Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

            As I compose this message, people are filled with pre-Christmas anticipation.  Decorations abound.  Decorative lights appear everywhere.  Christmas lights hold an attraction for me that date back to my childhood.  I must confess that at this time of the year, in spite of the greenhouse effect and the cost of gasoline, I often take the long way around to a destination just so I can get a glimpse of ordinary objects transformed into the extraordinary as they are bathed in the glow of artificial light.  Given the number of homes and places of business that are light laden during this season, I believe that I am not alone in my attraction to the lights of Christmas.

            However, December 26 or shortly thereafter, the lights are turned off, packed away and the world returns to business as usual.  We are left to yearn for the longer days of spring and summer without benefit of Christmas lights.  Why this fascination for the lights?  Humans have a physical and psychological/emotional need for light.  Christmas lights temporarily and artificially address that need.  The lights disappear.  The need remains.

            Events of the past year underscore the darkness that plagues humanity.  Hurricanes, floods, wars, poverty, genocide, murder, and abuse of children and the elderly, are but a sampling of the terrors that stalk our planet.  Add to the list, the personal black holes of our existence and one might well ask about the presence of God in the midst of this confusion, pain and suffering.

            After January 6, we will be in the season of Epiphany, the event that celebrates the wise men traveling by light of the Star of Bethlehem to find the baby Jesus.  Epiphany is a season of light.  Jesus is the light of the world.  He is the life of the world, “the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1: 4, 5, 6)  Sometimes, we feel overwhelmed by chaos.  The world screams out for the light of Christ.  John reminds us that the darkness cannot overcome the light that is Jesus.

            The darkness is real and is identified by many names.  The romantic, unrealistic images that we have of Christmas with its beautiful but artificial light, cannot remove the shadows in our lives.  During this season of Epiphany, let us remember that Christ’s light is every bit as real as and more powerful than the worst evil imaginable.  Let us remember that even in the most devastating circumstances, Jesus is there.  There is only one light that can transform the ordinary things of our lives into the extraordinary—bread to body, wine to blood, and sinners to saints.  Because we are baptized, we share in the light that cannot be extinguished.  Because that light lives in us, we too can do extraordinary things.  God does not promise to take all the darkness from our lives but He does promise to be with us at all times and in all places.  In this new year,

                                                            May the light of Christ direct your days,

                                                            The love of Christ surround your ways,

                                                            The Spirit of Christ set your hearts ablaze.

Yours in Christ,  Pastor Hostetter

Cancellation of Worship Service Due to Inclement Weather

Be sure to watch and listen, to any of the seven stations listed below for all weather-related closings of Shells Church worship service:

WGAL-Channel 8 NBC TV

WHP-Channel 21 CBS TV

WHTM Channel 27 ABC TV

CW- Channel 15 TV

- OR -

97.3 FM WRVV Radio

94.9 FM BOB Radio

99.3 FM KISS Radio

 

An Advent/Christmas Message from Bishop B. Penrose Hoover

Dear Co-laborers with Christ,    We stood at the side of the dusty road waiting to see what would happen next. The mid day sun promised that the day would get hotter and the occasional passing vehicle only churned up more dust in the warm air. We had been on the road for more than three hours when the Land Rover broke down.      This was on our recent visit to the Konde Diocese. Bishop Israel-Peter, my wife Sharon, and my assistant, Cliff Eshbach, had loaded our luggage into the Land Rover at 7:30 that morning and left Tukuyu, site of the Diocesan headquarters, to begin the long cross-country drive to Dar Es Salaam, a distance of over 500 miles. We anticipated that the trip on two-lane highway would take about thirteen hours. We planned to spend the night at the Luther House in Dar and catch a 7:30 a.m. flight the next morning to begin the trip home. Now, however, everything had become very uncertain. Some 100 kilometers west of the city of Iringa, with about another ten hours of driving ahead, we were now stuck at the side of the road.      Our driver, a man named Job, had raised the hood and inspected the engine. It was clear that some belt had slipped, but the extent of the trouble could not be immediately determined. While local Tanzanian women approached us with produce and trinkets to sell, and school children waved as they trooped by, three or four young men joined Job and clustered around the disabled vehicle. Animated conversation ensued in Swahili. One of the men ran off and returned shortly with some tools. It seemed that a decision had been made that the best means of addressing the situation was to disassemble everything. The hood came off and was laid on the dusty shoulder of the road. Then followed the fan, housing, and various wheels and clamps. The radiator was drained, removed, and joined the other engine parts along the road. Hoses, couplings, whatever, all became part of the growing collection. It was clear that we would not be going anywhere any time soon.      The Bishop, meanwhile, paced along the shoulder with his cell phone at his ear. He was trying to reach the bishop of the local diocese to see about the possibility of hiring another car. Success was elusive. Time passed without a clear solution in sight. All we could do was wait.      After a while, a car stopped along the road in front of us and a young man got out. He and the Bishop spoke together and the next thing we knew, our luggage was being loaded in the back of the young man's hatchback. "He has agreed to take us as far as Iringa," the Bishop told me. This was good news. There was at least a hotel in Iringa where we might stay, if need be, to wait for the next developments. We began the drive but had not gotten far when the Bishop told me more. "He says he has a meeting at the university in Iringa this afternoon," he explained. "If we are willing to wait for him for an hour or so, he says he will take us the rest of the way to Dar Es Salaam today." The young man's name was Peter. As it turned out, his father is a prominent lay person in the congregation at Tukuyu and Peter stopped his car because he recognized Bishop Israel-Peter at the side of the road. He had not planned to drive to Dar Es Salaam that day, but was willing to rearrange his life to rescue us in our stranded situation. We arrived at the Luther House at 10:30 that night. After a few hours sleep, we made our departure in the morning, as planned.      What Peter did was a huge gift. It is as though you had started to drive from Harrisburg to Chicago (on two-lane roads) and had broken down near Pittsburgh. Then, someone stopped and offered to take you to Youngstown, and if you were willing to wait until a meeting concluded there, to drive on to Chicago, all in the same day! And all of this is done out of sheer generosity and grace.      On the long flight home, it occurred to me that Advent is like that. It is a time of waiting, stranded along a dusty road of life, sensing a total loss of control of events, waiting to see what will happen next. Saint Paul writes about sin being beyond our control: For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do,-this I keep on doing. ... (Romans 7). Our spiritual engines are broken. We cannot reach our intended destination on our own. We need to be rescued from our helplessness of sin. All we can do is wait to see what will happen next.      And in the fullness of time, God sent his Son, our savior Jesus Christ into the world to bring about that rescue. To make the greatest sacrifice for our own sakes precisely at the point where we cannot save ourselves. The Child of Bethlehem is the beginning of that rescue that takes us along on a journey to Calvary's cross. And all of this is done by the sheer grace of God.      The magnificence of this gift of grace cannot be grasped in all its fullness this side of heaven's line, but sometimes we see flashes of it in the way we treat each other; in the action of a young man named Peter on a remote Tanzanian highway. May the richness of this season give you renewed assurance of God's rescue breaking into the world. Faithfully, your bishop, +B. Penrose Hoover

Shells Church Building Project Update

            Considerable activity has been occurring at Shells as Arthur Funk & Sons (AF&S), in conjunction with Shells volunteers, have begun the work of restoring our Shells Church building.  With the receipt of the Building Permit on December 9, 2011, we can officially begin the expansion phase of our project.

            As most of you are aware, our restoration and expansion project is a result of the work done by the Strategic Planning Committee with input from the congregation.  A smaller building committee was then formed made up of:  Rick Blair, Rick Hoover, Jim Gill, Tom Gordon, Steve Espenshade, Pastor, and Al Germann to implement our plans.  From that committee, a three-person team was called to be responsible for the day-to-day responsibilities.  Tom Gordon, since the fire on April 2^nd, has been our key contact with the insurance company and adjuster.  Steve Espenshade has been the key person responsible for general property and the plumbing, heating and air conditioning issues.  And, Al Germann is the person responsible for the day-to-day contact with Arthur Funk & Sons.  This three-person team is working together to ensure that we get a fair and equitable settlement from our insurance company and that we get the most value and best return from the money spent with AF&S.

            Our ultimate objective is to restore and expand our building to be more functional and meet our needs while keeping the look and feel of Shells Church.

            The major highlights of the building plan include:

 

1)      To restore and expand the Sanctuary

 

         ---All the stained glass windows will be removed, repaired, and reinstalled. 

 

         ---New pew seating will be added for an additional 57 people, increasing the pew seating to 130 on the first level.  The balcony will also be renovated to include 2 rows of full size pews, including 2 rows in the rear of the balcony where the organ pipe room was located.  This will provide 79 safer and more comfortable seats.   This expansion and renovation will allow for growth and will allow us to fit in the Sanctuary should we choose to continue with one Sunday service.

 

2)      An expanded Chancel area with seating for the choir.

 

3)      A direct street level entrance and exit to the Social Room from Shells Church Road with convenient parking immediately outside the door.

 

4)      Adding a first floor Sanctuary level handicapped-accessible bathroom between the Narthex and Sanctuary (in the alcove by the North stairs).

 

5)      Building 2 handicapped accessible bathrooms on the second level in the Christian Education Building immediately behind the Sanctuary.

 

6)      Installing a sound system in the Sanctuary for better hearing and sound quality.

 

            If anyone has any questions or would like more information about the details of our building project, please don't hesitate to ask Al, Tom, or Steve.

 

            As with any remodeling project, there are always challenges to overcome and our  project is no exception.  As the plaster from the east Sanctuary wall was removed, we uncovered huge log timbers that need to be safely removed.  A large rock that was hidden behind a wall was uncovered and had to be chipped out.  Cracked sewer pipes were uncovered and are currently being replaced.  Our permit approval was delayed as a result of personnel changes at Light-Heigel, the Township's engineering firm, and not having a certificate of occupancy for the Christian Education Building that was built in 1961.  We finally received the Building Permit on December 9, 2011 but are being required to make some unplanned and unbudgeted updates to the Christian Education Building.

 

            Even with all these, and I'm sure additional challenges that are still to be uncovered, our goal is to be back in our building by April 8^th, Easter 2012. While this is becoming a very aggressive goal, with some lucky breaks, decent weather, and no more challenges to delay our progress, we are still hoping to be able to achieve our Easter 2012 goal.  What we can accomplish during the month of January should determine if we'll be able to have Easter service in our newly restored and expanded building.  Be sure to check out our progress on the Capital Campaign website, which contains pictures and other information.  You can access this new Capital Campaign website from a link on the Shells Church website. 

 

In His Service,

Al Germann

 

 

 

Building Project

We need your suggestions and input---

 

Log beams/timbers---As we prepare to remove the East Sanctuary wall, large, old, log beams/timbers were uncovered.  Obviously, we want to make sure they are put to the best use so the question is how???  So far, it has been suggested that we use some to 1) make a large cross(es) for use on the Church property, perhaps by the pavilion; and 2) to make Advent logs for use at the Church and by members at home.  All other suggestions will be appreciated and considered.

 

Stained glass pieces---As we repair the stained glass windows, we will be left with pieces of original glass that will be too small to use in the windows repair.  Again, any suggestions for the use of these small pieces will be appreciated and considered.

 

Please contact Al Germann with your ideas and suggestions @ agermann@ paonline.com 

 

 

 

Words of Wisdom from Kirby-Smith Associates our Capital Campaign Consultant

 

“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

 

 

A — Antiques, automobiles, acres, annuities, auction unused items, attic treasures, artwork, action figures

B — Bonds, bequests, boats, bargain sales, books, bake sale, bonus check, birthday money, basement treasures

C — Cash, condos, cows, collections, crops, coins, Craigslist (sell unused “stuff”), clip coupons and give proceeds to church, corporate gifts, charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, charitable lead trust, country club dues, crafts, comic book collection, church construction assistance

D — Diamonds, delay buying that new car and give your payment to church, dividends, deferred gift

annuity, donate goods and services towards construction, dividend assignment

E — Estate, endowment, eBay (auction used “stuff”), electronic equipment, excavating, estate sale

F — Farm, furniture, fund-raisers, frequent flyer tickets, fine china, fasting proceeds, fishing equipment

G — Gems, gold (bullion, certificates), gun collection, garage sale, grants, garage treasures, golf clubs

H — House, hogs, hunting equipment, horse, health club membership, hoagie sale

I — Invention (royalties), intangibles, interest, inventory, insurance proceeds, IRA, inheritance

J — Jewelry, jacket (furs), junk bond sale

K — Krugger and (gold coins), kitchen appliances, keyboard (computer equipment), knife collection

L — Labor, land, life insurance (church as beneficiary), life income trust, loose change, luxuries

M — Money, precious metals, motorcycle, matching gifts, monthly payments (pay off an item, continue to give monthly payment to church), make something and sell with proceeds going to the church

N — Notes (treasury), necklaces, nuggets (gold/silver), naming opportunities

O — Oil (rights, royalties), options (stock, etc.), organ, overtime pay, odds and ends

P — Percentage of estate, piano, property (real), paintings, pawn sale, planned gifts, pledges, prayer

Q — Quarry, quilt, quarterly income, quail (livestock), quick sale, quill (pen collection)

R — Rings (jewelry), real estate, refunds, royalties, retirement accounts, RV, raffle

S — Stock, silver, scholarship fund, sculpture, savings bond, sacrifice: give up something and give funds to church, i.e., premium cable and coffees, stamp collection, second income, stuff, suppers

T — Testamentary trust, trusts, timber, tax refund, truck, TV, toys, tools

U — Used car, use an item longer and give cost of new item to church, utility payments

V — Vacation home, violin (antique), vacation/timeshare sale, vacation plans

W — Wardrobe (deceased person), watch (heirloom), wills, Walk-a-Thon

X — Xerox machine (office equipment), xylem (plants/landscaping), xeric (moisture/air conditioning)

Y — Yacht, yard sale proceeds, yard equipment, yen (foreign exchange/leftover foreign monies)

Z — Zero coupon bonds, zucchini (food stuff), zills (cymbals and drums), zebra (just kidding)

 

Ideas? E-mail your ideas to info@kirbysmith.com and we may be able to add to our next update.

Thank you!