Loving our Neighbors in Practical Ways
THANK YOU to all who have provided donations for our new Afghan neighbors. Refugee families arriving in Harrisburg have left behind their homeland and all they own to start new lives here where they are safe. They’ve immediately needed and used your gifts of warm clothing and money.
The need for your help continues. The priority need is for funds to help refugees who have found housing with rent and to buy mattresses. Gift cards for Giant food stores are also incredibly helpful as they will enable our new neighbors to buy their own groceries. These are important supports toward self sufficiency.
Gift cards and checks made payable to the International Service Center with “Afghan resettlement” on the memo line can be left at the church for delivery to the agency. Please drop them in the offering plate this Friday, December 24th or Sunday, December 26th. Alternatively, gifts can be sent to the church office.
Your care and generosity extend God’s love to the newest members of our community.
Christmas Eve Service
Please join us for our traditional candlelight Christmas Eve Service on Friday the 24th at 7:30pm. We will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper as part of the service. Free parking is available in the South Street Garage. Come experience the true magic of the holiday season with song, scripture, and the good news of our Savior’s birth.
TONIGHT – Last in 4-Week Series Led by Deborah Port – “Feasting Habits for the Soul” – Via ZOOM
Feasting Habits for the Soul is a four-week Advent study to help us create healthy devotion habits in our lives. Each week we will look at the Advent text and theme to launch us into a deeper understanding of how to spend time in our Bibles, time with God in prayer, and do the work of discernment. This week’s focus is the habit of LOVE.
The Zoom link for all forums is: https://zoom.us/j/94544371015
Meeting ID: 945 4437 1015
Dial by your location: +1 646 876 9923
Card Shower for Pastor Matt
We would like to extend a warm welcome to Pastor Matt Drumheller on January 3rd by showering him with our warm thoughts! If you would like to participate please drop off a card to the church office or place at the welcome center between now and January 2nd. We will place the cards on Matt’s desk so he gets them on his first day!
Your Photos Wanted
Our Pine Street website will soon include a photo gallery so that visitors to the site can get a better idea of who we are! If you have photos of Pine Street events that you would like to share, please email them to [email protected].
Don’t worry if they are not “picture perfect” we can edit them for presentation.
DDB in the News
John Luciew with PennLive wrote a very informative piece about the health of our homeless population. You can read the article here.
Your giving to the Downtown Daily Bread helps them to more adequately address health and homelessness issues that are faced by hundreds of Harrisburg residents.
Year-End Contributions
All contributions for 2021 must be received in the church office on or before December 31 (or be postmarked on or before that date). All 2021 contributions will appear on your final annual Contribution Statement for 2021 tax purposes, which will be mailed in January 2022.
Krazy Kinfolk Zoom Pop-Up Bible Study
With many congregations in pastoral transitions, we’ve heard your desire for spiritual nourishment and the companionship of opening the Word in Christian community. We know many of you have enjoyed connecting across congregations, thanks to the marvels of Zoom. So, we are pleased to offer a Pop-up Bible Study, Thursday mornings, January 13 to February 24, 2022, 9:00 – 10:30 AM, on Zoom. Taught by Debbie Hough and Katy Yates Brungraber, this study is bound to brighten your bleak midwinter! For more information about the study, click here. To register, email [email protected] by January 6th.
Christmas Joy Offering
The Christmas Joy Offering has been a cherished Presbyterian tradition since the 1930s. The offering distributes gifts equally to the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions and to the Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color. This year our offering will be collected through Sunday, December 26.
Pine Street Walkers Enjoyed a Festive Sunday Afternoon
On Sunday, December 19, the Pine Street Walkers did an urban hike, viewing the many beautiful murals adorning city walls in downtown Harrisburg.
We also sang Christmas carols at various stops., and were blessed to be joined by a number of old friends as well as several new faces and their beautiful voices! Afterwards, we gathered for some more Christmas cheer at Dockside Willies in Lemoyne. Keep an eye out for information on future walks, usually on the third Sunday of each month!
Notice from Carlisle Presbytery: Lend-A-Hand Work Resumes!
Together, we share God’s love with those whose lives have been disrupted by disaster. After a COVID-induced hiatus, this fall twelve volunteers travelled with Lend-A-Hand to New Bern, NC. The group helped repair occupied homes damaged by Hurricanes Mathew (2016) and Florence (2018). Thanks to the prayers and support of the presbytery, repairs were made on 4 homes in the areas of a kitchen, a bathroom, flooring, a deck, and furnace repair.
Lend-A-Hand’s next service opportunity in New Bern is scheduled for January 16-22, 2022. Cost is $175, which includes room, board, and transportation. For a trip application, to make a donation, or for more information go to www.lendahand.net or call 717-731-8888.
Lost and Found
A church member lost a necklace here at church last Sunday. If anyone found it, please notify the church office at 717-238-9304 so that we can help reunite it with its owner. Thank you!
Dates for your Calendar
Wednesday, December 22 – 7:00 pm Adult Forum via Zoom – The Habit of Love with Deborah Port
Friday, December 24 – Church office closed – 7:30 pm Candlelight Christmas Eve Service with The Lord’s Supper
Sunday, December 26 – NO Sunday School – 10:00 am Informal service of Worship, Carols and Stories
Monday, December 27 – Church office Closed
Friday, December 31 – Church office Closed
Sunday, January 2 – 8:45 am Sunday School – 10:00 am Worship, The Rev. Heather Sigler, Preaching – Please help us UN-decorate the church after service.
Updated COVID-19 Statement
We would like to thank Pine Street worshipers for their diligent compliance with guidelines that recommend masks and social distancing regardless of vaccination status in all indoor areas in communities in which there is a substantial or high COVID-19 transmission rate. Session continues to ask worshipers to comply with these guidelines in consideration of the health and safety of everyone who worships with us.