Lenten Adult Forum Series
Begins this Evening
7:30 pm via Zoom
This Lent, you are invited into the wilderness. We will not go alone, nor will we reside there forever, for new life and Easter await us. The wilderness can be a frightening place, but it can also be a place of transformation and new insight. We will explore the themes of blessing, presence, connection, rest, and grief through the metaphor of the wilderness. We will be aided by the team at A Sanctified Art with their poetry, insights, and art. Each Lenten gathering will include an exploration of Scripture as well as a spiritual practice that we might allow the text to touch not only our heads but our hearts. These gatherings will be led by Rev. Kelly Wiant, who is passionate about Spiritual Practices and loves to explore the places where Scripture meets our lives. She is a pastor living in Harrisburg, PA, with her wife, Kristen, their six-year-old daughter, Cora, and seven pets (two dogs and five cats). Kelly serves as a virtual consultant for worship and Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto, CA and hopes to facilitate a new worshipping community to address the needs and desires of the LGBTQ+ community in the Harrisburg area. Before this, Kelly served as the associate pastor at Market Square Presbyterian Church for 20 years. Kelly is passionate about the monarch butterfly, gardening, raising a strong and courageous daughter, and tending to her personal animal kingdom.
This week’s forum will be entitled Blessings in the Wilderness.
The zoom link for all forums is:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89329030010?pwd=Q2loblVkN043TWlwdnlkRDNCV0J4Zz09
Meeting ID: 893 2903 0010
Passcode: 885645
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Updates from the Pastor Nominating Committee
The Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) continues to review potential candidates for the next called pastor at Pine Street. Throughout the month of February, the committee has met weekly to review the Pastor Information Forms for more than two dozen candidates. We are presently preparing for initial Zoom interviews with several candidates while we review new referrals that continue to arrive through the Church Leadership Connect system. The Committee is fortunate to have valuable support from the Presbytery through this search process. Rev. Lucy Bowerman was named our Presbytery liaison, and she has provided important consultation on the search process and shared a variety of valuable resources with us.
Please continue to keep the Pastor Nominating Committee in your prayers as we continue this journey toward new pastoral leadership at Pine Street.
If you have any questions about the Pastor Nominating Committee, please do not hesitate to contact David Colestock at [email protected] or 717-645-6174.
David Colestock, PNC Chair
Amy Chick, PNC Vice Chair
Jennifer Garman
Jay Himes
George Kunkle
Elyse Rogers
Isaiah Shu
Pastor Search Process Checklist
Interim Pastor called.
The Presbytery’s COM approves the formation of the PNC.
The Nominating Committee selects a PNC which is approved by the congregation.
A COM Liaison conducts orientation/training of the PNC.
The PNC creates a MIF.
The MIF is approved by the Session of the church and the COM to determine that it accurately reflects who the congregation is and the nature of the call.
The MIF is posted on the PC(USA) Church Leadership Connection.
The PNC reviews and interviews potential candidates. The COM meets with the candidates to determine if their skills and the church’s needs “fit.”
The PNC selects a final candidate and extends a call.
The PNC works with the Session to set a congregational meeting to vote on their recommendation.
The congregation votes on the candidate.
The new pastor is installed.
March Giving Opportunity
The Mission Committee will roll out its Giving Barrel in March, needing only two items: washcloths and individually wrapped toothbrushes. The washcloths may come in a set, which can be taken apart.
This effort is being made in a cooperative venture with two other groups. One group is members of The Creative Crew, a craft group of 25 years duration supervised with dedication by Marilyn Miller until her death in 2021. The members (95 percent Pine Streeters) are stressing projects which will benefit the needs of others.
The second group is Mission Central, which knows all about needs, here and abroad. In addition to world needs, Mission Central provides basic Care Kits to thousands of persons yearly. The kits go to clothing banks, homeless centers, schools, and along with larger supply boxes when disaster strikes. Each kit contains two towels, a washcloth, soap, a toothbrush, a comb, a nail clipper, and band-aids.
Enter the Creative Crew. They will assemble Care Kits at Mission Central on April 21. They are asked to supply several items in large quantity, namely the washcloths and toothbrushes. Why only two items? Because other volunteer groups will bring the other items needed, to share with us.
Isn’t it wonderful when we can serve persons in the name of Christ, all together?
Hymnal Order Forms
Hopefully, you have received an order form in the mail and a letter describing the new hymnal order process. If you are planning to order a hymnal, or a few, please bring the completed order form to church with you and place it, with payment, in the offering plate. Alternatively, you can mail it to the church office. Please call the church office if you have any questions.
Card Shower Reminder
Jay Stahl has not been able to come to church lately and will be celebrating his 80th birthday on March 4th. Jay has been a faithful attender at church and a loyal member of our Communion Prep Team. If you would like to send him a birthday card or note, his address is listed below. His Team members indicated that he enjoys hearing from church members and is hoping to come to church on March 5th.
Address: 5719 Arklow Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17111
Help Wanted
A Pine Street member who has some physical limitations needs some help with home reorganization and furniture removal to make getting around easier. If you have some time and a truck, please call pastor Matt.
Notes from Session
The Session met on Monday for their monthly meeting. Jay Himes reported that DDB has hired an Executive Director, Cory Lingenfelter, and a Director of Development, Brad Gebhart. Both bring wide experience and skills to DDB. Their programs are going very well, and DDB is glad to have the top positions staffed.
Joan Hayes, Treasurer, reported that pledged income is below the budgeted amount, but so far the shortfall has been offset by a higher than projected investment income.
Session spent some time discussing several outstanding issues remaining from establishing DDB as a separate non-profit organization, such as formalizing the way employees, particularly custodians and the facility manager, can be shared between the two organizations, and the formal leasing of the Boyd Building by DDB. Session believes that progress was made and that these remaining items can be settled shortly.
Session voted to allow a childhood diabetes support group to use the church facilities once a month to meet.
Session also approved a plan to hold new member classes in the very near future for several people who are interested in joining PSPC. The meeting adjourned at 9:04.
Camp Krislund Informational Meeting
This is a reminder that On Sunday, March 5, after worship, beginning at 11:30 AM, you are invited to hear about what Krislund has been doing and will be doing this summer. All are welcome. In our congregation are former campers, parents, and grandparents who have personally experienced the joy and spiritual growth when attending “church camp.” Our desire is to make it possible for current Pine Streeters to attend camp by providing information on the summer camping experience. The current Camp Director, Joshua Boyd, will be here in person to talk about summer camp opportunities. If you have any questions about Krislund, please contact Marty Gruver. He will be more than happy to talk with you about camp.
Current COVID Procedure
Pine Street Presbyterian Church will follow CDC guidelines to ease masking requirements and allow in-person gatherings, including food. While Dauphin and Cumberland Counties are in the low or medium community levels (according to the CDC’s “COVID-19 by County” page found at:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html). Masks will be optional for all Pine Street events, including worship. Session and staff will monitor the community levels and change health and safety guidelines if the local counties are high. Worshipers are welcome to wear masks if that helps them feel comfortable in worship.
Dates for your Calendar
Wednesday, March 1 — 7:30 pm Adult Forum via Zoom — Blessing in the Wilderness, led by Rev. Kelly Wiant
Sunday, March 5 — Second Sunday in Lent —8:45 am Sunday School — 9:00 am Café conversations and Bible Study — 10:00 am Worship, Rev. Matt Drumheller Preaching — 11:30 am Camp Krislund informational meeting in Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, March 8 — 7:30 pm Adult Forum via Zoom — God in the Wilderness, led by Rev. Kelly Wiant
Sunday, March 12 — Third Sunday in Lent —8:45 am Sunday School — 9:00 am Café conversations and Bible Study — 10:00 am Worship, Rev. Matt Drumheller Preaching
Wednesday, March 15 — 7:30 pm Adult Forum via Zoom — Connection in the Wilderness, led by Rev. Kelly Wiant
Friday, March 17 — 6:30 pm 3rd in the Burg — Gallery open
Sunday, March 19 — Fourth Sunday in Lent —8:45 am Sunday School — 9:00 am Café conversations and Bible Study — 10:00 am Worship, Rev. Donald Potter Preaching
Wednesday, March 22 — 7:30 pm Adult Forum via Zoom — Rest in the Wilderness, led by Rev. Kelly Wiant
Sunday, March 26 — Fifth Sunday in Lent —8:45 am Sunday School — 9:00 am Café conversations and Bible Study — 10:00 am Worship, Rev. Matt Drumheller Preaching
Wednesday, March 29 — 7:30 pm Adult Forum via Zoom — Mourning in the Wilderness, led by Rev. Kelly Wiant