Month: August 2022

What is your favorite toy to play with right now?

Kennedy Damron:
My Lil Woodzeez sets

Noah Ganse:
My new baseball glove or dinosaur shaped nerf gun 

Calista June:
My ninja ropes course

Genevieve Minnich:
Wii video games: Mario Kart Racing and Disney Infinity

Adam Owsley:
My favorite right now is a foam airplane that does loops outside

Live stream regulars let us know they’ve joined us for worship by clicking through to sign the guestbook on our live streaming page. Alert users will notice we’ve added a new guestbook option below the streaming video player. Use either one, and if you prefer one better than the other, let us know in the guestbook comments. 

Sept 1 is the first day for Dan Dorty, Derry Church’s new organist and director of music ministry. He’s off and running with the first Sanctuary Choir rehearsal at 7 pm tonight in room 7, and all are welcome to attend.

Dan Dorty most recently served as the Director of Music and Organist at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Mechanicsburg. Previously he was the organist and music director at Camp Hill Presbyterian Church. A Shippensburg native, he grew up in Shippensburg and Newville Presbyterian churches.

Dan is the collaborative pianist and organist for the nationally recognized Susquehanna Chorale. He also serves on the Mount Gretna Summer Bible Festival board and accompanies its 200-voice massed choir. He has collaborated with such well-known composers and arrangers as Joseph M. Martin, Lloyd Larson, Howard Helvey, Heather Sorenson, Patti Drennan, Mary McDonald, and Kristyn and Keith Getty. He attended Messiah College, where he majored in church music with a concentration in organ.

Dan maintains a private studio, teaching organ, piano, and voice in Boiling Springs, PA. He frequently serves as an accompanist in the surrounding communities. He has accompanied the Messiah College Choral Arts Society, the Wheatland Chorale, Central Pennsylvania Oratorio Singers, the Harrisburg Opera Company, Men in Harmony, and many other choirs, professional vocalists, and instrumentalists.

Dan is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and the American Guild of Organists, where he serves on the board of the Harrisburg chapter. 

Here’s what you need to know about Derry’s annual bus trip to NYC:

• You can sign up in the Narthex on Sunday mornings beginning Sept 11: forms will be available at the insert rack outside the kitchen
• Bus departs Derry Church promptly at 7 am SAT NOV 19 and leaves NYC at 7 pm, returning at approximately 10:30 pm
• $60 per person for transportation only, and checks will be held until the bus is filled. Then payment is non-refundable unless your seat can be filled.
• Enjoy a day on your own in NYC to go shopping, sightsee or take in a show
• Bring your own snack or beverage
• There will be no stops along the way
• Sponsored by the Sanctuary Choir
• Questions? Contact Cindy Royer

MEET 11 AM FRIDAY, SEPT 23 AT THE HERSHEY THEATRE, 15 E CARACAS AVE • RSVP TO SUE WHITAKER BY MONDAY, SEPT 12

The Derry Day Trippers invite you to join them for a tour of the Hershey Theatre. Most of the tour is on the ground floor. There is no elevator so if you have mobility issues, you can remain on the ground floor and one of the guides will stay with you and tell you about the part of the theater you cannot access.

After the tour, the group will go to the Hotel Hershey for lunch and each person can order and pay for their meal. 

Everyone is welcome to join this truly “Hershey” experience. Payment for the tour ($15/person) is due to Sandy Miceli in the church office by Wednesday, Sept 14. 

5 PM THURSDAY, OCT 13 AT THE HERSHEY GARDENS

Check-in and silent auction for premier items begin at 5 pm with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar available. Guests may enjoy complimentary access to the butterfly atrium and gardens prior to a buffet dinner at 6 pm. Reserve your seat no later than Oct 6 for $75/person. Walk-up seating on the night of the dinner is not available. All proceeds from this event benefit the ministries of Love INC of Greater Hershey.

The Online Community Auction happens Oct 9-13 and all may participate at no cost save the online items you may win at auction. Register now.

Cathy and Alan Olson are once again hosting a potluck social at their home at 1004 Grant Circle in Lebanon at 5 pm Sunday, Oct 2. Please bring your favorite covered dish. We will provide beverages, cups, plates, napkins and eating utensils. 

Questions? Contact Shepherd Group Leader Richard Carty or Cathy Olson.

If you could return to one place you’ve visited, where would you like to go back to and why?

Tom Davis:
I have been fortunate to have traveled to many places around the world; however, there is one place that will always be “special.“ My family celebrated my first birthday in Avalon, NJ. Most of my birthdays have been celebrated there. I love the beach and the ocean. Some of my happiest memories with my Dad were our family vacations at the shore. As my Dad would often say, it was our happy place and the first swim in the ocean washed away all our cobwebs.

Cathy Olson:
I would love to return to Provence. Its towns have the best of modern France, and their Roman amphitheaters and thermal baths are well preserved.

Joanne McMullen:
I would return to Morocco because of the beauty, culture, food, geographical diversity, history, most importantly, the wonderful and friendly people.

Al Reed:
I would love to revisit Iceland and see the magical mystical northern lights at their peak.

Neal Rhoads:
I have lived in Turkey for two years and visited it three other times, however, it is one country I would like to visit again. I would visit numerous ruins of countless cultures since during every visit more of the ruins have been unearthed and others have been discovered. The people are very friendly and the food is delicious.  

• The Session joyfully approved the following children for baptism on September 18: Charlotte Anele and Hazel Ruth Hempel, twin daughters of Tyler & Eliana Hempel and Nolan Michael Farbaniec, son of Michael & Rebecca Farbaniec.
• Updated Derry’s active membership roll.
• Approved the following building use requests:
  o Continued Capital Area Intermediate Unit’s program to offer speech therapy classes in coordination with Derry Discovery Days
  o Use of fellowship hall for two children’s birthday parties on August 20 and September 17
  o Use of fellowship hall for a “Zumba thon” to benefit Four Diamonds Fund on September 24 from 10-2 as requested by Carly Wilfong
  o Use of the Chapel for the wedding of Melissa Barlow and Ralph Fertrow on Saturday, October 1
  o Susquehanna Chorale’s request to use the sanctuary for their spring concert rehearsal on May 1, 2023 (the spring concert on May 12, 2023 was previously approved).
• Reviewed and approved revisions to Derry’s Safe Children Policy.
• Rally Day, which traditionally marks the start of a new church school year, is September 18.
• Called two congregational meetings:
  o October 2 for election of church officers, and
  o December 11 to act on Pastors’ Terms of Call (this item moved from the Annual Meeting to facilitate payroll record keeping)
• Scheduled a fall session retreat for Wednesday, September 21 from 6-9 pm.
• Approved the hiring of four Derry Discovery Days employees: Jennifer Harman-LadybugLead Teacher, Laura Mills-Ladybug Aide, Kate Kucharski-Turtle Aide, and Susan Stanton-Butterfly Aide.
• Approved George Porter, Duncan Campbell, and Greg Taylor as new signatories for Derry’s Vanguard investment account.
• Hope Within will be the recipient of the Peace and Global Witness offering.
• The Membership & Involvement committee will be coordinating upcoming Post Worship Fellowship gatherings.

9-10 AM IN ROOM 2

On Sunday, join Jack Keene and friends in room 2 to watch a DVD lecture from Chautauqua Institution’s 2019 Interfaith Series. The final class in the series is presented by Mustafa Akyol, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, where he focuses on the intersection of public policy, Islam, and modernity. A Turkish journalist and author, he is a regular contributing opinion writer for the New York Times since 2013, and has been a regular opinion columnist for Turkish publications such as Hurriyet Daily News, and for the Middle-East focused Al-Monitor.com.

Akyol is the author of Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty, praised by The Financial Times as “a forthright and elegant Muslim defense of freedom.”

Following the video presentation, there will be time for questions and discussion, and even a chance to hear some of the questions posed by the Chautauqua audience. 

 10:30 am – 12 pm Thursdays beginning Sept 8 in room 7
This study group is led by Jan Nixon. On Sept 8, Pastor Stephen will talk about what he learned on his recent sabbatical trip to Ireland. In following weeks, the group will delve into the Presbyterian Women’s study, “God’s Promise.”

9-10 am Sundays beginning Sept 18 in room 2
Led by Meara Kwee and Tom Folts, this study/discussion group will start each week by taking time to “catch our breath” through a reflection or centering exercise. Discussion will focus on the book of Ruth for the first five weeks.

11:45 am Sundays, Sept 18-Oct 2 in the Chapel
Pastor Stephen’s 11-minute lessons are back! Join him for a three-week study on reconciliation and things he learned at Corrymeela. The series takes a break in mid-October, resuming on Oct 23 with a new topic.

7-8:30 pm Mondays, Sept 19, Oct 3 & Nov 7 on Zoom
This women’s study group is reading Dr. Amy-Jill Levine’s “The Difficult Words of Jesus.” The author invites and encourages readers to “wrestle” with some of Jesus’s more confusing, controversial, and historically damage-inflicting words as recorded in the Gospels. Two of the six chapters will be discussed in each session. Click to join on Zoom

Over the past few months, Derry Church’s lending library has received a makeover with new organization and fresh titles. In less than two minutes, find out what’s new from Derry’s resident librarian, Chris Gawron.

Weekly Terrific Tuesday dinners begin at 5 pm, but that’s not all: we’re bringing back Derry’s exciting weekly music and creative arts education for children age 4 through grade 12. Programming gets under way at 5:45 pm with opportunities for vocal and instrumental music as well as creative arts. No need to RSVP. Bring a friend!

Check out photos from Derry’s annual worship service celebrating our covenant with animals on August 23, 2022. It was a beautiful evening for an outdoor service, with 50 people and almost as many dogs in attendance.

Cash Flow – Operating Fund as of 7/31/22

Notes from the treasurer:

• Contributions are about $53K ahead of 2021 and $44K ahead of estimated contributions through July
• Mission and Peace is $21K behind 2021. Building and grounds is about $27K below 2021. We expect these committees to spend their 2022 budget. Some personnel expenses are backloaded. 

9-10 AM IN ROOM 2

On Sunday, join Jack Keene and friends in room 2 to watch another DVD lecture from Chautauqua Institution’s 2019 Interfaith Series. Rabbi Saul J. Berman was ordained at Yeshiva University, from which he also received his B.A. and his M.H.L. He completed a degree in law, a J.D., at New York University, and an M.A. in Political Science at the University of California at Berkeley.

Rabbi Berman was the Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in Berkeley, California, from 1963 to 1969. He was an early leader in the Soviet Jewry movement and, an active participant in the Civil Rights movement, he was present and was arrested at the demonstrations in Selma, Alabama in 1965. In 1971 Rabbi Berman was appointed Chairman of the Department of Judaic Studies of Stern College for Women of Yeshiva University. Under his leadership over the next thirteen years, it grew into the largest undergraduate Department of Jewish Studies in the United States. In 1984 Rabbi Berman accepted the position as Senior Rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan, where he served until 1990, then returned to academic life.

Following the video presentation, there will be time for questions and discussion, and even a chance to hear some of the questions posed by the Chautauqua audience. 

DEPARTING DERRY CHURCH FOR GRANTVILLE AT 4:30 PM MONDAY, AUG 29

It’s Derry Church’s turn to host a meal for the back-of the-track workers at Penn National racetrack. The meal will be prepared by Loretta Chubb and served indoors. You can help by providing a dessert and/or helping to serve the meal: contact Craig Smith (717) 574 9296.

1:30 PM MONDAY, AUG 29 AT COUNTRY MEADOWS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, 451 SAND HILL ROAD, HERSHEY

Pastor Stephen will lead a communion service in a room adjacent to the Rose Room, assisted by members of the Care & Share committee.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Meara Kwee:
I would go to Peru. While I speak Spanish and have traveled quite a bit in Central America, I’ve only been to one country in South America. I’d love to hike to Machu Picchu and experience the cultures and flavors of Peru.

Bill McGregor:
Garmisch Parkenkirch in Germany: I went on vacation there as a child with family and friends when I was growing up in Germany. 

Stacey Ruch:
I would like to visit New Zealand. The wild beauty and variety of nature appeals to me. Mountains, oceans, and remote locations feel peaceful to me.

Greg Taylor:
Australia, because I was born there. 

Mark Verner:
I would love to visit a monk monastery and spend time there. It would grow my faith and enrich my soul.

4 PM SUNDAY, SEPT 25 IN THE SANCTUARY • AN ARTS ALIVE EVENT • FREE WILL OFFERING

The toe-tapping sound of the Big Band era will fill the Sanctuary when the 16-member Lebanon Big Swing Band plays for Derry Church’s 2022 Arts Alive Cultural Series. 

The Lebanon Big Swing Band was organized in 1990 by Edgar Felty, Lee Moyer and Karl Wolf, Jr. — members of Local 401-750 of the American Federation of Musicians in Lebanon — to provide an opportunity for area musicians to present music of the Big Band Era. Their repertoire includes music in the style of favorite dance bands such as Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Most members of the band have “day jobs” and come together to rehearse and play concerts and dances and entertain audiences as a hobby. They are all accomplished musicians who learned their basic music skills in school instrumental programs and have enjoyed enhancing their lives by sharing this style of swing music.

The Lebanon Big Swing Band has played at Derry Church twice before, and performs across Central PA throughout the year under the direction of trombonist and band leader Steve Leibig. The ensemble includes vocalist Lauren Schuyler as well as two original members of the band: Lee Moyer and Warren Daugherty. The musicians remain dedicated to keeping the spirit of Big Band alive. 

• Ladies, mark your calendars for Saturday, Aug 27 and the PW in Carlisle Summer/Fall Gathering at Second Carlisle Presbyterian Church. The programs include an introduction to the Bible study, Celebrate Sabbath, by Rebeca Lister and a presentation on anxiety by Rev. Andy Hart. Contact Doris Feil to get in the car pool. 
• Presbyterian Women observe Orange Day the 25th of each month to show awareness of exploitation of females worldwide and to show support for people working to end it. In Pennsylvania, we hear of domestic violence more than labor and sexual exploitation, but both do exist in this state.  Next Thursday, wear orange or an orange ribbon to show support for organizations ministering to the victims of the exploitation.

If you could only listen to three music albums for the rest of your life what would they be? 

Randy Aires:

• Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
• Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Dvorak’s String Quartet No. 12 (“American”) by the Emerson String Quartet

Sara Matthews:

• 1200 curfews by Indigo Girls
• Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
• Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons 

Julie Miller:

• Out of Time by REM
• Paper Airplane by Alison Krauss & Union Station
• The Music of Kings: Choral Favorites from Cambridge by the Kings’s College Choir

Tim Mosher

• Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (The Resurrection Symphony) recorded by New York Philharmonic under the direction of Leonard Bernstein  
• Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere recorded in the Merton College Chapel, Oxford in 1980 by the Tallis Scholars
• Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 1 – 13 by the Borodin Quartet

Jim Royer:

• More of The Monkees by the Monkees
• A Song For Two by Cashman and West
• Belly Up by Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show

9-10 AM IN ROOM 2

For many years Sue and Jim George spent a week each summer at Chautauqua Institution in Western New York. In 2019 Sue especially enjoyed an interfaith lecture presented by award-winning educator, writer, activist, and scholar Simran Jeet Singh, who spoke about his Sikh faith. In fact, Sue liked the lecture so much that she purchased the DVD set so Derry’s Adult Education committee could use the lectures when there was time in the schedule. Now you have the chance to watch that lecture — and three others from the 2019 series — over the course of the next four weeks.

On Sunday, join Jack Keene and friends in room 2 to watch the DVD lecture presented by Dr. Singh. Simran writes and speaks regularly on issues of diversity, inclusion, civil rights, religion, and hate violence, and his thought leadership extends to a number of audiences, including university campuses, government bodies, and leadership conferences. He is Executive Director for the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program and author of the recently published book, The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life.

Following the video presentation, there will be time for questions and discussion, and even a chance to hear some of the questions posed by the Chautauqua audience. 

12:30 PM SUNDAY, AUG 7 AT IRON HILL BREWERY, HERSHEY

Young and young-ish adults are invited to a fellowship lunch gathering on Sunday! This is a great chance to meet young adults at Derry Church and reconnect with others. Please contact Pastor Stephen if you plan to attend.

In cooperation with Church World Service Harrisburg, our Syrian family of six has arrived safely in Hershey. The Welcoming Team met them at the airport and presented their four children, ages 4-12, with several stuffed animals as well as backpacks containing age-appropriate activities. Each family member brought two duffle bags containing their household and personal belongings which were taken excitedly to their new home.

With the aid of a translator and despite the long travel day, the family continuously expressed their thanks and appreciation for all that was being done for them. This was extended to include attendance Friday at the local mosque. As you might expect, there are many questions: how do you run the washing machine; what are those blinking lights we see at night (fireflies); and do you work when it snows?

The coming days will be filled with ESL lessons, physicals, registration with government programs and school enrollment, also job searches for the educated parents.

Donations you can help with now:

• 24″ and 26″ Bicycles
• Two-shelf shoe rack, approximately 12″ wide by 36-48″ long
• Men’s electric razor and a hair clipper kit

Contact Marilyn Koch to arrange for pickup of items or drop off at the church.

Watch for upcoming opportunities where you can help their transition into a new culture.

We’re thrilled that weekly Terrific Tuesday meals will be returning at 5 pm in Fellowship Hall beginning Sept 13, and excited to have families gather for fellowship and opportunities for music and learning. 

At 6 pm Sept 13 in the Sanctuary, Derry Church is delighted to present “Stories and Sounds” for families and friends of all ages to enjoy. The program features three beloved fairy tales: Three Little Pigs, Brementown Musicians and Adventures at Grannie’s (Little Red Riding Hood) with music by contemporary American composers Daniel Dorff, Kile Smith and Gwyneth Walker. This 35-40-minute-long program introduces elementary school children to storytelling through music and theater and features live performance by theater major students from CASA, Dr. Ai-Lin Hsieh, cello professor at Lebanon Valley College, and Peter Sirotin, Concertmaster of the Harrisburg Symphony. 

Derry members and friends who are homebound and unable to receive communion at the church: Pastor Stephen and a Deacon would like to bring communion to you. To sign up, just call the church office (717-533-9667) or email Pastor Stephen. Home communion goes out once a month, and we’d love to add YOU to the rotating schedule.