by Cheryl Goode, Director of Children & Family Ministry
Why are Millennials, young adults born between 1977 and 1994, not interested in the traditional classroom setting for Sunday school? Or church in general? When we see the decline in attendance of our mainline churches these questions beg to be answered. In an article by Andrea Hall in Presbyterian Today, she states that “Millennials no longer need (or believe they need) experts — including those in the church — to pass information from on high.” They are bombarded with all forms of technology, and can get information in this way. Hall also says that Millennials are looking for “whole-life transformation.” They do not want to sit in a Sunday school class and have information spouted at them. The feeling is that one hour of Sunday school will not change their lives in our world today. The feeling among Millennials is that faith should permeate every area of their lives and
they need to find ways, on their terms, to make this happen. Encouraging a model that promotes “whole-life transformation” means thinking about change.
Wow! What changes would we make at Pine Street to accommodate everyone’s spiritual growth or needs? Perhaps if we first look at the things that are a constant in the church, it will give us a direction. First and foremost God is always the same, and our need to worship God doesn’t go away but stays the same. Our relationship with God begins within each of us and is nurtured when we are in community with each other.
I believe the way to wholelife transformation really has not changed. I believe that it takes a commitment on our part to participate in worship, Bible study, and mission.
Son of the Church Returns To Celebrate The 30th Anniversary of His Ordination
by Dr. Russell C. Sullivan, Jr., Pastor
The Rev. Dr. Scott Miller is a life-long Presbyterian who was shaped and formed in his faith at Pine Street Presbyterian Church. Here he was baptized, confirmed, and ordained to the ministry. On July 13, Dr. Miller will return to Pine Street to preach at both services that morning. Following the 11:00 service you are invited to remain for a reception in the Gathering Place to celebrate with him the 30th anniversary of his ordination.
Summer Forums
July 6 & 13
The Significance of the Death of Christ.
Dr. Lee Barrett, Professor of Theology, Lancaster Theological Seminary
July 20 & 27
Marriage and the Protestant Tradition
Dr. David True, Professor of Religious Studies, Wilson College
Scott became the pastor of Drayton Avenue Presbyterian Church on December 1, 2002. Before coming to Drayton Avenue, he served as pastor of the Lincroft Presbyterian Church in Lincroft, NJ, and as associate pastor of the North Presbyterian Church in Elmira, NY. Scott has a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton
Session Notes
Session elected Bob Kerr as Clerk of Session for the coming year.
Session voted to meet with a Presbytery representative regarding the calling of an associate pastor.
Session also created a committee to investigate funding possibilities for the associate pastor position.
All forums are held at 9:40 am in Fellowship Hall
Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in preaching and worship. His doctoral project was titled, “A Tearful Alleluia: The Funeral as Lament and Witness to the Resurrection,” a portion of which was published in Call to Worship (vol. 38.3). He did his undergraduate work at Thiel College in Greenville, PA, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish.
The central focus in Scott’s ministry has been the centrality of worship in the life of the church. His love for worship is evident in his involvement with the Presbyterian Association of Musicians (PAM) which he served as its President from 2008 to 2010,
Caring for candidates for the ministry and serving on various presbytery committees, Scott has distinguished himself as an outstanding presbyter. While in New Jersey, he supervised three student interns from Princeton Seminary, served a term on Monmouth Presbytery’s Committee on Preparation for Ministry (CPM), and read ordination exams for two years in a row. Since moving to Detroit Presbytery, he has served two terms on their CPM and co-chaired the committee for three years. He has supervised two Commissioned Ruling Elder interns. He is currently chairing the Pastoral Response Team, a workgroup of Committee on Ministry, which intervenes pastorally in cases of clergy sexual misconduct.
Scott has been married to his wife Sally, a professional horticulturist, since 1986. Together, they share an interest in gardening, cooking, swimming, traveling, photography, winetasting, and entertaining family and friends in their home. Scott’s other interests include: reading, singing, listening to both jazz and
Session approved a partnership between our church and America’s Promise & Rotary International (AP & RI). This partnership will enable PSPC to be notified of supplies that AP & RI have available and PSPC will determine what local organizations and/or individuals could benefit from the supplies and will be able to disperse them accordingly.
classical music, walking his dog, and working out at the local gym.
Pine Street has nurtured many people who have entered the ministry, and Scott is outstanding example of the influence you have had in helping people discover their calling. Let’s welcome back to Pine Street on July 13 this faithful and successful son of Pine Street and give thanks to God for the Spirit’s work in his life!
DDB needs men’s and women’s clothing, disposable razors, towels, soaps, shampoo, and laundry detergent for shower program. Thanks to all of you for spreading the word with everyone and helping with these issues.
We are in need of a few more helpers to assist with kitchen maintenance. The commitment is for only about two hours once a year. The kitchen is cleaned on the second Saturday morning of every month except December, April, July, and August. Each person is assigned to a team with a team captain in charge. If you can help or have any questions regarding the kitchen maintenance, please contact either of the Kitchen Maintenance Coordinators: Audrey Bell (732-4373) or Marilyn Miller (9398312, email: orglvoce@ comcast.net).
DDB Volunteers Needed
by Elaine Strokoff, DDB Executive Director
Downtown Daily Bread serves the needy every day of the week, 365 days of the year. Can you imagine how many volunteers are needed to keep DDB working throughout the year, including holidays and weekends? Each day, 4–6 volunteers arrive from one of 19 participating churches. These men and women put out food, prepare tables, serve lunches, and clean up. Pine Street members help DDB on assigned Sundays throughout the year. I often say that Downtown Daily Bread works as a “well oiled machine.” After all these years, I am still in awe of how smoothly the lunch service works.
In other areas of the DDB program, DDB is struggling to find volunteers. A plea for volunteers has gone to Pine Street members for the past month to work with the DDB Lunch Plus Program. Sign up sheets have been placed in the Welcome Center, notices have been put in the Sunday Bulletin, and announcements have been made from the pulpit.
Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, clients come to DDB for showers, clean clothing, and to access their lockers. Volunteers are needed to assist these clients with towels, soaps, login sheets, and to basically monitor the process. The job is not physically challenging. It requires a friendly face and firm respect for order. The hours are from 9am to 12pm (3 hours per day.) One can volunteer on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday; on any or all three days. However, the commitment has to be solid and consistent. If you can volunteer, I will work with the church staff to make parking available for you during your volunteer time.
I have faith that Pine Street members realize the importance of the Lunch Plus shower services for DDB clients. I also have faith that you will want to become a part of this vital mission to serve the needy in the community. DDB is a Pine Street Mission. I do not want to strain DDB’s financial resources by having to hire someone to help with these very basic morning chores.
Thank you for your continued, invaluable support of this Pine Street ministry.
Trustee Notes
Property committee met with NRG to discuss the use of steam heat in our building.
Bids for the repair of the windows and masonry in the bell tower .have been received and work should start soon
Bids have been solicited for the work to reconfigure/ modernize the 2nd floor of the Boyd for use by the adult learning center.
Guidelines for the DDB Veteran’s program were reviewed with the main changes being a cap of $1000 per veteran per year and $50,000 annual cap for the program.
Library Books
If you find you have books from the library, and are finished reading them, please return them to the bottom shelf of the library cart that is in the Gathering Space on Sunday mornings. This will help us to return them to the shelves for the next person to enjoy!
5 Senses Garden
The “5-Senses Gardens” were started on the Capital Area Greenbelt in Harrisburg in 1996. Visitors to The Gardens experience the natural sensations, carefully cultivated to challenge the five senses. Volunteers are needed year-round to help out at The Gardens. Requirements for care and maintenance of the site change with the seasons.
On Saturday morning, April 26, several Pine Street Members and our friend, Becky Cotich, volunteered at The Gardens. We weeded areas around trees and then mulched those areas. What a lovely morning we had — working in the shade of the trees and sharing a time of fellowship.
Jewell Ridge Youth Volunteer in Pine
Street’s Urban Garden
From June 10-14 Pine Street hosted a group of 14 youth and 5 adults from Jewel Ridge Presbyterian Church in Jewell Ridge, VA. The youth volunteered at DDB, in our sanctuary, and in our Urban Garden.
On Wednesday, June 11, lumber and cement pavers were delivered to the curb on Third St. outside the fenced garden area. The Jewell Ridge crew relocated the delivered items into the garden area where it was secured behind the locked gate.
On Thursday, Debbie and Roger Olson built the first raised garden bed so they could then direct the Jewell Ridge group on how to constrict the rest of the beds. Everyone worked hard in spite of the rainy weather, and by 1:00pm all the raised beds were finished. We then constructed the benches that will provide a respite for future volunteers in the garden.
We appreciate the help from the Jewell Ridge Group!
On Tuesday morning, June 3, several volunteers from Pine Street spent time at Mission Central in Mechanicsburg. We saw a video presentation that explained the agency’s mission. We helped with two things that day.
We ‘verified’ health kits, meaning that we opened the already prepared kits to ensure that everything that should be in them was in fact there. Health kits have a towel, washcloth, soap, comb, nail clippers or nail file, bandaids, and a toothbrush. After we confirmed the contents, the kits were placed in boxes that were placed on skids that would then be taken into the warehouse to be ready to send out to future disaster victims.
We placed contact information stickers on the inside cover of books that will be used in an upcoming conference to ‘get the word out’ about Mission Central.
We will volunteer at Mission Central again on Tuesday, August 5th, Friday, October 3rd; and Saturday, November 1st. We encourage you and your friends to join us. A few hours of your day can make a huge impact on the lives of those in need.
It is our approach to that participation that may need to change if we are to connect with Millennials where they are on the faith journey.
Millennials, like most of us, have busy lives that take them in many directions each day. The key is to find ways to engage them that are not a burden to an already hectic life, such as offering flexible scheduling in the areas of mission or Bible study. Another way to engage them in the church is to take advantage of technology. This is their mode of communication! We already provide live streaming of the church service and communicate via Facebook and email. We need to encourage participation during special seasons of the church year, such as Lent and Advent that will carry over into home practices. And finally, when we encourage Sabbath practices, within and outside of the church, it will guide us in the way of the Lord.
What I took away from participation in Mission Lab, a workshop on learning a new way of evangelism, was the need to be able to share the Good News in a way that is genuine and that resonates with other people. So instead of turning Millennials (or anyone else) off by giving them “information from on high,” as Andrea Hall said, if we could talk honestly and openly to “share what we know about the love of Christ” we could connect with Millennials (or the un-churched or anyone else) and be part of their whole-life transformation — which is really what faith in Jesus is all about.
Maybe a new focus for Christian Education at Pine Street could be to help members learn how to connect with others who aren’t into the whole “church thing” and to express what we know about the love of Christ in ways that make sense to them. In fact, being an “old” church demographically could be an asset if we can learn to reach younger people on their terms (because it doesn’t look like they’re interested in meeting us on ours), share our journeys, and walk with them on theirs.
by Sue Black
There is a children’s song or poem that says these words, “I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together”. Let’s Rally and be the church together! Education Continued from page 1
Do you play an instrument? Did you used to play an instrument but got away from it as the demands of life got in the way? Here's an opportunity for musicians of all ages and abilities to come together and make a joyful noise!
This Christmas the Evangelism Committee is supporting Pine Street’s first ever all-church orchestra to play carols before the family service on Christmas Eve. Steve Hartman has enthusiastically agreed to conduct and has already secured music for us to use.
This is a wonderful way for Pine Streeters of all ages to connect over a shared love of music and a great reason to invite family and friends to share in Christmas at Pine Street.
If you’re not sure if this is for you, let me address some possible reservations:
• but I haven't played in years. That's why you're learning about this now, so you can have 5+ months to work on your embouchure, drag out those books of études, or have your bow rehaired.
• but I no longer have my instrument. We have connections and may be able to find one for you to use. See Sue Black or Steve Hartman.
• but I'm not very good. Music will be at the middle school level. This isn't about being good, it's about making a joyful noise.
• but I'm way beyond middle school level music. Great! You can be a leader in your section and support others who aren't as accomplished.
So start planning now to be a part of this fun event. The goal is to have so many participants that we’ll need to invite all of our family and friends to fill the pews! Sign-ups and more information will be coming this fall.
But most of all we need to be welcoming to all who come through our doors whether they are here one Sunday a year or fifty-two Sundays a year. As we begin our church year this Rally Day, I challenge every one of you to be a disciple of Christ and share what you know about His love. Invite your neighbors to an event at the church, to Sunday school, or to a Bible study, or to worship with you.
Howard Ambe
Congratulations Class of 2014!
High School College
Camp Hill High School
Howard graduated from Camp Hill High School where he earned three varsity letters. He will attend Duquesne University in the fall and plans to major in biology and pursue a career in medicine.
Rebekah Anderson
Cumberland Valley High School
Rebekah graduated from Cumberland Valley High School. She will attend Stetson University in DeLand, Florida this fall. She plans to major in religious studies and plans to go into the ministry.
Graduate School
Edward Gerst Penn State Harrisburg Ed earned an MS in Environmental Pollution Control. He planns to continue working the the PADEP in the Bureau of Air Quality and to continuie to take the necessary steps to receive licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE).
David Sullivan
Case Western Reserve University
David earned a Master in Public Health (MPH) degree from Case Western Reserve University. He will start medical school at the Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, PA in the fall.
Lauretta Ambe
Columbia University
Lauretta received a BS in Biology from Columbia University. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and will start Physician Assistant School in 2015.
Alicia Gardner
Harrisburg Area
Community College
Alicia received a degree as Medical Technician from HACC. She looks forward to finding employment in that field.
Kyle Jewett Harrisburg Area
Community College Kyles received an Associate Degree in General Studies from HACC in December, 2013. He is considering continuing his education and work towards a fouryear degree.
From the time my father carried me over the Mulberry Street bridge to Pine Street Church as a baby and joining Pine Street 73 years ago, my church family has always meant so much to me. My family and I would like to thank all my friends and members of Pine Street who prayed for me this last year when I was not well.
Again thank you for the countless prayers that have been so bountifully answered.
June Baker and Family
Madeline Seefeldt Grove City College
Maddie received BAs in Biblical and Religious Studies, and Sociology ,magna cum laude. This fall she will begin working in a L’Arche community in St. Louis, MO where she will be a live-in assistant for adults with intellectual disabilities.
Lara Sullivan
University of Pittsburgh
Lara received a BA in Political Science and English Literature from the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently working as a legislative associate for Dan Gilman, City Councilman, City of Pittsburgh.
Evan Wilson Lasell College
Evan earned a BS in Business Administration with majors in Management and Entrepreneurship and minors in Environmental Studies, and in Law and Business. He plans to take a year off and then pursue a masters degree.
