Month: July 2023

“We proclaim God’s word, share God’s love, and practice God’s justice.”

These are familiar words to those of us who are members of Derry Church. However, I believe that the words that often follow our mission statement are absolutely as important, and they are the reasons that we can boldly act on our mission.

“…through being an inquiring, inviting, and inclusive Christ-centered community.”

In 2004 when I moved with my young family from Virginia to Hershey, one of the most important things for us to do was find a home in a community of faith. As one does when moving to another area, I began attending Sunday mornings at different churches. I will never forget the sense of welcome that I felt at Derry on that first Sunday. Not only were so many members friendly and kind during the passing of the peace, but afterward several folks came to say hello to me and my two young daughters (it is hard to believe that Gillian and Rachael were four years old and one year old when we arrived here). Then one day later that week as I was unpacking boxes in our new house, there was a knock on the door. When I opened it, there were two smiling people standing on my porch, thanking me for attending church the prior Sunday. Then they offered me a delicious loaf of Irish soda bread. I had never had such a warm welcome from any other church. 

The community of Derry Church is so much more than people who all attend the same church.  Not unlike prehistoric humans who discovered that once they lived together they also shared each other’s work and joys and sorrows, we who worship together at Derry experience very much the same support of one another. But it doesn’t stop there. Derry allows us to grow together in place, and out into the broader community of our town, and our state, and in the world.  

I have found that it is so important to be a part of the programming of our church, because in these acts of service we also find community that perhaps we didn’t know we were missing.  Over the years, the communities that have meant the most to me (and in fact, drew me to the church initially) were children’s ministries, and music.  But my daughters and I have been fortunate to serve in other ways too, and all along the way we also felt nurtured and loved.

I encourage all of us to continue to listen to God’s call to us to share God’s word and love, and to practice God’s justice. Be inquiring:  ask what you can do to be a part of mission and ministry.  Share ideas you have to serve others. Be inviting: welcome newcomers to our church community, and be a model for Christ’s love in all that you do. Be inclusive and share community: bring about positive change, and show love to our neighbors – all our neighbors.

Derry Church, thank you for the faithful and loving community that you are for me, my family, and so many others throughout the world. I look forward to worshiping and serving our communities with you for many years to come.

Church libraries were never something that caught my attention. Growing up, the library in our church was just a big room our parents used for meetings. I remember liking the soft carpet and thinking the wallpaper was weird. I don’t remember ever checking out a book or considering the possibility.

In my six years at Derry Church, I had a similar relationship with its library. No weird wallpaper, but it was just sort of there. A space I crossed through to get to other places or maybe stopped in to use the tables or soft chairs. I grabbed a couple Faithful Readers titles when I couldn’t find them at other libraries, but never looked or borrowed beyond that. Besides, the books had to contain heavy religious topics that would depress me, confuse me, or put me to sleep, right?

A library epiphany was coming.

It was January, and Tuesday night fellowship was bustling. The parents had a few hours to wait, and I realized idle hands could be doing something helpful. I asked committees and staff for things we could do.

One evening, Kristy Elliott approached me and asked if we’d be willing to do something to promote the library. She is part of the library committee (did you know there was such a thing? I didn’t!) and they had been working diligently to modernize and zhuzh up the space and its collection. Now they needed people to notice. Why not? I could throw together some signs and face some books with neat looking covers out towards the passersby.

Since it was almost February, I decided to focus on books about Love. I googled famous literary love quotes and was pleasantly surprised that our library contained many of the titles and authors I was seeing. C.S. Lewis, Maya Angelou, Anthony Doerr, Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling, Elie Wiesel, Dr. Seuss, the list went on and on.

I became well acquainted with our online catalog, which I didn’t realize had been featured on the homepage of Derry’s website all along. It holds electronic, searchable records of EVERY title and produced 55 titles for my “love” keyword search. I was impressed.

I quickly realized this library space wasn’t just a few dusty old books about the Protestant Reformation. There was good stuff there, and lots of it! Biographies, poetry, new fiction, local history, cookbooks, children’s picture books. Books for everyone, even lovers of literary fluff like me. And the shelves on religion weren’t just full of dated or overly cerebral topics (but those are there too if that’s your bag). There are stories and studies of faith from varied perspectives. And not just our protestant faith, but of religious thoughts from around the globe.

Heck with those few signs I promised Kristy. People needed to get in here to see this, to check out these books that Kristy, Courtney McKinney-Whitaker, and Chris Gawron had so lovingly gathered and organized for us. This stay-at-home mom/professional volunteer, lover of Derry Church, quirky theme and décor enthusiast (and creator of self-imposed titles) would be the (un)official Ruth Codington Lending Library Advocate. And I would drench that library in eye-catching thematic fun so it would blend into the background no more!

My initial promise of two monthly themes has turned into seven, and I have plans for more. I am having a great time decorating, featuring book categories, and actually reading what I recommend (our book on Phillis Wheatley is pretty great. Thanks, biography month).

I love watching books disappear off the shelves, seeing congregation members interacting with the space, and getting to know the staff better when they graciously answer my questions for the Staff Shelf. And who isn’t loving the anticipation of what the library-user-driven sermon is going to be when the summer reading challenge winner is crowned?!

The library has reminded me about the greatness of our building and its people. Our building has an amazing book collection, a room full of yarn, gardens to tend, bells to ring, children to teach, a nook stocked with free greeting cards, a full kitchen that produces tons of food and fellowship. There is something for everyone in these walls, a bounty we are so lucky to have. Explore it. It’s for you.

And while you’re at it, talk to the people you find. They’re great, and interesting, and you’ll probably find someone that will enrich your life somehow. That small interaction with Kristy last January gave me a fun new purpose, new knowledge, new insight, and new friends. I love being a part of this place and its people.

What a gift we have in our library. A quiet space to sit or visit with others. A place where kids can play and read together. Walls of diverse titles that entertain and inform us and remind us that it’s ok to doubt, to question, and to imagine. It is yet another reminder that we strive to be an open minded, curious, welcoming group here at Derry Church. You will know we are Christians by our love, AND by our cool set of books.

As Property Manager, I am proud to partner with Derry Church’s team of great volunteers that work with me and other staff to continually improve and maintain the church property and buildings.

Since last year, many projects have been completed and even more have been started:

• Late last fall we completed the dismantling and total rebuild of approximately 150 feet of the stone wall surrounding the cemetery that was leaning and falling apart.
  
• The Session House, built in 1732 as a log cabin meeting place, has been leaning for probably over 100 years, and the bottom log on the north side had rotted. The Building and Grounds committee and others had concerns about it. We hired British Masonry and Restoration, a local specialty contractor, to stabilize the structure. The heavy old brick chimney sitting in the attic was removed and the north wall was lifted to allow the base of the wall to move out approximately nine inches. The bottom rotted log was replaced with an 1800s log beam, and it was supported with limestone slabs. The west wall had supports added and was re-sided with aged barn siding. This will protect the future of this historic structure for a hundred years or more.
  
• The second phase of the spouting and gutter guard project has been completed with only one more phase to complete the entire building.
  
• I have worked closely with other committees on projects like upgrading all the signs outside the building and adding the Zoom Room to room 7. With that project we also moved the large screen to Fellowship Hall to make presentation setups much easier in that space.
  
• The building known to most of us as the Scout House at the rear of the property needed maintenance and repair. We contracted to have a portion of the stone basement wall repaired that was near falling apart, then we had all the wood siding repaired and the exterior painted. Now the building has many more decades of life ahead.

We are always looking at short- and long-term needs and planning the best fix for the problem.  A few current projects include the improvement of rainwater drainage in front of the Chapel and the whole rear of the building: that will happen this fall. A contractor is set to repair the inside of the Chapel bell tower and add a safe stair/ladder for future inspection and maintenance of the bell.

We are also adding and improving the lighting in the atrium library to make this a more welcoming reading area. 

Next week rooms 4 and 5 will be opened up into one large room as requested by Christian Education. Contractors will move the folding wall from 7AB into rooms 4 and 5 to allow flexible use of that space. The space where the dividing wall was stored in 7AB will become a storage closet.

This month’s mission focus is on elder care as provided by Christian Churches United (CCU) and its partner agencies. From its earliest beginnings in Harrisburg in 1866, Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area has evolved to a partnership of over 100 Christian congregations in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry Counties that work together with concerned individuals, public and private funders, and numerous partner agencies like Derry to support our neighbors in need. 

CCU provides a continuum of programs seeking to address both crisis housing situations and chronic causes of housing and financial instability. While motivated by Jesus’ love and example, CCU aids clientele without regard to religion or creed. CCU is united in service and love to those facing homelessness, poverty and incarceration. 

One area of service provided by CCU is their HELP Ministries. Through HELP, services are offered to provide shelter, rental and utility assistance, as well as medical or other basic needs. For instance, families under threat of eviction can work with HELP to resolve the issue and remain in their home. During the winter, if a family has exhausted all other fuel assistance programs, they can receive a one-time supply of heating fuel through HELP. 

HELP is the point of contact for those needing an emergency shelter as provided by the YWCA, Shalom House, and Interfaith Family Shelter. They then work with the shelter and client to find permanent housing in the area. Financial counseling may be needed to save for a security deposit and to make the initial monthly rental payment. This can lead the family to a long-term solution out of homelessness. In addition, HELP provides aid to those in need of medical, transportation, or food assistance. Thus, a one-time need for a life-sustaining medicine can be met. HELP can also arrange for emergency transportation in specific situations, such as a stranded traveler. Clients in need of food are referred to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s reference guide. Derry’s support of HELP Ministries enables them to provide a vital link with other social services to form a safety net for those in need in the Tri-County area.