12
Shenkel United Church of Christ SHARINGS AND CONCERNS April 2011 SHENKEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 1580 Shenkel Road Pottstown PA 19465 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Shenkel United Church of Christ’s “The NEWSLETTER” is a monthly publication prepared, edited, and mailed by the leadership and staff to all members and friends of the church. It communicates news about our life, purpose, and mission as a Church of Jesus Christ. Information related to our partnership as a member of the United Church of Christ and wider church/community out- reach is included on a regular basis. The Church is located at Unionville & Shenkel Roads in North Coventry Township.

April 2011 Newsletter

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Shenkel ucc April 2011 Newsletter

Citation preview

Shenkel United

Church of Christ

SHARINGS AND CONCERNS

April 2011

SHENKEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

1580 Shenkel Road

Pottstown PA 19465

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Shenkel United Church of Christ’s “The NEWSLETTER” is a monthly publication prepared, edited, and mailed by the leadership and staff to all members and friends of the church. It communicates news about our life, purpose, and mission as a Church of Jesus Christ. Information related to our partnership as a member of the United Church of Christ and wider church/community out-reach is included on a regular basis. The Church is located at Unionville & Shenkel Roads in North Coventry Township.

April 2011 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

Amazing Shenkel Auction 2-5 PM

3

Communion Girl Scouts 1-3 PM

4 5

Quilters 9 9:30 AM

6

Agape 7 PM Confirmation Class with mentors 7-8:30

7

Community Lunch Bunch 11:30 AM Choir 7 PM

8

9

PSEC Spring Conference Meeting

10

Healing Prayers

11 12

Spiritual Council 7 PM Consistory 7:30 PM Where’s God Class 7 PM

13 14

Choir 7 PM

15 16

Stole Prepara-tion and Confirmation Rehearsal 9:30 to Noon

Pizza and Planting Day 12:30—4 PM

17 Girl

Scouts 1-3 PM

Easter Egg Hunt after late worship

Y Team Meet-ing 5-6 PM

Youth Group 6-7:30 PM

18 19

Prayer Shawl Ministry 9 AM Quilters 9:30 AM Where’s God Class 7 PM

20

Prayer Shawl Ministry 7 PM

21

Healing Prayers 9:15 AM

Card Making Class 10 AM

Maundy Thursday Service 7 PM

22

7 PM

Easter Vigil begins after service

23

Easter Vigil closing at noon

24

Communion

25

Community Meal at Noon

26 27 28

Field Educa-tion Meeting 6 PM Choir 7 PM

29

Thirty Hour Famine

30

Outside Clean Up Day 9 AM -- ???

1580 Shenkel Road, Pottstown PA 19465 610.326.3535

Email: [email protected] www.shenkelucc.org

PAGE 3

The Pastor’s Pen Pastor Bonnie L. Moore

484.524.8280

Office Hours:

Tues., Wed., Thurs

CONSISTORY

OFFICERS

President

Kimberly Yocom

Vice President

Glen Hoff

Secretary

Sandy Rowe

Treasurer

Ken Bevan

Financial Secretary

Barry Miller

Assistant Financial

Secretaries

Doug Allen and

Lori Scharneck

Director of

Music Ministry

Joan Valentine Johnson

Elders

Glen Hoff

Carol Lykens

Connie Armbruster

Sandy Rowe

Wayne Klein

Deacons

Barbara Burhans

Barry Miller

Mark Dushanko

Kim Yocom

Newsletter Editor: Judy Embriani Assistant Editor: Jody Sweinhart Assistant Editor: Bill Baseley

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

- Romans 12:15

On my new grandson, Levi‟s first day at home, I was changing his diaper under the watch-

ful eye of his 2 ½ year old brother, Jonathan. As the cold air hit Levi‟s bottom and he began

to cry, tears started running down Jonathan’s cheeks!

“What‟s the matter, Jonathan?” I asked.

“I‟m sad,” he said, with a quavering voice, his eyes fixed on his howling little brother.

“But why are you sad?” I asked, as I put Levi‟s clean diaper on

“I am sad because my brother is sad,” Jonathan told me, wiping a tear from his eye.

It was cute, but I couldn‟t help but turn the occasion into a learning moment.

“Levi‟s not really sad,” I told Jonathan. “He‟s cold! But he doesn‟t know how to say „I‟m

cold.‟ So he is crying. Can you hear him telling us „Wahhh! Wahhh! I‟m cold!‟? Can you

help me put his blanket sleeper on so he‟s not cold anymore?”

Distracted by the challenge of putting Levi‟s chubby legs into the sleeper, Jonathan quickly

stopped crying. “Maybe he wants a toy, too,” Jonathan said, as he ran off to pick out the

perfect toy to share with his brother.

I wonder if the Apostle Paul challenged his readers to weep with those who weep because

they had lost that innate ability to empathize with others‟ sadness? But I believe that Paul

tells us to weep with those who weep not so we will become paralyzed by someone else‟s

grief or pain, but so we can respond with sensitivity and compassion to our neighbor‟s need.

What might someone‟s tears be trying to tell you?

Be God‟s,

Pastor Bonnie

PAGE 4 SHENKEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

EARLY

LATE

4/3

Barbara and Jesse

Painter

NEED SPONSOR

Barbara Burhans*

Connie Armbruster*

Early: JoAnne McGee

Late: Faye Pedrick

4/10

NEED SPONSOR

Virginia Johnson

Van and Katie May

Hudick

Ed and Faye

Pedrick

Early: Carol Pearson

Late: Betty Kreiger

4/17

Ron and Carol

Pearson

Ron and Carol

Pearson

Judy Gergle and

Pat Laverty

The Foss Family

Early: JoAnne McGee

Late: JoAnne McGee

4/24

Easter

Lynne Moyer

Gary and Sue

Stultz

Carol Lykens*

Kim Yocom*

Early: Jody Sweinhart

Late: Lori Scharneck

* A Communion Usher Leader is a member of Consistory who will choose someone at the service to serve communion

with them.

“Flours” is a collection of pantry items or a monetary do-nations to the pantry. If a cash donation to the pantry is made, a wheat arrangement will be placed on the altar. Altar flowers are $30.00 and bulletin dedications are $6.50. Food Sculptures are also gladly accepted. The are many dates open for sponsorship and dedica-tion during this and the upcoming months. Please complete one of the special flower/bulletin envelopes below the sign-up chart, enclose your payment, and either put it in the collection plate or in the Secretary’s box by the office door. You should then sign your name on the chart in the narthex by the appropriate date. Thank you.

Shenkel UCC celebrates the sacrament of Holy Com-

munion at both services on the first Sunday of each

month. Each time communion is served, some of

the bread and non-alcoholic wine that has been con-

secrated at the altar will be saved in a traveling

communion kit, ready to go to the homes or hospital

rooms of members who were

unable to be present, and would

like to receive the sacrament.

Please let Pastor Bonnie know if

you, or someone you know,

would appreciate ―distance-

communing‖ with their Shenkel

Church family!

AS ALWAYS AT SHENKEL….

PEACE SERVICE Our Peace Service is normally held on

the fourth Sunday of each month at 7

PM. Due to the fact that Easter falls

on the fourth Sunday of this month,

the Peace Service will not be held this

April. We will resume the regular schedule for this won-

derful service in May.

PAGE 5

April 17

8:30 AM and 10:45 AM

Come sing "Hosanna!"

with the crowd and par-

ticipate as our Lenten

journey culminates in this joyful celebra-

tion of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem.

April 21

7:00 p.m.

This experiential remembrance of Jesus’

Last Supper with his disciples will con-

clude with his betrayal and arrest, leaving

us with the uncertainty Jesus’ followers

felt as they faced the unknowable events of

the days ahead. Holy Communion will be

served at this service.

April 22

10:00 a.m.

Join the Prayer Processional sponsored by the Pottstown Clergy

Association. We’ll gather on the green between Zion’s UCC and

Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Children, strollers and dogs are

welcome to join this one-mile walk to pray for the peace and

well-being of our community and bear witness to Christ’s love for

the world.

7:00 p.m.

The drama continues as we recall Jesus’ painful march to Gol-

gotha, his suffering and death on the cross, and the darkness that

hung over the earth.

Easter Vigil

Following the Good Friday Service, April 22, the

vigil begins, and ends on Saturday, with a closing

service at 12:00 noon. This is a time of solitude

and meditation. It is suggested that at least two

people be present for one hour all through the

night. Materials will be provided on which to

meditate, or you may bring your own personal

meditation to read. It is a time of quiet reflection.

Everyone is welcome to attend the closing service

at noon on Saturday, April 23. See page 10 for more information.

Easter Sunday-April 24

Come sing "Alleluia!" as we celebrate Christ’s victory over the grave, and are assured, once more,

that NOTHING can separate us from God’s love.

6:30 a.m. – Community Sunrise Service in the field across from Temple United Methodist Church at

the intersection of Temple and Unionville Roads, Pottstown. Breakfast will be served following the

service – all are welcome!

Our 8:30 AM service will include our Easter Cantata, entitled Journey to the Cross, and is dedicated to the memory

of Vera Hoff. At the 10:45 AM service, the choir will sing two of the selections from the Cantata and the Joyful Noise

Choir will celebrate Easter with the singing of Halle Halle. Both services will also include a celebratory message, and

Holy Communion. Refreshments will be served in Fellowship Hall between services; no Sunday School will be held

that morning.

Worship Schedule

FOR YOUR INFORMATION….

During the Lenten Season Pastor Wanda Craner invites you

to join ―TRIPLE A TRAVEL‖, scheduled at 9:30 a.m. in the

Social Room. All are invited to attend the following ses-

sions:

April 3 - ADVENTURE – Join it!

April 10 - AWESOME Possibilities – Try them!

April 17 - ARRIVAL – Thanks be to God!

April 24 - Easter Sunday - No Sunday School

Theme Description: The Buddha’s last words to his

disciples were ―Walk on‖. The first words of Jesus

to his disciples were ―Follow me‖. Jesus said some

other things too, but as a summary of the four Gospels,

―Let’s go for a walk together.‖ We will reflect together, con-

necting with our own spiritual journeys!

SHENKEL QUILTERS

Shenkel Quilters are hard at work on the

new quilt. We've only completed a few

blocks, but already see the makings of a

pretty quilt. So... with just a few blocks un-

der our belts, we have plenty of work ahead of us and, of

course, our ideas change as we progress. This is the challenge

and fun of creating an original, bed-sized quilt. The April

meeting dates are Tuesday , the 5th and 19th at 9:30 in the

Church Social Hall. Hope to see everybody!

Margie Allen

E-SHENKEL NEWSLETTER

Thanks to Dave Derman, the weekly E-Shenkel News-

letter is up and running. Dave has done a fabulous

job of putting all the up-to-date information right in

your computer’s inbox each week. This a great way

to be reminded of all the goings on here at Shenkel.

If you have not yet received an email with the E-

Shenkel Newsletter, please send an email to eShen-

[email protected].

Prayer Shawl Ministry

The Prayer Shawl Ministry will

meet on Tuesday, April 19th at 9

AM and again on Wednesday,

April 20th at 7 PM. Anyone who

likes to knit or crochet is wel-

come to come. If you have any

questions, please contact June

Hartung at 610-323-5617.

CHURCH CLEAN UP DAYS

Mark you calendars now….

Outside clean up….

Saturday, April 30 from 9AM -- ?

Inside & outside clean up….

Saturday, May 14 from 9 AM -- ?

Come, get your hands dirty, and have fun sprucing

up Shenkel in time for the warm weather.

Coming soon... a CD of original

piano music recorded by Collin

Gray. You can place your advance

order (pre-ordered CDs will be sold

for $15 each) by contacting the church office or

placing a check, payable to Shenkel UCC, in the of-

fering plate clearly marked CD order. Watch for de-

tails in upcoming worship bulletins!

The beautiful hand held wooden crosses that you hare received this Lent were made and donated by Stauffer and Al Kutz. We are so grateful for their talent and generosity.

Members of the congregation sanded and applied the oil to them, and a big thank you to: Sam and Connie Armbruster

Ann Baccari Bill and Carolyn Baseley

Eden Richard Verna and Dick Walters

PAGE 6

PAGE 7

March Consistory Highlights….

Received a thank you for our donation to Bethany Children’s Home

Appointed Carol Lykens and Vera Hoff to serve as delegates to the PSEC’s Spring

Meeting on April 9

Approved a stipend of $800 for Sue Fritz, a seminarian who will be doing her field

education here during the 2011-12 school year

Heard an update on our homeless ministry hearing

Approved the Finance Committee’s recommendations to free up to $5000 from the Music Fund during

2012-2014 per the guidelines previously established for Music Fund expenditures, to appoint Randy

Berriker to serve as Treasurer back-up, and to appoint Randy Berriker to chair a team to complete an in-

house financial audit

Learned that the Property Committee set clean-up dates of April 30 and May 14 for indoor and outdoor

cleaning

Learned that Glen Hoff will be getting an additional bid for the stained-glass window repairs

Reviewed bids for the downstairs bathroom renovations; decided to get at least one additional bid be-

fore awarding a contract

Complete copies of Consistory Minutes are available from the church office upon request.

ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS….

SAVE-A-TAPE

PROGRAM

Keep up the good work! Just ask

for a Save-A-Tape card at the cus-

tomer service spot at your local

Redner’s store, show your card at

the register when you check out,

then bring your register tapes to

church and deposit them in the box in the Narthex.

These tapes are collected routinely, presented to the

store, and Redner’s donates a percentage of your

total purchase to the church. Be careful to bring

your tapes in regularly instead of saving them at

home, as they do expire if not redeemed within a cer-

tain time period. Also, please return the entire regis-

ter tape. Redner’s will not accept any register re-

ceipt that has any part of it removed. Thank you.

YTD Current Fund O.C.W.M

Budget 25,372.41 1,833.33

Actual 23,655.99 1,890.00

Difference (1,716.42) 56.67

DO YOU HAVE NEWS FOR THE BULLETIN

OR THE NEWSLETTER?

Just a reminder that all bulletin

announcements should be at the

church office by each Tuesday at

noon to be included in that

week’s bulletin. Newsletter arti-

cles must be submitted by the

15th of each month to be in-

cluded in the next issue.

Recycling Reminder…. Please remember that we only collect aluminum cans here at the church for recycling. But please continue to recycle all your other recyclables at home.

as of February 28, 2011

SHENKEL LOVES TO GIVE….

AND DON’T FORGET…. The Pottstown Cluster Food Bank

collection at Shenkel is the 1st Sun-

day of each month. Please place

your items in the large plastic bins

in the narthex.

AND...Please bring in your used cell phones and

empty ink cartridges and place them in the box

across from the nursery, or in the box located on the

coat rack shelf across from the office.

These cartridges are re-cycled to Sta-

ples, and the church receives credits

toward the purchase of office supplies.

The used cell phones are given to the

police department to be distributed to

abused women.

FYI….The Pottstown Cluster

Outreach Center is now open Monday through

Friday from 9:00 AM -12:00 pm for client services

and to accept donations at 137 Walnut Street in

Pottstown.

The Pottstown Cluster is again participating in the

Feinstein Challenge. Donations of cash, checks and food received from

March 1 through April 30, 2011 and noted specifically for the Challenge

can be counted. Donations can be mailed or delivered to the Outreach

Center at 137 Walnut Street.

New building update – electrical, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning

work are progressing well. Drywalls are up and painting will begin soon.

Progress reports are posted on the website.

Pantry Needs: toiletries, personal hygiene wipes,

toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, combs, sham-

poo, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, all – pur-

pose cleaner and paper towels.

Clothes Closet and Houseware needs: backpacks, carts, suitcases with wheels, sleeping bags,

women‟s jeans, all sizes, women‟s khakis, all sizes, and

junior size clothing.

Please contact Vickie at 610 970-5995 for further information.

During the month of April, we will be accepting offerings for :

Maundy Thursday — Our Church’s Wider Mission (UCC) Good Friday — Prisoner Visitation Support Easter — Pottstown Cluster Outreach Center Special Collection on April 17 — Phoebe Min-istries.

PAPERS AND TOWELS FOR PALS!

Do you want to help animals of all shapes and sizes

to have a better life? Well, we can help you with

that! We are asking for donations of newspapers

and gently used bath and/or beach towels so that

the rescue animals at Diane’s Discount Pets have a

nice, clean and cozy place to rest and play.

Separate bins for each items will be set up in the narthex and in the

social hall for you to deposit your donations. There will also be

money boxes in case you would like to give a monetary donation.

This initiative continues through June, so that we have plenty of

time to gather lots of materials for donation. We hope to have tons

of items to deliver to our rescued furry friends at Diane’s Discount

Pets. Please help us make our Confirmation project a wonderful

success.

Katie Hudick and Taylor Baker

Genesis 6:20 —

“Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the ani-

mals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing

of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind

shall come in to you, to keep them alive.”

30-HOUR FAMINE

Do you want to help feed

starving children? Over

24,000 children die every

day from hunger! But, only

$30 will feed a child for an

entire month.

Our youth group will be participating in a 30-

Hour Famine on April 29-30 to benefit World

Vision’s mission to feed hungry children around

the world. They are looking for your sup-

port through donations to help feed these chil-

dren.

They will be joining with youth from up to 9 area

churches for fellowship, to learn about hunger,

and to help others in our area who go hungry.

If you have questions, please contact Sherri

Mocarski at (610) 906-1373 or sdmocar-

[email protected].

PAGE 8

BULLETIN BOARD….

COMMUNITY LUNCH

BUNCH April 2011

COME ONE, COME ALL….

FOR: Lunch,* fellowship and an interesting

program.

At our next event, we will learn about the in-

famous Johnstown Flood. This devastating

historic event will come to life again though pictures and stories,

told by Bob and Barbara Brown. Come and enjoy this time of

fellowship with your friends and neighbors.

* All participants are asked to contribute $6.00 to cover the cost

of the lunch. Please sign up on the sheet in the narthex or call the

Shenkel UCC church office at 610-326-3535 by the Monday

prior to the program to reserve your spot.

WHEN: Thursday, April 7, 2011

from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Shenkel UCC’s Fellowship Hall

1580 Shenkel Rd

Pottstown, PA 19465

For more information please call Ruth Klein at 610-326-4520

CARD MAKING CLASS

The card making class will meet again on Thursday,

April 21 at 10:00 a.m. We will continue to meet on

the third Thursday of each

month. The cost of the class is

$8.00 which will provide each of

us with three beautiful

cards. Please call Ann Baccari at

610-323-5525 or Connie Arm-

bruster at 610-326-6516 if you

plan to attend, so there will be

enough materials prepared for everyone.

Do you like to write? Are

you creative?

Well, here‟s your chance to share

your work with the church commu-

nity.

A new paper of creative writing is

arising in the Shenkel community.

Share your creativity!

This initiative was created by Ben Mocarski for his con-

firmation project. Please submit your works to Ben, ei-

ther at church on Sundays, or through email to sdmocar-

[email protected].

Submission deadline is the 30th of each month.

The Shenkel Youth Group will again provide

an Easter Egg Hunt for our youngsters. This

fun event will be held on Sunday, April 17th ,

immediately following the 10:45 worship ser-

vice. All children should bring a basket to

gather their goodies.

Palm Plants will be needed for

Palm Sunday through Easter to

decorate the sanctuary. If you

have a plant you would like to loan

to the church for this special sea-

son, please contact Louise Hine at

610-385-3716.

On Easter morning, between wor-

ship services, we will enjoy an

Easter ―breakfast.‖ The Fellow-

ship Committee will provide the

coffee, juice and hot water for tea

and we would appreciate any finger foods and/or

breakfast item that you would like to donate. Please

see Tootie or Louise Hine for more information.

PAGE 9

GABRIELLA’S CONFIRMATION

PROJECT Date: Saturday, April 16

Pizza: around 12:30

Planting Time: 1PM – 4PM

Would you like to make Shenkel Church look beautiful for

Spring? Well, I am doing this fun activity to get involved with

the environment and to do something for the church. We will be

planting a variety of flowers in the flower beds along the front of

the church. Before we plant, we will be having a pizza party! We

will get together around noon. Anyone is more than welcome to

help, offer suggestions and/or help fund the project. A "flower

box" for donations will be located in the narthex. You may also

sign up to help on the "Plant the Flowers" sheet located in the

narthex. Please bring your garden tools, gloves and energy!

Thank You! Gabriella Megni

PAGE 10

STEWARD’S CORNER

So, we are marching into Spring! March 20th was the day! Songs of gladness fall on the ear! I remember being in a church a long time ago, where the children

loved to sing about spring. Their songs went some-thing like this: “Welcome, sweet springtime. Sweet summer is nigh. Songs from the birds are heard in the sky. Welcome, sweet springtime; Sweet summer is nigh.” And then they would literally HOP, As they burst into another favorite song: “Let’s play we are little birds – Hopping, hopping. Hopping!” (And on and on) So, if you are feeling joyful for this wonderful sea-son, go ahead – sing, sing, sing and hop, hop, hop!! Hoppy Springtime, Steward

Music News for April 2011

The Chancel Choir is saddened by

the loss of our friend Vera Hoff.

Our days are brightened knowing

she is singing with the Heavenly

Choir and we know her voice will

sing loud and strong.

We are dedicating our Easter Cantata to the memory of

Vera and hope everyone will join us Easter morning at the

8:30 AM service to hear the entire Cantata entitled Jour-

ney To The Cross. At the 10:45 service, the choir will sing

two of the selections from the Cantata. Also at the 10:45

service, the Joyful Noise Choir will celebrate Easter with

the singing of Halle Halle.

But don’t forget Palm Sunday that will feature the Celebra-

tion Choir who will sing Riding on the Road to Jerusalem.

We also welcome the Bell Choir that morning…so lots of

celebratory music during the end of the Lenten season.

Looking forward into May, mark your calendar for May 22nd

that we have chosen to be Music Sunday. All of musical

talents from every group will be singing and playing during

that service. It is bound to be an uplifting service for all.

Where is God When we Suffer?

Why does God “allow” us to experience suf-

fering in our lives? How can we reconcile an all-powerful, all-

knowing and loving God with pain and evil? Is it possible to

find grace in and through our suffering?

If you have ever considered these questions, a forum com-

posed of four one hour meetings is offered to you. The intent

is that through prayerful discussion we will each be able to

reconcile our faith in the Creator of all with the world in which

we live. We will meet Tuesdays 6:30-7:30 PM on April 12

and 19.

For more information and to sign-up, please contact JoAnne

McGee at: [email protected] or call 610-781-5474.

It's time to start planning for the Easter Vigil, which begins immedi-ately following the Good Friday Ser-vice on Friday April 22nd. The church is open all night, and it is a very meaningful time, preparing us for the Joy of Easter Sunday. The church is quiet and a candle is burn-ing in front of the draped Cross. If at alI possible, we would like to have two people in the church for each hour. The Vigil ends on Satur-day April 23rd with closing at noon. There will be a sign up chart in the narthex at least 2 weeks before. Reading materials will also be available. If you have never been in-volved in this very special spiritual time, and want to know more about it, please contact Ann Baccari at 610-323-5525.

Healing Prayers

We have healing prayers during both services on the second Sunday of each month. It is our hope that you will use this opportunity to partici-

pate. During the collection of the offering, anyone who desires prayer for themselves or on behalf of another is invited to go to the back of the church, where a prayer team will join you for prayer. A prayer team will also be available in the front of the church at the conclusion of the service.

Healing prayers are also offered the third Thursday of every month at 9:15 a.m. in the sanctuary. Any-one in need of prayers for themselves or on be-half of another is welcome !

Zoning Hearing Update The hearing by the North Coventry Zoning Hearing Board in response to our appli-

cation for a Special Exception and variances that would enable us to resume our

ministry to people in need of a temporary shelter was continued until February 24.

The ruling given that evening was puzzling (from my perspective); although the

committee chair seemed to support our request in principle, he divided it into two

components: a request related to homeless people, and a request related to gen-

eral Township emergencies, and recommended approval of difference variances for the two. He also stated

that he believed that sprinkler requirement did not rise to the level of a substantial burden on the Church's reli-

gious use. Our attorneys recommended that we wait to review the written decision, which the ZHB has 45 days

to prepare, before considering our next steps.

MORE INFORMATION….

The Mensch Mill Camp &

Conference Center begins its

2011 Summer Programs on June

21st. The Summer Camp season

runs through August 5th.

There are many opportunities for

different kinds of special fun all

throughout the summer. To see all

available, look for the camp brochure in the narthex, on

the social hall bulletin board, visit online at

www.menschmill.org, or call Barbara Sweinhart at 610-

326-1644. Don’t forget, Shenkel will reimburse campers

for 50% of their camper’s registration cost.

Mark your calendar now to save Sunday May 15

th.

Here’s what the Pastoral Relations Committee has planned that day after late service:

pot-luck luncheon; small feedback groups; time for direct input for the PRC and Pastor Bonnie

This single event will take the place of the small group meetings that had been held in prior years. Watch the bulletin and May newsletter for more de-tails. Randy Berriker, PRC Chair

SUPPORT FOR THE EATHQUAKE &

TSUNAMI VICTIMS IN JAPAN

Anyone who would like to help provide support for the

victims of this devastating disaster of nature, is encour-

aged to do so. You can contribute by putting your mone-

tary donation in an envelope clearly marked Tsunami

Relief in the collection plate. Checks should be made

payable to Shenkel United Church of Christ. The dona-

tions will be forwarded to UCC Global Missions in

Cleveland to be used to support immediate relief to peo-

ple affected by this disaster. More details can be found at

www.ucc.org/disaster/japan-earthquake-2011/. Always

appreciated are your prayers for all those who have lost

so much and so many as a result of this terrifying event.

PAGE 11

OUR CHURCH FAMILY AND FRIENDS….

Shenkel UCC will be

praying For these randomly

selected members and friends of our

congregation during the month of

April:

4/3 Robyn, Michael, Hannah and Noah Apgar

Brooke Miller

Dottie McCann

Scott Kutz

Joe White

4/10 Sheree and Rick Scheler

Sherri, Mark and Olivia Dushanko

Pat Laverty

Susan, John, John and Samantha Pennell Betsy and Ken Bevan

4/17 Kathy and Michael Iezzi Dawn Yocom

Sharon, Robert and Ella Woodman

Lois and Tony Iezzi Stacey, Bill, Lilly and Aurora Keim

4/24 Heather and Jim Nye

Kristen Yannick

Heather and Tom Coyne Jr

Connie and Sam Armbruster

Alan Gerber

04/01 Martin, Kelly 04/02 Painter, Kurt 04/03 Phillips, Celia 04/06 Phillips, Gerald 04/07 White, James 04/10 KUTZ, SCOTT 04/10 HOFF, DEBBIE 04/10 Rice, Mike 04/11 Rowe, Sandy 04/12 BURHANS, CRYSTAL 04/12 Stultz, Gary 04/12 Helmers, Taylor 04/12 Wanner, Julianne 04/12 Guardiani Jr, Anthony[V] 04/14 Miller, Robert 04/14 YANNICK, JOSEPH 04/15 Rogers, Joshua 04/16 Sweinhart, Drew 04/16 Viti, Angeline 04/18 Hauze, Jennifer 04/18 MILLER, JENNIFER[V] 04/20 Baseley, Carolyn 04/20 KUTZ, MARIE 04/21 Brown, Barbara 04/21 Durham, Christine 04/22 ROHRBACH, RICK 04/23 OPLINGER, COLE[V] 04/24 MARKLEY, ERIKA 04/24 Moyer, Mary Sue 04/24 KLINE, KAELYN 04/25 Hauze, Mark 04/26 KERLIN, FREDERICK 04/26 Metzger, Claire 04/26 BURHANS, TYLER KYAN 04/27 Pennell, Samantha 04/29 Laverty, Donald

On Monday March 14, 2011, Shenkel UCC lost one of its spe-cial and faithful members. Vera Hoff peacefully passed away in her sleep after a life of service to her community, her church and her Lord. Vera was serving as a

Deacon on Consistory at the time of her death, and was also active in the Prayer Ministry here at Shenkel. She will be sorely missed by her many friends, family and fellow parishioners for a long time to come.

Thank you all for your cards, calls,

prayers and concerns during my recent

surgery and subsequent recovery. I am

now back on both feet and learning to

walk again. What a great feeling!

Barb Burhans

PAGE 12