Month: June 2023

The 2022-2023 school year at Derry Discovery Days just concluded and it was one of our best years yet!  We were blessed to have hired five new staff members and their strong backgrounds in education greatly enhanced our program.

In September, we re-opened our Ladybug 1s class led by Miss Jen.  This classroom had been closed since March 2020. Twelve students under age two arrived on the first day, having barely been away from their families, if at all, during the pandemic.  The growth in these children in even just the first weeks was incredible and it was amazing to see the love they received from their teachers, the friendships formed and their confidence stronger as a result of this warm classroom environment.

Our Turtle 2s led by Miss Morgan and Busy Bee 3s taught by Miss Rachel, also grew tremendously throughout the year, learning through play, working on fine and gross motor skills, early math and literacy concepts and being surrounded by lots of creativity and communication!

25 students completed our Butterfly 4 programs, taught by Miss Jill in the mornings and by me in the afternoons, graduating on May 25. These children enjoyed many engaging units of study throughout the year including space, community helpers, and  insects, and focused on all aspects of kindergarten preparation as well as on character traits such as kindness, generosity and teamwork.  The students performed several songs at their graduation ceremony. One of their favorites was called “Ready to Go” and they certainly are READY for Kindergarten!

Together we all enjoyed many fun activities including our Halloween parade, a visit from the Hershey Fire Department, our Christmas concert, Ash Wednesday service, Teacher Appreciation Week where we were spoiled by our amazing families, and our annual picnic in May. We also had our second 3.21 for Life Day on March 21.  All DDD staff and students received a mismatched pair of socks courtesy of Hayden and Lauren Talhelm and the classes learned about celebrating differences and how all of God’s children are unique and special.

We have openings in our Ladybug 1s class for the upcoming school year. If you are interested in learning more about enrolling, please contact me.. Children must be one year old by September 1 and walking.

We wish everyone a terrific summer.

For the last several days Facebook has been reminding me what I was doing seven years ago and last year. Seven years ago, I visited Scotland for the first time and fell in love with the country, culture, and history. We visited Edinburgh, St, Andrews, Glasgow, Iona, Skye, Loch Ness, and more. The trip helped pique my curiosity of the world and my love of travel. Last year, I was in Ireland at this time, exploring the country and learning more about reconciliation and living well together. 

I love Scotland and Ireland. I love the landscape and the legends, and yes even the food: Sainsburys grocery stores are the best! I enjoyed the historical sites and appreciated discovering the roots of Presbyterianism, and in many ways the roots of America. 

I’m looking forward to returning to Northern Ireland and Scotland next spring with more than 40 friends from Derry Church. I hope they fall in love with these countries as I did, but more importantly come away with a greater appreciation of Celtic spirituality, the roots of Presbyterianism, and the complicated history of the Scots Irish in the British Isles and in America. As a congregation, we’ll explore more about Celtic spirituality next spring during Lent leading up to the trip.

I think the Derry 300th Heritage trip will be an educational, fun, and memorable trip for all. Courtney and I will be leading some classes for the participants leading up to the class about Scottish and Irish history, but anyone can come who may be interested in learning more. 

While I’m excited about the April 2024 trip, I may be even more excited about taking our youth and college aged students to Northern Ireland in June next year. We’ll spend a week at Corrymeela where they will lead us in a program about peace, reconciliation, and living well with difference. We’ll take a day trip to Belfast and learn the history of the Troubles as told by both an Irish Republican and a British Loyalist. We’ll spend a day in Derry and worship at First Derry Presbyterian Church, tour the city, and learn more about the Troubles and the peace process. We’ll also have time for some fun, like visiting Giant’s Causeway, Rathlin Island, and Carrickfergus Castle. 

This will be a once-in-a-lifetime — and hopefully a life-changing opportunity — for our youth. They’ll not only get to explore a new part of the world, they’ll learn about the history of the Scots-Irish and the difficult societal divisions in Ireland and how they began to heal. They will be given tools by one of the most respected reconciliation ministries on how to live well within a world of difference and be peacemakers themselves.

Youth who are attending will participate in educational classes before the trip so they can get the most out of it, and will need to complete 25 hours of mission work through the church. 

This is one way they can more deeply connect with our 300th anniversary next year as they learn the history and visit places like Derry, Northern Ireland. 

We hope to significantly offset the cost of this trip so it’s possible for as many youth and college students to attend as possible. If you would like to donate to help make this youth trip possible, please reach out to me or donate to our Empower Youth Fund or through checks notated Empower Youth.  

2024 will be a special year for Derry, and not only because of these trips. We will be looking back and looking forward all year with special music, guests, classes, and worship. Even if you won’t be taking one of these trips, you can keep up with the travelers through pictures and stories, and you can participate in all the classes and our Celtic Spirituality worship series next Lent. 

As I see the old pictures I took on Facebook, I am filled with anticipation for my next trip and the experiences we will have together.

Many of you know our daughter Lynn works as the director of communications at Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Chester. When she comes home for a visit, she and I can’t help but talk shop: how’s the livestream going? How’s the new pastor? What new technology is Westminster using that we should try at Derry? Sometimes we get so excited talking and sharing ideas that Jim has to go into another room and shut the door for some peace and quiet. 

There’s one area we talk a lot about but haven’t yet come to any good conclusions: how do we help our live streaming friends stay connected and involved in the life of the church? It’s exciting that our in-person community is growing, yet there continues to be a respectable number of Derry members and friends who participate by live streaming, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. It’s what works for them, and I’m really glad we can offer a robust and welcoming online worship experience for families like the Plassios, new members who live in Texas and worship online with us each week. We may not see these folks in the pews, but they are as much a part of our congregation as those who attend in person. 

So how can we extend the warm and welcoming Derry community to these good folks beyond Sunday worship?

We already offer Tech Time on Zoom and Issues Classes to watch live or recorded later. The Communications & Technology Committee has its monthly meeting on Zoom, and the Monday night study group gathered on Zoom regularly this year. While some people could care less about ever meeting on Zoom again, there are others who prefer this format, or because of their circumstances, are grateful for the option. And those are the folks we can’t forget or leave behind even as many return to in-person church.  

As Lynn and I scratch our heads over what kinds of virtual gatherings make sense in a post pandemic world, it occurred to me that I could ask you good eNews readers what would be of interest. A prayer group? A class? The ability to attend an existing class or program that is not yet offered in hybrid format? Let me know by sharing your suggestions:

You can be sure I’ll be sharing your ideas with Derry’s staff and with Lynn. She has given me so many good ideas that I’d like to share a few of our good ones with her and the Westminster congregation. Yet I am very much aware that what works in one place may not make sense somewhere else. I’m looking to extend Derry’s offerings in a way that makes sense for our congregation, so that we can continue being the church that proclaims God’s word, shares God’s love, and practices God’s justice. 

This spring my children’s music groups and I had the gift of time. We sang in worship on Palm Sunday, April 2 and not again until Music Sunday on June 4. Without the time pressure of getting a song ready in a few weeks, we had time to play! And play we did.

On Tuesday nights, my preschool and kindergarten group used their loud and soft voices to help one child find Queen Caroline’s royal scepter, tried to guess who stole my dog’s bone based on the voice who was singing, and flew around like butterflies or crawled like monsters depending what type of music I was playing on the piano. Also on Tuesday nights, my 1st-5th grade group used forte or piano singing to help one child find the “anel” (Portuguese for ring), made sure they DID NOT sing my “poison pattern,” and got a hand clapping pattern faster and faster while singing “Aqua qua” (a nonsense song from Israel). On Sunday mornings, the kids came up with new verses for “This Little Light of Mine” by imagining different places their light could shine and motions to go with them. Some examples include “with my friends” “while climbing trees,” and “on a roller coaster.” I’ll let you imagine the motions!

Yes, this play was fun, and honestly, I’m not sure we need more of a reason than that to keep doing it, but more was happening than fun that only lasted for the 30 minutes I was with them. The kids’ community was slowly deepening. They were learning that here was a group who would cheer for them when they found Queen Caroline’s royal scepter or the “anel”— even the child who hid the scepter or ring cheered, especially if they thought they had found a “super good spot.” Here was a group that if they accidentally sang the “poison pattern” would say, “don’t worry, you’ll get it next time.” Here was a group that when the clapping game got so fast, they couldn’t possibly keep up and would simply collapse onto the ground in a fit of giggles. In other words, we’ve created a space where the kids feel safe enough and are confident enough to take risks and make mistakes because they know the other kids will support them.

Did you notice how many kids sang a solo verse on Sunday in the anthem “Over My Head”? There were FIVE. Not only did they sing a solo, but they each wrote the words to their solo verses. In addition to the five you heard, every single child in my 1st-5th grade group wrote at least one solo verse and sang it on Tuesday night for the group. I doubt I would have had nearly that many volunteers to sing their solo verse in worship, nor would every child have happily written a solo verse (or three) if we hadn’t had time to play together.

As we enter the summer months, we take a break from our weekly gatherings. But the kids continue to see each other. The community we have formed through musical play doesn’t go away, it simply becomes a little less structured. I can’t wait to continue building this community alongside the kids in the fall.

In 2024, Derry Presbyterian Church will celebrate its 300th anniversary. As part of this celebration, the Mission and Peace Committee, with Session approval, has accepted a unique opportunity to partner with the Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania (VOPA) in a unique local mission project. 

Who is the Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania? 

VOPA is an organization founded with the goal of “combating homelessness among Veterans by providing support and services needed to promote an empowered life filled with strength and purpose.” Their intent is to meet the needs of veterans by creating a stable support network similar to that which they had prior to entering the armed services. 

What is this local mission project? 

VOPA intends to build a central community center surrounded by 15 “tiny houses” for homeless veterans on a 5-acre tract of land along the Susquehanna River in South Harrisburg. The site is above the 100-year flood plain and site preparation has been completed. Each tiny house, of about 200 square feet, will contain a bed, toilet and shower, a desk, sink, and an under-counter refrigerator. In the community center, veterans will be able to prepare meals, do laundry, and receive professional educational, job training, and counseling services. Veterans will re-enter society when they feel ready, and the home will be readied to again provide a safe shelter for another homeless veteran. 

How will Derry help? 

Derry has an opportunity to assist at several levels. We are responsible for the cost of one of the tiny houses. In addition, we will be able to help with the construction of this house. When the project has been completed, Derry members and friends will be able to assist with some of the social programs offered to the veterans. 

How much is Derry’s share and how can we help? 

The cost of a house is $50,000. Since VOPA expects to begin construction in January 2024, our campaign to raise the funds will be for six months, from June to the end of December 2023. Contributions can be made by check to Derry Presbyterian Church notated “VOPA.” Watch for future announcements to volunteer to help with the construction, or any of the social service programs to be offered. 

To learn more about VOPA and this program, join the Issues Class at 9:15 am Sunday, June 4 in Room 7 and live streaming: presenter John Hickey is a VOPA Board Member and Governance Committee Chair. 

Why do this project?

Homelessness among veterans is a national and local concern. We all have benefited by their sacrifices. Whether you have served our country or not, this is an opportunity to assist those who have served and who struggle to adapt to our current culture. It is a project worthy of our 300th anniversary celebration as we continue to proclaim God’s Word, share God’s love, and practice God’s justice into Derry’s future.