Month: April 2025
Holy Week at Derry Church
April 6, 2025
April 13
Palm Sunday Worship
8 am Chapel
10:30 am Sanctuary | Live streaming
April 15
Evening Worship & Communion
6 pm Tuesday, April 15 | Chapel
No Terrific Tuesday dinner tonight
April 17
Maundy Thursday Worship
7 pm Sanctuary | Live streaming
12-9 pm Walk the Labyrinth | Fellowship Hall
April 18
Good Friday Worship
7 pm Chapel
9 am-9 pm Walk the Labyrinth | Fellowship Hall
Saturday, April 19
9 am – 12 pm Walk the Labyrinth | Fellowship Hall
April 20
Easter Sunday (Note worship time change)
8-10:30 am Breakfast | Fellowship Hall | Donation supports mission trips
9 & 11 am Worship | Sanctuary | Live streaming
Click here to sign up to be an usher on Palm Sunday or Easter
Julie Wetzel • Fundraising/Marketing Manager, Love INC of Greater Hershey
April 3, 2025Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In April we’re lifting up community involvement.
Love INC of Greater Hershey serves as a vital beacon of hope and practical support for individuals and families facing hardship in our community. Through a network of local churches, including Derry Church, Love INC acts as a bridge, connecting those in need with essential resources and compassionate assistance. Going beyond simple referrals, Love INC cultivates genuine relationships, offering personalized support that addresses the root causes of challenges. From providing basic necessities like toiletries and household cleaning supplies to tackling complex issues such as housing and financial instability, Love INC’s holistic approach empowers individuals toward lasting self-sufficiency.
We are so thankful for your continued support of our ministries. Love INC significantly impacted our community in 2024, serving over 500 families and providing $566K worth of services on a $279K budget, with the support of 6,350 volunteer hours. Our office is located in the Derry Church’s Mission House, which is the hub for our Connection Center and Personal Care Closet Ministry. We are also thankful for the many volunteers from Derry Church who serve in various capacities. Derry members can be found working the phones in our Connection Center, helping at one of the Parsonages, packing bags in the Personal Care Closet, providing support to families in our Homes of Hope Program, volunteering for our annual 5K Race, and donating Auction items, personal care items and sneakers throughout the year.
Love INC has several urgent volunteer needs:
- Parsonage Ministry needs both House Managers and Housekeepers for weekly shifts. These shifts are flexible hours.
- The Connection Center (office) is seeking to add two individuals with compassionate listening skills, who are comfortable using a computer to serve weekly in reception and/or intake roles.
- Volunteers are needed for the planning team for the annual 5K race in June.
Interested individuals can contact the office at 717-835-0101 or email Michelle Miduri.
Love INC appreciates Derry member Teresa Hutcheson’s service on the Board of Directors and her long-time commitment to our ministries, particularly her passion for the Personal Care Closet. With Teresa’s recent resignation, Love INC is seeking a new Board member. The Board meets the third Thursday of each month at Derry Church. Members are encouraged to be active in ministries and special events as they are able. Recommendation and inquiries can be directed to Dale Forshey, Love INC’s Executive Director.
Thank you for making a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need!
Timely Topics: Freedom of Speech
April 2, 20258:45 & 11:45 AM SUNDAY, APRIL 6 IN THE CHAPEL WITH PASTOR STEPHEN
Among other cherished values, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech. “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” What does this mean today?
Generally speaking, it means that the government may not jail, fine, or impose civil liability on people or organizations based on what they say or write, except in exceptional circumstances. The question of what constitutes free speech and what are its limits has been a hot topic in recent weeks. The U.S. Supreme Court has struggled to determine what exactly constitutes protected speech. For this Timely Topics, Pastor Stephen will discuss some broader definitions and limits of free speech as determined by past Supreme Court cases, and look at questions raised today through the lens of one particular Supreme Court case: Texas V. Johnson, which dealt with the act of burning an American flag.
Do You Have a Free Ham Certificate You’re Not Using?
April 2, 2025You can help offset the cost of Derry’s Terrific Tuesday Easter ham dinner on April 8 by sharing free ham certificates with our hospitality coordinator, Amanda Bentley. Contact her no later than Sunday, April 6. Thanks, Derry!
Place Your Order for Easter Flowering Plants
April 2, 2025
Place your order for Easter flowering plants in honor or in memory of loved ones by filling out and returning forms available at the insert rack outside the kitchen. Include checks payable to Derry Church, notated “Easter Flowers.”
Pots of Easter lilies and tulips (new this year) will decorate the Sanctuary on Easter Sunday, April 20. You can take them home after the 11 am service. Plants are $12 each. To ensure your loved ones’ names will be printed in the Easter bulletin, submit dedication information to Kathy Yingst by April 16.
Walk the Labyrinth in Holy Week
April 2, 202512- 9 PM THURSDAY, APR 17 | 9 AM – 9 PM FRIDAY, APR 18 | 9 AM – 12 PM SATURDAY, APR 19 IN FELLOWSHIP HALL
What is a labyrinth and how does one walk it?
A labyrinth is an ancient geometric pattern dating to at least 2,500 BCE. Labyrinths have been part of the Christian experience from as early as the 4th century. Perhaps the best known is in the Chartres Cathedral in France. A labyrinth is not a maze. A single path meanders to the center and brings the walker out again. There is no right or wrong way to walk. You may walk slowly and intentionally, or you may dance or skip! The only rule is courtesy for other walkers.
A few suggestions:
• Please remove you shoes for the care of the labyrinth
• Before you enter, take a moment to set an intention
• Find your own speed
• Pass or be passed by those you meet
• Stop when you feel like stopping
• Pay attention to your body
• Pay attention to what you see, hear, feel
Allow at least half an hour for the experience. There will be informational materials available to give you guidelines, and there will often be hosts available, especially in the evening.
Walking a labyrinth is prayer in motion. It is a sacred journey. May it bless your walk through Holy Week.
Learn About Plans to Renovate the Sanctuary Choir Loft
April 2, 202511:30 AM SUNDAY, APRIL 13 IN THE SANCTUARY AND STREAMING
The Building & Grounds Committee has been working on a plan to improve safety and enhance acoustics in the Sanctuary choir loft. This plan has been presented to Session and is now being discussed in committee meetings. Because the plan will bring changes to the look of a beloved worship space, leaders want to give everyone an opportunity to learn about the project, see pictures, have a chance to ask questions, and take part in the discussion.
Lasses & Lassies Banquet
April 2, 20256 PM SATURDAY, MAY 3 IN FELLOWSHIP HALL
All women and girls are cordially invited to the annual Presbyterian Women’s banquet in conjunction with St. John’s United Methodist Church in Grantville. The theme is “Hats Women Wear” (referring to the many roles women have).
The menu includes appetizers (cheese cubes and raw vegetables), tossed salad, ham or turkey, scalloped potatoes, green beans, carrots, dessert and drinks. Following the meal, the Milton S. Hershey Show Chorus will perform in the Sanctuary.
Gluten-free meals available: request when you purchase tickets. $15 for ages 12 and up, $6 for 2-11, free for girls two and under. Purchase tickets in the Narthex after worship on April 20 or 27. Since it’s Derby Day, guests are welcome to wear a favorite hat.
Men are needed to help with serving and clean-up and will enjoy a free meal. Contact Doris Feil to volunteer.
Co-Ed Softball Returns This Year
April 2, 2025
Derry Church is recruiting men and women age 14 and up to play softball this summer with a focus on fellowship and fun. Games will begin in May and end in August, with play on either Tuesday or Thursday nights at three fields within a 30-minute drive of the church.
This is slow-pitch softball, so most of the rules are the same as baseball. Those who sign up should commit to being available for at least half of the games. Your coaches are Pastor Shawn and Stephanie Vance. To sign up, contact Pastor Shawn by April 27.