News

Drainage work behind Fellowship Hall will be under way by the end of the month, which may block access to a number of parking spaces along the back of the building during the week. Watch for signs and heavy equipment in use.

A congregational meeting will follow 10:30 am worship on Oct 8 for the purpose of electing six elders and five deacons for the class of 2026, and four church members to serve on the 2024 nominating committee.

These Derry members have accepted nominations: 

Elders, class of 2026: Marion Alexander, Elizabeth Southerlan, Wally Patton, Mike Leader, Greg Taylor, and Julie Miller.

Deacons, class of 2026: Jim Provins, Cindy Wolfe, James Gorman, Lori Klucker, and Dottie Bossler.

2024 Nominating Committee: Bill Parrish, Suzie Gloeckler, Luke Gawron, and Mike Kinney

5-7 PM SUNDAY, OCT 22 IN ROOM 7

Derry’s 3rd and 4th graders and their families are invited to join us for our Bible Exploration program. This fun evening will have us exploring the bible, learning to better navigate the Bible, hearing fun stories and facts hidden in the Bible, and preparing the children to receive their next-level Bibles in worship on Sunday, Oct 29. Dinner is provided.

Please RSVP to M.E. Steelman by Sunday, Oct 15.

1 PM MONDAY, OCT 16 ON ZOOM: CLICK TO JOIN 

Tech Time welcomes back Jerry Mitchell, Education and Outreach Specialist at the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, to talk with us about how to avoid scams that are prevalent during the holiday season. In July Jerry gave a well-received presentation on identity theft, and we’re glad to welcome him back for another helpful and important program.

10-11 AM SATURDAY, OCT 28 IN THE DERRY CHURCH PARKING LOT

Families, you’re invited to enjoy a safe space to “Trunk or Treat” with your little ones. There is no cost to participate, simply come in costume and enjoy saying hello and trick-or-treating with your church friends. 

Individuals, couples and families can join the fun by decorating their vehicles and providing candy for the “Trunk or Treat” experience. Let us know you’ll participate:

• Register a Trunk or Treat Vehicle
• Register Your Trunk or Treaters

Candy donations welcome! Drop candy in the designated box at entrance #1.

You are invited to ponder and discuss the following questions with your family, with small groups and committees, or on your own so what happens in worship can follow you, inspire you, and guide you throughout the week:

1. When you hear the word grief, what image, name, or situation first comes into your mind?
2. When have you felt anticipatory grief: that feeling we get about what the future holds when we’re uncertain?
3. Have you ever felt closer to God, or felt filled with God’s love and grace, while you grieved? How did faith help your grief process?

Orange Day is the day Presbyterian Women recognize exploitation of females worldwide and the work being done to end it. Recent headlines highlighted the arrest of a woman for violating labor/sex trafficking laws in running 10 massage parlors as fronts in York, Dauphin, and Cumberland Counties. Some articles highlighted local community programs (mostly in Cumberland County) dedicated to providing services and opportunities to help victims of labor/sex trafficking escape their situations.

Check out Greenlight Operation and Peace Promise for more information and wear orange or an orange ribbon on Monday to show support for the victims and those working with them.

Bring your coins for the Alliance for Children Everywhere (ACE) Change 4 Children Offering on Sunday, Sept 17

Last year 2,386 vulnerable and orphaned children in Zambia were helped to find family, education, and community through ACE. Zambian girls are less likely to complete their education due to expectations for many girls regarding domestic responsibilities, early marriage, or pregnancy. ACE champions gender equality and maintains a 50/50 enrollment ratio of boys and girls in their schools. Your donations support ACE’s efforts to educate vulnerable children.

Change 4 Children baskets will be available at entrances to the Chapel and Sanctuary to collect your donations to continue this and other ACE programs. Bring your change in zip-closed bags, remembering to bag any foreign coins separately. Check that the bag is free of paper clips, pins, batteries, buttons — anything that is not legal tender — as these clog the coin sorting machine.  

Change 4 Children is collected quarterly at Derry Church. The next offering will be received on Sunday, Dec 10.

Fellowship at Troeg’s
7 PM THURSDAY, SEPT 28 AT TROEGS BREWING COMPANY, 200 E. HERSHEYPARK DRIVE

Hike to Hawk Rock Overlook
9 AM SATURDAY, OCT 21
Meet at the church to carpool

Questions? Contact Pastor Stephen

4-7 PM SUNDAY, OCT 1 AT FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 64 W. CHOCOLATE AVENUE, HERSHEY

We know we’re called to help those in poverty, but it can be difficult to know what to do. How can we understand what it’s like to be poor? Participating in Poverty Simulation is a great first step.

First United Methodist Church Hershey is partnering with Tri-County Community Action to offer Poverty Simulation, a true-to-life role-playing experience where you can learn first-hand the challenges, decisions, and life of someone in poverty. Groups will be faced with daily decisions ranging from how to get the kids to school on time, find or maintain employment, visit the assistance office or church, pay your bills, and keep a roof over your head…all in the span of a few hours. 

Register online by Sept 24 to participate in this thought-provoking, immersive experience. It’s FREE and recommended for adults and youth.

You are invited to ponder and discuss the following questions with your family, with small groups and committees, or on your own so what happens in worship can follow you, inspire you, and guide you throughout the week:

1. Can you remember a time you were really disappointed? How did you reconcile with that feeling and move on from it?
2. What disappoints you about the world? How has that affected the way you see the world and act on a daily basis?
3. Jesus and Mr. Rogers urge us to look for the good when disappointment threatens to overwhelm us. Where do you see goodness, and love, and beauty in the world?

9:15-10:15 AM SEPT 10-17-24 7 OCT 1 IN ROOM 7 • The Sept 10 class is hybrid: attend via Zoom or participate with others in our Zoom Room (Room 7 on the lower level). Buz Myers will be in person for the remaining sessions, which will also be live streamed.

One of our most popular lecture-based adult educators returns to Derry Church for four weeks beginning Sunday, Sept 10. The Rev. Charles (Buz) Myers, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at Gettysburg College and an ordained minister in the PCUSA, tells us about “The Genius of Mark the Evangelist.”

Down through the years the Gospel of Mark has taken a back seat to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The reasons for the depreciation of Mark are many and varied. In the first place, Mark does not have the literary polish of Luke or the highly stylized format of Matthew.

Furthermore, Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of the canonical Gospels, and it lacks some of the familiar stories about and teachings of Jesus that the other Gospels contain. As a result, the Gospel of Mark has been overshadowed by the “fuller” and “more refined” accounts of Matthew and Luke.

In recent years there has been an ever-increasing apprecia­tion for the Gospel of Mark. As the earliest of the canonical Gospels, Mark’s Gospel represents a remarkable achievement in its own right. For this reason, Mark’s poignant portrayal of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will be the focus of this four-week study. We’ll consider such pertinent topics as the identity of Jesus, the role of suffering in the life of Christ and his followers, the meaning of true disciple­ship, and the proper place of miracles in the Christian community.

SEPT 10: Jesus, the Wonder-Worker: A Study of Mark 1:1 – 6:6
SEPT 17: Jesus, the Predictor: A Study of Mark 6:7 – 10:52
SEPT 24: Jesus, the Prophet: A Study of Mark 11:1 – 14:72
OCT 1: Jesus, the Crucified Messiah: A Study of Mark 15:1-16:8