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News of the People Who Are Harmony Evangelical Presbyterian Church September/October 2018

P.O. Box 406, Harrisville, PA Phone: 724-735-2854 Email: harmonyepc@zoominternet.net www.harmonyepc.org

VBS 2016 Cave Quest at Harmony ~ Page 10 July 18-22nd

Register online at www.harmonyepc.org

In This Edition

Pastor’s Message ~ Page 1

Focus on Missions ~ Page 2

2018 Mission Offering Dates ~ Page 2

Feed My Sheep Food Cupboard Report

~ Page 2

Expressions of Gratitude ~ Page 2

Women’s Ministries ~ Page 2

Dates of Board Meetings~ Page 3

Greeters’ Schedule ~ Page 3

Communion Schedule ~ Page 3

Birthday Calendar ~ Page 3

News of the People ~ Page 3

Armor of God Review ~ Page 4 & 5

Ladies Nights Out ~ Page 5

Upcoming Events ~ Page 6

Missionary Speaking ~ Page 6

VBS Thank You Notes ~ Page 6

Andrew Brunson Newspaper Article

~ Page 7

VBS Pictures ~ Page 8

Harmony Evangelical Presbyterian

Church exists to boldly lead others to become followers of Jesus Christ.

From Pastor Jeff …

While preaching through the book of Hebrews

and encountering the awesome text of 10:31 – “It is

a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living

God” – I came across this reflection on the text from

a rather unexpected source. While Lawrence seems

to turn the text around (usually not a good idea, but

poets can get away with stuff) I still think he gets to

the heart of the matter. Life apart from the living

God leads slowly and inevitably to death. So I share

his words.

THE HANDS OF GOD

D.H. Lawrence (1885 – 1930)

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

But it is a much more fearful thing to fall out of them.

Did Lucifer fall through knowledge?

Oh, then, pity him, pity him that plunge!

Save me, O God, from falling into the ungodly knowledge

of myself as I am without God.

Let me never know, O God

let me never know what I am or should be

when I have fallen out of your hands, the hands of the living God.

That awful and sickening endless sinking, sinking

through the slow, corruptive levels of disintegrative knowledge

when the self has fallen from the hands of God,

and sinks, seething and sinking, corrupt

and sinking still, in depth after depth of disintegrative consciousness

sinking in the endless undoing, the awful katabolism into the abyss!

even of the soul, fallen from the hands of God.

Save me from that, O God!

Let me never know myself apart from the living God!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Reverend Dr. Jeff Jones

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Focus on Missions

July Statistics: Total Family Members~ 401

Families: 161, Adults: 207, Children: 122, Seniors: 72

New Families: 5 Wish List: Condiments

There are collection totes for your donations in the Fellowship Hall,

and in the handicap/elevator entrance.

Supporting the Ministry of…

Feed My Sheep Food Cupboard

Mission Offering Schedule

Mission Offerings will be received on the

second Sunday of the month in September,

and October. Please use the Mission Offering

envelopes included in your giving packets.

100% of the gifts to the Mission Offering goes

to meeting the goals set forth in the 2018

Mission Budget.

Special Offerings will be collected during the

months of November, and December for

Thanksgiving, and Christmas. These offerings

go directly to helping meet needs of those in

our church family and the community.

Expressions of Gratitude Dear Friends,

How can I thank all of you for the

lovely cards, meals, and offers of meals? The

calls and visits were wonderful. I’m on the mend

and enjoy coming back to church.

Thank you so much,

Trilby Grivas

Thank you for your love and prayer

during the recent loss of our father, Ron

Norcross. The cards and phone calls were

appreciated, also.

We would also like to thank the ladies

who prepared and served the funeral luncheon

for our family.

We would especially like to thank

Pastor Jeff for his message our father’s funeral.

It was a beautiful service.

We are forever grateful for my family at

Harmony Church.

In His Love,

Veronica Norcross, Gloria

Hockenberry, and Family

Harmony Friends and Family,

I cannot express the gratitude I hold for

all of you. My years of service alongside each of

you were truly formative. As I begin 15 years of

ministry with the CCO I can’t help but be

reminded of the many people who have made

this possible. All of you are at the top of the list.

My sincere thanks.

Love, Josh, Chrissy, & Baylee

Women’s Ministries

Join the Women of the BBT Book Club

Books Breakfast Talk

Third Saturday of the month @ 9:00am @ Harmony

For August, BBT read “Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven” by Fannie Flagg.

We gave it 4 out of 5 stars with most really enjoying the book and, as

long as you read the part about Heaven as the fiction it is, were glad to

have read. Another benefit is the recipes mentioned in the book are

included at the end of the story. Maggie made this for our book

discussion and it was delicious!!!!!!

Irene Goodnight’s Bundt Cake

1 package yellow cake mix ¾ cup water

1 package instant vanilla pudding mix 4 eggs

¾ cup butter-flavored oil ** ¼ cup sugar

(**Maggie used ½ cup melted butter ½ cup chopped nuts

and ¼ cup vegetable oil)

Combine cake mix and pudding mix with oil, water, and eggs in mixer

bowl. Beat at medium speed for 8 minutes. Mix sugar and nuts.

Sprinkle half of the mixture into well-greased Bundt pan. Top with

half the cake batter. Add the remaining nut mixture, then the remaining

cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Quilting on Mondays Mondays from 10am-3pm

Baby Quilts for Missions Bring your lunch and make it a day!

Wednesday Quilting Starts Wednesday, September 12th at 9:00 am.

NO QUILTING September 19th Resumes September 26th at 9:00 am.

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Greeters Schedule

If you wish to serve as a greeter before and after worship,

please call the church office and your name will be added

to the schedule. If you are scheduled to greet and you

cannot, notify the church office two weeks in advance;

please call 724-735-2854 or you may also send an email

to harmonyepc@zoominternet.net. Thank you!

Greeter Schedule

Greeters may stand at any of the sanctuary entrances

from 10:45am – 11:00am and at the close of worship.

Greeters may be singles, couples, or families.

September

2 Pastor Jeff, Pam, & Family

9 Emeline McCoy and Imogene Sloan

16 Jerry and Harriet Grossman

23 Veronica Norcross and Diane Hyatt

30 John and Marge Elmer

October 7 Jon and Becky Miller

14 Emeline McCoy and Imogene Sloan

21 Joe and Patty Ridley

28 Ron and May Lou Phipps

November

4 Pastor Jeff, Pam, and Family

11 Dane and Carol Sloan

18 Jerry and Harriet Grossman

25 Ralph and Maggie Oakes

December

2 John and Marge Elmer

9 Veronica Norcross and Diane Hyatt

16 Emeline McCoy and Imogene Sloan

23 Joe and Patty Ridley

30 Pastor Jeff, Pam, & Family

January

6 Ron and Mary Lou Phipps

13 Jon and Becky Miller

20 Ralph and Maggie Oakes

27 Dane and Carol Sloan

Thank you to all who serve as greeters!

Board Meetings

Deacons meet on the Second Thursday @ 7:00pm

Session meets on the Third Monday @ 7:00pm.

Trustees meet on the Third Tuesday @ 8:00pm.

Communion Schedule in 2018

Sunday, October 7

Sunday, December 2

Christmas Eve, December 24

Home Communion will be taken to those in our church

family who are homebound with the exception of

Christmas Eve.

Birthdays in September and October

September Birthdays: 1st – Tammy Cole; 2nd – Ken

McKnight & Josh Riggenbach; 6th – Ralph Oakes; 7th –

Adaly Garcia; 8th – Mary Lou Phipps; 9th – Patty Ridley;

10th – Mike Flynn; 16th – Aaron Rager; 20th – Joel

McCandless

October Birthdays: 6th – Jim Merkel; 11th – Ben Rager;

14th – Jim Grivas; 20th – Melissa Rager; 24th – Vivian

Tribble; 27th – Gary Hoffman; 31st – Alyssa Clouse

Please let us know if we missed your birthday. If you

want to be added to the list, call the church office at 724-

735-2854. Thank you.

The deadline for the weekly bulletin is Wednesday at 12:00 pm.

The newsletter deadline for the November/December issue of the

Harmony Happenings is Wednesday, October, 24th. Thank you

notes, articles, and information for the “News of the People”

column need to be submitted in writing to the office or sent as an

attachment to harmonyepc@zoominternet.net.

News of the People Denny and Becky Sopher no longer have their

landline phone.

Becky’s phone number is: 724-355-8957

Denny’s phone number is: 724-406-4404

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The Armor of God ~ Study by Priscilla Shirer ~ Two more months, one in September and one in October,

and our review of “The Armor of God” study will be completed. You are welcome to come to the reviews, even if you did not

participate in the study. September’s review is Wednesday, September 19th at 12:30pm at the church; October’s date has not been

set. Immediately following the last two reviews you are invited to “stand in the gap” with us in a time of prayer (2:00pm). This is a

time to lift up those requests in the bulletins, those shared at worship, and the prayers and praises conveyed through the prayer

chain.

In Ephesians 6:11 Paul begins with “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes”. After going through all the pieces of the armor he then continues in verses 18 and 19, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the Lord’s people - a directive and call to pray. And then he makes a request of his own, “Pray for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” There is power in prayer!

Being in fellowship, studying His word, and praying for one another binds us together, builds community and

relationships within His body the church - Harmony Church.

Finally, this is the final installment of “My Inheritance and Identity in Christ”, reprinted from the Armor of God Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer. As you read over the blessings and benefits bestowed upon us as redeemed children of God may you will gain great confidence and encouragement in who you are in Christ.

I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession and created to sing his

praises (I Peter 2:9-10) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may

declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are

the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

I am firmly rooted and built up in Christ (Col. 2:7) Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and

overflowing with thankfulness.

I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me (I John 5:18) We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin;

the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.

I have the mind of Christ (I Cor. 2:16) For, “Who has known the mind of the Lord

so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

I may approach God with boldness, freedom, and confidence (Eph. 3:12) In him and through faith in him we may approach God

with freedom and confidence.

I have been rescued from Satan’s domain and transferred into the kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13)

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

I have been made complete in Christ (Col. 2:10) In Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and

authority.

I have been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline (II Tim. 1:7) For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but

gives us power, love and self-discipline.

I have been given great and precious promises by God (II Peter 1:4) Through these he has given us his very great and precious

promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil

desires.

My needs are met by God (Phil. 4:19} And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

I am a prince [princess] in God’s kingdom (John 1:12, I Tim. 6:15) John 1:12 ` Yet to all who did receive him, to those who

believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

I Timothy 6:15 ~ Which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

I have been bought with a price, and I belong to God (I Cor. 6:19-20) Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy

Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God

with your bodies.

I have been adopted as God’s child (Eph. 1:5) He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with

his pleasure and will—

I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18) For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

I am assured that all things are working together for good (Rom. 8:28) And we know that in all things God works for the good

of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

I am free from condemning charges against me (Rom. 8:31) What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us,

who can be against us?

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I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom. 8:35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship

or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God (II Cor. 1L21-22) Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in

Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

I am confident that the good works that God has begun in me will be perfected (Phil. 1:6) Being confident of this, that he who

began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I am a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20) But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus

Christ.

I am a personal witness of Christ’s (Acts 1:8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my

witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I am God’s coworker (II Cor. 6:1; I Cor. 3:9) II Corinthians 6:1 ~ As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace

in vain. I Corinthians 3:9 ~ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Eph. 2:6) And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly

realms in Christ Jesus.

I am God’s workmanship (Eph. 2L10) For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared

in advance for us to do.

I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength I need (Phil. 4:13) I can do all this through him who gives me

strength.

Be blessed! We are victorious in Christ! Claim your identity and inheritance,

and stand firm!

Ladies Night Out Tuesday, September 18, 2018 6:30 PM

Quilting at Harmony

Harmony’s Monday Baby Quilters will tell us all about their quilts and their mission. These ladies, along with

the Wednesday quilters, create beautiful quilts. The baby quilters have been sewing each Monday since 2011

and have finished an amazing number of quilts. The Wednesday quilters have been working, I have been told,

since Moses was on the earth and, they too, have completed a large number of quilts. Please also bring along

with you any special quilt you have for display. We will be making and taking a quilt-pieced pillow top. No

sewing experience necessary!!!!! This is a BYOB (Bring Your Own Bandages) event if you struggle with pins

and needles. This is going to be great!!! Invite friends!!! To register, email (harmonyepc@zoominternet.net)

or call the church office (724-735-2854).

Our fall Ladies Night Out will begin Tuesday, September 18, 2018, with a focus

on Harmony quilters. It will be a “make & take” evening with each guest

completing a quilt-pieced pillow top (see further details above). In October

Adam Darby will be throwing clay on a potter’s wheel, creating pottery and

sharing the Good News through Jeremiah’s experience. Adam is a high school

art teacher in Hermitage. Adam will presenting his program on Tuesday,

October 16. Our final fall meeting will be with Attorney Ron Coyer on

Tuesday, November 13. I have asked Attorney Coyer to speak about estate

planning/wills with a particular focus on women. I am hoping you are liking the sound of these 3 programs

and will plan to join us. There always is time to catch up with friends (aka fellowship), good food, and good

programs. Any suggestions for future LNO, contact Becky Sopher (bsopher@zoominternet.net or 724-355-

8957).

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Upcoming Events

Outside Worship & Recognition of First Responders – Sunday, September 9th at 10:30 am. No Sunday School.

Congregational Picnic to follow. Please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share.

September Community Soup Night – Friday, September 28th from 4:30 – 6:30 pm

Soup Luncheon – Sunday, September 30th following worship

October Community Soup Night – Friday, October 26th from 4:30 – 6:30 pm

Soup Luncheon – Sunday, October 28th following worship

Recognition of Long Time Members – Sunday, October 28th during 11:00 am worship

Jazz Nite – Saturday, December 1st from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. More information to come.

Missionary to Speak at Harmony September 16, 2018

Working for Coalition for Christian Outreach with college youth at SRU and GCC, having beginnings at

Harmony as a Church Resource Assistant, traveling on an overseas mission trip, serving on staff at Seneca

Hills Bible Camp leading high school youth on a week of outdoor camping called “The Edge” are only a few

of the positions our guest speaker has had. We have been honored to support his work in our Mission Budget

since 2005. He is not new to speaking at Harmony. He lives locally, is married and has a young daughter.

Josh Hayes will speak from the pulpit on Sept 16th at 11:00 am while Pastor Jeff is away on vacation.

VBS Thank You Notes Dear Church Families,

I apologize for some confusion and miscommunication with the joint VBS project this year. My hope is that we

will have a smoother communication next year and continue to instill God’s word into the children of our community.

I had so many people compliment the fact that our churches came together for this to support our community.

I would like to thank everyone, for all the hard work for VBS this year. We had 28 kids for VBS and 20 helpers

throughout the week. We raised 520 dollars for “Feed My Sheep” and 91 nonperishable food items were delivered.

Our theme this week was “Shipwrecked – Rescued by Jesus!” Through music, Bible stories, crafts, and

recreation, we learned that Jesus will carry us through all of “life’s storms!”

Each day we searched the Bible, God’s lighthouse, for help with any storms in our lives, such as loneliness,

worries, struggles, bad choices and powerlessness. The children had memory Bible verses that helped them to know they

are never alone.

The extra paper products were given to the food cupboard also.

Thank you to all of you that helped provide snacks, paper products, for hands and feet that helped with the

parade, staff and prayers.

The staff and the children had an amazing week.

Mathew 19:14 (NIV)

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven

belongs to such as these.”

God Bless you all and thank you,

Becky Compton - VBS Leader

Harrisville Community VBS Shipwrecked 2018

Thank you so much for the VBS very generous donation of food, paper products and money to the Feed My Sheep Food

Cupboard. Your donation will help us to respond to the needy families in this area.

Gratefully yours,

Shirley Osburn

Secretary - Feed My Sheep Food Cupboard

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Ongoing Turkish hostage crisis Article from the Butler Eagle Newspaper – Submitted for Newsletter by John Elmer

It’s never a good idea to negotiate with a hostage-taker, but when it’s a NATO ally, there isn’t much

choice.

The Trump administration has been trying to get back a Christian pastor detained in Turkey since

October 2016, and when a possible deal at the sidelines of the NATO summit fell through, decided to drop

the hammer.

A couple of weeks ago, the administration sanctioned Turkey’s justice and interior ministers –

remember, these are top officials of a fellow NATO country. The action hit the Turkish currency and stock

market hard. Then President Donald Trump intervened in his inimitable style, with a tweet promising a

doubling of aluminum and steel tariffs against the country and pointedly noting the drop in the value of the

lira.

As always, the president’s shoot-from-the-lip style is open to question, but Turkey deserved every last

character – including two exclamation points – in that presidential tweet. Turkish President Recep Tayyip

Erdogan is not Justin Trudeau or Angela Merkel, a leader firmly within the liberal West who annoys

Trump. He’s an Islamist authoritarian who is fundamentally changing the character of an erstwhile ally.

Erdogan’s resort to hostage-taking as a tactic to gain leverage over allies – it’s not just us – is a

barbarous throwback and a disgusting homage to rogue states like Iran and North Korea. He also has

grabbed a Turkish-American NASA scientist and local employees of American consulates.

The case against the pastor, the highest-profile case, is ludicrous. Andrew Brunson lived with his family

is a seaside city, Izmir, for more than 20 years until the government, after Erdogan survived a coup,

decided that he was guilty of aiding terrorist organizations and carrying out military espionage.

The alleged supporting evidence is a collection of absurdities that could have been assembled by the

Turkish equivalent of Alex Jones – a video of a traditional Arab dish sent to Brunson by his daughter, a

church member telling the pastor by text that he couldn’t make it to a service, a photo of him with a man in

a scarf bearing certain colors, and so on, all of which supposedly implicated him in dire crimes against the

Turkish state.

What this clearly is about is holding Brunson to try to get Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan ally and

cleric who lives on a farm in Pennsylvania. With great fervency but little evidence, the Turkish government

accuses Gulen of being behind the shadowy July 15, 2016, coup that became an occasion for Erdogan to

seize emergency powers and purge the state and civil society of his political enemies.

Erdogan isn’t even subtle about the agenda behind the seizure of Brunson. In a talk to police officers

last year, he said, “They say, ‘Give us this certain pastor,’” meaning Brunson, to which Erdogan’s rejoinder

was, “You have another pastor in your hands; give him to us.”

This isn’t a trade the U.S. should be willing to make, but a swap of a Turkish woman held in Israel for

links to Hamas in exchange for Brunson was reportedly discussed at the last NATO summit. When nothing

ultimately came of it – although Brunson was released into house arrest – the crisis escalated to a different

level.

Erdogan blames an “economic war” for his country’s dire economic straits. He should instead blame his

own mismanagement. Turkey was already vulnerable to an end of the era of cheap capital, even before it

pursued a course of confrontation with a country vastly richer and more powerful than it is.

There were always going to be stresses in the U.S.-Turkish alliance; Turkey views the Kurds as a threat,

and we consider them allies. But the chief cause of the radical deterioration in the relationship is Turkey’s

rank anti-Americanism, a paranoia stoked at every turn by Erdogan for his own cynical purposes.

He is now reaping what he sowed, and if Erdogan wants relief, his first step should be releasing the

hostages.

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Harmony Evangelical Presbyterian Church

P O Box 406, 234 North Main St.

Harrisville PA 16038

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Jones, Pastor

Come & Worship With Us!

9:45 am – Sunday School

11:00 am – Worship

Visit us at www.harmonyepc.org

VBS was a Great Week. Enjoy these pictures to see all that fun that was had!