Welcome to the March 2011 edition of our monthly email news and information source for Wheatland Presbyterian Church. Through this newsletter we hope to provide you with the information that you need to keep you informed and engaged in life here at Wheatland.
Our prayer is that you will find Wheatland to be a place where we proclaim Christ and his gospel to each other and our community through our worship and our work.
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P L A N T
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From Slavery to Freedom
Join us for corporate worship on Sunday mornings at 8am or 10:45am as we journey together through the story of God and His people as told in the book of Exodus.
Pub Night
March 17th at 9pm in Lancaster City. Come for discussion, relaxation and laughter. We gather in a different spot each month but always on the 3rd Thursday at 9pm. For more information contact Ethan Demme at 572.4061, ethandemme@gmail.com or facebook.com/pubnight Festival Choir Rehearsals to Begin Musician and Wheatland Member Dr. Rob Bigley, choral professor and conductor, at Lancaster Bible College, will direct an Easter Festival Choir for ages 7th grade through adults that will sing at both services on Easter Sunday, April 24th. Rehearsals will be on Wednesdays, April 6th, 13th, and 20th at 7pm. If you have sung with the choir before or if you have ever considered singing with them, this is a wonderful time to get involved. All voice parts are welcome! Annual Camping Trip It's time to start thinking about our annual family camping trip. This year we head back to Gifford Pinchot Park, south of Harrisburg. Dates are Thursday, July 28th through Sunday, July 31st. You can come for 1, 2, or 3 nights. Cost is $15 for no electric and $20.50 for electric. Contact Deb ( phkiii@verizon.net or 464.4907) for an information and reservation sheet to reserve your spot and guarantee that your campsite will be with the other Wheatland campers. |
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Regional Care Groups
Our Care Groups are designed to enfold you into the life of Wheatland and the community in which you live. We have divided our city and the outlying areas into regional districts. There are groups that meet in each "field". Our worship together each Sunday morning is the most important thing we do, but if you are a regular attender or member here at Wheatland, these gatherings enrich and enliven our worship together by strengthening our love and care for one another. Be sure to check the church website to find out who your Care Group Leader is and when your group meets. Email Assoc. Pastor Luke Le Duc with any questions. Sunday Classes for Adults: March 6th through April 17th
Prayer: A Means of Grace--The back cover of A Praying Life by Paul Miller states, "Let's face it, prayer is hard! In fact prayer is so hard that most of us simply do not pray unless an illness or a public setting, such as saying grace at a meal, demands it. Prayerlessness is rooted in a core unbelief that can shape our lives, even as Christians. Because of prayerlessness, our lives are often marked by fear, anxiety, joylessness, and spiritual lethargy." Join this class, taught by RUF Minister Rob Ilderton and Pastor Luke Le Duc and meeting in the Sanctuary, as we push each other to confront our own beliefs (and unbelief!) about prayer and seek together to take hold more faithfully of this means of grace that God has given to his Church.
Finding Balance--Taught by Deacon Dave Smith and meeting in the Living Room of the Study Center, this class is based on the book In Search of Balance by Richard A. Swenson, MD, which helps us understand the dangers of living in a fast-paced world and gives us hope for recovering a foundational sense of equilibrium. Dr. Swenson offers not only important organizing principles for making sense of our priorities but also scores of practical tips for finding rest and contentment in a world that emphasizes materialism and busyness. His advice is grounded in the daily routines we all experience, but his wisdom has been honed by the big-picture perspective of an exhaustive study of the stresses of modern life.
Two Conference Invitations from Sister Churches Carlisle Reformed Presbyterian Church invites you to their conference entitled " Creation: Faith and Facts", April 8th-10th, led by the Institute for Creation Research. The speakers are world class experts in their fields and widely published (Theology, Medicine, Physical Science, Law, and History). Dr. Dominic Aquila, president of the New Geneva Theological Seminary, will preach at the morning and evening worship services on "Creationism and the Inerrancy of Scripture." For more info on this weekend conference, go to http://www.carlislepca.org or call 717.249.5675. The topic for this year's PCRT (Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology), April 29th-May 1st, is " Children of God: Adopted into the Father's Love." Conference speakers are Joel Beeke, Steven Lawson, Albert Martin, Richard Phillips, Derek Thomas, and David Wells. For more information or to register, please see www.AllianceNet.org or call 1.800.956.2644. |
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College Students
Are you ready for home-cooked food in a home atmosphere? Reserve March 20th to enjoy food and fellowship after the 2nd service at the home of Tim and Janet Shea. Need a ride or directions? Wait in the Lobby after the service.
Making Room for Our Guests
If you regularly come to the 2nd service, you probably notice that our Sanctuary is pretty full. To make room for our guests, you might consider a switch to the early service. And if you do come to the 2nd service, please consider parking in the overflow lot if you are able (1059 Columbia Ave.; turn in by the Dr. Scott Creisher & Associates sign), so that there are plenty of parking spaces for our guests. Thank you for serving in these ways!
Food Bank
To meet the community's food needs, the Deaconate collects food on the 2nd Sunday of each month for our congregation, for Water Street Rescue Mission, and for the Landisville Food Bank. Bring in non-perishable household or food items and place them in the Lobby. Needed items are canned meat, one-can meals, vegetables, shampoo, hand soap, toilet paper, and laundry detergent.
GriefShare Seminar/Support Group
The 13-week GriefShare DVD seminar features biblical teaching by nationally recognized grief experts along with real-life stories. Many grieving people find that they are only beginning the work of healing when friends or family have returned to their daily routines. Too often people, including Christians, tend to stuff their grief instead of allowing God to work through it. This group is open to all who are grieving the death of a family member or friend. Confidentiality is a part of this ministry. GriefShare meets Monday evenings, 7pm, in the Fellowship Hall. All participants receive a workbook with daily prayers, reflections, questions, and Scripture verses. To register or get more information, contact our Church Office. Invite grieving friends and neighbors. (See www.griefshare.org.)
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H A R V E S T
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Easter Cards for Our Missionaries
Be a part of Wheatland's project to bless and encourage our missionaries and supported ministries. Between now and March 20th, purchase or make Easter cards, write a message, sign your name, and include encouraging Bible verses. Then bring your cards back, and drop them off at the display in the Church Lobby. Each missionary and ministry has been assigned to several different Care Group fields. Provide cards for those assigned to your field. If you are new to the Church, figure out what field you are in by using the map on the bulletin board in the hallway. Purchase your cards, OR have your young children make one. If you are a creative adult, feel free to make something, too. As the days lead up to Resurrection Sunday, please pray for your assigned missionaries and ministries. The display in the Lobby has a list of the missionaries assigned to each field (list is also in the March issue of "This Month at Wheatland") along with handouts that have more information about the missionaries and ministries. Take a handout so that you can learn more about who are you are sending cards to and know how you and your family can pray for them. Questions? (Contact Leslie at leslie@worldsendimages.com or 293.1256.)
Missionary of the Month - Bill and Priscilla O'Byrne
Bill and Priscilla O'Byrne, along with their 4 children, have served in St. Petersburg, Russia since 1993 with Church Resources Ministry. They have sent us the following prayer requests.
1. Pray for Bill's sermon series on Wisdom Literature at the Pushkin church through March 20th.
2. Pray for God's direction and blessing on spiritural mentioring relationships with church leaders.
3. Pray for protection and wisdom for Priscilla while Bill is gone (March 27th through April 2nd).
4. Pray for wisdom regarding selling their car, and the impact that has on their lifestyle and what church they attend.
5. Pray for balancing current ministry with support-raising and furlough planning.
6. Pray for Bill's graduating student-advisees, as they prepare for new lives and ministry after graduation May 14th.
7. Pray for God's provision of a minivan for their summer furlough in the US (June 1st to Aug. 15th).
8. Pray for wisdom for college visits this summer for Gillian and ensuing decisions.
Summer Missions Support Deadline
The deadline for requests for support for individual summer missions trips for this year is Sunday, March 27th. Requests can be mailed to the Church for the Missions Team or placed in the Missions mail slot. Please pick up a copy of the March edition of "This Month at Wheatland" to see what questions need to be answered when making a request. |
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Youth Events
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Bridge Builders (Youth Group for Grades 7-12) meets Sunday evenings, 6:30pm to 8:30pm, in the Fellowship Hall. Invite friends! | |
Manos Lunch
We will meet for lunch with the guys from Manos House on March 27th after the second service. Email Dave Smith if you can provide the entree, salads, drinks, bread, or dessert.
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Growing at Wheatland
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Our life together here at Wheatland is intended to grow us all up into maturity in faith and life. One of the ways we believe this happens is through intentional discipleship with one another. Are you intentionally pursuing growth in grace in this community that God has placed you? If you are interested in coming together with 2 or 3 other people for this type of focused study, contact
Pastor Luke Le Duc
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