2011 Highlights: Care Ministry Year-End Report
If you click HERE, you will be able to the Care Ministries 2011 End of Year Report prepared by Joan Karr and her many many partners in ministry.
When I was a full time Pastoral Counselor people would ask how things were going. My father-in-law was even more specific – “How’s business?”
How do you answer that question? If you say “good” – that means that there is a high demand for services based upon a high level of human misery – how could that be good!?
And if you say “bad” – low demand, low level of human misery – how could that be bad?!
So what does it mean to say that we are very pleased and blessed to have the Care Ministries that God has given us?
Simple gratitude and humility. God has enabled us to love others in Jesus’ name.
To show unconditional love. To help others claim his or her freedom of choice. To find forgiveness. To embrace new life in the Spirit. To bring a little bit of heaven on earth.
2011 Highlights: Keys For the City Worship Caravan
By Anthi Glass
The past two summers I have been able to combine two of my favorite things— Worship music and the city of Lancaster, thanks to our church’s Keys for the City Worship Caravan.
This informal ministry all began in the summer of 2010 when Rashard decided to use the beautifully decorated pianos that had been placed throughout Lancaster city as weekly gathering places to share some music and ministry over the noon hour. His plan was to invite anyone willing and able to gather around a designated piano on Thursdays at noon. During the hour or so we were there, Rashard would lead the small group of us in a variety of worship songs as he played. There was no set playlist- instead he welcomed suggestions from any who were there.
Such a simple idea grew into an event my family began to plan our week around. There were days that it was just 4-5 of us at the piano, but with Rashard taking the lead we always sounded strong. When Rashard would begin playing and we would join in song, many people would pause from their busy lunch hours to offer a smile or a compliment. Often they would even pause to listen for a song or two. Some would join in with us and treat us to their beautiful voices.
My children and I were always moved by the people we met and the time we spent at the piano. We could see that the music and the message was warmly received in this nonthreatening setting. Although seeing us at the piano may have been unexpected, it seemed to be welcomed by people of all ages, races and backgrounds.
2011 Highlights: Vacation Bible School
We took the kids back to Jesus’ hometown with the theme Hometown Nazareth for the 2011 Vacation Bible School in July.
This year’s mission focus was on global poverty. Missionary Julie Campbell paid the group a visit during the week and Dan and Cindy Macha spent time sharing about our church’s efforts in Kenya that fall under the umbrella of Building Hope.
You can read more about the mission focus in a blog post written by Amy Jordan.
2011 Highlights: The Art of Marriage
The Art of Marriage video workshop was held here at the church in May and will be held again Jan. 27-28. Click HERE for registration information.
By Don Forry
Dee and I had been really struggling with our relationship for a long time, back and forth, hot and cold, inconsistent, poor communications, blaming each other, selfishness, etc. It was getting to the point where both of us began to lose confidence in the relationship. And we didn’t have the energy to make it work.
The Art of Marriage came at an opportune time. God must have been pulling on us to do something because we both decided to attend not knowing what to expect. The time went fast and we were both impressed. The seminar was very effective and nonthreatening; and it put the ball in the couple’s court, to play ball or quit the game. The DVD, workbook including the questions and answers were well-crafted and helpful; especially in getting to the root issues and forgiveness.
Neither one of us really looked at marriage from a Christian perspective. In fact, my father was married three times and Dee’s father walked out on her family when she was a teenager. We never witnessed how a real marriage worked, which is a shame for us and probably is the norm for many relationships in today’s world. In essence, we never realized that God had a purpose and a plan for our marriage. One quote I remember from the seminar is that my role was to live to make my wife great. That concept never came to mind, because I was selfish; but now I am slowly beginning to “get it.”
2011 Highlights: Now Behold the Lamb
Now Behold the Lamb was a worship concert we held at the church on Maundy Thursday that featured our choirs, worship teams, the dance team and video interludes.
Did you attend or participate in Now Behold the Lamb last April? What do you remember most about it?
2011 Highlights: 30 Hour Famine
SHOUT’s 30 Hour Famine raised enough money in 2011 to feed more than 100 hungry children.
Challenging economic times and all, the SHOUT youth shattered their fundraising goal of $34,000 by more than $2,800 with a total of $36,834.15 raised, a number multiplied by six through matching government grants.
“I am constantly amazed at the generosity that God inspires when our passions meet his pleasure,” Youth Director Sean Garner said after the tally was finalized. “SHOUT specifically targeted an amount of lives to impact through fundraising that was LESS than the last few years because our eyes were on the stock market NOT on God’s abundant supply.”
For 30 hours from Friday, March 4, to Saturday, March 5, Famine participants fasted but the fundraising lasted well before and after their time of “loving hungry.” Money was raised through sponsorships from individuals in the congregation and community, partnerships with Isaac’s Restaurant and Loxley’s Restaurant on Centerville Road and private donations.
This year’s Famine will be held Feb. 3-4. Fundraisers are being held at Isaac’s on Centerville Road Feb. 9, 16, 22 and 28.
Did you participate in last year’s Famine? What impact did it have on you?
2011 Highlights: Japan Relief
Following an earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in March 2011, members of our congregation responded with an outpouring of support for the relief efforts being undertaken by the United Methodist Committee on Relief in the region most affected by the natural disaster.
As an individual congregation, we raised $13,279.55 from a special offering taken in worship and through online donations given on the UMCOR website by members of our congregation. We also teamed up with other area UM churches to raise $1,836.48 through a fundraiser night at area Isaac’s.
Click HERE for more information on the relief effort our generosity as a congregation helped to support.
What other fundraising efforts for Japan did you participate in last year?
2011 Highlights: Indoor Yard Sale
For both Dawn and me, helping to run the yard sale is always the annual highlight of our volunteering here at Hempfield UMC. There are so many ways to see God at work that it is truly overwhelming. There are the obvious ways, of course…the generosity of our congregation and friends with so many, many wonderful donations; the enthusiasm of the volunteers, both adult and youth, as everyone enjoys each others’ company throughout the week to make it all happen; the thrill of hearing the total profit and knowing that God has provided for our kids to go serve.
But inevitably, it is the quiet moments that are the most powerful, and there is no shortage of these, either…being able to tell a senior member who recently downsized that her treasured possessions are now at the home of a family in real need; hearing a woman thank us for helping her provide clothes for her family during these hard times; accepting an anonymous payment for a bike that was given to a person in need of transportation for work, but who could not afford it. This list could go on and on.
It is humbling to be part of an event where we all put the pieces in place and just let God work!
The 2011 Indoor Yard Sale raised $13,000 for youth mission trips. This year’s Indoor Yard Sale will be Saturday, March 17.
In what way did you see God work at last year’s Indoor Yard Sale?
2011 Highlights: Beauty From Pain
On the evening of January 29, Hempfield UMC held an event entitled “Beauty From Pain.”
The goal was to bring about awareness of the problem of human trafficking to the congregation and community. Approximately 175 people attended the event which included a slide presentation, victim stories, a dance presentation, and three speakers.
The speakers were from International Justice Mission, Shared Hope International, and North Star Initiative. NSI is a local nonprofit group aiming to provide a restoration home for victims of sex trafficking, and donations were raised to help in this effort.
You can see a photo slideshow of the event HERE.
Did you attend this event last January? What impact did it have on you?
3050 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, PA 
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