Our mission Statement
The Mission of The Church of the Epiphany:
to worship God;
to love, pray, and care for one another;
and to act as the Body of Christ in the community and the world.
to worship God;
to love, pray, and care for one another;
and to act as the Body of Christ in the community and the world.
10 January 2023
To all Church of the Epiphany parent, students, chaperones, and people who would like to participate in this year’s ASP mission trip:
Greetings! We have had a busy time these past several months. Most of our gatherings were overshadowed by CoVid and planning the Christmas pageant.
Several months ago, I had suggested the possibility of our participation in Appalachia Service Project. (asphome.org) This is a well-respected and established mission trip organizer which we have been involved with over the years. When I first brought it up to “the Group”, the feedback was overwhelmingly favorable. Most of you had indicated a desire to go on such a trip, however there were obviously some scheduling concerns.
As a result, I indicated to the local organizers that we would like to participate, but we weren’t sure how many of us would be able to go. Since that time, a few of you helped out with the Pumpkin Sale fund raiser which was quite successful.
Sunday night they had the first group meeting. We got late notice of the meeting, but I did try to relay it to you as soon as possible. After an introduction, there were some rudimentary instructions on construction techniques, such as how to use power tools, and practice hammering nails, and using screw guns, etc.
We now have some more details:
Who: High School Students who will have completed the 8th grade by school’s end, as well as adult volunteers and Chaperones.
What: A construction site in rural Appalachia.
Where: West Virginia.
When: July 1, 2023 – July 8, 2023.
Why: To do God’s work.
Cost: $125.00 per student. (This cost might be paid by the church)
The plan is to leave here by vans on July 1st, stop over somewhere (Usually a college or church) along the way, and arrive in West Virginia ready to begin work on the afternoon of July 2nd.
ASP will provide us with a place to sleep and meals.
As far as I know, all of the kids from our group are from the Abington Heights School District (Phoebe knew many of them), but there may be others. Many of them have gone on this trip in the past, and are excited to return. Make no mistake, there will be work to do. Everyone is expected to pull their own weight. That in itself is a valuable lesson. There will also be some worship time, as well as leadership opportunities.
I need to get a realistic idea of how many people we will have from Epiphany. Please look at your summer schedules, speak with prospective employers & parents and make sure that you don’t have any conflicts. Then get back to me.
I know this will be a great adventure for all of you. Please sign up if you possibly can. Even if you’re still not sure. This may be the start of a new rejuvenation of Epiphany’s Youth program. Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of it.
Roger Mattes
Contact Roger if you are interested in participating: rotary@matteslawyers.com
To all Church of the Epiphany parent, students, chaperones, and people who would like to participate in this year’s ASP mission trip:
Greetings! We have had a busy time these past several months. Most of our gatherings were overshadowed by CoVid and planning the Christmas pageant.
Several months ago, I had suggested the possibility of our participation in Appalachia Service Project. (asphome.org) This is a well-respected and established mission trip organizer which we have been involved with over the years. When I first brought it up to “the Group”, the feedback was overwhelmingly favorable. Most of you had indicated a desire to go on such a trip, however there were obviously some scheduling concerns.
As a result, I indicated to the local organizers that we would like to participate, but we weren’t sure how many of us would be able to go. Since that time, a few of you helped out with the Pumpkin Sale fund raiser which was quite successful.
Sunday night they had the first group meeting. We got late notice of the meeting, but I did try to relay it to you as soon as possible. After an introduction, there were some rudimentary instructions on construction techniques, such as how to use power tools, and practice hammering nails, and using screw guns, etc.
We now have some more details:
Who: High School Students who will have completed the 8th grade by school’s end, as well as adult volunteers and Chaperones.
What: A construction site in rural Appalachia.
Where: West Virginia.
When: July 1, 2023 – July 8, 2023.
Why: To do God’s work.
Cost: $125.00 per student. (This cost might be paid by the church)
The plan is to leave here by vans on July 1st, stop over somewhere (Usually a college or church) along the way, and arrive in West Virginia ready to begin work on the afternoon of July 2nd.
ASP will provide us with a place to sleep and meals.
As far as I know, all of the kids from our group are from the Abington Heights School District (Phoebe knew many of them), but there may be others. Many of them have gone on this trip in the past, and are excited to return. Make no mistake, there will be work to do. Everyone is expected to pull their own weight. That in itself is a valuable lesson. There will also be some worship time, as well as leadership opportunities.
I need to get a realistic idea of how many people we will have from Epiphany. Please look at your summer schedules, speak with prospective employers & parents and make sure that you don’t have any conflicts. Then get back to me.
I know this will be a great adventure for all of you. Please sign up if you possibly can. Even if you’re still not sure. This may be the start of a new rejuvenation of Epiphany’s Youth program. Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of it.
Roger Mattes
Contact Roger if you are interested in participating: rotary@matteslawyers.com
Christian Outreach
/Disaster Relief Committee
MISSION STATEMENT
In keeping with our church’s mission, the Christian Outreach/Disaster Relief Committee (CO/DRC) seeks to support a portfolio of regional, national, and global projects that help meet people’s physical and spiritual needs, thereby empowering them to serve Christ in the world. In addition, the committee seeks to provide relief in times of disaster. While remaining open to any initiative that supports the church’s Christian Mission, in general the committee favors projects that:
1. Are in need of funding for direct-benefit;
2. Are engaged in a ministry that helps people in need, whether or not it is sponsored by a church
In keeping with our church’s mission, the Christian Outreach/Disaster Relief Committee (CO/DRC) seeks to support a portfolio of regional, national, and global projects that help meet people’s physical and spiritual needs, thereby empowering them to serve Christ in the world. In addition, the committee seeks to provide relief in times of disaster. While remaining open to any initiative that supports the church’s Christian Mission, in general the committee favors projects that:
1. Are in need of funding for direct-benefit;
2. Are engaged in a ministry that helps people in need, whether or not it is sponsored by a church
The Pygmy Ministry in Uganda
Epiphany is one of several congregations that support the life and education of the Pygmy people of Uganda. Shown above is The Epiphany School with Alice, the school principal. Agape Fund‘The Agape fund was set up as a parish discretionary fund, the purpose of the AGAPE fund is to help those of our parish, yet not restricted to only those of our parish, who may find themselves in need of financial assistance. AGAPE assistance may be of an emergency nature or it can be long term. This fund may also be used to assist charitable agencies to carry out their ministries. We do not support agencies, whose purpose is to collect funds, for distributions.’ Agape envelopes are available in the church pews for those who wish to contribute. Or you can specify AGAPE at onrealm.org
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Clothing Donation Shed
Located in the upper parking lot, the clothing shed accepts donations of useable clothing, shoes, sneakers, belts, purses, linens, blankets, and drapes to redistribute to people in need in the US and developing countries. For more information on the company, click here: St. Pauly.
Meals on Wheels
Volunteers from Epiphany deliver meals to local folks on Tuesdays. There is always a need for additional drivers. Volunteers usually sign up to cover a month of Tuesdays at a time. Teams are welcome, so grab a friend. If you can spare some time to help out, contact the coordinator here.
Annual Rummage SaleA very popular community event (and a great help with spring cleaning!). We usually begin accepting treasures in April for the sale in June/July. Proceeds benefit the Ketchum Scholarship fund for Epiphany's graduating seniors.
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AEM Food Pantry
Epiphany supports the Abington Ecumenical Ministerium's (AEM) Food Pantry located at the Dalton UMC. To help sort and distribute food on Monday evenings, contact Nancy at talkin12345@frontier.com
Current Food Pantry Special Requests: Donations of checks or gift cards for local grocery stores are requested and can be mailed to: AEM PO Box 125 Clarks Summit, PA 18411 Please note "food pantry" in the check memo line . Shrove Tuesday Pancake SupperTraditionally, on the Tuesday night before Ash Wednesday, the men of Epiphany, assisted by the youth, prepare and serve a pancake supper for the community. Donations are accepted at the door and proceeds go to the AEM Food Pantry (see above) and the AEM Emergency Fund.
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Christmas at Sea
The Seamen's Church Institute invites you knit or crochet a garment to warm mariners’ hearts and heads this winter. Patterns are available to download. Several folks at Epiphany participate in this effort.
Highway CleanupEpiphany is responsible for a 2-mile stretch of 6&11. Twice a year, a team of volunteers gathers on a Saturday morning and heads out to pick up all of the trash strewn along the roadway. This a multi-generational effort and ANYONE from the community is welcome to join in. Check the calendar in spring and fall for clean-up dates
Crop Hunger WalkEach year, a team from Epiphany joins in the local CROP Hunger Walk to raise funds to combat hunger. 25% of the monies raised support local programs that feed hungry folks. Click here for more information on the national program. The next local event being planned for Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 2 PM. See details on the parish calendar.
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