The 2012 Game Night sponsored by the Barnabas AEF was held on Friday evening, January 27, in the overflow with approximately 65 enthusiastic participants present. The Barnabas class was joined by other senior adults and several young-generation classes: Infusion, Theophilus and 4twelve. David and Nancy Wehr organized this enjoyable evening of fun and fellowship. Participants brought tasty finger-food snacks and their favorite board games.

As guests arrived, they sat at tables of mixed generations and began both conversation and playing games. It was a great experience for the young and old as they interacted; some tables with lots of enthusiasm.

Several people were introduced to games that were new to them. At our table, we taught Jerry Allebach how to play “Sequence” and the thanks we received was – he won!

To demonstrate the inter-generational fellowship we had hoped to achieve, I observed a table where players’ ages ranged from the 20s to the 90s with lively conversation and game activity taking place.

As I evaluate the outcome of the evening, two observations become evident: 1) The seniors realized that there is hope for a bright future with succeeding generations and 2) The young people realized that seniors are not a group of grumpy individuals with dementia, but have very colorful life histories with many remaining very active volunteering in their communities. The success of the evening may be attested by the fact that many young people remarked as they departed, “Let’s do this again soon.”

As the early Christian movement spreads, its effectiveness does not come without challenges. Not only are there internal problems, there is also the reality of external opposition and persecution. Yet, with each of these types of hardships comes the opportunity to grow in our dependence on God and our understanding of the gospel.

Click here for sermon notes and discussion questions.

With the growth of the early church comes the danger of hypocrisy. It’s the temptation to pretend to be someone that we are not. So, how do we avoid this trap? In this message, we will learn how the grace of the gospel breaks down the façade of religious pretense.

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The keynote speaker will be Emerson L. Lesher, Ph.D., president of Messiah Lifeways (formerly called Messiah Village). Topics include: “The Golden Years – Myths and Reality” and “When Living on One’s Own is No Longer the Right Option.”

Exhibitors from various home-care resources and residential communities will be available to speak with, answer questions and provide literature during breaks and lunch.

The cost is $10 per person and includes the sessions, coffee break and lunch. Pick up a flyer at the welcome center. Register by clicking the button below, by calling Craig Koskela at 533-2092, ext. 2028, or in the sanctuary lobby beginning February 12. Registration deadline is February 22.

Our current sermon series on the book of Acts focuses on God’s ongoing redemptive mission as revealed in the life of the early church. As part of the sermon series, the church will be launching “40 Days of Prayer: Anticipate” to coincide with the 40-day season of Lent.

“One of the ways in which we participate in God’s ongoing redemptive mission is through prayer,” Pastor George Davis, senior pastor, explained.

The 40-day prayer emphasis will challenge everyone in our congregation to enter into God’s mission by individually praying for three to five people in our lives who need to experience the redemptive love of God. The challenge to pray consistently for 40 days will serve two purposes. First, it will help develop the daily practice of prayer in our lives in an intentional way. Second, it will help us to look beyond ourselves when we pray, instead of focusing exclusively on our needs.

Although the focus of our prayer time will be on the people around us, in the process of praying for others we are often the ones who are changed. “As you are praying for other people I think that it changes the way you interact with them,” Pastor George says.

Here are some of the tools that will help us maintain our focus on prayer for 40 days.

On February 26 there will be an opportunity to make a public commitment to prayer. The goal of public commitment is to provide a way for the entire church community to come together as one body to participate in this challenge.

Adult devotionals that focus on prayer will be delivered by e-mail and will be available for download from the website.

Family devotionals will be included in the Sunday bulletin.

Visual reminders will be placed around the church throughout the 40 days.

Daily reminders to pray will be posted on Facebook and sent to Twitter account holders who follow “HersheyFree.”

Evangelism training will take place in all Adult Education Fellowship classes on Sundays, March 25 and April 1.

In anticipation of the 40 days of prayer there are some things that you can be doing to prepare yourself for this challenge. First, begin thinking about people in your sphere of influence who need to experience the transforming power of Christ in their lives. Second, start praying now and ask God to open your heart to what he wants to accomplish through this process.

We are calling April 1 “Response Sunday.” That’s when we will hear about the results of our prayers from some members of the congregation. On that Sunday Pastor George will preach an evangelistic message. Invite some of the people you have been praying for to join you at church that Sunday.

Start asking God to prepare your heart to participate.

Following the proclamation of Christ as Lord, the early church grows and thrives in Jerusalem. As this takes place, these followers of Christ learn what it means to live under Christ’s lordship. Facing opposition and persecution, they pray for boldness. In this message, we see that boldness begins with our view of God.

Click here to download the sermon notes and discussion questions.

In this message, we will look at the habits and practices of the first Christian community in Jerusalem.  What characterized their life as a church?  What does a healthy church community look like?

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Considering the advancement of technology, there seems to be an app for just about everything these days. You can listen to contemporary Christian music, enjoy the sermons of great theologians and read the Bible in several translations on your smartphone. There is no app, however, for the process of selecting elders and deacons.

One of the most important duties of our congregation is to identify and select godly leadership within the church body. According to Elder Mike Wagner, who chairs the leadership selection committee, the process for selection begins in January and takes about eight months. Members of the congregation are privileged to nominate people they feel could serve as elders, deacons or deaconesses. Mike said, “It is important that the congregation prayerfully considers and takes seriously nominating leadership candidates.”

Before nominating a candidate, members should consider the qualifications of both elders and deacons as outlined in Scripture. Elders must be suitable spiritual leaders who are available to lead and teach the church members. They must hold church membership and believe strongly in the doctrine outlined in the Statement of Faith. Each candidate should have a heart for serving.

The calls to nomination are presented right after the New Year, and the leadership committee will convene in January. After nominations are received by the Leadership Selection Committee, the names are discussed and prayerfully considered. Those candidates deemed qualified and with proven leadership skills will be considered official candidates. The list of candidates is then given to the Elder Board for consideration.

According to Mike, the number of people nominated each year depends on the number of vacancies. This year there will be only one lay elder and one deacon up for nomination. Both the lay elder and deacon can serve a total of three, two-year terms. They can be re-nominated after a year out of office.

The list of candidates is posted five weeks in advance of the congregational meeting in September. The congregation then votes on the approved candidates, who need at least 75 percent affirmation. Candidates who are affirmed begin serving their term October 1.

Elders and deacons play an important role in the life of a healthy church. Their responsibilities are slightly different but are basically to care and to lead the church body.

The duties of a deacon are to oversee the serving ministries of the church, among other things, which include the administration of communion, the food bank, benevolence, financial counseling and the Car Care ministry. They also are responsible for the administration of baptism. The deacons are overseen by the Elder Board.

The duties of an elder are to oversee the overall welfare of the church, which includes guarding the doctrine of the church, disciplining members when needed, receive new members and participate in examining new candidates for church leadership. They also oversee the church finances and the senior pastor, in addition to indirectly look after the entire church staff through the senior pastor.

The responsibilities of each position are very important and need to be considered very seriously. That is why the process for selecting church leaders is not only methodical and thorough, but also scripturally based.

As this process begins this January, Mike said, “It is important to communicate to the congregation that the process is not in isolation.” It is important that the members of the Evangelical Free Church of Hershey be actively involved in the nomination process through prayer and the nominating of leadership candidates to the Leadership Committee when the call for nominations is made. Pastor Mike said that it is a church-wide process, and he wants the entire congregation involved. “It is a process for seeking leadership led by the Lord.”

Send names of elder and deacon candidates to Mike Wagner.

In dramatic fashion, the Spirit comes in power at Pentecost. This passage raises all sorts of questions about tongues and spiritual experiences. In the course of looking at the gift of tongues in Acts, we will learn about the Spirit’s mission, and how he empowers us to be participants in that mission.

Click here for sermon notes and study questions.

The move has been in the planning stages for several months. The purpose is to put members of ministry teams close to each other. As new staff positions have been created over the years, the offices were filled on an “as available” basis. By moving offices, pastors and staff who work together will be in offices next to or near one another.

Don’t feel awkward if you’re wandering the office hallway trying to find someone. The staff will be doing the same thing until they memorize the new layout. Here’s a map to help you find your way.