Eberly’s Mill Church of God
115 Creek Rd., Camp Hill, PA 17011
(717) 761-3282
Service Times: 8:15am & 10:45am
115 Creek Rd., Camp Hill, PA 17011, (717) 761-3282
Events/Newsletter
A Point to Ponder from Pastor Jim Moss… 2/5/12
You never know what’s going to happen when you try something new. That was certainly the case for me this past Sunday. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I shared the platform with some of my friends and gave them the chance to tell their stories of how God has spoken to them.
Judging from the responses I have received this week, it turned out very well. I’ve had the chance to reflect on what people have said to me and I thought I would use this little newsletter to pass along a few observations.
First, when you give up control and turn a project (whatever it might be) over to God, the result will be far better than you ever expected. As most of you know, I love what I do and I especially enjoy the whole Sunday morning experience. In addition, I also feel a certainly level of responsibility to you as God’s people. I feel very strongly that it’s my job to make sure you receive quality instruction from God’s Word each week. So I don’t relinquish my role easily and I don’t let just anybody take my place. However, this was one of those times when I felt like God wanted me to do this, so I obeyed. And, of course, he turned it into something really good.
The second observation I want to share is actually a re-affirmation of something I learned a long time ago, and that is: people are very capable of making a significant contribution if you just give them the chance. I really wanted you as a congregation to hear how God has worked in the lives of people just like yourself so I gave our speakers very little direction. All I said to them was, “Tell of an experience when you heard God speak to you and what happened as a result.” I didn’t tell them what to say or how to say it. I had no input whatsoever. And, of course, the stories they shared were wonderful. They were genuine, heartfelt, honest, and moving. The end result was many of you were deeply touched. The suggestion was made more than once that maybe I need to speak less often. (Thanks a lot, guys.)
And, lastly, I hope the fellows were listening as one of our young men shared his story because he made it clear that real men have feelings and aren’t afraid to express them. He spoke of a time when he was desperate for some divine direction. He was broken before God and weeping in the bathroom at his place of work. I loved his honesty, and as he talked I prayed that all of our young men were listening and learning from his example.
There is one other comment I received via email that I want to pass along regarding last Sunday. One gentleman observed that “this is where the rubber meets the road.” He’s referring, of course, to this process of learning to hear from God. If the essence of Christianity is a relationship, and the key to a good relationship is communication…then it only makes sense that learning to hear from God and respond to him is at the heart of our faith life. I hope you’ll keep coming back as we try to share with you the skills needed to tune in to God’s still, small voice…
Upcoming Events…
Get your portrait taken for our new directory! It’s time for us to put together a new directory so we can associate names with faces. This time we will be producing the directory ourselves. We have enlisted the services of Matt Harris to take portraits. Matt is a photo journalist by profession. Portraits will be taken the week of February 20-24. Sittings can be scheduled from 6-9 PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Daytime sittings can be scheduled on Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. For those who would like to purchase pictures, for $25 Matt will provide you with digital copies of your photographs and you will have the freedom to print as many as you like. Please look for the sign-up sheets in the building.
The next pretzel sandwich sale is underway. Order forms are available in the church building. Orders are due on February 12th and sandwich pickup will February 21st.
The next meeting of the Governing Board will be on Monday, February 6th at 7:00 PM in the fellowship hall.
Get your recipe ready for the Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, February 18th in the fellowship hall. This year the festivities will begin at 4:30 PM so there will be plenty of time for the Karoke fun that follows. Come and enjoy the good food and the fellowship.
See the results of the work that was done by our team that traveled to Joplin to help with the rebuilding. Following our services on February 19th there will be a soup and sandwich luncheon followed by a presentation from the Joplin team. Be sure to help celebrate their efforts.
Prepare for the Easter season by attending our Ash Wednesday service on February 22nd beginning at 7:00 PM. This season of worship will be something new. It will be more experiential in nature with no music, no singing, and no sermon. However, this season of prayer, confession, and reflection will be very powerful. Plan to join us that night.
The time for our spring spiritual campaign is approaching. This year we will spend “40 Days in the Word.” We will talk about how to love the Word, learn the Word, and live the Word. Watch the table in the back of the sanctuary for campaign materials and sign-up sheets for small groups.
The new flower chart for 2012 has been posted in the foyer. Be sure to sign up for that Sunday you would like to honor someone special.
We are looking to hold a baptism service. If you would like to be baptized please contact the church office so we can schedule a time that works for everyone.
Jen Fox and April Myers are working on a special project. They are in need of your help. They are looking for your favorite recipes. Each month they will ask for a different category.
We are attempting to grow our building fund. You can make a contribution without ever writing a check by volunteering to work at Hershey Park. Your wages will be paid to the church and on most days you will receive free passes to the park. To schedule a time to work please contact Dottie Clark.
You never know what’s going to happen when you try something new. That was certainly the case for me this past Sunday. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I shared the platform with some of my friends and gave them the chance to tell their stories of how God has spoken to them.
Judging from the responses I have received this week, it turned out very well. I’ve had the chance to reflect on what people have said to me and I thought I would use this little newsletter to pass along a few observations.
First, when you give up control and turn a project (whatever it might be) over to God, the result will be far better than you ever expected. As most of you know, I love what I do and I especially enjoy the whole Sunday morning experience. In addition, I also feel a certainly level of responsibility to you as God’s people. I feel very strongly that it’s my job to make sure you receive quality instruction from God’s Word each week. So I don’t relinquish my role easily and I don’t let just anybody take my place. However, this was one of those times when I felt like God wanted me to do this, so I obeyed. And, of course, he turned it into something really good.
The second observation I want to share is actually a re-affirmation of something I learned a long time ago, and that is: people are very capable of making a significant contribution if you just give them the chance. I really wanted you as a congregation to hear how God has worked in the lives of people just like yourself so I gave our speakers very little direction. All I said to them was, “Tell of an experience when you heard God speak to you and what happened as a result.” I didn’t tell them what to say or how to say it. I had no input whatsoever. And, of course, the stories they shared were wonderful. They were genuine, heartfelt, honest, and moving. The end result was many of you were deeply touched. The suggestion was made more than once that maybe I need to speak less often. (Thanks a lot, guys.)
And, lastly, I hope the fellows were listening as one of our young men shared his story because he made it clear that real men have feelings and aren’t afraid to express them. He spoke of a time when he was desperate for some divine direction. He was broken before God and weeping in the bathroom at his place of work. I loved his honesty, and as he talked I prayed that all of our young men were listening and learning from his example.
There is one other comment I received via email that I want to pass along regarding last Sunday. One gentleman observed that “this is where the rubber meets the road.” He’s referring, of course, to this process of learning to hear from God. If the essence of Christianity is a relationship, and the key to a good relationship is communication…then it only makes sense that learning to hear from God and respond to him is at the heart of our faith life. I hope you’ll keep coming back as we try to share with you the skills needed to tune in to God’s still, small voice…
Upcoming Events…
Get your portrait taken for our new directory! It’s time for us to put together a new directory so we can associate names with faces. This time we will be producing the directory ourselves. We have enlisted the services of Matt Harris to take portraits. Matt is a photo journalist by profession. Portraits will be taken the week of February 20-24. Sittings can be scheduled from 6-9 PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Daytime sittings can be scheduled on Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. For those who would like to purchase pictures, for $25 Matt will provide you with digital copies of your photographs and you will have the freedom to print as many as you like. Please look for the sign-up sheets in the building.
The next pretzel sandwich sale is underway. Order forms are available in the church building. Orders are due on February 12th and sandwich pickup will February 21st.
The next meeting of the Governing Board will be on Monday, February 6th at 7:00 PM in the fellowship hall.
Get your recipe ready for the Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, February 18th in the fellowship hall. This year the festivities will begin at 4:30 PM so there will be plenty of time for the Karoke fun that follows. Come and enjoy the good food and the fellowship.
See the results of the work that was done by our team that traveled to Joplin to help with the rebuilding. Following our services on February 19th there will be a soup and sandwich luncheon followed by a presentation from the Joplin team. Be sure to help celebrate their efforts.
Prepare for the Easter season by attending our Ash Wednesday service on February 22nd beginning at 7:00 PM. This season of worship will be something new. It will be more experiential in nature with no music, no singing, and no sermon. However, this season of prayer, confession, and reflection will be very powerful. Plan to join us that night.
The time for our spring spiritual campaign is approaching. This year we will spend “40 Days in the Word.” We will talk about how to love the Word, learn the Word, and live the Word. Watch the table in the back of the sanctuary for campaign materials and sign-up sheets for small groups.
The new flower chart for 2012 has been posted in the foyer. Be sure to sign up for that Sunday you would like to honor someone special.
We are looking to hold a baptism service. If you would like to be baptized please contact the church office so we can schedule a time that works for everyone.
Jen Fox and April Myers are working on a special project. They are in need of your help. They are looking for your favorite recipes. Each month they will ask for a different category.
We are attempting to grow our building fund. You can make a contribution without ever writing a check by volunteering to work at Hershey Park. Your wages will be paid to the church and on most days you will receive free passes to the park. To schedule a time to work please contact Dottie Clark.
