Youth Mission Trip 2023!! New Orleans! The first day of the Youth Mission Trip began with a bang, while we had a couple issues we persevered and remained positive. Leaving the church at 4:00 this morning to start the day, on our way to the Baltimore airport our first turmoil came with the Conowingo Dam not working and a detour being taken. Finally reaching the airport we discovered the news that the plane was delayed forty-five minutes, leaving us to discover and explore the airport. After the wait we finally and safely boarded the plane, flying out and reaching New Orleans with a congratulations from the Southwest crew on our mission courtesy of Alexa Musser chatting with the attendant....
“We Are Gathered By God” There is a woman who is sitting home alone reading her Bible. There is another woman who is at the church sitting around a table surrounded by styrofoam cups, as she serves on a committee trying to plan next summer’s Vacation Bible School and mission experience for the children. The question I want to ask you is, “Which of these two women is more deeply involved in the kingdom of God?” ...
"Peace" Several years ago, a young, 11 year old girl named Marie, share what life was like living in the Middle East, specifically, the country of Lebanon.Her whole life has basically been living in that war-torn land.She explains her difficult situation by writing, "Our country is on fire, I could cry.I am in fifth grade of the free school and I have never known anythi...
Keep Reading"Aged to Perfection" Yesterday was another great day of worship at Chestnut Level.At 8:00 A.M. the weather was beautiful outside, the music upbeat, and the preacher not half bad.It was a joy to welcome Connor Musser, Olivia Musser and Luke Smith as Communicant members at Chestnut Level.I thought that things went off without a hitch, despite the parade of Amish buggies p...
Keep Reading"Faithfulness" Tony Campolo tells about a friend of his who was traveling on a train just outside London.He was sharing a compartment with two other men.About twenty minutes out of the station, one of the men fell to the floor with an apparent epileptic seizure.His body grew rigid as the seizure took control.Immediately, the man's traveling companion dropped to the floo...
Keep Reading"Telehandler Encouragement" A couple of weeks ago I was working at the church, when Chestnut Level's own Tom Henry called me.He said he needed to see me right away.So, I went there quickly, thinking it was a pastoral emergency.Instead, Tom beamed with pride as showed me his JCB Telehandler (aka teleloader) that he has had for about a year.I watched as Tom deftly grabbed...
Keep ReadingJoin Pastor John and his guest co-leader, Rev. Dr. Michael Wilson, who will be leading a Bible Study tonight on Matthew 24:32-35, The Parable of the Fig Tree. Everyone welcome to join us for this study and discussion! Michael Wilson is the Stated Clerk/Facilitator for Developing Leaders for Donegal Presbytery.In this role, he helps to shape the flow and process of our p...
Keep ReadingJoin Pastor John and his guest co-leader, Rev. Dr. Michael Wilson, who will be leading a Bible Study tonight on Matthew 24:32-35, The Parable of the Fig Tree. Everyone welcome to join us for this study and discussion! Michael Wilson is the Stated Clerk/Facilitator for Developing Leaders for Donegal Presbytery.In this role, he helps to shape the flow and process of our p...
Keep Reading"Not Perfect" Ken Medema is a Christian musician who was born blind.His parents taught him to play games, ride a bike, and even water-ski.It isn't that they were callous to his condition of not being able to see, it's just that they were more interested in affirming him as a person of worth, created in the image of God.With this inner peace, Ken Medema sometimes almost ...
Keep Reading"No Need to Fear" One of the joys of being a child growing up in the 1960's, was the abundance of classic cartoons on TV.You know they are "classics," because they had stood the test of time and are still watched by children today.When I talk about classics, I mean true classics like Scooby-Doo, the Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, Speed Racer, Popeye, the Jetsons, Rocky and Bu...
Keep Reading"What 'This' Is" In the movie, "City Slickers," Billy Crystal plays a New York advertising agent who has a terminal case of the mid-life blues.He is bored with his job, bored with his marriage, bored with his life.On his thirty-ninth birthday he says to a friend, "Have you ever reached the point in life where you say to yourself, 'This is the best I'm ever going to lo...
Keep Reading"Inner Space" I came across the most charming video onYouTube.It's about a dad who sent his son's little toy train into space.This dad took his little boy's favorite toy, A Thomas The Tank Engine train, hooked it up to a weather balloon, and then attached a small camera and an old cell phone with a GPS to track it.And then he let it fly.Well, that little train floate...
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