by Elder John Goodrich, Chair, Stewardship Committee
On Sunday November 9, Pine Street will hold its Consecration Sunday and Stewardship Celebration. On that day two very important things will happen. During both the 8:30am and 11:00am worship services you will have opportunity to complete an Estimate of Giving Card for the year 2015. Then following 11:00am worship there will be a catered Stewardship Celebration in our Gathering Place to thank you for your generous financial support our congregation’s ministry and mission. Please plan now to be present for both important events in the life of our congregation. If you are not present on November 9 an Estimate of Giving Card will be mailed to you the following week.
GRACE – GRATITUDE – GENEROSITY
Reflect on how Pine Street has supported your growth in GRACE, in the deepening of your faith and your relationship to God through Jesus Christ. Consider the programs and activities that nurture you and help you grow — worship, choirs, DDB, Bible studies, programs for children and youth, mission o pportunities, Stephen Ministry, the new Adult Learning Center, and many others.
Think about how your daily activities express GRATITUDE for all God’s good gifts of tangible resources, relationships, and talents.
As you prepare for Consecration Sunday please consider these words:
Then knowing that all you have is God’s good gift, consider carefully your GENEROUS response to support Christ’s mission through your Estimate of Giving for 2015.
See Generous on page 2
Surviving the Holidays: A
Grief Share Program
sponsored by the Deacons and Stephen Ministry
Thursday, November 20 at 7:30pm
by Rev. Heather Sigler
A few years ago, you probably found yourself complaining about the hectic nature of the holidays. There were numerous programs to sit through, countless gifts to buy, and way too many parties to attend. But now you’re wrestling
See Grief on page 3
Pine Street veterans and their families and friends are invited for breakfast on Saturday, November 8, 2014 hosted by the Pine Street Men. Veterans from all branches of service are invited. Arrive by 8am for coffee and conversation. Breakfast will be served at 8:30am Veterans, call the church office at 2389304 if you need a ride for breakfast. We will be providing rides for anyone that is in need of a way to get to Fellowship Hall that morning. Any veteran, male or female, is invited. It does not matter when you served. Those who are currently in the service are also welcome.
Questions? Please contact Marty Gruver at 545-1204.
Architectural and Stained Glass Window Tours by
Ken Hays
To keep members and friends of Pine Street Church aware of our history, architectural heritage, and of the Biblical foundation and symbolism found in our stained glass windows, Kenneth Hays will be offering private tours of the church.
Pine Street Church’s current architecture dates to the 1920s. It was designed after the great Anglican cathedrals of Europe by Ralph Adams Cram, the architect also responsible for the massive Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City and many other ecclesiastic buildings throughout the United States.
Our stained glass windows were designed and completed by some of the most notable glass artists of the Twentieth Century, including Charles J. Connick of Boston, who also was responsible for the Rose Window at St. John’s (America’s Largest), and Harry Wright Goodhue of New York.
These customized tours will be by appointment only for individuals, couples, families, and friends of all ages. The tours will be offered during weekday hours when the sanctuary is open and available, from 10 to 3
The length of each tour is flexible and will be determined to fit your request and needs.
To schedule a tour please call Ken Hays at 717-979-6548, or email at khays92494@aol.com.
We are still more than $30,000 behind budget in our pledged giving.
Please consider bringing your pledge up to date.
Session Notes
Dr. Sullivan talked about his plans for Bible study in the coming year.
Elder Bob Daub reported on the Stephen Ministry efforts. If anyone knows someone who can benefit from this ministry, please talk to Dr. Sullivan.
The position of Youth Intern was established, and Chris Cartwright was hired for the position.
Session voted to remunerate Heather Sigler for her services as Parish Associate for Visitation.
The Good to Great Task Force presented a progress report on their work so far. Their goal is to present recommendations to Session for review at a future meeting.
Generous
Continued from page 1
What we are working on this year goes far beyond fund-raising. We are talking about faithful discipleship which calls us to grow in GRACE, express GRATITUDE for all we have, and become GENEROUS stewards. Please make every effort be present on November 9 to make your Estimate of Giving and join in the joyous Celebration of Stewardship.
Thank you sandwichmakers Marty and Deb Gruver, Larry and Sarah Pearce, Jim and Audrey Bell, Deb Olson, Carol Putt, Stevie Sharp, John Jewett, and the Community Life Group at Country Meadows Retirement Community for your contribution to keeping over 150 people fed for two days during DDB construction. Also a special thanks to Cheryl Goode for leading the crew! Elaine
The Opportunity to Help
by Mathilde Fiorletta
Bonjour!
My name is Mathilde Fiorletta. I am 19 years old and my home is Nancy, France, a city twice the size of Harrisburg, in the north-east part of France. I am an engineering student (I will graduate in 2018) and I love physics and chemistry. Part of the university’s requirements is to spend the summer in an Englishspeaking country. We are required to speak another language. I also speak Spanish.
I have been in Harrisburg for 5 weeks, staying with a friend of my mother’s. During this time I have been volunteering at different places. I have been a volunteer at Downtown Daily Bread for one week. Miss Cynthia showed me how to work in the mail room and that is what I did. It made me improve my English. With this experience, I saw what really was homelessness and all the possibilities that homeless people in this country have (which are actually more than in France). Downtown Daily Bread really does a great job and I am happy that I had an opportunity to help. Thanks to places like DDB!
(Note from caseworker Cynthia: I was able to speak with Mathilde’s sponsor recently. She shared that Mathilda’s parents noticed a changed in her attitude when she returned home. Her friends do not volunteer in places such as DDB and it was a “life-changing” experience for her.)
Music at Pine Street
On Friday, November 14 at 7:30pm the Chamber Singers and Chancel Choir bring us one of their beautiful services of Choral Evensong. The service will feature Canticles and several seasonal anthems.
Following Evensong is an organ recital by Brian Rotz. Mr. Rotz is the Director of Music at Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Calisle, and he is on the faculty of Dickinson College. He has a Bachelors Degree in Music from Indiana University and a Master of Music from Northwestern. In 1984 he was awarded the prestigious Performer’s Certificate in Organ Performance by an all-faculty committee of the School of Music at Indiana University, and he also won the Ntional First Prize in Organ in the MTNA Collegiate Artists Competition that year.
Suggested donation is $10 at the door. As always free parking is available in the South Street Garage.
Grief
Continued from page 1
with grief and loss this holiday season. You’d gladly take those busy times over what you’re experiencing now. That’s because no matter whom or what you’ve lost, the holidays are a constant reminder that someone or something will be missing from your celebration. And with the holiday season lasting over a month, the pain seems to last forever. So what’s the best advice for making it through the holidays?
Trustee Notes
Church signed a new contract for electricity which will save several thousand dollars per year.
Additional handicapped parking spaces will be added on third street.
DDB serves about 100 clients per day.
Two of the administrative offices upstairs have been painted and the carpet replaces.
While that may sound like a cliché, focusing on the true meaning of Christmas can actually be a surprising source of comfort, because it leads directly to hope that Jesus’ birth announces.
“Surviving the Holidays” is a clergy led event that will be held at the church on Thursday, November 20, 7:30pm lasting about one and one-half hours with refreshments following. You will view a video and have opportunity for conversation with others experiencing a loss. This program is open to the community, so please tell your neighbors and friends and help us give a special holiday gift this year.
by George Kunkle
• The church has engaged the services of a new cleaning company. They clean in the evenings so if you are in the church at that time you may see them doing their work. We are spending $400 a month less for this service. Please direct any building cleaning issues to the church office.
• Brad has ordered three new temporary handicapped signs to be used on Pine Street to increase the number of handicapped parking spaces on a Sunday morning.
• The former office of Tom Clark-Jones has been cleaned, painted, and carpeted in preparation for a new musician.
• All work on the wall behind the sink and counter in the DDB kitchen has been completed and the area is functioning properly and there should be no more problems.
• Repairs are scheduled to address the leak in the
Dear Friends at Pine Street,
I wish to thank each of you who were part of the wonderful retirement reception and going away party on August 24. It is a daunting thought to realize it was my last 'professional' Sunday morning set of services at Pine Street. The Choir, who came out in full force, certainly outdid themselves, and then 'did me in' with the surprise singing of John Rutter's lovely Gaelic Blessing as a going away present. My special thanks to Ken Hays and the group that instigated that 'mutiny' by having secret rehearsals! And speaking of presents, I thank each of you who contributed to the various gifts that were part of that day. Your generosity was beyond any expectation, and I thank each of you.
Mostly I thank the entire congregation for seventeen wonderful years as your musician. It was a pleasure and delight to come to work each day ... to play services ... to plan and perform concerts ... to make merry music for weddings and to help your mourn the loss of beloved family and friends. This was your greatest gift to me ... the fact that you put your trust in me to continue the great tradition of music ... a bar set very high, indeed, by Don Clapper and his predecessors in the position. I hope my work carried on that tradition in a way that inspired all of you to ever higher praise of the Almighty in music.
On that last Sunday, we sang the glorious tune, Cwm Rhondda (Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah), and in typical Welsh fashion, repeated the last words over and over ... "Songs of praises, songs of praises I will ever give to Thee" May it be so ... as we continue in our separate journeys, may you continue your songs of praises as I plan to as well.
With a grateful heart for these wonderful years,
Tom Clark-Jones
parapet wall on the roof above room 310 and a new leak in the sanctuary at the front entrance by the lectern.
• Several light fixtures both inside and outside the Boyd Building have been
replaced in connection with the opening of the Adult Learning Center.
• We have received two bids to provide security and fire protection for the church and the Boyd Building. We are
having some issues with the current system. A recommendation has been forwarded to the Trustees at their next meeting.
Hanging of the Greens is an intergenerational event at Pine Street. We invite everyone from the youngest members of the church to the oldest to join us as we decorate our Sanctuary and building for the Christmas season, Wednesday, December 3. We will begin the evening at 6:00pm with a light meal in Fellowship Hall and then begin decorating. This is a great opportunity for our church community and friends to spend time together. Sign up at the Welcome Center!
Save the Date: 2015 Women’s Retreat
Where: Camp Hebron
When: March13 –15, 2015
Speaker: Rev. Lorrie M. Cooney
The Women’s Retreat Committee has begun planning for the 2015 retreat. A wonderful weekend is anticipated and we hope all women of Pine Street and friends will find time in their schedules to participate. Please put this date on your calendars now! Also, please note the changes in the registration process.
Signups will begin December 7. There will be a flyer containing a reservation form available by the end of November at the Welcome Center. In order to sign up for the retreat, the form, along with a $100 deposit, must be submitted at the Welcome Center by January 18, 2015. The check should be made out to Pine Street Presbyterian Church with Women’s Retreat on the memo line. The balance of your room rate is due by February 8, 2015. In other words, there will not be a “list” for signing up this year.
Cost for the retreat this year will be:
1 in room $318
2 in room $187
3 in room $144
Commuter rate $75
This is a wonderful item to put on your Christmas list, or to give to someone else.
The Giving Tree 2014
Put It On Your TO-DO list! by Laura
Messner
The Christmas season is one of joy and hope in a world where human frailty seems so widespread. It is a time of tradition as we celebrate the birth of Jesus: hanging of the greens, Advent Sunday, and Christmas hymns.
The Christmas Giving Tree is a Pine Street tradition that Mission Committee continues this year. It is an opportunity to provide help and compassion for those in the Harrisburg area who are less fortunate.
Mission committee asks for your generosity in supporting the following agencies chosen for 2014:
Delta Community strengthens families with children by providing life skill services and traditional housing.
Individual gifts
HELP Ministries provides emergency services such as shelter, rent assistance, and heating fuel
Money for vouchers which are sent directly to landlords or fuel vendors
Downtown Daily Bread provides meals and various services for the poor and homeless in downtown Harrisburg
Personal care items and accessories for warmth (socks, hats, gloves, T-shirts and scarves) to donate to clients
Community Check-Up Center provides compassionate and caring medical services
New or gently-used books to be distributed to families to encourage reading
Hansel and Gretel Early Learning Center provides childcare services for a diverse population
Clothing items for young children
These agencies present a variety of giving opportunities. In the Gathering Place, a table will be set up with visuals to show the various groups being sponsored. To participate:
1. Sign up in the Gathering Place on November 23, November 30, and December 7 at the special table set up for this purpose.
2. Return gifts on December 7 and 14 so they can be delivered in time for Christmas.
From a Remote Pew
by Ray Gover, writing from Bethany Village
My wife, Frieda, and I no longer are able to attend Sunday services because of health limitations. But the livestreaming of the 11 o’clock service is a marvelous blessing.
And we were thrilled to learn of the new mission Pine Street is about to undertake — the Adult Learning Center. Our church has a long tradition of reaching out to the community in so many ways, Downtown Daily Bread is one, but there have been numerous others. Now this move to assist young men and women to obtain their high school equivalency certificate is destined to make a huge impact.
Leading this visionary project is our pastor, The Rev. Dr. Russell C. Sullivan, and getting the operational nuts and bolts in place are Kathleen White and Craig Kegerise. They represent a true example of the Presbyterian direction to give of one’s time and talent.
When the time comes to financially support ALC, Frieda and I will be present when the roll is called, not “up yonder,” but right here.
In closing we do want to express our appreciation for the learning experience that emanates from the pulpit when Russell preaches. We have learned so much from his sermons that often put Old and New Testament situations into 2014 life perspectives.
Pine Street has a tradition of wonderful preaching and music. Dr. Sullivan has continued that preaching element with distinction. We hope he will elect to stay here for the rest of his career.
ALC News
An open house for the community, donors, local and state leaders, media, members and friends of Pine Street, and others interested in learning and literacy will take place in the Adult Learning Centr (ALC) area of the Boyd building on the second floor from 1:00–3:00pm on Sunday, November 16. The winner of the logo contest will be announced during the Open House.
The Adult Learning Center is Pine Street’s newest community outreach mission program to serve members of the greater Harrisburg area.
The ALC has been designed to provide highly personalized, studentcentered education to adult students from our area who wish to enroll in a formal GED classroombased program, but who would like to improve in one or more of these areas before they begin their GED studies:
• basic math skills,
• basic reading and language skills,
• study skills,
• test taking skills,
• basic computer skills, and
The Adult Learning Center needs a logo, and what better way to find one than through a contest? The logo will become the universally recognized visual representation of the ALC and will be used for ALC publications, on our website, and on t-shirts for the “5K to Educate” walk/run fundraiser that will be held in the spring. Members of Pine Street, regular attendees, demonstrated friends of Pine Street, and children and young adults who are not yet eligible for membership are invited and encouraged to participate.
Here are the rules:
Each entrant is entitled to two (2) submissions. Each submission must have an entry form clipped to it. Entry forms are available at the Welcome Center or online at http://www.pinestreet. org/wp-content/ uploads/2014/10/ALC_ Logo_Entry_Form.pdf.
This is the first in an occasional article by people who might not be seen in the pews on a weekly basis. If you are worshipping from a remote pew and would like to share your thoughts in a future issue of Pine Street Life, please talk to Anne Guenin 2389304 x108 or email her at aguenin@pinestreet.org.
• the transition from ESL to basic literacy academic skills
More information is available at www. pinestreet.org/adultlearning-center-alc.
By an entrant’s signature on the form, all entries are considered to be the property of The Adult Learning Center at Pine Street Presbyterian Church for the purpose of possible future promotion and reproduction. An authorized adult must cosign for a child or youth entrant.
See Logo on page 7
Continued from page 6
Entries should:
• Incorporate symbols, pictures, words or other representations that visually suggest the purpose and mission of the Adult Learning Center
• Be visually recognizable at a distance as well as close up
• Be submitted on paper or card stock not smaller than 81/2” x 11”
• Be in black and white or in color
• Be clearly hand-drawn or computer-produced
• Be easily adaptable to .PDF format for future use
The deadline for submission is November 9. Submissions must be attached to an entry form and placed in the designated box located in the Gathering Place or emailed to Chris Ewing at cewing1188@gmail. com
The winner will be announced during the ALC Open House Sunday, November 16.
POINSETTIAS ORDER FORM – 2014
If you would like to purchase a poinsettia that will be used for decorating the sanctuary for Christmas, please complete the form below. There will no longer be automatic renewals for ordering poinsettias.
The form can be either mailed or put in the box in the Gathering Place along with your check made payable to Pine Street Presbyterian Church (please specify in the memo that this is for poinsettias). The costs of the poinsettias are $8.00 each. Deadline for orders is December 14, 2014.
WORDING OF DEDICATION:
In Memory of In Honor of Given by Amount Enclosed*___________________
*Payment is due when order form is submitted.
Mailing address is: Pine Street Presbyterian Church, 310 N. 3rd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
WE MUST HAVE THE ABOVE FORM FILLED OUT AND PUT IN THE BOX IN THE GATHERING PLACE (BOX IS MARKED). IF YOU DO NOT FILL OUT THIS FORM, YOU WILL NOT HAVE YOUR MEMORIAL LISTED IN THE CHRISTMAS BULLETIN, EVEN IF YOU HAVE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE IT DONE AUTOMATICALLY FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
Meet Our New Members
Becky Cotich is a retired educator, native of Massachusetts, currently a resident of Lower Paxton Township. Becky values learning as a lifelong journey. She enjoys socializing with friends, interior decorating, entertaining and helping others. Some of her leisure time activities include traveling, bicycling (locally, Slovenia, and France), working out, reading, playing bridge, celebrating ladies’ night out, becoming more knowledgeable about wine, and being actively involved with her dearest friend’s grandchildren. That’s where the importance of being physically fit pays off! Becky’s religious journey has taken her down many roads, but the ultimate decision to join Pine Street was based on the personal attention received and the sincere willingness of some church members to invite her to various activities and make her feel welcome.
Sarah Ackerman came to Pine Street as a visitor with her fiancé, Josh Ramirez. She says, “He’s never steered me wrong.” Sarah agrees with Josh that Pine Street members have been wonderful and extremely welcoming. Sarah would describe herself as always active and striving to be a better woman.
Josh Ramirez saw Pine Street and talked with his fiancée, Sarah Ackerman about visiting. They first attended Pine Street as visitors and liked it very much. “Everyone was so nice we wanted to become members.” They both feel Pine Street members have been wonderful and extremely welcoming. Josh wants to be known as a hard worker, dedicated father, and named after a great man in the Bible.
John Dormuth was born and raised in the Harrisburg area. He is husband to Kristene and father to Marah and Trent. John has attended worship and supported Pine Street for many years. Faith is a journey…
Baptisms
Scarlett Grace Marchand
October 12, 2014 infant daughter of Chris and Jennifer Marchand ~
Deaths
Marian Logan July 16, 1924 –October 11, 2014 ~
New Members
Sarah Ackerman
David Colestock
Becky Cotich
John Dormuth
Josh Ramirez ~ Reactivated
Benjamin Summers
David Colestock is the supervisor of nonpublic school services for the Capital Area Intermediate Unit. He lives in Susquehanna Township with his partner Tom and their two golden retrievers. David enjoys music and theatre and spends his free time throwing pottery. David decided to join Pine Street because of its welcoming community and meaningful worship experience.
8:30 AM Worship - Sanctuary
SYF & JYF-Room 106
AM Church School All Ages
AM Worship - Sanctuary
November, 2014
www.pinestreet.org
Saturday, November 1
All Saints’ Day
Psalms 63; 149
Isaiah 26:1–4, 8–9, 12–13, 19–21
Revelation 21:9–11, 22–27 (22:1–5) or Hebrews 11:32–12:2
