Sunday Morning, February 21

To those from our congregation, please let me know if you find any mistakes – especially names. 🙂

This is the congregation where I grew up. It has been a major part of shaping my spiritual journey and who I am in Christ.

It was an exciting day in the 249 year journey of our congregation.

Scott Rohrer, a Sunday School Superintendent, opened the service and read Acts 18:1-21 before the lesson.

Each of our eleven ministers participated in the worship service – starting with Carl Groff who taught the Sunday School lesson. “Called to Go.”

He quoted from someone who said, “Following Christ isn’t something I just do on weekends. It isn’t a hobby or a recreation, it is my life.”

Another quote was from Bill and Gloria Gaither’s song, “I Was Born to Serve the Lord.”

My hands were made to help my neighbor,
My eyes were made to read God’s word,
My feet were made to walk in his footsteps,
My body is the temple of the Lord.

His three-word challenge to us for going forward: Be Bold, Burdened and Busy for the Lord.

Merv Groff opened the worship service “Call to Worship.”

Be renewed in your mind.

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

If you live locally and followed the painful saga of Joshua Heisey’s death – a twelve-year-old boy who died recently as the result of a farm accident – you may know that Merv is living free of kidney dialysis due to receiving one of Josh’s kidneys. This is his first time in the pulpit since surgery.

Gordon Gregory led the song, “The Church’s One Foundation.”

Jon Cassel, White Oak’s Assistant Elder-in-Charge, opened with announcements, prayer requests and gave us the lineup for the day.

Marv Shenk opened with prayer.

Eight of our song leaders created a “Choristers Ensemble.”

“Cornerstone”

They asked us to join them at the end of the second song “Behold Our God.”

Gordon Gregory, Blake Patches, Tyler Minnich, Deitrick Copenhaver, Dustin Snyder, John Diffenderfer, John Myer, Josh Diffenderfer.

Sam Cassel’s subject was “Looking Back.”

He began by saying, “Each of us has a history back to Adam and Eve – and even more important – back to Jesus.”

He took us through the church age – beginning with Pentecost, mentioning several changes in “The Church” until the time of Martin Luther, then to Alexander Mack who founded The Church of the Brethren in Germany in the early 1700s.

The White Oak Church began in 1772 as part of the Church of the Brethren. Today we are an independent church with beliefs that follow those of the early Church of the Brethren.

Our congregation went through a lot of changes in the past 249 years, some good and some painful. Back in the horse and buggy days of the late 1700s and 1800s we had as many as five church buildings with ministers rotating between the churches.

Later the people and ministers both rotated between the buildings, then in 1981 we built one large building – where we worship today.

A youth Ensemble sang “We Are Not Alone.”

Jasmine Minnich (back to camera), Ashton Zimmerman, Jesse Copenhaver, Anthony Hess, Alexander Martin, Alyssa Heisey, and Lauren Fahnestock.

Soloist: Claryn Groff

Luther Patches read the Scripture: Matthew 16:13-19.

Glendon Zook’s challenge was on “Looking Up.”

We look up to Jesus for wisdom and protection. We look up to Him for help and guidance. He is our true north star.

A church that fails to look up will lose its direction.

Luke 21:28: Look up for your redemption draweth near.

Never stop looking up.

Dustin Martin, illustrated his subject “Looking Within” with a mirror.

A mirror shows what we see, but God sees what is within.

Are we building on “The Rock.”

Do we see what God sees?

It is dangerous to feel comfortable spiritually – as a person and as a church.

Ron Copenhaver illustrated the children’s story “Cornerstone.”

The children were invited up front to help build on a cornerstone (left). John Minnich (hidden) and Jason Diffenderfer brought in two wheelbarrows filled with stones in a variety of shapes and sizes. They and Ron’s dad, Jesse (back to my camera) helped the children build on the cornerstone.

I received this great picture from John Minnich – from his location behind a wheelbarrow. LOVE Emma’s bare feet. Thanks John.

The children were each asked to get a stone out of a wheelbarrow and place it on the large cornerstone.

They arranged the stones while Ron explained about the need for Jesus as our cornerstone.

When they were finished, Ron asked the children to look at the stones with sharp edges, explaining that sometimes stones need to be chipped and shaped to fit into a building.

He used his dad’s masons hammer to demonstrate how God sometimes has to knock off some sharp edges as He shapes us to fit into the construction of God’s Church.

I took this shot when the service was over.

Dave Wenger (our congregation’s moderator) spoke about “Looking Forward.”

We meet here on North Penryn Road, but our congregation includes people from many miles to the north, east, south and west – plus we have missionaries in many areas of the world.

If we plan a trip here on earth, we make plans to arrive safely. We as a church are on a faith journey – an eternal trip that needs plans and preparation.

It is God’s desire that we each be an overcomer – a follower of Jesus Christ.

A challenge to our ministers and the people of our congregation:

Profess Jesus Christ

Present the Gospel

Provide a place where we can grow in Jesus

Prevent false teaching

Prepare for what is coming ahead so our faith is not shaken.

Prevail to become faithful and steadfast overcomers.

Jon Cassel gave instructions for the closing of the worship service.

At this point, I planned to leave my seat and go to the balcony to get some shots of everyone in the building, but I did not know that he was going to ask everyone to surround the sanctuary for the closing song and prayer. 🙂

Gordon Gregory (front left) led everyone in the song “Build Your Kingdom Here.”

It was a bit more of a challenge to capture everyone this way, but it was a meaningful way to sing and pray.

Five men of varying ages prayed for our church and the people who worship here. Tom Althouse was the first. He represented those of retirement age.

Dwayne Fahnestock represented the young and middle-aged families.

Anthony Hess represented the young people.

Curtis Groff represented the children.

Jim Myer, our oldest minister, represented the ministers and the entire congregation as he prayed for the future of White Oak Church.

This closed morning worship.

John Diffenderfer, Deacon Chairman, gave us instructions for the fellowship meal that followed.

Everyone visited for the next fifteen minutes until the meal was ready for pick up.

There were preparations for take-out for those who were uncomfortable to stay due to COVID and were invited to go to the front of the line.

Part 2 – The Fellowship Meal will follow in my next post.