Month: February 2023

This past Sunday we were led in worship by our talented youth, and as we finished the postlude, I couldn’t help but leave worship feeling uplifted, enriched, and overcome with joy and feeling that I had been in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We were blessed by their singing, the spoken word, choreographed dance, and God’s Hidden Hands Puppet Ministry. Mayangela Speicher eloquently spoke on joy and the more profound meaning within this three-letter word. Where do we find joy in our own lives and faith journey? Where do we look for assurance and peace that God is with us, working through us, and present in our lives? Where do we see joy in our church? What does it mean to be joyful in the Lord?

Since being called to Derry Church in September as your Director of Music and Organist, life has been a whirlwind of change and adjustment, growing in faith and trust, learning new schedules, memorizing many names and faces, keeping many to-do lists and checking them twice. The vibrant music ministry of this church is a dream come true and an answer to many prayers, made so by each member of the many choirs. I have found fulfilling joy in working with the Sanctuary Choir and Derry Ringers, welcoming new members, and watching the choirs grow in number, musicianship, and faith. Their passion for ringing and singing is inspiring, and their care and support have brought joy each week as we pray together and become a musical family of brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Terrific Tuesdays have become a highlight in my week: working with the youth singers brings joy through their energy, spirit, and laughter. Our children’s music ministry is growing through the leadership of Claire Folts and Debbi Kees-Folts. What a joy to see classrooms full of children singing, playing drums, and ringing handbells and chimes! 

As a congregation, you have brought incredible joy in your appreciation and support of this church’s arts and music ministry. The Lee Ann Taylor Memorial Steinway and Sons Concert Grand Piano has been a testament to that unwavering support. Thank you for appreciating the value of the music in worship and the impact and mission that this new piano will have on future generations. February 12, 2023 was memorable as we dedicated this incredible instrument in Lee Ann’s honor. We were privileged to have Ruth Slenczynska play in worship and sign our new piano. Ruth is a joy!

As I have come home to my faith tradition in the Presbyterian church, I am seeing God anew in innumerable ways, and Derry Church has been one of the greatest joys in my life. When Sarah and I announced our engagement in early February, we were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from our church family in cards, letters, emails, and well wishes, always followed by a hug. We have found joy in the warmth of Derry Church, a church with the sweetest people on earth, nestled in the heart of the sweetest place on earth. 

Thank you for sharing the light and love of Christ and for bringing joy as we share this faith and music journey together, giving God glory, praise, and adoration while giving thanks each day for all the joys God has showered upon us.

The joy of the Lord is our strength is the theme for Youth Sunday 2023. Joy is mentioned 430 times in the Bible and happiness only 10. In the book of Galatians 5:22, joy is included in the gift of the Spirit. But what is joy?

When we think of joy we first think of smiles, happiness, and Christmas mornings. Joy is not just happiness; it can exist with a myriad of other emotions. Joy can coexist with sadness and sorrow. Joy is not the absence of grief or pain or challenge. 

One of our definitions of joy is the feeling that the Lord is with you and knowing that God helps you through the bad times. We are reminded of God’s love, strength, and presence in our life and that brings up joy. That joy strengthens us for the good times and the bad times we know we will encounter. Through the joy of the Lord we have confidence that everything is going all right … or in the words of St. Julian of Norwich, “All shall be well and all manner of things shall be made well.” It doesn’t mean everything will always be okay or work out the way we desire in this life, but the joy of the Lord gives us strength to persevere and find the blessing.

On Youth Sunday, joy will be expressed with song, dance, worship, puppets, and an awesome sermon by Mayangela Speicher. 

We invite you to come and experience the spirit of the joy of the Lord of Sunday, February 19. We hope you enjoy the service as much as we will enjoy leading you in worship!

For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. Matthew 18:20

I love this scripture verse and the truth of these words. One of the great blessings Derry Church offers is the ability to gather. Yes, we gather for weekly worship, but we also gather to eat, talk, play, plan, create and dream. Our times together lead us to wonderful discussions, learning experiences, stories we never knew, and a chance to pause, reflect and maybe even see things from another perspective. This is true not only for the adults of our church, but for the children as well. Derry’s Children’s Ministry programs have so many of these amazing moments happening, and I am excited to share some of them with you.

Our Sunday mornings are full of energy and excitement as we gather together with friends to sing, learn, explore, share and play.  We begin our morning with songs of praise and thanksgiving. This time gets the blood flowing through fun sounds and movements and paves the way for our story of the day. We then move to our classrooms…

Preschool (ages 2-5) gather in the Nursery Suite
Kindergarten – 2nd gather in Room 3
Grades 3 – 5 gather in Room 5

…where the learning continues through story, creative exploration and games. 

Our KIWI (Kids In Worship Instruction) class has had a wonderful time learning more about worship through exploring common symbols of faith, the words and meaning of the Lord’s Prayer, and the importance of confessing our sins and giving thanks for our many blessings. This time together also allows this group (ages 4-6) the opportunity to build friendships with their peers. 

Our Kids’ Fellowship (grades 2-5) has been so fun to work with! These kids have a wonderful connection with one another and enjoy all kinds of activities as they simply love hanging out together. Our gatherings have included a “beach party,” a chair volleyball tournament, and a mission project day.  Later this month we’ll have a pancake breakfast and silly fun in our PJs. This time together lets us continue to build relationships, something that helps make our faith journey stronger and more meaningful.

Terrific Tuesday is back and better than ever! Fellowship Hall is packed with families and friends of all ages enjoying the opportunity to eat and have fellowship. Adults have the chance to talk and get to know one another better, and the children are filling our classrooms and making Tuesday evenings fun and engaging for all. Our Tuesday evening programs of music and creative arts are designed to help the children connect more with one another as the evening gathering is more relaxed than Sunday mornings, but it also offers the children a chance to dig deeper and learn through a variety of creative techniques. It is truly a wonderful evening for all ages!

Now that I share about all the excitement and fun, I also need to share that we are looking for more helping hands to keep it going! We have wonderful leaders for all our programs, but need volunteers to help in each classroom and support the children.  I would love to welcome more adults into our Childrens’ Ministry spaces as I know you will love joining our faith filled adventures!  Each volunteer will need to complete the following before working with our children or youth…

• PA Child Abuse History Clearance
• PA State Police Criminal Record Check 
• FBI Criminal Background Check and History Record, required if the volunteer has lived in PA for less than 10 consecutive years; this also includes fingerprinting
• Derry Church Safe Children Training class (approx. 45 min and can be done in person or via Zoom)
• Children Volunteer Application and Disclosure Statement every five years, which needs to be signed and witnessed by someone other than a direct relative. This form also satisfies the requirement for volunteers who have been residents of PA for 10 consecutive years or more to affirm that they are not disqualified from service based upon a conviction of an offense under Pennsylvania Title 23 Chapter 63 Section 6344(c)

I encourage you to join us. Please email me with any questions or to get started with your clearance paperwork. 

Now that our programs are running strong, our Christian Education committee and Children’s Ministry Team members have discussed the Sunday morning schedule and how to structure it moving forward.

Starting Sunday, February 26 (as Lent begins), Sunday School for ALL AGES will be held 9:15-10:15 am.

• Children will gather in Room 4 (then proceed to their classrooms after music time)
• Youth will gather in the Youth Room
• Issues Class in Room 7 and on Zoom
• Bible Study in Room 2

**Coffee is always available in the coffee nook just outside the church kitchen**

I look forward to watching our programs continue to grow. I look forward to welcoming many more children into our spaces to learn and grow closer to God. And I look forward to having more adults join us to help our programs continue to meet the needs of this growing ministry.

I hope to hear from many of you soon!

On the first Thursday of each month, the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In February we’re lifting up homelessness and our partnership with our across-the-street neighbor, Love INC of Greater Hershey.

Love INC would like to thank Derry Church for your partnership as we serve the local community. During the past few years, low-income families have been struggling to make ends meet. Local housing prices have soared, which has caused rental housing prices to also go up. When leases are ending, landlords have raised the rental prices.  For a low-income family, this can be devastating and could cause a homeless situation. Inflation has caused the prices of necessities (heating costs, utilities, food, gasoline) to go up while the family income stays the same. This can also lead to a homeless situation.  

Love INC supports people in need that live or attend a church in the Hershey and Hummelstown areas as well as the Dauphin County portion of Elizabethtown. Love INC’s Connection Center has seen a large increase of calls relating to rental and utility assistance. The Personal Care Closet partners with the Hershey, Hummelstown, and Hershey Free food pantries to supply personal care items that families cannot buy with their government assistance programs. During 2022, the number of Personal Care Closet orders has doubled, which emphasized the need in our community. The Homes of Hope program is designed to help a family that is homeless or soon to be homeless by providing temporary housing, a case manager, and advocates that can provide support and assistance to the family. This program can support two families at the same time. Love INC utilized one of our family homes to provide housing for Derry’s refugee family for six months.  

Love INC’s Parsonage ministry partners with Penn State Health to supply free housing for families with loved ones in the medical center.  It is very rewarding to be able to support these families as they go through a very tough time. Love INC’s Faith and Finances class provides education on spending and savings plans, managing debt, and working toward long-term financial stability. Love INC’s Sneaker Distribution ministry provides new sneakers to low income students in Derry Township and Lower Dauphin School Districts before the start of the new school year.  

Love INC truly appreciates the partnership that we share with Derry Church. Numerous Derry members volunteer to support Love INC ministries, provide items for our fall auction or the sneaker distribution, and donate financially.  Currently, there is not a Derry Church member on the Love INC Board of Directors. Love INC’s Board is very active and meets monthly.  If you would be interested in being a board member or becoming a volunteer to help with one of the Love INC ministries, please reach out to me at dforshey@loveincgreaterhershey.org.