Middle PA District and Camp Blue Diamond will once again host the annual golf tournament on Tuesday, August 14 at Iron Masters in Roaring Spring. Cost is $80 (includes: 18 holes, cart, dinner, gifts)

Hello! My name is Amanda Helfrich and I am the new District Youth Coordinator for a joint ministry between Camp Blue Diamond and the Middle PA District. We believe our ministry is more effective if we work together to reach youth across the district, which is why we created DCYM (District and Camp Youth Ministry). Our goal is to provide meaningful, spiritually fulfilling experiences throughout the year as we connect youth from all corners of the district. I’m really excited about this opportunity to connect with you and would love to see you at these upcoming events!

 

• Volleyball Tournament- March 17
• Washington D.C. Soup Kitchen Trip- April 25-28
• Summer camp- Youth Camp July 8-14
• Summer Splash at Raystown Waterslides- July 11
• National Youth Conference- July 21-26

The Coordinating Team of Middle Pennsylvania District has been working to place a greater emphasis and focus on our outreach ministries. Our hope has been to continue to increase our outreach to at least 10% of our total budget – a tithe. Many years ago District Leadership developed the Pennies for Witness offering as a way to support the outreach ministries of the District. Over the years that offering emphasis was repurposed and redirected to support the general mission and ministry of the District. Last year, the Coordinating Team in their commitment to outreach ministries reclaimed the original intent of the offering and again is encouraging the membership of Middle Pennsylvania District to collect their spare change for the Pennies for Witness offering.

Our current outreach ministries that Pennies for Witness support are:

• ·        Trucker Traveler Ministries: This Breezewood ministry not only reaches out to truckers, but is a friend to other travelers who face a crisis situation. Bruce Maxwell serves as chaplain and is supported by a local management committee.  The ministries offer what is appropriate to each situation: a listening ear, emergency assistance, and the good news of Jesus Christ.
• ·         CentrePeace: The goals of CentrePeace (Bellefonte) are to promote Restorative Justice and decrease victimization and crime in our communities by improving the attitudes and capabilities of prison inmates through productive work and training in job and interpersonal skills. CentrePeace keeps hundreds of tons of recyclable furniture and household goods out of our area's landfills every year. Furniture and other materials are repaired, refinished and sold at a fraction of their original price.
• ·         Prince Gallitzin Park Ministry (Chaplains in the Park): Middle Pennsylvania District partners with the Leisure Ministries of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches to provide a chaplain (David Flumerfelt) at Prince Gallitzin State Park. The Coordinating Team continues to believe that this is a significant ministry for the summer campers (and staff) and has the potential of touching the lives of non-believers.
• ·         Small Church Fund: This Fund was developed in 1998 to assist congregations with approximately 100 persons or less in worship to help develop a ministry they would not be able to do otherwise. Through a “pay it forward” approach, the Coordinating Team hopes that others, congregations and individuals, will step forward to offer our small (and larger) congregations assistance in meeting their ministry challenges and struggles. 
• ·         Outreach Ministry Matching Grant: In an effort to support and partner with the outreach passions of our congregations, church leadership may ask the District to match 50% of their ministry gifts to their outreach ministry/project up to $250. 

We encourage the members of your church membership to collect pennies, dimes, nickels, quarters and dollars between now and District Conference. We will receive your Pennies for Witness offerings during the Saturday afternoon session at District Conference or you may send it directly to the District Center. Our goal is $12,000. That is a lot of spare change, but if you consider there are approximately 8,500 members in Middle Pennsylvania District, that’s only $1.50 per member. Our ministries together as a District are not about one person or one church. Our ministries are about 55 congregations working together and sharing in the bounties as we continue together the work of Jesus!