MARK YOUR CALENDAR

July 17 AB Men’s Breakfast

July 21 Pot-Luck Picnic & Cook-out

July 26-28 ABCOPAD Men’s Retreat

August 18 Cook-out

August 21 AB Men’s Breakfast

Adult Bible Study Sunday 9:15 a.m. led by Pastor Robert Men’s Breakfast every 3rd Wed of the month AB Men’s Retreat at Shippensburg, PA Choir & Women’s Bible study on summer break. ABW Meetings- will resume in September

Encouragement

Hebrews 10:24,25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good

deeds…Let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching”

In a recent home visit I was pleased to see in open display many cards and notes of encouragement to

the one whom I visited. They were daily visual reminders of the warmth, care and concern of others—

and it served to encourage. About a month ago I took initiative to speak with a neighbor and one

conversation led to another and we found we had a few things in common personally and

recreationally. Within a few days, my new neighbor friend surprised me by writing a hand written

note thanking me for listening and offering encouragement—I strained at first to know who it came

from—but nonetheless found myself encouraged by his thanking me for encouraging him. Who would

have a clue that a bit of effort and attention could have such impact?

A Methodist minister named William Stidger of Boston Massachusetts had fallen into a very deep

depression. During this time a wise friend had advised him to deal with the melancholia by reaching

out to others with a goal of encouraging them. Stidger sat down and began to recall benefits he had

received from other people—he soon thought of an English teacher that had touched and inspired him

for a number of years during adolescence. She had instilled in him a

love of poetry that had stayed with him his whole life. He pulled out

some stationary and wrote her a letter of thanks though he had not

seen her in many years.

He received a rapid reply, she wrote: “My dear Willie.” That helped

him immediately for no one in the world still called him that. “My

dear Willie, I cannot tell you how much your note meant to me. I am

in my eighties, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals,

feeling rather lonely, like the last leaf in autumn. You will be

interested to know that having taught school for fifty years yours is the

first note of appreciation I ever received. It came on a blue-cold

morning and it cheered me as nothing has in many months.”

A nearly tangible brightness entered William Stidger’s heart as he read

those words. It evaporated part of the fog of his own spiritual

lethargy, and he then began to write words of encouragement to

other people. During the process, his interest in ministry was re-

invigorated because he took the initial step to encourage others.

Bible Scholar William Barclay calls encouragement the highest human duty. It’s so easy to dampen… to

find fault…to be critical. The old poem says it so well.

I watched them tearing a building down,’

A gang of men in a busy town.

With a ho-heave-ho and a lusty yell

They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.

I asked the foreman, “Are those men as skilled,

As the men you’d hire if you had to build?”

He laughed and said, “Oh no, indeed!

Just a common labor is all I need.

I can easily wreck in a day or two

What builders have taken years to do.”

It takes skill and planning and forethought to build—not much tear down—a wrecking ball and a

permit. Is my life more like a wrecking ball or a construction crew? Encouragement is a fundamental

virtue—providing needed oxygen to breathless and tired souls. So I encourage us all to be profuse in

the gift of encouragement. It might give someone the hope and courage needed to move forward.

He encouraged me to tell you!

“Linger Longer” Please stay!

for coffee and snacks or meals, good conversation,

for church growth, for fellowship. All but the last Sunday of the month we hold a food & fellowship gathering after

worship. If you would like to host a Linger Longer, please see sign-up sheet.

Please see sign-up sheet to be a host/hostess for this event.

Linger Longer

hosts needed!

Linger Longer Hosts

7/7 All Congregational

7/14

7/21 Cook-out/Picnic weather permitting

8/4 All Congregational

8/11

8/18 Cook-out weather permitting

Volunteers Needed!

Children’s Message 5th Sunday /month

&

Sound System during worship

See Nancy Wheeler

AB Men’s Breakfast

Join us the third Wednesday each

month at 9:30 am for a casual

men’s breakfast at Bob Evan’s on

Centerville Road.

International Ministries, also known as the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, works cross-culturally to invite people to become disciples of Jesus Christ and to proclaim, through both word and deed, God's reign of justice, peace

and abundant life for all creation.

May 21, 2019 marked an

important anniversary for

International Ministries (IM).

On this date, we celebrated 205

years of God’s amazing

provision and faithfulness!

For over two centuries,

through your generosity and

stewardship, God has made it

possible for IM and our global

servants to respond to God’s

call to cross-cultural ministry.

We are humbled to be carrying

on this rich American Baptist

heritage that continues to be so

vibrant today.

https://www.internationalmini

stries.org/

Bill Clemmer Interviewed by CBS News

on Ebola Crisis in Eastern DRC

International Ministries (IM) has received

word that IM global servant Dr. Bill Clemmer

was recently interviewed by a team from the

CBS Evening News. The news agency is

currently reporting on the outbreak of the

Ebola virus in the eastern Democratic

Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Dr. Clemmer and his wife Ann, has served through

International Ministries for more than 25 years

providing medical care in some of the most challenging

situations and circumstances in the world.

He is currently serving with IM’s partner IMA World

Health, leading an international team of doctors,

nurses, and technical personnel responding to the

second-deadliest Ebola outbreak in history. Medical

response is greatly complicated by the breakdown of

trust in government and international institutions and

the activity of numerous armed militia groups, which

has included violent attacks targeting medical

personnel engaged in the containment of the virus and

treatment of patients.

This April armed men in civilian clothes burst into a

conference room of The Clinic University Gr aben, a

Catholic teaching hospital in Butembo , the epicenter of

the Ebola zone. The hospital ’s Ebola outreach team was

giving a report to Dr. Richard Mouzoko, a World Health

Organization epidemiologist from Cameroon

coordinating the Ebola response in the area. The

gunmen forced everyone on the floor, took their

belongings and accused them of perpetuating false

rumors about Ebola. When they departed, the intruders

shot the doctor in the abdomen. They discharged their

weapons as they went through the hospita l , causing

patients and staff to flee or go into hiding. Dr. Mouzoko

died of his wounds a short time later.

Dr. Clemmer, who is leading the IMA World Health Ebola response in the region,

visited the hospital shortly after the attack and talked to staff, who expressed

fear and discouragement. “A lab technician told us, ‘Ebola is not only killing its

victims, but threatening our very way of life and crippling health services, ’” he

said. “As long as health care workers face threats to their very lives for

associating or collaborating with the Ebola response, we face an uphill battle to

bring this outbreak under control.”

Ebola treatment facilities are increasingly becoming targets for violent attacks by

groups who claim that Ebola is not real or that the di sease is an invention of

foreigners to decimate the local population. Not only are health workers at risk

but also local residents who cooperate with the Ebola response teams. The

attacks come as Ebola cases in Congo are surging. Last week, 103 new infect ions

were reported, the highest since the outbreak was declared in August 2018. To

date there have been 1,300 confirmed and probable cases, with 843 deaths,

making this Ebola crisis the second-worst in history.

Clemmer is safe and IM continues to be in regular contact with him while closely

monitoring the situation. IM encourages churches, friends and supporters to

pray fervently for the Clemmers and others engaged in ministry and to share

news and concern for the Clemmers with sensitivity to the safety and security

issues surrounding their work.

.

Vince and I would like to thank all of

you who sent birthday and get well

cards to Vince. He is starting to turn

around and things are a little better

although he still isn’t eating much.

Chemo and radiation will begin

sometime in July.

Kathy

Our next ABW meetings are:

All Westgate ladies are invited to attend our meetings and events. American Baptist Women In June the ladies of Westgate ABW completed their Mother’s and Father’s day community project. We took father’s day gifts to the men at Oak Leaf North on June 13th. A few of the ladies went to Quarryville to visit Ray Weaver and deliver a gift to him also and a few went to Homestead Village to visit Harry McCandless, whose wife, Margaret is a member, and Gill Benson, who was a former member of our church. We will not be having any further meetings until September. Thank you, Kathy Liebel, Secretary

Birthdays & Anniversaries for July & August

65th Annua l ABMOPAD Men and Young Men 's Retreat Fr i d ay , J u l y 26 – Su nday , J u l y 28 , 20 19 Sh i p p en sbu r g Un i v e r s i t y S h i p p en sbu r g , PA

I f y ou h av e q u es t i on s , p l e a se s ee i n f o & r eg i s t r a t i o n p a cke t s i n t h e l i t e r a t u r e r a ck , s p e ak w i t h P a s t o r Ro b e r t o r Bud Ru s t .

Anniversaries

JULY

7/12/1970 Rev. Len & Shirley Lewis

7/18/2019 Baster & Emelia Bossman

7/23/1966 Richard & Barbara Adams

7/23/2016 Htee Bwee & Saw Htoo

AUGUST

8/11/1973 Eric & Sue Seevers

Birthdays

JULY

7/4 Eric Seevers

7/7 Kathy Liebel

7/15 Lianda Lafontant

Sandy Eby

John Hessen

7/23 Carol Proper

7/27 Sandy Dour

Christine Zelem

7/29 Emmanuella Tebie

AUGUST

8/5 James Yost

8/9 Duke Gabriel

8/10 Rev. Roy Johnsen

8/12 Victoria Guntz

Rev. Len Lewis

8/13 Bud Rust

8/16 Brandon Young Ferris

8/17 Shirley Lewis

8/19 Phillip Eby

Will Thamavong

8/27 Rev. Bob McGrath

8/31 CJ Saylor

July & August Greeter

Kathy Liebel-July

Marie Mohn- August

Sound Engineer

TBD- help needed

Communion Coordinator

Richard Adams- July

Nancy Wheeler- August

Ushers’ Schedule

7/7 Jess Crookshank & Dan Chure

7/14 Snow Bell & Bill Hannum

7/21 Ruth & John Hessen

7/28 Richard Adams & Marie Mohn

8/4 Jess Crookshank & Snow Bell

8/11 Kathy Liebel & Dan Chure

8/18 John & Ruth Hessen

8/25 Emelia Bossman & Blaine Proper

Counters’ Schedule

7/7 Richard Adams & John Hessen

7/14 Richard Adams & John Hessen

7/21 Cindy Ferris & Janet Whitehead

7/28 Ruth Hannum & Marie Mohn

8/4 Richard Adams & John Hessen

8/11 Cindy Ferris & Janet Whitehead

8/18 Ruth Hannum & Marie Mohn

8/25 Rachel Stump & Scott …

Nursery

7/7 Gertrude Mokua

7/14 Cindy Ferris

7/21 Gertrude Mokua

7/28 Ruth Hessen

8/4 Gertrude Mokua

8/11 Rachel Stump

8/18 Gertrude Mokua

8/25 Ruth Hessen

Children’s Message

7/7 Marie Mohn

7/14 Cindy Ferris

7/21 Ruth Hannum

7/28 Pastor Robert

8/4 Marie Mohn

8/11 Rachel Stump

8/18 Ruth Hannum

8/25 Pastor Robert

.

Children’s Church

7/7 Sarah Tebie & Marcella Dupes

7/14 Christine Zelem & Emelia Bossman

7/21 Ivy Sweigart & Summer Guntz

7/28 Christine Zelem & Kayleen Martin

8/4 Sarah Tebie & Janet Whitehead

8/11 Christine Zelem & Emelia Bossman

8/18 Ivy Sweigart & Summer Guntz

8/25 Christine Zelem & Kayleen Martin

Music Notes Our CHOIR is on break for

the Summer.

See Amy Y. if you would like to join the choir.

Thank you !

Marie Mohn,

Nancy Crookshank, Sue Seevers and

Betty Shermer for your help with producing

the directory this year!

El isa

Nancy Wheeler needs Sunday help

with the Sound System. Please let her know if

you can volunteer your time

regularly or on occasion.

Please note: Vacation & Family coming to visit

July 3-11; my office schedule will be different.

Please call me Monday, July 1st if you need something.

Thank you, Elisa

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Communion Sunday 9:15AM Sunday School 10:15AM Worship 11:30AM Linger Longer

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

9:15AM Sunday School 10:15AM Worship 11:30AM Linger Longer

9:00AM AB Men’s Breakfast

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

9:15AM Sunday School 10:15AM Worship 11:30AM Linger Longer

Picnic/Cook-out

AB MEN’S

RETREAT

28 29 30 31

9:15AM Sunday School 10:15AM Worship

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Communion Sunday 9:15AM Sunday School 10:15AM Worship 11:30AM Linger Longer

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

9:15AM Sunday School 10:15AM Worship 11:30AM Linger Longer

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

9:15AM Sunday School 10:15AM Worship 11:30AM Linger Longer

Cook-out

9:00AM AB Men’s Breakfast

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

9:15AM Sunday School 10:15AM Worship