Pine Street Life - July 2010

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Check us out on the web at www.pinestreet.org Pine Street Life Kids On A Lifelong Adventure Volume 30, Issue 7 July 1, 2010 Inside is Issue Session Notes 2 Financial Update 2 Photo Directory 3 Adult Ed in July 4 DDB 7 Church News 8 2010 Grads 10 July Scripture 11 July Calendar 12 Confirmation To Focus On Building Life-long Faith by Rev. Alex Lang Many of you know that I grew up in Fredericksburg, VA. My mother’s family has lived in Fredericksburg for the better part of 200 years. We have deep roots in the history of the town and my family is steeped in the southern traditions passed down for generations. One of these traditions is our association with the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg. My family has been members of the church since its inception (See Confirmation on page 7) Starting this fall, Children and Family Ministries will be launching a brand new program entitled, “KOALA Club” which stands for “Kids on a Lifelong Adventure.” e concept of KOALA Club is to provide a weekly program specifically designed for children in grades 1-5 that will build their excitement about coming to church. It will be held on Wednesday nights and will run approximately 75 minutes. (See Koala Club on page 6) Launching Our Kids on a Lifelong Adventure! By Courtney Lang Caring Ministry takes new DireCtion by Dr. Russell Sullivan, Pastor God is at work in interesting ways at Pine Street to move us deeper into caring and loving one another. Two initiatives are underway now that we hope will bear fruit and grow our congregation as a caring and loving community. Initiative #1: Stephen Ministry In August 2009, if you remember, Robert Daub, Carol Mader, Judy Hall, Jane Edgar Freet, and I traveled to Pittsburgh to be trained as Stephen Leaders in a system of caring, Stephen Ministry. Stephen Ministry is a way of extending the compassion and love of Christ to people who are facing tough times and the ordinary challenges of life. Some of those challenges include the loss of a loved one, hospitalization, divorce or separation, aging, chronic illness, unemployment or a job crisis, and many more. Your pastors are always on the front-line with many of these situations, but there are always more needs for one-to-one care than pastors can effectively meet by themselves. Hence, Stephen Ministry! Stephen Ministers are lay members of the congregation who have gifts for Changes at PSL by Dr. Russell Sullivan Pine Street Life has been a creative instrument of communication in the life of our congregation for a long time. Our monthly newsletter is chock-full each month with news, articles, and daily scripture readings. It keeps us connected to each other and reveals (See Changes on page 2) caregiving. ey receive 50 hours of training in providing emotional and spiritual care. ey listen, pray, and give spiritual support, meeting weekly with their care receivers, for as long as there is a need. When the leaders came back from Pittsburgh, they began the work of building a Stephen Ministry for Pine (See Ministry on page 4) PSL deadline Articles and items of interest for the August issue of Pine Street Life are due by July 15, 2010. Please e-mail to Sue Black at [email protected]

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Transcript of Pine Street Life - July 2010

Page 1: Pine Street Life - July 2010

Check us out on the web at www.pinestreet.org

Pine Street Life

KidsOnA LifelongAdventure

Volume 30, Issue 7

July 1, 2010

Inside This IssueSession Notes . . . . . . . .2Financial Update . . . . .2Photo Directory . . . . . .3Adult Ed in July . . . . .4DDB . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Church News . . . . . . . .82010 Grads . . . . . . . .10July Scripture . . . . . . .11July Calendar . . . . . . .12

Confirmation To Focus On Building Life-long Faith

by Rev. Alex Lang

Many of you know that I grew up in Fredericksburg, VA. My mother’s family has lived in Fredericksburg for the better part of 200 years. We have deep roots in the history of the town and my family is steeped in the southern traditions passed down for generations. One of these traditions is our association with the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg. My family has been members of the church since its inception (See Confirmation on page 7)

Starting this fall, Children and Family Ministries will be launching a brand new program entitled, “KOALA Club” which stands for “Kids on a Lifelong Adventure.” The concept of KOALA Club is to provide a weekly program specifically designed for children in grades 1-5 that will build their excitement about coming to church. It will be held on Wednesday nights and will run approximately 75 minutes. (See Koala Club on page 6)

Launching Our Kids on a Lifelong Adventure!By Courtney Lang

Caring Ministry takes new DireCtion by Dr. Russell Sullivan, Pastor

God is at work in interesting ways at Pine Street to move us deeper into caring and loving one another. Two initiatives are underway now that we hope will bear fruit and grow our congregation as a caring and loving community.

Initiative #1: Stephen Ministry In August 2009, if you remember, Robert Daub,

Carol Mader, Judy Hall, Jane Edgar Freet, and I traveled to Pittsburgh to be trained as Stephen Leaders in a system of caring, Stephen Ministry. Stephen Ministry is a way of extending the compassion and love of Christ to people who are facing tough times and the ordinary challenges of life. Some of those challenges include the loss of a loved one, hospitalization, divorce or separation, aging, chronic illness, unemployment or a job crisis, and many more. Your pastors are always on the front-line with many of these situations, but there are always more needs for one-to-one care than pastors can effectively meet by themselves. Hence, Stephen Ministry! Stephen Ministers are lay members of the congregation who have gifts for

Changes at PSLby Dr. Russell

Sullivan

Pine Street Life has been a creative instrument of communication in the life of our congregation for a long time. Our monthly newsletter is chock-full each month with news, articles, and daily scripture readings. It keeps us connected to each other and reveals

(See Changes on page 2)

caregiving. They receive 50 hours of training in providing emotional and spiritual care. They listen, pray, and give spiritual support, meeting weekly with their care receivers, for as long as there is a need. When the leaders came back from Pittsburgh, they began the work of building a Stephen Ministry for Pine

(See Ministry on page 4)

PSL deadlineArticles and items of interest for the August issue of Pine Street Life are due by July 15, 2010. Please e-mail to Sue Black at

[email protected]

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Volume 30, Issue 7Page 2

Session Notes

Gave permission for Music at Pine Street to send a single letter to the congregation and friends, asking for support of the 2010 – 2011 concert series .

Approved a recommendation

from the Personnel Committee that Ms. Cheryl Goode’s title be changed from Director of Family and Lay Ministry to Director of Children and Family Ministry, with no change in the job description or compensation .

Approved the appointment

of Steven H. Neiman as public relations consultant to the Communications Team, beginning in June 2010, to assist in the team’s mandated intensive work for the remainder of this year .

PINE STREET BUILDING TURNS 150 ON JULY 22 by Kenneth C. Hays

Two years and two months to the date of the founding of Pine Street Church, the building was completed and dedicated. Three services of dedication were held on July 22, 1860. The Reverend P. D. Gurley, D.D., of Washington D. C. preached in the morning and afternoon. The Reverend N. C. Burt, D.D., of Baltimore preached in the evening.

The session selected Luther M. Simon of Harrisburg as the architect and determined that the building was to be “pure Gothic in style and built of limestone.” The 105 by 82 foot lot cost $10,700.00 and the church building cost $14,255.41. The smaller north tower was added at the last minute for a cost of $1,239.59 bringing the total cost to $26,195.00.

It was reported that the congregation “had the great joy of dedicating the church edifice to the worship of the Triune God.” It was further reported that “it was a day of joy and an occasion of public interest. Several churches in the city closed their houses of worship so that their members could participate in the services.”

It is important to remember that Pine Street’s original building was never torn down. It was greatly expanded and remodeled, particularly in 1875 and in 1925. When you are viewing the exterior of the sanctuary, you are seeing the original limestone up to the eaves of the lower roof. The two towers are also original.

What a great heritage we have in our 150 year old church building! x

Oldest known photo of Pine Street, c. 1870. Pine Street Archives .

If you are interested in learning more about Pine Street’s 150-year history, copies of A Birthplace and Nursery to Multitudes of Souls by Susan Meehan are available at theWelcome Center.

Changes continued from page 1

to all who read it that we are an active congregation in mission to our community and the world. For what PSL has accomplished, we owe a debt of gratitude to Shelly Stallsmith. Shelly re-designed PSL’s look several years ago, and she brought a professional touch to the editing and writing of our newsletter. Shelly has resigned as our editor, and we thank her deeply for her service to the church and its ministry.

Our new editor will be Sue Black. Sue brings deep experience in designing all kinds of communications. She has served on our 150th Anniversary Committee, the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee, and our website re-design team. We look forward to her contribution as editor of Pine Street Life.

We are blessed at Pine Street with talented members who give so much so that Christ’s light shines through us to the world. All the good work of our congregation occurs because of such gifted people like Shelly and Sue who give of themselves. Blessings on both of them! x

Financial Picture for July

Thanks to all of you who are current with your pledges . May left us with a deficit of $26,118 . In order to continue to pay our bills in a timely fashion we need a higher level of giving than is normal for the summer . E-tithing your pledge greatly helps us financially weather the dryer months . If you are interested in E-tithing, the forms can be found both in the gathering place and on our website . Peace, Diana

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New Photo Directory

by Andy Gray

The Pine Street Directory gets into full swing this week with the unveiling of the link to schedule your own appointments, and more importantly, the actual dates for photo sessions.

• July sessions are open on the 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st

• August sessions are open on the 24th and 25th.

• Photo sessions are available from 2:30 pm until 9:00 pm Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm.

If you are unable to attend either session, you may book a session at your local JC Penney for no fee, and you will still receive the free 8x10. Please contact Andy Gray ([email protected] or 717-350-5000) if you are choosing to have your photo taken at JC Penney so he can coordinate this with LifeTouch.

The link to schedule your own session follows:https://www.appointment-plus3.com/ap/pinestreetpresbyterianharrisburgpa/index.php?page=10

For those who do not wish to schedule their own session, or do not have access to a computer to do so, we are hosting sign up sessions in Fellowship Hall on July 4, 11 and 18 after both services. Directions for scheduling your own session are available on pinestreet.org as well! x

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Ministrycontinued from page 1

Street and training a team of Stephen Ministers. On June 20 we commissioned some outstanding people as Stephen Ministers: Courtney Lang, Margaret Mielke, Bonnie Peckham, Marty Gruver, Sarah Pearce, and Heather Sigler. They have already begun the work of ministering within our church. Let’s keep them and their care receivers in our thoughts and prayers. And something else we can all do. If you — or someone you know — could benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister, please call me or our Associate Pastor, Alex Lang, or any of our Stephen Leaders, whose names appear on the brochure in the Gathering Place beside the Stephen Ministry Banner. We look forward to extending the love and care of this ministry to many people.

Initiative #2: A Renewed Deacon MinistryOur Board of Deacons has also embarked on a journey

to discover greater ways of caring. Deacon ministry is one of the busiest and important ministries in our congregation. In addition to managing worship each Sunday, each deacon has been assigned a zone in the church to care for the members who live in the zone through visits, cards, or phone calls or who may require special care from time to time. It’s been obvious for several years that the zone ministry has not been as effective in delivering care as we would like. To enhance the ministry of caring — the first priority of deacons — the Deacons have taken the bold step of eliminating the zone plan for administering care. Instead, the Deacons have organized their caring work into three teams:

1) Hospitality Team – This team will reach out to Sunday morning visitors to welcome them and to invite them to return. Alex Lang will support the work of this team.

2) Congregational Care Team – This team will develop and implement of ministry of care to members of our congregation to include but not limited to college students, the homebound, the bereaved, and the hospitalized. I will support the work of this team.

3) Community Care Team – This ministry will develop and implement a ministry of care to our community and could include things such as a health ministry, CROP walk, and a community blood drive. Both and Alex and I will together serve as liaisons to this team.

In addition to these teams, the Deacons will continue to administer the Cremonesi Fund and serve as needed

My great hope is that

through these two initiatives we will begin a renaissance

of care for our congregation

and community.

on sessional program committees. My great hope is that through these two initiatives we will begin a renaissance of care for our congregation and community. Please feel free to share your thoughts and concerns about these new ventures. I think that we are traveling in the spirit of Paul the Apostle when he wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) When we care like this, we become a sacrament to the healing power of Christ in the lives of people. If you feel called of God to be an agent of healing and care, I’d love to know. The more we have engaged in this loving enterprise, the healthier we will be as a congregation. x

SUMMER ADULT EDUCATIONOPPORTUNITIES

Sunday mornings in July bring some great adult education classes at 9:40 am in the Fellowship Hall:

July 4 – Overview of our new and exciting Stephen Ministry presented by our Stephen Leader team.

July 11 – Christianity and the Religions Dr. Sullivan will teach on the topic of and raise some important topics that we face daily: how do we affirm the uniqueness of Christ within a religiously diverse world? Is there only one way to God? How will God deal with followers of other faiths? And why is interfaith dialogue so important?

July 18 – Report on youth mission trip to Chicago. Come out and hear our youth tell about their experiences in the inner city, their work with the homeless and underprivileged children, and the literacy project that will bring great benefits to the children they will serve.

July 25 – The Shack. All-time favorite, Lee Barrett, Professor of Theology at Lancaster Theological Seminary, will examine with us the popular novel The Shack. If you haven’t read it yet, get a copy. The Shack is a about a man who has suffered a tragic and cruel loss and his encounter with God. You’ll come away with questions about the Trinity and suffering that Lee will try to answer. Don’t miss this interesting class!

On Monday evenings, July 12, 19, and 26, Dr. Ted Davis, Professor of the History of Science at Messiah College, will continue his series of fascinating lectures on Science and the Bible. On June 28 his talk focused on scientific or “young earth” creationism. On July 12 he will present the view known as “old earth” or “progressive” creationism. On July 19 his presentation will zero in on theistic evolution, and on July 26 he will lecture on intelligent design. His lectures will give us insight into the various ways Christians have viewed the relationship between science and the Bible. x

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The Mission Possible Fund

The Mission Committee created what we call the “Mission Possible Fund” in the fall of 2009. Money that is placed in this fund is used to support PSPC mission efforts. The material for the Haiti school bag project was paid for through money in this fund. Other new projects can be started (local projects and outbound projects) without worrying “where the money will come from” if we continue to build up this fund. And perhaps we can again help financially support missioners on outbound mission trips.

Several people have donated to get the fund started, but the funds are quickly running out. Last fall session approved a ‘fundraising’ plan to keep this fund growing – volunteering at HersheyPark and the Giant Center. I have been looking for someone to coordinate the program for Pine Street and have not found anyone willing to get it started. So I’ve decided to do it myself and see if I can keep it going – nothing ventured, nothing gained. I certainly will appreciate hearing that someone in the

congregation has decided to respond to that call and I’ll gladly step aside (offering to help when the need arises)!!! Let me explain how the program will work.

Volunteering at “The Sweetest Place on Earth”

Each month the coordinators for dozens of non-profit organizations are notified by someone at Herco (Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Co.) of days and shifts when volunteers are needed to ‘work’ at HersheyPark or during events at the Giant Center in Hershey. Most volunteers are needed during peak times and when high school and college students (working for minimum wage) are not available to work. August is often a high need month since the Park is still open daily and some college and

MISSION POSSIBLE Fund Creates New Volunteer Opportunitiesby Deb Olson

high school students are no longer able or willing to work. I will be the contact person to receive those dates. I will then forward that information to anyone who has indicated the desire to be a volunteer for our program. The volunteers must then contact me as to what shift(s) they want to work and I’ll contact the proper person at Herco. It all works on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. So the quicker we respond, the more likely the shift(s) will be open to our volunteers.

Win-WinThe volunteers do not get

paid – the organization they represent gets the money. Pine Street’s Mission Possible Fund will get $5.85 for each hour that a Pine Street representative volunteers. The volunteer will leave after the completed shift with at least one voucher for future admission to HersheyPark or Dutch Wonderland (the volunteer chooses). Some shifts enable the volunteer to get two or three vouchers for the specific shift worked. So PSPC gets money for mission projects and the volunteers get vouchers for HersheyPark or Dutch

Wonderland – a WIN-WIN, don’t you think?

Volunteers need to be 18 years or older (unless the volunteer is 17 and has graduated from high school already). I have applied for our volunteers to be able to volunteer in 1) food and beverage, 2) usher, 3) retail, 4) games. Most likely we will work in food and beverage – this is the area most in need of volunteers. PSPC members, friends, and relatives are able to volunteer for our group.

We need your help to move forward with local, national and international mission projects. Pine Street Church, the Carlisle Presbytery, and the Synod of the Trinity are all dealing with decreasing financial contributions. With this volunteer program Pine Street’s mission efforts could become self-sustaining through the Mission Possible Fund. WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!! For more information e-mail me at [email protected] or call me at 533-4548. Thanks. x

In Isaiah, Luke and many other places in the Bible we are charged to help the poor, the widow, feed the hungry. . .So many ways we can serve our Lord. But many of our mission efforts require money, and many of us are unable or unwilling to give more money for more mission projects.

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Koala clubContinued from page 1

Cheryl Goode, Alexander Lang, and Courtney Lang have been collaborating together to design this program, which will provide a venue for children to have a great time at church playing games and building friendships, while also deepening their knowledge of Scripture and the teachings of the church. In recent months, Cheryl, Alex, and Courtney have been developing the key elements of the program, including brainstorming games and developing the program’s core curriculum, a Bible verse memorization handbook.

Here is a snapshot of what an evening at KOALA Club will look like:

Play!The evening will begin with a game

time. No specific skills are required and the games are designed so that all ages can actively participate on behalf of their team. Throughout the course of the game time, the teams will play several different games, which help build cooperation and teamwork. Points will be awarded not only for

success in the game, but for team spirit. With a repertoire of about twenty different games, each week will provide the opportunity to play some new and different games that the kids will enjoy.

Learn! Following game time is a short handbook time in which

kids will study and recite bible verses from a curriculum of key bible verses. All students will have the opportunity to briefly study, memorize and recite one-on-one with an adult leader. Successfully reciting a verse earns students both personal incentives and team incentives, including points for their team for that evening. For those students who excel at memorization, they can come prepared ahead of time to recite multiple verses.

Sing!The last component of the evening concludes with a

short singing time with fun kid songs, followed by a group lesson, similar to a children’s sermon. At the end of the evening, a team winner will be declared based on the results of the points awarded in game time and handbook time. Personal awards will also be given for milestones reached by the students in handbook memorization.

How You Can HelpOver the course of the summer, we look forward to

sharing further details with you regarding KOALA Club. For now, we ask your prayers as we continue to develop the program. We also ask that you begin thinking about children in your life who might enjoy participating, whether kids, grandkids, neighbors or friends. Finally, please consider your own personal participation. We have already begun to identify some of our needs for the program (i.e., building/construction needs and sewing needs) and would greatly appreciate volunteers with these skills to help us over the summer in creating the program materials. Come fall, we will be looking for volunteers to assist with the Wednesday night program.

Thank you for sharing in our excitement for this new adventure for the children of Pine Street. If you would like any further information, feel free to contact Cheryl Goode or Alexander Lang in the church office. x

Pine Street Life (USPS 574-510) is published monthly by Pine Street Presbyterian Church, 310 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101.Periodicals Postage paid at Harrisburg, PA 17105.Postmaster: Send address changes to Pine Street Life, Pine Street Presbyterian Church, 310 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101.

Happy 4th of July!

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For the past several weeks, I’ve been seeing one of our DDB clients walking along Route 11/15 when I drive home from work. Today I saw him at DDB and asked if it indeed was he whom I spotted on the bypass. He told me that it was. Tom (not his real name) told me that he was walking home from his job at the West Shore Country Club. He said that he had been working there for a few weeks as a dish washer. “I know

what it is to be homeless,” he said, “and I don’t like it. I’ve gotten two paychecks already, and it feels really good.” Tom said that he liked his employer and was glad that he could eat some meals at the club. He grinned as he told me that it was in the DDB office that he first called the club manager, and there that he later had the phone interview.

Noting that I saw Tom walking on some very hot days for what must have been 10 miles, I suggested that he check on the possibility of taking the DDB van to/from work. I made a mental note to look into that option for him. Nevertheless, one “feel good” story like Tom’s put a little spark in my step. I hope that as Tom moves forward, he will have a little spark in his step too. x

by Elaine Strokoff

Youth Fundraiser A Stunning Success By Sue Black

What do you get when you take 7 enthusiastic teenagers, 2 tireless cooks, 40 generous donors, a dozen capable adults, 18 lbs. of spaghetti, 150 hungry Pine Streeters (and friends), 1 mandolin player and bring them all together on a beautiful evening in May? You get a stunningly successful fundraiser that raised $6,000 for youth mission.

Thank you to everyone who helped with our Italian Bistro Night featuring a Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction on May 1. Because of your generosity, more money was raised than is required for this trip, so it will be able to fund future youth mission experiences.

On July 27 Teddy Guenin, Lydia Black, Paul Devey, Sean Devey, Chelsea Hartman, Lara Sullivan, and Maddie Seefeldt , accompanied by Alex Lang, Justin Bruce and Alison Seefeldt will leave for their week-long trip to Center for Student Missions in Chicago. Please keep them in your prayers as they embark on this exciting trip. x

Chicago Trip Participants: Teddy Guenin, Lydia Black, Paul Devey, Sean Devey, Chelsea Hartman, Lara Sullivan, Maddie Seefeldt

Confirmation cont’d from page 1

in the early 1800’s. Therefore, when my turn came to become a member in 1993 at the age of 13, I was following in the traditions of my ancestors. I dutifully attended the confirmation class beginning in the fall of my 7th grade year and stood before the congregation in the spring, professing my faith in Jesus Christ. There was only one small problem: I had no idea what I was professing to believe.

You see, I had no real desire to be confirmed in the church. I did not understand why confirmation was important or what I was professing to believe. All I knew was my mother wanted me to be confirmed and, being the good southern boy that I was, I obeyed what my mother told me to do. Many years later when I became cognizant of what the Christian faith professed to believe, I realized that I agreed with almost none of it. I also came to realize that many of my friends were in the same boat. They too had done confirmation at the behest of their parents and, now free of their parents’ direction, had abandoned the church. Of the 20 or so people who were confirmed in my 7th grade class, only 4 have remained active in the church. In retrospect, I now understand that confirmation, from the point

(See Faith on page 8)

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Long-time member and former Seminary Intern Lorrie Cooney will be joining her husband, Robert, in Syracuse, NY where he has accepted a position at Upstate Medical University overseeing its surgery department. For the past 7 months Lorrie has been working at the Camp Hill DOC as a chaplain. She hopes to continue that type of work in NY. We wish Lorrie and her family all the best!

Baptisms June 6, 2010

Maxwell Robert Sastre, infant son of Jaclyn and

Jose Sastre.

Weddings May 8, 2010

Kaitlin Hartzell and Thomas Vaughn

May 29, 2010 Lauren Shontz and

Justin Bruce

FuneralsMay 29, 2010 Nellie Miller

Nellie was a member of Pine Street for

over 60 years.

Faith cont’d from page 7

of view of my parents, was a lot less about belief and a lot more about a rite of passage — something that one does at a certain age regardless of what you believe.

For a long time I assumed that the reason my parents viewed confirmation as a rite of passage as opposed to an affirmation of faith was because of southern tradition. Tradition is very important to southerners and if everyone in your family is Christian, then you will be Christian by default. It wasn’t until I started studying religion that I realized confirmation as rite of passage is not isolated to the South — such a mentality is conventional to almost all mainline denominations. In effect, the modus operandi

of mainline churches is to have youth confirmed into membership prior to high school because high school is where church becomes less of a priority. In the past, because church was an important component

of American society, the church could expect those young people to eventually reemerge when they wanted to find a spouse or had children of their own. However, due to the secular cultural shift of the last 40

years where the church has lost prominence, we retain less than 20 percent of the youth who are confirmed in the church. In other words, 80 percent of the youth who are confirmed as members in the church prior to high school will never set foot in a church again after they graduate from high school.

Obviously, even though I rejected the teachings of Christianity in my late teens and early 20’s, I am now part of the remnant that has returned to the church. Over the last 7 years, I have worked in churches that have clung to this antiquated model of confirmation only to see the size of their congregations slowly diminish. I do not want to see our youth confirmed into the church only to have them abandon the church when they

graduate from high school. Therefore, I have proposed a new confirmation model that was approved by session as a joint motion from the CNE and Evangelism Committee.

A New ModelThis new model for

confirmation begins with a very basic assumption: confirmation is not a rite of passage, but an affirmation of Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. This assumption leads us to some very important conclusions about how confirmation should be conducted from this point onward. First, although there are some youth in 7th, 8th or 9th grade who have the cognitive ability to wrap their minds around the

(See Model on next page)

80 percent of the youth who are

confirmed as members in the church prior to

high school will never set foot in a church

again after they graduate from high

school

Congratulations to Rebekah Anderson who has been awarded a scholarship by the Pennsylvania Regional Ballet for summer intensive training. Next year she will be in the performing company.

If you have any news items to share with our church family,

please forward them to Sue Black at

bl3col@aol .com

John Anderson is performing this summer with the West Shore Youth Band, conducted by Larry Vittone. Performances are scheduled at Bethany Village and the New Cumberland Apple Festival. For more info check out their web site at

http://www.wsyouthband.org/schedule.asp

News From Our Church Family

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Model cont’d from previous page

material, many are not developmentally advanced enough to deal with the abstract concepts of the Christian faith. I know for me personally, I was unable to really begin pondering these concepts in a fruitful manner until my junior year of high school. Developmental psychologists affirm that between the ages of 16 and 18 is when many teenagers’ brains (especially in males) are able to begin conquering abstractions that play a significant role in their belief systems.

Second, the amount of information a youth needs in order to make an appropriate decision concerning his or her faith cannot be absorbed very well in a six month confirmation class. No matter how good the teacher is, I have found through teaching my youth groups that the majority of concepts take years to sink in and become concretized. We need to readjust our expectations as to how long it will take the youth to gain a good working knowledge of the Bible. Even though our youth should have been gaining a biblical foundation throughout their childhood in Sunday school, systematizing these disparate stories and teachings into a cohesive foundation takes a minimum of three years from the time the youth enter high school.

Third, and most important, if the head knowledge they learn is to be converted into heart knowledge they believe, our youth need to be discipled. My role as a youth pastor is to provide not just a biblical education, but a holistic discipleship program in which I mentor the youth in venues outside of church and support them in their extra-curricular pursuits. I have found that building these relationships, though they take years of effort, is well worth the time. In order to feel nurtured as a disciple, the youth must experience the faith from many different angles. For example, when the youth are having difficulty grasping intellectual concepts within Christianity, living out these lessons through mission often solidifies their faith in a way that no teaching ever could. Furthermore, when the youth feel that I transcend my role as a pastor and become an active part of their ordinary lives outside of church, there is a much higher likelihood that the youth will perceive their faith as holding primacy in their identity as opposed to their faith being only one minor facet of that identity.

The session has supported a confirmation process that lends itself to promoting these three conclusions. The youth will begin confirmation in their ninth or tenth grade year. They must attend youth group or Sunday school for two years, learning under my

direction and supervision, upholding a certain level of attendance. They must also accompany me or the

mission committee of Pine Street on a 5 day mission trip away from Harrisburg. If they complete both of these requirements, then in the third year the youth can be confirmed in the spring after attending two weekend retreats. Thus, all confirmands from this time onward will be either juniors or seniors in high school.

Guiding PrincipleMy hope is that this new

process will promote a level of accountability with the youth that encourages them to take ownership of their

Confirmation is not a rite of passage,

but an affirmation of Jesus Christ as Lord

and savior.

faith. I want them to stand before our congregation and declare with full assurance that Jesus Christ is their Lord and savior. I want them to graduate from high school knowing that their faith is more than just another activity to place on their college application. Rather, I want them to see their faith as the guiding principle that dictates how they will live the rest of their lives. I want to be assured that when I see them in ten, fifteen or twenty years, they will say to me, “Alex, even to this day, my faith is still the most central focus of my life.” In my mind, there is no better way to see this goal achieved than the new confirmation process adopted by the leadership of the church. I hope you will embrace this process and see it as a way forward into a new and bright future for the youth of Pine Street. x

Page 10: Pine Street Life - July 2010

Volume 30, Issue 7Page 10

Elizabeth AtnipPenn State UniversityState College, PAElizabeth will graduate this December. She’s a Biology major with a Health Policy minor, and hopes to go to medical school in the summer of 2011. This summer she is doing an internship at the Hershey Medical Center.

Lauren BoyerPenn State UniversitySchreyer Honors CollegeState College, PALauren received a BA in Journalism with a minor in Communication Arts. She will be a reporter for the Centre Daily Times in State College.

Meagan CooneyF & M CollegeLancaster, PAMeagan received a BA in English/Creative Writing. She is in the midst of job hunting, hoping to attend graduate school to pursue her MFA in a year or two.

Kelly EvansUniversity of South CarolinaColumbia, SCKelly graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management. She is currently the office manager for the Columbia Blowfish, an NCAA-sanctioned college baseball league team. She hopes to move up to the minor leagues next year.

Lauren GoepfertGettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PALauren graduated with a BS in Biology. She’s taking this next year to do some internships and part-time work as well as take graduate courses and a preparation course for the Optometry Admissions Test

Alan LundeenWashington UniversitySt . Louis, MOAlan graduated with a BS in Computer Science. He was a valedictorian and received numerous engineering awards. He will be starting his career as a software design engineer with Microsoft in Redmond, WA, in August 2010.

Charlotte MyersDavidson CollegeDavidson, NCCharlotte graduated cum laude with a major in German and a minor in chemistry. Presently she is a permanent full-time research assistant at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology and is planning to apply to medical school at UNC next year.

High School

College

Lauretta AmbeCamp Hill High SchoolLauretta will be attending Columbia University in NYC this fall. She plans to major in Biology with the goal of going to medical school.

Casey Boyer Hershey High SchoolCasey will be attending the University of Central Florida in Orlando, playing soccer on their Division I women’s soccer team. She plans to major in the area of Health Sciences.

Erin CooneyLower Dauphin High SchoolErin will attend University of Pennsylvania this fall at the Wharton School of Business.

Miranda JewettSusquehanna High SchoolMiranda will be attending Millersville University in the fall. She plans to work toward a dual major and dual certification in Early Elementary and Special Education.

Tyler PearceCarson Long Military AcademyThis fall Tyler will attend Point Park University in Pittsburgh to study Criminal Justice.

Maddie SeefeldtCamp Hill High SchoolMaddie was the salutatorian of her class and winner of numerous academic awards. She will attend Grove City College in Grove City, PA and plans to major in Physics, with a minor in Astronomy.

Sam StoneCentral Dauphin High SchoolSam will be attending Drexel University in Philadelphia. He plans to major in Business with a concentration in Entrepreneurship.

Lara SullivanCumberland Valley High SchoolLara will be attending the University of Pittsburgh in the fall where she plans to major in political science. At CV she received a Kiwanis Club Scholarship and the William Pierce Academic Achievement Award in Art History.

Congratulations Class of 2010!

Page 11: Pine Street Life - July 2010

Pine Street Life Page 11

Tuesday, July 6 Psalm 12Numbers 35:1-3, 9-15, 30-34 Matthew 23:13-26

Wednesday, July 7 Psalm 96 Deut. 1:1-18 Matthew 23:27-39

Thursday, July 8 Psalm 116Deut. 3:18-28 Matthew 24:1-14

Friday, July 9 Psalm 84Deut. 31:7-13, 24–32:4 Matthew 24:15-31

Saturday, July 10 Psalm 63Deut. 34:1-12 Matthew 24:32-51

Sunday, July 11 Psalm 82Amos 7:7-17Luke 10:25-37Colossians 1:1-14

Monday, July 12 Psalm 5Joshua 2:1-14 Matthew 25:1-13

Tuesday, July 13 Psalm 42Joshua 2:15-24 Matthew 25:14-30

Wednesday, July 14 Psalm 89Joshua 3:1-13 Matthew 25:31-46

Thursday, July 15 Psalm 97 Joshua 3:14-4:7 Matthew 26:1-16

Friday, July 16 Psalm 51Joshua 4:19-5:1, 10-15 Matthew 26:17-25

Saturday, July 17 Psalm 104Joshua 6:1-14 Matthew 26:26-35

Sunday, July 18 Psalm 52Amos 8:1-12Luke 10:38-42Colossians 1:15-28

Monday, July 19 Psalm 135Joshua 7:1-13 Matthew 26:36-46

Tuesday, July 20 Psalm 123Joshua 8:1-22 Matthew 26:47-56

Wednesday, July 21 Psalm 15Joshua 8:30-35 Matthew 26:57-68

Thursday, July 22 Psalm 36 Joshua 9:3-21 Matthew 26:69-75

Friday, July 23 Psalm 130Joshua 9:22 – 10:15 Matthew 27:1-10

Saturday, July 24 Psalm 56Joshua 23:1-16 Matthew 27:11-23

Sunday, July 25 Psalm 85Hosea 1:2-0Luke 11:1-13Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19)

Monday, July 26 Psalm 57Joshua 24:16-33 Matthew 27:24-31

Tuesday, July 27 Psalm 54Judges 2:1-5, 11-23 Matthew 27:32-44

Wednesday, July 28 Psalm 6 Judges 3:12-30 Matthew 27:45-54

Thursday, July 29 Psalm 143 Judges 4:4-23 Matthew 27:55-66

Friday, July 30 Psalm 88Judges 5:1-18 Matthew 28:1-10

Saturday, July 31 Psalm 122 Judges 5:19-31 Matthew 28:11-20

Lectionary Readings for JulyThursday, July 1

Psalm 143Numbers 23:11-26 Matthew 22:1-14

Friday, July 2 Psalm 88 Numbers 24:1-13 Matthew 22:15-22

Saturday, July 3 Psalm 122 Numbers 24:12-25 Matthew 22:23-40

Sunday, July 4 Psalm 302 Kings 5:1-14Luke 10:1-11, 16-20Galatians 6:(1-6)7-16

Monday, July 5 Psalm 62Numbers 32:1-6, 16-27 Matthew 23:1-12

Come to learn about service in GOD’S BIG BACK YARD. Vacation Bible School will be held at Faith United Church of Christ in New Cumberland for children preschool to going in fifth grade. We will meet July 26 – 30th from 6:00 to 8:30p.m. There is no cost, but volunteers are welcome. Sign up at the Welcome Center or call Cheryl Goode at 238-9304 x105.

POOL PARTY. . .elementary age students up to fifth grade are encouraged to join us for a pool party on Sunday, July 11, 2010 right after the 11:00 service (Please do not arrive

past 1:00). We will gather at Rich and Barb Conklin’s home to swim, play, have some food and lots of fun! The main dish will be provided but we ask that you bring a side dish to share. Bring a friend, too! Rain date for this event is July 18. Please sign up at the Welcome Center.

KOALA stands for Kids On A Lifelong Adventure. Please reserve your Wednesday evenings this fall from 6 – 7:15p.m. for this adventure in learning and fun at KOALA CLUB. This program includes students from first through fifth grade. Sign ups will begin in August.

SAVE THE DATE! Friday, November 5th and Saturday the 6th. Pine Street’s first FAMILIES WITH KIDS RETREAT at Camp Hebron in Halifax, PA. Come join us as we connect with God, nature and each other. More details to come. . .

Mark your calendars for FUN!

Page 12: Pine Street Life - July 2010

Volume 30, Issue 7Page 12

JULY 2010

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

27

Youth Mission Trip (until July 3rd)

8:30 AM Worship - Word & Sacrament -

Sanctuary

9:40 AM Adult Forum - Fellowship Hall

9:40 AM Summer Church School - All

Ages

11:00 AM Worship - Word & Sacrament -

Sanctuary

28

6:30 PM Stephen Ministry

Supervision - Rm. 102

7:00 PM Central PA

Forum for Religion and

Science - Fellowship Hall

29

8:45 AM Staff Worship

9:10 AM Staff Meeting

30 1 2 3

4

8:30 AM Worship - Word & Sacrament -

Sanctuary

9:40 AM Adult Forum - Fellowship Hall

9:40 AM Summer Church School - All

Ages

11:00 AM Worship - Word & Sacrament -

Sanctuary

5

Church & Boyd Offices

Closed

6 7

6:00 PM JYF - Boyd

8 9 10

11

8:30 AM Worship - Word & Sacrament -

Sanctuary

9:40 AM Adult Forum - Fellowship Hall

9:40 AM Summer Church School - All

Ages

11:00 AM Worship - Word & Sacrament -

Sanctuary

5:00 PM SYF - Fellowship Hall & Boyd

6:30 PM Stephen Ministry Supervision -

Rm. 102

12

Junior High Retreat

7:00 PM Central PA

Forum for Religion and

Science - Fellowship Hall

13

Junior High Retreat

8:45 AM Staff Worship

9:10 AM Staff Meeting

14

Junior High Retreat

6:00 PM JYF - Boyd

15 16 17

18

8:30 AM Worship - Word & Sacrament -

Sanctuary

9:40 AM Adult Forum - Fellowship Hall

9:40 AM Summer Church School - All

Ages

11:00 AM Worship - Word & Sacrament -

Sanctuary

5:00 PM SYF - Fellowship Hall & Boyd

19

7:00 PM Central PA

Forum for Religion and

Science - Fellowship Hall

20 21

6:00 PM JYF - Boyd

22 23 24

25

8:30 AM Worship - Word & Sacrament -

Sanctuary

9:40 AM Adult Forum - Fellowship Hall

9:40 AM Summer Church School - All

Ages

11:00 AM Worship - Word & Sacrament -

Sanctuary

5:00 PM SYF - Fellowship Hall & Boyd

26

6:00 PM Vacation Bible

School at Faith United

Church of Christ in New

Cumberland

6:30 PM Stephen Ministry

Supervision - Rm. 102

7:00 PM Central PA

Forum for Religion and

Science - Fellowship Hall

27

8:45 AM Staff Worship

9:10 AM Staff Meeting

6:00 PM Vacation Bible

School at Faith United

Church of Christ in New

Cumberland

28

2:30 PM Photography

Days for the Pictorial

Directory

6:00 PM JYF - Boyd

6:00 PM Vacation Bible

School at Faith United

Church of Christ in New

Cumberland

29

2:30 PM Photography

Days for the Pictorial

Directory

6:00 PM Vacation Bible

School at Faith United

Church of Christ in New

Cumberland

30

2:30 PM Photography

Days for the Pictorial

Directory

6:00 PM Vacation Bible

School at Faith United

Church of Christ in New

Cumberland

31

10:00 AM Photography

Days for the Pictorial

Directory

July, 2010