Salem United Church of Christ

Hello, I am Pastor Bob Witmyer and I welcome you to Salem UCC. Thank you for visiting our website. We especially enjoy welcoming new friends, and we hope you will visit us soon!

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THIS WEEK @ CHURCH

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 25 — OCTOBER 1

Tuesday
9:00 AM – Bible Study
7:00 PM – Shared Ministry Meeting
Thursday
7:00 PM – Choir Rehearsal
Sunday
9:00 AM – Sunday School for All Ages
10:15 AM – Sunday Worship
10:15 AM – Harvest Home
Monday
8:30 AM – Quilters & Crafters


NEWS & NOTES
Harvest Home
	Harvest home is set for Sunday Sept. 30th. Food items, especially large size cans, can be brought to the church to be used in the display and dedication of the Harvest during worship. The food will be taken to Bethany Children’s Home following the celebration.
Confirmation Class
	Confirmation Class to begin in the fall Parents, those students going into 8th grade and up are eligible to participate in the new confirmation class forming. This class will be an 18 month session. We will start in September and run through May. We will have the summer off except for a retreat or trip to Creation in June. We will resume class again in September 2019 and Confirmation will be held on Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020 with Communion on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020. This year, Class sessions will begin following the morning worship at 12 pm and last till 1:30 PM. Students should bring a lunch to eat. I am looking for some parents or parishioners who would like to prepare a light lunch for the class on future Sunday sessions. If interested, please see Pastor Bob. Classes will officially begin on September 30th. They should also be attending all Sunday School class sessions throughout their confirmation program. October sessions will be Sunday Oct. 7th and 28th.
Crop Hunger Walk
	CROP Hunger Walk is scheduled for Sunday, October 7th at Gring's Mill Recreation Area. We are anticipating another fabulous day! As in the past, Registration will open at 12:30 and the Walk will step off at 1:30. We encourage you to come early and bring a picnic lunch. You can also register your team online through the CROP Hunger Walk website. Online donations for our Walk are also encouraged. (Walkers who collect at least $100 in sponsorships will receive a free event t-shirt!) 75% of the money raised goes to support Church World Service’s mission to feed hungry people around the world by helping them develop self-sustaining methods of growing crops and raising livestock. 25% of the money raised will go to the Greater Berks Food Bank, which provides food locally for those in need.
World Wide Communion
	On Sunday, October 7th, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper with all other Christians around the world. Communion for this service will be celebrated in a way that includes and remembers all Christians around the world.
Neighbors in Need
	Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds of this offering is used by the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects through grants. Neighbors in Need grants are awarded to UCC churches and organizations doing justice work in their communities. These grants fund projects whose work ranges from direct service to community organizing and advocacy to address systemic injustice. This year, special consideration will be given to projects focusing on serving our immigrant neighbors and communities. We will receive the NIN offering on October 7, 2018 as part of their World Communion Sunday observance.
Oley Food Pantry
	The Oley food pantry is in need of many items to help serve those in our community who need food. The churches of the ministerium have decided to make the pantry a priority this year. Here at Salem, we are going to list an item each month that you can donate to the needs of the pantry. For the month of September, the item is “Mac & Cheese” and October the item is “Tomato Sauce”. Please consider picking up a item or two when you do your shopping and bring it to church. We hope to deliver the items to the pantry by the third Wednesday of each month. Please consider this important outreach to those in need