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We currently have the equivalent of a full-time associate. Both Pastor Don and John work a minimum of 20 hours per week, which equates to 40-48 hours of weekly pastoral ministry on top of the hours I put in. At this point, Pastor Don is focusing primarily on visiting homebound members and elders, along with visiting regular par-ticipants and preaching quarterly. John is preaching monthly, leading both Sr. and Jr. High youth monthly, teaching Sunday School weekly, and visiting on an as-needed basis. Both are accountable to me by providing time sheets which track their ministe-rial activities each week. “We feel the salaries of all people be-ing paid should be disclosed.” Everyone employed by the church body, from salaried persons such as myself to people paid an hourly rate, have their wages disclosed in the an-nual unified budget. At each Fall Con-gregational Business Meeting, mem-bers vote to approve the Board’s rec-ommended budget for the following year. A copy of this budget can be secured in the office by any partici-pant of the church, members or non-members alike. Some congregations do not disclose the wages of their em-ployed persons, but we operate on a principle of transparency, openness and full-disclosure with regard to this matter. “The itemized budget should be in-cluded in next year’s Yearbook and Directory.” The itemized budget used to be pub-lished in each Yearbook and Directory when we outsourced this job to an-other company. However, when we
November 2010
Inside this issue:
Witness Commission 2
Scriptures, Servants, & Stats 3
Tiny Timbers Tidbits 4
Krista Hollinger Update 5
Calendar 6
Birthdays & Anniversaries 7
Survey Questions Answered Kenneth Stewart
A Thanksgiving Day Prayer Lord, so often times, as any other day
When we sit down to our meal and pray We hurry along and make fast the
blessing Thanks, amen. Now please pass the
dressing We're slaves to the olfactory overload
We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold
But Lord, I'd like to take a few minute more
To really give thanks to what I'm thankful for
For my family, my health, a nice soft bed My friends, my freedom, a roof over my
head I'm thankful right now to be surrounded
by those Whose lives touch me more than they'll
ever possibly know Thankful Lord, that You've blessed me
beyond measure Thankful that in my heart lives life's
greatest treasure That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place
And I'm ever so grateful for Your unending grace
So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You've provided
And bless each and every person invited Amen!
--Scott Wesemann
Thank you for filling out your pastoral surveys! I have appreciated reading, reviewing and analyzing them. Your input is necessary and appreciated as we discern together God’s will for our congregation’s future pastoral leader-ship. As I read them, I came across some questions that I’d like to an-swer. Since the survey was anony-mous, no one’s name is attached to any of these, and hopefully you will find them relevant and helpful. Some of them specifically relate to future staffing, while others ask more gen-eral questions about the overall minis-try of the congregation. “I’m not sure what an associate pastor does. Do we have any candidates?” An associate pastor can do whatever the congregation desires. Typically an associate will compliment the gifts of other staff. In other words, if a senior pastor is gifted to preach and teach but is not strong in areas of youth and visitation, then an associate would focus his/her attention here so the overall ministry of the congregation is strengthened, nurtured and solidified. One reason we distributed surveys is to garner a sense of what areas you, the congregation, feel we need to ad-dress and then formulate a job de-scription based upon this knowledge. As far as candidates are concerned, there is a search process that must begin before we are able to interview that includes oversight from the Dis-trict. Therefore, we are unaware of any candidates who may be inter-ested in the position at this time. “Do you feel WGT needs a full-time associate pastor? Answer: ‘No. I think everything seems to be running smoothly’.” Continued on page 4
Page 2
News from the Witness Commission… On December 3, we will be taking the church to the Elizabethtown Holiday Parade. The theme is "Under The Tree". We would like to do the nativity & will need volunteers to be Mary, Joseph, etc. This can include some live animals as well. We also would like people to sing including the children. We are open to any ideas the church members have. We are looking forward to working with everyone to be part of a community project.
We received a request from Ryan Braught who is a church planter with Atlantic Northeast District of the COB to support a church plant in Marietta. After prayerful consideration we decided this is something we would like to support. The name of the church is Veritas and they are renting space in another church in Marietta. For more information go to www.veritaspa.org.
In the summer of 2011, 450 youth and adults will converge around Elizabethtown to work on nearly 70 homes of the elderly, retired, infirmed and poor. The dates are July 31 - August 6. WGT will be a part of this endeavor along with other churches in Elizabethtown. More info to follow. Go to www.ELIZABETHTOWNWORKCAMP.COM and WWWGROUPWORKCAMPS.COM.
The Witness Commission members are Doug Brenneman, Deb Klugh, Jason Leonard, Steve Smith & Louene Trout. We welcome comments & suggestions. Thank-you for your support and partnership in all of our projects.
YOU ARE INVITED TO OUR 2ND ANNUAL LASER TAG LOCK-IN
Brethren Disaster Relief Auction Report The 34th Brethren Disaster Relief Auction was held on September 24th & 25th at the Leba-non Valley Expo. Approximately $425,000 was raised! Here are some of the highlights:
Summers End Quilt $ 8,600.00 Haiti Rebuilding Project $50,000.00 Heifer Auction $48,000.00 Quilt Auction $37,000.00 Food $34,000.00 Theme Basket Auction $15,000.00 Baked Goods $13,000.00 Amish Doughnuts & Pretzels $ 6,000.00
There were approximately 1,000 registered bidders in attendance with 13 volunteer auc-tioneers conducting the auction.
The Board of Directors wishes to thank all who participated by donating time, items, and various other items & work that made the 2010 Brethren Disaster Relief Auction a success!!
Who’s Invited? ALL Jr. & Sr. High Youth & Friends Date? November 19th & 20th
Time? Drop Off @ 11 pm, Pick Up @ 5:30 am Cost? $15 for Youth Group Members, $30 for Friends
(Money is due by 11/7 to reserve your spot)
RSVP By: Sunday, November 7th to Marcia @ 475-9314 or Mike @ 689-0460
What to Bring? A snack to share The cost of your ticket includes 2 slices of pizza, unlimited
drinks & popcorn, & video game tokens. We are asking that you do not bring extra cash with you.
There will be plenty to do, eat, & drink! REMEMBER NO CELL PHONES are allowed at youth events.
Do not bring them with you. The advisors will have their cell phones (see numbers above)
& will be able to be contacted if necessary. Looking forward to a great night!
Connec†ions - the Sunday gathering in the fellowship hall at 9:15 am - continues to meet weekly for people who want to connect to God, God’s Word, & each other. Topics have included: child-like faith, surrender, pride, confession, sacrifice, wisdom, righteousness, belief, fear, and zealousness. Topics are explored through the study of Scripture & discussion. Anyone is welcome, any time for one, or more, Sundays. Questions can be directed to Janet Myers, 367-5393, or [email protected].
Page 3
November Sermon Texts & Servants
November 7 November 14 November 21 November 28
Messenger Pastor Kenneth Acts 13:1-13
John Weber Acts 15:36-41
Pastor Kenneth Acts 17:16-34
Janet Myers
Organist Mary Jane Smith Mary Jane Smith Janet Myers
Pianist Sylvia Weaver Brenda Geib
Special Music
Choir Combined Men’s Choir
Choir Children Sing! & Sarah Kolp
Offertory Nicole Drawbaugh
Chorister Regena Tripp David Myers June Kolp Glenn Weaver
Greeters Randy & Karen Ginder The Klugh Family Cindy Collins & Diane Sides
Greg & Julie Ramsey
Worship Leader John Weber Don Hollinger Don Hollinger Don Hollinger
Ushers Youth New Horizons SS Class
Faith Seekers SS Class
Homebuilders SS Class
8 am Nursery/Toddler Daryl & Angie Harnish
Mike & Marcia Haw-thorne
10:30 am Nursery
Shawn & Lisa Cannon Abbi Schwanger & Cindy Seitz
Tanya Stewart Marilyn Keener
10:30 am Toddler
Jackie Sawyer & Adri-enne Fellenbaum
Deb & Rebekka Klugh Jackie Sawyer & Adrienne Fellenbaum
September & October Stats
September 26 October 3 October 10 October 17
Total Worship 202 169 207 191
Sunday School 119 101 111 99
General $5,365.00 $4,492.50 $5,833.00 $5,734.00
Building $1,763.57 $105.00 $420.00
Deacon $81.00 $20.00 $70.00
Seminary $50.00 $25.00
Page 4
Fall is in the air at Tiny Timbers these days… ...we visited an apple orchard, saw apples growing on trees & picked one, learned some interesting things about apples (and stink bugs too) and got some delicious apple cider. ...we cut, cooked and pressed some apples into yummy applesauce to eat for our snack and turned an apple peeler, amazed at how fast it took the skin off the apple! ...we went to a pumpkin patch to see how pumpkins grow in fields and bought some to take home with us. We also got to take a fun ride out to the pumpkin field in a blue barrel train, thanks to Mr. Kevin’s dad, Mahlon Charles.
...we cut open a big orange pumpkin and scooped out the slimy stuff & seeds inside and we played with little pumpkins hauling them around in our trucks. ...we played pizza parlor, ordering and serving each other. We also made a real personal pizza for our snack one day! In this fall season we have had lots to be thankful for...safety, general good health, lots of energy, many interest-ing days & the support of you as the West Green Tree Church family. We appreciate your prayers so much and ask that you continue to remember us as we share God’s love each day!
Miss Char, MWF Teacher
GIANT A+ SCHOOL REWARDS PROGRAM Tiny Timbers has the oppor-tunity to participate in the GIANT A+ Rewards Program. Tiny Timbers receives 1% cash back on eligible pur-chases at Giant Food Stores by using your BONUSCARD when you shop. Parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, rela-tives etc. can be involved. The money that we make with the GIANT A+ Rewards will be put into a scholarship fund for families having difficulties with tuition payments.
This is how to begin: Go to www. giantapl us. com. Cl i ck on “designate”. Enter the first three digits of your last name and your BONUSCARD number. Click “Log in”. Enter the pre-school ID number for Tiny Timbers: 03033. Click ”Designate School” and you’re ready to go! If you have an older Bonus Card, you may need to update your info by calling 1-888-448-4642. Questions? E-mail Cindy Seitz at [email protected], or call at 426-2033.
Thank you so much for your Prayers, Love, and Support,
The Tiny Timbers Staff and Board
purchased a new copier in 2008, we purchased a machine that would do this job for us, which eliminated the need to outsource, thereby saving approximately $2,000 in the process. Unfortunately, our machine cannot publish booklets as large as the previous ones, which required cutting some of the information that was previously printed. Publishing the budget was one of those cuts, since it con-sumed several pages in each Yearbook. A copy of the budget is dis-tributed at each Congregational Business Meeting and can otherwise be secured at the church office anytime. “I would hope that no changes would be made to our two worship services.” I have always believed that it is not the style of worship (contemporary or traditional) that matters as much as the content of worship (who/what is being exalted, served and adored). As it stands, I have no plans to change the styles of the worship services. The last time we reviewed the worship styles and Sunday morning schedule, overwhelmingly people preferred the current structure we have with an 8am contemporary service followed by a 10:30am tra-ditional service, and I have no plans to change this in the future. A change of this nature would require the blessing of Nurture Commis-sion, followed by Board and subsequent approval by the congrega-tion. Thank you for providing honest feedback through these surveys. They will be utilized to help the leadership of the congregation dis-cern God’s will for future staff. As always, you are welcomed to di-rect other questions you have to me or Mary Jane Smith, Moderator. Thank you for being a congregation that seeks to be “of one heart and mind” (Acts 4:32a)!
Your fellow servant in Christ, Kenneth A. Stewart, Senior Pastor
Survey Questions Answered (continued from cover)
Page 5
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 Beth Moore Bible Study
7 pm
2
3 Jr. High Clubs, Sr.
High Clubs, & Young Adult Bible
Study 7 pm
4
Girl Scout Troop Mtg. 6:30 pm
5
6
7 Worship 8:00 am
Sunday School 9:15 am Worship 10:30 am
Operation Christ-mas Child Shoe-box Dedication
8 Beth Moore Bible Study
Tiny Timbers Board Mtg.
7 pm
9 Congregational Business Mtg.
7pm
Girl Scout Troop Mtg. 6:30 pm
10 Jr. High Clubs, Sr.
High Clubs, & Young Adult Bible Study
7 pm
11
12 13 Women’s
Crochet class 8:30 am
Men’s Woods
Event 4 pm
14 Worship 8:00 am
Sunday School 9:15 am Worship 10:30 am
15 Beth Moore Bible Study
7 pm
December Newsletter
Submissions Due
16 Board Mtg.
7 pm
17
Jr. High Clubs, Sr. High Clubs, & Young
Adult Bible Study 7 pm
18 Girl Scout Troop
Mtg. 6:30 pm
19
Youth Laser Tag
11 pm
20
Youth Laser Tag
5:30 am
21 Worship 8:00 am
Sunday School 9:15 am Worship 10:30 am
22 Beth Moore Bible Study
7 pm
23
24 Jr. High Clubs, Sr.
High Clubs, & Young Adult Bible Study
7 pm
25
(church office closed)
26
(church office closed)
27
28 Anointing Sunday
Worship 8:00 am
Sunday School 9:15 am Worship 10:30 am
29 30
Page 7
Anniversaries 11/3 - Toby & Helen Weber 11/5 - Brad & Kari Gantz 11/7 - Joel & Kelly Garber 11/11 - Randy & Karen Ginder 11/18 - Charles & Charlotte Riggleman 11/24 - Matt & Peggy Harry 11/25 - Jamie & Gale Longenecker 11/26 - Kipp & Diane Kulas 11/27 - Rick& Vicky Swartz
Birthdays 11/2 - Dustin Heistand 11/4 - Evan Sucharski 11/6 - Helen Cochran 11/7 - Donna Murphy, Nichole Winters, Tanya Stewart 11/9 - Adam Mummau 11/10 - Ella Louise Kile, Rose Thompson 11/11 - Jason Miller, Derek Groff, Lance Haverkamp 11/12 - Ruth Carlson, Raymond Shoemaker 11/13 - Earl Shenk 11/14 - Liane Sucharski, Margaret Stumpf, Mike Grim 11/15 - Andrew Kulas 11/17 - Michael Cicero Jr., Autumn Ginder 11/19 - Madison Harry 11/20 - Walt Johnson, Samantha Ginder 11/21 - Audrey Garber 11/23 - Jayden Gingher 11/24 - Joshua Flowers, Holly Leonard 11/26 - Zachary Grove 11/28 - Kathy Risser, Aiden Hawthorne 11/30 - Mellanie Williams, Courtney Peffley
DOERS OF THE WORD "Do not merely listen to the word
and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says"
James 1:22
We all know the story of the good Sa-maritan. The interesting thing about this story is that the Jews and Samari-tans really didn't care much for each other. I don't know if it was racial, ethnic or whatever, but that really doesn't matter. In God’s eyes, there are no differences between people. God’s word tells us to help those in need. On Sept. 3, Duane and I were travel-ing on 283 to go to Hershey for a foot-ball game. We came across three men on the side of 283 with a pickup truck and a flat tire. One of the men was motioning like they needed a jack, an-other man yelled “jack”. We stopped and loaned them our jack. One of the men mentioned that they were trying for over an hour to get someone to stop. Can you imagine how many cars and trucks would pass them on 283 in an hours time on the start of the Labor Day weekend? You may wonder how this relates to the good Samaritan. Well, there were 2 black men and 1 white man and they looked pretty scruffy. It's a shame, but, in our world there is so much stereotyping. That is probably why no one would stop. Aren't you glad Jesus never stereo-typed? One of the men offered me money. I refused it. I just told him that if he gets the chance to help someone else then just pay it forward.
Steve Bender
740 Greentree Road Elizabethtown, PA 17022 Kenneth A. Stewart, Pastor
Donald E. Hollinger, Pastor [email protected]
John Weber, Ministry Intern
Paula M. Jones, Administrative Assistant [email protected]
Phone: 717-653-5367
Fax: 717-653-5056
WEST GREEN TREE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
WEST GREEN TREE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
Our Purpose Statement “We intentionally develop friends of
Jesus Christ by sharing God’s love through words and deeds.”
Sunday Service Times: Contemporary Worship 8:00 am
Sunday School 9:15 am
Traditional Worship 10:30 am
Wednesday Service Times: Jr. High Clubs @ 7:00 pm
Sr. High Clubs @ 7:00 pm
Young Adult Bible Study @ 7 pm
