Enlighten!

April 2022

News for SSPC families & young adults

Fresh from the joy and triumph of Easter, we offer this fourth issue of the Enlighten newsletter to present opportunities and useful information for young adults, families with children, and recent (or soon-to-be) empty nesters.

FAITH

Several very special Sundays are coming up!

May 8th – Recognition Sunday

In worship we will recognize all our musicians, grads, teachers and moms, since it is also Mother’s Day. There will be a special reception to honor all of them following the 9:00 am worship service in the Gathering Place.

May 15th – Service of Installation and Ordination at 4:00 pm for Lisa Chase

Join us for this very special worship service in the Meeting House in which SSPC’s new Associate Pastor, Lisa Chase, will be ordained and installed. Members of Presbytery will participate in the service along with bagpiper Jon Heller! A reception will follow. Come help us welcome Lisa to SSPC and ordained ministry as she reaches this ministry milestone in her faith journey!

May 22nd – Outdoor worship followed by strawberries and ice cream

Our annual combined worship service will be held outdoors in front of the Gathering Place, weather permitting, at 11:00 am. After worship, we will all enjoy strawberries and ice cream. There will be one worship service that day.

Make a Joyful Noise at Sanctuary Choir

The choir continues to rehearse most Wednesday evenings 7:15-8 pm. We sing most Sundays. We are ALWAYS looking for new members. The Gathering Band is always looking for singers and musicians. Please email Kyle if you are interested in playing or singing!

Upcoming Events in Christian Education

The Christian Education Committee supports the worship life of our congregation by helping Silver Spring members and friends address our inherent hunger to know and love God with our minds as well as our hearts.

Here are upcoming events from your Christian Education Committee:

● Sunday School continues for children pre-K to 12^th grade. The Christian Education Committee chose the “Seasons of the Spirit” curriculum and are currently using it every Sunday. We meet in the gym, promptly at 10 am, following the first service. Children and parents are invited, as we sing, pray, read scripture, tell stories and work on projects.

● The latest addition to the SSPC Music Ministry, the SSPC Intergenerational Choir, performs during the last Sunday of each month in the Gathering Service. The newly formed SSPC Intergenerational Choir will perform with the Praise Band. Come out and support us!

● Nursery care is back! Teachers are available every Sunday during both services to watch infants and toddlers in our preschool area. Children should be 0 – 3 years old.

● The Christian Education Committee has room for two more members. If you would like to become a member and assist with building our curriculum and events for our Sunday School classes, please contact either of the co-chairs, Scott Pepperman or Laura Shoop.

● Adult Bible Study and Sunday School continue each Sunday in Room 204. We recently completed a five-week study by Max Lucado, “He Chose the Nails.” We now begin "Seasons of the Spirit." This course is for young adults, young adults with families, members of our Bible Study group, Adult Conversation group, and Adulting classes. We bring together the best of each, studying the scripture, making it relevant to our lives today, and discussing how it affects our lives. Join us each Sunday for Christianity, Conversation, and Coffee.

FAMILY

Recap: Silver Spring Egg Hunt and Lenten Garden Project

The Christian Education Committee joined together with the SSPC Preschool to hold an Easter Egg Hunt at SSPC on Saturday, April 16 at 11 am. The event was a tremendous success, as over 40 children and approximately 80 adults hunted for 1300 Easter eggs on a warm sunny morning. A visit by the Easter Bunny highlighted the event, and children and families enjoyed getting their picture taken with him. CE and the SSPC hope to make this an annual event.

The SSPC Sunday School and Preschool also combined to create Lenten Gardens for delivery to our homebound members during this Easter season. A dozen gardens were made by the Sunday School teachers and the Preschool Director and lovingly distributed. It was a fun morning of fellowship and creativity!

Family Music Time

Come join our Intergenerational Choir! We meet in the gym during the beginning of Sunday School at 10 am on Sunday mornings. This choir is for all ages. We hope you can join us for this time of worship through song. We will be singing in the Gathering Service with the Gathering Band the last Sunday of each month throughout the school year. We hope to begin singing in the Traditional Service as well as we continue to grow. Please contact Tracy Wieseman if you have any questions or would like more information.

Vacation Bible School: August 1-5

Vacation Bible School is coming in August! The dates are August 1-5, and counselors from Camp Krislund will be leading. There is no cost for any child whose family is a member of SSPC. We hope to invite other local churches to join us. Look for a signup sheet in the Gathering Place, starting on April 27th. There is no limit, but there will be a cutoff date, so sign up early, and bring a friend. Volunteers needed!

CORE Youth Ministry

CORE Lock In is May 20-21!

CORE’s annual lock-in event will be May 20, 8 pm, to May 21, 8 am. This is an epic all-nighter filled with games, snacks, and fun with friends, new and old. Of course, the traditional Walmart Scavenger Hunt and Sheetz run will be included!

CORE Mission Trip to Blue Knob with Team Effort - June 19-25

CORE Youth Ministry is going back to Blue Knob this summer! We had such a blast with Team Effort last summer that we have decided to go back! We helped repair a fence and did some gardening for a wonderful organization called The Door. They help at-risk teens and young adults find their way in life by providing resources, tools, and skills in life to be successful!

Let Bryan know if you would like to come so he can secure you a spot.

CORE Montreat Trip (July 24-30)

We will also be going to the Montreat Youth Conference from July 24-30. We will be partnering with Camp Hill Presbyterian for this summer retreat! This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about what it means to be Presbyterian. Check out their website for more info. Please let Bryan know if you would like to come

or if you have any questions.

For questions or ideas related to Youth Ministry, please contact Bryan Corbin.

FELLOWSHIP

Mission Opportunities!

The Mission Committee is sponsoring a donation drive for the Fruitbelt Farmworkers in Adams County. We are looking for personal hygiene items such as toothpaste, shampoo, shaving creme, razors, etc., as well as towels and sunhats for workers. Please put donated items in the bins located outside the Chapel. We will be visiting the Fruitbelt Farmworkers camp near Gettysburg for a luncheon on May 15th. On that day, bag lunches will be put together after the 11:00 am service to take to the camp. Feel free to join in on the activity. Contact BJ Lopez if you have any questions.

Silver Spring Presbyterian Church

444 Silver Spring Road

Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

717-766-0204