We’ve had a lot going on at White Oak Church during the past three weeks.

Some of these photos happened because Cerwin and I are on our church’s 2024 Photo Directory along with Rol and Carolyn Longenecker, Tyler and Brieanna Heisey and Brian and Amy Heisey. That means I am taking lots of candid photos for the directory. We prepare a photo directory every five years.

Those who attend our church are having professional photos taken by Dave Weber of Mountain Top Photographics – for the photo directory.

Also….

Share the Harvest began in August and goes through September. Flowers, green beans, onions, tomatoes, squash, pickles, peppers, and zucchini are usually popular on these tables. People bring any extra things they have in their fields and gardens and church members are welcome to take what they can use.

We have several people who raise lots of flowers. They are quite popular as something to take home. Cerwin has gotten me a vase each Sunday. He thinks it’s a good (and cheap) way to give me flowers. 🙂

This is a photo I wanted for the photo directory and wasn’t sure I could pull it off. However, Dave Wenger (our moderating minister) was sure that it would work. He informed them that I was coming.

Every preacher was in church on the 13th. It is not unusual for them to all be at church, neither is it unusual that a few are away to preach at another church or a local nursing home or a variety of other reasons.

This is what the board room looks like when our preachers get together for prayer between Sunday school and church. Prior to prayer they discuss prayer requests, other church happenings and the final schedule for the service.

Following worship (the last three weeks of August), our committee had photo shoot sign-ups in the fellowship hall. Sign-up was done online for most people, but there are a number of people who don’t have email or internet access. (Notice those on the left are choosing something from the Share the Harvest table.

Cerwin took these two pictures while Brieanna, Brian and I used our laptops for signup. Carolyn and Tyler helped with signups as well during the next two weeks.

It is my goal to have an open page in the directory of church members in prayer. I chose a few Sunday school rooms where there were young children praying with their teachers before the class began. I did not ask them to pose. This is how they prayed.

Then I quietly shot a few photos during prayer before and after worship.

My next project was getting shots of a preacher using our fairly new screens for his sermon PowerPoint.

This sermon was by Glendon Zook.

My next challenge was getting a group photo of our preachers: Back – left to right – Dave Wenger, Ron Copenhaver, Jon Cassel and Glendon Zook. Middle Row: Carl Groff, Marv Shenk, Dustin Martin and Merv Groff. Front Row: Luther Patches, Sam Cassel and Jim Myer.

I even took on the challenge of getting a larger group together, which included their wives. Back Row: Dave and Shawn Wenger, Nancy and Carl Groff, Keri and Jon Cassel, Rachel and Merv Groff. Middle Row: Denise and Glendon Zook, Sue and Marv Shenk, Gloria and Dustin Martin, Brenda and Ron Copenhaver. Front Row: Luther and Joann Patches, Sam and Miriam Cassel and Jim and Faye Myer.

This is what it has been looking like in our church fellowship hall when Dave Weber of Mountain Top Photographics is taking pictures. Bob and Lois Fahnestock getting their photo taken.

Jim and Lois Kime’s photo shoot.

Lenny and Mary Cater posing for Dave.

We had two days of photo shoots last week, will have four days this week and two more the following week. Cerwin and I enjoyed hosting the first two days.

Yesterday we had a special prayer of commissioning for Anthony, Kim and Allison Kampen who are going to spend the next year in Maine, serving with Engage207. They will be doing a variety of things as they serve there – as house parents and helping with other mission work. Those up front with them are their friends and family.

Anthony is the tall man with a white shirt (center), Kim is next to him (flowered dress) and their daughter Alison in next to her.

Following prayer, we sang God Be with You ’til We Meet Again.

The Kampens stayed in the front of the sanctuary while family and church members had the opportunity to say goodbye and wish them well. They will be moving to Maine this week.

I am also working on gathering photos of the fellowship after worship.

I wish I had thought of getting a photo of those at the back/center door (you can see the line), where our new deacon Kyle Wenger and his wife Korina were welcomed and blessed by church members. Our congregation voted for them last Sunday evening.

I told you we had a lot going on in our church the past few weeks. 🙂