News

Our 2024 confirmation students have been given $100 to bless an organization, mission, or cause they are passionate about. The students aren’t just donating $100: they are using it to start something with a bigger impact.

Anne Burke is preparing gift baskets to share with cancer patients in memory of her grandfather, and so far has enough supplies to assemble 19 baskets. To help Anne get additional supplies to fill more baskets, you can purchase from this Amazon wish list and items will be shipped directly to Derry Church.

Learn more on Sunday: see Anne in the Narthex, where she will be available to answer questions and share shopping lists.

Orange Day, the 25th of each month, is designated by Presbyterian Women to raise awareness of the exploitation of females worldwide and those who are working to end it. Two years ago in Iran, Jina Mahsa Amini’s death and the following protests made international headlines. She was arrested for opposing mandatory hijab. Of the Kurdish minority, she was beaten to point of being in a coma and died three days later. Her brother was also beaten. Protesters, even children, were beaten and killed in the following days.  

Today any female not wearing the veil faces persecution, expulsion from school or university, job loss, car confiscation, and other penalties. The government has instilled fear to enforce the “law.” Ammesty International is trying to investigate arrests and deaths of any protesting. Wear orange or an orange ribbon on Monday, Mar 25 to show your support for those endangered and those working to end the violence.

The Derry Church Golf League begins play on Tuesday, April 16 at Royal Oaks Golf Course near Lebanon. Play begins at 10 am through the month of May. From June to September, play begins at 8:30 am. All skill levels are welcome.

If you have an interest or need more information, contact Dave Szczesny or Ken Pearl.

“These Days” devotional booklets for April through June are available now for pickup at Derry Church.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, SEPT 27-29 AT KRISLUND CAMP, MADISONBURG

Join Derry families for a fun fall weekend at Krislund Camp near State College. The theme this year is Peace be with YOU. Family units will sleep in individual cabins and gather together in various buildings around Krislund for fun projects and activities including wagon rides, open gym at the Derry Rec Center, and s’mores by the fire. All activities are rain or shine. Interested? Please send at least one family representative to the John Elder Classroom for all of these meetings: 

6:45-7:30 pm Tuesday, Mar 19
6:45-7:30 pm Tuesday May 7
9-10 am Sunday June 2
6:45-7:30 pm Tuesday, Sept 10

For more information, contact Valerie Minnich.

10:30 AM TUESDAY, MAR 19: MEET AT 1933 FORSTER STREET, HARRISBURG

Members of the Mission & Peace Committee invite you to join them for a tour of the new Bethesda Women’s Shelter, then serve the women lunch at noon. Karen Leader and Kristen Campbell are organizing meal: you can help by providing a dessert or some bread. RSVP to Karen Leader at 717-608-3337. Carpooling can be arranged. 

• Change 4 Children supports the mission of Alliance for Children Everywhere (ACE) in Zambia where 2,306 vulnerable and orphaned children were helped to find family, education and community last year.  They have purchased a 10-acre farm in rural Chongwe, about 30 miles east of Lusaka. It is already producing chickens and vegetables that are brought to Lusaka to help feed children in ACE care and fund their work through sale at local markets as a steady income. Chilyaze Chiwavu, the farm manager, hopes to build an organic integrated farm, which can also teach young Zambians the importance of land cultivation, fostering connection, community and mental health. A secondary pump system is needed to furnish enough water to further this goal. Look for baskets on Sunday to drop off your donations. Place coins in zip-close bags, with any foreign coins bagged separately. Check that extraneous items such a paper clips, batteries, pins are not in the bag. 
• Thanks to all who helped with the Lenten luncheon on Mar 6, whether baking cupcakes, making salad, setting up, serving, cleaning up or removing tables and chairs. Thank you! 

4 PM SUNDAY, MAR 24 • SANCTUARY 

A pioneering oboe, bassoon, and piano ensemble, The Poulenc Trio has garnered international recognition over its 20-year history. With performances in 47 U.S. states and at prestigious music festivals around the world, including the Ravello Festival in Italy, the San Miguel de Allende Festival in Mexico, and the White Nights Festival in Russia, they have firmly established themselves as one of the most active and sought-after touring piano-wind ensembles in the country.

Market Square Concerts presents the program, which features musicians Irina Kaplan Lande on piano, Aleh Remezau on oboe, and Bryan Young on bassoon. Click for more details and tickets ($35 each).

Feb 2024 Session Highlights 

• Elected Greg Taylor as President and Tracey Kinney as Vice President of the Derry Presbyterian Church, Inc.
• Approved the use of the church building for two upcoming weddings:
  • Claire Folts and Alex Petterson on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at 5:30 pm
  • Tiffany Mittereder & Chris Damron on Saturday, May 31, 2025
• Reviewed and approved the Covenant of Agreement between Derry Church and Shawn Gray which will go into effect upon Shawn’s ordination. Use of this format is required by the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry for supply pastoral services.
• The Clerk presented the 2023 Church Statistical Report, which was reviewed and approved.
• The Stewardship & Finance Committee submitted several requests affecting Derry’s Northwest and Vanguard accounts. All were approved:
  • Close out a low-interest money market account in the amount of $87,000 at Northwest Savings and open a 12-month CD at a higher interest rate at that institution
  • Add Greg Taylor and Duncan Campbell as authorized signers on all Northwest accounts
  • Keep Duncan Campbell and Greg Taylor as authorized signers on Derry’s Vanguard accounts and remove all other previously approved signers
  • Link the Northwest checking account to the Vanguard Money Market account
  • Obtain a credit card with a $5,000 limit for Shawn Gray.
• In reviewing church accounts, the Treasurer found that pre-paid pledges totaling $50,000 had been recorded in a dedicated account. Stewardship & Finance requested approval to distribute this amount one-half to the Legacy Fund and one-half to the Capital Facilities Fund. The Session supported this request.
• Building and Grounds requested permission to use approximately $1,800 from the Cemetery Fund to purchase 20 brass flag holders and 23 flags to mark specific graves in Derry’s cemetery. The Session approved the request.
• Derry’s One Great Hour of Sharing offering will be split equally between PCUSA, for disaster, hunger, and development ministries, and Bridges to Community’s ministry of building homes.
• Session supported a request from Pastor Stephen and Tom Kitzmiller to use up to $1,000 from the Futures Fund to purchase items not previously donated for Anne Burke’s confirmation project, Ian’s Baskets.

Thanks to Derry member Dan Poeschl, we’re now podcasting the Sunday sermons: find them on the Spotify platform.

From time to time, we’ll invite friends to podcast their reflections based on the three discussion questions which are printed in the bulletin each week. On Feb 25, Nancy Reinert and Debbie Hough had a conversation about Pastor Stephen’s sermon, “Listening Within Creation.” Hear the sermon and their reflection at this link. 

Be sure to follow Derry Church on Spotify so you don’t miss an episode.

6 PM TUESDAY, MAR 12 IN THE CHAPEL

For our 300th Anniversary Celebration, Derry Church has commissioned a new hymn that will debut at the Hymn Festival on Sunday, Mar 17. This hymn was written by Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, an Associate in the Office of Theology and Worship for the PC(USA) in Louisville, Kentucky.

You may have seen his name in our Glory to God hymnal, where you’ll find 14 hymns of his hymns. To help us get acquainted with his work, we offer a David Gambrell hymn sing led by Debbie Hough and Dan Dorty. You won’t get to sing all 14 of David’s hymns, but we will do our best, plus celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

If you like to sing or if you just like to listen, plan to attend.

MEET 12:45 PM MONDAY, MAR 18 AT DERRY CHURCH, OR 1:30 PM AT LOGOS ACADEMY, 251 VERBEKE ST, HARRISBURG (NEAR MIDTOWN SCHOLAR BOOKSTORE)

You’ve heard about Logos Academy, one of Derry’s mission partners. Now you can see it for yourself: join the Prime Timers to visit the independent Christ-centered school that offers a rich education of mind and soul to the children of Harrisburg.

Derry Church has partnered with the school for several years, supporting the school’s effort to add new grade level classes through financial gifts and on-site volunteering. As part of our 300th Anniversary mission projects, Derry Church has set a goal to raise $50,000 to help Logos Academy build a new 5th grade classroom. The March 18 trip is an opportunity for anyone who would like to learn more about the school and its mission to serve families regardless of faith commitment or financial means.

Would you like to ride in the church van? RSVP to Pastor Stephen.