The Newsletter of

the Eastern District

Moravian Church

July 2007

Gary M. Straughan, President

District Developments

 
OUR CHURCH FAMILY

 

 

 

A Word from Gary

I write this as the first day of summer officially arrives.  It is a gorgeous day here in the Lehigh Valley.  I greet you and trust that your summer missional emphasis includes time for the members of your congregation to purposely be about the task of living their faith in ways that others will know that their lives have been touched by Christ's presence.

 

Please pray for the Interprovincial Youth Convocation being held in Prague during the first 10 days of the month (there are 108 North American participants of which 45 are from the Eastern District).  Please pray for each individual and for safe travel as these youth and their leaders explore the true meaning of 550 years of Moravian witness across the world by returning to the land where the church first blossomed.  Other dates to note during the month of July include the installation of the Rev. Rebecca Craver as one of the pastors at Edgeboro (3/4 time) and as the Director for Youth in Mission with the Board of World Mission (3/4 time) and the ordination of Andrew Kilps in Madison on July 21 and his installation at Palmyra on July 29.  Please pray for your Provincial Elders as they meet twice during the month of July -- on July 13-14 in Madison, WI, and again together with the PEC of the Southern Province on July 27-28 in Bethlehem. 

 

I will be taking a few days vacation during the week of July 22 to be with family in Door County, WI, and Lucille will be on vacation during the week of July 29.

 

I have two reminders for all of you.  The first is the district-wide 550th Anniversary Gala to be held on Nov. 10 at the State Theatre in Easton.  Audition tapes have already been received from 12 different congregations so please make sure that you get yours in to Chris Giesler in the very near future if your congregation is planning on sharing a talent with the district.  In connection with that, please make sure that you have Nov. 10 marked on your calendar and that you plan to be present for this wonderful celebration.  The second has to do with the fact that there are still seven district congregations that have not submitted their 2006 Annual Reports and five congregations that have submitted only partial reports.  I am pleading with those congregations to please get their reports in this week.  One aspect of this that occurs often is that past board members receive mailings that are meant for current board members.  At this point I will not name the congregations publicly but there are two from the Lehigh Valley and five from the NY metro area that have been delinquent.  The partial reports represent four from the Lehigh Valley and one from NY metro.  All of that to say -- thank you to the congregations of Ohio, Penn-Mar, and Delaware Valley for your faithfulness.

 

Enjoy your summer and don’t forget to support your church as you do so.  Blessings.  Gary

 

Pastoral Changes

Brother Andrew Kilps has accepted a call to serve as pastor of the Palmyra Moravian Congregation in Cinnaminson, NJ.  Ordination has been set for Saturday, July 21st at 2:00 p.m. at his home church of Glenwood Moravian in Madison, WI with Bishop Kay Ward as his ordaining bishop.  Installation at Palmyra is scheduled for July 29th.

 

Prayer Concerns and Joys

Our condolences to Sister Lynette McRae and family on the recent passing of her son.

 

Condolences also to the family of Sister Elsie Harberg who passed away on June 14 at Marquardt Manor in Wisconsin.  Sister Elsie and her husband, Dr. Thorlief Harberg, lived in Bethlehem for many years as Brother Harberg served as General Secretary of the Board of Christian Education and Evangelism, Vice President of the PEC, and President of the Eastern District Executive Board.  Services were held on Sunday, June 24th at the Watertown Moravian Church in Wisconsin.

 

Both of our Eastern District Executive Board clergy representatives are dealing with newly diagnosed health issues.  Please uphold Brother Leslie McKoy and Brother Denny Rohn and their families as they begin treatment plans.

 

Please continue to hold in prayer all our brothers and sisters dealing with health issues as they move towards strength and healing.  We particularly remember Dave Wickmann, Leon Matthias, Reed Acheson, Lauren Schafer, & Kay Rohn.

 

- Schedule of Events

July 2-9 – Moravian Young Adult Convo – “Make the Moravian Journey Home…and catch a vision for our future.”  Prague, Czech Republic and Herrnhut, Germany.  For ages 18-25.

August 19 – Moravian Day with the Staten Island Yankees.  Contact the New Dorp Moravian Church office at 718-351-0090 or by email at ndmcthree.Moravian@verizon.net

August 31-September 3 - Feet First mission work conference for young adults at Laurel Ridge. Contact the Board of World Mission at 610-868-1732 or 336-773-1732.  You may also contact Glenna Tasedan, the coordinator for the weekend, by phone at 336-922-6762 or by email at gtas29@yahoo.com.

Aug 30 - Sept 2 - Family Camp at Hope Center

 

550 Anniversary Celebrations

August 10-12 – Mid-States Moravians Celebration. 

September 17-28 – A Christian Heritage Tour 

October 20-27 - Moravian 550 Cruise to the Eastern Caribbean

November 10, 7:00 pm – Gala Variety Show at the State Theatre, Easton, PA

 

Regional Workshops: Moving from Ideas to Reality: Mobilizing Your Congregation to Ministry

Regional Super Saturdays to energize Board Members, Sunday School Teachers, Youth Leaders, and anybody else who leads in the church.  Workshops on Christian Education led by Marie Couts.  Workshops on Stewardship led by Gary Marsh.  Workshops on Youth Ministry led by Chris Giesler.  All workshops begin with registration at 8:30 am and will conclude by 3:00 pm.  Morning sessions 9:30-11:30 am.  Afternoon sessions 12:45-2:45 pm.  You can attend the entire day or only a morning or afternoon session.  Lunch will be provided at a modest cost.  Brochures have been mailed to all congregations.  Contact Gary Marsh or Chris Giesler at 610-867-7566 or Marie Couts at 740-254-4769.

Sept. 15 at Great Kills MC, Staten Island

Sept. 29 at Schoenbrunn MC, Ohio

Oct. 13 at Covenant MC, York, PA

Nov. 17 at Palmer MC, Easton, PA

 

2008

January 22-24, 2008 – Eastern District Clergy Retreat at Mary Immaculate Center, Northampton, PA (note: change in date)

June 18-21, 2008 – Eastern District Synod at Moravian College.

 

Moravian Day with the Staten Island Yankees

A block of seats has been reserved for the Yankees and Mets local farm teams, the Staten Island Yankees vs. the Brooklyn Cyclones on Sun., Aug. 19.  The New Dorp Moravian Church invites you to join them for great seats, great friends, hot dogs, commemorative gifts, and baseball.  The cost of the tickets will be $9.00 each and each ticket holder will receive a complimentary SI Yankees baseball cap.  To purchase tickets for your congregation, please call the New Dorp Moravian Church Office at 718-351-0090 or by email at ndmcthree.Moravian@verizon.net.

 

Healthy Congregations Workshop

Mark your calendars for a Healthy Congregations Workshop conducted by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center to be held April 25-26, 2008, in New Philadelphia, Ohio. Details and registration forms will be sent to all congregations in the District in the fall. This informative and transforming workshop is recommended for clergy, lay leaders, committee members, music programs directors, etc. Lead your congregation to healthier functioning and learn to stay focused on your "unique mission and purpose." The event is sponsored by the Eastern District Christian Education Commission and the Ohio Moravian Ministries Commission.

 

National Council of Churches Young Adult Stewards Program

The next meeting of the General Assembly of the National Council of the Churches of

Christ in the USA (NCC) and Church World Service (CWS) will be held Nov. 6 through Nov. 8, 2007, at the Sheraton at Woodbridge Place in Woodbridge, NJ.  The General Assembly is the annual gathering of more than 250 delegates from the thirty-five (35) member communions for legislation, worship, fellowship, and ecumenical sharing.

 

YOU could be one of a group of young adults from across the country participating in the Assembly as stewards and benefit from the opportunity to:

 

The Stewards Program offers a unique opportunity for young adults, ages 18-30, to encounter one aspect of the ecumenical movement from the inside. Ecumenical formation involves learning ecumenical theology and sharing the excitement and joy of worship and fellowship with others in the ecumenical movement. NCC/CWS invites stewards to the General Assembly to serve in the background and to observe up close the deliberative work of ecumenism.

 

Main areas for steward assignments are hospitality, registration, assembly office, assembly newsroom, platform assistance, and technology.  Stewards must arrive in Woodbridge for orientation on Sunday, November 4, and will depart Woodbridge on Friday, November 9.

 

All expenses, except personal expenses, will be covered by the General Assembly.

The selection of stewards, which follows the General Assembly’s guidelines for diversity of gender, race, and communion, will be based on the application form. Only applications that are fully completed and submitted on time will be considered. Deadline for applications is September 14, 2007.

 

For more information please contact Chris Giesler at 610-867-7566 or chris@mcnp.org.

 

New Address

Albert and Erdmute Frank

Goerlitzerstrasse 8

02906 Niesky

Germany

 

Birthdays and Anniversaries

July Birthdays

 1     Mrs. Sarah Norwood

 3     Dr. Robert Burcaw

 4     The Rev. Sue Koenig

 8     Mrs. Rosemary Kleintop

        Mrs. Susan Ullrich

 9     The Rev. John Hoenig

13    The Rev. Kent Trievel

17    Mrs. Nancy Danneberger

20    The Rt. Rev. Edwin Sawyer

27    Mrs. Colleen Bruckart

28    The Rev. Dawn Volpe

        The Rev. Ron Rice

 

July Anniversaries

 2     The Rev. Carol & Mr. Keith Dague

10    The Rev. Dr. & Mrs. William Pfeiffer

        The Rev. Dr. & Mrs. Gordon Sommers

11    The Rev. & Mrs. James Bruckart

13    The Rev. & Mrs. Norman Prochnau

15    The Rev. & Mrs. Gwyned Williams

17    The Rev. & Mrs. Marvin Henkelmann

        The Rev. & Mrs. Gary Marsh

19    The Rev. Mary Ann & Mr. Anthony Pula

21    The Rt. Rev. & Mrs. Arthur Freeman

23    The Rev. & Mrs. C. Hopeton Clennon

24    Mr. & Mrs. Steven Couts

30    The Rev. & Mrs. Wellesley Ferguson

31    The Rev. & Mrs. Allen Bergmann

 

Churches celebrating anniversaries in July:

6 - 1763 - New Dorp, Staten Island, NY

       1800 - Gnadenhutten, OH

17 - 1955 - Grace, Center Valley, PA

30 - 1747 - Emmaus, PA