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Silver Spring Presbyterian Church
Seeking to be a grace-filled family of faith
sharing Christ's love with all.

Our values:
Glorify God: Glorify and praise God through worship, discipling, sharing faith and serving with love
Show Compassion: Compassion expressed as care and concern for all
Share Hospitality: Inclusive hospitality through welcome, acceptance and fellowship
Nurture Relationships: Nurture relationships through respect, support and communication
Steward God's Gifts: Faithful stewardship of all God's gifts
Weekly Announcements


December 5, 2021

"Wilderness Preparation"
WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
Sunday’s sermon, “Wilderness Preparation” is based on Luke 3:1-6, 10-14. John the Baptist, that curious figure, has been commissioned by God to call the people of Judea into the wilderness for a baptism of repentance.  What he intends by repentance is what you and I understand as a change of life, a turn-around to live in a new direction. John is urging the people to rededicate and reorient their lives to serving God ahead of any other ruling authority. Naturally, the people want to know what exactly this means. John’s answer is to use whatever material blessings or influence they possess to make others whole. 
 
In this Advent Season, we, too, are called to reorient our lives to God’s purposes in serving others. For that, we too are called into the wilderness. Where are the wilderness areas of our lives? What is it about them that leads to repentance? And what does all this have to do with the British adventurer Bear Grylls?
 
Come on Sunday and find out! See you in church -

Blessings,
Don
To view our 9:00 am Traditional service this Sunday, click on the video above.
General
Sunday Worship Schedule
There are two worship services this Sunday-
  • 9:00 am Traditional Service in the Meeting House, and
  • 11:00 am Gathering in the Chapel
Adult Sunday School
We begin again! Please join us for a new beginning to Adult Sunday School, this Sunday, as we continue a four-week Advent Sunday School Session. We are undertaking a study on bestselling author Max Lucado's Because of Bethlehem - Love is Born, Hope is Here!

We will gather in Room 202, starting promptly at 10:00 am and ending promptly at 10:50 am; study guides will be provided. This session is part video and part conversation, and it will launch a new format starting in January 2022 for Adult Sunday School. Please join us for Christianity, Conversation and Coffee, as we study the scripture, build relationships and talk about God in our lives. For adults from 19 to 99! Scott Pepperman will be teaching. Also as of November 28th, our Nursery will be open and available to those with young children during church and Sunday school.

Sympathy
We extend our prayers and sympathies to the loved ones of Susie Truckor, Louise Weldy and Ken Pfaff who passed away this week. A memorial service for Susie is scheduled for Saturday, December 4 at 11 am in the Meeting House. A luncheon will follow in the Gathering Place.

There is a memorial service for Louise Weldy scheduled for Monday, December 6. Visitation will be in the Chapel at 11:30 am and the service in the Meeting House at 1:00 pm. Following a brief graveside service at the church, a luncheon will be served in the gym at approximately 2:15 pm. All are invited.

To view Louise Weldy's obituary, click HERE.

Please keep the families and friends of these members in your thoughts and prayers.

From Worship
A huge thank you is extended to all members who helped welcome the Season of Advent on Saturday morning by decorating the campus. We thank Tom Basehore from Basehore Farm Market for delivering the Christmas tree and ask for your support of our local farm market. Last but not least, we thank Don and Jean Basehore for donating the tree to Silver Spring.

Wednesday Evening Advent Vesper Services
Join us in Advent on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm in the Meeting House for a 30-45 minute concert and worship. We will be privileged to have the following groups perform:
December 8: Lancaster Trombone Ensemble
December 15: Cedar Cliff High School Chamber Singers
The Worship committee is accepting donations of snack size bags of cookies for Wednesday evening refreshments.  
Grapes of Rhythm
Fellowship Mountain Music Christmas Concert - Dec. 5th
Your fun-loving Fellowship Committee is hosting a unique Mountain Music concert on Sunday, December 5 during daylight hours from 3-4 pm in the Meeting House.  The “Grapes of Rhythm” is a lively band playing classic Appalachian and country Christmas songs.  This unique concert will feature instruments such as the auto harp, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and upright base.

Please join us for this unique concert and invite your neighbors, friends, and family to join us too. A free-will offering will be collected.  Masks are required for this event.


Christmas Cantata at Silver Spring - December 12
Join us for this year's Annual Christmas Cantata on Sunday, December 12 at 10:00 am in the Meeting House. There is just one service this day. Refreshments will be served after the Cantata.



CE Advent Event - Following the Cantata on Sunday, December 12
The Christian Education Committee invites you to join us for an Intergenerational Advent Event, following the Cantata Service and refreshments on Sunday, December 12th. We will gather together in the church gym and enjoy a Christmas movie for families, popcorn and beverages. We will also work on several crafts that will be distributed to the church shut-ins. We will mask up and practice social distancing as we enjoy each other's fellowship and work. No cost, but please RSVP to either Scott Pepperman, [email protected], or Laura Shoop, [email protected], the CE co-chairs so that enough supplies and refreshments can be purchased by Monday December 6th.

Blue Christmas Service - Thursday, December 16, 7:00 pm in the Meeting House
While many of us are looking forward to Christmas with great anticipation, for some of us the holidays are a time of intensified grief. This service is for anyone who seeks hope and comfort amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

Angel Tree
  • REMEMBER: Gifts are due by December 10 so we can easily sort the gifts on the 12th and get them ready for delivery. Please attach your colored angel with the code side up so it will be easy to sort. Throw away the white shopping tag. Thank you!
  • Whoever took angel tag GCAT 3 and tag EVATLF01, please fill your name onto the checkout sheets in the Gathering Place so we know who is responsible for the gifts. Thank you!
THANK YOU for caring and sharing. Claudia Brown, Shawn Marshall, and the Deacons

Christmas Eve Services
Join us for one of our candlelight services on Christmas Eve, both in the Meeting House:
  • 5 pm for Children and Families
  • 7 pm for a Traditional Candlelight Service

Christmas Poinsettias
The Christmas poinsettia order forms are available in the Gathering Place or by clicking here. Please return the form to the box in the Gathering Place by Monday, December 13. The names of dedication will be listed in the bulletin on Sunday, December 19. The cost of each poinsettia is $10.

Thank You
Thank you to the twenty people who came out on November 30 to help bake 112 dozen of chocolate chip cookies for the Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry. We started at 7:00 am and were able to finish up by 11:00 am. Your help was greatly appreciated.

Help needed for the International Service Center (ISC), Afghan Family Reunification (AFR) Project
Responding to the appeal for assistance from local Afghan immigrants who were extremely concerned for the safety of their relatives in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, the ISC has initiated the AFR Project. The main purpose of the AFR Project is to help at-risk people from Afghanistan reunite with their relatives in the United States, and to help ease their transition once they get here.

One of the challenges of the transition is that some of the food available from traditional food banks/pantries is not familiar or comfortable to the Afghan diet. The Mission Committee and CORE have selected Saturday December 11, 2021 from 1 pm to 3 pm for a drive thru food drive targeting the specific foods that are part of a normal Afghan diet. You may also drop food off in the labeled container outside the Chapel. A condensed list of the foods we are looking for are lentils, kidney and pinto beans, peanut butter and jelly, sugar, flour, tomato sauce, pasta, cumin, canned peas and potatoes, and cooking oil. There is a more detailed list on the container. Please limit your donations to the specific foods that the ISC/AFR Project has requested. Thank you in advance for helping our soon to be central PA residents from Afghanistan.

Wednesday Afternoon Bible Study
We meet every Wednesday afternoon at 1:00 pm in the Parlor (please wear a mask). Our study is on The Women of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream. For any questions, please call Carolyn Dorward (717.737.6481) or Ruth Stoll (717.697.6560).

The Finance Committee and the Commitment, Legacy and Endowment Committee are seeking at-large members for an Investment Subcommittee. We are seeking SSPC members with experience with investments(professionally or personally). If you have an interest, please contact Bill Resser: 717- 580-7667, [email protected]; Bill Vipperman: 717-991-5825, [email protected]; Gary Karkuff: 717-802-4480, [email protected].
Per Capita
Please pay your per capita apportionment to free up church monies for other needs. The amount for 2021 is $24.20 per member. If you do not have church envelopes, simply write Per Capita in the memo line of your check. Thank you.
Earth Care Survey
This summer the Earth Care Team shared a survey to learn more about our members’ stance on environmental topics that apply to our local community, our church property, and the goals of the Earth Care Team. We were pleased to have 72 returned surveys. These responses have helped our team learn a little more about our congregation, and how we can be a better committee at SSPC.

We discovered the vast majority of our members are involved in some form of earth care stewardship to reduce their environmental footprint. The most popular activity was recycling, followed by installing LED lights, and driving electric or hybrid vehicles. Other popular activities included composting, buying locally grown food, reducing water use, and creating wildlife habitat. Many of our members have accepted environmentally friendly cleaning products into their homes, with products from Blueland, Mrs. Meyers, and homemade vinegar blends being the most popular. The congregation had new ideas for the Earth Care team as well, including more accessible recycling bins on church property, creating a community garden, and continued monitoring and cleanup of Trindle Run.

One of the survey questions asked specifically about a community garden installment at Silver Spring; there were a handful of individuals in the congregation showing interest in this idea. We plan to reach out to these individuals in the coming months to pursue this project further.

To view the data collected from the Earth Care survey, visit the link on the side panel of the Earth Care Team page on Silver Spring’s website. And if you are interested in becoming an Earth Care member, please reach out to Stefan Karkuff to join our monthly meeting.

Earth Care: Seasonal Tip
If you have not tried using natural materials for decorating, you may want to reconsider this option. Pine cones, pine boughs, hemlock, holly with or without berries, red twig dogwood branches are all good choices and make festive arrangements. Just cut and place in vases, crocks and/or baskets. Most festive.
Mission
ROAR Winter Mission Trip
We are back (hopefully) to a regular schedule for ROAR Mission trips. The winter trip for February of 2022 is in Gainesville, Florida. We will be working with Alachua Habitat For Humanity building new homes with Habitat partner families. The work week will be Monday, January 31 through Friday, February 04, 2022. Volunteers will arrive at the hotel on Sunday, January 30, 2022 with an option to arrive on Saturday, January 29, 2022.

The plan is to frame up at least two homes during the week. As always, you do not need building skills to be a part of the team. Everyone can do something to help build the homes and learn a new skill at the same time.

If you are interested in being part of the 2022 winter ROAR Team or need additional information please contact Terry Reed at [email protected], or call Terry at 717-766-2714, or see Terry at church.

Joy To The Burg
Local musicians have united again in 2021 to create the 3rd annual Joy to the Burg Christmas album to benefit people experiencing homelessness. Albums are on sale now and proceeds will support the homelessness programs of Christian Churches United (CCU) in Harrisburg.
How You Can Help
100% of all album sales go directly to the homelessness outreach efforts of expanding winter walk-in shelters for both men and women in Harrisburg as well as helping those on the street get into long-term housing. When someone gives the gift of Joy To The Burg, they not only support the local arts community and bless their loved ones with the gift of music, they provide hope and housing to our most vulnerable neighbors.
Albums are available at Karns or at www.JoyToTheBurg.com

New Hope Ministry
For the month of December, their needs include: Baby wipes, Chicken/Tuna/Hamburger Helpers, and Bisquick. Items will be collected in the bin outside the Chapel. Thank you for supporting this local ministry.
Youth
Hey all! I have news about 2022 already! What happened to the time? January 9th, we will begin Youth Sunday prep and Sunday School! February 13th, we will be hosting a Valentine's Day Special from 5-8. The purpose of this event is to entertain kids of all ages, to give parents a chance to have dinner together. February 19th is the Last Youth Sunday Rehearsal. February 20th is Youth Sunday!

ZETEO 2022 is February 4-6, 2022 (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon): Let me know by 12/27/2021 if you would like to go so, I can get you a ticket!

December 5, 2021: CORE from 6-8

December 12, 2021: NO CORE, but the festivities in the morning/early afternoon

December 19, 2021: NO CORE

December 26, 2021: NO CORE Merry Christmas!!!

December 27, 2021: Deadline to let me know if you are coming to Zeteo

January 2, 2022: NO CORE Happy New Year!!!

January 9, 2022: Sunday School Begins, CORE from 6-8, Youth Sunday Prep Begins

January 16, 2022: CORE from 6-8 Youth Sunday Prep

Email [email protected] for more info or to subscribe to email and/or text announcements.
Prayers of healing: Phil and Nancy Cerveny

Prayers of sympathy: Families of Susie Truckor (daughters Dionne and Tara) and Louise Weldy (Karen and Gary, Stefan, Eva and Jenna Karkuff), and Ken Pfaff (Deb Pfaff and son Jonathan Pfaff)

Prayers for our military members: Justin Ledvina, Josiah Scandle, Wyatt La Pointe, Brandon Johnson
Oct 2021 financials
SUNDAY WORSHIP ATTENDANCE

November 21
9:00 am Traditional = 83
11:00 am Gathering = 43
YouTube views = 66

November 28
9:00 am Traditional = 66
11:00 am Gathering = 40
YouTube views = 65
SERVING THIS WEEK

Ushers: Jonathan and Carol Service

Lay Liturgist: Paul Burkhart

Deacon Servers:
Mary Jane Voigt and Sheri Miller

Gathering Snack: Arnita Hawkins

Downtown Daily Bread, Dec.10:
Dick and Cathy Leeds
GIVING OF YOUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS ELECTRONICALLY:
1- Direct Link to our Website: https://onrealm.org/silverspring/-/give/now
2- If you’d like the church to set up contributions for you, please complete and return the attached form by clicking here.
For any questions, please email Diane Rabold, Business Manager, at [email protected].
Please Note: To submit information for the weekly announcements, please email Priscilla in the church office by Thursday morning. Please note that we reserve the right to edit articles due to space and can only publish information directly related to church-sponsored events.