rd - s3.amazonaws.com · In Cana, we saw a stone jar similar to the ones where Jesus turned water...
Transcript of rd - s3.amazonaws.com · In Cana, we saw a stone jar similar to the ones where Jesus turned water...
On Saturday March 31, at 7:30 PM,
FUMC will present the 3rd Annual Easter
Eve Concert! This year’s event will
feature Gustav Mahler’s epic
Symphony No. 2, “The Resurrection.”
The full orchestra, under the direction of
Brian Norcross, will include members of
the Allegro Orchestra of Lancaster,
students from the Allegretto Youth
Orchestra, members of FUMC, and
members of the F&M Orchestra. In
addition, the FUMC Chancel Choir will
be singing, along with soloists Amy
Yovanovich, mezzo soprano;
and Kristin Sims, soprano.
As in the past, while the music is being
performed, a team of artists led by
Brian Lehman will create an Easter
painting. The team of artists will include
Joanne Stephan, Cherie Sikking, Erica
Kabbeko, and Brian Lehman.
This is an Easter worship/artistic
experience like none other! This is a
perfect time to invite family and friends
to experience the miracle of the
resurrection through the powerful music
of Gustav Mahler and the talented
hands of our visual artists!
2
Traditional Worship 8:15 a.m. 10:45 a.m.
Contemporary
Worship 9:30 a.m.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
3
Bishop Peggy Johnson and District Superintendent B.K. Chung have appointed the Rev. Janet L. Saddel
to become the new associate pastor of First United Methodist Church, effective July 1, 2018.
Rev. Saddel was ordained an elder in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference in 2004, and has served in three
congregations in our conference since 2001. For the last seven years, she has been senior pastor of St. Paul’s
UMC in Warrington, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. A graduate of West Chester University (BA in
Philosophy) and Asbury Seminary in Kentucky (M.Div.), Janet has a strong track record as a pastor, Bible
study teacher and missionary. She served for a year as missionary in Siberia, Russia in the 1990s, where she
heard God’s call to ordained pastoral ministry. Her gifts for ministry include preaching, teaching, worship
leadership and administration.
“The appointment is a little out of the box,” Pastor Joe DiPaolo commented.
“We were expecting someone fresh out of seminary whom we would have to
train. But Janet comes with years of experience and can hit the ground running.
I am especially excited about her passion for mission, which is very much in sync
with First Church’s DNA.”
The appointment was a surprise to Rev. Saddel, who was not looking to
move, but was attracted to the many ministries of outreach and mission here at
First UMC. “With each passing day I become more excited about this new
venture,” she said, and after a warm embrace by the members of our SPRC,
wrote, “I am looking forward to coming onboard and working alongside these
wonderful people.”
We also look forward to getting to know Janet, and having her share in the
leadership of First Church!
Welcome our New Associate Pastor
Rev. Janet L. Saddel
CARDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT are a definite day brightener for those who are incarcerated and
away from their family and friends. A note from "church folks" could help provide a connection to
their home community. If you would like to send a card to two of our church family, we're sure they
would appreciate it! You must use only white envelopes with handwritten addresses- no sticky labels!
BEN FOWLER NA4780 301 Morea Rd., Frackville, PA 17932
FELINA BILLETDEAUX 0M9919 451 Fullerton Ave, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403-1238
Friends and
Family Update
On January 7th,
the Sacrament of
Baptism was
experienced by
Beau Hiroshi
Marchessault and
Ellie Kohana
Marchessault,
twin children of
Steven & Heather
Marchessault
Baptism
Barbara Buchholtz
January 24, 2018 ~ ~ ~ ~
Thomas Leeper
January 25, 2018 ~ ~ ~ ~
Margaret Alexander
January 29, 2018 ~ ~ ~ ~
Shirley McCreary
February 2, 2018
Gone to Heaven Audrey Brinton
8 Conestoga Dr
Apt 220
Lititz, PA 17543
~ ~ ~ ~
Matthew &
Stephanie Klein
250 Elm Street
Lancaster, PA
17603-3413
New Address
4
“Discovery Corner Preschool” Happenings
Love was in the air at DCP during the month of February! Stories of sharing, caring and
being kind to others was the theme. Valentine’s Day brought cards and candies to friends and
teachers. The happy faces of the children gave the day a special glow!
The annual Super Bowl sub sale was a great success thanks to our church family, friends
and preschool families. The preschool families sold more than 124 subs and purchased over 25
vouchers! This sub sale is a wonderful way for the families to take part in helping to earn money
for DCP. Congratulations to all on a job well done!
The children are once again able to exchange books in the library each week. Library time
is a time for a read-aloud story and to select a book to take home and share with their families.
At least once a month, Miss Marty, lead teacher in the three year old class, arranges for a
guest reader to come and share a story with the children. In February, Maylene Garret read a
story and shared with the students her many marathon medals she has won! It was a wonderful
way to introduce the idea of the Olympics to young learners. The three’s class also made
cardboard torches, and they held “bobsled” races down a sliding board with stuffed animals.
The two year old class, led by Miss Alice, has been busy learning about love, the color pink,
the number 6 and all about Valentine’s Day. Our Pre-K class, taught by Miss Mandee, has been
busy learning sight words, letters, numbers, and learning about the fruits of the spirit.
Discovery Corner Preschool is a great place to learn and to be with friends!
NEWS OF THE WORLD by Paulette Jiles (National Book Award Finalist—Fiction)
In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant
news reader agrees to transport a young captive of
the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely
rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of
historical fiction that explores the boundaries of
family, responsibility, honor, and trust.
In the wake of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle
Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live
readings from newspapers to paying audiences
hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who
has lived through three wars and fought in two of
them, the Captain enjoys his rootless, solitary
existence.
In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to
deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San
Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders
killed the child's parents; sparing the little girl, they
raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by
the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been
torn away from the only home she knows.
Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled
territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at
times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English
language, tries to escape at every opportunity,
throws away her shoes, and refuses to act “civilized.”
Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors
tentatively begin to trust each other, forming a bond
that marks the difference between life and death in
this treacherous land.
Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy
nor welcome. The captain must hand Johanna over
to an aunt and uncle she does not remember and
who regard her as an unwanted burden. A
respectable man, Captain Kidd is faced with a
terrible choice: abandon the girl to her fate or
become—in the eyes of
the law—a kidnapper
himself.
Come join the
conversation in the
Appenzeller Chapel
on Friday, March 16
at 9:30 AM!
Printed copies of our 2017 Annual Report are available at the
Welcome Center or you may access it online
at our website: www.engagegodfirst.org
5
PRAYER CIRCLES
Embracing Prayer Visually
Come join Brian Lehman in the art studio
on Sunday morning, March 11th during the
Sunday school hour (9:30-10:30) to extend your
prayer experience into a visual circle. No skills are
needed as the experience will involve nothing more
than cutting and pasting and a little thought about
the abstract elements of select scriptural references to
prayer. Participants can work in groups or
independently. While the session is an extension of
our 40 Days of Prayer, all adults are welcome to
participate. Bring your 40 Days of Prayer text to
reference. Email Brian Lehman at
to reserve a spot.
The first New Member Class for
2018, beginning Sunday,
April 8th from 9:30-10:30 a.m.,
is an Introduction to First
Church staff, members and
programs. On Saturday,
April 14th from 9 a.m. - noon,
Pastor Joe shares the Story of
Salvation and Understanding
the United Methodist Church.
The next day, Sunday April 15th
from 9:30 -10:30 a.m., Pastor
Eddie presents the Means of
Grace. The Ritual of
Membership will be
celebrated on Sunday,
April 22nd at the worship
service of your choice.
If you feel God leading you
to membership at First
Church, or if you have any
questions, feel free to contact
Pastor Joe or Katherine Spear
at 717-394-7231.
April 8 - April 14 - April 15
We can think of Lent as a time to eradicate evil or cultivate virtue, a time to pull up weeds or plant good seeds. Which is better is
clear, for the Christian ideal is always positive rather than negative. - Ven. Fulton J. Sheen
The Holy Land Pilgrimage January 2018
Bricks of mud and straw
In Cana, we saw a stone jar similar to
the ones where Jesus turned water
into wine at the wedding feast.
In Galilee, we visited Capharnrum
(Capernaum), the town from
which Jesus traveled, taught and
healed around the Sea of Galilee.
The apostle Peter lived in this
fishing town with his wife. Jesus
healed Peter’s mother-in-law here.
In Bethlehem we were dinner
guests in the homes of Palestinian
Christians who shared the
sufferings they are experiencing at
the hands of Israeli government. Touching the ancient stones at the Wailing
Wall, which supports the Western Wall of
the Temple Mount, energized our prayers.
The first stop was the UNESCO
wonder at Petra. Val Cifuni walks the path
leading to the spectacular Treasury.
In Jerusalem we walked the Via Dolorosa. On the crowded street, similar to the
packed streets during Passover in Jesus’ time, we prayed at the stations of the
cross amidst the merchant stands of the day. 6
Grateful for the
enriching pilgrimage:
(right to left)
Front- Pastor Joe,
Sue DiPaolo, Renee
Dolly, Delores Gareis,
Katherine Spear, Sandy
McCann, Barb Greiner,
Kate Beiler Toner,
Correen Russo, Anne
Griswold, Valerie Cifuni
Back– Sarah Young
Fisher, Danie Diehl, John
Gareis, Tim DiPaolo,
Rick McCann, Jeff
Greiner, Don Griswold,
Marc Russo
Talking with new friends who
left us with a hug and kiss.
Kate Beiler Toner and
Renee Dolly at the
Mediterranean Sea
Dramatically reading the story of Cornelius’
Christian conversion (Acts 10) on the
ancient & still used stage at Caesarea
Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee
Valerie Cifuni, Sarah Fisher and
Katherine Spear on camelback.
InsideOut Youth
30-Hour Fast
“Hunger Olympics” April 20 - 21
InsideOut Youth 30-Hour Fast is approaching! Our goal is to
raise awareness of hunger both outside our doorsteps and
worldwide. This year’s theme is “Hunger Olympics” in honor
of our recent Winter Olympics! Information about how
youth register and to volunteer will be on the church
website by mid-March and on the “Fast Table” in the
Gathering Place during April. Youth in 6th-12th grades may
participate! Youth are encouraged to pick a country to
represent and form a team of 4-6 participants. Or they can
wait to be assigned a country to represent on April 20.
Congregation involvement is encouraged in many ways!
Everyone is invited to join the “Break the Fast” Meal and
worship on Saturday, April 21 at 2:00 p.m. The Fast event
needs volunteers to help with set up and preparation
during the week prior and on Friday April 20; preparing
and serving the “break the fast” meal on April 21; and help
with clean up. As in the past, participants will seek
sponsors to raise funds for their fast. We will strive to reach
fun goals like last year, which will be announced in March!
On Sunday, April 22 from 9:30 am-12:30 pm, the groups will
be doing various service projects. Some ways we want to
serve include helping you to clean, assisting with yard or
house projects, or helping you with projects for your business
or organization. If a group comes out to help, you can
make a donation towards their fast! Donations raised this
year will support our Compassion Child, Iggy, from Rwanda
and another local non-profit. Contact Fast Coordinator
Kate Beiler Toner at 717-394-7231 ex 307 or
[email protected] if you are available to
help volunteer, donate, or with potential service projects.
Thank you for your support!
8
Youth Minister Kate Beiler Toner and some of the Youth Leadership will
attend “An Evening with Nadia Boltz- Weber” on Saturday, April 28 at
7:00 p.m. at Lampeter-Strasburg School's Performing Arts Center.
Nadia is a Lutheran pastor; a New York Times bestselling author; and
founding pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints, an Evangelical
Lutheran Church of America congregation in Denver, Colorado.
Heavily tattooed and often profane, she is someone who takes an unusual approach to church. She herself is
a recovering addict who has created a congregation that is open to those struggling with addiction, as well
as persons who are uncomfortable in traditional churches. Nadia will speak about her own faith journey and
her vision for the changing church. If you would like to go with the group, Kate will purchase tickets on
MARCH 11. Cost is $29/ticket. Please email Kate at [email protected] to reserve your ticket!
Future trip to think about... Bluefields, Nicaragua which will be a “Youth & Arts”
centered mission trip happening in early 2019!
More information will be released about the
trip and registration in the fall.
Our Youth Leadership has organized a mission trip
to Houston, Texas for Hurricane Harvey Relief with
the organization Praying Pelican Missions.
Thousands of homes had significant water
damage, displacing over 30,000 people. Not only
were homes damaged, but also businesses,
schools and more. Praying Pelican Missions has
worked hard to find church partners within the
Houston area to support them in long-term
efforts. They have opened multiple trip dates for
teams to come alongside these churches as they
serve their communities. First Church Youth has
reserved 10 youth spots and 4 adult spots for the
week of July 14-21! Teams will assist with cleanup,
clear out, and repair of water damaged homes,
as well as other projects identified by our partner
churches, and connecting and
caring for the people of the
community. Our group will do
fund raising for this trip; spots will
be first come, first serve with a
commitment by March 11.
Contact Trip Coordinator and
Youth Minister, Kate Beiler Toner
with questions at
or 717-394-7231.
9
11
In our previous articles we
reviewed the quest of the United
Methodist Church to create a
coherent identity since its creation
in 1968; we considered
demographic changes which have
transformed the UMC into a global
body; and we examined the
deepening divide between
traditionalists and progressives, over
the flashpoint issue of sexuality, and
the threat of schism. During the
2016 General Conference, schism
was averted by empowering our
bishops to find a way for the church
to retain its unity amid deep
disagreement. They appointed a
“Commission on a Way Forward,”
consisting of leaders from across
theological spectrum. This body has
recently completed its work, and its
final recommendations now reside
with the Council of Bishops. The
Bishops will decide by early May
what they will propose to the
special session of General
Conference, in February 2019. Their
proposal(s) must be formally
presented by July 8, but we may
know well before then.
So what may the future hold? Is
there a “Way Forward” for the
UMC? According to information
made public by the Way Forward
body, there are three possible
scenarios that could be proposed
by the bishops for adoption by the
2019 General Conference.
1) The Traditionalist Model
This plan would retain traditional
language and rules about marriage
and sexuality, and strengthen
measures to hold clergy and
congregations accountable to the
Book of Discipline. Individuals,
clergy, and congregations
(perhaps whole Annual
Conferences) could be allowed to
leave the denomination with their
property if they are unwilling to
abide by church teaching and
church law.
2) The Centrist (or “Local Option”)
Model
This plan would allow local
churches and clergy to decide
where they stood on human
sexuality. It would remove
traditional language and
disciplinary rules about marriage
and ordination, while also
incorporating protections for clergy
whose conscience would not
permit them to perform same-sex
weddings, or participate in
ordaining “self-avowed, practicing
homosexuals.”
3) The Multi Branch Model
This plan would restructure the
denomination to create two (or
more) “branches” within United
Methodism, along theological lines.
These would function separately
regarding conferences, episcopal
elections, appointments and
ordination, but still relate to each
other under a common umbrella of
bodies like UMCOR, the publishing
house, or the pension board.
There are problems with each.
Model 1 is essentially a continuation
of current policy, and has the votes;
but will it be enforced, as it has not
heretofore? Model 2 has been
proposed before with little support,
and appears (to many) to be a
recipe for chaos and conflict at the
local level. Model 3 requires a two-
thirds majority vote by the
delegates in 2019 AND by all
Annual Conferences afterward,
which is very hard to get. Add to
that the fact that the 2019
delegates could modify or even
reject all three options in favor of
something else. It is possible that no
consensus will be reached, and
nothing will be done.
So where does this leave us? Very
uncertain indeed! Now is the time
to pray for God to do something
unexpected, and to show us the
way forward.
THE DIS-UNITED METHODIST CHURCH? Part 5: Is There a Way Forward?
By Pastor Joe DiPaolo
United First
29 East Walnut Street
Lancaster PA 17602
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
LANCASTER PA PERMIT NO. 1223
Registration: 12:00 PM Egg Hunt: 1:00 PM
@ Musser Park 135 N Lime St, Lancaster
In case of rain, the Egg Hunt
will move indoors to First UMC
For children ages 3 - 5th grade