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

April 20, 2025

The Path of True Peace, Part 2:

“The Triumph of Peace”

He is risen! This Sunday is Easter and the conclusion of our special 2-part Holy Week sermon series, “The Path of True Peace.” It is the morning of the third day following Jesus’ death. The women approach the tomb only to find it empty except for two angels who ask, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” The women are first perplexed, then terrified, and finally amazed. The other disciples, however, dismiss their news as idle gossip. Even after checking the empty tomb himself, Peter does not know what to make of this.

In the coming weeks and months, the disciples will gradually realize that, in his death and resurrection, Jesus paved the path of lasting peace. In overcoming death, he makes possible new life. How do you and I react to this astounding good news? What might this new life of peace look like for you and me? What prevents us from fully embracing it?

Come on Sunday and find out!

See you in church,

Don

Sermons in this Series:

The Path of True Peace

April 20:            Part 2: The Triumph of Peace - Luke 24:1-12

[Resurrection]

9 AM Traditional Service

11 AM Gathering Service

For tonight's Good Friday Service in the Meeting House at 7:30 pm, Tracy Wieseman will be directing the music for her capstone project for her Master's Degree in Choral Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. A chamber orchestra will accompany the choir, and music is interwoven throughout the service. Please join us for a memorable service as we reflect on Christ's arrest, crucifixion, and death.  

Church office schedule

The office will close at noon on Good Friday. We wish everyone a very blessed Easter!

Calling all Graduates

Our graduates will be honored on Sunday, May 11, at both services. If you have a high school or college student graduating this year, please submit their names to the church office by May 5 to have them recognized. Please provide their name, place of graduation and future plans.

New Youth Ministry starting this week!

The SSPC Youth are beginning a new ministry this Easter Sunday. It is called the Storyboard Ministry! Here is how it works: The Youth have placed an easel in the Gathering Place, along with Post-It notes and markers. Simply, fill out a Post-It 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. God bless!

Easter Nursery Service

There will be Easter Sunday nursery for our members and guests in Room 112, from 8:45 am to 12:15 pm. Simply drop your children off and we will have adults there to take care of them; no need to RSVP.

Youth Church at 10:00 am, Room 112

Youth Church is our Sunday School program. We meet and sing, study our Bible, participate in arts and crafts, earth care, and much more. This class is for children from 6 to 18. Parents and grandparents are welcome and encouraged to attend and join in with our teachers, in our new home! This week we will be holding an Easter Egg Hunt for our students in the church! Baskets will be provided.

Preschool Sunday School, 10:00 am, Room 108

Our Preschool Program begins with singing together and will enjoy a lesson on Jesus and the Bible, crafts, earth care and storytelling. This class is for all children, from 2 to 6. Parents and grandchildren are welcome to attend as well. Come and join us! This week we will be holding an Easter Egg hunt for our Sunday School children, baskets provided!

Opening Video for the Gathering

This week's video is from the contemporary Christian group, Sons of Sunday. They sing "One More Day". As we celebrate the Resurrection this Easter Sunday, they tell us to thank Christ for giving just "One More Day"! Come and view at 10:55 am before the service or stay for an encore presentation after the Benediction!

Adult Forum and Sunday School, Room 204

The Adult Forum and Sunday School will continue this week in Room 204. We will finish our Lenten Study of Max Lucado's "He Choose the Nails". The final chapter this week is titled, "He Choose to Give Us Victory!". Come and join us this Sunday, come to learn and come to discuss! This class is for adults from 18 to 99!

Legacy Giving at Silver Spring – Continuing God’s Work

Silver Spring’s 1734 Legacy Endowment Funds were established in 2018 as a way for us to insure God’s loving, impactful work will continue to be done for generations to come at, and through, Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, as it has for almost 300 years. Our goal is to grow the balance in the funds to an amount where, at some point in the future, Silver Spring can use a percentage of them to support (i) our ministry, mission and worship; (ii) the maintenance of our property and buildings and (iii) the general operations of the church. Thanks to the generosity of dozens of church members and friends – who have become members of the “1734 Legacy Society” – we’ve made outstanding progress in building our three endowment funds over the past seven years. By the end of February 2025, the fund balances totaled over $854,000! While this is very exciting and we’re extremely grateful, we need your help to reach a total endowment fund balance that will enable us to achieve out goals of funding a full-time Senior Pastor, helping to maintain our beautiful, historic buildings and grounds and helping fund our other important programs, like Christian Education and Mission well into the future.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing ideas on how – both today and after you’re gone – you can help us, through legacy giving, “Continue God’s Work”. No matter your age or circumstances, we hope you’ll prayerfully consider finding a way to help us sustain our mission to love and praise God, love and nurture our church family, and love and serve our neighbors for many generations to come!

Upcoming topics will include legacy giving options during your lifetime such as gifts of cash, stock or bonds, establishing a Donor Advised Fund or making a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA. We’ll also be sharing ways you can help after you’re gone, including a bequest in your will or naming Silver Spring’s endowment funds as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy or retirement plan account.

If you have any questions, please contact Bill Resser (billresser@gmail.com) or Jim Anderson (jeanderson1@comcast.net).

Special Adult Forum and Young Adult Luncheon – Sunday, May 4

TOPIC: What does God want me to do with my life, and how do I know I’m doing it?

10:10 – Adult Forum discussion panel in Room 202-203

12:15 – Young Adult luncheon conversation in Room 204 (food will be provided)

Join Rev. Dr. Don Wahlig as he convenes a panel discussion on the Reformed understanding of vocation with Rev. Dr. Iain May, DMin colleague of Rev. Dr. Wahlig from the Church of Scotland, and Dr. J. Daryl Charles, senior fellow of the Center for Religion, Culture and Democracy and author of over 20 publications including the important 2023 book which was the basis for Rev. Dr. Wahlig’s DMin dissertation, “Our Secular Vocation: Rethinking the Chruch’s Calling to the Marketplace.”

New Adult Forum coming on June 1st! CE and Earth Care.

CE will be presenting a new Adult Forum on Sunday, June 1st, during the Sunday School hour. CE, along with the Earth Care team will present Reverend Kevin Long, of the Intertwined Ministry of Harrisburg. Rev. Long will present his ministry and the topic of Environmental Justice. This follows up on our topic last May as part of the local churches topic we presented on Environmental Justice. Seating will be limited so arrive early in Room 204 to get a spot!

Wednesday Afternoon Adult Christian Education Book Class

For many years, a traditional Bible study has met on Wednesday afternoons and CE is continuing this long-standing tradition. We meet in the Parlor at 1:00 pm every Wednesday. We begin a new study by Max Lucado called "God Never Gives Up on You: What Jacob's Story Teaches Us About Grace, Mercy, and God's Relentless Love" Come and learn, come and discuss. This class is for adults from 18 to 99.

Monday Bible Study - April 28th

All are invited to join this unique study. We meet 1 pm to 3 pm on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. We continue a new study of Revelations as we watch sessions by Rev. Gary Hambrick, from Leesburg, Virginia. Come and learn, come and discuss. This class is for adults from 18 to 99!

Young Adults Group, the Pathfinders!

New in 2025, CE and young leaders from SSPC have begun a new group for young adults over 18. For further information, contact Ty Headley or John Goff. This group is for young adults from 19 and older, single or married! This new effort is specifically for our young adults and they are leading this effort and charting their own course.

Young Families Christian Education Group

Also new in 2025, CE has begun a new effort for our young families. We are meeting one Sunday a month with young families for lunch and discussion. We are planning one or more events this summer featuring earth care, food, fun and fellowship built for our young families. All interested families can contact Scott Pepperman at puppytrainer52@aol.com or 717-389-5100 for more information.

Amazing, Breathtaking, Inspirational!

The SSPC Intergenerational Choir will perform in the Meeting House on Mother's Day. Come watch and join in! This choir is a mix of our congregational members, grandparents, parents, youth and one dog!

Dining Out Group - April 29

Please join us for dinner at Fiddlers Bar & Grille at the Mayapple Golf Club on Tuesday, April 29th at 5:00 pm. You can sign up in the Gathering Place, or contact Jim Shoop at 717-761-7606. All are welcome!

Happy Mother's Day, Parent Drop-Off Night

In honor of Mother's Day, the CE Youth are holding another Drop-Off night for our parents. It will be on Saturday, May 10th, from 4 pm to 7 pm, in Room 202/203. We will do crafts and cards, watch a short video while we enjoy a pizza party and play in the gym. Simply email Scott Pepperman to RSVP, at puppytrainer52@aol.com to give us a count. As always, no cost to participate!

Wine Tasting Group - May 17

The next wine tasting event will take place on Saturday May 17 at 6:00 at the home of B.J. Lopez. Her address is 4612 Chestnut Ave., Camp Hill 17011. As usual, bring a sweet or savory dish to share and your own wine glasses, if you wish. The cost of the wine is divided among each person who has tried the wines. The cost is very reasonable and the evening is always enjoyable. Please contact Jenny Bell at 717-307-5648 or belljen000@gmail.com. 

Calling all those interested in Mahjongg! 

To further fulfill our mission of nurturing our church family through fellowship, we are starting a mahjong group for beginners and seasoned players. Mahjong is a game using tiles to match hands on a card. It’s a fun game that aids our cognitive function. Luck is involved so no worries about making mistakes. We will meet the second and fourth Tuesdays from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm in Rooms 202-203 beginning May 13th. May 13th, however, will be from 1:30-3:30.

If you are interested, please email me at wigginbarb@icloud.com. Please let me know if you are a beginner, a veteran, or a veteran with tiles. I might have to keep a waiting list as the numbers we can accommodate depend on the number of folks with tiles. We will also need card tables. I anticipate that the group will grow after folks learn the game. Questions? Please call me (Barb Wiggin) on my cell, 973-214-1394.

Vacation Bible School: June 22 - June 26, 2025

The CE Committee is very excited to announce plans for the SSPC 2025 Vacation Bible School. The dates are Sunday, June 22nd to Thursday, June 26th. VBS will be evenings only, from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. It will include a light dinner, music, crafts, a Christian Education program, Earth Care and much more. The theme is "Jesus Rescues" and will include Jesus stories from the Bible where he rescues characters in the Bible. (Job, Daniel, Moses, etc., an idea from one of our Confirmation students, Jayme Whittle!) As always, many hands make for light work. If you are interested in helping in any way, contact Pastor Lisa or Scott Pepperman and Drew Crompton, co-chairs of CE. We will need help with food, decorations, crafts, music, and or course teaching! VBS-YES!

Discount cards to support the SSPC youth

If you are interested in purchasing a Discount Card to help benefit our youth, please reach out to Scott Pepperman at puppytrainer52@aol.com or 717-389-5100 to request a card (each card is $15). The cards feature savings from 15 local businesses and restaurants. Checks can be made out to SSPC and given to the office or to Scott. For each card sold, the SSPC Christian Education program will make $10. We hope to sell 200 cards this year. The CE Youth appreciate your support and your prayers!

Tinner-Fehr Scholarship

Thanks to the Tinner/Fehr families, SSPC students have a wonderful opportunity. Applicants for this scholarship must be current, active members of SSPC and either a high school senior or college student committed to a career in human healthcare and/or a human healthcare-related field of study. To apply for the scholarship, they must write a short essay that includes, but is not limited to, listing of the colleges to which they are applying, chosen major, career goal, and explaining how SSPC has influenced their lives and future career choices. Please submit your essay to the Deacon Moderator (Shawn Marshall) or to the church office by May 15th.

SSPC Name Badges

"At our Baptism, God called us by name!" How wonderful it is to be called by our name, especially on a Sunday morning in church! As we invite guests and new members into our church, it would be nice to have them know our names. If you have a name badge, I challenge you to wear it; if not, contact me and I will arrange to get you one. If you are a new member, let me know and I will get you one. Simply contact me, Scott Pepperman, at puppytrainer52@aol.com. The cost for each badge is $6. Once you receive your badge, simply give a check to the church office made out to "SSPC". If you lost your badge or magnet let me know and I will order a replacement.

Earth Care - Ponder this:

Today we hear the voice of creation admonishing us to return to our rightful place in the natural created order - to remember that we are part of this interconnected web of life, notits masters. Pope Francis

Susquehanna Chorale to Present My Spirit Sang All Day

The award-winning chamber choir, conducted by Linda Tedford, will perform its spring program, My Spirit Sang All Day, accompanied by Dan Dorty at the piano and organ. Arrive early for the pre-concert recital 15 minutes prior to each concert. Location and times are: Friday, May 16 at Derry Presbyterian Church, Hershey, 7:30 pm; Saturday, May 17 at Market Square Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, 7:30 pm and Sunday, May 18 at the Calvin and Janet High Center at Messiah University, 4:00 pm. Get tickets at www.susquehannachorale.org/performances or call 717.691.6036, option 1.

New Hope Ministries

Needs this month include: Pancake mix, pancake syrup, and dish detergent. Please place items in the bins located outside the Chapel. Thank you so much for your help to this local ministry!

CORE Youth Group

No CORE meeting on Sunday, April 20th. Happy Easter!

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 to twelfth grade. CORE is about fellowship, service and Christian Education. Come and join us at our next meeting!

Prayers of healing and comfort:

Ruth Stoll, Pat Langdon, Bill Spoon, Bob Buyers, Chuck and Betsy Eichelberger, Peggy Strong (Pastor Lisa’s mom), Mike Evans, Forrest Adams, Nancy Thomas, Rich and Chris Sebring, Tom Gross, Margaret Glockner, Elizabeth Bentzel, Debbie Bitting, Ron Kutz

Prayers of sympathy: Matt, Tracy and Nathan Wieseman; Lois DeHart and family

Prayers for our military members: Olivia Chase, Justin Ledvina, Josiah Scandle, Wyatt La Pointe

Thank you

Betsy and I want to send out a long delayed thank you to all of our Silver Spring family for the support we have so generously been given. These last five or six years have been quite challenging for us. Prayers, visits and cards have been an appreciated elixir.

Betsy is well cared for at Bethany Village. Although this is not how we envisioned spending our 70s we recognize how gracious our God has been to both of us over our rich lifetimes. Both of us get to spend parts of every day together looking forward to touch, conversation and often laughs. 

Betsy‘s main problem is mobility, though some days she is not as lucid as others. She still has that sweet heart, gorgeous smile, and calm and kind demeanor. I can always tell when she has had visitors; it brightens her day. For those able to visit, she is at Bethany Village West -The Oaks, skilled nursing. 

Door number 30 will get you to her room number 25. 

Please know that Silver Spring Presbyterian Church has been a constant source of spiritual joy for us and we will always treasure the connection to our God that it provides.

Joyfully, Chuck and Betsy Eichelberger

**************************

Tracy, Nathan and I would like to thank our church family for the outpouring of support following the passing of my dad. It was overwhelming to receive so much support through sympathy cards, hugs and words of encouragement. Silver Spring Presbyterian Church truly is a special place.  

With love,

Matthew, Tracy and Nathan Wieseman

**************************

Thank you for all the prayers, phone calls, and cards during my sister Randy’s battle with cancer and her recent passing. Silver Spring has always been a very caring congregation, and your compassion and thoughtfulness have been a special source of comfort and peace.

Carol Barstow, Susan and Logan Bruner

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.