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

November 17, 2024

“God’s Gifts and How to Use Them, 

Part 4: Using God's Gifts Faithfully"

This Sunday is Commitment Sunday! Following the sermon we will all come forward to place our financial commitment forms in the pledge box at the front of the chancel. Even if you have already made your pledge online, have previously provided your form to Diane, or you have yet to make your pledge, but will, we invite you to come forward and place your hand on the box as a sign of your commitment to God’s work here at SSPC. 

Speaking of the sermon, this Sunday we conclude our Season of Commitment with Part 4 of the sermon series “God’s Gifts and How to Use Them.”  This week we focus on Christ’s Great Commandment. He tells his disciples to love God with all their heart, soul and strength, and love their neighbors as themselves. 

Jesus did not just make this up on the spot. Where does he get it from? What does it mean for his disciples to live it out? 2,000 years later, on this Commitment Sunday when we make our pledges to Christ’s mission here at SSPC, what does it mean for you and me to live into Christ’s Great Commandment?

Come on Sunday and find out!

Sermons in the Series “God’s Gifts and How to Use Them”:

10/27   Part 1: “The Present Gift of Eternal Life”  [Romans 1:7-17]

11/3     Part 2: “The Future Gift of Eternal Life”    [Isaiah 25:6-9]

11/10   Part 3: “The Gift of Multiplication”   [1 Kings 17:8-16]

11/17   Part 4: “Using God’s Gifts Faithfully”    [Mark12:28-34]

See you in church,

Don

Traditional Service at 9 AM

The Gathering at 11 AM

This Sunday is Commitment Sunday at Silver Spring!   

This Sunday is Commitment Sunday at Silver Spring! At the conclusion of the sermon in each service, Don will invite us to come forward to place our 2025 Stewardship Commitment Form into the beautiful, hand-crafted wooden box designed specifically for this purpose. (Thank you, Flip Jones!)

Please express your commitment to supporting Christ’s work at Silver Spring in 2025 by carefully reading and prayerfully completing your 2025 commitment form, and bringing it with you to worship. Additional forms will be available on Sunday. As you prepare to make your commitment, please carefully review SSPC’s 2025 Financial Narrative, which describes our Session Committees’ current hopes and dreams for 2025, if you have not already done so.

Many of you have already taken advantage of the opportunity to make the financial portion of your 2025 commitment online, which you can do here.  If you have already done so and did not complete a paper form or already provided it to Diane, please come forward when Don calls us, and simply place your hand on the pledge box as your affirmation of your commitments, and the work we strive to do here at SSPC to love and praise God, love and nurture our church family, and love and serve our neighbors near and far.

We hope to see you in worship this Sunday!

Bill Resser and Jim Anderson

Co-chairs

Commitment, Legacy, and Endowment Committee

Fall Work Day - Saturday, November 16, 8 am - noon

The Buildings & Grounds Committee invites you to pitch in for Fall Workday, November 16th, if you are able. Most of our work will be outdoors. So bring your rake and/or leaf blower if you have one and join in. Coffee, donuts, and lunch will be provided. This is a great opportunity for members and friends of all ages to get together as we prepare our church property for the winter season. Thanks for YOUR support on this day. Many hands make for a shorter workday.



Meal with a MISSION -

Wednesday, November 20, 5:30 pm - 7 pm

The Meal with a Mission will be Wednesday, November 20^th in the gym from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. We will serve a simple supper and afterward pack food boxes to be used by New Hope Ministries to help those in need during emergencies.

There are food donation bins in the Gathering Place, at the Gym entrance, and by the Preschool. The food items needed are: peanut butter, snack bars, pouches or cans of chicken or tuna, microwaveable rice pouches, microwaveable soups, instant oatmeal, canned fruit or applesauce pouches, and canned vegetables.

This is for members and non-members alike, and it's great for families. Please invite your neighbors and friends!

Please RSVP by November 15 so that we can plan for the meal. Please call the church office at 717-766-0204, email Priscillab@silverspring.org, or use the sign-up sheet at church. Thank you!

The Health Ministries Committee invites you to our Fall lecture series on Healthy Aging Through the Decades of Life. 

Please join us this Sunday, November 17th at 10:10 in Room 204.  If you are unable to attend please join us on Zoom. This lecture will be presented by our own Health Ministries Committee team, entitled “What things should be in your personal medical toolbox?"

The lecture will include demonstrations on CPR and interventions on treating the choking patient. What documents should be available in an emergency setting. What equipment is available in the church and where is it located? What is a POLST?  Please join us this Sunday for what promises to be a very informative discussion on potentially critical every day events and answers to the questions listed above.

Stay and Pray this Sunday

Jeremiah 29:12 “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Please Stay and Pray after the first church service this Sunday with Stephen Ministers Melanie Pepperman and Paul Burkhart. Praying together provides a sense of strength and comfort. Meet at the front of the church following the service.

Adult Forum and Sunday School

We will take a break this week to enjoy the Health Ministries forum. We resume on Sunday November 24th, as we begin the Advent Study, "Why the Nativity" by Dr. David Jeremiah.

Youth Church - Room 112, 10:10 am

Youth Church has begun another season. We will 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!

Preschool Sunday School class - Room 108, 10:10 am

We begin with singing, and class also includes Bible lessons, arts and crafts, earth care and much more. This class is for our preschool children, aged 2 to 6. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to come and join in with our teachers.

Intergenerational Choir - Room 112, 10:00 am

The Intergenerational Choir meets again after our highly successful performance last Sunday in the Meiting House. Come and join us, children, parents, grandparents, all are welcome. We are preparing for our next performance at the end of November in the Gathering.

Monday Bible Study - November 25th, 1 - 3 pm

All are invited to join this unique study. The next lesson is "The Ministry of the Apostle Paul." Come and learn, come and discuss. This class is for adults from 18 to 99!

Wednesday Afternoon Adult Christian Education Book Class - 1 pm

We meet in the Parlor at 1:00 pm every Wednesday. The class is reading and discussing the book "Keep the Faith" by Dr. David Jeremiah. Come and learn, come and discuss. This class is for adults from 18 to 99.

Line Dancing

For a fun time, come to our gym every Wednesday 8:45 - 9:45 am for some great instruction and dance to some great tunes. No experience necessary. Friends are welcomed. It is FREE!

Christmas Show Bus Trip - Last week to sign up!

CE is thrilled to announce that we are sponsoring another bus trip to a Christmas Show near Lancaster! We will travel to the Magic and Wonder Dinner Theater to see their show "Winter Wonderland," a matinee on Wednesday December 4th. I reserved 35 tickets for the show. We will leave the church at 10:45 am, take a bus to the Theatre, eat a Holiday theme buffet lunch at 12:30 pm and the show begins at 2 pm. We will return to the church at 5:30 pm. The cost for the bus trip, meal and the show is only $115 per person. The meal is a holiday buffet, prepared by the Bird-in-Hand Restaurant! Look for a sign-up sheet in the Gathering Place. Sign up as soon as possible, as the bus is beginning to fill up. Any questions, contact Scott Pepperman at 717-389-5100, or puppytrainer52@aol.com. Merry Christmas!

Angel Tree is Coming

The tree with 120 colored angels will be unveiled on Friday, November 22. Please: 

*SELECT and SIGN-OUT an angel using matching color coded sheets on tables beside the tree.

*REMOVE the white tag and use for shopping purposes. FASTEN colored angel to your wrapped gift.

*CHECK OFF your name on color-coded sheets when gift is returned.

*DUE DATE: Before December 15. Thank you for caring and sharing.

Dining Out Group - Friday, November 22

Please join us for dinner on November 22 at 5:00 pm at Longhorn Steakhouse, 6416 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg. Please sign up in the Gathering Place, or call Jim and Harriet Shoop at 717-761-7606 to reserve your spot. We hope to see you!

Fellowship Football Watch Party – Save the date for Saturday, Nov. 23rd from 1 - 5 PM!

Your Fun-loving Fellowship Committee is planning an epic Football Watch Party for Saturday afternoon, Nov. 23^rd at the SSPC Retreat Center. Drop-in anytime between 1-5 pm to join the party.  Wear your favorite Penn State or other team jersey.   

We are getting a huge TV from Rent-a-Center, plus the TV already on site to host this event. Bring a lawn chair for extra comfort.

Fellowship is serving 2 kinds of homemade chili:  white bean chicken chili and beef chili with game day snacks. For dessert there will be pumpkin pie and apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Bring your own beer and wine. There is a sign-up sheet in the Gathering Place or sign-up HERE through Realm.  Let the party begin!

Hanging of the Greens - Saturday, November 30 at 9 am

Please join us in preparation for the Season of Advent. All are welcome and no experience is needed. Please bring garden gloves and clippers. In addition, on Sunday, December 1st, please join us between the Traditional and Gathering Services to put the final decorations on the trees as we enjoy both cookies and fellowship.

Thank you in advance, The Worship Committee

Wear Your Name Badges!

There are many new faces in our services over the past several Sundays. How wonderful if they could learn our names! Most of you have name badges so now is the time to wear them. A reminder if you need one, or a magnet to hold your badge in place, contact Scott Pepperman at puppytrainer52@aol.com and you can receive one in a week! And then you too can introduce yourself to our many visitors!

Support the SSPC Youth - Shop at Giant!

A reminder that each month, the Youth sell gift cards for Giant Food Stores. Five percent of every dollar goes to our Youth Ministry. If you shop at the Giant sign up and receive a gift card at the end of each month. You can use them just like cash or a credit card and help our Youth. We currently have 6-8 participants each month, earning around $150.00 for Youth programs. For additional information or to order gift cards, contact Cindy Corbin at cindav92@verizon.net.

Advent Dates for your Calendars

Advent Feast and Festival - December 8, 4-7 pm

Come for dinner, music, fellowship and fun. This is an all-church event and is sure to be a great time!

Christmas Cantata Sunday - December 15, 11 am

One service at 11 am for the Cantata, followed with a Cantata Reception of cookies and punch in the Gathering Place.

Christmas Breakfast - December 22, 9 am

Will be put on by the CE Youth. Come and enjoy a full breakfast of eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, pastry, coffee and juice, in the gym and then take a walk to the Meeting House to enjoy the beautiful Christmas Service at 11 am. A sign-up sheet will be coming soon.

Live Nativity - December 24, 6 pm (between Christmas Eve services)

Christmas Eve Services

Christmas Eve Family Service at 5:00 pm

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7:00 pm

Parent Drop Off Night - Saturday, December 7 from 3-6 pm

CE Youth will again be sponsoring a drop off night for parents as we get into the shopping season for Christmas. There will be a pizza party, games and crafts. Enjoy some time to go shopping or just relax and let the CE Committee take care of the children!

Susquehanna Chorale’s Candlelight Christmas Concerts!

The award-winning chamber choir, conducted by Linda Tedford, will perform a heart-warming Christmas program accompanied by The Messiah University Brass and Dan Dorty at the piano and organ. Arrive early for their pre-concert recital 15 minutes prior to each concert. Locations and times are Friday, Dec. 13 at The Church of the Brethren, Elizabethtown, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 14 at The Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts, Messiah University, 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 15, at Market Square Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, 4 p.m. Tickets: www.susquehannachorale.org/performances or call 717.691.6036 (option 1)

Earth Care - Did you know:

Dryer sheets work by coating your clothes with perfumed animal fat?  

It’s not just vegans who would benefit from making the switch to a greener alternative. Wool dryer balls are simple to make and naturally fire-retardant. Just toss two to four dryer balls in the dryer with a load of wet clothes helps to fluff them and dry the load faster. 

Don't forget: November 16 is Fall Clean-up Day at church.

Part 3: CREATING A LEGACY GIFT TO THE 1734 LEGACY SOCIETY

You can make a legacy gift to the 1734 Legacy Society and Silver Spring Presbyterian Church in a variety of ways as a part of your estate plan. Three of the most popular planning gifts are 1) a gift made by bequest in a Will or Trust, 2) a charitable gift annuity, and 3) a distribution from a life insurance policy.

Bequest by Will or Trust. A bequest in a Will or Trust allows you to control your assets now and to benefit the 1734 Legacy Society and Silver Spring Presbyterian Church in the future. If you already have a Will or Trust, it can be amended and updated. If you don't have a Will or Trust, you are not alone. A majority of people do not have a Will or Trust. It is never too early to write a Will or Trust. It can only be too late. Now is the best time for you to be proactive and to create a Will or Trust that reflects your spiritual values.

Charitable Gift Annuity.  A Charitable Gift Annuity allows you to transfer a gift of cash, securities or other assets while living, but still receive a guaranteed fixed annuity income for life, all while ensuring future support for the 1734 Legacy Society and Silver Spring Presbyterian Church. You can receive an immediate income tax deduction for a portion of your gift with income payments starting at any time you designate (usually upon retirement) and can be paid to you or to anyone else you designate.

Life Insurance. You can utilize a Life Insurance Policy to make a legacy gift to the 1734 Legacy Society and Silver Spring Presbyterian Church. This is a very quick and easy way to start your legacy gift.

Please consult your attorney, tax advisor or financial advisor to determine your best option to make a legacy gift to the 1734 Legacy Society and Silver Spring Presbyterian Church.

Please feel free to contact Jim Anderson at 717-571-1845 or jeanderson1@comcast.net or Bill Resser at 717-580-7667 or billresser@gmail.com for more information on the 1734 Legacy Society and Silver Spring Presbyterian Church.

Part 1: On the Path to Creating a Legacy

Part 2: Why Wait - Jumpstart Your Legacy Now

Part 3: Creating a Legacy Gift to the 1734 Legacy Society

Part 4: The Right Amount for your Legacy Gift to the 1734 Legacy Society

ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO SUPPORT SILVER SPRING IN 2024 – RMD & QCD REMINDER

Making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from your required minimum distribution (RMD) from your qualified retirement account in the remaining weeks of 2024 is an excellent and impactful way to support the ministry and mission of Silver Spring Presbyterian Church and to minimize your Federal Income Tax obligation. It is truly a win-win situation.

If you are age 73 or older, the Federal Government requires that you take annual distributions (withdrawals) from your qualified 401(k) or individual retirement account (IRA). These withdrawals, which are referred to as the RMD, may be distributed directly from your IRAs to Silver Spring Presbyterian Church in the form of a QCD. A QCD reduces your annual RMD. In other words, using your RMD for charitable giving via a QCD to Silver Spring Presbyterian Church directly reduces your taxable income and helps support our programs.

You don't have to wait to age 73 to make a tax-free QCD from your 401(k) or IRA. The SECURE Act of 2019, as amended, extended the age for making RMDs to 73 but left the age for making QCDs at 70 ½ and you may distribute up to $105,000 annually tax-free to your favorite charity. QCDs are a great way to reduce your income and estate taxes.

Please consult the administrator of your retirement plan, along with your tax or financial advisor, to determine the best alternative for making your QCD to Silver Spring Presbyterian Church in 2024 and, perhaps, annually. It is generally a simple and easy process.

Please feel free to contact Jim Anderson at 717-571-1845 or jeanderson1@comcast.net or Bill Resser at 717-580-7667 or billresser@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

2025 ROAR WINTER MISSION TRIP

It is time to start planning for the winter ROAR Mission trip to Big Bend Habitat For Humanity in Tallahassee, Florida. Before you ask, the Mission Committee will plan hands on mission trips to hurricane ravaged locations in 2025. It is too soon to plan for rebuilding efforts in the affected areas. Typically, it takes at least six months to one year after an event to begin rebuilding efforts. SSPC ROAR will be involved at the appropriate time.

The ROAR Team will return to Tallahassee, FL. 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 03 through Friday, February 07, 2025. Volunteers will arrive in Tallahassee on Sunday, February 02 (Ground Hog Day). 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. 

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.

Unfortunately, due to low attendance, the fall Lock-In has been canceled. We will instead have a CORE night out during a Sunday CORE meeting, to be announced later. CORE will meet this Sunday, November 17th, from 6 pm to 8 pm. Join us for pizza and lesson, followed by games.

November 17, 2024: 6-8 pm

November 24, 2024: No CORE Happy Thanksgiving!

Prayers of healing and comfort:

Matt Burkhart, Bob Gaffney, Esther Leinaweaver, Jack Heeter, Margaret Glockner, Elizabeth Bentzel, Debbie Bitting, Betsy Eichelberger, Ron Kutz

Prayers for our military members:

Olivia Chase, Justin Ledvina, Josiah Scandle, Wyatt La Pointe

Thank you

THANK YOU to all who were involved in the Veterans celebration on Sunday, November 10th. It was most appreciated. And another "thank you" to all our veterans.

Gratefully submitted, Roy McLain and all the SSPC Veterans

Dear SSPC family,

I'm happy to say that I am feeling much better. Thank you so much for your kindness and prayers. As I went through another storm in my life journey, I felt your prayers and appreciated them so much. All the cards and phone calls always brightened my day. Thanks again for your support and caring.

Sincerely, Pat Miller

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.