Lampeter-Strasburg townlively.com
MARCH 26, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Strasburg churches will collaborate on project BY GEORGE DEIBEL
Pastors Melody Sell (left) and Nate Smoker stand in the St. Michael’s social hall.
think it will help all our churches,” Sell said of the group project. “For St. Michael’s, it means this room will be much more usable than it has been for many years. It’s being cleaned out (prior to the painting) which is a good thing, because churches have a bad habit of keeping things forever.” Pastor Nate Smoker from ACTS Covenant Fellowship is the president of the ministerium. “I think our willingness to put aside our denominational lines to help other churches speaks well,” Smoker said. “I’m thankful for the openness and the unity that we have here in our congregations. We have a lot of services together. We can get behind a church in need. Oftentimes, we allow things to divide us. We like to find things that will unite us. It speaks of the unified heart of the churches here in Strasburg.” The Strasburg Ministerium is holding Lent lunches in its member churches with the next services Wednesday, April 2,
at Wesley United Methodist, 40 W. Main St., and Wednesday, April 9, at First Presbyterian, 101 S. Decatur St. The service starts at noon followed by a luncheon. The series of lunches will culminate with an Easter sunrise service on Sunday, April 20, in the cemetery adjacent to St. Michael’s. Smoker said the ministerium participates in Strasburg National Day of Prayer and holds a fall joint service at Strasburg Community Park and a Thanksgiving service. The ministerium also helps a food bank that operates out of First Presbyterian Church. Ministerium member pastors meet for a monthly breakfast to discuss future projects. T he upcoming renovation at St. Michael’s is an example of the good works that can be accomplished when churches collaborate. “For this congregation, that’s a witness that the community cares about not just the churches, but the people,” Sell said.
LSAWC to hold Spring Tea BY GEORGE DEIBEL
The Lampeter-Strasb u r g A r e a Wo m a n ’s Club (LSAWC) will hold its Spring Tea With an A m e r i c a n G i r l f ro m 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 5. The event, which is open to girls and their dolls, as well as mothers and grandmothers, will take place at First Presbyterian Church, 101 S. Decatur St., 2025 American Girl doll Summer McKinny Strasburg. Tea will be served along is the star of the LSAWC’s Spring Tea. themselves and for their dolls, with light fare. LSAWC co-president Elaine and prizes. The prizes will Benner said the tea will feature include doll furniture; doll cloththe 2025 American Girl doll ing; and doll play items such as Summer McKinny, who is a dog a small kitchen, a beauty salon lover and enjoys baking. Each chair, and accessories. Benner said a surprise guest girl who attends will have a will be joining the girls. Each chance to win the doll. The event will include a story girl will receive a door prize about Summer and her interests, of an apron, made by a club crafts for the girls to make for memb er, that re f le cts the See Spring Tea pg 4
A unique place to earn a merit badge BY GEORGE DEIBEL
It is a historic setting to meet merit badge requirements. T he R ailroad Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 Gap Road, Strasburg, will hold on-site railroading merit badge workshops from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, March 29, April 26, May 17, June 21 and Aug. 23. For more information or to register, go to www.rrmuse umpa.org and click on “Events” under the “Events & Programs” tab.
The workshops are for boys and girls ages 11 through 17 who are involved in Scouting, so they can learn by working with historic artifacts and model trains. Scouts who complete the program earn an official railroading merit badge. “We are told (the railroading merit badge) is a specialized merit badge to offer, so I think that adds to the draw this museum has,” said museum educator Jesse Shetrom. “It’s just a cool venue for it.” Museum educator Juliette See Scouts pg 3
Cool Season Plants Delicious Florida
& Much More!
Mon.-Sat. 8-6
400 Long Lane at Marticville Road (Rt. 741 & 324) 717-872-9311 www.cherryhillorchards.com Follow us
Strawberries R116092
• Pansies • Violas • Vegetables • Ranunculus • Herbs • Helleborus • Perennials POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER MAR. 26, 2025
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
Postal Patron
LSA
A
group of Strasburg c h u rc h e s a re co m i n g together to help one of their own. The Strasburg Ministerium, a collection of six area churches St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, Hig h View C hurch of God, Strasburg Mennonite, ACTS Covenant Fellowship, Wesley United Methodist, and First Presbyterian - will join forces to refurbish the social hall at St. Michael’s. From Friday, March 28, to Sunday, March 30, members of the churches will volunteer to patch and paint the walls of the social hall, which is located at 40 E. Main St., Strasburg. Members of the community are invited to assist with the project. For more information, email St. Michael’s pastor Melody Sell at Pmsell2@ptd.net. “What happened was kind of funny,” Sell said. “This congregation through the years has tried to get this room painted. Many years ago, one of the radio stations had an ugly room contest for churches, and they applied and lost. They’ve looked at other options. I asked at the ministerium if anybody knew of a youth work camp coming in.” Bob Bronkema from First Presbyterian and John Meck from Strasburg Mennonite asked what work Sell needed done, and she told them about the social hall. “One of them, and I don’t remember which one, said, ‘We pay to go overseas to do mission projects like that. Can’t we do it in our hometown?’” Sell said. “In about 15 minutes, we had a plan.” St. Michael’s is preparing for the work by rearranging items in the social hall, which is used for meetings and holiday dinners. “I
VOL LXI • NO 47
i