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

Second Sunday of Advent

December 4, 2022

    "The Future King and his Peaceable Kingdom"

This Advent, we are walking with the prophet Isaiah as he conveys God’s message of hope, peace, joy, and love to his people. This week, we focus on God’s promise of peace. Speaking to the people of Judah who have just seen the Assyrian army destroy Judah’s northern neighbor Samaria, God renews his promise of a Davidic ancestor who will be the ideal king. He will be faithful, wise, and righteous; powerful and triumphant over enemies and evil-doers, and compassionate and just toward the poor and the meek. The result will be a kingdom the likes of which the world has never known: a peaceable kingdom where violence and warfare cease to exist, where predator and prey lie down together in perfect, peaceful harmony.

We understand Christ to be this ideal king who will usher in this peaceable Kingdom when he returns. Jesus calls his followers to create signs pointing to this kingdom in the way we live in the here and now. But how do we do that? What has to change in us, and in our relationships with others? And what might California Redwood trees have to teach us about the way it works?

Come on Sunday and find out!

See you in church -



Blessings,

Don

ONLINE SERVICES:

Traditional Service at 9:00 am

The Gathering at 11:00 am

Sunday School - 10:00 am

Adults will gather in Room 204. We continue our study of the Bible by continuing Max Lucado's video, "Because of Bethlehem." For those adults who joined us for this study last Advent Season and for those in our Bible Study Class, you will enjoy this Advent study! Come and join us! The children will gather in Room 202; we will start with a short practice of the Intergenerational Choir, following their rousing performance in the Gathering last week! This week the lesson will focus on Isaiah 11:1-10.

Bibles for 2nd and 3rd Graders

The Christian Education Committee will be presenting Bibles to the 2nd and 3rd graders on Sunday, December 18th (please note the date change), during both services. We missed our 2nd graders last year and so we will recognize them this year on the 4th of December. We are excited by this opportunity to share the word of God with our children.

Earth Care items available this Sunday

The Earth Care team is selling earth-friendly home products this Sunday, December 4 in the Gathering Place. Items available for purchase will be displayed including wool dryer balls, Beeswax reusable wraps, metal straws, produce bags, and more. Look for these items after each service; an Earth Care member will be there to assist you!

"Have a toy? Leave a toy! Need a toy? Take a toy! –Reuse!!"

Has your child outgrown a toy?  Do you need that “one more item for Christmas?”  Are you a grandparent in need of a new toy at your house? Earth Care is sponsoring a gently-used toy exchange (ages toddler to 8 years) on Sunday, December 4^th in the Preschool area.  Anyone may participate! You do not need to bring a toy to take one. Stop by Room 112 before or after the worship services or before or after the Sunday Afternoon Vesper Concert.

Sympathy

We extend our sympathy and prayers to Kathy Yinger for the passing of her mother. Please keep Kathy and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Please also remember Mary Jane Voigt whose brother passed away on November 20th. Please pray for comfort and peace for Mary Jane and Fred Voigt, and for Mary Jane's family members.

Pledge Update

On behalf of our ministry together, the Commitment, Legacy Giving and Endowment Committee would like to thank everyone who was able to make a pledge on Commitment Sunday!

So far, we have received pledges totaling $595,567.  We extend a special welcome to our 9 new pledgers. Our goal for pledged (local and benevolence) giving for this year is $715,000 and our goal for total (local and benevolence) giving is $811,000. These will balance the budget in a way that meets the current full vision of the committees of Silver Spring. More details about the church’s financial plans are outlined in a letter sent to every member this week. 

If you still haven’t made a pledge, please prayerfully consider doing so.  This year we have enabled a feature which allows you to enter your pledge directly into the church management system. It is quick and very easy! If you desire to make an online pledge, you can do so using this link: https://onrealm.org/silverspring/AddPledge/operating2023

(If you do not feel comfortable with online pledging, you can still send your pledge form to the office or email a note to Diane Rabold, our Business Manager, at [email protected].)

Last, but not least, we thank all of you, our Silver Spring Family, for your continued faithful support of our ministry together.  

SUNDAY AFTERNOON Vesper Concerts 

Come hear beautiful Christmas music and worship with us in the Meeting House on the dates below. After the concert this Sunday, join us for refreshments in the Gathering Place.

• December 4 at 2 pm:

Voices of the Valley - Be sure to join us for this uplifting event...you just might see a few familiar SSPC faces singing among the Voices!

• December 11 at 3 pm:

St. Thomas Dulcimer Society

This concert will be followed by the Advent Feast & Festival - see more information below.

• December 18 at 3 pm:

Cedar Cliff Chamber Choir

Cookies and cider will be served following the concert. Cookie donations (homemade or purchased) are requested by the Worship Committee. Thank you.

Angel Tree

There are just a few Angel Tree tags left - please take a tag and sign it out on the matching colored sheets on the table by the tree. Carefully match up your tag code to the same code on the sign-out sheets and fill in the necessary information. If getting a gift card, please do not get another gift to go along with it. Gifts are due by Saturday, December 10. Thank you for caring and sharing.

NOTE: Would whomever took blue tags HARO and HACR-2 please sign those two tags out on the matching colored sign up sheet on the table beside the Angel Tree? Thank you. 

Thank You 

Roy McLain thanks everyone who came out to help bake chocolate chip cookies for the Truckstop Ministry. A total of 191 dozen were baked and delivered. Thank you to these individuals who helped out: Fred Shatto, Lydia Fehr, B.J. Lopez, Barb Wiggin, Kackie and Larry Barnhart, Jean Smith, Karen Karkuff, Jenny Bell, Wayne Hawk, Terry and Susie Reed, Mary Jane and Fred Voigt, Nancy Gawlas, Bob Davis and Mary Jane Jones.

Circle Rebekah - Thursday, December 8

Join us for Bible study and a time of fellowship with other women. We gather at 1:00 pm in the Chapel in person OR online via Zoom. We are using the PW/Horizons Bible Study: "Celebrating Sabbath – Accepting God’s Gift of Rest and Delight” by Carol M. Bechtel. This month's lesson, “Sabbath and Surrender”, will be led by Lydia Fehr. The key idea: The “manna” story, with its emphasis on only gathering as much as we need and not gathering on the Sabbath, is a call to trust God to provide for our needs. It is a call to surrender our unhealthy striving for more wealth, more stuff, and more success. It is a call to recognize when it is time to say, “Enough.”

If you would like to socialize beforehand, bring a bag lunch to the Parlor at 12:15 or join us for dessert at 12:40. The dessert will be provided by the hostess, Elizabeth Bentzel. All women of the church are welcome. For more information and the Zoom Link contact Emily Krebs, 717-805-5778.

Christmas Cantata Sunday: December 11, 11:00 am - One Service

*Join us for a Reception after the Cantata in the Gathering Place*

Calling all bakers!  Can you show your appreciation for the Choir by baking? Donations of cookies, bars and mini muffins are needed for the Christmas Cantata Reception following the 11:00 am

Christmas Cantata on December 11. There is a sign-up sheet in the Gathering Place.

Advent Feast and Festival Ham Dinner - Sunday, December 11

The CE Committee invites our SSPC family, our SSPC Preschool family and our local community to the Advent Feast and Festival, a tradition like no other! Here are the details: CE Committee will provide the hams, and we are asking attendees to bring a side dish enough for approximately ten people. If your last name starts with the letter A to M, bring a savory dish, or a salad. If you last name starts with the letter N to Z, bring a sweet side dish, or dessert.

The Dinner is Sunday, December 11th, approximately 4:30 pm, after Vespers, in the Fellowship Hall. Drinks will be provided, along with recycled paper products to use as dishes, utensils, and napkins. We will begin with a family Advent craft, followed by dinner. We will be able to reheat food as needed. Christmas music will be provided, and we will sing carols to end the evening together. Please RSVP by signing up in the Gathering Place or emailing the CE Committee at [email protected]. You can also sign up through Realm - click here. The cutoff date for reservations is Monday, December 5th. There is no cost, but donations will be appreciated!

Blue Christmas Service - Thursday, December 15, 7 pm in the Meeting House

While many of us are looking forward to Christmas with great anticipation, for some of us the holidays are a time of intensified grief. This service is for anyone who seeks hope and comfort amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

Grounded in Faith

We will gather on Saturday, December 17, 10:30 am at the Starbucks closest to the church. Please bring an inexpensive wrapped present for a Christmas present swap. Please email Pastor Lisa or sign up in the Gathering Place.

Live Nativity - Thursday, December 22, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Enjoy a live nativity, singing of Christmas carols, refreshments and a petting zoo!

Christmas Eve Services

5:30 pm: Children and Families Service with Christmas Pageant

7:00 pm: Traditional Candlelight Service

Christmas Morning Breakfast

The Christian Education Committee is bringing back another long SSPC tradition. Join us in the Fellowship Hall (gym), at 9:30 am on Christmas morning before the 11 am service. CE will be serving scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, toast and pancakes, along with juice, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. There will be no cost, but donations appreciated! Please RSVP by December 18th; look for a sign-up sheet in the Gathering Place.

Poinsettia Dedications

The Christmas poinsettia order forms are available in the Gathering Place or by clicking here. Please return the form to the box in the Gathering Place by Monday, December 12. The names of dedication will be listed in the bulletin on Sunday, December 18. The cost of each poinsettia is $10.

Alternative Ways to Support SSPC in 2022

Making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from your required minimum distribution (RMD) from your qualified retirement account in the remaining weeks of 2022 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 72 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 IRA's 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 72 to make a tax-free QCD from your 401(k) or IRA. The SECURE Act of 2019 extended the age for making RMDs to 72 but left the age for making QCDs at 70 ½ and you may distribute up to $100,000 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 2022 and, perhaps, annually. It is generally a simple and easy process. Please feel free to contact Bill Vipperman, 717-991-5825 or Bill Resser, 717-580-7667 with any questions you may have.

Name Badges are arriving

The first batch of badges have made it, alleluia! They will be available to pick up this Sunday in the Gathering Place. Thanks for your patience as we experienced supply chain shortages and delays. The second batch is being worked on and will be in soon. A third batch will follow. If you signed up or sent me an email, I have captured all of the requests, but not all of the badges will be on the table this week. I will keep you updated. Blessings, Scott

Earth Care: Healthy Decorating Hint

For décor that’s easy on the environment and your wallet, bring the outdoors in.  Mother Nature has given us greenery clippings, nuts, berries poinsettias,  and foraged pine cones. All of these are inexpensive and healthy, since the act of collecting materials gets you outside and forgoes plastic. 

Winter ROAR Mission Trip

February 2023 will mark 30 years of Silver Spring Church hands on mission work to build or repair homes for families in need. You are invited to join with members and friends of Silver Spring Church as we return to Gainesville Florida to work with Alachua Habitat For Humanity building homes for Habitat partner families

The week will begin with arrival in Gainesville on Sunday, January 29 and end on Saturday, February 04, 2023. The ROAR Team is not a select group of people who go on all mission trips. A ROAR Team consists of volunteers who want to help a neighbor in need and possibly learn a new skill in the process. As always, you do not need to have building experience or a truck load of tools. Everyone can do something to help build a home for a deserving family.

If you are interested in being part of this mission trip or need more information please contact Terry Reed at [email protected], or at 717-766-2714, or see me at church.

New Hope Ministry

Needs for December include: Sugar, Flour and Tuna. Items can be placed in the bin located outside the chapel. Thank you so much for your support!

Help Support Christian Churches United

Joy to the Burg Albums and Greeting Cards are for sale! Each year the local arts community rallies to support the street homelessness outreach work under the festive heading of Joy to the Burg. This year, musicians have released a 33 song Christmas album available for download. And NEW for 2022, local visual artists have contributed artwork for a set of 8 greeting cards. Albums and Greeting Cards are available to purchase at www.JoyToTheBurg.com and select area retailers. Karns stores are carrying the album download packages.

Join us this holiday season by serving and worshiping God

Of course, we will also have fun along the way! We will do service projects including painting nativity scenes for homebound members, preparing and placing luminaries for the Live Nativity and Christmas Eve; Fall workday, being actors in the Live Nativity and Christmas Eve Pageant. We will also have a CORE Christmas party on December 18th hosted by Pastor Lisa!

December 4, 2022: CORE from 6-8

December 11, 2022: NO CORE

December 18, 2022: CORE Christmas Party from 6-8

December 22, 2022: Live Nativity from 4-8:30

December 24, 2022: Christmas Eve Service - Pageant: Meet at 3 pm

December 25, 2022: Merry Christmas!!! No CORE

January 1, 2023: No CORE Happy New Year!

January 8, 2023: CORE from 6-8 - Youth Sunday Prep

Prayers of healing and comfort: Susan Neville, Margaret Glockner, Linda Greenleaf, Joan Bretz, Jack Heeter, Florence Bellis, Margie Kutz, Carl Schleicher, Elizabeth Bellis

Prayers of sympathy: Kathy Yinger for the death of her mother; Mary Jane Voigt for the passing of her brother

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

SUNDAY WORSHIP ATTENDANCE

November 20

9:00 am Traditional - 158

11:00 am Gathering - 50

Sunday School - 26

9 am YouTube views - 74

11 am YouTube views - 22

November 27

9:00 am Traditional - 78

11:00 am Gathering - 45

Sunday School (adults only) - 13

9 am YouTube views - 100

11 am YouTube views - 29

SERVING THIS WEEK



Ushers:

Sally McGaffin and Tom Gross

Deacon Servers:

Claudia Brown and Roxanne Dagino

Gathering Snack:

Cindy Corbin

Downtown Daily Bread, December 9:

Richard Garverich and B.J. Lopez

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 any questions, please email Diane Rabold, Business Manager, at [email protected].