Summer is just around the corner at SSPC! We are looking forward to a faith and fun-filled summer with events and activities for members and friends of all ages! | | On Mother's Day, May 12, members of our Preschool Youth Church and their parents performed songs they've learned in Youth Church during the Worship Service's Time for Children. Above, the children are getting ready to sing "This Little Light of Mine." | |  | Precious Crew and Julie sing "Jesus Loves Me," along with the group. | | | |
Room 203 on Sundays at 10:15 am has been the place to be at SSPC! In January, we started a Preschool Youth Church class, aimed for children 2-5, along with older siblings if they would like to come and help. Each class includes singing, a Bible Story, a craft, and play time.
One of the special components of our Preschool Youth Church program is singing! Each Sunday, our little ones learn key Bible stories and themes by singing "Father Abraham," "Jesus Loves Me," and "This Little Light of Mine," and other popular children's songs.
Singing is an important part of our program because music has a profound impact on children's learning and development. Research shows music enhances cognitive abilities, improves memory retention, and boosts language skills. Through singing and music, children can learn to express themselves creatively, build confidence, and develop important social skills. Additionally, music can help children regulate their emotions and reduce stress, creating a positive and conducive learning environment. By integrating singing and music into our Youth Church, we are unlocking each child's gifts and providing them with a well-rounded and enriching learning experience each Sunday!
| | MINISTRIES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES | | |
You are invited to Operation Restoration! Your mission is to learn about Jesus Christ’s command to show his love by serving others! Join us July 29—August 1 for VBS 2024 Mission imPossible: Operation Restoration at Silver Spring Presbyterian Church as we learn about God’s command to feed, love and care for others, the Earth and ourselves.
TWO SESSIONS July 29 through August 1:
Morning from 9 am - 12 noon (This program is closed to new registrations as it is at capacity). We do have a waiting list for the morning session though.
Evening from 5:30 pm - 8 pm (There are plenty of spaces).
We need volunteers who love working with children, and who are willing to get their child clearances. If you would like to help out, please contact Pastor Lisa at lisa@silverspring.org.
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The Christian Education Committee supports the worship life of our congregation by helping Silver Spring members and friends address our inherent hunger to know and love God with our minds as well as our hearts.
Here are upcoming events and recaps from your Christian Education Committee:
Sunday School for children is now Youth Church! – Sunday School for
children is now called Youth Church and it continues most Sunday mornings
from 10 am to 10:50 am. It features a new curriculum called “Dwell.” We
have music, scripture, prayer, stories, discussion, snacks, and crafts. We gather
as a group in Room 202, to hold a brief practice of the Intergenerational Choir.
Teachers, students, parents, and grandparents will practice for upcoming
performances. It is all about fun and learning. CE is discussing innovative
ideas for the fall of 2024. The last day of Sunday School for the first part of
2024 will be Sunday, June 2nd. We will thank all our teachers will cake and
flowers on that day!
Adult Sunday School and Bible Study will continue most Sunday mornings
from 10:10 am to 10:50 am. We will do both Bible study and adult forum
subjects. Our current study is on the New Testament, a video and Bible study
course. Adult Sunday School will continue throughout the summer.
The CE Committee again offered a “Drop Off” night for our church and
Preschool families. The idea was for parents to drop off their children, ages 4
to 10, in Room 202/203 for a pizza dinner, games, and crafts. It was an
immense success, just before the Mother’s Day weekend. We had nine children
from our families and painted, made Mother’s Day gifts, and played games,
read a book, and watched a video. The next event will be in the fall of 2024.
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End of School and Father's Day Bash -
June 16th!
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Christian Education will be coordinating the Annual “End of School Bash” and Summer Kickoff Event on Sunday, June 16th. It will feature a summer barbecue lunch and music, games, crafts and all-around fun for the entire church, young families, and young adults.
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Everyone is welcome in the community. Watch the Friday announcements for details. As always, for CE events, there is no cost! We will gather in the gym after our single service at 11 am.
Sign up HERE in Realm, or use the sign-up sheet in the Gathering Place.
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Courageous Conversations: Injustice and Racism talk to be held on June 9.
Earth Care and Christian Education will host "Injustice and Racism,” presented by speaker Rafiyqa Muhammad. The talk will be held in the Gathering Place from 3-4:30 p.m.
Mrs. Muhammad is a voice for social justice, cultural inclusion, and health equity in Harrisburg; she and her late husband created Ngozi Incorporated, a nonprofit organization benefiting students.
She has instructed children on urban agriculture, healthy living and nutrition, as well as performed as an African Dancer, and worked as an entrepreneur, and event coordinator. The event will also feature roundtable discussions and light refreshments.
The event is part of the community-wide Courageous Conversations Series.
Please sign up HERE on Realm, or in the Gathering Place.
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The Victory Garden Project is again in the works for this year. Work on the garden has already begun and soon we will be planting vegetables for this year. We will take better care to make sure the “church critters” do not attack the garden this year and will form a “Victory Garden Team” to allow families to take a week during the summer to water and care for the Garden. Look for the sign ups to begin in late spring 2024.
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Fledgling owl seen! Recently, Earth Care chair Stefan Karkuff spotted the horned owl mother and one of the fledglings out of their nest.
Stefan has been monitoring the family since the nest was discovered over the winter. This photograph is taken from a video Stefan shot.
This young owl appears to have recently left the nest and is learning to fly and hunt on its own. Note its special markings around its face. The great horned owl fledgling will stay with its mother for several months.
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We had an amazing CORE Banquet on May 5th! We shared a meal together, talked about our favorite youth ministry memories from the prior school year, and thanked our incredible youth ministry partners for their wonderful service. Of course, we played some games too!
CORE had a great time at the spring lock-in, which was May 24th-25th. We did the traditional activities of Sports Emporium, Sheetz, and games back at the church. A great time was had by all!
| CORE Youth Group joined Earth Care on Earth Sunday to plant trees around the SSPC playground. Pines and Dogwoods were planted. | | Earth Care member, Lara Schlitter, digs deep holes to plant young saplings. | | Youth Director Bryan Corbin and youth RJ Holt plant a tree. | | Youth Partner Josiah Montgomery, Brady Miller and Nick Pierce | | Faith, work and retirement | | In April and May, a group of 20 retired and about-to-be-retired SSPC members participated in a 5-week small group led by Pastor Don. Together, the group explored the Reformed understanding of vocation based on the writing of Martin Luther and others. | | | |
Together, the group reflected on some of life’s (and faith’s) biggest questions: What is God calling me to do in this new phase of my life? How do I know that? What gifts has God given me to do it? How does what I do in retirement serve Christ? Did you miss this group? Not to worry! We will have a follow-up group in the fall. If you are interested, please contact Don at don@silverspring.org.
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Forensic Faith team "wins" case for Christ! | The defense team for the Case for Christ (left to right): Dr. Ken Harm, Pastor Lisa Chase, Jan Larson and Rev. Dr. Paul Burkhart provided opening and closing remarks at a mock trial based on J. Warner Wallace's Forensic Faith. | |
The defense team made its case for Christ and received a winning verdict! On Friday, May 17th, participants in the Small Group Forensic Faith, based on the book of the same title by J. Warner Wallace, provided opening remarks, key evidence and closing statements for the Case for Jesus Christ.
They used examples including the many miracles in the New Testament, and evidence based on early manuscripts and artifacts to build their cases. The cases also included works by unbiased first-century historians, some who were hostile to Christianity but included Jesus's work and his death in their published works.
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The Forensic Faith small group learned how to use cold case methods that police detectives use in their profession to prove the validity of the Gospels. The team built a compelling case in defense of Jesus Christ and the authority of his ministry and the gospels.
"I learned a lot in the course," Ken Harm, SSPC member said. "Lisa did a great job leading Wallace's course. With 120 miracles in the Bible and 37 of them in the New Testament, come next year and learn how to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there is only one answer to who Jesus was."
The first book of Wallace's series, Cold Case Christianity, will be offered in the fall.
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Kintsugi: Creating works of beauty out of brokenness
Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. This technique not only restores the broken item but also creates a new piece of art, highlighting the beauty of imperfections and the history of the object.
The Kintsugi small group read examples of Christ's healing miracles in the New Testament and reflected on them, and then over three classes, broke their pottery, glued the pieces together, and then seamed the broken lines with artificial gold and gold flakes, creating stunning works of art.
"This class has shown me the brokenness that we all experience in life’s journeys," one participant shared. "I was able to show a beautiful piece of imperfect pottery that had been put back together while sharing my struggles. I am so grateful that this class was offered at SSPC. This process has helped me to grow spiritually."
Another Kintsugi class is planned for late Winter/early Spring 2025
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This green vase, broken in several places, was carefully and patiently glued back together.
| | It took a few hours to glue this broken bowl's pieces back together. | | Some of the finished works, even more beautiful than before as they were lovely and patiently restored. | | Christmas in July Craft Days! | | |
Miss those Christmas Carols?
Let's celebrate Christmas in July!
Come to a craft day and wear your favorite T-Shirt, flip flops and enjoy some Christmas Cheer!
July 12-13, Friday and Saturday, crafters are invited to Pastor Lisa Chase's home to make wreaths and garlands out of Christmas decorations to sell at Fall Faire. The times for both dates are 10 am - 2 pm. There may be enough supplies for participants to make a small wreath of their own.
Hallmark Christmas Movies will be played in the background, and favorite Christmas foods will served.
Sign up HERE on Realm or in the Gathering Place. (We hope to have another time planned for the fall too if we have supplies left.) .
| | A green and red Christmas wreath, created by Pastor Lisa Chase, using items purchased from a local discount store. | | SSPC Spotlight: Rev.Don Wahlig soon to be Rev. Dr.! | | Congratulations to the Rev. Dr. Don Wahlig on the completion of his doctoral program. He graduates May 31st from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry degree. The congregation celebrated this milestone with Don on Sunday May 26th between services. Congratulations, Don, and good work! | | Don celebrates this incredible achievement with cake and the congregation between the services on May 26th. | | | The staff recently celebrated with Don complete with a special cake. | | | | | CONGREGATIONAL LIFE AT SSPC | | |
Worship Music
The church’s choirs are always singing and open to new members!
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Sanctuary Choir continues to rehearse on Wednesday evenings during the year, to sing most Sunday mornings for the Traditional service. While they will break for the summer, if you’d like more information about joining the Choir when they resume in the fall, or about an informal audition to join the Gathering Band as a vocalist or an instrumentalist, you may contact Kyle at any point. KyleW@silverspring.org
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The Intergenerational Choir meets on Sunday mornings at 10 am for 10-15 minutes at the beginning of Sunday School. We alternate singing in the Gathering and Traditional Services. Our last time singing this school year was May 19, and we look forward to resuming in the fall. We enjoy our time singing together and would love to have YOU! You can contact Tracy Wieseman at tracy@silverspring.org for more information
Deacons
The Deacons continue to be busy with various activities. There are three areas where we hope the congregation will be involved. Flowers on the altar are available weekly to take to members or friends in need. The sign out sheet is in the Gathering Place. Flowers may be taken after the Gathering Service or on Mondays. Typically there is always at least one bouquet available to brighten someone’s day. Prayer shawls and baby hats are also available in the parlor for those who would like to reach out to someone experiencing difficulty or joy. Lastly, Pastor Lisa has started a greeting card ministry. The cards are also displayed in the Gathering Place. Please consider signing one of the many cards available. Many are marked “thinking of you” (for members and friends experiencing hard times) or “thank you” (often given to church volunteers) and need only your signature. Pastor Lisa and the Deacons appreciate your involvement in these important ministries. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate contacting Shawn Marshall.
Preschool Family
SSPC’s Preschool’s last day was May 24. They are having a summer play week (which is full). We send our prayers for a fun, safe summer for all the preschool families and another great school year in 2024-2025.
ROAR Trip to Maine
We are on the schedule with MATE (Mission At The Eastward) in Farmington Maine to do home repairs for people who physically cannot maintain their homes or who cannot afford the repairs. SSPC has been working in this rural ministry for over 25 years.
The work week is Monday, August 5 through Friday, August 9, 2024. We will arrive in Farmington on Saturday, August 3 so we can worship with the local community on Sunday morning and tour the project sites on Sunday afternoon. Housing is being evaluated since we can no longer stay at the University of Maine Farmington Campus. We will be staying in air B&B or a local motel (not the same one we used before).
The ROAR Team is not a particular group of people. A ROAR Team is made up of members and friends of the church who volunteer for a specific mission trip. As always, you don’t need to have building skills or a truck load of tools to participate. A willing heart to serve the Lord and hands and feet to do what you can to help a neighbor in need is all that is required. This is a wonderful opportunity to see a beautiful part of this country and share in work and fellowship with members and friends of Silver Spring Church. Youth under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or grandparent.
If you are interested in being part of this year’s MATE ROAR Team or need additional information please call Terry Reed at 717-766-2714 or send an email to tsreed@verizon.net.
| | SSPC Wine Tasting Group gathered at the Bell's home recently to sample | | delicious wines and scrumptious savory and sweet appetizers. The next Wine Tasting gathering will be held in fall of 2024. Look for details in the bulletin and weekly updates in August. | | | |
Members Attend 1734 Legacy Society Annual Meeting
On Wednesday, May 15th, approximately sixty members of Silver Spring’s 1734 Legacy Society got together for some sweet and savory treats and to honor the society members’ financial support of our three primary endowment funds – The Fund for the Living Word, The Buildings and Grounds Fund and the Heritage Fund. Reverend Don Wahlig honored with prayer those members of the society who have passed (Mary Lou Pierce-McLain and Margie Kutz) and those who have joined (Shawn and Frank Marshall; Debra Wiest; Jane and Charlie Austin; Laura and John Shoop; and Candice and Blair Trogner) since our 2023 meeting. Jim Anderson – Co-Chair of the Commitment, Legacy and Endowment Committee (CLE) – thanked everyone for their ongoing support and reported that through March of 2024 the balance in the three funds totaled over $640,000, with additional generous donations being received since then!
A special invited guest, the Reverend Dr. Bruce Humphrey, shared his very personal story about the power and importance of his grandmother’s legacy and the impact it has had on his and countless other lives. Finally, CLE Co-Chair Bill Resser announced a new “Sustaining Member” category for the society. All Society members who either (i) make one or more contributions of cash/stock/bonds to any of the Legacy Society Funds in addition to their initial contribution of at least $1,734 or (ii) who have established a bequest in their will directing some portion of their estate to be contributed to one or more of the 1734 Legacy Society Funds, will be recognized as Sustaining Members! For more information about the 1734 Legacy Society of Silver Spring Church and how you can become a member, please visit https://www.silverspring.org/1734-legacy-society. For more photographs, please see the Facebook link here.
| | 1734 members enjoy refreshments before the presentation. | | Master Storyteller Rev. Dr. Bruce Humphries enthralls the group with "My Grandmother's Legacy." | | | |
Need a list of books for your summer reading? Do we have a great one for you! Recently, the SSPC congregation was asked to submit books they've read, are reading or planning to read.
The following are those that were submitted and it is a great list!
Claudia Brown: The Women (Hannah); The Good Left Undone (Trigiani)
Tracy Bryan: The Mountain Between Us (Martin); Poisonwood Bible (Kingsolver); Prince of Tides (Conroy); One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (Kesey); The Women, and The Nightingale (Hannah); anything by Mitch Albom; She’s Come Undone (Lamb); The Choice (McAllister); The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Morris); The Giver of Stars and Me Before You (Moyes); Dear Edward (Napolitana); Where the Crawdads Sing (Owens); Our Darkest Night (Robeson)
Lisa Chase: The Women (Hannah), His Excellency: George Washington (Ellis); Alan Turing: The Enigma (Hodges). Also recommends The Wars of the Roosevelts: The Ruthless Rise of America's Greatest Political Family (Mann), and Winter Garden (Hannah).
Pat Ferris: Remarkably Bright Creatures (Van Pelt); Fencing With the King (Abu-Jaber)
Nancy Kauhl: How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States (Immerwahr); The Man Who Hated Women (Sohn); This Blessed Earth: A Year in the Life of an American Family Farm (Genoway); The Man Who Made Things Out Of Trees (Penn); Interior States (O'Gieblyn); The Survivors: A Story of War, Inheritance, and Healing (Frankel); Caste (Wilkerson); Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II (Mundy); The Sound and the Silence: The Private Lives of Mabel and Alexander Graham Bell (Foster); Unlocking the Sky (Curtiss); Race to Invent the Airplane (Shulman); Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth (Smarsh); Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America (Inskeep); A Ministry of Risk: Writings on Peace and Nonviolence (Berrigan, Ed. -Wolf)
Bill Resser: The False White Gospel (Wallis); Making Peace (Mitchell)
Kathryn Ressler: Horse (Brooks), The Women (Hannah), Somehow (Lamott) and The Covenant of Water (Verghese)
Note: Kristin Hannah's novel The Women, is the story of a Vietnam War surgical nurse who did two tours of duty and her rocky and painful readjustment to society after Vietnam. It is a compelling read. The waiting list at the local libraries is very long, so if you'd like to get a copy there, you may have a bit of a wait! They do have several copies in circulation, and it is a terrific book to listen to if you like audiobooks.
| | SSPC members and staff attend ninth annual Beacon Gala | |
The evening of April 24 was a festive one as SSPC members and staff attended the ninth annual Beacon Clinic for Hope's Gala. The SSPC community made up one--fourth (at least 50 people) of those attending the Gala, which featured a silent auction. Honorary chairs were Ann and Dave Froehlich, event co-chair was Pastor Lisa Chase (along with Beacon CEO Lori Robinson). Silver Spring's own BJ Lopez and Dr. Ken Harm were named outstanding volunteers of the year. During the evening, special recognition was given to honor the late Mary Louise Pierce McLain who was on the board and advisory boards.
The event was highly successful, netting $43,215 for the organization.
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Above: BJ Lopez and Dr. Ken Harm were honored as Outstanding Volunteers of the Year.
Below: Rev. Don Wahlig enjoys the event with JoJo Smith and Ken Harm
| | Ann and Dave Froehlich were honorary chairs of the ninth annual Beacon Clinic Gala. | | | Rev. Lisa Chase was volunteer co-chair of the event, along with Beacon CEO Lori Robinson. | | | The next issue of Enlighten will be distributed in mid-to-late September 2024. Best wishes for a safe, happy, blessed and restful summer. | | |
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Silver Spring Presbyterian Church
444 Silver Spring Road
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
717-766-0204
www.silverspring.org
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