Shenkel United

Church of Christ

SHARINGS AND CONCERNS

July & August 2012

SHENKEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

1580 Shenkel Road

Pottstown PA 19465

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Shenkel United Church of Christ’s “The NEWSLETTER” is a monthly publication prepared, edited, and mailed by the leadership and staff to all members and friends of the church. It communicates news about our life, purpose, and mission as a Church of Jesus Christ. Information related to our partnership as a member of the United Church of Christ and wider church/community out-reach is included on a regular basis. The Church is located at Unionville & Shenkel Roads in North Coventry Township.

July 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Communion

First outside worship

2 3 4 5

Cluster Dele-gate Luncheon 12:15 PM

6 7

8 Healing Prayers

“Choir of the Day”

Youth BBQ: 11 AM

9 10

National Youth Event begins….

11

…...NYE….

12

…..NYE….

13

…..NYE….

14

15 Youth

Group Adult Meeting after worship

16 17 Quilters:

9:30AM Mid-Day Dinner Club: Noon

18 19 Healing

Prayers 9:15 AM

Card Making Class: 10 AM

20 21

22

Memorial Recep-tion for Virginia Johnson after worship

23 Commu-

nity Meal: Noon

Youth Trip to Ocean City, NJ

24 25 26 Youth

Group Hangout in the Pavilion: 7:30 PM

27 28

29 Open House

at the Parsonage after worship

Pottstown Work Camp begins….

30

Pottstown Work camp….

31

Pottstown Work camp….

August 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Agape: 7 PM

BOCE: 7 PM Pottstown Work camp….

2

Pottstown Work camp….

3

Pottstown Work camp….

4

5

Communion

6 7

Youth Scavenger Hunt at Phila. Art Museum

8 9 Youth Group

Hangout in the Pavilion: 7:30 PM

10 11 Schuylkill

River Raft Trip: 11 AM Church Camp-out: 5 PM

12 Healing

Prayers &

“Choir of the Day”

13 14 Spiritual

Council: 7 PM

Consistory: 7:30 PM

15

For September Issue

16 Healing

Prayers 9:15 AM Card Making Class: 10 AM R-Phillies Night

17 18

19 20 21

Mid-Day Din-ner Club: Noon

22 23 24 25

26 Choir Sing- Through: 3 PM

27

Community Meal: Noon

28 29

Youth Trip to Hershey Park

30 31

1580 Shenkel Road, Pottstown PA 19465 610.326.3535

Email: shenkelucc@aol.com www.shenkelucc.org

PAGE 3

The Pastor’s Pen Pastor Bonnie L. Moore

484.524.8280

Office Hours:

Tues., Wed., Thurs.

9 AM to 1 PM

CONSISTORY

OFFICERS

President

Glen Hoff

Vice President

James White

Secretary

Connie Armbruster

Treasurer

Ken Bevan

Financial Secretary

Chris Gray

Assistant Financial

Secretaries

Lori Scharneck

Doug Allen

Barry Miller

Director of

Music Ministry

Joan Valentine Johnson

Elders

Glen Hoff

Lynne Moyer

Connie Armbruster

Chris Gray

Gary McDermit

Deacons

Jeff Graef

Mark Dushanko

James White

Andrew Foss

Rick Viti Newsletter Editor: Judy Embriani Assistant Editor: Jody Sweinhart Assistant Editor: Bill Baseley

Does God still do miracles?

This is a question I am asked frequently. Why does it seem like, in Old Testament times, God

was doing miracles on a scale unknown to us in the 21st century?

In a little book titled And God Cried, Too, (New York: Harper Trophy, 2002) Rabbi Marc

Gellman offers an answer to this question with a story about Mikey, an ―angel in training,‖ who

learns a lesson from his mentor, Gabe. Responding to Mikey’s complaint that he never got a

chance to see anything ―cool‖ like Noah’s ark or the burning bush, Gabe arranges to take

Mikey back in time to participate in one of God’s biggest miracles.

Walking alongside the children of Israel between the walls of the parted water of the Red Sea,

and brimming with excitement and awe, Mikey is caught off guard by the conversations he

overhears. ―I can’t believe all this mud and fog. All I see is mud and fog, mud and fog. What

a mess!‖ he hears a man saying. ―This mud is awful! I’ll never be able to get it out of my

clothes. I can’t believe Moses brought us through this mud.‖ ―Where are we, anyway?‖ he

hears a woman asking.

To his utter astonishment, Mikey realizes that in the midst of the most amazing miracle ever

recorded, there were a lot of people who had no clue what was happening. Mud—yes. Mira-

cle? The thought hadn’t even entered their minds. They were so busy concentrating on their

own distress, they hadn’t even thought about looking for God’s presence with them.

Leaving the Red Sea, Gabe takes Mikey to a field of flowers where a young girl is laying on

her stomach, looking at one of the flowers. Mikey hears her prayer: ―Dear God, I just wanted

you to know that these flowers are your best miracle…They may not be your best miracle to

everyone, but they sure are your best miracle for me.‖

―You see, Mikey,‖ Gabe says with a big smile, ―what makes a person find God is not the mira-

cle, but the person.‖

I have to agree with Rabbi Gellman's conclusion: ―There are zillions of miracles all over the

earth that people would see if they just looked for them...People who never expect to see a

miracle will never see one, but people who are ready to see God’s work in our world see mira-

cles all the time.‖

Look around! How many miracles will you see this summer?

Be God’s,

Pastor Bonnie

SHENKEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

SPONSOR NEEDED

Dave & Diane Reinert

SPONSOR NEEDED

Kaleena Sweinhart

7/1

SPONSOR NEEDED

Ethel Miller

SPONSOR NEEDED

Bob Brown

7/8

Ann Baccari

SPONSOR NEEDED

SPONSOR NEEDED

Lori Scharneck

7/15

SPONSOR NEEDED

Bob and Barbara

Brown

SPONSOR NEEDED

Barbara Brown

7/22

7/29

SPONSOR NEEDED

SPONSOR NEEDED

SPONSOR NEEDED

Faye Pedrick

PAGE 4

“Flours” is a collection of pantry items or a monetary donation of your discre-

tion to the Cluster. If a cash donation to the Cluster is made, a wheat arrange-

ment will be placed on the altar. Altar flowers are $30.00 and bulletin dedica-

tions are $6.50. Food Sculptures are also gladly accepted.

Now you can also dedicate the weekly Choir Anthem with a donation of

$30. With ever-increasing costs of choral music, this sponsorship will help

stretch our budget and continue to bring quality music to Shenkel. Dedicate your

anthem to someone special, an event in your life, or just to the fact that you love

music. Thank you for this needed contribution to Shenkel. Blue envelopes are

in the Narthex for your sponsorships.

The are many dates open for sponsorship and dedication during this and the upcoming

months. Please complete one of the special flower/bulletin/anthem envelopes below

the sign-up chart, enclose your payment, and either put it in the collection plate or in

the Secretary’s box by the office door. You should sign your name on the chart in the

narthex by the appropriate date after you have completed your envelope.

Shenkel UCC celebrates the

sacrament of Holy Commun-

ion at both services on the

first Sunday of each month.

Each time communion is

served, some of the bread and

non-alcoholic wine that has been conse-

crated at the altar will be saved in a trav-

eling communion kit, ready to go to the

homes or hospital rooms of members

who were unable to be present, and

would like to receive the sacrament.

Please let Pastor Bonnie know if you, or

someone you know, would appreciate

“distance-communing” with their Shen-

kel Church family!

8/5

SPONSOR NEEDED

Gary and Sue Stultz

Eric Martens

Bill Faust

8/12

Ann Baccari

SPONSOR NEEDED

SPONSOR NEEDED

Barbara Brown

8/19

SPONSOR NEEDED

SPONSOR NEEDED

SPONSOR NEEDED

Bob Brown

8/26

SPONSOR NEEDED

SPONSOR NEEDED

SPONSOR NEEDED

Ben Mocarski

PAGE 5

July 8th – BBQ Fundraiser after church: tickets available from Kaleena, Sam P, Ben, Cameron, or Ariel: $12 adults and kids 12+, $5 kids under 12

July 9-14 – National Youth Event, Purdue University, Indi-ana.

July 15th – meeting for all adults interested in helping out with youth group 2012-2013 July 23rd – Ocean City, NJ trip (sign up by July 2nd) cost: $6/person July 26th – Youth Hangout in the Pavilion, 7:30 pm July 29-Aug 3 – Pottstown Work Camp ($80, sign up by June 26th, see note below) August 7th – Philadelphia Art Museum Scavenger Hunt (sign up first come, first served) August 9th – Youth Hangout in the Pavilion, 7:30 pm August 29th – Hershey Park (cost TBD, sign up by July 28th)

You can be a part of any of these events by signing up by the listed date to Ariel at 484-269-4338, or by e-mailing

her at afroyer@gmail.com.

Please Note….All members of the Confirmation Class of 2012 –2013 are invited to join in all of the Youth Group activities as of the beginning of August.

2012 BOSTON URBAN OUTREACH

We are so proud of our Boston Urban Outreach team! They

had a lot of fun doing God’s work helping others in the city of

Boston from June 20th through June 24th.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION….

CONGRATULATIONS to

the following young people who are

celebrating their respective gradua-

tions this June:

Alex Mocarski, son of Sherri and

Bob Mocarski, graduated from OJR

in Pottstown this year. He is looking for a job, and is

excited about taking classes part-time at MontCo.

Julie Anne Rohrbach, Tracy and Larry Dise’s

niece, graduated from Egg Harbor Township High

School in New Jersey. She will be attending Penn

State Main Campus in August 2012 and has plans

to be an Actuary.

Breonna Mae Brown, great granddaughter of

Bob and Barbara Brown, graduated from Governor

Mifflen High School in Reading on June 9th and will

begin classes at RACC in the fall.

Drew Sweinhart, son of Jody and Joel

Sweinhart, graduated from Owen J. Roberts High

School. We wish him all the best as he starts a new

phase in his life journey.

We know there are others who did not

submit information. Congratulations

and blessings to everyone in the class

of 2012!

Christmas in

July BBQ

To benefit the Youth Trip to National Youth Event, the youth are hosting a Christmas in July BBQ on July 8th, at 11 am, after church in the pavilion. The summer BBQ will feature typical picnic fare as well as a festive Christmas-y flare! Tick-ets for the lunch are $12 for adults and kids 12 and older, $5 for kids under than 12 and can be pur-chased from Ariel, Sam P, Kaleena, Cameron, or Ben.

June Consistory Highlights….

Unanimously approved recommending Eric Martens to the Ursinus Committee on

Ministry as a Student-in-Discernment, the first step in preparation for ordination in

the United Church of Christ.

Met with committee chairpersons to review changes to the committee structure at

Shenkel, including the assignment of a liaison to Consistory for each standing com-

mittee to facilitate communication between each committee and Consistory.

Received a thank-you from the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference for our OCWM contributions to date.

Discussed possible solutions for the on-going water and mold problem at the parsonage.

Discussed some options for making our outdoor worship area more accessible to people who are using canes,

walkers or wheelchairs.

Expressed appreciation to Barb Sweinhart for the thorough cleaning she did of the church kitchen. Because of an

ant problem throughout the church, PLEASE do not leave any food out anywhere! Thanks!

Decided there would be no Consistory meeting in July.

Complete copies of Consistory Minutes are available from the church office upon request.

ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS….

YTD Current Fund O.C.W.M.

Actual 52,031.40 4,689.50

Budget 64,542.18 4,583.33

Difference (12,510.78) 106.19

DO YOU HAVE NEWS FOR THE

BULLETIN OR THE NEWSLETTER?

Just a reminder that all bulletin announcements

should be at the church office by each Tuesday at

noon to be included in that week’s

bulletin. Newsletter articles must be

submitted by the 15th of each month to

be included in the next issue.

REMEMBER…. All articles for Sep-

tember should be at the office by

August 15th. Thank you.

PAGE 6

An Important Memo from your

PASTORAL RELATIONS

COMMITTEE

Thursday, June 21, 2012

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Ted Gray David Derman

Carol Lykens Bill Faust

Sandy Rowe Mary Lou Smith

Pastor Bonnie Moore

We want to let you know, each and everyone at Shen-

kel, just how important and special you are to your

Shenkel Church Family. Especially now, as we are be-

ginning Summer Vacations and going in so many dif-

ferent directions, there can be a GAP in communica-

tions and we want to prevent that from happening;

not just now, but at anytime throughout the year. If

Pastor Bonnie is unavailable at the time you need to

see or talk with her, please know that each one of us

who is part of the Pastoral Relations Committee will

be happy to visit or talk with you; whichever is com-

fortable for you. If you want her to contact you when

she returns, we can assure you that she will.

As of May 31, 2012….

SHENKEL LOVES TO GIVE….

REMEMBER TOO….

The Pottstown Cluster Food Bank

collection at Shenkel is the 1st

Sunday of each month. Please

place your items in the large

plastic bins in the narthex.

AND...Please bring in your used

cell phones and empty ink cartridges and place them in

the box across from the nursery, or

in the box located on the coat rack

shelf across from the office. The

cartridges are recycled to Staples, and the church re-

ceives credits toward the purchase of office

supplies. The used cell phones are given to

the police department to be distributed to

abused women.

The Cluster welcomes all cash, food and

clothing donations between the hours of

8:30 am to 12:00 pm on Monday through

Friday. Please come to the back door off

the alley. Parking spaces at the rear of the

building are reserved for people dropping

off donations.

Pantry Needs – Canned Soups and Stews, Canned and Dry Pasta, Spaghetti Sauce, Peanut butter& Jelly, Canned Vegetables and Fruit, Oatmeal, Cat Food, Diet Foods of any kind, Pancake Mix & Syrup, Boxed Meat Helpers and Potatoes and refrigerator items such as Milk, Yogurt and Eggs. Please contact Sherrie at 610 970-5995. Clothes Closet and Housewares – Toiletries – Toothbrush/Toothpaste, Soap, Deodorants, Shampoo/cream rinse, Denture Adhesive, Cleaning Products, Clothes and Dish Detergent, Toilet bowl Cleaners, and Multi-purpose Cleaners. Paper Products: Paper Towels and Toi-let Paper. Diapers (sizes 3,4,5), Blankets and Sheets are also needed. Please contact Vicki at 610 970-5995 for more information. The Cluster would like to thank everyone at Shenkel who contributed to the Signature Page campaign. Funds from this project are used to address the spiritual, social and ba-sic human needs of persons within the greater Pottstown community. Once again, the Cluster is planning their yearly Uniform Pro-gram for students in the Pottstown Elementary schools. Contact Vickie at vbumstead@pottstowncluster.org for more information about this program.

PAGE 7

SAVE-A-TAPE PROGRAM

This is the easiest way to help our church

financially. Just ask for a Save-A-Tape card

at the customer service spot at your local

Redner’s store. Show your card at the reg-

ister when you check out, then bring your

register tapes to church and deposit them in the box in the Nar-

thex. These tapes are collected routinely, presented to the

store, and Redner’s donates a percentage of your total pur-

chase to the church.

Be careful to bring your tapes in regularly instead of saving

them at home, as they do expire if not redeemed within a cer-

tain time period. Also, please return the entire register tape.

Redner’s will not accept any register receipt that has any part

of it removed.

Keep up the good work and Thank You, Redner’s!

Recycling Reminder….Please remember

that we collect only aluminum cans

here at the church for recycling. But

please continue to recycle all your

other recyclables at home.

In July, our special offering

benefits North Coventry

Meals on Wheels. This

wonderful pro-

gram provides

regular meals to the elderly, sick or

shut-in.

In August, all proceeds will go to

Mensch Mill to assist with their

―Ensuring the Future‖ — Pledge

Year 3 program (final year.)

Please be as generous as you can.

Thank you!

175TH ANNIVERSARY

MAGNETS FOR SALE

The anniversary committee will be

selling magnets each week in the narthex for $6

each. These magnets will commemorate the 175th

anniversary of our church. All proceeds from the

sale of the magnets will go toward the Shenkel

UCC 175th Anniversary Celebration.

BULLETIN BOARD….

CARD MAKING CLASS

The card making class will continue to meet on the third

Thursday of each month at 10 AM. The cost of the class

is $8.00 which will provide each of us with three beautiful

cards. The next class will be on Thursday,

July 19th. In August, they will meet on

Thursday, the 16th. To insure there will be

enough materials prepared for everyone,

please call Ann Baccari at 610-323-5525,

or Connie Armbruster at 610-326-6516 if

you plan to attend.

Hope to see you on July 19th!

PAGE 8

Mid-Day Dinner Club

Shenkel's Mid-day Dinner Club meets

at 12 noon on the third Tuesday of

each month – and you’re invited to join

us! The next meeting date is Tuesday, July 17th and we’ll

be eating at Red Lobster in Pottstown. The Mid-day Din-

ner Club is open to young-at-heart adults of any age who

enjoy eating out and would like to get to know other Shen-

kel members a little better. Call the church office if you’re

able to join us!

Prayer Shawl Ministry

The Prayer Shawl Ministry will be taking

a break for the summer. They will re-

sume meeting every third Wednesday of

the month beginning in September. .

SHENKEL QUILTERS

The Shenkel Quilters will meet

only once during the month of

July. We hope to see you on Tuesday, July 17th at

9:30 in the social hall. August is vacation time...so we

will not meet. Have a great summer!

Margie Allen

THERE’S STILL TIME to get in on the R-Phillies Night on Thursday, August 16, 2012.

Forty (40) tickets have been or-

dered at $10.00 each, including

transportation. The bus will be leav-

ing the church at 5 PM. There is a sign up sheet in the

narthex. There will be no steps to climb to

our seats, and of course, there will be fire-

works!

Contact Ann Baccari, your resident Phillie

Phanatic, with any questions.

COMMUNITY LUNCH BUNCH

is taking their usual break for the summer,

but will be back on Thursday, September

6th with a program featuring the Reading Bombadeers, a

musical group from Reading. Plan to attend this fun,

monthly event to enjoy a fine lunch, entertainment and

good fellowship. Cost of the event it $6.50 per person.

Come and bring a friend! For questions, please call

Ruth Klein at 610-326-4520.

SCHUYLKILL RIVER

RAFT TRIP

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Early afternoon

Join us for a lazy afternoon on the

river. We are organizing a 3 mile

rafting trip (approximately 2 hours) down the Schuyl-

kill. You can chose from a kayak, a single or double

tube, or a raft. Prices are as follows:

One person kayak: $30

Single tube: $15

Double tube/with compartment: $35

Raft: $20 per person (2 person minimum/fits 4)

Life jackets and paddles are included. No hidden

costs! For a group of 10 or more — 15% discount

For a group of 20 or more — 20% discount.

For further information, please watch

the Sunday announcements, the

church’s website or call the church of-

PAGE 9

STEWARD’S CORNER

There’s a lot going on around here these days. Were you here to see the wonderful program

that was presented on the day of the church picnic? It was a nice program in church and

it was so wonderful to see so many children, along with their teachers, sharing what they

had learned in Sunday School.

The picnic was fun too and I saw some of the people getting their picture taken for the new

pictorial directory that will be printed this fall in celebration of Shenkel’s 175th anniversary. You

can submit a photo (Digital preferred) to Jody Sweinhart or Forrest Kreiger or have a picture

taken of you and your family at the Pancake breakfast on September 9th. The directory will be available for purchase

at a cost of $5. It would be wonderful to have all our church people’s pictures in this special anniversary pictorial

directory.

Did you see those beautiful green tee-shirts that some people were wearing at the picnic?

They are available for sale at $15, and are specially designed for our 175th anniversary. You can place your order

with Barbara Sweinhart or Ann Hartzell.

In celebration of the anniversary, special guests have been invited to join us for Sunday morning

worship and a visitation reception following worship. Rev. Brian Hardee will be our guest on July 29th and Pastor

Robert Reiff will be with us August 12th. Pastor Reiff was pastor here at Shenkel from 1963 to 1977 (back in the

olden days.) There also are going to be special plays in the grove as part of the worship service in July and in Au-

gust. The ―Shenkel Stars‖ will present an entertaining program with a meaningful message.

So, there’s lots going on around here. Come out and enjoy our celebration activities.

(I wish I had one of those nice green t-shirts)

STEWARD

The third Thursday of each month is a

time for prayer and anointing, and also a

time for reflection. We will be meeting

in the Agape Room from 9:15 till 10:00

AM. Anyone who is in need of prayer or

anointing is invited to come.

The Prayer Chain list is continually being updated. Request

for prayers should be placed in the prayer box in the Narthex,

or get in touch with any member of the Wholeness Commit-

tee. Prayer requests will be carried for one month. If anyone

is interested in ministering on the Prayer Chain, please con-

tact Ann Baccari or Freda Wanner. Members of the Whole-

ness Committee are Ann Baccari, Ted Gray, Tootie and

Louise Hine, June Hartung, Carol Stubbe and Freda Wan-

ner.

Fabric Wanted!

Pastor Bonnie is hoping to collect a

piece of fabric from every family in

the congregation for a special anni-

versary project. The fabric can be

anything – even cut from an old

piece of clothing, but it needs to be at least 2 ½

inches wide, and 9 to 12 inches in length. Any

color, pattern, or texture is fine, but ideally, it will

be a piece of fabric you will recognize when you see

it again later. Please give the fabric to her at wor-

ship, or mail it (1628 Unionville Road, Pottstown

19465) or drop it off in the church office during the

week. Thank you!

Confirmation 2012-13

The confirmation program in the upcoming year will be offered to all

youth entering grades 6, 7 or 8 in September. Information packets will be

mailed out in mid July. If you know of someone who might be interested

and does not receive an invitation, please let the church office know as

soon as possible. You can email us at shenkelucc@aol.com or call 610-326-3535. Thank you.

MUSIC NEWS FOR JULY & AUGUST

Many thanks to the members of Shenkel UCC and all their friends and relatives who helped us

raise the needed funds to purchase new choir robes. We hope to unveil the new robes during

the Anniversary Service on November 11 to kick off another century of Shenkel.

During the summer, we will have two services where we offer The Choir of The Day. Anyone inter-

ested in singing with us on July 8th or August 12 should simply meet in Fellowship Hall at 8:30 AM to practice our

anthem…and then we sing it during the service. Don’t panic…it’s not a hard anthem…anyone can learn it in just one

rehearsal with us. Come join us just for fun.

On Sunday, August 26 at 3pm, the choir will be having a ―Sing-Through‖ of the music we will be singing from Sep-

tember through December. A light supper will follow. If you would like to join the choir or even ―think‖ you might

like to join the choir, please come that afternoon and have a great time ―singing for your supper‖.

We will also gather again with several other area congregations over the Labor Day weekend and combine our

choirs for a great ―choir sound.‖ If you are interested in singing with us for that service…you can start practicing the

music any time in advance…just see Doug or Joan for a copy.

Attention parents…break out your Angels! We’re planning a Christmas Musical this year called ―Touch of an Angel‖.

We are hoping for a lot of participation from kids of all ages. If you have an Angel at home just waiting to be a star,

please think about making an Angel costume for this production. (we will also need shepherds, narrators and 6

other parts). We know there are a lot of American Idol candidates out there…this is your chance to get ready for

stardom!

Have a wonderful and safe summer…see you in The Grove!

PAGE 10

MORE SHENKEL NEWS….

String Attached!!! On most Wednesdays during the

summer, Pastor Bonnie will be

looking for company to join her

(Dutch treat) for lunch at noon at St. Peter’s bak-

ery in St. Peter’s Village or at Positively Pasta in

Pottstown. The only string attached is that you

must bring someone who is NOT a member at

Shenkel along with you! No kidding – that’s the

only string! You can come with a friend who is a

member, but then BOTH of you have to bring a

non-member friend along – and that’s cool – the

more the merrier! The topic of discussion during

lunch will be completely up to you – we can talk

about Shenkel, but we don’t even have to men-

tion the word ―church‖ if you don’t want to!

You can help me connect with some folks in the

community that I might otherwise not have a

chance to meet, and enjoy a good lunch and con-

versation at the same time!

To see what dates are available,

call Judy at the church office –

first come-first served! Let Judy

know which restaurant you’d like

to meet at.

SOMETHING NEW COMING

YOUR WAY…..

CELEBRATE THE SPIRIT DAYS

REGIONAL SPIRITUAL LIFE EVENTS

We are taking “the show” on the road…Coming to a church near you! The PSEC Spiritual Life Mission Team invites you to bring a bag lunch and come to “Walk the Labyrinth” events around the Conference! The first event will be held at the outdoor labyrinth at Shenkel United Church of Christ, 1580 Shenkel Road in Pottstown, PA on Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 10 AM until 2 PM.

The program will include learning ways of praying while walk-ing the labyrinth, hearing “why” the labyrinth is being re-discovered in our day and age as an avenue for connecting with God, and walking the labyrinth. We’ll share lunch and conversa-tion, song and fellowship! Bring your youth group! Bring your prayer or bible study group! Bring those who like to be moving while they pray! Bring your confirmation class!

For additional information, please contact: Rev. Wanda D. Cra-ner, PSEC Minister of Spiritual Nurture via e-mail: cra-ner@psec.org. There is no formal registration for these events, however, if you intend to bring a group from your church, please send an e-mail to: Rev. Craner with the name of your group (church) and the number of persons who will be attending. A free-will offering will be taken to support each event.

News from the 175th

Anniversary Committee

Shenkel Church is 175 years old!!

We have planned many activities and programs to celebrate this special time in the life of our church. We have chosen the theme “ROOTED and

GROUNDED IN LOVE” and have designed a beautiful tee shirt for purchase and to be worn throughout this spe-cial year.

The cost is $15 and the shirts are available in children and

adult sizes. Barbara Sweinhart and Ann Hartzell will be taking your orders every Sunday, or you can place your order at the church office during weekday hours.

175TH

ANNIVERSARY

PICTORIAL

DIRECTORY

The Anniversary Committee is planning a new Picto-

rial Directory to celebrate our 175th anniversary. You

are welcome to submit a recent picture of you or your

family, (digital preferred). A vertical close-up is nec-

essary. Please submit your picture to Jody Sweinhart

or Forrest Kreiger no later than Sept. 12, 2012. If you

want us to take your picture, we will have a person

available at the church picnic June 10, 2012,

and Rally Day, Sept. 9th, 2012, at the church. Please

let Jody or Forrest know if you need help. (No for-

mal studio picture will be taken.) The directory will

be available to you at a cost of $5.00. You must pre-

order and pre-pay if you want one. We are hoping

that every one will participate in this special 175th

Shenkel anniversary pictorial directory.

MORE GOOD STUFF…. PAGE 11

Save the Date! Shenkel will once again be

hosting a community Labor

Day Weekend service on

Sunday, September 2, at

10 am, in our Grove. Invite

your friends and neighbors

to this very special occasion for worship which will

include participation by at least six Pottstown area

congregations, including our neighbors Temple UMC.

Calling All Children

and Youth!

Shenkel will be offering a sum-

mer education program for all children who

have completed Kindergarten but not yet com-

pleted 12th Grade. The program is entitled

P.R.A.Y. (Programs of Religious Activities with

Youth) and is offered in four segments, each

geared to a different school age group (K-3, 4-

5, 6-8, & 9-12). Class sessions will be offered

for each group on various Tuesday nights in the

Shenkel Grove (1580 Shenkel Road, North Cov-

entry) beginning on July 3 and lasting through

August 28.

An award ceremony will be set-up

in the late fall for all children and

youth that complete their program.

Please contact Bill Faust

(stromgold@aol.com or 215-409-

8618) for more information or to

sign up.

Parsonage Open House!

Fellowship time after worship on Sunday, July 29, will take place at Shenkel’s parson-age. Please stop by and enjoy some light re-

freshments, and take a tour of a very special

piece of Shenkel’s property!

Come join us for campfire snacks, barbeque, games, and late-night chatter at the Annual Camp-Out in the grove! When? Satur-day, August 11th beginning at 5 pm. Bring your tents and sleeping

gear, a side dish for dinner, and a breakfast item to share with friends, and don't forget your church clothes for the service in the morning!! Hot dogs, smores, drinks and snacks will be provided. Please contact Dave Derman with any questions: 610-323-8173 or david.derman@gmail.com. We will see you there!!!

What in God's Name is Going on Around Here?

On June 16, what was going on was the Spring meeting of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference. Ann Baccari, Pastor Bonnie, Eric Martens, Henry the pup, and I were privi-leged to represent Shenkel at this event.

Our morning began with music led by a talented duet whose songs, for me, perfectly rep-

resented the spirit of the day and the mission of the UCC. Then the keynote speaker, Rev. Felix Carrion, ex-cited the assembly with his assurances that God is still speaking to each of us. During the morning conferring session, our interim Conference Minister, Rev. Judith Youngman addressed issues of concern and challenges facing our conference. A short question and answer period followed. We had a break for a delicious lunch. During the break, we could walk outside, renew friendships, view dis-plays, and shop for items benefiting SERRV. Churches and individuals were recognized during the afternoon conferring session. Shenkel was honored as a “Five for Five” church for our OCWM giving. The 15th anniversary of Pastor Bonnie’s ordination was noted in the bulletin. Rev. Geneva Butz, who had visited us on several occasions, was recognized as she retired from her ministry on the Conference staff. Rev. Allan Kramer-Moyer, the summer camp director at Mensch Mill, highlighted opportunities still avail-able this summer. “Camp Everyone” from July 6-8 is an opportunity for anyone of any age to enjoy a camp-ing experience. The afternoon closed with a worship service and communion. A pick-up choir sang, Rev. Youngman gave the sermon, and Pastor Wanda and Ann were among those offering healing prayers. This was a beautiful ending to an interesting day. I thank you for the opportunity to represent Shenkel at the meeting. Sincerely, Connie Armbruster

PSEC

Summer Day of Prayer

August 22, 2012 - 9:30 am to 3:30 pm

at Kline Center at Mensch Mill (room under the dining

hall.) The theme is Discipleship Through Prayer and Heal-

ing Ministries led by Rev. Wanda D. Craner Minister of

Spiritual Nurture PSEC with members of the Spiritual Life

Mission Team assisting. This prayer day will explore ways

that we, in the church, can reach out to the larger commu-

nity as disciples of prayer and healing in a broken

world. The cost is $20.00 which includes the program and

refreshments. Bring a bagged lunch, journal/notebook and

pencil/pen. Deadline is August 16th. and you can register

online at PSEC.ORG or call 610-489-2956, ext. 311.

Living Water United

Church of Christ

Has extended an invitation to

all of us to join them for an

Open House on Saturday, Sep-

tember 22nd from noon to 3 PM to see their new

building. We are also invited on Sunday, Sep-

tember 23, 2012 for their building dedication and

consecration. The Service of Dedication will be

held at 3:00 PM on Sunday. The new address is

6250 Loretto Avenue, Philadelphia 19111. They

are located in the Oxford Circle section of Phila-

delphia.

Pastor Bonnie is planning to attend and if there

is anyone who would like to carpool, she would

be happy to have company for the ride. Just let

her know.

PAGE 12

07/01 LAURA GOLDEN

07/01 Derek Painter

07/02 Susan Fritz

07/02 Lucas Gray

07/02 TYLAR MOSER

07/06 Evelyn Rodriguez

07/06 Mike Kline

07/09 Barbara Burhans

07/09 ERIKA AUGUSTINE

07/10 Stacey Keim

07/11 Leroy Heimbach

07/12 Joel Sweinhart

07/12 Leslie Hauze

07/12 Laura Hauze

07/13 REBECCA MAJOR

07/13 MARISSA MATTHEWS

07/14 Franklin Hartung

07/16 Anna Baccari

07/17 Olivia Body

07/18 Jess Miller

07/20 Sheree Scheler

07/20 LORI KLEIN

07/21 MAX MCCULLAGH

07/22 William Baseley

07/23 William Burhans

07/23 Robert Brown

07/23 JOSEPH,JR YANNICK

07/23 Bonnie Moore

07/24 JULIE ZACHESKY

07/24 Tammy Graef

07/24 Jim Nye

07/24 Rachel Berriker

07/24 COLIN DEVINE

07/24 Jordan Caplan

07/26 Cody Moyer

07/26 LUCAS ZACHESKY

07/28 Betty Kreiger

07/28 LINDSAY HOFF

07/28 Nathaniel Faust

07/29 Rick Brewer

07/29 Christian O'Drain

07/29 NATHAN GERBER

07/30 Rick Viti

07/31 Dottie McCann

07/31 Cole Bevan

08/01 Dillon Gaul

08/03 STEVEN BADE

08/04 Ruth Klein

08/04 Ted Gray

08/07 Sarah Hardy

08/08 Maryln Rohrbach

08/09 Katherine Derman

08/10 Barbara Sweinhart

08/10 Allen Bevan

08/10 Alyssa Rice

08/10 Hannah Apgar

08/12 Elaine Bevan

08/12 Grace MAJOR

08/14 Carol Stubbe

08/15 Miranda Brewer

08/16 Lindsey Martin

08/16 Morgan Scharneck

08/17 Ray Rowe

08/17 Jennifer Dyott

08/17 DANIEL SWEISFORD

08/17 CAROLYN GALE

08/18 Carol Pearson

08/21 Sue Kulp

08/21 RONALD LLOYD

08/21 ASHLYN AUGUSTINE

08/27 HORACE INGRAM

08/27 KAYA SKULSKI

08/28 KARL HUDICK

08/28 Lori Scharneck

08/28 JACOB SABO

08/28 JOSEPH YANNICK

08/28 Jeffrey Dyott

08/29 Jennifer Heidenreich

08/29 MELISSA ELLIS

08/30 Noah BRADLEY

08/31 WAYNE KLEIN

08/31 CHRISTIAN GOLDEN

Congratulations, Trent! You are officially a working Seeing Eye Dog! Trent is currently serving as the eyes of a young man in Texas, and his trainer from Morristown

reports that he is extremely efficient and well-loved. He is a happy dog and makes the life of his owner infinitely easier and more rewarding! Best wishes to them both!

PAGE 13

OUR CHURCH FAMILY AND FRIENDS….

During the month of July, Shenkel will be praying for these randomly selected members and friends of our congregation:

7/1 Angela and Van Hudick

Christine, Tim, Jason, J.T. and Skyler

Durham

Betty Bortz

Joan and Ron Christman

Taylor Murphy

7/8 Lori and Morgan Scharneck

Ann Hartzell

Aaron Gray

Carolyn and Bill Basely

Allison Levengood

7/15 Marion and Russell Iezzi

Eric Martens

Sharon and John Sabo

Helen, Stephen and Kamryn Wanner

Diane Devine

7/22 Derek Painter

Kaleena Sweinhart

Jim White

Eric Klein

Marilyn and Dave Lloyd

7/29 Mike Kline and Alicia Terhune

Jeremy Matthews

Clayton Brewer

Anna Bevan

Katie Hudick

During the month of August, Shenkel will be praying for these randomly selected mem-bers and friends of our congre-gation:

8/5 Kurt Kutz

Dawn Yocom

Kay and George Ellis

Alyssa, Mike, Nick and Nate Rice

Jess Miller

8/12 Kathy and Ron Lloyd

Amy, Craig, Nina and Anna Shenk

John Pennell

Faye and Ed Pedrick

Ariel Royer

8/19 Angela and Caleb Haslett

Cindy, Gerry and Joshua Rogers

Kortne Hudick

Carol and Ron Pearson

8/26 Ann Hartzell

Jeff Luckenbach

Sue and Barry Miller

Elaine Hughes

Betty and Bob Reiff

PAGE 14

We lost a dear member when

Virginia Johnson went to be with

God on Sunday, June 17. Since

very few of us were able to at-

tend her funeral, which was held

at her beloved home church in Nesquehoning, we

will celebrate her life here at Shenkel with a special

reception following worship on Sunday, July

22. Please contact Ann Baccari or Carol Stubbe if

you would like to contribute.

Thank you to all the members of the

choir who helped fold the Sunday

bulletins each week during ―Choir

season.‖ You are a blessing to me!

Judy