Month: August 2023

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month (or close to it), the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In September we’re lifting up the Peace & Global Witness Offering, and YWCA Greater Harrisburg, the organization that will receive a portion of the funds collected through this special offering of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

The YWCA Greater Harrisburg’s vision of creating a just community for all began 130 years ago. As the role and the needs of women adapted over time. The YWCA has historically expanded its impact, becoming a driving force that transforms lives.

We embrace a cultural commitment to our core values, through our leadership staff and volunteers, exhibiting respect, accountability, and inclusiveness. We are dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. 

Founded in 1883 to create a safe place for young working women to live and gather, the YWCA Greater Harrisburg focuses on five general program areas: 

• Housing and homelessness
• Violence intervention and prevention
• Legal and family visitation
• Children and youth
• Employment readiness and support. 

In its 130-year history, the YWCA Greater Harrisburg has maintained its dedication to the provision of quality programs and services that meet the needs of women and families. Providing service to individuals living in Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry Counties, the YWCA actively serves as an advocate and resource to the community. 

The YWCA is working as the crossroads of society’s most pressing issues. We are providing critical health and safety needs by housing and case managing hundreds of individuals who may otherwise end up in emergency rooms. We are providing court accompaniments, so our victims receive justice. We are operating a full-time daycare to provide individuals the ability to return to work.

We are doing this work through the lens of our vision, mission, and purpose. The YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women. We work at the intersection of gender, race, age, ethnicity, and orientation.  

Today, we combine programming and advocacy to generate institutional, systemic and individual change, by impacting one life at a time. 

The start of a new program year is exciting in so many ways, especially here at the church.  The month of September will have our building buzzing with excitement as we welcome everyone back to our classrooms, small group gatherings, and fellowship opportunities. I have no doubt that God’s presence will be felt by all as we continue to prepare for and enjoy the start of another program year at Derry Church.

Not only will the life of the church feel more vibrant with the program year getting under way, you’ll likely feel the rest of your life coming alive as everyone moves away from the slower pace that summer typically brings. So how do you choose what to join, how to fit in, and where to find information on church life and programming? Read on for answers to some of those questions.

What types of programs can I expect?

Derry’s planning teams are working hard to provide a variety of learning and gathering opportunities for Sunday mornings and throughout the week for all ages to enjoy. Sunday mornings this fall will include Sunday School for all ages, choir rehearsal, and 11-Minute Lessons.  

Throughout the week we offer a variety of small groups studies so that you can find a group that fits your schedule. You can find fellowship on Monday afternoons, Tuesday evenings and Sundays after worship as we offer opportunities for church and community members. Tuesday evenings  include delicious hot dinners in Fellowship Hall for all to enjoy, music and creative arts for our children & youth (preschool-12th grade), and worship in the Chapel. 

How can I learn more about all of the different programs Derry Church offers?

The best resource is our church eNewsletter. We try to include all that is happening in this weekly publication. We have also been adding the schedule to the Sunday bulletin and have printed copies of the eNews available on the information desk in the Narthex. 

If you are looking for information specific to youth, contact Pastor Stephen.  For children, email me and ask to be added to the regular newsletters we share with all that is happening for these specific age groups.

Why is it important for me to be involved in more than Sunday worship?

Growing your faith is a lifelong journey. Our faith experiences become greater and more meaningful when we gather with others to learn, share, wrestle and prepare for the ups and downs of life. Gathering for worship can help us feel ready to face the start of a week with new thoughts and good intentions. But often life can quickly overtake those thoughts and intentions, and before we know it we are sitting in worship again and realizing we haven’t invited God to join us throughout the week.  There are also times when life’s ups and downs will leave us needing or craving help and care from our church friend. Derry’s various programs are not only created for learning and sharing, they are designed to help us strengthen our relationships with one another.

How do I get involved?

Simple: come! Whether you are a parent who wants to help your children or youth grow their faith, or you are an adult looking to challenge and explore your faith, or you are looking for connections with others, all of our programs are designed to welcome you when you are able to join us. I encourage you to step out from the craziness or loneliness of life and carve out time to explore your faith and grow your relationship with God and with your church family.

What if I’m just too busy right now?

We all go through seasons of life when time works against us and keeps us from being able to be more involved. That does not mean our faith journey needs to be put on pause or moved to the back burner. We can still explore our faith. Over the last few weeks, we have begun to include faith questions in the bulletin and eNews and at the start of staff and committee meetings. These questions are designed to help us pause and reflect as we spend a few minutes with ourselves to discover how God is finding us in our daily lives.  Questions can be answered while sitting alone, sitting in worship, or talked about at church and family gatherings. We hope they spark something within you that allows you to open your heart and mind even more.

What if I have questions about Derry’s various programs or want more information about how to get involved?

Please call (717-533-9667), send an email, stop by the church office, or talk with our staff members on Sundays to learn more about any of our church programs and how you can get involoved.

I look forward to seeing you soon!  

On May 14 I had the honor of being commissioned as Derry’s first Faith Community Nurse. What an exciting day! I had always dreamed of doing some sort of health ministry with my nursing skills, and now I’m on my way.  

Many of you may be wondering about the role of a Faith Community Nurse (FCN). What are her responsibilities? How can she help me? 

A FCN Is a subset of nursing like pediatrics, medical surgical, women’s health, cardiovascular care, and more. This speciality is subject to its own Scope and Standards of Practice and is required to adhere to these standards including confidentiality.  I will soon be taking an extensive course for FCN and will receive my certification. 

A FCN works within a faith community and incorporates health, wellness, and spirituality into her practice. I can do this by teaching about different health topics, teaching and encouraging wellness practices, acting as a resource person, and incorporating spirituality into these teachings. I can also help you navigate today’s complex healthcare systems. In my role as a FCN, I can provide counsel on a variety of issues and help to seek solutions, and offer a listening ear. Home and long term care facilities visits, hospital visits, as well as phone calls and follow-up calls after surgery are also a part of my duties. If you need community resources, I can help guide you to those services. 

I can review medications with you and make suggestions on how to take them. Nursing assessments of different situations are also part of my role. If you have a health question, I can help with that and I can do some health assessments and screening tests, such as take blood pressures and offer advice. Some of the things that I cannot do are hands-on nursing care (things like basic physical care or placing meds into containers for ease of remembering to take them).

At Derry, I am partnering with the new Health and Wellness Committee, using their knowledge to act as a health and wellness guide for our church family. “Health Time with Nurse Beckie” is a new educational program I’m offering on Zoom on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Join me as I present a health topic followed by discussion and questions. The first session is Wednesday, August 23 at 1 pm. I’ll be talking about ticks and lyme disease.  Click this link to join the conversation.

I am very excited about this new role at Derry Church and I look forward to meeting each and every one of you and getting to know you. Please reach out with your suggestions and any questions. I’m happy to take calls and make visits. You can contact me through the church office (717-533-9667) or reach out by email: care@derrypres.org. 

I feel so blessed that God and Derry Church have called me to this ministry, and I thank you for the opportunity to serve this congregation.

Editor’s Note: Last month a group of Derry Church youth and leaders spent a week in Niagara Falls, NY on a mission and fellowship adventure. What follows are Kate’s reflections on that experience. 

What was your impression on what you saw in Niagara Falls?
I did not expect Niagara Falls (the city) to be so run down and deserted. Leaving the amazing falls and then driving down an abandoned Main Street is something I will never forget.

What did you do on the mission trip?
We had the chance to work at Community Missions in their soup kitchen and food pantry.  It felt really good to talk with people who came to pick up food for their family and to help them load everything into their cars.  I will never forget the smile on one woman’s face when I handed her a bouquet of flowers.  Everyone was so thankful for our help.

We also served at Center City and got to assist people at their homes.  We met a woman who had a fire in her home and we were able to help her work in her yard to make it look nice even though her house was still being fixed up after the fire. We also met a man who needed help cleaning up his property and we worked to transform all the overgrown gardens and make the yard look really nice for him.

Some of our group spent two days at Holy Trinity, a former Catholic church that is now a historical site.  The church was built in the early 1900s by a Polish community and has so much amazing history.  Marge, the lady who now cares for the whole property and runs the mission organization that is housed there, very much appreciated our help with the yard work and preparing it for their upcoming Polish Polka Festival fundraiser that raises the funds needed to keep the historical site going.

What is your favorite memory from this youth mission trip?
Our last night in Niagara Falls our group had free time together and we had a lot of fun exploring the falls. We visited a park and took sunset pictures, did some souvenir shopping, saw Niagara Falls lit up at nighttime and saw fireworks over the falls.  It was a super fun way to end our mission week.

How do you see your life differently now that you are back home?
I look forward to helping others more than I did before.  I hope that our youth group will find ways to help make a difference in our own community.

Would you want to go on another trip? Why or why not?
Yes!  I enjoyed this mission experience and having the opportunity to meet youth from other churches.  I look forward to going on more mission trips in the years to come.

In case you missed it: click here to watch a short video of the group’s adventures in Niagara Falls.

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, the eNews feature article showcases one of our mission partners. In August we’re focusing on Education of Children and the good work happening at Logos Academy Harrisburg.

Kirk Hallet, founder of the Joshua Group, often said that education is the best anti-poverty program. Statistics bear that out. A study by the American Educational Research Association found that a student who can’t read on grade level by third grade is four times less likely to graduate by age 19 than a child who reads proficiently by that time. Without a high school diploma, a student is twice as likely to be in poverty as one with a high school diploma and more than five times as likely as one with a college degree, according to a recent UC Davis study.

Derry Church’s partnership with Logos Academy Harrisburg enables us to provide a quality and compassionate education in a Christ-centered environment, thus addressing poverty and equipping tomorrow’s leaders. With 43% of our students (Pre-K to third in 2022-23) in poverty and another 22% near poverty, we are seeing the impact. Grayson has grown from a struggling student in first grade to excelling in second grade, far exceeding his growth and stretch goals. He has become such a good reader that his grandmother says she has to hide her phone, because he “reads over my shoulder.” Further, she adds, “he has come out of his shell.”  She credits his school for this growth. She is rightfully proud of his academic growth but equally proud of his growth in character. That is the goal of true education, according to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Logos Academy Harrisburg’s math and reading test scores are good and helpful indicators, but this is not the only important or even the most important priority in education as a predictor of future success, according to Ross Wiener of the Aspen Institute (USA Today.) Being creative and critical thinkers with a high degree of integrity and character is a much better indicator of long-term success in life. 

The education model of Logos Academy Harrisburg is designed so that every student grows. As with many other schools, our students are at varying levels of academic proficiency and social/emotional development. Our individualized approach allows all students to experience success. “Elaine” is several grade levels behind. Math is challenging; reading is challenging; but she is growing. Testing her simply for grade-level proficiency would be discouraging, at best. However, testing her for growth is motivating, because she is growing. She is succeeding because she is meeting her growth goals. The result? “Elaine” is learning to love learning.

We are thankful for our partnership with Derry Church, whose investment in our students is already paying dividends and will continue to do so for these young learners for years to come.