Food for the Flock
Gingrichs Mennonite Church
100 Forney Road
Lebanon, PA 17042
(717) 274-1521
secretary@gingrichsmennonite.com
www.gingrichsmennonite.com
www.facebook.com/gingrichsmennonite
“Inklings . . . About Gardens”
“Now the Lord God had planted a garden . . . at the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden
. . . on each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit . . .”
-From Genesis 2:8, John 19:41, Revelation 22:2
Yes, many of us are feeling it right now. The piles of snow are just about gone. We’ve
already turned the clocks ahead, so the daylight hours are stretching into the early evening.
The earth is once again tipping so that the northern hemisphere is inching closer to the sun, so
our part of the world is warming ever so slowly. The robins have returned. The snow geese
and tundra swans have made their annual spring layover at Middle Creek. And if you look
closely at some sunny corners of flower beds, the daffodils, hyacinths, and crocuses are peeking
their heads above the slowly warming soil.
As of last Friday, spring 2015 officially arrived! Now many of us are feeling the need to
get our hands back into the soil – planting flowers, cleaning out flower and seed beds, getting
the onion sets in, and planning the rest of our spring plantings.
With spring, come thoughts of warmth after winter’s cold and snow. Color, after
winter’s bleak grays and whites. Life, after winter’s death.
So what better place to celebrate life . . . than in a garden?
One of my favorite biblical pictures is that of the garden. The garden, where God first
created life itself. Where he breathed life into humanity. The garden, where everything was
new, fresh, dynamic, and totally, fully alive!
Sadly, it’s a picture that doesn’t last very long. Man and woman fell, and fell hard.
Doubting God, they chose to go their own way, and soon, the beautiful garden that they were
to cultivate and care for became a distant memory. Weeds grew. Thistles overwhelmed the
garden. Death swallowed up life.
Volume 2, Issue 4
April 2015
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Food for the Flock
But even in that bleakness, God spoke hope: promising that One would come who
would destroy evil once and for all. And hope would grow again.
Jesus, God’s Son, the Chosen One does come. He preaches good news to the poor,
recovery of sight to the blind, release for sin’s captives, and forgiveness for all who believe. He
offers hints of the garden of joy once again. But just as quickly as those hopes are raised, those
hopes are dashed. Jesus is crucified. Once again, death appears to swallow up life.
The curtain rises on the next scene. A scene in a garden. The garden where Jesus’
body was laid to rest. On the third day, some women who were followers of Jesus, go to the
garden expecting to find Jesus’ body in an undisturbed tomb. What they find is nothing short
of a miracle. The stone to the tomb door is rolled away, Jesus’ body is gone, and they meet
someone who they suppose is the gardener, who turns out to be Jesus, their resurrected Lord!
Once, life began in a garden and ended in death. On this day, death entered a garden,
and death ended in life!
Fast forward to the end of days, when God’s Kingdom comes in its fullness to a new
heaven and a new earth. Where do we find ourselves? In an orchard, by a river. The tree of
life, the way to which was barred by angels with fiery swords, will now be completely
accessible. It will bear fruit which will heal the nations. Once again, we find ourselves in a
garden.
It seems like God loves gardens more than we do. Is it any wonder why we can’t wait
to start working in ours this spring?
Celebrating the Resurrection with you,
Pastor Jim Schwenk
Volume 2, Issue 4
April 2015
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Food for the Flock
Nursery Schedule
The nursery will be staffed with 2
people
every
Sunday.
A
high
school/young adult will be paired with an
older member. The nursery is intended for
children ages infant to kindergarten. All
other children should remain in the
auditorium
with
their
parents/grandparents/guardian.
After Sunday school we would like
all children to be in the auditorium until it
is time for the sermon. Children may be
taken to the nursery at this time. This will
give the nursery workers opportunity to
attend worship.
Operation Christmas Child
2015
We want to thank you for the
generous outpouring of love for the
children of the world you provided through
our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas
Child collection for 2014. We were told as
a first time Reception Center, to expect
around 500 boxes. We nearly doubled that
amount, falling just short of 1,000 boxes
collected! Praise the Lord!
For 2015, our plan has two parts.
First, we want to encourage you to plan on
packing one or more boxes for collection in
November.
We have empty boxes
available. Just ask Lore if you would like
one or more.
Secondly, each month, from January
through October, we will be collecting
specified items. You can purchase them as
you do your weekly or monthly shopping.
Then just bring them along to church, and
deposit them in the large, OCC collection
box in the foyer. We will save the items
until November. Then, in early November,
we will have a church-wide packing party!
April 5th
Diane & Audrey Hoover
April 12th
Esther Kraybill & Brianna Bomgardner
So what are we collecting?

April 19th
Ashlea Good & Tyler Schwenk



April 26th
Jean Weaver & Elaine Freed
**If you are interested in helping in the
nursery during worship service, please contact
April Hershey in the church office (717) 2741521. If after hours, please feel free to contact
her either at home (717) 865-3439 or on her
cell (717) 269-4476.
Volume 2, Issue 4
April 2015



April – Pencils, erasers, markers,
activity books
May – T-shirts
June – Toy cars and dolls
July – Toothbrushes, combs, hair
brushes
August – Small stuffed animals
September – Small balls and stickers
October – “Your choice” –
appropriate things to add to the
boxes
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Food for the Flock
Message From Maggi Freed
Upcoming Events
Thank you for the support given to my
family and me after the loss of my father. It
is truly a blessing to be a part of this
congregational family. My family was
touched by the caring shown by Gingrichs
members. While I miss my father, it is a
blessing to know that he has escaped the
physical hardships he faced during the last
years of his life and is now in Heaven. God
Bless You All.
Good Friday Service
There will be a Good Frida worship service
here at Gingrichs on Friday, April 3, 2015
at 7pm.
Men’s Breakfasts
After a month off, our monthly men’s
breakfasts will resume in April. Please
mark your calendars for these upcoming
events

Saturday April 25 at the church at
7:00 a.m.

Saturday May 24 at 6:00 a.m. (We
will be serving breakfast to those
using
the
overnight
shelter
sponsored by Lebanon County
Christian Ministries. Location and
details to follow)
Book Release
Pastor Jim’s new book, George Whitefield: A
Guided Tour of His Life and Thought, is
scheduled to be released by the publisher on
May 1, 2015. It is already available for
preorder on the publisher’s website,
www.prpbooks.com
and
at
www.barnesandnoble.com
Life
What is it
A race?
It’s not who finishes first
It’s not who finishes last
But it’s how you finish
Communion and Spring Foot
Washing
How will you finish?
~Jerilyn Wyatt
Volume 2, Issue 4
On Sunday April 12, we will remember the
Lord’s Supper during morning worship.
We will also observe our spring foot
washing service. For those unable to
April 2015
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Food for the Flock
participate in foot washing, hand washing
will be available.
Gingrichs Night Out
New Sermon Series
Come join us in a church night out with a
picnic followed by a baseball game.
“Rebuilding Hope”
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Did you ever feel like you were at the end of
your rope? Have you ever been at the point
of despair where all hope seemed gone? If
you have, join the club! Life in this world
has the habit of ripping the carpet of hope
right out from under our feet.
We’ve all faced times in our lives when
hope faded – perhaps disappeared
completely. Maybe you look back at past
successes and wonder if they could ever
happen again? If you’re a little short of
hope, then this sermon series is for you!
Beginning on April 26, Pastor Jim will
begin a 3 month series titled, “Rebuilding
Hope,” based on the Old Testament book of
Nehemiah. In the opening verses of the
book, Nehemiah receives incredibly bad
news – the kind of news that can steal hope!
But throughout the rest of the book,
Nehemiah shows us how to rebuild hope,
even when things look the very worst.
Gates open at 4:30pm and game begins at
6pm.
Cost of the tickets is just $24 for adults and
$14 for children (12 & under). Tickets
include a picnic menu to include:
hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, baked
beans, macaroni and cheese, potato salad,
chips, popcorn, cookies, soda and water.
Price includes both meal and game ticket.
Sign-up sheet is located on the bulletin
board outside of the sanctuary. We need to
provide them with a headcount as soon as
possible. Please be sure to indicate how
many adults and children. We need a
minimum of 20 individuals to confirm this
event.
We hope to see everyone there to enjoy a
fun filled evening among our church family.
“Rebuilding Hope” – It’s much more than a
political slogan! It’s the very business of
God!
Volume 2, Issue 4
April 2015
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