Shippensburg First Church Of God Blog Site: ZzZZzzZz... SFCOG Updates for 1/18

Sunday is Coming!

Have you been enjoying Winter Hibernation? Do the longer nights provide more time for sleep for you? Or do you struggle to have peaceful rest?

Findings from the CDC say that over 30% of people don’t get enough sleep.

Their recommendations by age are as follows:

*7-8 Hours for Adults

*8-10 for Teens

*9-16 for children (depending on age)

How do you sleep at night?

This week we consider another beautiful psalm of David, that speaks of peaceful sleep— Psalm 4 ends by saying,

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

--Psalm 4:8

Many factors can contribute to a bad night’s sleep:

*caffeine

*staying up to read a book, watch tv, or play video games

*children (or maybe dogs & cats?) who wake you up at night

*health conditions

*things that go “bump in the night”

…but perhaps one of the main issues that disrupt our sleep is worrying about things beyond our control.

Lots of research has been done and many articles have been written about the effects of “doom scrolling” at bedtime.

“Doom scrolling” refers to endlessly looking at your social media feed, or viewing the headlines without a plan to stop. The same effects could happen from watching network news as well. If you are looking to get a good night’s sleep, it’s not a good idea to fill your mind with all of the tragedies and sadness and anger from all over the world all at once right before bed.

Not that we shouldn’t be mindful of world events, or that we should put our heads in the sand and ignore it all, but let’s be aware that it takes its toll on us in many different ways, and consider how we as Christians can live differently.

So what does the Bible say about “doom scrolling” the news?

Obviously, King David didn’t have a smart phone…

…but David had plenty of troubles on his mind about the state of affairs in his own world, and Psalm 4 gives us a glimpse at how David handled this, which offers us some insight for our modern age as well. Consider this directive from Psalm 4:4—

“Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.”

This Sunday we will work our way through this Psalm together to see the progression of how David arrives at a peaceful night’s sleep in verse 8.

We will see that King David begins this progression by pleading with God in prayer:

Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God.

Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

--Psalm 4:1

While we might not be kings or rulers, maybe we can relate to David’s desire for relief and mercy as we face our own stressors and struggles?

When we are troubled, prayer is the place for us to begin as well—rather than doomscrolling or “screaming into the void,” let us call out to God in prayer! Psalm 4 presents a poetic model for us to consider when find ourselves awake at night and calling out to God. Join us this weekend as we worship God together and open up His word for comfort and peace.

Jesus has much to say about Peace also, but allow me to end with just one quote from our savior, who says in John 14:27—

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

…zzzzZzzzZzzzZZZzzz…

This Sunday

8:25 Traditional Worship

We will share our welcome and announcements at 8:25, followed by a musical prelude for a time of quiet reflection before our opening prayer.

Like a River Glorious #737

Be Still My Soul #712

It is Well With My Soul #705

Near to the Heart of God #617

In His Presence #618

9:45 Sunday School for all ages

Check out our Care Groups & Sunday School Classes on our website, or visit the welcome desk to learn more.

11:00 Contemporary Worship

Trust In God

Christ Be Magnified

How Good Is He

Blessed Be Your Name

Contemporary Spotify Playlist

*While we love and encourage good conversation and fellowship in the Gathering Place, please remember to quietly respect the worship services as you are entering or exiting near the beginning or ending of the services. Thank You!

Council Highlights

This week, the Council of the Shippensburg First Church of God met for the first time for the 2026 year. Officers were selected by nomination and vote, and other key positions were appointed by the council as is customary every January. Highlights include the following:

President: Troy Shively

Vice-President: Dustin Negley

Secretary: Phil Ritchie

Treasurer: Phil Ritchie

Several other ministry updates and opportunities were discussed for upcoming and ongoing projects related to renovations and staffing needs. Please continue to keep the church council in your prayers as we prayerfully seek the direction of God and to strive for the unity of His Church in the year ahead.

Spiritual Milestones

We will be offering opportunities for Membership Class and Baptism in March. If you or someone in your family would be interested in taking one of these steps of faith, please contact me or sign up on the sign-up sheets in the Gathering Place. The dates are as follows:

Membership Class – March 8 (installation service on March 29)
Baptism – March 15

Thank You, Gary and Joyce!

Gary and Joyce demonstrated a wonderful example of the “ministry of presence” in the manner after Christ Jesus, Emmanuel, God with Us! Praise God for their ministry and let us all join in prayer for them as they begin their new chapter of life in retirement in 2026.

As you or your loved ones face pastoral needs and prayer requests in the New Year, please do not hesitate to reach out to me personally, or to our new Visitation Director, Jessie Duggan, or to others in your church family, so we may join you as we “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15)

Weekend to Remember

This excellent couples retreat is coming to Hershey on February 6-8. It is a wonderful time to strengthen your marriage and experience a weekend away. Starting January 5 through the 26, Family Life Today will be offering a 50% off discount sale.

Register at this link: Hershey

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. If you are not able to attend, but would like to contribute financially so others in our church family could attend, please place your donation in the white envelope located in the back of the pews, write on the envelope “Weekend to Remember”, and place it in the offering plate located in the front pews of the back section of the sanctuary.

If you would like to attend the Weekend to Remember and are interested in scholarship opportunities, please contact me.

Service From The Heart

Do you have a testimony or a talent you’d like to share for the Glory of God?

Our annual Service From the Heart will be Wednesday, February 11 at 6:30 in the Sanctuary (this will be in place of our regular Community Night activities on that date). During this service, we will have an opportunity to hear people share their God-given talents and stories of how God has been at work in their lives. Children, youth, and adults are encouraged to participate through music, poetry, Bible verse memorization, or telling about how you have seen God moving around you. It will be a wonderful time to gather together and enjoy what God is doing in our church family.

Please sign up on the sign-up sheets located around the building or contact me or our Christian Education Committee by February 4^th if you are interested in sharing.

Mandated Reporter and Boundary Training

*Mandated Reporter training is required to be completed periodically for all those who work with Children and Youth. We will offer this important and informative training on Saturday, January 24 at 10:00 am in Crossroads Station. This could be a great time to learn more about serving in our next generation ministries (especially as you think ahead to summer and Vacation Bible School!).

If you are not sure if you are required to take this, or if you are up for renewal, please feel free to reply to this email or contact our office.

More clearance information can be found on our website at: Shippensburg First Church of God | Online Forms

Winter Weather Updates

In the event of cancelations or adjustments due to winter weather, we will do our best to communicate these changes in a timely manner in the following ways:

Email to the church news mailing list
Website: Shippensburg First Church of God | Weather Alerts/ Schedule Changes
Social Media pages: SFCOG Facebook & SFCOG Instagram
ABC 27 (abc27 Weather School Closings and Delays)

Additionally, some of our ministries (children, youth, etc.) may send updates through their text lists.

For events and activities that are not church-wide (such as small groups or committee meetings) please communicate together with your group or team and use your best judgement, and inform the church office about changes if possible. Please take parking lot conditions and plowing into consideration, and feel free to contact me for further direction.

Handicapped Parking Spaces & Overflow Parking

Let us be mindful of how we can be considerate and hospitable in our parking lot in the following ways:

There are several handicapped parking spaces available in our parking lot located near the handicapped entrance for those with a need and proper handicapped tags. Please refrain from using the handicapped spots along E. Martin Ave. which are intended for the congregation of the Prince Street Church.

In the event of additional parking needs, overflow parking is available at our Annex building across N Prince St. and behind Orrstown Bank, just a short walk up on E. Martin Ave. There are a few spots that have been shared with us behind Weigle & Associates Law Office down S. Gettle Ave. available for Sunday parking as well. If you are comfortable walking a longer distance, please consider utilizing one of these overflow areas to accommodate our visiting guests and those who cannot walk as far. Thank you!

Communications Updates

Please note that bulletins and newsletters are available for you as you enter into the sanctuary for worship, but they have recently moved—instead of at the welcome desk or the middle section pews, you can find them right outside the main doorways into the sanctuary on a table or stand for easy access. This will help to keep our welcome desk and our handicapped accessible seating more open for those who may need it.

*Be sure to check out our Activities Calendar and the Events page on our website to learn about more upcoming opportunities!

*If you or your small groups, committees, etc., are planning special events involving the facilities, please be sure to communicate with the church office so we can best accommodate your needs and coordinate planning details between various ministries—Thank You!

The latest monthly edition of our “FYI” Newsletter is available in the Gathering Place or as you enter into the Sanctuary. The FYI contains information about upcoming events, care group opportunities, giving and attendance information, and more.

If you have information you would like to communicate, communication request forms are available from the church office, in the Gathering Place, or online.

I am looking forward to worshipping with you in the Sanctuary or Online this Sunday!

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org