News

I would like to thank my Derry Church family for your prayers, phone calls, and flowers as my broken arm recovers. All’s well. Simon and Patsy Yingst.

Ryan Hosenfeld, Life Scout from Derry Church’s Troop 200, recently completed his Eagle Scout project by building and installing a Little Free Library in Gelder Park. The library, located next to the playground, has a collection of books for all ages. Community members are invited to donate books to the library, and take books of interest.

10:30 AM SUNDAY, AUG 29 IN THE SANCTUARY

All students, teachers, coaches, Sunday School teachers & helpers, fellowship leaders and school leaders are invited to bring their backpacks or bags to be blessed for the upcoming school year. A special tag has been created for you to carry with you always. These tags will remind you that you are loved and prayed for and never alone.

You’re invited to join the 2021-22 Sunday School Team! Children’s classes will be held 9 -10:15 am Sundays beginning Sept 19.

Each Sunday School classroom has a teacher and an adult helper. A semester schedule is shared with the team and you pick which date(s) and classroom are the best fit for your schedule. All adults must have their clearances up to date and on file with the church and must also complete our Safe Children Training Course. 

Teaching or helping in a Sunday School classroom is an awesome way to help the children of the church learn that you value your faith and relationship with God. 

For those who enjoy working with Derry’s youngest children (ages two and three), volunteer opportunities are available on Sunday mornings in the church nursery starting at 9 am.

Contact ME Steelman to join the Sunday School Team or to help out in the nursery.

MONDAY, AUG 30 AT THE PENN NATIONAL RACETRACK IN GRANTVILLE

Volunteers are needed to serve a buffet-style dinner for about 40 back-of-the-track workers. Dessert donations would be appreciated and can be brought to the church kitchen on Sunday, Aug 29.

Meet 5 pm at the track for setup, with food service beginning at 5:30 pm. Softball and volleyball will be set up for use.

Contact Marilyn Koch to donate dessert or if you’d like a ride: meet 4:30 pm at Derry Church. 

YOUTH & PARENTS’ CONFIRMATION KICKOFF 11 AM – 1 PM SAT SEPT 11 IN THE YOUTH ROOM 

Youth in grades 8 and 9 are invited to learn more about what it means to be a Presbyterian and, specifically, what it is to be a member of Derry Presbyterian Church. Older youth who have not yet been confirmed are welcome to participate. Contact Pastor Pam for more information. 

The 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) will convene over a three-week period, from Friday, June 17-Saturday, July 9, 2022. 

Is God calling you to apply to be a commissioner to the General Assembly from Carlisle Presbytery?

This is a unique opportunity to participate in discerning the will of Christ for our denomination at this time of immense change and uncertainty. Those who serve as commissioners will engage with Presbyterians from across our nation (and around the world) to contemplate, converse, and comment on topics central to the life and witness of the PCUSA! 

Building on the all on-line General Assembly of 2020, the format of the assembly in 2022 will be hybrid. Commissioners will attend in-person committee meetings, held at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, on a rotating schedule. The worship and plenary sessions of the General Assembly will take place entirely online (July 5-9) with commissioners and advisory delegates attending from home. 

Those elected by their presbyteries to serve as commissioners are asked to place a tentative hold on their calendars from June 17-July 9, 2022, until committee assignments are made (by late February 2022). Once assignments are made, participants may clear any days their assigned committee will not be meeting. All commissioners and advisory delegates are expected to attend the worship and plenary sessions scheduled during the week of July 5-9. See the full docket here.

This is a very different General Assembly experience. It reflects the calling of our denomination to live into the fullness of being the church in the 21st century. As the assembly convenes around the theme From Lament to Hope, commissioners will be guided by values integral to our identity and embrace creativity and openness, so that the PCUSA may be more fully inclusive, flexible and faithful. 

The Nominating Committee of the Presbytery of Carlisle is seeking to identify two Ministers of Word and Sacrament, two Ruling Elders, and one Young Adult Advisory Delegate (between the ages of 18 and 25) to serve with energy, intelligence, imagination and love! These nominees will be brought to the presbytery for election at the Dec 7 Stated meeting of the presbytery. We ask that pastors prayerfully consider this opportunity and that Sessions spread the word among those who are ordained ruling elders in your congregation (they do not have to be actively serving on the Session).

Nominees are identified through an application process. Click here for an application form and more information about GA expectations. Those who wish to be considered must submit their application to the Nominating Committee by October 15, 2021. Applications may be emailed to office@carlislepby.org or mailed to 2601 N. Front St., Suite 107, Harrisburg PA 17110. Please note that the application must be endorsed by your Session or (in the case of ministers at-large or serving in a validated ministry) by a committee of the Presbytery. 

In addition to the time parameters described above, commissioners and advisory delegates are expected to engage in preparation, including learning how the GA process works, attending orientation sessions, becoming familiar with the technology to be used, and reading advance materials, in order to be able to actively participate in all assembly responsibilities. After the assembly, commissioners are asked to communicate and interpret the actions of the General Assembly back to the presbytery. 

To learn more about the application process or if you have questions about the plans for the forthcoming General Assembly, please contact Cheryl Galan, Interim Executive Presbyter or Donna Wenger, chair of the Nominating Committee. 

You may be someone who has fond memories of “Vanna White,” Derry’s church van for many years. It was used to transport children, youth and adults to mission trips, Montreat, skiing adventures and much more. Now the van has a new home and new life at Krislund Camp!  The camp will be using it for transportation across the grounds. They send their sincere thanks for the donation.

Thanks for all the birthday cards, treats, meals, gift and calls and visits. I appreciate all your love and support. A special thank you to the choir group that came over to my house to sing on my birthday — it was great. All enjoyed the music and fellowship! Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers and support! God bless, Teresa & Bill Hutcheson

Thank you on behalf of the entire Bridges to Community team for your continued and most generous support. Your recent gift in the amount of $7,844.50 will be directed toward housing and other needs in the Dominican Republic. Your generosity is essential to achieving our mission both there and in Nicaragua.

Despite the pandemic and the resulting cancellation of our volunteer trips through 2021, Bridges to Community continues to employ local masons and laborers to build houses, schools, and other much needed infrastructure in the communities we serve.

In 2021 with your gift and others, we are continuing to:

• Complete the school in La Guama, DR
• Build houses and latrines in both Nicaragua and DR
• Assist our communities in Nicaragua in cleaning up from last fall’s two Category 4 hurricanes
• Support our 44 remaining scholarship students in Nicaragua
• Introduce a new virtual building experience with our communities in the DR

We are hoping to restart our volunteer trips in 2022. Thank you for helping Bridges make it through this very difficult year.

5:30-6:15 PM THURSDAYS BEGINNING SEPT 2 IN FELLOWSHIP HALL

Get moving with Zumba Gold® (low-impact) fitness classes: part-dance, part-fitness, and all fun! 

• $5 per class or $45 for a 10-class punch card
• NO classes Sept 23 and Oct 14
• Wear masks and bring a water bottle: stay hydrated!

Questions? Contact licensed Zumba® Instructor Judy McMillen.

1. The mini blinds on the enclosed porch at one of the Homes of Hope transitional houses need to be replaced. The blinds were measured and ordered by a professional, and one volunteer is able to help. One or two more volunteers are needed to help hang the blinds, preferably during the day. There are about 10 blinds to be hung.
2. A client is looking for someone to come into her apartment to do a hair cut. It needs to be someone experienced with African American hair. She is willing to pay for this service.

If you can help, contact Michelle Miduri, Director of Operations for Love INC of Greater Hershey (717-835-0101).

The Derry Township community is now in an area of high COVID spread and transmission. In response, our COVID Task Force met on Zoom recently to consider changes to our current policy and submit its report to Session. At its Aug 18 meeting, Session approved the following task force recommendations:

• In keeping with CDC guidelines, require masks for ALL indoor gatherings, including worship services
• Continue choral and congregational singing with masks and social distancing
• Continue mask requirements for all children’s events (under age 12) 
• Recommend mask use for outdoor gatherings

When our region returns to moderate or low community spread, the task force and Session will make changes in keeping with lower transmission rates.