Habitat Happenings

The York Association is making a major effort to assist with the Building On Faith House for 2007. We will help to build a home for the Miller family in Dover. Churches are asked to support the effort with prayers, volunteers, and money. $84,000 is needed for Building On Faith, the Community Outreach Committee is recommending we use our $5,400 in the Habitat account toward this goal--this will make the Association an "Apostle Build" level contributor! Building On Faith blitz week is September 11-15, 2007. A York Association work day is scheduled for October 13. An Association clergy work day is planned for October 15. Other Association work days hope to be scheduled. You can sign up through Rev. David Danneberger via phone (764-3569) or email (ddanneberger@comcast.net). If you have any questions about this, please contact him as well
You may plan a work day for your congregation by calling the Habitat office at 854-6168. Please help with this major Building On Faith effort.
 

IMPORTANT NEWS! Your Capital Campaign 4 Our Churches in Penn Central Conference is now in the Publicity Phase! If you haven’t seen our new logo, here it is. We know that some of you are concerned about how to get this started in your Church.
Let me assure you that we do NOT want you to include this in your 2008 CHURCH BUDGET! If your Church is considering a campaign to repair, renovate or expand, conducting a Partnership Campaign with us could save your church money. If not, we will be introducing another plan for your Church to help us this
fall. This will be a 4 year giving plan 4 Our Churches and we prefer that it not be included in budgets. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. Les Loucks (Chairperson) 717-755-2868 LLoucks@aol.com or Rev. Amy Schultz (Coordinator) 717-652-1560 aschultz@pccucc.org

YORK ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE

            Believing that we are called to love God and our neighbors as ourselves, the York Association of the Penn Central Conference of the United Church of Christ has established scholarship grants to foster youth work camp experiences.  The amount of each grant will depend on the number of requests received for a specific project.  In evaluating these requests, the committee or a group designated by the committee will use the following criteria for granting scholarships:

Ø      Applications will be accepted for York Association Council approved work camps.

Ø      Applicants who are members of an association UCC Church.

Ø      Applicants who are active participants of an association UCC church youth group.

Ø      Applicants who are not UCC members should have the endorsement of the UCC pastor of the youth group where they are active.

Ø      Applicants will agree to abide by the expectations of a specific work project.

More information and form can be found at the York Association Youth Page

 

 

FAMILY CAMPING WEEKEND
Mark your calendars for the second annual York Association interassociation intergenerational FAMILY CAMPING WEEKEND at Hartman Center. Last year’s experience was such a great success that we just had to do it again. This year we will be staying in the beautiful Michaux Lodge. Good food, good fellowship, fun & games and spiritual renewal are the courses of action for the weekend. This year’s camping experience will be held from Friday evening August 24th through Sunday noon August 26th. Come one, Come all as there will be something for all ages and abilities. Those who would prefer tenting or trailer camping accommodation can be arranged. Contact Larry Bean (848-2914) or Mike Bentzel (764-1864) for more information or to place your reservations. Look for info packets to arrive at your church in the near future. You my also book someone to speak to your church or Youth group.

 

Miracles Still Happen

           We are called to perform miracles.  Maybe not  in the way that Jesus performed them, but we are called just the same.  It is true we cannot multiply loaves and fishes at our command, but we can multiply hope and opportunity for the many who year for just such a miracle. 

5^th Trust Bank Established

                The churches of the York Association have done it again!  Thanks to contributions from Shiloh, Heidelberg, Dover and matching funds from Mt. Zion, we will establish our fifth bank in Africa through Opportunity International.  This will be the first in Uganda.  Additionally through Opportunity International,  the Gates Foundation will match the $2,500 sent from the York Association. 

                Thus far, fifteen churches of the York Association have contributed to forming banks in Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda.  Currently we have $800 toward a sixth bank and matching funds are still available.  Please continue to pray for  continued growth in micro-lending around the world and ALL the people whose lives are being improved as they are better able to help themselves and their families. 

If you would like more information about this program or a presentation, please call 755-6117.    You and your church can be part of this next miracle to transform lives.  Contributions should be made payable to the York Association (noted Micro-lending) and sent to Mr. Jesse Smith (Association Treasurer) at Mt. Zion U.C.C., 1054 Ridgewood Rd., York, Pa.  17406.

God is still speaking and the York City UCC churches are listening

God is still speaking and the York City UCC churches are listening. There is growing new cooperative in the York City United Church of Christ congregations, including: Bethany, Faith, Grace, Heidelberg, St. Stephen, Trinity, and Zion. This developing cooperative will have a mission and ministry focus. The mission focus will help each congregation become mission outreach posts to their neighborhoods, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and serving York. We can do together, that which each church can not do on their own. The ministry focus will continue to bring the churches together for worship, study, fellowship and fun. We still need to work on developing the identity and purpose of this new thing God is doing in York. Maybe an every church contest to help name this cooperative? Marja Coons-Torn reports that what the York City churches are doing is a new thing in the United Church of Christ. Could the York City UCC churches set new ground for renewal and revitalization of United Church of Christ congregations throughout the United States? God is still speaking and we in the York City UCC churches are listening.