EMMAUS MORAVIAN CHURCH
146 Main Street, Emmaus, Pa. 18049 Phone 610-965-6067; Fax 610-966-5420 www.emmausmoravian.org Office hours: Monday – Friday 9am-3pm
Rev. Brian Dixon ~ Pastor ~ pastor@emmausmoravian.org
Charlie McDonald ~ Student Pastor ~ studentpastor@emmausmoravian.org Melissa Heckman ~ Secretary ~ secretary@emmausmoravian.org Martha Cox Popichak ~ Director of Music ~ popicox@rcn.com Christopher Klump ~ Director of Brass Choir
Al Kneller ~ Sexton
September Special Envelope
Emmaus Moravian Christian Education —This fund supplies money for the purchase of educational materials for Sunday School and for various CE and youth activities within our church.
2020 Watchword
Emmaus Moravian Church’s Mission Statement:
Living in Fellowship, Growing in Christ!
September Worship Schedule
We continue “being” God’s church with daily zoom prayer time and Facebook posts. Please continue to notify the office if you have any prayer concerns or communication that needs to be shared.
Sunday, September 6th ~ Worship in the pavilion 9:30 Sunday, September 13th ~ Worship in the pavilion 9:30 Sunday, September 20th ~ Worship in the pavilion 9:30 Sunday, September 27th ~ Worship in the pavilion 9:30 ~ Installation of CE volunteers and Children’s Sunday
If there is inclement weather, the service will be cancelled.
Please check website and facebook for cancellation notices.
A message will also be available via phone if you call the church office number.
We will follow these guidelines for everyone’s safety:
Masks will be required.
The Sacristans will help seat attendees.
Benches will be placed to allow for social distancing.
Lawn Chairs are recommended to help social distancing.
Hand outs such as bulletins will not be used.
Offering baskets will be placed in the rear of the pavilion.
The nursery will not be open at this time.
Beverages will not be provided. You may bring your own beverage in an enclosed cup. Social distancing is to be practiced on church property, including the parking lot.
The link to all of the zoom meetings and worship services is: https://zoom.us/j/4429489211
Go to www.zoom.us, go to “join a meeting” and enter code 4429489211
If you don’t feel comfortable joining by internet, and would prefer to listen in by phone, simply call this number: 1- 646 -876- 9923, and enter meeting ID: 4429489211, followed by the # key twice. Morning Prayer; Mon – Fri at 8:15 a.m. (same log in info as above)
Change is difficult. Over the past several months, we have all experienced a lot of change. Eventually we will be able to worship without restrictions. We will be grateful when that time is here. Until then, our goal is to provide meaningful worship while keeping everyone safe.
Praising God can be done in many different ways. If attending an in person worship service does
not feel safe to you at this time, please know that we understand. All of our services will be available on line either live through zoom or afterwards via facebook.
Thank you for allowing Emmaus Moravian Church to be your church!
Rev. Brian Dixon and the Joint Board of the Emmaus Moravian Church
A Message from Pastor Brian
The Moravian Church is a vibrant mosaic of nationalities, languages and cultures, unified in essentials and long standing traditions of: music, prayer, education and missions. Imagine gathering these values and Moravians from across North America to focus on community action. This is the idea behind the Moravian Day of Service. By finding new ways to positively impact our neighborhood while serving as the hands and feet of Christ, we highlight the importance of mission service as a living Moravian legacy.
During the inaugural Moravian Day of Service 2019, Moravians packed meals, supported community agencies and responders, collected school supplies, visited seniors and more-— carrying out Jesus’ call to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned and love our neighbors. We realize that, due to COVID, whatever we do has to be adapted. But, it does not take long to see the need for neighborly love and a little help. Moravians have always celebrated faith through missions and we derive a deep sense of identity in working together to serve others.
The Day of Service is a yearly invitation to celebrate and rethink how we interact with the community and sustain local missions as an enduring part of the Moravian faith.
For more information and ideas, contact Chris Giesler (chris@moravianmission.org).
What will a Moravian Day of Service look like at Emmaus?
Please let us know if you have a small project or know of a local need with which we can help! If you are able, please volunteer your time! Email the office and we will find a project that best suits your abilities!
Here are some suggestions:
• Collect food for your local food bank / blessing box.
• Light home repairs, painting, cleanup or yard work.
• Check on at-risk neighbors in your area. Call ahead and set up a porch visit.
• Have children draw pictures and write letters to folks in nursing and care centers.
• Shop or do errands for quarantined (even self-quarantined) families who need to stay home or don’t want to take their kids out in public areas.
• Send thank-you notes and cards of appreciation to front-line workers at hospitals, public safety workers (police, fire-fighters, rescue squad workers), those working in the service industries (grocery store workers, restaurant staff, etc.).
With a glad and grateful heart for the conquering Lamb and Love of God! ~Pastor Brian
Please remember those in need of our prayers:
Martha Cox-Popichak, Sandy Weida, Nancy Repp, Michael Henry, Kate Dekker,
Judy Rau, Ron Hertzog, Rev. Diane Joseph, Karl Lutz, Ruth Grohol, Donna & Jim Leffler (daughter & son in law of Ron & Bette Hertzog) Amy & Kevin Kelly (daughter & son in law of Ken & Karen Flexer), Students and teachers, all school employees as schools begin this new year; our homebound members, nursing home and assisted living facility residents, all essential workers on the front lines of this pandemic and those personally affected by the COVID-19 virus.
Please uphold these church members and friends in your prayers.
Contact the office whenever a visit is needed or to inform us of any situation, or a family member is hospitalized.
To my Emmaus Moravian Church Family,
Thank you for so many gifts of love from you all– soup, donuts, grocery pickups, office pickups and drop-offs, flowers, many many cards, phone calls, emails and your continued prayers. Special thank you to Pastor Brian, Pastor Charlie, Melissa, Morning Prayer Group and for the ability to keep seeing many of you thru our technology. Thank you my church family from the bottom of my heart for giving me the strength and courage to help fight this battle. It all means so much to me.
Love and blessings, Judy Rau
Dear church family,
Many thanks for all the prayers for Ron, Donna and Jimmy. God’s children are so loving and caring, making each day better knowing how many are praying. Thank you for the many cards and flowers. They brighten the day. We miss getting to see all of you! Zoom has been a wonderful out- reach. Thank you Brian and Charlie for all your hard work. We try not to miss a service! We loved the walk to Emmaus, and all other messages too.
God Bless you all, Ron and Bette Hertzog
On August 13th, Jack Binder was called to his eternal home.
Please keep Jack’s family in your prayers during this difficult time.
Flower Sponsorships
Below are the acknowledgements for flower sponsors:
September 6th ~ In loving memory of Ruth & Walter Stoudt by their family In loving memory of Edwin W. Worman by son, Ronald
Sept. 13th ~ In loving memory of Mr. & Mrs. Rector Henry by Michael & Meda Henry
September 20th ~ In loving memory of Evelyn Mae Breen by the Charnegie family In loving memory of Shirley Reith and Marge Gruber by Frank Reith, Sr.
Sept. 27th ~ In loving memory of Gregory Feldman by his parents Janet & Ken Feldman In loving memory of Janet Unser by Charlotte and Dave Unser
An Opportunity for Connection
Recently, Emmaus Moravian Church was awarded a grant from the Society for Promoting the Gos- pel (part of the Northern Province of the Moravian Church). The grant was awarded so our church could buy tablets to distribute to our members that do not have a way to join us online. If you are interested in obtaining a tablet so you can participate in on line worship and prayer time, please contact the office. You must have internet connection to use a tablet. Lessons on how to use the tab- let will be available over the phone or in person. We are excited to see how this grant allows us to share the word of God with those that are yearning for connection!
Celebrating with Linda Wisser
On Saturday, September 12th, Sister Linda Wisser will be ordained into the called ministry of the Moravian Church as pastor of the East Hills congregation. This is a big day for Linda. A day of rejoicing for her family, her friends and colleagues, for the church that has called her, and for the church that she grew up in. Although this service will be a small, private observance presided by ordaining bishop the Rt. Rev. Hopeton Clennon, it is nonetheless a celebration of God’s enduring faithfulness, abundant provision, and tangible grace. Please join us in extending to Sr. (soon-to-be Rev. Linda) our congratulations, heartfelt thanksgiving, and prayerful blessings on her pastoral work and witness for years to come!
Even though participation in the service itself is restricted, we encourage you to celebrate with us in the following ways:
Join us via zoom on Sept. 12th at 11:00 (same link as the worship service). The service will be shared on facebook later in the week.
You can take part in an ordination motorcade! You can offer a drive-by blessing and greet the newly ordained Rev. Linda Wisser! Please arrive at the EMC parking lot between 11:45 and 12:15 on Sept. 12th.
Send Linda a card via the church (146 Main St, Emmaus PA 18049). Print “Linda” on the bottom left side of the card. Cards received by September 12th will be presented to Linda.
A video will also be prepared to share with Linda. If you want to record a greeting, please send a brief (15-20 second) video to secretary@emmausmoravian.org by September 9th.
The Provincial Elders’ Conference has given its blessing to Linda’s request to hold a service of celebration on the one-year anniversary of her ordination. We look forward to hosting that event and to the many wonderful gifts God brings to light through this beloved daughter of our congregation!
In Christ’s Abiding Love, Pastor Brian
News to Know
Spiritual Direction/Spiritual Companion
I am remembering a time in my early days at Seminary when a guest pastor was to lead us in a class of prayerful listening also called Centering Prayer. It was customary to be prepared to take notes from the class lecture but this class was to be different. The pastor informed us we would begin this class with 30 minutes of silence. He instructed us to clear our minds of clutter and contin- ue to push the clutter out if the distraction returned. The purpose of this prayer time was to listen for the Spirit! Well I could not imagine keeping my mind quiet for 30 minutes and wondered what I had gotten myself into! Turns out what I had gotten myself into was the most profound experience of a spiritual movement during prayer time and the deep desire to repeat the experience. So I took more classes in spiritual formation and continued to practice prayerful listening through the silence of Centering Prayer. This spiritual practice has led me to sense that God is encouraging me to share this type of prayer time with others and I have a deep desire to do just that. And so I offer to share time with you to walk our spiritual journeys together as we use the spiritual practice of prayerful listening in silence or Centering Prayer (usually 10-15 minutes at a time in our sessions). Please call Linda Unser at 610-390-7771 or email lugraphics@aol.com for more info or to schedule a session. There is no fee for the first session.
The Blessing Box
Our box is located on the side porch of the church office. It is filled with non perishable food and toiletries (when available) for those in need. The box is filled weekly (at least). We keep additional donations in the office to replenish supplies when needed.
The immediate needs of the blessing box are: pasta, pasta sauce, jelly, spaghettios, mac and cheese, packets of peanut butter or cheese crackers, canned tuna, and toiletries (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodor- ant). You can place your donations directly in the box, or contact the office to arrange a drop off time. Thank you for supporting this im- portant community ministry.
The EMC Book Club
Keep up with your reading! The next book club meeting is August 10th at 7:00pm. Meetings are held on Zoom. We also meet every week for conversation and company. Everyone is welcome to join! Email Judy Williamson
at stellawitchey@hotmail.com for info.
Sept. 14th ~ Sold on a Monday,
by Kristina McMorris
Oct. 12th ~ A Midwife’s Song Oh, Freedom, Patricia Harmon
Nov. 9th ~ One in a Million Boy,
by Monica Wood
Sunday School Update
Hello Sunday School families! We are anxiously awaiting the start of Sunday School. Please know that the health and safety of the children are important to us. We want to teach and serve your children in a safe way. On Sunday, September 27th, in place of the usual opening, we will be gearing part of the service towards children. Please plan on attending the 9:30 outdoor service as a family! Lawn chairs are welcome to help with social distancing! We will continue to plan when Sunday School can resume and will email any updates.
Thank you! Melissa Heckman and Karen Semet, Sunday School Coordinators
Head Preschool Teacher Ad
We continue to search for a head teacher for our preschool program. The hope is to start preschool with 2 days a week and add another 2 days in the new year.
Opening for Head Teacher of the Preschool at Emmaus Moravian Church
Emmaus Moravian Church is seeking a Head Teacher for our well established preschool. This position has the potential for 4 days a week; 6 hours a day and is perfect for a caring, trained teacher looking for an exciting, fulfilling opportunity.
Job Summary
The Head Teacher of Emmaus Moravian Church Preschool creates an environment of kindness and caring, appropriate with Christian values. We are looking for someone to create a curriculum for children ages 3-5 and to provide opportunities for the children to grow and learn utilizing a variety of educational, creative, and physical activities in a nurturing environment.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree preferred in Elementary Education or Early Childhood Education
Experience in a school setting is required.
All necessary clearances must be current.
Excellent communication skills with children, parents and teachers a must!
Commitment to the Statement of Purpose of the Emmaus Moravian Preschool:
To provide learning experiences for children in a safe, caring, and well supervised environment.
Terms of Employment:
School year runs from September through August.
Salary, PTO and other terms of employment to be established upon job offer.
We, at Emmaus Moravian Church are anxious to meet you and welcome you to our Preschool Family. Please email an updated resume to Melissa Heckman at secretary@emmausmoravian.org or call 610- 965-6067 for further inquiries. Resumes must be received by October 1st, 2020.