Just as in Jeremiah’s day, these spiritual truths are still true today. Anyone’s heart can harden, evenfaithful Christians. Things that can harden the Christian’s heart are unconfessed sin, persistent unbelief,resentments and pride. The heart of the Christian can become infested with spiritual weeds, like selfishness,self-indulgence, anger and materialism. As these weeds flourish in the heart, all spiritual growth ceases. This isone of the primary reasons people who attend church regularly are never really changed by the message theyhear. Hearts that are not humble and broken, like uncultivated earth, are not receptive to God’s Word. God’sWord is powerful and effective, but the condition of the heart either enhances or hinders the way God’s Wordwill be received. If God’s truth is not producing fruit in our lives, the problem is not with the seed, but in ourhearts. Our hearts must be changed. Being faithful to the preaching services of the church is important, as wellas reading the Bible consistently. But if our hearts are not made tender and receptive, we will not see thespiritual results that God desires. How do we make our hearts more tender and receptive? We need to humble ourselves, confess our sins,and repent, which is a 180-degree change in our course of action. When we do this we make our hearts fertilefor the Word of God. We will begin to experience the growth of the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. May this year be a season of spiritualgrowth in all our lives.

Providence

Post

A Newsletter

of the

Providence

Presbyterian

Church

Altoona

Pennsylvania

A P R I L 2 0 1 8

Presbyteriansin the Press

[Note: Unlessotherwise specified,all articles andphotographs haveappeared in theAltoona Mirror.]

A front-page article in the March 14 edition featureda story about the Hite Company being sold to MayerElectric. Hite chairman R. Lee Hite was shown inthe accompanying photo and quoted in the article.

By Barb Hazlett

(Note: The following highlights are taken from theminutes of the regular Session meeting that was heldon Monday, March 19, 2018.)

Treasurer’s Report: The February financial reportwas discussed.

Huntingdon Presbytery Report: The next meetingwill be Tuesday, April 17, from 9:00 AM until 3:00PM, at the Milroy Presbyterian Church. Phil Hall willbe our elder representative for the year.

Nominating Committee: Dan Slep will be thesecond Session member to this committee.

Moderator’s Report: Dr. Carole Parsons will holdher student recital on Friday, April 27, from 5:30 PMto 8:00 PM.

Professional Family Care requested the use of ourchurch for a meeting to help parents. That meetingwill take place on Thursday, April 12, from 4:00 PMuntil 7:30 PM.

B.J. Crownover will make an appeal to thecongregation for clothing for a family who has lost

everything in a house fire.

Pastor Braun will take an online course in apologeticsoffered by the RZIM Academy starting on Thursday,April 5.

A speaker from Gideons International will speakduring a minute for mission on Sunday, April 15.

Team Reports (Chair)

Congregational Care (Tonny Brown): Cakes maystill be delivered to the personal care patients at thePresbyterian Village. We will deliver three cakes,four times a year.

Judy Hartzell is working on the next coupon order.

A movie night has not been scheduled.

Our newest class of 50-year members includes TonnyBrown, Paul Conway, Dan Slep, Sue Slep and BillWeigley.

No prayer shawls are needed at this time.

Congregational Fellowship (Steve Parsons): Theannual church picnic will be held on Sunday, July 22,2018. A reservation will be made at DelGrosso’sAmusement Park. The cost of an adult dinner will be$9.75 for a half chicken, potato salad, baked beans,pickle, roll, Pepsi fountain drink and an ice creamcup. The church will charge $5.00 for the adult mealand $3.00 for a child’s meal. The team is checking onthe price of a ride ticket.

A coffee fellowship will be held on Sunday, April 8. Nancy and Randy Donlan and Sue Whitsel will bemaking their famous sticky buns for this event.

The team will serve a continental breakfast beforechurch on Easter Sunday morning, April 1. Thebreakfast will include coffee, tea, juice anddoughnuts.

Mission (David Brownell): Seventy-nine peoplewere served spaghetti dinners on Saturday, March 17. A question was raised regarding a take-out policy forthese meals. David will check with his team andreport back to Session in April.

Outreach (Peggy Horner): Invitations will be sentfor the Spring Garden Party, which will be held onSaturday, March 24, at 5:00 PM.

There will be a Yard Sale/Bake Sale on Saturday,April 14. Izzolino Park will sponsor an outdoor bakesale and raffle. Providence Church will conduct their

yard sale and bake sale inside. They will also providecoffee for the outdoor bake sale. Tables that arestored in our garage will be used for this event thensold; also being sold are the church’s old TV’s. Proceeds from this sale will be used for Krislund DayCamp scholarships.

Krislund Day Camp will be held this year fromMonday, July 9, through Friday, July 13, at theHollidaysburg Presbyterian Church.

Our Team will support Soup on Saturday and theupcoming youth events, and continue to pray forneighbors and church families.

Property (Phil Hall): The Hite Company proposalfor new lighting in the Fellowship Hall is stillpending. Our electrician made some repairs in thekitchen—the garbage disposer is now on a groundedoutlet.

When weather permits, we will extend the drain pipeon the Broad Avenue side of the church along withother work to prevent sidewalk flooding.

A dimmer switch associated with the cross that hangsabove the choir loft was disconnected as it preventedthe cross from being lit. Other wiring issues in thatarea will be addressed.

Spiritual Enhancement (Sue Whitsel): Thefollowing events are scheduled:

March 25 Egg Hunt immediately following themorning worship service. Children ofthe church , g r andch i ld ren ,neighborhood children, and friends ofmembers are welcome to join in.

April 6 to 8 Youth Mission Trip to WashingtonDC.

June 3 Youth Sunday, Teacher and GraduateRecognition. Five of our memberswill be recognized as graduates—abulletin announcement will inviteothers whom we may have missed.

July 29 Vacation Bible School from 6:00 PMto 8:00 PM, from Sunday throughThursday. Volunteers are beingrecruited and a meeting will be heldon Sunday, April 15, immediatelyfollowing the morning worshipservice.

Worship (Ellie Herbster): Sue Payne will beliturgist for the month of April.

Gideons International will present information forabout eight minutes during a minute for mission at theworship service on Sunday, April 15.

Here is our Easter schedule for 2018:

March 25 Palm Sunday with processional at10:15 AM. There will be a “LastSupper Dramatization” at 3 PM

March 29 Maundy Thursday Service withcommunion at 7 PM

March 30 Good Friday Service at JuniataPresbyterian Church at 7 PM

April 1 Easter Sunday Worship at 10:15 AM(There will not be Sunday school forchildren; the adult class will meetand have light refreshments whichall are invited to enjoy.)

Old Business: Barry Gaut has submitted a copy ofthe Finance & Stewardship Team responsibilities. Healso has a copy of the former session committeeresponsibilities and will provide a copy to other teamsif requested.

Pastor Braun brought the Session up-to-date on thetransition to the new Media Shout software that isused to run the display screens in the sanctuary.

Also discussed was the need for a church van. TheSession spent some time talking about the pros andcons of such a purchase.

New Business: Pastor Braun gave each elderinformation about Lay Renewal Ministries, a groupthat he has worked with in the past. They operate bybringing in a team for a weekend workshop. There isa cost to the church, plus food and housing needs tobe provided. The information will be studied anddiscussed at a later meeting.

April Donation Needs

Providence Presbyterian Church iscollecting the following items for Family Services on the second Sundayof the month. Items may be left onthe table in the Fellowship Hall onSunday, April 8. Thank You!

Category: Household Items

High Efficiency (HE) laundry detergentBlankets - twin size

Sheet sets - twin sizePillows

Towels & washclothsDishcloths and towels

Bathroom rugsShower curtains

Plastic food handling gloves

Watch for a new donation category innext month’s newsletter!

Spring Finals are fast approaching for ourcollege students. During spring finals, we like toshow our love and care for each student byproviding goodie boxes to support some extra“cramming.” Snack donations can be dropped in theFellowship Hall any time between now and Sunday,April 15, when the boxes will be prepared.

All folks planning to helpwith VBS: please plan onstaying immediatelyfollowing the morningworship service on Sunday,April 15, for a brief meeting.

Thank You, Coupon Clippers!!!

We have been consistently mailing four to sixpounds of coupons every three to four months tomilitary families at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.(You can find more information about Yokosuka onthe Providence website.) Please keep up the goodwork in 2018!

Our expired coupons help military families stretchtheir grocery dollars, since groceries—especiallyfresh foods—are more expensive in Japan, becauseso much has to be imported.

Coupons can be redeemed at the BX and the Commissary for up to six months from theexpiration date, but to allow for collection andshipping time, please turn in your coupons shortlyafter they expire. They ask that we clip and sortcoupons into Food and Non-Food categories.

Pet food, OTC medication, vitamins and mineralsgo with non-food, but Ensure, Boost andnutrition bars go with food.

Locks & Lights

We are in need of volunteers to help out thefollowing months for Locks & Lights: May, July,October and November. If this is something youwould like to do, please sign up in Fellowship Hallor call the church office (944-7258).

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 9:30 AM Continental Breakfast10:15 AM Worship One Great Hour of Sharing

2 39:30 AMCong. Care Mtg.12:00 PM Outreach Mtg.

45:30 PM Worship Mtg.

6:30 PM Choir

512:00 PMBible Study

6Youth MissionTrip

7Youth MissionTrip

Family Services Items 8 9:00 AM Sunday School10:15 AM Worship11:30 AM Cong. Fellowship Mtg. 6:00 PM Bible Study

9 106:30 PMMission Mtg.

116:30 PM Choir

1212:00 PMBible Study

13 14

Food Bank Sunday 15 9:00 AM Sunday School, Spiritual Enhance. Mtg.10:15 AM Worship11:30 AM VBS Meeting 6:00 PM Bible Study

166:30 PMSession Mtg.

17 186:30 PM Choir

1912:00 PMBible Study

20 21

22 9:00 AM Sunday School 10:15 AM Worship 6:00 PM Bible Study

23 24 256:30 PM Choir

2612:00 PMBible Study

27 28

29 9:00 AM Sunday School10:15 AM Worship Centsability 6:00 PM Bible Study

30

Hannah Donlan 1Wanda Weakland 3Jennifer Larrimore 4Lilyahna Wisor 5Ethan Little 7Nancy Nevling 7Les Hart 12Cameron Lynch 13Rory Larrimore 16Kathy Braun 17Ella Kemberling 20Cora Nelson 27Alecea Wisor 30

Bruce & Barb Hazlett 5Dan & Kathy Slep 22Jim & Megan Burchfield 25Rob & Brigitte Donlan 28

USHERS

See weekly bulletin

LITURGIST

Sue Payne

CHURCH OPEN & LOCK-UP

See weekly bulletin

SOUNDBOARD OPERATOR

1 Bob Hollingsworth 15 Barry Gaut8 Barry Gaut 22 Bob Hollingsworth

29 Barry Gaut

VISITOR OF THE WEEK

1 Charyl Gardner 15 Gail Irwin8 Judy Hartzell 22 Linda McKee

29 Debbie Wedge

NURSERY HELPERS

1 Janelle Yerty 15 Jen Braun8 Kathy Braun 22 Megan Burchfield

29 Carol Adams

Acolytes

1 Ethan Donlan 15 Alecea Wisor8 Lundyn Treese 22 Irelynn Treese

29 Delainey Wisor

NURSERY

Wanda Weakland

Providence PostProvidence Presbyterian Church2401 Broad AvenueAltoona, Pennsylvania 16601

www.providencepc-altoona.org

(814) 944-7258

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Pastor: Pastor Dennis BraunEditor: Barry E. Gaut

“Strength For Today, Hope For Tomorrow”

The Back Page

On Saturday, April 14, the Outreach Team and theIzzy Park Restoration Project will have an indoorand outdoor Yard Sale and Bake Sale at ProvidencePresbyterian Church, from 9 AM until 1 PM.

The proceeds from this sale will be given to the IzzyPark Project and the Krislund Day CampScholarships.

As always, we will need your help. Please drop offyard sale items from Monday, April 9 throughThursday, April 12, from 9:00 AM to Noon. Itemsshould include CD’s, DVD’s, videos, books,household items, holiday decorations, hand tools,games, puzzles and small working electronics.Please, no clothing or stuffed animals.

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

P A I DAltoona, PA

Permit No. 120