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FINANCE UPDATE
Our HBIC Treasurer, Rodney Sauder, provided us with a Spring Finance Update! This includes information about revenue and expenses as of March 31, 2024. Check out the video by clicking here.
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THANK YOU!
Roger and Josephine Ebanga extend their gratitude to our church family for the prayers, cards, and gifts towards funeral expenses after the passing of Roger's brother. He has greatly appreciated the support during this difficult time! Keep praying for the family as the funeral takes place in Cameroon this week, April 26 and 27.
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Sunday, April 21
Before both services: Coffee and Fellowship (Open Area)
8:15am: Young Adult Breakfast (Large Youth Room)
9am & 11am: Worship Services (Sanctuary)
9am & 11am: Kids and Youth Sunday School
1pm: Church-Wide Special Council Meeting (Sanctuary)
6:30pm: Bible in Community - Forgiveness (Upstairs)
Monday, April 22
6pm: Girls Who Code (CE Room)
Tuesday, April 23
6pm: Worship Dance Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
Wednesday, April 24
5:30pm: Community Meal (Sanctuary)
6:15pm: Youth Group (Large Youth Room)
6:30pm: Kids Club (CE Room)
6:30pm: ELL Classes (Upstairs)
6:45pm: Sunday Sermon Breakdown (Sanctuary)
6:45pm: Prayer Meeting (Prayer Room)
Thursday, April 25
2-5:30pm: Food Pantry (CE Room)
6:30pm: Citizenship Class (CE Room)
Saturday, April 27
9am-3pm: Spring Comforter Work Day (Open Area)
9am: Girls Who Code (CE Room)
1:25pm: Youth Paintball (Outdoor Extreme)
2pm: Worship Flags (Sanctuary)
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SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
On April 7, the board and staff led vision-casting tours of the 2151 Greenwood St. building and our Derry St. building. This helped to prepare the congregation for a church-wide meeting to be held tomorrow, April 21 at 1pm in the Sanctuary. At this meeting, we will discuss final details regarding the building inspection, finances, and more and we will hold the final congregational vote on the purchase. Lunch will be provided for those staying after the 11am service.
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YOUTH PAINTBALL
All youth are invited to join us for paintball on Saturday, April 27. The cost is $20 and we will be meeting at Outdoor Xtreme Linglestown at 1:25pm. Register here and also be sure to have a parent fill out the waiver (link found in your email from Pastor Brie). Please send any questions/comments to Pastor Brie!
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SPRING COMFORTER DAY
A handmade comforter provides not only warmth but also a tangible reminder to people in vulnerable situations that their needs are not forgotten. HBIC will host a day of making comforters on Saturday, April 27 from 9am to 3pm. If you can tie a knot, you can help! If you can sew, you can help! If you can pray, you can help!
So far, HBIC has donated over 100 comforters to Mennonite Central Committee for their relief efforts. Last year, they sent over 59,000 comforters to many countries. The need is great, and we can help. See you on April 27! (Bring your scissors!)
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LUNCH WITH THE BUNCH
The Classics (55+) are meeting for a lunch with the bunch on Sunday, April 28 at 1pm at City Line Diner. Please RSVP to smsawatzky@gmail.com or 717-323-2982 or by filling out this form!
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EVENING OF PRAYER
All are invited to come seek the Lord through an evening of prayer, worship, and spiritual growth on Monday, May 6. Shanti Michael will be leading us through a time of guided prayer and we hope to learn about and experience firsthand God's power to heal, equip, and restore us as we grow together as a church family. We will be meeting in the sanctuary from 6:30-8pm.
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ROOTED - MAY SERIES
Rooted is a foundational 4-week series providing an overview of Harrisburg BIC, from our history and our commitment to multiethnic community to what it means to participate in the life of HBIC today. This is an opportunity for long-time attenders to gain a fresh vision of who we are as an (ever-changing) community of faith. Rooted can also help newcomers to answer questions and dive into deeper involvement in this community!
Our Rooted classes take place on Sunday mornings at 11am and run for 4 weeks in January, March, May, July, September and November. Sign up for our next Rooted class, starting on May 5, here or at the Info Desks at the back of the sanctuary.
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MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT:
PEACE PROMISE
On Tuesday, May 14 at 6:30pm we will be welcoming Peace Promise, an organization that combat sex trafficking and exploitation in the Harrisburg area. Patty Seaman, Executive Director of Client Services for Peace Promise, will share about the realities of sex trafficking and exploitation in our communities, share survivor stories, and shed light on the vulnerabilities, exploitation tactics, and obstacles that survivors face in the fight for freedom. She will also share about the kinship-style care that survivors receive from Peace Promise, and about how we can join in this important work. Childcare and refreshments will be provided!
Interested in learning more in advance of May 14? Check out this testimonial video!
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BAPTISM
At HBIC, we believe baptism is a celebration of your decision to follow Jesus as your Lord and Savior. As your church family, we would like to stand with you as you publicly declare you have made the decision to surrender your life to the Lord!
Are you interested in being baptized? If so, we'd love to connect with you! Fill out this form or sign up at the info desks in the Sanctuary to help us in our planning. A mandatory class will be held in May led by Pastor Hank. We will celebrate baptisms on Sunday, June 2 at 3pm (outdoor location TBD).
If you have questions about baptism at HBIC or in general, check out this BIC resource and feel free to email Pastor Hank or connect with any of the pastors on staff.
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MEMBERSHIP CLASS
Our next Membership Class will be after church on June 23 at 12:45pm. Lunch will be provided. If you desire to make the commitment to membership within the body of HBIC and in the Brethren in Christ denomination, or if you want to learn more about what it means to be a member, please sign up here or at the info desks in the Sanctuary and plan to come!
We are asking that anyone interested in membership take part in our Rooted series, in addition to the one-session membership class. The next session of Rooted will be offered in May. Feel free to reach out to Pastor Ryan with any questions!
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WORSHIP FLAGS
Kids in grades K through 12 are welcome to join our worship flag team! This group leads worship using praise flags on occasional Sundays throughout the year. Rehearsals are held once a month on the 4th Saturdays. Beginners are welcome! Interested in joining? Please sign up, and we'll reach out to you regarding specific meeting times!
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During 2024, the HBIC Missions Ministry Team is highlighting a different Missionary of the Month, helping the congregation to know more about their work and inviting special prayer for them throughout the month.
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Throughout the month of April, please join in praying especially for Kevin & Barb Kelley, who have been ministering to the refugee population in Athens, Greece for the past year. They have been helping with refugees' physical needs, including medical needs; Barb has taught some skills classes for women in crafts that they can use to earn some income; Kevin has been facilitating a weekly program for men; and they have shared the Word whenever they have had opportunity.
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Kevin and Barb have more recently found that much is changing with the refugee population in Greece. There are much shorter time frames for refugees, resulting usually in months in refugee camps compared to years in the past. Government processes appear to have accelerated, and many people move through Greece en route to other destinations shortly after they get their documentation approved. Additionally, refugees have largely been rounded up and sent to camps north of the city, effectively making it prohibitive for them to find their way to Athens. The end result is far fewer refugees in Athens than in recent years, along with more difficulty in gaining access to the refugees in the camps.
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At this time, Kevin and Barb plan to take some time here at home to seek what God wants for them next. They returned at the end of March and will be staying for the foreseeable future as they prayerfully discern what God is calling them to do. As they have said, "Our hearts remain melted regarding the plight of refugees, just not sure what our response is going to look like in the immediate future."
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This is an important time for us as a church family and the body of Christ to surround them with prayer. Please join in praying for and encouraging the Kelleys. Click here to access the Missionaries of the Month page with a number of specific prayer requests for Kevin and Barb, along with their contact info to send a note of encouragement.
(Touch base with Pastor Lynda or others on the Missions Ministry Team if you'd like to know more about any of the missionaries sent out from HBIC.)
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We welcome you to contact us by email or by phone if you have a need. Here is the contact information for our pastoral and office staff.
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