Month: April 2021

One of the things I enjoy most in my role as Derry’s Director of Communications and Technology is checking out new ways to keep all of us informed and connected — especially during a pandemic year when in-person gatherings have been few and far between. 

Last year Derry Church plunged headlong into video and it paid off: we’ve doubled the number of subscribers to our YouTube channel from 223 a year ago to 450 today. While YouTube is great for getting the church’s worship services, adult education classes, cooking videos, sermons and Sunday music previews in front of a large audience, it’s not so great for two-way conversations that spark relationships and community. So last year the Communications & Technology Committee (CTC) began exploring ways we could connect through the use of text messaging. 

CTC member Lori Klucker discovered these facts about texting:

• 90% of text messages are opened in the first three minutes after receipt
• 94% of text messages are read, compared to read rates of 29% on Twitter, 21% on email, and 12% on Facebook
• Average response rate to a text message is 90 seconds vs 90 minutes for email
• 7 out of 10 churchgoers use text messaging

The CTC agreed the time was right to try out a texting service built especially for churches, so last month I set up an account and dropped a blurb into the eNews just to see if anyone would sign up. I’m thrilled that 60 Derry friends have already signed up to try it out! Right now I’m texting Sunday morning reminders, and I envision that we will be growing the service to text two or three times a week with a variety of updates of interest to our members. Texting also gives us another platform to begin conversations and give users a quick and easy way to ask questions and even share prayer concerns.

If this sounds good to you, click here, scan the QR code at the top of the article, or text Derry to 717-820-9060 to start receiving general Derry Church reminders and updates. 

If you text Tech to 717-820-9060 you’ll sign up for tech news and reminders to join the Monday afternoon tech time group on Zoom. 

To discontinue either service, text STOP to 717-820-9060 automatically opt out.

In coming months, we’ll be expanding the service to visitors and new Derry friends who would like to know more about all that Derry Church has to offer. One of the cool features we plan to test is an option to “plan your visit” to Derry Church: visitors will be able to use the texting platform to make arrangements to attend in person.

If you’re not a person who texts, rest assured you can always keep up with Derry Church news by reading the weekly Thursday email and by checking the church website. Texting is great for many people, but it’s not for everyone.

While texting can’t solve every problem or answer every question, we hope it shows that Derry Church is a place that seeks to inform, connect, and engage with our community of faith.

During this “modern era” from 1924 until the present, Derry Presbyterian Church has seen immense changes in buildings, staff and in congregational members. In 1924 the Chapel (without the eastern transept) was the main worship area along with a cemetery and the Session House (not yet enclosed in glass). Reverend Robert Hayes Taylor (Pastor: 1916-1932) was the minister and he and his wife and five children became the first occupants of the recently built manse. By 1927, Derry no longer needed support from the Presbytery to maintain the church and minister and by 1932, the community of Hershey was growing and so was the church with a membership of 157 and Sunday school attendance at 211.  

Reverend Taylor resigned in 1932 and was promptly replaced by Reverend John Corbin (1932-1940) who was ordained and installed in 1932 and served Derry until 1940. During Reverend Corbin’s tenure Derry added a financial secretary to the staff, adopted a new handbook and reestablished the  distribution of a newsletter. A church organ was installed and dedicated in 1933. That year the Sunday school celebrated 50 years of active involvement (1883-1933). In 1935 the Chapel was remodeled and the east transept was added, all without a mortgage. Derry assumed partial support of several missionaries during this time and the portable Estey folding organ which we have recently resurrected was purchased in 1939 to be used during Sunday evening services on the front lawn.

Reverend William Longbrake (1941-1950) was installed in 1941, the same year that Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States entered World War II. In 1942 the church basement was used as an emergency first aid station.  In 1944 Derry recognized 53 church members in the armed services and hung a service flag with 53 stars in the church.  In 1949, when Derry celebrated its 225th anniversary, the church family included 500 members. 

Reverend Sheldon Blair (1950-1959) assumed leadership in 1950 and oversaw the construction and dedication of the Education Building in 1951. He was also responsible for the planting of many of our magnificent oak trees on church property. Derry continued to grow with 220 new members joining the church during Blair’s tenure.  

Reverend Ira Reed (1959-1987) was installed in 1959 and by then the church membership was getting too large for the Chapel. A new sanctuary was built and dedicated in 1966.  In addition, offices, classrooms, a board room and lounge were added.  In 1971, staff was increased by adding Directors of Music and Christian Education. Prior to Dr. Reed, Derry’s leadership consisted of Trustees, Deacons, and the Session. Under Rev. Reed, the boards were consolidated with the Session absorbing the responsibilities of the Trustees and Deacons. Dr. Reed has the distinction of being our longest serving senior pastor, leading Derry for 28 years.

After several interim pastors (David Birch and William Dando) the Reverend Dr. Richard Houtz (1990-2015) was installed in 1990 and with him came a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The sanctuary was remodeled in 1993-1994 with the addition of two trancepts, a narthex, Fellowship Hall, new offices, a nursery, choir room, lounge, elevator, and courtyard. Membership grew and new staff positions were added including Parish Associate Pastor, Rev. Dr. Marie Buffaloe, in 1997.  New missions, church programs and a preschool program, Derry Discovery Days, began under Rev. Houtz and the board of Deacons was revived. The interior of the Sanctuary was updated in 2014 towards the end of Rev. Houtz’s 25 years with Derry. 

2017 brought Reverend Dr. Stephen McKinney-Whitaker and his family. We have seen positive changes in our worship services with the augmentation of streaming technology, and our church Vision and Mission statements have been reviewed and revised. The newest member of Derry’s pastoral staff, Rev. Pamela Meilands, the Associate Pastor for Youth and Families, began work in August 2020 and will be installed on May 18, 2021.

Please join the Heritage Committee on Sunday, April 25 during the Sunday school hour to learn more about the ministers of the last 100 years.   

I am fortunate enough to have a unique perspective on the youth program at Derry as I have had the opportunity to experience it from both sides. Having grown up in Derry, I was fortunate enough to experience the Derry youth program first-hand as a middle school and then high school student, and while the memory of many of those experiences has faded over time, many still remain. As a youth at Derry there was always the opportunity to experience and cultivate friendships while learning how to live our lives as a follower of Jesus. Some of my best friends in those days were also members of the youth program here at Derry and I would always look forward to youth group or Sunday School to be with those friends as we would delve into scripture and learn about what God wanted from us as Christians. 

Now, as a parent to two daughters in the youth program, I have had the opportunity to experience the program in a different way, through the eyes of my children. And while many things have changed in this church since the days of my youth, one thing that has remained consistent is the emphasis on the youth of this church. And through all of the different youth leaders and programs that I have seen as an adult in this church, the other thing that has remained the same is that emphasis on cultivating friendships and relationships between the youth, while still guiding them in a life led by the teachings of Jesus. 

Derry is unique in that youth from several different school districts worship here and this allows for middle schoolers and high schoolers to get to know other young adults their age, that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to know, because they attend a different school. Both Allison and Kendall have established strong friendships with kids that go to other schools, like Derry Township, Palmyra and Lower Dauphin and they count these friends as some of their very best. 

With another Youth Sunday upon us, it once again reminds me what wonderful things our youth can do in the service of our lord. Every year that I have been involved with this very special service, I am amazed at what these young people put together and present to our church. The talents and abilities of these young people to lead and to present their experiences with each other as they follow Jesus, transcends the generations. Youth Sunday has gone from a day that many members of the congregation might choose as a good Sunday to sleep in or take a break from church, to a service that I believe everyone in the church looks forward to as a time when they will be moved by the words and actions of our youth, in ways that they did not believe to be possible. The comments we hear from people of many different generations shows me that the Derry youth program is vibrant and strong and clearly a driving force in the lives of our children, as it was for me many years ago. 

I trust and believe that these young adults will carry their experiences as participants in the Derry youth program forward with them as they continue to determine their paths in life and as they evolve into the future leaders of, not only Derry, but any church that is lucky enough to have them. 

Indeed I tell you, the future of the Church is in good hands.

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month (or close to it), the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In April we’re lifting up Community Involvement and Homes of Hope, Love INC of Greater Hershey’s transitional housing ministry. You can find the current month’s mission focus in the Joys & Concerns section of the weekly eNews.

If you were a single mom who lost her job and were evicted from your home in Hershey, where would you go? Where could a family of three, surviving on minimum wages, turn if their landlord sold the rental property in which they were living? Residents of Hershey and Hummelstown would have to go into the heart of Harrisburg or Lebanon city to access family shelter resources. 

Requests for housing assistance to Love INC of Greater Hershey have continued to rise, highlighting the ongoing gap in housing services in the greater Hershey area. A few years ago, dialogue regarding housing needs between Love INC, its partner churches, and the Hershey Ministerium became more frequent. There was a consensus that a housing option was needed to narrow this resource gap. A sister affiliate, Love INC of Lancaster County, has been transforming lives for over a decade through their transitional housing program, Homes of Hope. As a transformational ministry (as opposed to a rescue resource), Love INC proposed a similar Homes of Hope transitional housing program for our region. 

Aside from funding, acquiring a property would be the greatest hurdle for establishing a housing program. Love INC was aware of a property on East Derry Road for sale at the time but did not have the funding to purchase any real estate. Soon after that home sold in 2017, a generous donor stopped by the Love INC office, held out a set of keys to the single-family dwelling, and said, “here are the keys to your first transitional home.”  And so began Love INC of Greater Hershey’s Homes of Hope transitional housing program. In December 2020, the Love INC board approved the addition of a second Home of Hope, which just had its grand opening.

Homes of Hope is more than just shelter. The Homes of Hope program is a holistic, structured approach designed to address physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual needs and guide families toward self-sufficiency during their 18-24 month tenure.  Participants are part of a team that provides encouragement, emotional support, and accountability that helps the family identify needs, establish goals, and develop a plan to reach them.

Since 2018, the program has had three participant families and is now interviewing for the opening in the second single-family home. Through the encouragement of their teams, these families have worked hard, opened savings accounts for the first time, and saved thousands of dollars towards housing, transportation, and other needs. Through God’s work in their lives and assisted by faithful volunteers and generous donors, we’ve witnessed renewed hope and restored self-confidence vital to the ultimate goal of self-sufficiency.

“Don’t be afraid.” It’s the first word of Easter. The angel speaks this word because angels know this about us: We are almost always afraid. There is almost always something to be afraid of.

This past year has even made us fear each other. Some may fear those who are prejudiced, or we may fear political opponents whose desires conflict with what we see as our well-being, or we may fear each other as potential virus carriers. We’ve learned to keep our distance from one another, and not just physical distance. That’s the way things are now. But fear has never been far away.

The women who visited Jesus’ tomb carried spices. It’s the work the living do for the dead, one of the only things we can do. It’s practical work, but it’s also a gesture of love; it’s what we do when we can’t fix it. 

They came to the cemetery. They hadn’t thought through their trip very well. Grief is sloppy like that. They didn’t know how they would actually get to Jesus: who would roll away the stone? They certainly couldn’t. They feared it would be a wasted trip, that there was nothing they could do, not even prepare Jesus’ body. They feared they were helpless to fix any of it. 

That is what frightens us. Sooner or later, we all come to the end of our power, the end of our influence, and we recognize we are vulnerable because we lack the capacity to fix what has gone wrong. 

Do you remember when you thought your parents could fix anything? My mom tells the story of believing her dad could fix anything. For the most part she was right: he was a brilliant engineer. Then one day mom learned the hard lesson that even dad can’t fix some things. Her balloon popped. She laid it on her dad’s work bench because dad can fix everything. 

I think one of the worst feelings as a parent is when your child realizes for the first time that you can’t fix it, especially when she is desperate for you to do just that. We are all vulnerable. And that makes us afraid. 

Everyone comes to the end of our capacities to make things right, to keep things alive. Everyone is vulnerable. You know what I’m talking about. This year we’ve worried about catching the virus and potentially spreading it to an at-risk loved one, so we are anxious when people get too close. Jobs have been eliminated without much warning, businesses have been shuttered, and we don’t know what’s next. Some of us have watched helplessly from afar as a loved one has struggled and even died. Some of us didn’t even get to say goodbye. 

We do our best to avoid it, to protect loved ones, and many of you in the healthcare field have dedicated your lives to protecting others from death. But sometimes death wins. And we are all vulnerable, which is why fear is never far away; which is why the first, and perhaps most important, word of Easter is “Do not be afraid.”

At the end of the day and at the end of our lives, there is only God. When death comes, there is no more work to do. There are no more tasks to complete, there are no more battles to fight. There is only God. And because God is love, we can trust that all will be well and all manner of things shall be made well. Don’t be afraid. You can trust in love. 

The women didn’t have to move the stone or prepare the body. Jesus wasn’t there. Death hadn’t won this time. Mark’s Gospel says the women didn’t say anything because they were afraid, but we know that changed. They faced their fear and chose to trust love. They found their voice and proclaimed the good news that God’s love is stronger than death and we need not be afraid. 

There are so many graves, more this past year than there should have been, each one with a life that once was, each one with a name and a story. But don’t be afraid! The love of God that calls you by name, the love of God that is with you and for you, the love of God that will never let you go, that holy love: you can trust it with your life.