Church Key Notice

Hello Church Family,

We are currently in the process of changing the church property key system.  Your current church key may or may not work.  If your key does not work, please notify the church office to maybe obtain a new key, fob, or card.  You may want to stop by during church office hours to check to see if your key works to avoid being locked out before a meeting or event.  If you have a key fob or card, it should still work.

Thanks,

Sonja

 

Church Secretary

Sonja Shively

Shippensburg First Church of God

Email Secretary@shipfcog.org

Office Phone 717.532.8421

 

Please pray!

Dear Family,

 

Mary Gsell fell last Friday.  She is now suffering from a cracked rib and is in a great deal of pain.  Her knee replacement surgery scheduled for this Friday will probably need to be rescheduled.  So hard! 

 

Thank you for praying.

 

“The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;”  Psalms 34:19

 

 For His Glory,

 

Pastor Gary

 

Pastor Gary

 

 

Gary Hornbaker

Shippensburg First Church of God

Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship

Church Phone: 717-532-8421

 

The Full Picture - SFCOG updates for 1/28/24

Sunday is coming, and I trust it will be a good day!

 

During this dreary, rainy, cold January day, you know what might be relaxing? A Puzzle!

I'd love to just sit by the fire with a cup of coffee and put pieces together…

 

I've learned there are two schools of thought for puzzle-putter-togethering: Do you look at the Box or No? Do you let the image on the package guide you, or do you embrace the challenge and hide the box?

 

It definitely feels more difficult when you don't have the full picture…

 

 

Recap: We began this series and this New Year with the question—Would you rather know what the full picture of what the future holds, or is it better that we don't know what's coming?

 

At the heart of the matter is Trust. Do we trust that God has good intentions and plans for our lives and our world?

 

As we wrap up this series this weekend, we will briefly revisit some of the thoughts of Solomon in Ecclesiastes, but then we will spend "a little while" focusing in on something our Lord Jesus has to say in John 16 about the future, God's Plans & God's Timing.

 

Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3:11,

'He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.'

 

In the passage we will study Sunday, Jesus evokes some similar themes, and he tells his disciples in John 16:12,

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear."

 

Jesus knows that his disciples can't bear or fathom what God has done from beginning to end. While we also have "eternity in our hearts," we too, are incapable of comprehending the full picture of God's Plans in our mortal minds.

 

To borrow the words of Paul in I Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV),

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

 

However, notice that Jesus does not merely leave his disciples "in the dark." In the next verse, John 16:13 Jesus says,

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth."

 

One of the main roles of the Holy Spirit is to help the People of God understand the thoughts of God, including getting a little better glimpse of God's plans "from beginning to end."

 

Whether we have questions about tomorrow, or the end of time, we can trust that God's Spirit will guide us into all the truth according to his timing and his plans. Scripture shows that this insight is always revealed slowly, through a gradual process. But we can trust that if we abide in Jesus, God will make all things beautiful in their proper time!

 

We do not know the "full picture" about what the future holds, but in John 16:33, Jesus has told us what we can expect for certain—

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

 

 

Upcoming Events

• Next week is Compelled to Serve Sunday. Phil Schiavoni will be sharing an update about his ministry with Coalition for Christian Outreach, and bringing a message from the Gospel of John. Learn more here: Philip Schiavoni - CCO | Campus Ministry (ccojubilee.org) There will also be a combined Sunday School hour featuring reports from missions in the Dominican Republic by the Negley family and Paige Smith.

 

• Next Sunday afternoon, you also have the opportunity to go to Camp YoliJwa for their annual Winter Picnic, featuring family friendly activities starting at 3:00, a meal at 4:00, a presentation about our National Parks at 5:00, and devotions led by Pastor Rodney at 6:00. The camp is providing hot dogs, and each family is asked to bring a side dish such as salads, desserts, or snacks. You can learn more at Winter Picnic — Doubling Gap Center, Home of camp YoliJwa. All are welcome!

 

• Our next Baptism service is scheduled for February 25^th. If you or someone in your family is considering this important step of faith, please sign up in the Gathering Place or respond to this email.

 

• "A Weekend to Remember" is coming to Hershey on February 9-11. This is a wonderful time to strengthen your marriage and experience a weekend away.  Now through January 22, Family Life Today is offering a 50% discount. That is the best price they offer, but after the 22, you can still save $100 if you register as part of our Church. You can register at this link: Weekend To Remember Marriage Retreat - FamilyLife®  --When registering, we ask that you use the following code: ShippensburgFirstChurchofGod (no spaces). By using this code, the church receives a free couple registration for every five couples registered, and you receive the $100 discount (if registering after the 50% off promotion ends).

 

Outreach Collection Opportunity

We are collecting donations for the Circle of Love ministry.  They are in need of any size of these items:

• shampoo
• body wash
• conditioner
• shaving cream
• ladies' deodorant
• toothpaste (please note, NO TOOTHBRUSHES are needed at this time)

Collecting will continue through January and February in a container in the vestibule of the Sanctuary, closest to Cross Roads Station. Thank you for sharing with our community!

 

I pray that God continues to reveal to you the "full picture" of His Love for you as you seek to live for Him!

 

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org

 

 

Helpful Links:

Website (shipfcog.org)

SFCOG Facebook

Online Messages (shipfcog.org)

Online Giving (shipfcog.org)

Care Groups & Sunday School Classes

 

*Weather Alerts/ Schedule Changes (shipfcog.org)*

 

Weekly Order of Worship and FYI Newsletter (updated over the weekend)

shipfcog.net/site/shipfcog/shipnews/index.html

 

Good Times & SFCOG updates for 1/21

Sunday is coming, and I trust it will be a good day!

 

 

How often do you find yourself missing “the good old days?” Where does your mind wander when you hear that phrase? Or should I say, ‘to when’ does your mind wander? What year or age of life reigns in your mind as the “good old days?”

 

Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 12,

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them.”

 

I occasionally reminisce about the ‘good old days’ of my youth…

·       riding bikes around the neighborhoods of Shippensburg…

·       hopping in and out of streams looking for frogs and turtles…

·       afternoons of sitting on a living room floor playing Nintendo…

·       college days, meeting new people and learning new things…

·       traveling with friends to punk-rock shows…

·       the sound of dial-up internet… (ok maybe not that one)

 

But then I also reflect on all of the ‘good new days’ and the blessings I have right now…

·       a caring and creative wife who is my best friend…

·       5 unique, playful, fun-loving kids…

·       ministry with a church family that is alive and active…

·       years of experiences and memories to reminisce about…

·       meaningful, lifelong friendships that have stood the test of time, and new friends too…

·       the ongoing mercies of the Lord that are new every morning…

 

What do you remember from your youth? What blessings are you thankful for in the present?

 

Solomon reflects on this idea more in Ecclesiastes 7:13-14—

Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

 

In every season of life on this earth, there will always be good days and bad days, blessings and struggles. And we can’t go backwards in time, only forwards… but no one can discover what the future holds, except by living one day at a time!

 

So what does it mean to “Remember our Creator” especially for those of us who are no longer in the “days of our youth?”

 

The Hebrew word for “remembering” implies Action. It comes from the root word, zakar.

There’s a sense that remembering is not merely a matter of thoughts and ideas inside our head, but allowing that memory to present itself in the real world and change things. In the Bible, remembering implies making what is unseen visible.

Elsewhere in scripture, when the word zakar is used, it’s often in the context of the people of God being instructed repeatedly to remember the Lord—meaning to live according to his laws and make him known to the world.

If we remember our Creator, it means we must make him actively known and visible in our world through our own God-given creativity.

 

It’s significant that Solomon refers to God by his Role as the Creator in this context. God has many names and roles and functions—Father, Son, Holy Spirit… Sustainer, Savoir, Almighty Ruler & Law Giver, Holy One Who is Worthy to be Praised.

 

*By remembering God as our Creator, we are prompted also to be Creative, because Creativity is central to the Character of God!

 

Let me suggest to you that in light of the other themes of Ecclesiastes, the heart of creativity is Fun!

That’s right—Fun! Enjoyment! Satisfaction!

 

Notice that back in Ecclesiastes 2:24-25, Solomon reminds us of God’s design for this life:

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

 

But before we get too self-indulgent or irresponsible, lets trace this theme a little further through Ecclesiastes (and the rest of Scripture).

 

The Bible shows that we must make the most of the days we are given on earth, before this life is over. As Solomon discovered, this does not mean living to please ourselves or make a name for ourselves, but to “remember” God, making him known and living according to his commands.

 

Ecclesiastes 12:13 concludes the book in this way:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

 

Solomon says without God, who can find enjoyment? So as believers, we are called to be fun-loving people!

 

Ecclesiastes contains many clear reminders that it is God’s Design for us to find Enjoyment in our Toil, and when we do so, we are tapping into the creative Spirit of God.

 

We will explore this further during our time of worship on Sunday, but for believers in this New Testament world, true enjoyment means “Remembering our Creator” by living creative lives! And the full extent of this is found by having a relationship with Jesus, our savior, who says in John 10:10 – “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

 

Whether you’re in your youth or not, whether you’re facing good days or bad days, I pray you’ll seek to find enjoyment in your Creator, keeping His commands, living creative and full lives in service to the Savior! And I hope you’ll gather with your church family this weekend as we worship and grow together!

 

 

Council Commissioning

Our 2024 Church Council will be commissioned with prayer during our morning worship this Sunday. Please continually hold all of our leaders in your prayers as we seek to Glorify our God and serve Him with all of the talents and resources that he has entrusted to our congregation, for the furthering of the Gospel and the betterment of our church family and our community.

 

 

Upcoming Events

• This Sunday we will be offering our New Member’s Class during the Sunday School hour at 9:45 in room 210. This is a chance to learn more about Shippensburg First Church of God and our CGGC denomination, and consider if God may be calling you to make a greater commitment to our church by becoming a member. People who choose to become members will be installed in February.

 

• Our next Baptism service is scheduled for February 25^th. If you or someone in your family is considering this important step of faith, please sign up in the Gathering Place or respond to this email.

 

• “A Weekend to Remember” is coming to Hershey on February 9-11. This is a wonderful time to strengthen your marriage and experience a weekend away.  Now through January 22, Family Life Today is offering a 50% discount. That is the best price they offer, but after the 22, you can still save $100 if you register as part of our Church. You can register at this link: Weekend To Remember Marriage Retreat - FamilyLife®  --When registering, we ask that you use the following code: ShippensburgFirstChurchofGod (no spaces). By using this code, the church receives a free couple registration for every five couples registered, and you receive the $100 discount (if registering after the 50% off promotion ends).

 

 

I pray your week is filled with fun and creative opportunities to worship and serve the Lord, and that we can gather together to praise him as a Church Family soon!

 

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org

 

 

Helpful Links:

Website (shipfcog.org)

SFCOG Facebook

Online Messages (shipfcog.org)

Online Giving (shipfcog.org)

Care Groups & Sunday School Classes

 

*Weather Alerts/ Schedule Changes (shipfcog.org)*

 

Weekly Order of Worship and FYI Newsletter (updated over the weekend)

shipfcog.net/site/shipfcog/shipnews/index.html

 

SFCOG Community Night & Parking Lot Update

Hello, Church Family!

 

We are still planning to hold our Community Night events at 6:30 as planned, but we wanted to update you about our parking lot conditions:

 

Our trustees always do a great job caring for our parking lots and facilities, but these extreme temperatures and winds have brought some challenges. The parking lot has been plowed, the sidewalks were cleared, and everything has been salted, but there are still some persistent patches of ice in the parking lots, especially at the Annex near the alleyway where the snow had been packed down and frozen. There also continues to be some drifting and refreezing on the sidewalk that passes between the main church building and Cross Roads Station, mostly near the back of the building. Please be careful if walking through these areas, and exercise caution when deciding to venture out this evening.

 

Also note that Choir Practice is Cancelled for tonight since the temperatures will be dropping.

 

Stay safe!

 

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org

 

SFCOG prayer update

Hello Church Family,

Please keep Glenda Bistline in your prayers tomorrow as she undergoes back surgery tomorrow morning. She will be staying at the hospital at least one night and then will face several weeks of recovery and therapy.

Thanks for joining our family in prayer,
Pastor Rodney

YouTube Help for Church Online Viewers

SFCOG Council Highlights and Updates for 1/14/24

The First Sunday of 2024 is Coming!  (let’s try this again!)

 

The snow and ice this past weekend may have prevented us from gathering together, but hopefully you all had the chance to pray and worship and rest in your own ways at home. I pray that you felt God’s presence and had unique opportunities to connect with your families, friends, and neighbors!

 

This Sunday, we will hope to have the opportunity to begin our year together as a church family with Communion at the Lord’s Table, and reflect once gain on the wisdom of Solomon found in Ecclesiastes. It may be a week delayed, but I will trust that like all things, God will make this first corporate worship opportunity of 2024 “beautiful in it’s time.”

 

Here (again) is a reflection to prepare your thoughts and hearts for the message on Sunday, followed by some highlights from our January Council meeting and a few updated announcements.

 

 

Over Christmas break, my family went hiking on a foggy day. As we ascended up a hill into the mist, we felt like we would eventually catch up to the cloud, but it was always just a little farther away. It gave me a good visual representation of something we will consider in our scripture for Sunday--

 

In Ecclesiastes 1:14 Wise King Solomon says,

“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

 

Sometimes in life, it feels like we are chasing after the wind, lost in a fog, or wandering through the mist, grasping at things we can’t quite hold on to, like fleeting happiness or contentment. Especially after the Holidays, it may feel like we go into a long dark, ‘foggy’ season with less to celebrate… joy may feel just out of reach at times.

 

 

I recognize these are not exactly the uplifting and encouraging words you may be looking for from Scripture if you are finding yourself battling the post-holiday blues…

 

…and yet, there are many times where I find something very comforting about the fact that these words of Solomon are including in our Bible.

 

It’s incredibly relatable!

 

But what do we do when we feel this way?

The short answer is we hold onto hope, and TRUST that “God has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

We can keep “eternity in our hearts” as we Follow God in the seemingly ‘meaningless’ routines of our day to day lives, remembering that through Jesus, God himself joins us in our daily lives “under the sun” and HE brings meaning to the mundane.

 

Consider this: while were chasing after the wind, the very person of God Himself chased after us, entering into our ordinary world as Immanuel—God With US—stepping down from heaven and joining us ‘under the sun,’ making the ordinary extra-ordinary!

 

One of the most beautiful demonstrations of this can be found in the symbolism of the Lord’s Table, which we will observe together this weekend.

The Passover was already a very special and sacred observance, but at the Last Supper, Jesus revealed a deeper significance to this ancient practice. God in the flesh took common, ordinary, routine, mundane items—Bread and Wine—and gave them New Meaning.

 

Jesus can do that in all areas of our life, if we open our eyes to His Spirit within us and around us, and as we look forward to the days foretold in Revelation 21:5—

‘He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”’

 

 

Council Highlights

The Shippensburg First Church of God Council met this week for our first Council Meeting of 2024. Here are some highlights to share with you:

• Election of 2024 officers was conducted, with the following results:
• President –  Troy Shively
• Vice President –  Phil Myers
• Secretary –  Phil Ritchie
• Treasurer –  Phil Ritchie
• Head Usher (1st service) –  Glenn Lytle
• Head Usher (2nd service) –  Jacques Shaul
• The Cross Roads Station renovation project is essentially complete, but a few final details need to be finished. It can begin being used for some of our current ministries, but some finishing touches and usage logistics are still being confirmed. A Dedication Ceremony will be planned to formally commission it with prayer and open it for use with future ministries and community outreach opportunities.
• Treasurer Phil Ritchie gave a brief update on the CRS financial position.  The final billing from Lehman’s Construction Services, Inc. has been received. After many generous donations and your ongoing financial support, we will only need to borrow $213,605.  This should result in monthly mortgage payments of approximately $1,600. Further giving is greatly encouraged to reduce the life of the loan. We praise God for His provision thus far, and trust He will continue to provide!

 

Our 2024 Church Council will be commissioned with prayer during our morning worship on January 21^st. Please continually hold our leaders in your prayer as we seek to Glorify our God and serve Him with all of the talents and resources that he has entrusted to our congregation, for the furthering of the Gospel and the betterment of our church family and our community.

 

 

Upcoming Events

• This Sunday (January 14), we will observe Communion as a part of both worship services. Join us as we begin the year at the Lord’s Table. We will also collect a special offering for our Beneficent Fund at the end of our Worship Services.

 

• Beginning on January 19th, we will be offering a Financial Peace University class. This could be a great way to work towards your financial goals in 2024. The class will meet on Friday evenings at 6:30 in the Cross Roads Station Fellowship Hall until the end of March. It is a video-based curriculum with time for fellowship and discussion. There is a fee associated with registration. You can learn more and register online at this link: https://www.fpu.com/3442B7
• On January 21, at 9:45, we will be offering our New Member’s Class. This is a chance to learn more about Shippensburg First Church of God and our CGGC denomination, and consider if God may be calling you to make a greater commitment to our church by becoming a Member. You can sign up in the Gathering Place or reply to this email to be sure to receive future communications about the class.

 

• “A Weekend to Remember” is coming to Hershey on February 9-11. This is a wonderful time to strengthen your marriage and experience a weekend away.  Now through January 22, Family Life Today is offering a 50% discount. That is the best price they offer, but after the 22, you can still save $100 if you register as part of our Church. You can register at this link: Weekend To Remember Marriage Retreat - FamilyLife®  --When registering, we ask that you use the following code: ShippensburgFirstChurchofGod (no spaces). By using this code, the church receives a free couple registration for every five couples registered, and you receive the $100 discount (if registering after the 50%off promotion ends).

 

 

I am looking forward to the opportunity to worship together again soon!

 

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org

 

 

Helpful Links:

Website (shipfcog.org)

SFCOG Facebook

Online Messages (shipfcog.org)

Online Giving (shipfcog.org)

Care Groups & Sunday School Classes

 

*Weather Alerts/ Schedule Changes (shipfcog.org)*

 

Weekly Order of Worship and FYI Newsletter (updated over the weekend)

shipfcog.net/site/shipfcog/shipnews/index.html

 

 

Please pray!

Dear Church Family,

 

Please be in prayer for Tara Mowery, Howard and Joanne Bly’s daughter, who is dealing with pain in her aabdomen.  Sshe was in the hospital for a day, but they were not able to find the cause of pain.  Pray for medical wisdom and discernment as they care for her.

 

“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.  Jeremiah 17:14

 

 For His Glory,

 

Pastor Gary

 

Pastor Gary

 

 

Gary Hornbaker

Shippensburg First Church of God

Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship

Church Phone: 717-532-8421

 

Please continue to pray!

Dear Church Family,

 

Please continue to lift up Ruth Miller in prayer for healing and comfort as she battles the flu.

 

“The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.”  Psalm 41:3

 

 For His Glory,

 

Pastor Gary

 

Pastor Gary

 

 

Gary Hornbaker

Shippensburg First Church of God

Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship

Church Phone: 717-532-8421

 

SFCOG Cancellation for 1/07

Hello Church Family,

Due to the weather and the uncertainty of the conditions in the morning, we have made the difficult decision to cancel services for tomorrow. 

I encourage you all to 'be the church' wherever you are tomorrow! Take some extra time to rest and worship in your own way, spend some special time with your family, help out a neighbor, check on a friend, and pray for our world. 

See you next Sunday for worship and communion together!

"Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children. Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven!"

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭148‬:‭7‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sincerely,

Pastor Rodney

Please pray!

Dear Family,

 

Please be in prayer for:

 

Judy Baer as she grieves the passing of her sister-in-law.

 

Ruth Miller who is battling the flu.  Ruth is 103 years old and lives at Chambers Pointe.

 

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.  And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.”  Malachi 4:2

 

Enjoy the snow and be safe!

 

 For His Glory,

 

Pastor Gary

 

Pastor Gary

 

 

Gary Hornbaker

Shippensburg First Church of God

Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship

Church Phone: 717-532-8421

 

SFCOG Prayer Updates

Hello SFCOG,

Please join me in prayer for the following people and families:

John C. Powell passed away on December 30th. John was a member of SFCOG Since he was 8 years old. Please remember his Sisters and Brother (Linda Klein, Patricia McClure, and Richard Powell), and all of his family in prayer. He is now reunited with his wife, Denise, in heaven. Funeral details are as follows, and more information can be found at the link below:

John's funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at the Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home & Crematorium, Inc., Shippensburg. Pastor Matthew Tosten will officiate. Interment will follow in the Spring Hill Cemetery. Viewing will be one hour prior to the service on Saturday morning at the funeral home.

John Powell Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information memorials.fogelsanger-brickerfuneralhome.com

Mic Martin requests prayer for his Brother, Kenneth, who is facing Pneumonia in Florida. 

Judy Baer would also like to be held in your prayers as she continues to recover, following some health concerns. 

We can praise the Lord together as Pastor Gary has begun to recover and return to participating more directly with ministry activities here at church! Please continue to hold him in prayer as he still has to face some more procedures in the future, but he says he is greatly encouraged and is definitely experiencing some healing. 

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬-‭16‬

Joining you in Prayer,

Pastor Rodney

SFCOG Year in Review and updates for 1/07

The First Sunday of 2024 is Coming!  (and maybe Snow?)

 

 

Over Christmas break, my family went hiking on a foggy day. As we ascended up a hill into the mist, we felt like we would eventually catch up to the cloud, but it was always just a little farther away. It gave me a good visual representation of something we will consider in our scripture for Sunday--

 

In Ecclesiastes 1:14 Wise King Solomon says,

“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

 

Sometimes in life, it feels like we are chasing after the wind, lost in a fog, or wandering through the mist, grasping at things we can’t quite hold on to, like fleeting happiness or contentment. Especially after the Holidays, it may feel like we go into a long dark, ‘foggy’ season with less to celebrate… joy may feel just out of reach at times.

 

 

I recognize these are not exactly the uplifting and encouraging words you may be looking for from Scripture if you are finding yourself battling the post-holiday blues…

 

…and yet, there are many times where I find something very comforting about the fact that these words of Solomon are including in our Bible.

 

It’s incredibly relatable!

 

But what do we do when we feel this way?

The short answer is we hold onto hope, and TRUST that “God has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

We can keep “eternity in our hearts” as we Follow God in the seemingly ‘meaningless’ routines of our day to day lives, remembering that through Jesus, God himself joins us in our daily lives “under the sun” and HE brings meaning to the mundane.

 

Consider this: while were chasing after the wind, the very person of God Himself chased after us, entering into our ordinary world as Immanuel—God With US—stepping down from heaven and joining us ‘under the sun,’ making the ordinary extra-ordinary!

 

One of the most beautiful demonstrations of this can be found in the symbolism of the Lord’s Table, which we will observe together this weekend.

The Passover was already a very special and sacred observance, but at the Last Supper, Jesus revealed a deeper significance to this ancient practice. God in the flesh took common, ordinary, routine, mundane items—Bread and Wine, and gave them New Meaning.

 

Jesus can do that in all areas of our life, if we open our eyes to His Spirit within us and around us, and as we look forward to the days foretold in Revelation 21:5—

‘He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”’

 

 

**Special Weather Statement**

With the chance of inclement weather in the forecast, our church leadership will do our best to make a wise decision regarding Sunday morning worship and communicate that to you all in a timely manner. If needed, a cancellation announcement will be made Saturday evening or early Sunday morning in the following ways:

• this email list
• our Church Website
• our Facebook Page
• shared on ABC 27

 

 

Celebrate What God Has Done in 2024

Last weekend we shared a photo recap from many different events that took place within our church during the past year. You can now view this slideshow on our website:

Shippensburg First Church of God | 2023 Year in Review (shipfcog.org)

 

Upcoming Events

• This Sunday (January 7), weather permitting, we will observe Communion as a part of both worship services. Join us as we begin the year at the Lord’s Table. We will also collect a special offering for our Beneficent Fund at the end of our Worship Services.

 

• Community Night will resume this Wednesday, January 10^th. Community Night is from 6:30-8:00 and features activities for all ages.

 

• Beginning on January 19th, we will be offering a Financial Peace University class. This could be a great way to work towards your financial goals in 2024. The class will meet on Friday evenings at 6:30 until the end of March. You can learn more and register online at this link: https://www.fpu.com/3442B7
• On January 21, at 9:45, we will be offering our New Member’s Class. This is a chance to learn more about Shippensburg First Church of God and our CGGC denomination, and consider if God may be calling you to make a greater commitment to our church by becoming a Member. You can sign up in the Gathering Place to be sure to receive future communications about the class.

 

• “A Weekend to Remember” is coming to Hershey on February 9-11. This is a wonderful time to strengthen your marriage and experience a weekend away.  Now through January 9, Family Life Today is offering a $100 discount. You can register at this link: Weekend To Remember Marriage Retreat - FamilyLife®  --When registering, we ask that you use the following code: ShippensburgFirstChurchofGod (no spaces). By using this code, the church receives a free couple registration for every five couples registered.

 

I am praying that you all stay safe and cozy this weekend, and that we will be able to worship together again soon!

 

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org

 

 

Helpful Links:

Website (shipfcog.org)

SFCOG Facebook

Online Messages (shipfcog.org)

Online Giving (shipfcog.org)

Care Groups & Sunday School Classes

 

*Weather Alerts/ Schedule Changes (shipfcog.org)*

 

Weekly Order of Worship and FYI Newsletter (updated over the weekend)

shipfcog.net/site/shipfcog/shipnews/index.html