Dear Family,
Chris Hershey decided to go to Hershey for tests instead of Cleveland. They did a CT scan and found no abnormalities that are life threatening at least. He is to follow up with his Neurologist. Praise God!
For His Glory,
Pastor Gary
Pastor Gary
Gary Hornbaker
Shippensburg First Church of God
Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship
Church Phone: 717-532-8421
Dear Family,
I ask that you lift up the following in prayer before the throne room of our Heavenly Father:
Chris Hershey is leaving shortly to travel to the Cleveland Clinic. He is experiencing severe headaches and may have possible blood clots. There are several individuals in the Hershey family who deal with S Protein Deficiency. Pray for God’s healing and protection upon Chris.
Ricky Bodde (Marty and Karen Bodde’s son and George and Doris Plumb’s grandson) is scheduled for brain surgery on September 10th at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Pray for a successful surgery and complete recovery.
Thank you for joining us in prayer!
“But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark 9:22b-23
For His Glory,
Pastor Gary
Pastor Gary
Gary Hornbaker
Shippensburg First Church of God
Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship
Church Phone: 717-532-8421
Sunday is Coming!
Any Thrill Seekers or Risk Takers Out there?
Do you enjoy sky diving, bungee jumping, rock climbing, motorcycle racing, or scuba diving perhaps?
Now that I’m in my 40s, I don’t normally see myself as a risk taker… but in my teenage years, I sometimes thought of myself as a “wannabe” Xtreme sports athlete. I enjoyed doing tricks on my bike and in-line skates (it was the 90s), and I took up Pole Vaulting in Track & Field because it seemed like the most thrilling event to try.
But in other areas of life, such as social or work settings, I like to play it safe. I rarely call myself as “risky.” I’m not someone who has often aspired to do big things or have great ambitions or ventured far and wide for long periods of times. After traveling and living in a few different locations for a few years of my life, I don’t mind that I live in my own hometown now.
However… often Faith requires us to step out of our comfort zone and do some things that feel “risky.”
Although it is important to note that there’s a difference between recklessness or hasty decisions, and faithful risks that are worth taking. It is a matter of who is initiating our actions—are we living in response to our own impulses and passions, or in obedience to God?
On Sunday we will continue studying the life of Moses, who was an ordinary person that became extraordinary, because he took some risks to follow God by faith. We will look at some of the “risks” that Moses took early on in his life:
We will resume the “Origin Story” of Moses and read about some of these events from Moses’ life, including his dramatic encounter with God in Exodus 3 where God reveals his Personal Name to Moses.
Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, tells Moses that he will also be the God of Moses, and will go with him to confront Pharoah and deliver the people of God from captivity.
And God said, “I will be with you.”
--Exodus 3:12
In the “Faith Hall of Fame” in Hebrews 11, we can read several highlights about Moses, and among them is this statement:
“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” –Hebrews 11:27
Yes, stepping out in faith causes us to pursue “him who is invisible” which may make us feel uncomfortable, like walking in the dark or unfamiliar territory. It might require an investment of time, talent, or even financial resources… It might feel “risky.”
But it is important to remember that our Faith must be an ongoing journey, and this means not settling for comfort or complacency.
These statements all imply action, direction, movement, or progress.
Just like Following a person is different than following a map, following Jesus is different than going through the comfortable motions of religious habits.
Christianity requires us to stay close to Christ, wherever He leads.
Our Christian Faith is not just a religion, it is a commitment to a Person—Jesus himself, who is always on the move in the sense that God is always at work in this world. If we want to find meaning and purpose and contentment in this life, it is found by knowing God and staying with God.
Or in Moses’ words found in Psalm 90:1,
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.”
After running away from trouble, Moses ‘found himself’ by going back to the Holy Ground in the presence of God.
We find our identity, our true home, our permanent address, “our dwelling place” in God alone.
To bring this full circle… ironically, maybe following God is not so ‘risky.’
If God is our dwelling place, if our identity is truly found in God alone, then the only ‘safe’ place to be is in God.
Following God is like never ‘leaving home!’
This Sunday
Prepare your hearts for worship as we come together to Celebrate our Savior!
“Get Connected” will be offered this Sunday at 9:45 in room 104. Check out Get Connected to learn more about our Sunday School classes and other Care Group ministries to discover where you can form deeper relationships here at SFCOG.
8:30 Traditional Worship
575 Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
580 Through it All
581 Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
704 God will Make a Way
Our Adult Choir will resume singing weekly anthems on September 15th.
11:00 Contemporary Worship
Glorious Day
Death was Arrested
Give us Clean Hands
Yet not I but Through Christ in Me
Staff Availability
Next week Pastor Gary & Joyce Hornbaker will be away on Vacation. Please direct any pastoral and prayer needs to Pastor Rodney or the Church Office.
Community Night Resumes on Wednesday, September 4th!
There will be something for everyone, including-
· Children
· Youth
· Young Adults
· and several small group electives to choose from
Visit our Community Night webpage to learn more:
Shippensburg First Church of God | WEDNESDAY COMMUNITY NIGHT (shipfcog.org)
Church Picnic
Next Sunday, September 8th is our Annual Church Picnic at Memorial Park!
We will have a special combined worship service at 10 at the park, followed by a picnic lunch (there will be no Sunday School). Families should bring a hot and a cold dish to share. Singles may bring either a hot or a cold dish. Sign-up sheets are available in the classrooms, the gathering place, and the Children’s Check-in area. Please RSVP and indicate what covered-dishes you plan to bring, and to help us with planning purposes.
*Ham, Chicken, Drinks, and Place Settings will be provided.
In the event of forecasted severe weather, an announcement will be made by Thursday to adjust plans if needed. A combined service would still be held in the Sanctuary at 10:00 and the meal would take place in Crossroads Station.
*We encourage anyone who received Sunday School pins for attendance in the past to wear them to the church picnic.
We will provide an opportunity for people to share testimonies and ways they saw God work in the past in and through our church ministry and people. We look forward to hearing these God stories!
Bible Quizzing
We are starting a Bible Quiz Team for Middle School and High School students!
Quizzing is a wonderful way for teenagers to learn God’s Word, develop confidence and leadership skills, meet students from other churches, and engage in friendly competition. In the past, SFCOG has participated in this inter-church ministry through our CGGC denomination, and many previous quizzers have gone on to serve as community and ministry leaders in a variety of ways.
Practices will begin Sunday, September 8 at 8:30 am in the youth room. Quizzing competitions happen once a month through the winter months, typically on Sunday afternoons at other local CGGC churches. To learn more, check out this video: Bible Quizzing | Churches of God GC (cggc.org)
To register for Bible quizzing or to ask questions, reply to this email or contact John and Nancy Morton.
Upcoming Milestone Events
We have several “milestone” opportunities planned for those looking to take a step of faith in specific ways. Mark your calendars and prayerfully consider if you or someone in your family might be ready for such a next step. Feel free to contact me to learn more!
There are Signup sheets located in the Gathering Place if you are interested in being included for any of these events.
Corn Festival Car Show
The Shippensburg Corn Festival is happening on Saturday, August 31, and we have the privilege of sharing our parking lot to be used for the community Car Show/Cruz-In.
*Please note that our parking lot will not be available for parking on Saturday and beginning Friday Evening.
Service Opportunities
Love Our Town
We are continuing to collect hygiene products for the Circle of Love ministry as part of a community-wide outreach initiative involving over 10 different churches. These items can be placed in the appropriate bins in the side vestibule off of the Sanctuary closest to Crossroads Station.
Also as part of Love our Town, we will be collecting cookies to share with some of the teachers and staff of SASD. Cookies can be delivered to the lower level kitchen by September 16th.
See the FYI for more details for these two local mission projects. There are also several other service, prayer, and worship opportunities taking place as part of Love Our Town during the week of September 15-21. To learn more, see the community bulletin board near the rear entrance of the Sanctuary.
Hound Packs
We are once again collecting single serving sizes of oatmeal and cereal to be distributed to SASD students through the weekend meal program known as Hound Packs. These donations can also be placed in the appropriate bins in the side vestibule off of the Sanctuary closest to Crossroads Station.
Weber Family
Rob Weber and his family continue to have a long journey ahead. Pray for strength, hope, and encouragement for Kerri as she loves on Rob, her three girls, and oversees the dairy operation.
There are now more opportunities to provide meals for Kerri, her girls, and the caregivers of their children. You can go on the following link to volunteer to prepare a meal or to give a gift card: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/wqz96q
Communications Updates
The September edition of our “FYI” Newsletter is now available in the Gathering Place, the center section of the Sanctuary, or in your Church Mailbox.
If you have information you would like to communicate, communication request forms are available from the church office, in the Gathering Place, or online.
Looking forward to stepping out in faith with you this Sunday!
Pastor Rodney Bistline
Shippensburg First Church of God
seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org
Helpful Links:
Online Messages (shipfcog.org)
Care Groups & Sunday School Classes
Weekly Bulletin & FYI Monthly Newsletter (updated over the weekend)
shipfcog.net/site/shipfcog/shipnews/index.html
Dear Family,
Rob Weber is now off his medical coma. He has a tracheal tube and PEG for feeding. He has eye movement, is able to move his head, and has some movement with his left hand and left leg. The doctors are hoping to be able to move him from ICU to a regular room in a week or so. Please continue praying for a complete recovery. Rob has a long journey ahead. Pray for strength, hope, and encouragement for Kerri as she loves on Rob, her three girls, and oversees the dairy operation.
There are now more oppotunities to provide meals for Kerri, her girls, and the caregivers of their children. You can go on the following link to volunteer to prepare a meal or to give a gift card. As I mentioned in the last email, Kerri is also open to having people drive her to and from the York Hospital.
https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/wqz96q
Address
8906 Mowersville Road
Newburg, PA 17240
(717) 440-6075 (Kerri’s cell phone)
Kowswiss@gmail.com (Kerri’s email address)
Children: Eva, Nora, and Natalyn
For His Glory,
Pastor Gary
Pastor Gary
Gary Hornbaker
Shippensburg First Church of God
Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship
Church Phone: 717-532-8421
Dear Church Family,
Following is a message from the Children’s Ministries Directors about an important meeting that is being held tomorrow night to help prepare for AWANA.
Thanks,
Church Secretary
Sonja Shively
Shippensburg First Church of God
Email Secretary@shipfcog.org
Office Phone 717.532.8421
Children’s Ministries will be having a training/information meeting about our upcoming AWANA Clubs that will be starting on Sept. 4th.
If you already are helping or are considering helping, please plan to attend.
It will be tomorrow evening, Wednesday, August 28th at 6:30 in the Children’s Ministry Area in the lower level of the church.
We are still in need of helpers & teachers!
We look forward to seeing you!
Jeanette Roberts & Becky Cramer
Shippensburg First Church of God
Children’s Ministry Co-Directors
Dear Family,
Praise and continue praying for …
Jordan Nell (Jason and Sarah’s son), who dislocated his kneecap at a high school soccer game last evening. We are praising God he is not experiencing pain now and was able to go to school this morning. Pray his parents can schedule an appointment for him soon with an orthopedic doctor to learn next steps.
Sam Norton is home from the hospital and is recovering, and is experiencing pain.
Kathy Shoop came through back surgery well and the doctors will monitor her for another day or two before releasing her from the hospital.
Please pray for …
Darwin Haines (Carol Schue’s brother) and Nancy Haines (Carol’s sister-in-law) are both battling cancer and are experiencing some very hard days. Lift up Darwin and Nancy’s daughter, Amanda, who is walking with them to provide care while continuing to work her job.
Assistance needed:
JoEllen Koser is requesting assistance to transport her mother, Margie Shoap, to some doctor appointments. Margie navigates in a wheelchair. She needs some assistance to move from the wheelchair into a vehicle.
Kerri Weber would appreciate transportation on occasion to and from York Hospital.
If you are able to assist either of these individuals, please inform me or you can talk to them directly.
“But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:24b-27
For His Glory,
Pastor Gary
Pastor Gary
Gary Hornbaker
Shippensburg First Church of God
Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship
Church Phone: 717-532-8421
Dear Family,
Please be in prayer for Kathy Shoop who is scheduled to have surgery on her back early tomorrow morning.
Thank you for your partnership in prayer!
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12
For His Glory,
Pastor Gary
Pastor Gary
Gary Hornbaker
Shippensburg First Church of God
Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship
Church Phone: 717-532-8421
Dear Family,
Please pray for the following:
Paul Gsell’s brother, Lynn, passed away this morning.
Pastor Rodney shared in second service that Sam Morton came through surgery okay.
“But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7
For His Glory,
Pastor Gary
Pastor Gary
Gary Hornbaker
Shippensburg First Church of God
Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship
Church Phone: 717-532-8421
Dear Family,
Please be in prayer for the following people:
Kathy Russell’s brother-in-law passed away yesterday.
Rob Weber had a tracheal tube inserted and will be having a PEG (feeding tube) inserted in a few days.
“The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;” Psalm 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
Sunday is Coming!
If someone turned your life into a comic-book, what would be your “Origin Story”? A super hero’s origin story might tell how they came to be who they are, or what motivates them to use their powers for good.
· Superman was a refugee from another planet that had been destroyed.
· Batman saw the death of his parents and became a crime-fighting vigilante.
· Wonder Woman’s origins involve Greek Mythology, and she has often been presented as the opposite of a “damsel in distress.”
· Ironman was the son of a highly motived and politically connected inventor and arms dealer.
· Captain Marvel has a variety of different origin stories, but they all involve her coming into contact with alien technology (maybe?)
· Spiderman’s mistake caused the death of his uncle, who instructed him: “with great power, comes great responsibility.”
So what is your “Origin Story?” In the church community, we might say, what is your testimony?
--How did you come to faith? What events led you to where you are today?
For many people, it’s not only events or circumstances that brought us to faith, but specific people who guided us along the way.
--Who brought you to Jesus? Who has been helpful in shaping your faith?
My Guess is that unless you have some hidden super powers, most of us feel like we have fairly “ordinary” stories at first glance, but I’m sure there were some other Ordinary People or Ordinary Circumstances that caused some “extraordinary” things to happen at some point in your life.
**We’d love for some of you to have the opportunity to share some of your testimonies and ways that you’ve seen God work in your past as part of our Church Picnic on September 8th. Be thinking about it now, and if you’d like to share, please let Pastor Gary or me know!
I’ve shared bits of my own testimony before (and I’ll do so again this weekend), but there were many regular people and many seemingly small events that helped to bring me along the way in my journey of faith.
I’ve found that this is consistent with the way God interacts with the people and events of history as seen in the Bible:
*God redeems and transforms ordinary People to do Extraordinary Things.
*God also shapes and directs ordinary people through the influence of other ordinary people.
This weekend we will begin a new series studying the life of Moses, and we will look at his ‘origin story’ in Exodus 1 & 2.
We will see that Moses was an “ordinary” person from the Old Testament who did some “extraordinary” things.
Hebrews 11 includes Moses as a member of the “Faith Hall of Fame” and says that he was no ‘ordinary’ person—but Exodus shows us that this was not always the case. We will spend the next month walking through some key events of his life to see what we can learn about how God transformed Moses from ordinary to extraordinary, and how God still guides individuals who are humbly willing to follow His Lead.
Moses looms large over the Scriptures, and as a result, he is also one of the most influential people to have ever lived.
-3 major world religions hold him up as a figure to be admired and studied.
-5 books of Torah are credited to his authorship (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy… and Psalm 90 too!)
But Moses himself is actually presented at the beginning of his life as a fairly ‘ordinary’ human like you and me, with ordinary circumstances and challenges and even character flaws. He existed in the context of his own history and his own distinct personality, but God specifically called him and equipped him to do amazing and world-changing things.
The book of Exodus reveals is that Moses himself is not the true Hero in the events it chronicles--God is the True Hero!
In Exodus, God is the one protecting His people, saving His people, redeeming His people, and raising up a leader (Moses) who will deliver God’s people—It is God who works the Miracles and God who Delivers.
As is always the case throughout the whole Bible, God uses the things and people whom the world might call weak and lowly to bring down those who claim to be powerful.
In the New Testament, Paul says in I Corinthians 1:27-29—
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”
That will be a theme for us in this series, because Moses himself is an example of how this has been the case throughout History, as seen in Scripture.
God is the Hero, but he has many “sidekicks.”
The “Origin Story” of Moses illustrates this theme of how God does not work through the power and strength of the world, but through weaknesses and even tragic circumstances. While Moses may seem like the “main character” of Exodus (besides God), his backstory showcases the godliness of the people around him, who all happen to be women– So Before we talk about this Man, Moses, we will look at some women who came before him and made his life possible.
There are several women mentioned in these first 2 chapters of Exodus, and each have a few things to teach us about having faith in God, even in times of trouble.
What lessons have you learned from the Godly people around you? What lessons are you passing on to other people around you?
I look forward to studying this influential figure from world history who is a pillar of faith in Scripture!
I also look forward to hearing some of your stories of how other “ordinary” people have done “extraordinary” things in your lives, to the Glory of God our Father!
This Sunday
Prepare your hearts for worship as we come together to Celebrate our Savior!
8:30 Traditional Worship
225 – Come Christians Join to Sing
516 - Redeemed
309 – I will Sing of My Redeemer
21 – O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
There are still a few more weeks of our summer special music features, including the following:
8/25 – Quartet featuring The Ritchies and the Russells
9/1 – Duet featuring Jean Ritchie and Kathy Russell
Our Adult Choir will resume singing weekly anthems on September 15th.
11:00 Contemporary Worship
Blessed be your name
Great things
Living Hope
House of the Lord
*Our New Young Adult Bible Study will begin this Sunday at 9:45 in the Annex!
Community Night Resumes on Wednesday, September 4th!
There will be something for everyone, including-
· Children
· Youth
· Young Adults
· and several small group electives to choose from
Visit our Community Night webpage to learn more:
Shippensburg First Church of God | WEDNESDAY COMMUNITY NIGHT (shipfcog.org)
Children’s Ministry AWANA Meeting
Next Wednesday, August 28, there will be an information and planning meeting for all those who will be serving with our AWANA ministry, and those who would like to learn more. This will take place at 6:30 in the lower level.
Our Children’s Ministry is growing, and more families and children mean the need for Children’s Ministry workers is also growing!
Opportunities are available on Sunday mornings, and when Community Night resumes on September 4th we will need a few key leaders, teachers, and helpers for our Wednesday Night AWANA ministry this year also! (All of our Children’s Ministry helpers must meet the requirements of our clearance process). To learn more, contact me, or our Children’s Ministry Directors, Becky Cramer and Jeanette Roberts.
Church Picnic
Sunday, September 8th is our Annual Church Picnic at Memorial Park!
We will have a special combined worship service at 10 at the park, followed by a picnic lunch. Sign-up sheets are available in the classrooms, the gathering place, and the Children’s Check-in area. Please RSVP and indicate what covered-dishes you plan to bring to help us with planning purposes.
*We encourage anyone who received Sunday School pins for attendance in the past to wear them to the church picnic.
We will provide an opportunity for people to share testimonies and ways they saw God work in the past in and through our church ministry and people. We look forward to hearing these God stories!
Bible Quizzing
We are starting a Bible Quiz Team for Middle School and High School students!
Quizzing is a wonderful way for teenagers to learn God’s Word, develop confidence and leadership skills, meet students from other churches, and engage in friendly competition. In the past, SFCOG has participated in this inter-church ministry through our CGGC denomination, and many previous quizzers have gone on to serve as community and ministry leaders in a variety of ways.
Practices will begin Sunday, September 8 at 8:30 am in the youth room. Quizzing competitions happen once a month through the winter months, typically on Sunday afternoons at other local CGGC churches. To learn more, check out this video: Bible Quizzing | Churches of God GC (cggc.org)
To register for Bible quizzing or to ask questions, reply to this email or contact John and Nancy Morton.
Upcoming Milestone Events
We have several “milestone” opportunities planned for those looking to take a step of faith in specific ways. Mark your calendars and prayerfully consider if you or someone in your family might be ready for such a next step. Feel free to contact me to learn more!
There are Signup sheets located in the Gathering Place if you are interested in being included for any of these events.
Corn Festival Car Show
The Shippensburg Corn Festival is happening on Saturday, August 31, and we have the privilege of sharing our parking lot to be used for the community Car Show/Cruz-In.
*Please note that our parking lot will not be available for parking on Saturday and beginning Friday Evening.
Communications Updates
The September edition of our “FYI” Newsletter will be available this weekend in the Gathering Place, the center section of the Sanctuary, or in your Church Mailbox.
If you have information you would like to communicate, communication request forms are available from the church office, in the Gathering Place, or online.
Looking forward to worshipping with you this Sunday!
Pastor Rodney Bistline
Shippensburg First Church of God
seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org
Helpful Links:
Online Messages (shipfcog.org)
Care Groups & Sunday School Classes
Weekly Bulletin & FYI Monthly Newsletter (updated over the weekend)
shipfcog.net/site/shipfcog/shipnews/index.html
Dear Family,
Rob Weber is scheduled for his procedure today around noon. Please be praying everything goes well.
Kerri sent the following request,
“We are looking for someone to come visit with my mom and the girls on Friday, just to lighten her load. Best times would be late morning- early afternoon (over lunch) or later afternoon/early supper as Eva gets home from school. If anyone from church is available, we would greatly appreciate it.”
Please let me know if you would be available to help by watching Nora and Natalyn (18 month old twins) on Friday and what time would work for you.
Rob and Kerri’s address is:
8906 Mowersville Road
Newburg, PA 17240
Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus.
For His Glory,
Pastor Gary
Pastor Gary
Gary Hornbaker
Shippensburg First Church of God
Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship
Church Phone: 717-532-8421
Dear Family,
Please join us in praying for the following:
Children, parents, teachers, and all school personnel as the school year begins in Shippensburg and surrounding areas.
Pat Frey is battling Covid.
Denny and Pat Hockensmith continue to battle various health challenges.
Frank Killian was moved yesterday to the rehab floor in the Chambersburg Hospital.
Mark and Trisha Maciejewski and family as they grieve the unfortunate death of their son, Levi. Mark is the Shippensburg University football head coach and Trisha is involved at Grace B. Luhrs. Some of our youth were good friends with Levi.
Jack Shaul’s dad was transported to Hershey Medical Center early this morning.
Rob Weber is scheduled to have a tracheal tube and a feeding tube inserted today.
“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
For His Glory,
Pastor Gary
Pastor Gary
Gary Hornbaker
Shippensburg First Church of God
Pastor of Visitation and Discipleship
Church Phone: 717-532-8421
