Please Pray

Please be in prayer for Bev Shumway. She is in the hospital. She had a mini stroke. They are running more test.

Jessie Duggan 

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Beauty from Brokenness - SFCOG Updates for 4/19

 

Sunday is Coming Again!

 

 

 

When our family was at the beach a few weeks ago, my wife, Jennifer, quietly began arranging broken seashells into what gradually became an ongoing art project that she shared with our family—

 

 

Jen shared her own reflections about this impermanent artwork—

 

“I am reminded that art can happen anywhere and with anything. What started out as welcomed boredom by piecing together broken seashells while sitting on the seashore listening to the waves, soon turned into a fun little mosaic that the girls helped add on to. Often when I'm at the beach, I look for the whole shells, but this time I was looking for the broken shells which weren't hard to find--the shells left along the seashore. It reminded me that beauty can come out of brokenness. It was neat to examine all the colors in each unique shell and arrange them however they fit knowing that art can be whatever the moment brings.

I am also reminded that God sees the brokenness of this world and can somehow redeem it.”

–Jen

 

Today we continue to reflect on the wonderful truth that out of brokenness, and even out of death, new beauty and new life are possible because of the Mystery of the Cross of Christ!

 

Last week we began studying Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, and we considered how all things are being put together under the authority of Jesus, through His victorious resurrection and his compassionate love. Paul explains in Ephesians 1:9, “God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.”

 

The New Testament tells us that the biggest mystery of life has already been “solved” through Jesus, and this can help us make sense of all of the other mysteries that we face in life. Like a beautiful mosaic, or a breath-taking work of art, God is bringing people together to fulfill His plan. This Sunday we will continue reading about these themes of new life and peace in Ephesians 2.

 

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

--Ephesians 2:8-10

 

Let us each personally take hold of the truth that salvation is a gift from God, and each one of us is a “masterpiece” of God—we are God’s workmanship that He personal created and set apart for a good purpose. And like the many bits of a mosaic put together to make a beautiful work of art, God’s desire is to bring about peace and unity through Jesus—creating beautiful things out of brokenness.

 

Notice the context in which these inspiring words are found—this chapter begins with the topic of sin and death, and the powers of the devil in the unseen world.

We must seriously contend with the spiritual truth that our world is broken. There are forces at work that go against “God’s Good Plan.”

Yes, there are many things in this world that are not as they should be—hatred and war fill our headlines every week.    It seems like division is the default setting of our culture. But Paul Goes on to reveal more of God’s Good Plan:

 

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us… Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

--Ephesians 2:14, 20-22

 

Let us hold on to this vision of peace and unity, as God’s handiwork, as God’s temple, as a work of art, or a mosaic, in which all of us in our brokenness are being joined together—along with those who have gone before us—through the Spirit of God.

 

This Mystery that has been Revealed has the power to change our lives and to heal our broken world! Read Ephesians 2 yourself and come join us Sunday prepared to reflect on these truths together!

 

 

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.

 

Child Dedication

 

God of Grace and God of Glory #435

Grace Greater than Our Sin #344

Wonderful Grace of Jesus #338

Amazing Grace #343

 

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

Contemporary Spotify Playlist

 

Indescribable

Beautiful Things

Gratitude

House Of The Lord

 

*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!

 

 

ERC Conference

Next week is the annual gathering for our Eastern Regional Conference of our Churches of God denomination. Pastors, ministry leaders, and delegates from around the conference will gather at Camp YoliJwa this Sunday evening through Tuesday for worship, strategy, prayer, and connections. Please keep all participants in your prayers.

Also note that staff availability will be different next week due to conference.

 

 

 

 

Spring Congregational Meeting

The Shippensburg First Church of God will hold our annual Spring Congregational Meeting on May 3^rd. You will find the dockets in your church mailboxes this weekend, or you may pick one up in the gathering place and find them posted around the building. This meeting is a time of information & celebration, and you will hear some updates from the council about some things we are working on and looking forward to as a church family.

 

 

Foundations Class

A new Elective Sunday School class, Foundations, began last week and will continuing for a limited number of weeks. It is held in room 205, behind the balcony. Anyone is welcome to participate. The topics for the class will be the foundations of the Christian faith - The Bible, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and more. Please join us to gain a better understanding of what Christians believe and why we believe it. Sam Byers is teaching, and Bev Shumway and Matthew Hower are supporting Sam.

 

 

SHAPE Seminar

SHAPE is returning! This four-week study will help you explore how your Spiritual gifts, Heartfelt passions, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences make you uniquely designed and equipped by God to serve in His Kingdom. It will begin on May 6^th at 6:30 in the Annex, and meet every Wednesday evening in May. To help with planning and preparations, please sign up at the gathering place or in your Sunday School classroom.

 

 

Community Night

This is the final month of Wednesday Night ministry before our summer break. It’s not too late to come check out Kinetics, Ladies in Step, Fresh Start, or our Children, Youth, & Young Adult classes for a mid-week Bible Study boost! They all meet every Wednesday at 6:30 until the end of April. Learn more at this link:

Shippensburg First Church of God | Wednesday Community Night

Youth Group will continue in May at the regular time with some special activities.

Our Children’s AWANA program will have a closing ceremony for kids and their families in the children’s ministry area on April 29^th.

 

 

Quiz Retreat

Last weekend, members of our Quiz Team traveled to Camp Otyokwah in Ohio to spend a weekend with other CGGC quiz teams in friendly “fun quiz” competition. This event is in preparation for the National Finals which take place over the summer time. While the Finals encourages a high level of competition, this retreat is designed to foster good relationships for quizzers beyond the annual summer event in a more relaxed way. Over 80 quizzers spanning several states come together, showing renewed growth in the conference Bible quizzing program. Let’s praise the Lord together for these young people who have committed to studying God’s Word!

 

 

 

Shippensburg University Music & Arts Events

On Monday, we had the privilege of hosting the Spring Concert for the Shippensburg University Choir and Madrigal Singers. This year, our own choir joined with the students for a special number: In 2013, our church commissioned Joseph Martin, a well-known Christian composer, to write a choir anthem in memory of Vincent Eschenmann, our former choir director and in honor of Pat Frey, our present director. Mr. Eschenmann was the father of Leslie Shuman, our organist & pianist, and the SU Madrigal Singers’ accompanist. This anthem entitled “No Greater Alleluia” was first sung by our choir in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the installation of our church’s pipe organ. Andrew Carnegie donated $1,000 for the original organ and the church paid the remaining balance of $1,000. About half the pipes in the present organ are from the original organ. Our church choir was thrilled to have the opportunity to lift their voices with the beautiful voices of the SU Concert Choir in praise of our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The SU choir also thanked Leslie for her faithful service over the years.

 

 

Later this month we will also be participating in a Stained-Glass Walking Tour being offered by the Shippensburg University Art Department on April 30, at 3:30pm. It is being offered to art students for extra credit, but is also open to community members who would like to participate. Meet Art and Design Faculty, Sara Swacina, by the large, red “SHIP” letters near Old Main to begin an afternoon of exploring nearby churches' stained-glass windows.

 

 

Church Center

We have been gradually rolling out a new database tool called “Church Center.” It will be utilized for scheduling, record-keeping, giving, and many other ministry functions. You will be hearing more about it in the coming months as we implement new aspects of this resource, such as a directory feature and upcoming changes to our Children’s Ministry check-in system. You can begin learning more and start exploring it by visiting this page on our website to create your own log-in:

Shippensburg First Church of God | Church Center

 

 

 

Communications Updates

Bulletins and newsletters are available for you as you enter for worship—you can find them right outside the main doorways into the sanctuary on a table or stand for easy access. Some are usually available at our welcome desk also, but we encourage you to keep access to our welcome desk (and our handicapped accessible seating) open and available 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 events or information you would like to communicate, communication request forms are available from the church office, in the Gathering Place, or online.

 

 

Let us continue to celebrate our Risen Savior together in the Sanctuary or Online this Sunday!

 

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org

 

 

Helpful Links:

Website (shipfcog.org)

SFCOG Facebook

SFCOG Instagram

SFCOG YouTube

Online Messages (shipfcog.org)

Online Giving (shipfcog.org)

Our Activities Calendar & Events

Care Groups & Sunday School Classes

Shippensburg First Church of God | Church Center

 

Weekly Bulletin (updated over the weekend)

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

 

 

Please Pray !

 

We received a prayer request for JOY EL. Thursday at 9 am their right to use Omnibuses is being challenged. Please pray for their lawyers Joel Ready and Randy Wenger and Judges.

Dear friends of Joy El,   As many of you are aware, since 2015 Joy El has made four appearances in court to defend our right to use Omnibuses, driven by those with Commercial Drivers Licenses and Passenger P Endorsements, to transport children and youth for Bible Adventure, Christians In Action, and some camp activities. In all four instances, the courts have ruled in Joy El’s favor. This right is being challenged once again at the PA Supreme Court level this Thursday at 9am. As this has been determined to be a state, rather than a federal issue, the Supreme Court’s ruling will stand as the final authority on this matter. Please be in prayer for our attorneys, Joel Ready and Randy Wenger, as they defend our right to continue operating our buses as we have for many decades. Please pray for our Supreme Court Justices that they will rule favorably on our behalf.   In His service,   Chris Walsh Joy El Ministries CEO

 

Now brothers and sisters, I want ot remind you of the gospel I preasched to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

 

Grace be with you,

 

Jessie Duggan

Shippensburg Church of God

Director of Visitation

717-532-8421

 

Please Pray!

Hello Church Family,

 

Please pray for Mick Martin. On Monday, April 13 at 10:15 am he is having stents put in both tear duct.

 

Please pray for both Mick and Dottie.

 

 

 

 

Now brothers and sisters, I want ot remind you of the gospel I preasched to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

 

Grace be with you,

 

Jessie Duggan

Shippensburg Church of God

Director of Visitation

717-532-8421

 

SFCOG Prayer Update

Hello Church Family,

 

Please keep the family of Charle’s Clevenger in your prayers, as he passed away on Tuesday.

Charles L. Clevenger Obituary April 7, 2026 - Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home and Crematorium, Inc.

 

Praise the Lord together that Herb Bowers has been discharged from the hospital and his heart is now stable and healthy.

 

“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord.

--Isaiah 66:22-23

 

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org

https://shipfcog.org/

 

 

SFCOG Prayer Update

Hello Church Family,

 

Please keep Herb Bowers in your prayers. He has been hospitalized with heart related concerns. Pray for comfort for him and wisdom for the medical team.

 

“Comfort, comfort my people,

    says your God.”

--Isaiah 40:1

 

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org

https://shipfcog.org/

 

 

The Living Stones Invite the Church Family to Churches of God History Presentation

Good Afternoon Church Family,

The Living Stones will be having a Churches of God history presentation this coming Sunday, April 12, at 2 p.m., and they would like to invite everyone in the church family to attend.  You don’t need to be part of the Living Stones to attend this event.  All ages are invited to attend and to hear Pastor Ed Rosenberry share about:

• the start of the Shippensburg First Church of God
• the underground railroad
• the burning of Chambersburg and how the Shippensburg Church of God assisted the Chambersburg Church following the fire
• the African American Churches of God during this time frame
• Civil War History facts and information

This event will be held in Crossroads Station fellowship hall.  There will be a time for questions and answers, and the presentation will be followed by light refreshments. 

If you would like to attend this event and you haven’t signed up already, please RSVP to the church office by Friday so they can plan to see you there!

Thanks,

Sonja

 

Church Secretary

Sonja Shively

Shippensburg First Church of God

Email Secretary@shipfcog.org

Office Phone 717.532.8421