Dick Hann • Derry Member

When Elise and I moved back to the Hershey area in the mid 1960s, we were looking for a church home where we could raise our family in a caring church, a place where we could grow our faith through worship, mission, music and the youth program. We found that at Derry and started our journey in 1968.

After several years, I was ordained as an Elder and joined the Worship Committee. In the early 1970s the Vietnam war was a contentious time for the youth and adults. The Worship Committee got the youth involved in plays and musicals starting in 1971. It was expanded with adults and youth, not only from the congregation but the community who participated in plays and full musicals. This was the start of the Vesper Series, which later began ARTS ALIVE! We continue today to praise God through music and the arts with ARTS ALIVE!  thanks to the support of our congregation and the community.

Elise and I had a number of opportunities to travel with the Derry travel group over the years. One of the most emotional trips was to Israel, where we had communion at the tomb, walked where Jesus walked, and touched the Jordan river where Jesus was baptized. Another trip was taking a journey in parts of Europe to many of the early biblical sites and tracing how Christianity spread throughout the world. In 1999 we traveled to Northern Ireland, where we traced our Derry heritage and witnessed reconciliation in that area.

We know that all of the programs at Derry require participation and finances. The foundation for my wanting to help others started when I was 10 years old. The church I grew up in was looking for a family to adopt in Germany after WWII and help them to recover. My family adopted a family of five in Germany.  Although we were a family of six children, we would send a care package to the family every three months for several years. Still, today I remember that act as forming my future giving ministry.

Over the years Elise and I supported Derry with our time and money as best we could.  We filled out the envelopes each week for many years before changing to online giving.

Elise was one who worked behind the scenes. She helped me prepare communion for over 25 years.  She cut the bread while I filled the cups, then she would check to see that everything was  just right on the communion table.

Elise’s journey at Derry ended earlier this year, but her journey continues with the Lord.  We appreciate the caring congregation we have at Derry for the many cards and prayers, and for the choir coming to our home and singing hymns for Elise. We also appreciated the comfort provided by the caring people of Hospice who saw us through this difficult time.

We were blessed to find a church home that provides so many ways to grow our faith — through worship and many programs, and through our strong mission focus locally and around the world.