June 2021 The Supplement A publication of Supplee Presbyterian Church - Maple Glen, PA From the Pastor Summertime and the Living is Challenging Last year we didn’t anticipate all of the paraphernalia associated with COVID 19 would still be in the forefront of our everyday lives. For example trying to make plans for a summer vacation or a getaway has great deal of uncertainty Sunday, June 6 connected to it. Graduates Recognized Things like the following give us pause: 1. What if the pandemic doesn’t get better or gets worse? Sunday, June 13 2. What if you put down a deposit on a summer rental and the whole deal Congregational Meeting gets cancelled? 11:00 a.m. Church Picnic 3. What if June arrives and people are still uneasy about coming to church? Sunday, June 20 4. What if we look back at the end of the month and become shocked Father’s Day about how much important education did not happen this year due to COVID 19. The things that I mentioned leave us anxious, empty, worried and upset. Thus, the question becomes, given our current circumstance what can we do? Suggestions 1. Call a neighbor and chat with them. Perhaps sitting in some chairs in a drive way will provide some need conversation. 2. Review with your children what they learned or didn’t learn in school this year so they realize how serious you take their education. Make it a time to learn from each other. 3. Take time as a family to pray for patience with COVID 19. Ask the Lord about ministry you can do to make this month productive rather than Important Sunday counterproductive. Worship Information 4. Go for walks outside and use it as an opportunity to praise God for the 9:30 a.m. - In-person beauty of nature. worship service 5. Memorize some passages of scripture Beginning at 9:15 a.m. there A. Psalm 23 will be a live stream of the in- B. Psalm 100 person service on Supplee’s C. I John 4:7-8 YouTube Channel. The D. I Corinthians 13:1-13 service can also be viewed E. Deuteronomy 5:21 on Supplee’s YouTube F. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Channel after the live stream This month of June can be redemptive or wasted. Ultimately it is up to you. ends. Ask the Lord to guide you and you will be amazed as to what God can do through you. Please join us! Serving Christ With You, Pastor Don www.Suppleepc.org 1 Message From Session Regarding Pastor Don's Retirement You may have read the two letters dated May 11, 2021, that were distributed by email to most of our members, and by regular mail to those who do not use email. In case you missed them, the first was a letter from Pastor Don officially announcing his retirement date, September 12, 2021. [Click here to view the letter]. The second was a letter from Session stating that it has accepted and approved of Pastor Don's well- Congregational Meeting deserved retirement. It also said to save the date of September 12 for a celebration of Pastor Don's There will be a Special Meeting of the retirement, for which details will follow. [Click here to Congregation of Supplee Memorial view the letter]. Presbyterian Church on Sunday, June 13, The next step for Session is to hire a transitional 2021 immediately following the worship pastor to serve Supplee until a permanent pastor can service. The purpose of the meeting is to be found. There are several steps in the process and hear a report of the Nominating the Commission On Ministry (COM) of the Philadelphia Presbytery has been providing us with guidance. A Committee, to elect the COM representative is already assisting a special task 2021-22 Nominating Committee and to force consisting of Session members and others in the elect Elders and Deacons. No other creation of a job description for the transitional pastor. business may properly come before the It would be best if a transitional pastor be hired before meeting. Those not in attendance in the Pastor Don's retirement date, but there is no way to sanctuary will be able to attend the gauge how long the search will take. Likewise, it is meeting via Zoom. impossible to predict how long it will take to find a - Frank Chmielewski, Clerk of Session permanent pastor. A permanent pastor could be found relatively quickly, or it could take some time. If you have any questions on the issues raised in this June message, please speak with any member of Session. They will be happy to answer them to the best of their ability. (We are all still learning a lot about the process.) Sincerely yours, Frank Chmielewski Clerk of Session Sunday, June 6 Facing the Challenge of Graduation Matthew 7:7-12 & John 17, 18-19, 25 & 26 Sunday, June 13 The Word of God II Timothy 3:14 - 4:5 Sunday, June 20 - Father’s Day Dad Deuteronomy 4:9-13 Sunday, June 27 Be Careful What You Say James 3:1-12 www.Suppleepc.org 2 Covid Update Mission of the Month Starting June 13, 2021 Hunting Park Christian Academy www.hpcaphilly.org We will begin to relax some 4400 N. 6th Street of the COVID restrictions at our Philadelphia, PA 19140-2320 worship services at Hunting Park Christian Academy is an Supplee accredited Christian school for pre-K through 8th grade in the Hunting Park section of Philadelphia, The spiritual health of our congregation one of the poorest and most crime-ridden areas of is of the utmost importance to the the city. The mission of the school is to provide a Supplee leadership team. Caring for quality, affordable, Christian education that the health of our congregation during the pandemic continues to be of celebrates a diverse community and leads children paramount importance especially now to know and serve the Lord. They have about 200 that the positivity rate is declining in our students and have been serving the community for community and the vaccination rate is over twenty years. Tuition is low and there are no increasing. Supplee Session has restrictions on who can attend. Many of the children approved the relaxation of some of the attend on scholarship (some of which is provided by COVID restrictions in an effort to bring Supplee's Women's Association). The 8th graders us together for worship in a way that will all go on to high school--in an area where many feed our souls, begin reconnecting relationships and still be as safe as students do not continue to high school, and a possible. This in no way diminishes the importance of number of them continue on to college. The school maintaining our online presence so that we may continue to expects the teachers (who must be certified) to live also serve our Supplee family members who will continue to in the area, if possible---to be a part of the worship online. Our intention is to gradually have those who community. Supplee in the past has sent work wish to worship in person be able to do so safely within their parties to help with repairs, cleaning and painting. comfort zone. For many years we collected school supplies to take In response to the latest CDC recommendations and the latest report from the Montgomery County COVID-19 Update for to the school each September. They rely on Faith Based Organizations (May 25, 2021) the Supplee COVID churches and individual giving to make up the Committee has made the following recommendations which difference between tuition charged and actual costs. have been approved by Supplee Session (May 25, 2021). In their May Prayer Letter, they ask us to pray for 1.) Temperatures will no longer be required at the door as their teachers and administrators, for 2 new congregants enter. teachers needed for the 2021-2022 school year-- 2.) Reservation forms will no longer be required for Sunday grades 2 and 5, for the students and their families, and for a middle school teacher battling cancer and worship. waiting for a match for a bone marrow transplant. 3.) Worshipers who are not fully vaccinated or are immunocompromised will be asked to continue to wear You can stay up-to-date and find other ways to help masks, remain socially distanced (6 feet) and seat by checking out their website at www.hpcaphilly.org themselves on the left side of the sanctuary. Each month a different mission or missionary is 4.) Worshipers who have been fully vaccinated do not need highlighted in the Supplement and in the services. A to wear masks and may seat themselves on the right side of special offering is collected by Supplee for the the sanctuary and do not need to be socially distanced. Mission of the Month; it goes to the mission or 5.) If you are fully vaccinated and do not feel comfortable missionary highlighted that month as a special gift. sitting close to others or if you simply are not ready to give up In your giving, just designate it Mission of the Month the mask, please sit on the left side of the sanctuary. to be sure it goes to that missionary. In June this gift This may impact some families where, for example, the will be going to Hunting Park Christian Academy. parents are vaccinated but the younger family members may Please pray for this amazing ministry in not be vaccinated. In situations like this you may decide to stay Philadelphia.