Pequea Church Brethren In Christ » News

National Day of Prayer Events

admin — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:09:14 +0000

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. we are inviting anyone from Pequea Church to meet at the church to do prayer walking in the community. We will meet at 6:30 p.m. at Pequea Church, then carpool in groups to Tuckahoe Development, Pequea Elementary School and Millwood Road. At 7:45 p.m. we will meet at Conestoga United Methodist Church for light refreshments with people from other churches in the Conestoga Area. If you are interested in being involved in the Prayer Walk or have questions email contact@pequeachurch.com

For information on events occurring at Lancaster Bible College on Thursday, May 3, including guest speaker, Dr. David Jeremiah, visit www.lancasterndp.com

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Servolution

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:59:19 +0000

We know that many of you are thinking about serving, planning a serve or just completed a serve. This way of thinking and acting has the power to change an individual, a family, a church, a community and our world. God can do great things when you make yourself available for Him to show His glory even through these seemingly small acts of kindness. While these acts may be small in the amount of preparation or time allotted to complete the task, they are anything but small in the light of His kingdom.

We will have a Servolution Celebration between the services on Sunday, June 3. Pequea Church will provide the food.

We need you to keep taking pictures of your serve and email them to photos@pequeachurch.com or post pictures to our Pequea Church Facebook wall. We want to display them at our Servolution Celebration.
Please write impactful thoughts, quotes or stories about your serve and forward them to dsteele@pequeachurch.com, or place in the Church Office mailbox.
Any MCC kits must be dropped off at the church by May 27.
Please forward all information by May 30.

“…Anything you did for even the least of My people here, you also did for Me.” ( Matthew 25:40) NCV

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Easter Egg Fundraiser 2012

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:07:11 +0000

Now in its 18th year, Pequea Church is once again offering our famous chocolate-covered Easter Egg Candy! Egg orders are due on Monday, March 5, 2012. Orders will be ready for pick-up Thursday, March 22, 11:15 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. and 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the gym at Pequea Church. Please bring a check made out to Pequea Church for the exact amount. (Sorry, we cannot accept cash.)

Easter Egg ordering ended on March 5, 2012. For more information email contact@pequeachurch.com or call 717.872.5679

2012 All Stars Lock-in

Congregational Meeting – July 17, 2011

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:06:45 +0000

The Pequea Church board of directors held a fifteen-minute informational congregational meeting on Sunday morning, July 17, 2011 immediately following the Sunday morning worship services. Three members of the church board shared pertinent, exciting news that will affect the future ministry of the Pequea congregation. Below we have featured the information that was shared during this meeting. Watch the video or click on the headlines below for more information.

UPDATE – August 18, 2011

We are excited to report that the building of the playground and the construction of the kitchen extension and upgrade will soon begin. The cost to build the playground will be $60,000.00 and $190,000.00 for the kitchen. You may give to these projects by donating to the “For Our Future” fund. If you wish you may direct your giving directly to either the Playground or the Kitchen project by writing your preference on your offering envelope. If either of the projects are over funded the excess will go into the “For Our Future” fund. We encourage you to give liberally to these projects over and above your tithe to the general fund of Pequea Church.

Preschool Playground

In order to better support the growing weekday preschool ministry at Pequea the board of directors has given unanimous approval of a new playground. The playground equipment will be primarily designed for children ages 2-5 and could include slides, steps, a bridge and other equipment. It is estimated that the playground will be used by at least 100 children each week. With little grassy surface available on our property this playground will be an added benefit for outdoor children’s activities. The playground will be added near the church cemetery; a photo of its location is included below. The playground will be 30′ x 60′ and will cost about $60,000.

Gym Kitchen Expansion & Renovation

The kitchen ministry continues to grow. The use of the kitchen for Wednesday night meals, weddings, funerals, special event dinners, etc. has exceeded the original intent of this space – which was to serve food (catering), not for food preparation. Our current kitchen usage does not meet code. The kitchen committee worked on new plans for the expansion and renovation. Parke Hess and Brian Hess spent many hours working through the best options. These new plans were presented to the board for approval, which was given. The church board expects this project to cost approximately $190,000. When completed the kitchen will be safer and more efficient, as well as a more effective ministry. Click on the image below to download a .pdf of the proposed expansion & renovation plans.

Planning for the Future

Phil Gale, church board of directors member shares:

“As a church board we have a responsibility of planning for the present time and planning for the future. For some time we have been asking God to provide us with some direction regarding the future of our physical church and the manner in which we can most effectively serve God and our community. We have been, and will continue to be, in search of land in order to expand our facility. We are seeking land that will increase the physical church so that the ministry of Pequea Church will increase.

Those of you who are involved in the ministries of Pequea Church realize that we are limited in physical space. This is having an impact on the number of people we are reaching. As our attendance data demonstrates (see graph below), Pequea Church has reached its capacity and our growth is being limited because of the physical space we have. There is significant research that demonstrates people will leave or stay away from a meeting place that is limited in space. People like to have their physical space. They do not like to be crowded. They do not like to have to search for parking. Here at Pequea, we have reached that ceiling.

The church board has given careful consideration to this and is making steps to begin a feasibility study. This study will serve to take the pulse of the congregation in regards to their willingness to support a building project, both in principle and attitude. It will also enable us to determine people’s capacity for financial support. In turn, this may lead to a capital campaign that will allow for the purchase of land and the construction of a building.

What is God’s direction for the future of Pequea Church? We cannot think of this only as a way of continuing to maintain our current ministries, but as a way of furthering our ministries to reach more and more people.”

The total cost for these two projects is approximately $240,000. If you wish to contribute to one of these projects please designate it as “kitchen” or “playground” on your offering envelope. All contributions to “For Our Future” will be applied to these projects as needed.

For more information the congregation is encouraged to contact any of the church board members, call 717.872.5679 or email contact@pequeachurch.com

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Kingdom of the Son VBS Photos

admin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:09:30 +0000

This year Pequea Church invited children and their families to the Kingdom of the Son Prayer Safari held at Pequea Church June 20-24. Check out the photos & video below!

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A Letter from Dale

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 15:36:05 +0000

On Sunday morning May 1, 2011 Pequea Church officially announced that Senior Pastor Dale Shaw will be leaving Pequea Church for a new assignment within the Brethren in Christ Church (BIC) of Canada. Read this announcement by clicking here.

May 1, 2011

Dear Pequea Church Family,

On Nov. 7, 1997 I preached a sermon about where Pequea’s Bus might be heading. I said, don’t just dream for the sake of dreaming. It’s great to be a dreamer, but there comes a time when God wants us to put footprints to our dreams and make them reality.

Wow, God dreams BIG dreams.

I believe He has had and will continue to have Big Dreams for Pequea Church. What a journey we have been on together since 1997. We have seen births and deaths -happiness and tears. We have seen our community, our stage in life change, our church and our world change. The way we worship has changed but the message has stayed the same.

I am so thankful to God that when he put footprints to my dreams that He led them down Church Road in Pequea Township.

Now God is leading these feet in another direction. I am going to be heading back to Canada. The land of the maple leaf, hockey and poutine. Although it is the place of my birth, I must say I am really going to miss the people of Lancaster County PA. and most of all the wonderful people from Pequea Church.

I have responded to a call from the Canadian Conference of the Brethren in Christ Church in Ontario to be Pastor at Sherkston BIC. I will be living and serving in the Greater Fort Erie, Ontario area. An added bonus is for us to finally be closer to some of our family. We will be within ten miles of our son David, Jenni, Braedon and Wyatt.. We will finally be the kind of grandparents that attend school plays and soccer games. We will also be four hours closer to Darren, Jenn, Alexa and Trista.

Ann Marie will continue to manage capital campaigns for churches and currently is working with a mission in Welland, Ontario. We will be selling our house here and most likely having a house built by a builder who says he is a Catholic Mennonite!

Through much prayer, we have realized that this is truly a calling on our lives. The pieces that have come together amaze me. As much as I love living in Lancaster County and enjoying a ministry with you I am beginning to look forward to the next leg of my journey. God has been sharing his big dream for the Fort Erie area with me and letting me know what my part is in making them a reality. Even though I will not be here to see the vision of Pequea Church realized I won’t lose touch with the big dream He has for Pequea Church. I will continue to pray for you and the mission God has for Pequea Church in the community.

I love you and cherish the years I was able to be called your Senior Pastor. From the oldest to the youngest you have been encouraging, helpful and supportive. I ask you to pray for me daily as Ann Marie and I deal with selling our house and preparing to move. You can be sure that I will be taking my Photo Directory along so I can pray for you.

Yours in Jesus’ Name
Pastor Dale Shaw

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Tragedy in the American South – You can Help!

admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:01:08 +0000

On Wednesday afternoon & evening April 20, 2011 mother nature released it’s fury in the American South. 173 separate tornado’s were reported leaving a path of destruction across multiple states. This outbreak is the deadliest since 1974. The hardest hit area was Alabama. Pequea Church is part of the Brethren in Christ Denomination and we have a special partnership with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS).

(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

MDS is looking for volunteers to go to Alabama during this next week. A team is being assembled that would leave between 3-5 p.m. this Sunday, May 1. Plan on staying for the week; work would consist of storm cleanup. They are also in need of three skid-load operators to leave as soon as possible. If you are available and willing to help, please call Tim High at 333.4736 for more information.

What if I can’t go?

Please pray for those affected due to loss of loved ones and/or property. Pray that God’s people would mobilize and help in every way needed. Pray that people would be drawn to the one true God in the midst of their trouble.

Donate money to MDS directly so that they can resource the teams that are already on the ground and the teams that will be sent in the next months and even years to help rebuild and restore lives from this storm. Donate online by clicking here.

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Summer Lineup – Changes for Church on Wednesday

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:06:24 +0000

Pequea Church is announcing changes to our Church on Wednesday lineup this summer. Please take a moment to look over the changes and let us know if you have any questions. You can reach us by calling 717.872.5679 or by emailing contact@pequeachurch.com

1.

We will take a break from our mid-week children’s programming June 1. Childcare WILL continue for children 5 and under. Families will be welcome to worship together on Wednesday nights.

2.

We will take a break from our mid-week meal beginning June 1.

3.

We will continue our Wednesday service at 6:45 p.m. and Sunday worship at 9:00 & 10:30 a.m. every week. For more information on our Worship services click here.

4.

We will resume our Wednesday night meal and full children’s programming on Wednesday night October 5.

Be sure to stay tuned to pequeachurch.com for all of the summer events. You can also become a fan of Pequea Church on facebook by clicking here.

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New Winter Grow Opportunities

admin — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:04:28 +0000

Pequea Church has many new Winter Discipleship options available, this is a great way for you to Grow in your walk!

Wednesday evening 365 Challenge Discussion Group-

A Discussion group based on the 365 Challenge will begin Wednesday, January 12 at 6:45 p.m. -7:45 p.m. in the prayer room of Pequea Church. The discussion will be led by Chad Eme. This is a great opportunity for you to discuss what you are reading in the 365 Challenge, ask questions and learn from others. Open to all adults.

New Small Group for Women-

A small group for women is forming under the leadership of Sonia Bridge. The group will discuss the 365 Challenge. The group will meet every other Thursday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at Pequea Church beginning January 13, 2011. For more information email DCharles@pequeachurch.com or call 717.872.5679

Sunday Morning Study Class Opportunity-

Beginning Sunday, February 6, 2011 – Phil Gale will be leading a study class based on the weekly readings from the 365 Challenge. This class will take place at 10:30 a.m. in room 146 at Pequea Church. Open to all adults.

Root to Fruit (Christianity 101)-

If you are desiring to better understand the basics of Christianity consider attending Root to Fruit. Ten class sessions will be offered by Mike Dickert beginning Tuesday February 8, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in room 146. Topics will be covered include: What is Christianity?, Who is God?, The Trinity, The Work of Christ, The Holy Spirit, The Bible, What are Spiritual Disciplines?, What is Holy Living? Email mikedickert@comcast.net with any questions.

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Schedule Changes for Xtreme Youth in 2011

admin — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:24:25 +0000

Pequea Church is announcing changes to our Xtreme Youth program which will begin in January 2011. Changes are occurring in both our Junior and Senior High programs. Please read the information below so that you are prepared for these upcoming changes to the youth program.

Junior High

Over the last year and a half God has really blessed Xtreme Youth with a growing number of junior high students on Wednesday nights. Last Wednesday there were 86 students and leaders in attendance. At the same time, Pastor Groff has seen growth in the children’s program and is implementing changes to create even more growth. This has put a premium on resources in the church building on Wednesday nights. Because of this, the youth leadership team has decided to move junior high youth group to Thursday nights from 6:30 to 7:45. I realize that this move may create scheduling inconveniences for some families (including my own) but our current facility just can’t accommodate the numbers we are seeing and the programs we are planning in the time slot that we currently have. I’m looking at this as an opportunity to continue to promote youth group in the community as we advertise the change. I would also ask that you, as a parent, consider getting involved in the Xtreme Youth program. There are many ways to serve both on Thursday nights and Sunday mornings; we would love to have you as part of the team. Be active in your child’s spiritual life!

Senior High

The senior high program currently meets on Sunday mornings and Sunday afternoons. We also have small groups that meet during the week. With the changes to the junior high program we see opportunities for the senior high as well. We’ll be moving our Sunday afternoon program to Wednesday nights. The senior high does not need the same space as the junior high and students can stay out a little later so we can access the gym after the children’s ministry. We’ll also consolidate our small groups into this same program. Senior High students can take advantage of the Wednesday night meal at 5:45 if they wish and then attend youth group from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and still get home at a reasonable time. Sunday mornings we’ll also be ramping up our programming with more variety for our students who can’t make it to a mid-week program.

All of these changes will take place starting in on Wednesday January 5, 2011 (Senior High) and January 6, 2011 (Jr. High). Pequea Church would like to say thank you for your continued support of the youth program at Pequea. Lives are being changed and the community is being impacted. Since the beginning of the school year over 300 students and leaders have been involved in Xtreme Youth Ministry.

If you have any questions or would be interested and serving in Youth Ministry contact Robert Brody our Pastor of Family Ministries by emailing RBrody@pequeachurch.com or call 717.872.5679.

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