OUR MISSION is to love and praise God, love and nurture our church family, and love

and serve our neighbors,

   through worship, prayer, fellowship, education, hands-on work, financial support

    and compassionate care,

     in order to follow Jesus and make known the Kingdom of Heaven.

OUR VISION is 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

The life and ministry of Jesus Christ begins very quickly after the Christmas Season. We just celebrated Christmas and Epiphany in the Church season! 

On January 11th, we will celebrate Christ’s Baptism in the Jordon River, an event that occurs before He leaves for 40 days in the wilderness (Lent), which we won’t recognize until mid-February, with Ash Wednesday. Witnessing Christ’s baptism through the Gospel of Matthew, we see the heavens open and God’s booming voice declaring his pleasure of his Son Jesus, our savior.

Remembering Christ’s baptism calls us to remember our own. In our Baptism, God has called us, claimed us and sealed us in the waters. Regardless of when we are baptized, this sacrament is an important part of our faith and discipleship journeys. 

See you in church on Sunday –



Blessings, 
Pastor Lisa

9 AM Traditional Service

11 AM The Gathering Service

Sympathy

We extend our prayers and sympathy to the family of Nancy Thomas who died last week. A memorial service is scheduled for April 25, 2026 at SSPC. Cards can be sent to her daughters (see information below). Please keep them in your prayers. If you would like to make a donation in honor of Nancy, the family requests the donations go towards the church grounds or cemetery fund (please specify your preference if making a donation - thank you).

Mission Sunday next week

Mission Sunday is January 18th. Both services will have a special Minute for Mission and a presentation from Sara’s House of Hope. We will receive the special Mission offering at both services or you can make your contribution on line. Please join us to hear about how we are all called to serve. 

Blood Pressure Sunday
Come to Room 201 from 10 - 10:45 am to have your blood pressure checked this Sunday.

The Intergenerational Choir

We will practice on Sunday, January 11th. See you then! All Sunday School children are invited to sing, along with parents and grandparents. Come and join us as we praise the Lord with song!

Adult Forum and Sunday School

The Adult forum and Sunday School begin again in the New Year at 10:10 am in Room 204. We continue our study of Rob Bell videos. This week's video is titled, "Bullhorn." Come and watch, to discuss and learn. This class is for adults 18 and over.

Youth Church

We will continue with the Dwell curriculum, studying about Jesus and the Bible, and will sing, do crafts and play games. This class is for children from 5 to 17! Parents and grandparents are invited to attend along with the children.

The Pre-K/K youth Church

PreK – K Youth Church is back in the swing of things in Room 108, from 10:15 -10:50 am. Each class will include singing, a lesson, and play time!

Gathering Video

The Gathering video this week is from contemporary Christian group named Tenth Avenue North. The song is "Invited". It talks about how everyone is invited to the table, no matter if you feel like it or not! Come at 10:55 am to watch or stay after the Benediction to watch the encore performance.

SSPC Handbell Choir

The SSPC Handbell Choir will rehearse this coming Wednesday, January 14, from 6–7:00 pm in Room 204. Please arrive a few minutes early if you can help with setup. Interested in ringing—or learning how to play—the handbells? Contact Tracy Wieseman at tracy@silverspring.org for more information, or feel free to stop by our rehearsal to experience it firsthand.

Monday Bible Study - January 12th

All are invited, come and join this unique study. We meet 1 pm to 3 pm, every other week. We will begin an in-depth study of the Gospels. Come and learn, come and discuss.

Dining Out Group - ALL ARE WELCOME!!

Please join SSPC Lunch Bunch/Dining Out Group for a combined potluck event at the Waugh Wilson Retreat Center on Thursday January 15th, 2026 at 5 pm. A sign up sheet is in the Gathering Place. We are asking participants to bring a dish to share (vegetable, salad, beverage, rolls, appetizer, dessert). Main course provided. Please contact Chris Winning with any questions (717) 439-0521.

Wednesday Bible Study - January 14th

Our Wednesday Afternoon Bible Study will begin again on January 14, 2026, in the Parlor from 1-3 pm. The group will be studying Max Lucado's new book, "Taming Your Thoughts". This class is for adults from 19 to 99. Come and learn, come and discuss.

Communion help needed

Through the monthly service of Communion we are reminded that we are one in body in Christ, united with believers across time and space. With this in mind, please volunteer to prepare Communion or serve Communion in 2026. There is a sign up sheet in the Gathering Place. If you have never done this and need help, indicate this when you sign up. Thank you, Kathryn Ressler and Teena Russell

Young Adults Christian Education Group, the Pathfinders!

CE and young leaders from SSPC started a new group for young adults over 18. Watch for new events being planned! For more information, please contact Ty Headley. The group is currently studying from the Book of Acts.

Laundry Ministry Update

The SSPC Youth and CORE members continue their new ministry here at SSPC, the Laundry Ministry. 

We will be visiting several Morris laundromats over the Holiday to share the blessings from the congregation with as many patrons as possible - stay tuned for further updates.

Storyboard Ministry

The SSPC Youth started a new ministry called the Storyboard Ministry! Here is how it works: The Youth have an easel in the Gathering Place with Post-it notes and markers. Fill out a Post-it note with a prayer request or hope (no names, please) and each Sunday we will collect the requests and pray for them at our CORE meetings. Whatever is on your heart, put it on the storyboard and we will pray for each request.

We continue to pray each week around the Storyboard, thanks to everyone who continues to add requests. If you see a request that you would like to take with you and pray for, feel free to do so. If you want to add one, please do as well. Our new box for answered prayers is now in place beside the Storyboard. Feel free to place any answered prayers that you are thankful for in the box. God does indeed answer prayers! Blessings.

Something fun to look forward to in the New Year!

Check out the story on the bulletin board in the Gathering Place this week! Short stories will be shared to spark curiosity, build connection, and provide a fun, delightful literary treat to look forward to. As the stories begin, we will invite you to share your own experiences – especially the funny, surprising, heartwarming, and bittersweet moments of being a member of a church. Stay tuned for more information! 

Earth Care

Did you know:

As much plastic as 3 sugar cubes is all it takes to kill an Atlantic puffin. 

In case of inclement weather,
 check our website at www.silverspring.org for 
updates on cancellations or schedule changes.

2026 ROAR WINTER MISSION TRIP

The ROAR Team will return to Tallahassee, Fla. to work with Big Bend Habitat For Humanity building homes for families who need a decent affordable place to live. As a reminder, a ROAR Team is not a specific group of people. ROAR Teams are made up of volunteers who are available at a specific time to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need to build, rebuild, or renovate homes. Building skills are not necessary, only willing hands and feet to witness to Jesus’ love by helping people in their time of need.

The work week will be Monday, February 02 through Friday, February 06, 2026. Volunteers will arrive in Tallahassee on Sunday, February 01. Departure dates will be as needed by the volunteers. We will be building new homes in an area of Tallahassee developed by Big Bend Habitat. It is important that I know how many people will be on the Team as soon as possible so hotel reservations can be completed. 

If you are interested in being part of this ROAR Team or need additional information please contact Terry Reed at tsreed@verizon.net, by phone at 717-766-2714, or see Terry at church.

CORE Youth

There will be Core this Sunday January 11th from 6-8 PM. We are continuing to work on Youth Sunday. Once we are done we will pray and play some games. God Bless you all!

Prayers of healing and comfort:

Kris Carpinello's parents, the Arbogasts, Roxanne Dagino, Margaret Glockner, Ron Kutz, Betsy Neilson, Kathy Rutledge, Chris Sebring, Ada Sloane, Scott Vaughan



Prayers for sympathy: Families of Lynne Jackson and Nancy Thomas, Roy McLain and his family for the death of his brother, Bruce

Prayers for our Military Members & First Responders: Olivia Chase, Jacob Flenner, Wyatt La Pointe, Justin Ledvina, Josiah Scandle, Chloe Scott

Sympathy

For Lynne Jackson, a memorial service is scheduled for January 31, 2026 at SSPC - 9:00 am Visitation and Service at 11:00.

For Nancy Thomas, cards can be sent to her two daughters at the following addresses. A memorial service is planned for April 25, 2026.

Susan Fickinger

3244 Old Lawley Toll Road

Calistoga, CA 94515

Jan Evans

214 Nicholas Court

Forest Hill, MD 21050

SERVING THIS WEEK

Ushers:

Dick Leeds and Diane Lupia

Gathering Snack:
Deb Pfaff

Deacon Servers:

Judy La Pointe and Shannon Leary

Downtown Daily Bread

for January 16:

Karen Karkuff and friend

SUNDAY WORSHIP ATTENDANCE

December 28

11 am Lessons & Carols - 107

YouTube views - 77

January 4

9 am Traditional Service - 105

9 am YouTube views - 82

11 am Gathering - 66

11 am YouTube views - 20

Sunday School - 22

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 questions, please email Diane Rabold, Business Manager, at dianer@silverspring.org.

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.