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1

November 2017

The “Holtzschwamm Hotline”

PARADISE LUTHERAN CHURCH (717) 259-9547

www.paradiselutheran.weebly.com

Wednesday Holy Communion 7:00 p.m.

Sunday Worship, Holy Communion

at 8 and 10:15 a.m.

Sunday School at 9 a.m.

2

Who’s Who?

Staff, contact info., council members

Church office: 259-9547 (phone and fax)

Website: www.paradiselutheran.weebly.com

E-mail: paradise.lutheran@verizon.net

Interim Pastor: Reverend Douglas E. Johnson

(cell) (515) 321-4582; dougjohnson79@comcast.net

Minister of Music: Allison Trump

(home) 630-8824; paradiseorganist@yahoo.com

Secretary: Julie Maher Bookkeeper: Kris Gabel

Treasurer: Donna Shaffer

Sexton: Vicki Boone Council President: Pat Zech (880-0206)

Council Members, Liaison Committees:

Vice President/Endowment: Dave Cassel Secretary: René Plummer

Property: Dean Bentzel and Bill Sterner

Stewardship: Verla Gosnell Social Ministry: Brent Toomey

Evangelism: Barbie Becker

Worship and Music: Chris Davis Christian Education: Elaine Thomas

Social Activities: Deb Fulton

Youth: Dave Cassel Finance: Ike Hileman

FALL BACK

on Saturday,

November 4!

15

(Memorials, continued) Pastor and Susan McConnell

Edna and Larry Rinehart Joan Huffman Mary Louise Frey Bob and Janet Mansberger Nathan and Angie Cheek Richard and Darlene Sanders Larry and Shirley Trimmer Joe and Donna LeVault (steeple fund) Doris Shoemaker

Kenneth and Bonna Krout

1306 Pleasant View Drive

Spring Grove, PA 17362

Thank you TO: Bill Rankin and Larry Trimmer for

trimming the shrubbery around the church (in time for the Old Church Homecoming!) and Shirley Trimmer for decorating the

old church entrances; Sinclaire Trump for her violin

solos; Wayne Trump, Sr., and Julie Maher

for their duet in “Strengthen for Service” Erin Sterner for accompanying the

“Kyrie” on the organ; Neal Riley for awesome

percussion playing at the early service!

Property Committee members for

cleaning out the shed and getting us ready for winter, ugh;

Thank you FROM: The family of Pat Shaffer for the

prayers, cards, and expressions of sympathy following Pat’s death. Special thanks to Pastor Johnson and to the Kitchen Crew for the lovely luncheon; Friends of Gettysburg Foundation

for the donation for their program for the Friends of Paradise;

11/06 Kenneth and Jean Stambaugh, 57

years 11/06 Michael and Susan Parr, 18 years 11/08 Jeffery and Debra Ruth, 30 years 11/12 Tom and Susan Krout, 34 years 11/19 George and Karen Ruth, 35 years 11/27 Brett and Catherine Gosnell, 13 years

11/27 S. Neal and Linda Riley, 35 years 11/29 Marvin and Andrea Lipscomb, 21 years

No shut-in members’ birthdays

for November. Want to add a member? Call the office.

Directory

Updates

Thank you!

People at paradise

14

(Social Activities, continued)

Wow! Here you go — there’s even a “National Button Collector’s Society” — of course there is! This is sure to be an interesting program. What’s for the meal? Think Thanksgiving with all the proper trimmings!

If you know of someone who might be willing to present a program for this group, please let Linda know! For next year, we are looking at the following presentations: the mills of York and Adams Counties, the old Union Church, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, herbs, an organ grinder (oh, please bring the monkey, too!), birds, consumer

goods and scams, a one-man band, and more!! We also hope to squeeze in a bus trip. Then on December 12, we will meet at Hoss’s on White Street in York for our annual Christmas gathering. Doors open at 11 a.m. We will have trivia questions, jokes, and door prizes

galore. Please give Linda

Eisenhart (717-497-0422) or

Gloria Myers (717-259-1076) a

call to say you are coming, if

you didn’t already sign

up. Bring $5, please, for the “membership dues” which help cover memorial contributions,

speakers, etc. January and February we

hibernate and store up our energy to return in March for our New Year’s meal of pork and sauerkraut. Invite friends! Until then, stay warm and well!!

Linda

In memory of George Bentzel

Given by George and Elaine Thomas In memory of Rowlen Huffman

Given by

Joe and Donna LeVault (Steeple fund) Bob and Janet Mansberger In memory of Pat Shaffer

Given by Travis and Chris Sherman JP and Tina Hausner and family Keith and Lori Brodbeck Ron Sheaffer

Barbara and William Sprenkle, Jr. Doug and Kris Gabel John Mummert Raymond and Louise Stambaugh Richard and Karen Flickinger Terry and Lucinda Gruver

MEMORIALS

3

“What happens during an

interim?” In the three weeks since I began my work among you as Interim Pastor, I have found more and more people wondering what happens during an interim ministry. So I thought I’d briefly describe the process that Paradise

will move through over the next year or so. The first phase of an interim is a time of adjusting to the departure of a beloved pastor (and, in this case, a beloved deacon too). It normally takes a few months for parish life to settle into a normal rhythm again and for the congregation to move from

thinking about the past to dreaming about the future. I think we will move through this first phase by the early part of next year. When the time is right, the congregation will move into the visioning and planning phase. Under the guidance of an

assistant to the bishop, the Congregation Council will form a Call Committee. Council and Call Committee will complete a self-study process aimed at discerning a vision for the future ministry of Paradise and determining the kind of

leadership that will be needed to drive that vision. This process typically takes several months to complete. The third phase is the actual Call process. Bishop Dunlop and his staff will identify candidates who best fit the future needs of our congregation. The Call Committee will review ministry profiles of candidates presented by the Bishop, conduct interviews with candidates, and ultimately make a unanimous recommendation of a candidate to the Council and then to the congregation for a call vote. How long this part of the process takes is difficult to predict but it usually takes at least three to six months. Once the new pastor accepts the Call she/he normally begins thirty days later. That’s when my interim ministry with you will end. During this time it is most important for ALL members of Paradise to do several things:

Pray daily for the Holy Spirit to

guide the congregation through this process and into the future;

Worship regularly. Being

together as the Body of Christ weekly is the best way to strengthen us as the family of God in this place;

Support the programs and

activities of the congregation. A

transition shouldn’t be a time of

Pastor’s Page

4

“treading water.” It should be a time of renewed energy and commitment and hope, trusting in God’s guidance;

Continue to give generously to

meet the needs of the ministry and build a strong foundation for the future.

Please feel free to talk with me if you have further questions.

† Pastor Doug Johnson

A Special Invitation from

Pastor Doug — I want to share a special treasure with as many of you as possible. You see, a long time ago I

learned the great joy and delight that comes from being a good steward of all that God has entrusted to me.

It is among the most important aspects of my discipleship as a follower of Jesus. I have often been frustrated, though, because I couldn’t find an effective way to share what I had found with others so they could experience the same joy. That changed a few years ago when I discovered a wonderful, brief little course created by Dr. Mark Allan

Powell, a Lutheran pastor and professor at Trinity Lutheran Seminary. The course is called “Biblical Stewardship: Our Duty and Delight.” It consists of six video presentations by Dr. Powell, a wonderfully engaging speaker, followed by group discussion. It has proven to be life-changing for many people with whom I have shared it. So I am offering this course during November, and I’m hoping that all of you will make every effort to join me. In order to make the class as convenient as possible, I will offer it on three consecutive Thursdays: November 2, 9 and 16 from

10:00 to 11:30 a.m., AND from

7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Please come to either the morning or the evening session, whichever is more convenient for you. During each session we will watch two 20-minute videos with discussion after each. There is no need to register for

the class. Just come. I promise that you’ll be glad you did. And I’ll even provide the refreshments! Hope to see you there!

Pastor Doug

Around the

church

13

What are

you doing

for

Thanksgiving? Don’t

forget, we serve dinner here on Thanksgiving day at noon. (Appetizers start at 11:15 a.m.)

We need to know by

November 19 if you’re coming,

so we can plan, and we must

cut off the reservations at

200. No charge for the meal, but

free-will donations are gratefully accepted to offset the food costs. We will also most gladly accept your donations of turkeys! Prepping for such a large group

requires lots of time and effort (ya think?!), so we need extra help in the kitchen for days before the meal. If you can give an hour or three of your time, we can space out the work so we’re not all quite so exhausted. Let Linda Eisenhart know if you can help prep the day before, prep the morning of, help serve the meal,

and/or help clean up afterward. Many thanks.

Friends of Paradise

(our group for senior and

not-on-your-life senior

citizens; they meet the second Tuesday of most

months, 10 a.m.)

From Linda Eisenhart: Almost 30 guests showed up for our October gathering. Not for lack of trying, there was no “planned” entertainment...but we did have a goofy clown tell jokes. And we learned a “little” song, courtesy of Donna LeVault. Fall door prizes went home with everyone. The Kitchen Angels did indeed make mouthwatering pork chops and roasted red potatoes, “red beet” eggs, and apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Everyone received a trick-or-treat bag for those emergency sweet cravings! We hope you will join us on Tuesday, November 14, as we welcome Nancy Evans. She will present her mother’s collection of… buttons! Yes, BUTTONS! Who would have thought?! These buttons were collected from 1940 to 1950, no plastic ones, and no two are alike!

Social activities

12

(Social Ministry, continued)

for Girls; DVDs 4 VETs; or the Paradise Youth program. Many thanks for your generosity, as always!

Blood drive here on Tuesday, November 28,

from 3 to 7 p.m. No appointment necessary! Just eat something within four hours of donating, and walk in. Bring a friend along, too!

Jesse Tree: This year we

will get the names of 50 children, from infants to 5 years old. The tag will have the child’s name, age, and gender, clothing and

shoe sizes, puzzles, games, books, favorite character to help pick books, puzzles, etc.

Suggested donation is $35 per child. You may pack your gifts in a reasonably priced back pack or gift bag, putting the name tag on the outside so it can be

distributed easily. The Jesse Tree is usually put up in the sanctuary around the first Sunday of Advent, but we try to have the names a bit earlier so you have more time to shop for the little ‘uns. Many thanks for making a child’s holiday brighter! Thanksgiving for Harvest of

Hope clients: In the narthex

you will find packs of food items to shop for

Thanksgiving for the Harvest of Hope food pantry. Pick a pack, fill a grocery bag with

the items, and return the goods to the church by

November 12, OR directly to

the Pantry by November 17.

Thanks so much!

Harvest of Hope Pantry

needs:

Nov.: macaroni & cheese

tuna

Dec.: peanut butter/jelly

Jan.: ramen noodles and meal helpers

Place your donations in

the box outside the church

office. Thanks so much!

5

(Around the Church,

continued)

The

Breakfast

Club will meet

at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 7, at the West Manchester Diner in West York. Mark your calendar for

December 5’s meeting at Mary Jane’s in West York.

The Paradise Book Club will meet on Thursday, November 2, 7 p.m., at the church to discuss

the book, “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman. Heidi’s scheduled to provide the story-related snack items. Pick up “The Lost Girls” by Heather Young to read for

the December 7 meeting at Pat

Zech’s house in York. Carpool

from church, meeting at 6:30. Let Julie Maher know if you’re

riding along. Feel free to join the

group once, whenever, or always.

The Church Bazaar will be

held here on Saturday, November 4, from 8 a.m. to

2 p.m. We will need all kinds of

help, from prepping food for two

days before (November 2 and 3,

9 a.m. start), serving food the day of the bazaar, manning the church’s stand that day, and cleaning up and resetting the tables and chairs after the bazaar. If you can give an hour of your time, we’d love

to include you in the crew! Vendor tables will be set up on Tuesday, October 31, 6 p.m. If you have items to donate to the church’s stand, contact Linda Eisenhart at 717-497-0422 or tropicalb@live.com.

The EBACC Bazaar is Saturday, December 3, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Help is

always needed to staff the church’s stand. We need

you!

Mark your

calendar for the

joint concert

between the Hanover

Symphony Orchestra

AND the East Berlin Community Singers on

Sunday, December 3,

3 p.m., location TBA.

6

(Around the Church,

continued again)

Wreath-making this year will again be held at Yorktown Pools (not sure if it will

be at the old store OR at the new store across the road; watch the bulletins), Route 30 in West York, on the following dates:

November 21, 27, 28, 29, and 30 from 1 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. On December 1 at 1 p.m., come help transport the wreaths to the East Berlin Community Center for the Bazaar on December 2. Richard Hoffman’s looking for donations

of boxwood, holly with berries,

winterberries, Southern

magnolia leaves, Douglas fir,

heavenly bamboo (Nandina)

berries, dried yarrow, white

pine branches and cones from

white pine to round out the decorating project. If you have some of these goodies to donate, call Richard at 259-9179. Thanks!

If you do not receive a

birthday card on or near

your birthday from your “Paradise Brothers and

Sisters in Christ” OR if

we have the wrong date, please call the office!!

FYI, the Girl Scouts

Brownie troop will meet

on Mondays from 3 to 5

p.m. instead of later in

the evening.

The November website

sponsor is John Mummert in

honor of his granddaughter Jessica’s 18th birthday on

November 18. Many thanks!

We’re now working on the

months of February, May,

September, and October 2018

to be sponsored at $20 per

month.

The deadline for the next

Hotline: November 15 for

the combined December/

January issue. Please put your info. in the basket outside the office or e-mail Julie at paradise.lutheran@verizon.net.

Thanks.

December 3, one service at 9 a.m., with our important congregational meeting to follow! Budget and elections… please come!

11

YOUTH GATHERING

FUNDRAISER — Attention

ice cream lovers! Join us on

Tuesday, November 14, between 5 and 8 p.m., at the

Friendly’s at 423 Loucks Road (by

Old Navy). ALL ORDERS placed

between those times will support our youth and adults going to Houston

in 2018! Eat in, carry out, take gallons of ice cream

home — every purchase counts! Spread the word on

social media and tell your family, friends,

neighbors, total strangers, tell

everyone! No voucher or

whatever needed — just order

between 5 and 8 p.m. that evening. Many, many thanks… eat up!!

Pull an envelope off the board in the narthex and return it to the church with the amount of money on the front of the envelope…

or more! All funds received will help the gang to Houston next

summer to serve in Jesus’ name. Thank you!

Mitten/Mission Tree Look ahead to the holidays to share with others … the Mitten/Mission Tree will be set up soon and will be ready for you to PUT ON mittens, hats, scarves, and gloves (all sizes) for New Life for Girls and Bell Socialization and/

or for you to REMOVE an envelope to benefit the mission of your choice: Manow School in Tanzania; New Life

Social ministry

YOUTH

10

Sunday School Scoop! Here’s what’s going on in Sunday School — there’s a class for you to be sure!!

Little ones through Grade 2 will learn about Jesus with Miss Arlene Gruver through exciting

songs, Bible stories, and crafts. This group meets in the lower level Sunday School wing

Kindergarten Room;

Grades 3 through 6 will continue their

journey with Jesus in the upstairs Art Room

with singing, scripture stories, and hands-on crafts, thanks to Sandy Detwiler;

Grades 7 and 8 will meet in

the Youth Room to prepare for

Confirmation with instruction by Bill Pero and Heidi Wolf, using the “Faith Inkubators”

curriculum;

Those in Grade 9 will meet

with their mentors OR join the Young Adults/Senior High Class;

The Young Adults/Senior

High Class meets in the upstairs

room with the mural, and Andrew

Maher will be leading the faith discussions for this group; The Adults in the Forum

and Augsburg Classes

will meet for group discussions based on video presentations, and Becci Stair will function as

the “convener” of this group as they hash things out in the room beside the Sunday School office, upstairs hallway.

See, there’s a class

for you, so don’t

be shy — join the

Sunday morning

fun at Paradise!!

christian

education

7

How was September? Check these numbers…

Interest paid 2017: $5,045.78

Principal paid 2017: $19,268.22

Building debt principal owed: $173,803.91

September Special Offering for

CROP Walk: $143.73

Treasurer’s information

September needs for God’s

Mission

Your gifts in September

Difference

Current $22,095.00 $20,455.79 —$1,639.21

Benevolence $1,125.00 $748.00 —$377.00

Action 2000 $2,274.00 $2,843.37 +$569.37 Mortgage!

Our needs, to date

Total gifts, to date

Difference

Current $174,160.72 $166,217.66 —$7,943.06

Special Offering Envelope —

November’s envelope will go to

our Benevolence contribution to the synod.

Thank you for your generosity.

8

From Allison Trump,

Minister of Music:

Christmas Eve Concerts: our

annual Christmas Eve

concerts will be held 30 minutes BEFORE

each Christmas

Eve worship service

(which are held at 7 and 10 p.m.). Everyone is welcome to

participate! Remember, only sacred music and no

prerecorded music is permitted. If you’d like

Allison to help you select music, please see her! Also,

please let her know ASAP if

you want to participate that

night and before which

service. Call her at 630-8824,

or e-mail her at paradiseorganist@yahoo.com

Pageant

rehearsals:

This year we

will be presenting the

pageant “Hark the Herald Angel Sang Off-Key” by Ann W. Yeager on

Sunday, December 31, at our

ONE SERVICE AT 9 a.m.

We will be rehearsing some

Sundays, immediately after the 10:15 worship service.

The rehearsal will be kept to one hour. Rehearsals are not

mandatory, but please try to attend as many as you can, as it does make a difference to

the rest of the cast! CDs will be available for practicing.

Rehearsals will be held on Sundays, November 5, 19,

and 26, immediately after the 10:15 worship service; on Friday, December 1, 6 p.m.;

Sunday, December 17, after the late worship service;

Saturday, December 23, 9 a.m. (please try to make it!);

and Saturday, December 30, 9 a.m., for the dress rehearsal (most mandatory of all!). If

you are interested in participating in this pageant,

please see Allison ASAP! We need lots of “angels” for the

choir! Several speaking parts, too, so step up!!

Worship and

music

9

(Worship and Music,

continued)

Jazz, anyone? We will be

reuniting the Paradise Jazz Ensemble on Sunday,

December 31. We will have ONE rehearsal

on Saturday, December 30,

10:30 a.m. If

you’re interested, see

Allison for the music and a practice CD.

Just for a giggle in the middle of the newsletter… Joel Maher’s fiancée, Aubrie,

told this TRUE story. A friend of hers is a second-

grade teacher (in Tennessee)

who told Aubrie that one day,

the class was working on rhyming words. The teacher

asked them to think of words that rhyme with “corn.” One little guy said, “Porn.” (?!)

The teacher was a bit nervous, but quick-thinking as she

asked him to please use it in a sentence. His answer? “Well,

you know, it’s porn down rainin’ outside.” Aubrie says, “Welcome to the

South!” Adorable!

At-a-Glance Choir Schedule

Praise Team: Sundays, November 5, 19, 26, 9:15 a.m.

Sanctuary Choir: Wednesdays, November 1, 15, 29, 7:00 p.m.;

no rehearsals November 8, 22

Grace Notes: 9:40 a.m., Sundays, November 5, 19, 26

Tone Chimes: Wednesdays, November 1 and 15 at 6:30 p.m.

Cherub/Children’s/Youth Choir: every Sunday during Sunday

School

Pageant Practice: Sundays, November 5, 19, 26, immediately

following the 10:15 worship service

NO REHEARSALS BETWEEN 11/6 AND 11/12;

ALLISON’S VACATION