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

September 7, 2025

Rally Day

"Why Trust God Part 1: The Nearness of God"

This Sunday we begin a 2-part sermon series called “Why Trust God?”, based on the Psalms.  In Psalm 139, the psalmist describes God’s inescapable presence and intimate knowledge of humanity. God knows everything we think and do, and is with us everywhere we go. The psalmist sounds a little unnerved by all this, but nevertheless asks God to search his heart and mind to test his faith. How have we experienced God’s ever present love?  How does God search our hearts and test our faith? 

Come on Sunday and find out!

See you in church - 

Don

Sermons in this Series:  

Why Trust God?

September 7 Part 1: The Nearness of God [Psalm 139:1-18]

September 14 Part 2: The Protection of God [Psalm 146:1-10] 

Traditional Service at 9:00 am

The Gathering at 11:00 am

Join us on Rally Day this Sunday!

Before and after both services, we will all enjoy a time of food, fellowship, and faithfulness. If you have been wondering how you might deepen your involvements in the life and ministries of SSPC, or maybe you just want to get a sense of the breadth of activities that we undertake here in Jesus' name, this is for you!  While you enjoy some delicious finger food, you will have the opportunity to explore displays highlighting the work of our various committees and groups, as well as their suggestions for hands-on engagement based on your specific interests and skills.  There is no expectation that you must join a committee in order to do this. Just come and see how Christ might be calling you to be his hands and feet in a new or different way here at SSPC!

Looking forward to seeing you for this special day with your Silver Spring church family! 

Attention Sanctuary Choir Members (and those interested in singing with us!)

We meet on Wednesday evenings for rehearsal at 7:15 pm in the choir room. If you wish to become a member of the choir, you are welcome to attend a rehearsal to learn more about us and/or reach out to Tracy Wieseman at tracy@silverspring.org.

Adult Forum and Sunday School on Sunday, September 7th

The Adult Forum and Sunday School will not meet on Sunday, September 7th, as we will enjoy Rally Day. We will start again on September 14th, the first official day of Sunday School. This class is for adults from 19 to 99, come and learn, come and discuss!

Youth Church and Preschool Sunday School will resume September 14th!

Gathering Video for this Week

This week's Gathering video is from two contemporary Christian singers Caleb and John, a Christian group. The song is called, "Missing Jesus". It talks about not having anything, any kind of life, if we are missing Jesus. Come and enjoy it at 10:55 pm, before the service or stay after the Benediction and enjoy the encore.

Monday Bible Study - September 8th

All are invited, come and join this unique study. We meet 1 pm to 3 pm, every other week. We will continue a new study of Revelations as we watch sessions by Reverend Gary Hambrick, from Leesburg, Virginia. Come and learn, come and discuss. This class is for adults from 18 to 99!

NEW! "Conversations for the Curious" begins Sunday, September 14.

Are you curious about SSPC, our history, what we believe, or what membership here entails? Join Rev. Dr. Wahlig after worship on the 2nd Sunday of each month for an informal conversation. This is a chance to ask any questions you may have about SSPC or faith in general. For those interested, this is a simple and easy way to Join the congregation. A more in-depth class for New Members will be held in December.

Another New Ministry from SSPC Youth: Update!

The SSPC Youth and CORE members are pleased to announce a second new ministry here at SSPC. Inspired by our Meal with a Mission success with gathering laundry pods for Downtown Daily Bread, the new ministry is called Laundry Ministry. A large container is in the Gathering Place for your quarters every time you pass by. When we get about $25 or more in quarters, the youth will take them to a local laundromat and give them to patrons as outreach and taking our love for each other into our community. We appreciate the congregation's support of our efforts and as always, your prayers.

UPDATE - We have had unbelievable response and have been able to now purchase 40 cards to distribute to various laundromats throughout the West Shore. We will be headed out to another site very soon, with cards and laundry pods!

Circle Rebekah – September 11

An afternoon Bible study and fellowship opportunity for women begins Thursday, September 11. Some of us gather at noon with our sack lunches. Fellowship begins at 12:30 in the Parlor with dessert provided by our hostess, Elizabeth Bentzel. Then we move to the Chapel at 1:00 pm for our Bible Study. The Bible study series this year is “Finding Resilience, Joy, and Our Identity in Jesus Christ” by Rhashell D. Hunter. Kathy Henderson will present the program, Mary Magdalene, the Tower. If you cannot join us in person, we have a Zoom link and a phone dial-in number. All women of the church are welcome. For more information and the Zoom Link, stop by our table on Rally Day or contact Emily Krebs, cell 717-805-5778 or bekrebs@verizon.net.

Young Adults Christian Education Group, the Pathfinders!

Pathfinders will have their first Bible study this Saturday, September 6th at 2:30pm in the church. We will continue our bible study once every month until December. We would like to extend our congratulations to Pathfinder president Ty Headley and Sarah Neville on their recent engagement! 

Young Families Christian Education Group

We meet one Sunday a month with young families for lunch and discussion. All interested families can contact Scott Pepperman at puppytrainer52@aol.com or 717-389-5100 for more information.

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. Update: We continue to pray each week around the Storyboard, thanks to members of the congregation who continue 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 and we will pray weekly for all requests.

Dining Out Opportunities

• Wednesday, September 17 at 11:30 am: Join us for LUNCH at the Beacon Hill Diner (formerly John's Diner) at 146 Sheraton Drive, New Cumberland. .
• Wednesday, September 24 at 5:30 pm: Join us for DINNER at Moonlight Diner (formerly Hickory Ridge), 1400 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle.

Sign up for these in the Gathering Place or contact Sara Derr at 717-763-5748. All are welcome, so please join us!

Wine tasting group

On Friday, September 26 at 4:00, the wine tasting interest group will meet at the Winery at the Long Shot Farm at 1925 McClures Gap Road in Carlisle. It's in a beautiful, quiet country setting and when we were there last year it seemed to be a hit. They will have a table set up for us for our usual appetizers/desserts to share and you can order a flight of wine or a glass of whatever you'd like to try. If you are interested, please sign up on the sheet by the parlor. If you have any questions, please contact Jenny Bell at belljen000@gmail.com.

Mark your calendars for our fourth annual Blessing of the Animals Drive-Thru! Saturday, October 4^th, from 1 pm to 3 pm, youth, volunteers and Pastor Lisa will be at the church to pray over your animals. All creatures are welcome! Dogs must be on leashes; cats, birds and reptiles in carriers or cages, and horses, goats, etc., in trailers. Participants drive up to the entrance of the Gathering Place, where people will be stationed to greet you and your pet and pray. Each animal will receive a special laminated prayer and a bag of goodies! As we have done in years past, we are taking up an animal food collection for our local no-kill shelters. For more information about the event, email Pastor Lisa at lisa@silverspring.org. If you would like to volunteer day of, please contact her as well.

Fall Faire – Saturday, October 25

2 months until the Fall Faire!

•  WHITE ELEPHANT: Items can be brought to the church hallway starting Sunday, October 5. 

**New This Year: Donation Times will be limited to certain hours. Please drop off your boxes, labeled and sorted into categories, (housewares, glass, toys, Christmas) during the following times:

• Sundays from noon – 2:00, starting Oct. 5
• Weekdays from 9:00- 2:00 starting Oct. 7
• Wednesday Evenings from 5:00-7:00 pm starting Oct. 9

NO BOOKS WILL BE ACCEPTED THIS YEAR. NO FRAMED ART. Also, no linens, clothing, suitcases, electronics or large pieces of furniture. We must adhere to these guidelines so the limited number of volunteers can process them. 

•  Fall Fair Boutique: The Gathering Place will be set up like a Boutique.  We will need donations of handmade items, art, stitchery and wood. Finer White elephant treasures will be incorporated with handmade items in enticing displays. Also, a Pantry will be featured where we will sell your homemade jellies, jams and food gift items. Think about getting together with some friends to make pre-packaged soups, small gift baskets of pantry items, spices, sauces, cookie mixes or roasted nuts to package. Small, potted house plants & succulents will be accepted, NO PERENNIALS this year.

•  Christmas Corner: Don’t forget about donating Christmas decorations, decorative items, ornaments, table toppers for our festive Christmas area.

•  Toys: A complete Children’s room will feature all your donated toys, games and play items.

•  Silent Auction: Our Silent Auction was a big success last year. All committees will be asked to come up with a basket or service to donate by October 18. Silent Auction early bird bidding will open on Sunday, October 19. Consider donating fine art, a vacation home get away, gift cards for restaurants/services.  

•  Food, food, food: Soups, lunch food, sticky buns, apple dumplings, pies, baked goods will all be for sale for eating onsite or take out. We will need donations of baked goods and pies, so sign up!

SIGN UP BOARD - All this will only happen when you volunteer! A large Sign Up Board will be placed in the Gathering Place on Rally Day so you can plan on where you can help out the most.  

We are looking forward a great event providing Family-focused Fun.

Earth Care

There is an alternative to toothpaste tubes? Bite is a tablet that is chewable and once in the mouth is used just like toothpaste. You can find it on Amazon.

Fall ROAR Mission Trip

The ROAR Team will be heading south to Asheville, North Carolina for the week of Sunday, October 05 through Saturday, October 11, 2025. We will be working with Hendersonville Habitat For Humanity building homes for people in need and/or rebuilding properties damaged by Hurricane Hellene in September of 2024. You do not need to be a skilled builder to be a part of the October ROAR Team, all you need is a willing heart to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we minister to our neighbors, some of whom lost all their worldly goods last fall. A ROAR Team is not a specific, skilled group of people. A ROAR Team is a group of volunteers gathered together as witnesses of God’s love, bringing hope to those in need.

If you are interested in being part of the October ROAR Team or just need more information please call Terry Reed at 717-766-2714, send an email to tsreed@verizon.net or see Terry at church.

New Hope Ministries

Needs for September include: Boxed 'Helpers' (hamburger, chicken, tuna), cereal, salad dressing. Donation bins are located by the Chapel. Thank you for your support to this local ministry!

CORE Youth Group

CORE there will be no CORE this Sunday. Join us this Sunday after both church services and check out the Core table for rally day! There will be Core next week September 14th.

CORE is from 6 pm to 8 pm in the CORE room, downstairs at the church in the Preschool on most Sundays. CORE is open to all youth from sixth grade to twelfth grade. CORE is about fellowship, service and Christian Education. Come and join us at our next meeting!

Prayers of healing and comfort:

Forrest Adams, Kris Carpinello's parents, the Arborgasts, Elizabeth Bentzel, Debbie Bitting, Bob Buyers, Betsy Eichelberger, Margaret Glockner, Ron Kutz, Pat Langdon, Jan Larson, Roy McLain, Bill Moore, Rick Pierce, Ruth Stoll, Nancy Thomas

Prayers for Sympathy: Family of June Duke, Family of Lori Scandle (Janee, Reese, Jeffrey, Josiah, Jacob and Jamilee), family of Verneda Hollinger, Scott Pepperman and family, Jan Maurer



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

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.