BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS


Each year, we love our community by packing and distributing Thanksgiving meal kits! Please consider serving our neighbors on Friday, November 20 (packing kits) and Saturday, November 21 (distributing kits). Sign up here if you are willing to volunteer!


Note - registration to receive kits will open on our website on November 10.

WORSHIP FLAG TEAM


HBIC is a congregation where movement as an expression of worship is encouraged and children are welcome to be leaders. Worship flags is one of those opportunities! If your child loves to wave their hands and move their body to music as they worship, we encourage them to join worship flag team. The group currently meets on the 4th Saturday of the month at 9am and would love to have your child join them. They don’t need to have any skills - practice times are used to teach skills in preparation for leading in worship. You can reach out to Kristen (717-420-0911) or Megan (717-592-8412) for more information. They would love to see your child on Saturday, October 24 at 9am!

MINISTRY NEWSLETTERS


Take a peek into the beautiful things going on in these ministries this week and beyond!


Youth Ministry

Young Adult Ministry

Children's Ministry

Sunday, October 18

Before worship service: Coffee and fellowship (Open Area)

9am & 11am: Worship Services (Sanctuary)

9am & 11am: Kids Sunday School (Youth Rooms/Downstairs Open Area)

9am: Prayer in the Night Study Group (Conference Room)

10:45am: Bible Quizzing Practice (Small Youth Room)

11am: Sermon Text Study/Discussion Group (Conference Room)

12:45pm: Trauma Informed Care Training (Sanctuary)


Monday, October 19

6pm: Girls Who Code (Large Youth Room)

6:30pm: Roadmap to Reconciliation (Sanctuary)

6:30pm: Fellowship Team Meeting (Large Conference Room)


Tuesday, October 20

7pm: Staff Meeting (Large Conference Room)


Wednesday, October 21

1pm: Grief Sharing Support Group (Small Conference Room)

5:30pm: Community Meal (Sanctuary)

6:15pm: Youth Group (Sanctuary/Fenced-in Lot/Garage)

6:30pm: Kids Club (Youth Rooms)

6:30pm: ELL (Outreach Center - all upstairs areas)

7pm: Prayer Gathering (Hybrid: Prayer Room and Zoom)


Thursday, October 22

2-5:30pm: Food Pantry (Outreach Center)


Saturday, October 24

9am: Worship Flag Team Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

5pm: Youth Group Night (Sanctuary, Open Area, Youth Areas)


Staff away:

Pastor Patty will be on vacation October 22-26. If you need any support, please reach out to another staff person. Thanks!

TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE FOR MINISTRY PARTNERS



When a church has made the decision to live out the gospel by caring for "the least of these" in a backdrop of injustice, discrimination and marginalization, trauma becomes a much larger topic than "just" a war zone in a third world country far, far away. Drug use, domestic violence, foster care, refugee care and even supporting missionaries are situations that need a nuanced response of wisdom and understanding, more than "love is enough to conquer all."


All who participate in ministries of HBIC would benefit from learning how to be a helper and healer, in someone's journey of hurt and pain. "Trauma Informed Care for Ministry Partners" will explain the neurological changes of trauma and how responding with care can bring change. Please plan to join us on Sunday, October 18 at 1pm to learn from Elaine Shenk, a member of HBIC and Certified Mental Health Coach with Matters of the Heart / Heart of the Matter Wellness. Lunch and childcare will be provided, so we ask that you sign up here to help in our planning for the event!

ROADMAP TO RECONCILIATION


A Monday evening book study brings together 20–25 participants for a focused exploration of Brenda Salter McNeil’s Roadmap to Reconciliation 2.0. Building on earlier conversations from More Than Equals and Making It Plain, this series helps move our community from awareness into practical, community‑centered action through

thoughtful reflection, honest dialogue, and clear next steps.

We meet from 6:30 to 8pm at the church, continuing through mid‑November.

Books are available for new participants. If you can't attend but would like to read and learn from outlines from the group gatherings, click here!

YOUTH GROUP NIGHT


The HBIC youth are spear-heading another special event on Saturday, October 24 from 5-8pm! "Youth Group Night" will be hosted at HBIC, and we have invited several other local youth groups to join us! We will have large group games, small group game options, pizza, snacks, and a worship set. We're asking our youth to bring a side dish or dessert to share. As the hosts, we will be asking our youth to arrive by 4:45pm (if they're able to) to help welcome our guests from other churches. Our youth are also helping to lead the worship set. We may need a few adult musicians to help lead... reach out to Pastor Brie if that's something you would be open to! We're really looking forward to this event! Register here if you plan to attend.

MEET & GREET


You know Trick or Treat....we do Meet & Greet! Come hang with us on October 29 during Harrisburg City's Trick or Treat night. We'll be outside from 6pm to 8pm with light food and games/activities for kids. If you're willing to come help with logistics like setup or cleanup or if you can run a station, please sign up here or reach out to Pastor Carmen! This is a great way to meet our neighbors and let them know we are here and care for them.

FALL FAMILY FUN FEST


Join us for the third annual Fall Family Fun Fest at the Pattersons' home on October 31 from 1pm to 4pm. We will have food, games and fellowship! Please sign up if you plan to attend, and consider bringing a dish to share!

ROOTED


New to HBIC? Been around a while and looking to get involved in new ways? Better yet...simply never participated in Rooted? Sign up to join us in November!


Rooted is a foundational 4-week series providing an overview of Harrisburg BIC, from our history and our commitment to multiethnic community to what it means to participate in the life of HBIC today. This is an opportunity for long-time attenders to gain a fresh vision of who we are as an (ever-changing) community of faith. Rooted can also help newcomers to answer questions and dive into deeper involvement in this community! We encourage every attender to be a part of this series once. 


Our Rooted classes take place on Sunday mornings at 11am and run for 4 weeks in March, May, September and November. Sign up for our next Rooted class, starting on November 1, here.

POST-HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGE YOUNG ADULTS


Are you a recent high school grad/college student looking for a space to gather and grow with others in your specific age group? Great news! We're launching a new opportunity for you. The Brothertons are hosting two fall fun events - a bonfire (11/7) and pie-making (11/14). Save these dates and find all of the details in an email coming from Pastor Brie! If you know you plan to attend, you can sign up here to help with their planning.


If you're a young adult that's beyond college-age, there are many special ways for you to engage, too! Reach out to Pastor Brie to be added to her email list. This week, join in a lunch for all young adults after the 11am worship service!

FALL COMFORTER DAY


Help make a gift of hope and comfort. A handmade comforter provides not only warmth but a tangible reminder of hope and care to people when they need it most. We have several comforters ready to be knotted and your help is needed to finish them!


Come to the Fall Comforter Day on Saturday, November 14 starting at 9am here at Harrisburg BIC in the new Outreach Center (upstairs)! Stay all day, or an hour or two. No sewing experience is needed. If you can tie a knot, you can help finish a comforter – to help people in need around the world.


Open to everyone! Bring your friends and family. Student community service hours available. Bring your lunch if you plan to stay all day.


Completed comforters are donated to the Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC’s) relief efforts. Check out their website for more info on their wonderful work at mcc.org. Other ways to help: Donate fabric (cotton), sew comforter tops, help prep the comforters for knotting.


We will start cleaning up around 2pm and would appreciate extra help! For more information, contact Kim Mumper.

TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT


Our pastoral staff occasionally receive requests from congregants (people who do not drive, local college students, etc.) asking for help to find transportation in order to attend our services. While we know the congregation cannot meet every need, we would like to develop a list of others who would be willing to provide a ride to and from church -- such a list will be a helpful resource for the pastors. If you'd be open to giving rides to someone, especially if they live in your vicinity or somewhat along your route to church, and would be willing to be contacted as needs arise so you can consider whether or not you could help, please sign up here. Thank you.

STOCK THE SNACKS


We have encouraged the church family to engage with our capital campaign to rebuild and renew - not just financially, but personally! One way we invite you to do this is to help us stock some snacks for the COR team working on the renovations!


Sign up here to adopt a week and bring items on that Sunday morning to the table and fridge in the hallway behind the Sanctuary (near the door to the CE room). We'll have a mini fridge in the work area, so you can feel free to bring drinks and longer-lasting refrigerated items like cheese sticks and meat sticks. You could also bring things like chips, pretzels, trail mix, baked goods... get creative and help us to bless these people who are working so hard on a project that'll be such a blessing to us and our community!

STEWARDING OUR CALL


The Stewarding Our Call: Rebuild and Renew capital campaign is a three-year initiative of Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church to raise $1.5 million to fully retire our church loan and rebuild.


Check out the Stewarding Our Call page on our website for all of the information about the capital campaign and to print the pledge form. You can either drop your completed pledge form in the “Stewarding Our Call” lock box located in the church lobby or email it electronically to stewardingourcall@harrisburgbic.org. All pledge forms are kept confidential.

RENOVATIONS UNDERWAY


The upstairs office/outreach area is finished!


Progress is currently being made on the Kids Wing. Drywall is up!


If you're on FB or Instagram, you can find regular updates shared on both platforms.


We're grateful to so many who have gotten us to this point - most especially our Facility Manager, Aaron Johnston, who is working closely with COR Construction and is coordinating so many details.

The BIC Foundation is financing this project. Here's a note from them:

Hello Harrisburg BIC! The Brethren in Christ Foundation is excited for the rebuilding of your facility to be underway. We know that it has been a long journey to get to this point and are happy to partner with your congregation in funding the rebuilding project. Loans like this are only possible because of investments of others. We would love for you to learn how we support churches like yours and consider becoming an investor yourself. Click here!

OUR WEEKLY SETLIST


Did you know you can preview the upcoming worship set or listen to songs that were meaningful to you from the week before? Each Thursday, we update our Weekly Setlist playlists on YouTube and Spotify! Use them to help familiarize yourself with songs for Sunday, or just to continue worshipping throughout the week!

We welcome you to contact us by email or by phone if you have a need. Here is the contact information for our pastoral and office staff.





 
 
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