March 2023 Newsletter

Worship Schedule this Month

March 5th – 2nd Sunday in Lent, Rev. Sally Dries – Genesis 12:1-4, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, John

3:1-17, All Church Retreat

March 12th – 3rd Sunday in Lent, “At the Well of Hope, the Font of Life” Rev. John Yost - Exodus

17:1-7; Romans 5:2-11; John 4:5-42

March 19th- 4th Sunday in Lent, “Out of the shadows of ignorance, Into the Light of Christ: A

New Way of Seeing” Rev. John Yost – 1st Samuel 16:1-13; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41,

One Great Hour of Sharing offering

March 27th – 5th Sunday in Lent, “From 'if only' to 'Rise, and Live'” Rev. John Yost - Ezekiel 37:1-

14; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45

Highlights February 23, 2023 Consistory Minutes

· It’s almost March and it doesn’t seem possible that Easter is only six weeks away. Please check the Bulletin and Newsletter for Service, breakfast/brunch and the Easter Egg Hunt the week of Easter.

· Consistory will be serving Palm Sunday Brunch. Please extend an invite to friends and family for all of our services and activities.

· Consistory continues to work on the Safety and Security Policy. The Consistory Officers will start working on reviewing the By-Laws of the church as well as other policies, such as Gazebo usage, Weddings, Funerals, etc…

· The microphone project is still on hold as the person that installs them at Robert M. Sides is currently injured. Please pray for Dewey.

· The Back-pack project will continue for the month of March. We are still in need of donations or monetary contributions to finish out the month.

· Penn Central Conference is planning a Vision Event to encourage more communication and cohesiveness between church in the Association. That date is to be determined.

Upcoming Meetings

· The Prayer Shawl group will meet on Wednesday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the church. All are welcome.

· Prime timers for March will be at OIP Mifflinburg on the 23rd at 12:30pm.

Easter Flowers

Easter Flower Order forms are available at the back of the sanctuary. Orders are due by March 12th. Please return orders to Tony Noll or another consistory member. Thank You

Holy Week Activities

April 2nd – Palm Sunday Worship Service at 9:15 AM

April 2nd – Palm Sunday Brunch at 10:30 AM, provided by consistory.

April 6th – Maundy Thursday Service at 7:00 PM (this service will not be available online

or through the call in systems because it is downstairs in the social hall)

April 7th – Good Friday Service at 7:00 PM

April 8th – Easter Egg Hunt beginning at 10:00 AM

April 9th – Easter Sunrise Service at 7:00 AM

April 9th – Easter Sunday Breakfast at 7:45 AM

April 9th – Easter Sunday Worship Service at 9:15 AM

Prayer Chain

We are reorganizing the prayer chain. With so many of us using texting as our primary communication method we thought it was time to restructure the prayer chain. We will still maintain a traditional phone chain for anyone who does not text.

Anyone wishing to request prayers for the prayer chain should contact Pam Pfirman (570-898-9774, voice or text). She will then send out a group text to everyone wishing to be included as well as start the traditional phone chain.

If you would like to be included please sign-up on the sheet at the church or contact Pam with your preferred method of communication. We will send out a reworked list in a few weeks once everyone has had a chance to sign-up.

Easter Egg Hunt

Our annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place at the church on Saturday, April 8th, 10:00 A.M. This event takes place rain or shine and is open to all children ages 10 and under. We just request that you pre-register at the church or message us on Facebook. For more information contact Sandy Catherman.

Wednesday evening (6:30-8 PM) Lenten Bible Study on Job:

How are we to address the matter of human suffering in our conversations about and to God? How are we to understand the causes of human suffering? Where do we want to place blame?

How do we define good vs. evil? How are we to locate God- presence and absence? In the midst of human suffering, how are we to look to the future?

March 1st: Job 1-3

A wager between God and hassatan and Job's immediate response to his suffering.

March 8th: Job 4-8

Where to place the blame? I God fair and just? Do we get what we deserve? What is the relationship between sin and punishment?

March 15th: Job 12-14

Job seeks his day in court directly confronting God.

March 22nd: Job 15-17, 19

Is God an enemy of Job? What can be expected in defiance of God?

March 29th: Job 20-21, 23-24

Is there any moral order to the world, a clear indication of right verses wrong, good verses bad? What is the fate of the wicked and the blameless? How are the poor to be treated? Does God not see or care what is happening?

Mifflinburg Backpack Club

Thank you for everyone’s generous donations toward the Mifflinburg Backpack program. We are filling bags for 142 students each Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM throughout the month of March. At this point we have received enough donations or had money designated from fundraisers during the year to cover the first four of our five weeks. We are still accepting all of the different items that we include in the bags. Please watch our weekly bulletins as the list of needed items will be updated as we progress through the month.

Mac – Cheese Chef Boyardee Microwave Pasta Meals

Granola Bars Juice Pouches/Boxes

Fruit Cups Cereal

Crackers Fruit Gummy Snacks

Pudding Pop-Tarts

Thank you for your support!

Thank you

Thank you church family for all your prayer, calls & concerns for Brian Stump during his illness and for continued healing.

Wayne & Sharon Stump

Brian Stump

Nursery

Volunteers are available to care for your child in the nursery every Sunday after the Children’s Time until the end of the service. Parents and caretakers are welcome to send their children to the nursery during that time. All volunteers have appropriate clearances. If you would like to participate in this ministry, please contact Diane Hackenberg.

March’s volunteers are: March 5 – Bonnie Dodge; March 12 – Diane Hackenberg, March 19 – Mike Finerghty; March 26 – Mallory Leitzel.

Save the date!

The spring rummage sale is coming, starting with set up on Sunday, April 30 and ending with clean up on Saturday, May 6. Please mark your calendars. We need your help to make this event happen.

Not only do we need you, we also need your donations! As you start your spring cleaning, don’t forget to set aside items for the rummage sale. (Does anyone do spring cleaning anymore? Whatever.) When you look around your house and see items you no longer need, please send them our way.

But please consider: If the item is worn out or beyond repair, please dispose of it in the garbage. And remember we can no longer take televisions.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer talk to Judy Willow, Holly Snyder, or Diane Hackenberg. We hope to see you there!

Vacation Bible School

“Jesus Light Shines” will be our theme for Vacation Bible School which takes place the week of June 12th from 6:30-8:30 P.M.

Please pass the word to any neighbors or relations with children from ages 3 – 6th grade.

If you are interested in helping in different ways, please contact Tricia Lloyd – 570-412-3511, Sharon Rein – 570-713-9503, or Judy Willow – 570-966-0721.