News of upcoming events & more at Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church
Send your HVPC News items to News@HVPC.org.
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Advent & Christmas @ HVPC
The holidays are here and this is what’s happening at HVPC over the next several weeks:
SPECIAL SERVICES
- Family Christmas Eve Service, Thursday, December 24th at 6:00 p.m.
SUNDAY SERVICES - 9:00 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.
- Advent Week One, Sunday, November 29th - HOPE, Elder Stephen Clark preaching
- Advent Week Two, Sunday, December 6th - PEACE, Rev. Christie Bruce preaching
- Advent Week Three, Sunday, December 13th - JOY, Pastor Dan Morrison preaching
- Advent Week Three, Sunday, December 20th - LOVE, Pastor Dan Morrison preaching
- End of Year Service, Sunday, December 27th - BLESSING, Elder Stephen Clark preaching
SUNDAY SCHOOL
- Every Sunday at 10:15 until 11:00 a.m. for children (K-6) and adults. Nursery is available during this time.
For all in-person services, we are observing recommended guidelines of social distancing and wearing face coverings. Click here to see details.
If you have questions, please contact the Church Office (office@HVPC.org; 215-947-5500).
Free Advent Resource
We are making available for free the Living Hope Advent Study (PDF). Included in this PDF are articles about Advent, a Bible study that can be used in groups, a devotional, and tips for celebrating Advent as a family. Download your copy today!
"Rebooting" HVPC
As we are moving forward in the Green Phase of Pennsylvania's re-opening effort, several ministries are rebooting with both in-person and online gatherings. In-person gatherings will still follow the Green Phase guidelines that include masking, social distancing, and so forth.
Here are the activities and ministries that are happening or starting up again soon:
- Sunday morning worship, every Sunday at 9:00 a.m*. and 11:15 a.m., in-person at church. Contact the Church Office (office@HVPC.org). (*The 9:00 a.m. service is streamed live on YouTube.)
- Revelation Bible Study, 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month at 7:00 p.m. in-person at church. Contact Dan Morrison (pastor@HVPC.org).
- Seeker's Bible Study, 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month at 7:00 p.m. online via Zoom. Contact Deb Jack (jackfam5@comcast.net).
- Presbyterian Stogie Society, Every other Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in-person at church. Contact Seth Fluder (seth.fluder@gmail.com).
- Kid's Sunday school (K-6),
(Grades K-2) in-person every Sunday at 10:15 a.m on the stage side of the Boyer, Jennie Gerardi teaching.
(Grades 3-5) in-person every Sunday at 10:15 a.m in room 308, Susan Caler teaching
(Grades K-6) online every Sunday at 10:15 a.m. via Zoom, BethAnn Clark teaching.
Contact Naomi Trask (children@HVPC.org) or BethAnn Clark (BethAnnLClark@gmail.com). - Nursery, for ages birth - 2, every Sunday only at 10:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- Adult Sunday school, every Sunday in-person at 10:15 a.m. on the kitchen side of the Boyer. Contact Dan Bramer (thatdanielbramer@gmail.com).
- Adult Choir Practice, every Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in-person at church. Contact Bernie McGorrey (worship@HVPC.org).
- Praise Band Rehearsal, every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in-person at church. Contact Jon Haines (praise@HVPC.org).
- Administration Commission, 1st Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in-person at church. Contact Dan Morrison (pastor@HVPC.org).
- Deacons, 1st Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. online via Zoom. Contact BethAnn Clark (BethAnnLClark@gmail.com).
- Missions Committee, 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in-person at church. Contact Stephen Clark (office@HVPC.org).
- Session, 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m., in-person at church. Contact Dan Morrison (pastor@HVPC.org).
- Worship Committee, 3rd Sunday of each month at 12:15 p.m. (following late service, in-person at church. Contact Christine Buoni (christinebuoni@gmail.com; 267-574-6538).
Always check our website's Events page (click on Calendar View) for the latest listings. You will also want to reach out to the Contact for the ministry you are interested in and verify times and locations since everything is subject to change.
SEE US SUNDAYS ONLINE @ 9:00 a.m.
We will continue streaming the service, but only the early 9:00 a.m. service on our YouTube Channel each Sunday. The audio of the sermon will be posted on the Sermons page of our website as usual.
The bulletin contains song lyrics and hymns so you can participate during the service.
You may attend the service in-person (see guidelines below), watch it on your device at home (or anywhere), or come to the parking lot of the church and listen on FM 96.7 for both services.
In The Green Phase @ HVPC
Please note that these guidelines are subject to change. Please check back for updates.
Updated: 10/6/20
We are in the Green Phase of in-person worship services at HVPC with the following guidelines for the Contemporary service at 9:00 a.m. and the Traditional service at 11:15 a.m. For other events and ministries, please scroll to the top of this page for the current list.
NOTE: Much of the building is now being treated with UV disinfection.
We are committed to protecting the safety and health of our congregation and staff. Generally, we are following the state guidelines. Here are the essential highlights of our HVPC guidelines for Sunday morning in-person, in-the-building worship that will be in effect going forward:
- Please wear a mask.*
- Practice social distancing.
- Keep kids nearby.
- Use hand sanitizer.
- Stay home if you’re high-risk or not feeling well.
The Pennsylvania phased reopening plan states, “The green phase eases most restrictions.... While this phase will facilitate a return to a ‘new normal,’ it will be equally important to continue to monitor public health indicators and adjust orders and restrictions as necessary to ensure the spread of disease remains at a minimum.”
What follows are guidelines developed by the Session for HVPC that align with those of the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health. We want to do our part to help keep our congregation safe.
Green Phase Guidelines For In-Person, In-The-Building Worship at HVPC
Here are the detailed guidelines for HVPC Sunday morning in-person, in-the-building worship. Please read them carefully:
Masks are strongly encouraged for entry, in accordance with CDC and Pennsylvania guidelines.* A supply is available for those who don’t have their own. The worship team will not wear masks while on the chancel but will wear them during the service.
- Social distancing is to be practiced. Only every other pew is open. Families may sit together. Please maintain social distance at all times of at least 6 feet.
- No hugging, handshaking, or passing of the peace. Please maintain social distance at all times of at least 6 feet.
- Bulletins will be made available. Bibles, hymnals, and pew cushions have been removed. Please bring your own Bible!
- The windows may be open. Please feel free to dress appropriately. (NOTE: The entire building is being treated with UV.)
- Children should stay close to their parents and not roam. Parents will be solely responsible for their children until childcare can be provided (see next bullet).
- There initially will be no childcare. This may change over time.
- There initially will be no regular in-person Sunday school for adults. However, online adult Sunday school is available on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month at 7:00 p.m. Contact Dan Bramer or the Church Office for more information.
- There will be no regular in-person Sunday school for children for the foreseeable future. Online Sunday school for children will continue.
- High-risk individuals are advised to stay at home or in their cars in the parking lot and watch or listen to the online service at 9:00 a.m.
- If you're not feeling well, please stay home.
- Entry will be via the normal doors.
- Communion will be offered on the first Sunday of each month via self-serve individual disposable cups for each of the elements. Please pick up your communion elements before sitting down.
- A plate for the offering is located at the rear of the sanctuary. You may place your envelopes there.
- Hand sanitizer is available at the door and other key locations in the building. Please help yourself. There are now two touch-free dispensing stations.
- Bathrooms are open to only one person at a time. Children may be accompanied by a parent.
- Coffee service will not be available. You may bring your own coffee in a cup with a lid.
- Cleaning of high-touch areas will occur before, between, and after each service.
Additional Green Phase Guidelines:
- Webcasting will continue only on YouTube along with FM narrowcasting to the parking lot on 96.7 FM, but only of the early 9:00 a.m. service. The webcast video may be viewed any time after it airs.
- The playground may be used under parental supervision and parents assume all risks for their children.
- Small Groups may meet face-to-face. Leaders are encouraged to provide and promote online availability and when possible meet outdoors. Social distancing should be maintained whether indoors or outdoors. Face coverings are strongly encouraged. Check with your small group leader for details.
- Meetings may take place in the building. The above guidelines must be observed by all participants. You must contact the Church Office to schedule your meeting.
- Zoom Meetings. The church has a Zoom account for use by HVPC. You must contact the Church Office to schedule your meeting.
* Some additional notes about masks:
The CDC guidelines state, “Encourage use of cloth face coverings among staff and congregants. Face coverings are most essential when social distancing is difficult. Note: Cloth face coverings should not be placed on children younger than 2 years old, anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, and anyone who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face covering without assistance. Cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms.” If you are unable to wear a mask, you may want to consider using a face shield.
The Pennsylvania guidelines state, "it is required that masks are worn when visiting businesses to protect employees, employees’ families, and communities as a whole. Mask-wearing has proven to be an important deterrent to the spread of the virus, and as more counties move to green and more things reopen, we need to be vigilant in our efforts to continue our mitigation efforts.”
At HVPC we strongly urge that everyone wear a mask in the building as mandated by the PA guidelines. Parents may decide if their children will wear a mask. Anyone who has a medical condition precluding the wearing of a mask is not required to wear one. Wearing a mask is for the protection of those around you.
If you have any questions about these guidelines please contact the Church Office (office@HVPC.org; 215-947-5500).
We Have A Blog!
We are posting inspirational and encouraging articles on our HVPC Blog called Gleanings. We post new articles twice each week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Beginning in October, we will be posting only once each week on Wednesdays.
Our goal is to provide one more point of contact with you, our HVPC family, as well as offer encouragement and spiritual nourishment. If you have questions about the blog or any post, want to see a specific topic addressed, or would like to submit a post for consideration, please feel free to email communications@HVPC.org.
We are taking a long walk through the book of Matthew using N.T. Wright's study guide available from Amazon. Classes are happening on the second and fourth Friday of each month.
For more information and the Zoom link, please contact Dan Bramer or the Church Office.
You are strongly encouraged to review the lesson in the book and associated scripture prior to the class and sign on prepared to participate.
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GO Project Information Links:
- Click here for GO Project documents.
- Click here for the Four Leadership Dynamics for Greater Church Vitality (4LDV) Training.
THE POINT OF THE GO PROJECT @ HVPC
The GO Center Project at HVPC is not another program. It’s not some snazzy new method of evangelism. It’s not a 3 or 5 or 7 or 12 step program to generate greater attendance or bigger offerings.
It’s more and deeper.
A program alone won’t advance the kingdom of God in and around Huntingdon Valley.
Another program won’t bring the power of the Holy Spirit.
A program won’t change you and me the way we need to be changed.
Just another program is exactly what Satan would love to see implemented. And if that’s all we did, he wouldn’t give us a second thought.
But this -- the GO Center Project at HVPC -- is more and deeper.
Programs are almost always nothing more than formulaic, entirely man-centered efforts driven to build numbers, sometimes strategic but often not. Frequently programs are developed around what worked once upon a time in another place. Programs often don’t fit the culture and location where they’re implemented. And they seldom address the heart of the matter.
Real revitalization is more and deeper.
Revitalization, the goal of the GO Center Project, involves both Spiritual Renewal and Strategic Initiative.
The Spiritual Renewal part is essential to success. And it’s the spiritual renewal aspect that really gets Satan’s hackles up.
Why?
Because it means we are seeking the face and will of God to determine what and how to proceed. And that we are leaning on Him and the power of His Holy Spirit to drive the change that’s needed.
The first changes that are needed will happen inside us. To us.
It involves a change of thinking and a renewed faith.
It means putting our beliefs and testimony on the line.
It’s about falling in love with Jesus all over again.
It’s about reigniting passion for the gospel and fueling a sense of urgency for the lost.
Of course, we don’t want to just run out the doors helter-skelter, into the streets screaming, “Jesus loves you! Turn or burn!” That’s why we need to apply the Strategic Initiative part.
But, in reality, a little Spirit-filled bold-and-holy mayhem wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
In fact, that’s exactly the kind of thing that will get Satan’s attention and draw his ire. Which makes revitalization risky.
After all, revitalization is all about spiritual warfare. It’s about battling against the darkness that clouds our own hearts, dulls our own senses, and that brings defeat in the community around us.
It’s about saying to Satan, “No! We serve the king of kings and we’re not going to let you have the hearts and minds of those in our community!”
It’s about recognizing that what we have -- the pearl of great price -- is what the world needs. It’s about not hiding our light under a bushel, but rather shining the gospel all around to push back the darkness. To dispel the darkness. To bring Christ into our community to overcome the darkness with the one true soul-cleansing heart-transforming mind-changing gospel. The good news. Emmanuel -- God with us!
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DEADLINES
Sunday Bulletin Deadline. Need to get something in the bulletin? All information for each bulletin must be received by noon the Wednesday prior. Email submissions to news@HVPC.org. No email? Then type or write your information legibly and give it to Stephen Clark.
HVPC News Email Newsletter Deadline. HVPC News emails are sent on the first and third Wednesday of each month. If you have items to be included, please email them to news@HVPC.org by the Wednesday prior to the issue date. If you have any questions, contact Stephen R. Clark (communications@HVPC.org, 216-333-3172). No email? Then type or write your information legibly and give it to Stephen Clark.
PRAYER LIST
If you have a request you would like added to the prayer list, please call the church office at (215) 947-5500.
PAYPAL & KINDRID ONLINE GIVING
When giving money to HVPC using the online payment service, please note that PayPal & Kindrid deducts a per-transaction fee to the church. If you wish to give online and avoid using PayPal or Kindrid, please check with your bank. Most provide free online payment services, both one-time and recurring.
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Send your HVPC News items to News@HVPC.org.
You can subscribe to our News emails by clicking here and completing the online form.
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GIVE AS YOU SHOP!
Do you already use Amazon.com? Great! By taking a couple of simple steps, you can ensure that 0.5% of every purchase goes to Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church.
Simply go to www.smile.amazon.com and login to your account as you would normally.
Search for and select “Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church” as your preferred charity.
Shop! It’s that easy.
You’ll know you’re at the right place when you see the Amazon Smile info in your browser’s tab, and see the message “Supporting Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church” under the Amazon search window.
Going forward, all you need to do is always start your shopping at www.smile.amazon.com.
Still have questions? Simply go to www.smile.amazon.com/about for complete details.
And, yes, there are apps for your phone and other devices. Complete information on these apps and more can be found at www.smile.amazon.com/about.