For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. – Titus 2:11-14 NIV
Where were you on "Black Friday"? A tidal wave of shoppers pushed through the malls the day after Thanksgiving to grab the holiday bargains on what has become the official start of the holiday shopping season. The only busier shopping day is December 24, when all the last minute shoppers merge with their frenzy of desperation.
One Christmas Eve shopper grew tired of fighting the crowds. She was tired of standing in lines. She was tired of squeezing her way down long aisles looking for a gift that had already sold out days before. Her arms were full of bulky packages when an elevator door opened. It was full. The occupants of the elevator grudgingly tightened ranks to allow a small space for her and her load.
As the doors closed, she blurted out, "Whoever is responsible for this whole Christmas thing ought to be arrested, strung up, and shot!"
A few others nodded their heads or grunted in agreement. Then, from somewhere in the back of the elevator, came a single voice that said: "Don't worry. They already crucified him."
The true meaning of this holiday season can be communicated beautifully in a sanctuary from a choir, a prayer, a sermon, a drama, a hymn or a Scripture reading. The purpose of all these efforts, especially well prepared this time of year, is to become God’s redeemed people who live life very differently now because of Jesus.
I pray each one of us conveys the true meaning of Christmas in our attitudes and actions, as well as with our words as we share this best news of all: God with us!
Grateful He came,
Anticipating His return,
Dave Meckley, Pastor
Welcome to Baby Boy Salyards
The Ryan and Leah Salyards family welcomed Ransom Neal Salyards on Saturday, November 2nd, at 2:37 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces and was 19 inches long. Congratulations to Dad and Mom and big brothers Gus and Judah!
Condolences
As a congregation we join in the grief of Donna Smeltzer at the passing of her brother, Dennis Popovich, on November 8.
Heifer International - GIFTING ANIMALS
The Sunday school is once again collecting funds for Heifer International (heifer.org). Through this ministry we can provide the money for ministry workers to buy and gift animals locally to families in need to provide food and a means of steady income. Right now there is a 3X match for all gifts given to Heifer, so it’s a great time to have an even bigger impact. There is a collection container in the church basement. If you don’t get a chance to stop by the basement, feel free to give funds to Matt or Joy Nelson who will see that they’re added to the collection. All donations should be submitted by Sunday, December 15th, and Sunday school superintendent, Matt Nelson, will announce which animals our Sunday school provided on Sunday, December 22nd.
Sisters in Christ Fellowship During 4 C’s Ladies Fall Retreat
The 4 C’s Allegheny Ladies Fellowship annual Fall Retreat was held Sept. 27 and 28, 2024, at Sequanota Conference Center near Jennerstown. Forty-two women representing 14 churches enjoyed the Bible study “Strong in the Lord,” a series of 6 sessions. Carol Deremer led a great “Strength & Song” study. Patti Deal focused on
“Strong in the Lord.” Myra Whysong-Krentz taught a dynamic “Strong in His Word” session. Penny Corle gave a soul-searching “Strong in Prayer” lesson. Shirley Dubeau, wife of Rev. Tim Dubeau, shared a rousing message of “How to Grow Strong in Salvation.” Amy Pepe concluded the study with “Strength in Numbers,” encouraging us to team up with fellow believers to accomplish God’s purpose on earth. We find strength in Christ-centered relationships.
Connie Ochoa and Jeanne Detwiler led a beautiful jar craft, which was also a fun time to get to know one another! Barb Thomas led several praise and worship sessions, including a skit which featured Brenda Colyer as Rachel Richie, Patty Larson as Sally Homemaker, Kathy Dull as Allie B. Me, and Lisa White as Miss Wendy Warrior. The skit pointed out that even Christian women can be deceived by worldly ideals. Our strength comes from the Lord. The retreat was an inspirational time with sisters in Christ. We will convene again Sept. 26 and 27, 2025, at Sequanota, a beautiful wooded retreat center. Please mark your calendars, ladies, and plan to attend.
Christmas Program Happening Sunday, December 15th
The St. John’s Reformed Christmas Program will be held Sunday, December 15, at 10:45 a.m., following the 9:30 worship service. In place of our annual cantata, the choir will take part in the Sunday school program, opening with “Christmastime” (Michael Smith and Johanna Carlson, words and music) and closing with “The Beautiful Impossible,”(words and music by Joseph M. Martin). Children and Youth Sunday school teachers will be in charge of class presentations. Please mark your calendars and invite family, friends, and neighbors to attend this special time of praise and worship, supporting our Sunday school classes, as we reflect on the great joy, hope, peace and love Christ’s birth brings to us.
-Submitted by Barb Thomas
Mitten Tree to Warm Communities
Once again the church is collecting mittens, hats, and socks in a basket under the tree set up in the fellowship area of the basement. Donations can be made throughout the entire month of December and will be given to the Northern Bedford Food/Clothing Bank (children's sizes) and the veterans home in Hollidaysburg (adult sizes) to distribute to those in need.
December Choir Schedule
Choir will meet Wednesdays, Dec. 4 and Dec. 11. Choir will break and resume January 30, 6:30 pm. New voices welcome.
Christmas Carolers Wanted
We will meet Tuesday, Dec. 17, and Thurs. Dec. 19, both at 4:45 pm, in church parking lot to go caroling. All are welcome. One evening will be to local shut-ins, the other to area nursing homes. You may attend one or both evenings. See Barb for more information
-Submitted by Barb Thomas
FOOD PANTRY REQUESTS:
Sugar, flour, cereals, broth, gravy mixes, cranberry sauce, and personal care items, cleaning items, paper products, diapers/Attends, dish and laundry detergents
LOCAL EVENTS FOR DECEMBER
*Bedford Forge Community Church will hold a Drive-through Nativity on its church grounds in Yellow Creek from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. Various scenes of Jesus's life will be on display. Rain date is Dec. 21. The church is located at 384 Jack's Corner Rd. Non-perishable food will be collected for the Northern Bedford Food Pantry at Woodbury.
*Raven Run Church of the Brethren will sponsor a Christmas recital by Jim Worthing of Altoona, a Nashville, TN gospel singer, at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8. The public is invited. Refreshments will be available.
*The Southern Cove Power Reunion will have its 4th annual drive thru country Christmas light show, located at 145 Cave Rd., New Enterprise, PA 16664. From the Facebook Event page: Come see & vote on your favorite displays brought to you by area businesses, groups, and families! Four nights of fun-December 6th & 7th, 13th & 14th, 5:30-9:15 p.m. Drive through in your car for $6 OR schedule a horse drawn wagon ride (unique country experience enjoyed by many!). Also, singers from the New Enterprise Church of the Brethren will be singing Christmas carols at the Power Reunion Christmas Light Show on Friday, Dec. 13, from 7 to 8 p.m. They will be singing under the pavilion on the Power Reunion grounds.
Women’s Guild November Meeting Report
Ten ladies met on November 8, 2024, for the Women’s Guild meeting in the fellowship hall of the church. Peg reviewed a book entitled, The American Story: The Beginnings, by David and Tim Barton. She spoke of how God used the weather to protect the patriots from the British in comparison to how He used the weather to serve his purposes in the Bible. Many heroic acts of the men and women fighting for religious freedom were mentioned, which was a good reminder to us as we approached Veteran’s Day on November 11.
Cindy continues to gather members and contributions ($3.00) for the Homewood Auxiliary to benefit the residents.
Money is also being collected to purchase Christmas gifts for residents of Hoffman Home until December 1. The Women’s Guild voted to round the donation up to the closest $50.00.
The Ladies Christmas Party is being planned for December 13 at 6:00 p.m. at the church. It is $8.00 per person. A sign-up sheet is on the welcome table. Please bring a donation for the food bank in lieu of an exchange gift so that we may share the love of Christ with those around us.
Christmas cards for those attending our church are being sorted the morning of December 14. The annual Christmas treat bags are also being assembled at that time. Ask Kim, Barb, or Julie if you have any questions. Please have your cards turned in by that morning. The Christmas program consisting of selections by the children and choir will be held during Sunday school on December 15, followed by a meal which will be catered.
We discussed possible fundraising opportunities for the upcoming kitchen renovation project to improve the safety and functionality of the kitchen to better serve our church and surrounding community. Several good options were brought up. Stay tuned for further details.
More volunteers are needed to provide visits, phone calls, or cards for those who have difficulty leaving their homes. See Beverly if you would like to volunteer.
Barb informed us that the CCCC Women’s Fall Retreat will be held on September 26-27, 2025. Please let one of the officers know if you would like to volunteer for the program or as a hostess for the Women’s Guild meetings next year. It was decided to have the hostesses bring a snack, dessert, and/or drink instead of a full meal to aid in the time and cost involved. We enjoyed one “last supper” and exchanged cookies in honor of the upcoming holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, reminding us of all that we have to be thankful for, most important of which is Jesus. We look forward to the upcoming year and the opportunity that it brings for us to serve each other and those around us in old, and possibly new, ways.
-Respectfully submitted, Lauren Sell, assistant secretary
Consistory Updates
The Consistory met on November 14, 2024, in the copy room of the church. Let’s start with the exciting news before we get to the more mundane things that happened. On November 16, we celebrated 2 ceremonies during the morning service. The Pastor performed a baptism service for Ransom Salyards and a dedication service for Annie and Rosie Kurtz as we welcomed all three children into God’s ever-loving care and into our family at St. John’s. Needless to say, attendance for the service was very good.
We also received news that Mark Sell is joining the church and is currently participating
in the new members class. Hopefully we will have another welcoming service soon.
Okay, on to the business stuff.
The Consistory will be meeting with Interim Pastor Ministries on December 5, via zoom, to discuss the next step in the process of obtaining an interim pastor through this agency. We also reviewed the results of the work sessions we had several weeks prior.
We are looking at job descriptions for a new pastor, treasurer, and secretary. This is part
of a review of the bylaws and constitution we are doing before a new pastor begins.
We also identified some gaps that will need to be filled as soon as possible to assist in a
smooth transition. Of course, the major gap is someone to fill the pulpit after the pastor
leaves and before an interim begins. At this time we believe that between supply
pastors and the elders, we can accomplish this. Other gaps include the livestream and
AV system operation, the church’s heating and cooling system, and general outside
maintenance of the church (grass mowing, shoveling, ice removal, etc.), all of which has
been performed by the pastor (we truly have been blessed). Jordan and Sole Rhoat
have volunteered to learn the livestream and audio/visual system, and we approved
upgrading the heating/cooling system in order to program it to automatically set the
temperatures accordingly. Steve Rodgers will talk to Gary Sipes to gain input on how to
do this most efficiently. We still need volunteers for the outside maintenance duties.
Please, do not hesitate to let us know if you feel a calling to do any of these tasks.
We also agreed to begin the search for the Pastor Search Committee. There will be five voting members on the committee, three from the congregation and two from the consistory. Christopher Kurtz and Joel Ritchey were meeting this week to review possible candidates from the congregation and the consistory. You may be approached and asked to prayerfully consider participating on the committee. We will not browbeat anyone. We want the majority of the committee to be from the congregation since the pastor we find is the congregation’s pastor. Full disclosure - this work will be, at times, labor intensive and time consuming. If we cannot find enough congregants to sit on the committee we will fill those seats with consistory members. When we have enough volunteers for the committee we will have another short congregational meeting to present them for your consideration--hopefully before Christmas. An announcement will be made two weeks prior.
In all the talk and preparation to fill the pulpit, it is important to note that the other
position in the church that can only be filled by a person with a special gift is that of the
treasurer. Cathy Snider will be retiring after the annual congregational meeting at the
end of January. She has been our church’s treasurer for over 30 years. Being responsible for the church’s finances is a huge and often thankless task. As a nonprofit, we are under government scrutiny and are periodically audited. Cathy has done a wonderful job, and when you see her please offer a word of thanks for her selfless dedication to our church family. With Cathy stepping down, we have another major void to fill. Joel is planning to meet with Randy Ritchey of Ritchey, Ritchey and Koontz (our church auditor) for input and assistance.
In other miscellaneous business: Beth Clark notified us of her intention to step back from her duties as secretary of the consistory, effective when we have in-house elections. She will still sit on the board. Joy Nelson has volunteered to take over the newsletter. Because the newsletter is such a valuable lifeline in our church, please take a moment to thank Joy the next time you see her. There will be renovations done to the kitchen later this winter.
The next meeting is on December 12, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the copy room of the church.
-Submitted by Joel Ritchey
HOFFMAN HOME BRINGS LIGHT IN DARK SITUATIONS
Your generous donations are very much appreciated for Hoffman Home.
The Christmas boxes are collecting funds to help staff buy Christmas gifts for
residents who have no where to go on Christmas, and little hope of gifts. Money
over what is needed will be placed in general funds. Hoffman Home in
Littlestown, Pa. began as an orphanage, then transitioned to a residential
treatment center. The average age of residents is 13 years old. Ninety-five percent had prior placement in a psychiatric hospital, and 62% attempted suicide at least once. Sixty-two percent had a parent with mental disorders, and 50% were victims of sexual abuse. Forty-seven percent had a biological parent who abused substances. Your donations help build a brighter future for the youth in care. Thank you.
--Submitted by Barb Thomas, Hoffman Home Representative.
Any content for the January newsletter should be submitted to Joy Nelson (22joylinette@gmail.com) by Friday, December 27th.
Church Christmas Card Box is on the pew in the back of the church until Saturday, December 14.
Scripture-led prayer meeting Wednesdays at 5:30 before choir in downstairs classroom. Meeting through December 18.
Sunday, December 1 is the First Sunday of Advent. We will incorporate the Hanging of Greens during our 9:30 am worship service.
Ladies Christmas Party Fri. Dec 13, 6 pm. Sign up sheet is on the Welcome Table.
Christmas Eve Candlelight service
7 pm December 24. A service of lessons and carols, the choir will sing, and a Christmas message will be preached. We will close with lit candles singing "Silent Night"
An Advent – by Wanda Layton
How I need an advent, Lord.
The days are scattered, harried,
Stretched too long.
Amid the moving, pulsing, rushing crowd,
I need an angel, choir, a star, a song.
I need an advent, Lord.
Not manger stall,
Not wise men, shepherds;
I need Mary's boy --
A promise kept, with beauty born from ash;
Tears shaped into praises, mourning – joy
An advent.
How I wait for Your coming, Lord;
Living, longing, looking for the Son - -
An inner pageant; day-star;
Night's own song.
I need an advent.
Come, Emmanuel, Come.
Comments