Haiti Impressions
by Howard Ambe
When first landing at Toussaint
Louverture International Airport in Port Au Prince Haiti, you see the overused abandoned planes on the side of the airport. You see a few shacklike homes on the verge of collapse being hidden by taller and slightly more appealing buildings. As you enter the airport, you’re first greeted by a small band playing Caribbean style music; making you feel welcome into their island home. You make your way through the airport, get through customs, taking notice of the new and obvious renovations done to the airport. You notice the art on the walls, the cafés, the shops, all modern and Westernized. Then you make you make your way outdoors. After gathering your things, getting on the bus, having gotten over the initial shock of the intense humidity, you start to drive into the city of Port Au
by Rebekah Anderson
When you imagine Haiti, it is difficult not to envision Haiti as it was in 2010 following its devastating earthquake. The images of chaos and destruction wiping out countless homes and killing thousands of people are hard to forget. I was fortunate enough to see an entirely different Haiti than what is often portrayed in the media. Driving through Port Au Prince immediately after arrival in Haiti was a shocking experience. Despite the blazing heat, leaving the parking lot of the airport seemed almost normal. A few miles from where our bus was parked, I could see a bill board advertising Coca Cola products. Cars zoomed by at a pace that I was used to. People were speaking English all around me. As I got into the bus, I couldn’t help but think that this familiarity wouldn’t last. As we drove around Port Au
See HOWARD on page 4
See REBEKAH on page 5
Rally Day 2013: Opening Doors to Discipleship
by Cheryl A. Goode
September marks the beginning of the church year for Christians. This is a time to rally together, but more so a time of reflection on the hope for the church, and the call that we have as Christians to share God’s love and peace with the world. We will continue to be thinking about our church and what we do at Pine Street. We will be thinking about “fellowship” which is an important word in the life of local churches. Fellowship means more than simply meeting for a chat over coffee. It means to share in common, with a mutual commitment to one another.
See RALLY DAY on page 2
August 4
Haiti Mission Trip
Pine Street Youth
August 11
Wagner, Parsifal and the Holy Grail
Ken Hays
August 18
A Whale of a Tale: The Story of a Modern Jonah Story
Dr. Ted Davis
August 25 History of Pine Street
Sue Meehan
Continued from page 1 Farewell Reception for the Langs
Sunday, August 11
12:15pm
The Bible speaks of “the fellowship of ministering to (serving) the saints (II Corinthians 8:4), and Paul calls the support given to him by the church at Philippi their “fellowship in the gospel [his missionary work]”
Here at Pine Street our Mission and Vision reads: God calls us to be at the corner of Third and Pine Streets in Harrisburg to worship and build a unique community of faith. We welcome all people on any stage of their spiritual journey and encourage each other to explore joyfully and thoughtfully the power of God’s transforming love made real and visible in Jesus Christ. Every aspect of our common life is rooted in gratitude for what we have been given and we are compelled to share all that we have and are. We are called to risk all that we have for the love of Christ: going forth in service, caring for those in need, working for peace and justice, and taking the good news of God’s love into the world.
We believe that God is calling us to dream and see visions of a vibrant church engaged in vital ministry and mission. We believe we are to build disciples who are committed to a journey of faith and who reach out to others.
To be a disciple we need to learn, grow in our faith and be prepared to pass that faith on to others. How are we able to pass that faith on to others? How are we able to open the doors to discipleship?
This past year I attended a program called Mission Lab: training for growing your church. Some of the questions that were addressed were things like, how do we grow our church? Why initiate with people when we don’t even know whether they are interested in God or our church? What are biblical models that can help us? How do I build relationships with people in my neighborhood? How can I tell when people are open to God? What do I do next? How can we do this as a ministry team or a whole church?
On September 8, 2013, at 9:40am, we will hear more about Mission Lab and how we can “open doors to discipleship.” Please join us in Fellowship Hall for a continental breakfast, and to learn how to build ourselves and others into Disciples of Christ, and how to open that door for others.
Session Notes for June
Heard report by Rev Lang on status of GED center project. 18 tutors have been trained. Grant applications to fund physical modifications to first level space have been submitted.
Heard report providing insights on revised translation of Heidelberg Confession approved at May Presbytery meeting.
Discussed use of Cremonesi Fund, as approved by Board of Deacons, for a part-time staff person to help provide pastoral care/ pastoral visitor for homebound and Deacons’ caring ministry.
Discussed planning for 2014 Budget to be coordinated by Administration and Finance Committee. Session Committees
Heard a variety of plans for activities throughout the summer which will provide opportunities for youth and adults education and mission projects.
Session spent time in study dealing with need to look at Pine Street with a new heart – to rededicate ourselves to the power of the Gospel which does create and change things for us.
DDB still needs mens and women’s summer clothing very badly. Please call Client Counselor Christine Patrick at 2384718 to make delivery arrangements.
Save the Date: October 6, 2013
by Elaine Strokoff, DDB Executive Director
The excitement is mounting! The date is set, the place is set, the speakers are set, the menu is set, the committees are set, and we are well on our way to planning a memorable evening for Sunday, October 6, 2013. Friends of Downtown Daily Bread are working very hard to ensure that the 30th Anniversary Celebration of DDB is an evening of “Celebration and Education” for the community. We hope that you will mark your calendars, plan to attend. Please look for more information which will be coming your way next month and remember to RSVP early.
The Gala will be held at the Harrisburg Hilton and will begin at 5:30pm. The honorary co-chairs for the event are The Reverend Dr. Fred A. Anderson, former pastor of Pine Street Presbyterian Church who is the current pastor at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City and Raymond E. Gover, former editor of the Patriot News and long time trustee and Pine Street member. Both gentlemen were actively involved in the early years of Downtown Daily Bread and in nurturing the soup kitchen to grow as a mission of Pine Street Presbyterian Church. We are thrilled to have these esteemed gentlemen join us for this festive event and we look forward to listening to them speak. Also in attendance will be Ms. Judi Bryant who was an associate pastor thirty years ago at Pine Street and tended to the many details of putting a soup kitchen together. We look forward to welcoming her, as well. Where DDB started, where DDB went, and where DDB is going, is all a part of the evening’s festivities.
We look forward to sharing a great evening with you.
You Can Be A Part Of It…
30th Anniversary Gala sponsorship opportunities are now available. Celebrate 30 years of Downtown Daily Bread success & enable DDB to grow by becoming a sponsor for the 30th Anniversary “Celebrate & Educate” Gala.
Name of Sponsor __________________________________________________
Address
Phone
Trustees Notes for June
The insurance claim for the steam damage to the organ has been settled and a contract for repair written.
The exterior doors, and the black railing, will be refinished/repainted over the summer.
Work on the Third Street tower has been completed.
The Property Committee will examine if a switch to gas is feasible. The steam system continues to deteriorate.
The updating of the 2nd floor kitchen has been completed.
Board of Trustees elected officers. Changes are the addition of Mike Putt to the Property Committee and Barbara Seaton replacing Anne Guenin on the Personnel Committee.
Check Enclosed $_________
Presbyterian Apartments
The Mission Committee invites anyone who is interested to share a couple of hours in the afternoon to fellowship with residents of the apartments. We will have an Ice Cream Social and play Bingo with the residents in August. The actual date is yet to be determined, but will probably be the third week of the month. Stay tuned for the final date and time. We always enjoy this time with the residents and encourage other Pine Streeters to join us — you just might enjoy yourselves!!!
Garden Exchange
The Mission Committee is again encouraging a 'garden exchange' this summer and fall. Any extra produce you have should be brought into church on Sundays. Place it on the mission table in the Gathering Place. The produce is there for anyone to take home and use — you do not need to bring anything in to benefit from the produce exchange. Feel free to take any produce you and your family can use. Any produce left at the end of the 11:00 coffee hour will be given to DDB for use that week. ENJOY the benefit of others who enjoy gardening and sharing their excess.
Habitat For Humanity Dinner
The Mission Committee supported a group of bicyclers from Philadelphia on June 6 by providing a Mexican dinner for them. The group of 26 bicyclers were riding to raise money to support the Philadelphia chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Riders donated $10 each for the dinner. Money left after buying food and supplies for the dinner will go into the Mission Possible Fund to support a future mission project for Pine Street.
HOWARD
Continued from page 1
Prince, and your jaw drops. You see toddlers running naked in the streets. A mother bathing her child in a murky cesspool on the side of the road. You see pigs, cows, chickens, and goats, all commuting side by side with humans along the busy streets. You see row after row, after row of shacks, crafted out of sheet metal, wood, fabric, and seemingly any material that can be forged out of the city. That’s when you realize why you’ve made the Pilgrimage to Haiti. Driving through Port Au Prince is a hard first impression, seemingly setting the standard for the rest of the trip.
After we had met our mission team and replenished with food and drink, we started on a grueling 5 hour journey over beautiful and breath taking mountain terrain to the city of Jacmel where we would spend our first night before taking another trip via flat-bed truck up a mountain to the village of Manze Marie the next morning. There, at the Church of the Nazarene, is where we would be performing our actual “mission work”. Attending a service at The Church of the Nazarene was a culture shock in and of itself. There, people seemed joyous, involved, and overall happier to be at church worshiping God, contrary to the unemotional, tired faces we see at a typical Pine Street service. That’s when we realized that the citizens of Manze-Marie and probably most of Haiti have more than any of us have ever had. Despite having experienced damaging earthquakes, yearly hurricanes, and overall poverty, they have strength, hope, and faith. Despite having every reason to feel as though God has overlooked them, or even to not believe in a God at all, they come to church every day, and I mean EVERY DAY, eager to give up their lives to God and rejoice with the faith they do have. From the time we arrived until our departure, the entire village welcomed us with open arms. They displayed an extreme amount of generosity that I myself have never experienced, making this one of the best, and possibly the best experience of my life. Visiting Haiti opened my eyes to how much more there is to life, looking passed our material possessions. People in Haiti are rich with faith; something you seldom see in our busy body American lifestyle. Experiencing Haiti was truly life changing, and it was an experience I believe we should all as Christians try to have in order to truly understand what it means to have faith in God.
REBEKAH
Continued from page 1
Prince, it did not take long for the reminders of home to disappear entirely. We took one right turn around a corner and everything changed right before my eyes. I saw homes made of scraps of wood and cloth side by side with barely a foot between each house. I was amazed at the amount of wildlife I saw roaming freely. Cows, goats, horses, dogs, and cats were just a few things I saw in our first ride alone. It was incredible to see women who were very young and very old carrying tremendously heavy loads on top of their heads. The people were so strong despite their circumstances.
Is it “Sings, Praises, Thanks” or “Sings, Praises Thanks?”
by Ron Poorman
Each Sunday at Pine Street, each worshiper “sings, praises, thanks” the living God for all of our daily blessings and prays for mercy and grace. Since the earliest days of the synagogue and the church, sung praise has occupied a place of importance in worship.
As many of you know the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song has been at work on a new hymnal. The hymnal presently in use was published in 1990. Since that time, much in the world has changed: the world has become more multi-cultural, some images for God used in the 1980s have become out of date, and new language has entered the lexicon of everyday speech.
Much information is available about the new hymnal – the entire contents of the hymnal is available at http://www.presbyterianhymnal.org/sneakpeek. html. The hymnal is currently in production and the first published copies will be distributed in the fall of 2013. Cost of the new hymnal will run approximately $20 per volume.
Will Pine Street purchase the new hymnal? Investing in a new hymnal is never something undertaken without controversy. As Chair of the Worship and Arts Committee, I find the prospect of a new hymnal exciting — some old tunes have been restored to the book, and surprisingly few of the hymns we use on a regular basis have been omitted. Much new material has been added to reflect a greater variety of styles for use in worship. The staff at Pine Street is taking a more “wait and see” approach, suggesting a committee be formed to study the issue after the hymnal’s publication.
In order to help us make an informed choice, the Worship and Arts Committee has joined with the Adult Education and Spiritual Formation Committee to have a hymnal related event. On Sunday evening,
See FAMILY on page 6
The thing that I enjoyed most about my time in Haiti was the time that I spent with the Haitian people. As Americans, it is easy for us to imagine that the Haitian people would be miserable. We often base our worth and our happiness on the things that we have and the stuff that we buy. These people have close to nothing. Some barely have a roof over their heads or food to eat. However, one thing they do have is each other. They have the community around them to help them get through everything and anything that they may face. They are so overjoyed to be with one and other, and it fills them with happiness that no amount of “stuff” in the world could ever fill us with. The Haitian people spend each and every day with one another. It was so beautiful to see them just sitting with one another enjoying the presence of the community around them. It brought me to the conclusion that I tend to value the wrong things. I tend to value my academic achievements and the stuff I own far more than I should. By placing my values in the wrong things, my life can become out of control. I learned so much from the Haitians about how I should be living my life. They all were so giving and inviting to people they did not know. One evening, it was raining very hard, and the house that some of the mission workers were staying in had leaks in the roof. A friend from Haiti that I had made named Jou Jou lived very close by, and without hesitation pulled me by the hand directly into her home. As soon as I came inside, I was offered a seat on a small bed in her room. Their family spoke to me so kindly, though they did not know me. The kindness and the love that they showed me that evening is something I will never forget. Their house was very small, in fact, for the duration of my time in their home, I was wondering how the five members of their family that were sitting in the room with me laid down to sleep at night. Even so, the family did not want me to get wet from the leaking roofs in the places we were saying. They
See HYMNAL on page 6
September 8, 2013
Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini
Reviewed by Margaret Mielke & Loretta Smith
Hosted by Eileen Kunkle
October 13, 2013
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahme
Return to the Willow by Jacqueline Kelly
Reviewed by Cynthia Hertzler & Barbara Neff
Hosted by Barb Seaton
November 10, 2013 Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
Reviewed by Barb Seaton
Hosted by Sandy Allen
January 12, 2014
The Bakery Girls by Florence Ditlow
Reviewed by Eileen Kunkle
Hosted by Sondra Fertig
February 9, 2014
Last Case by John Luciew
Reviewed by John Luciew
Hosted by Pam Bauer
March 9, 2013
The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
Reviewed by Betty Rader
Hosted by Barbara Neff
April 13, 2014
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Reviewed by Kathy Montalbano
Hosted by Estelle Hartraft
May 18, 2014
Good Omens by Terry Prachett & Neil Gaiman
Reviewed by Barb Taylor
Hosted by Doris Coyne
