Listed below are opportunities to participate in our 12 Days of Service. Sign-up sheets will post soon for the Salvation Army Bell-Ringing; come back to the website for updates and further instructions the closer each day gets! There are opportunities for everyone!

• Tuesday, November 24 – Food Box Distribution for South Fork
• Tuesday, December 1 – Salvation Army Bell-Ringing
• Wednesday, December 2 – Amani Shopping Party
• Thursday, December 3 – Salvation Army Bell-Ringing
• Saturday, December 5 – Caroling/Mobile Lovefeast
• Sunday, December 6 – Tree Lighting/Penny Campaign concludes
• Monday, December 7 – “Soup’s On” Food Drive
• Tuesday, December 8 – Sunnyside TP Drive
• Wednesday, December 9 – Samaritan Ministries Dinner
• Friday, December 11 – “Send a Card to a Shut-in”
• Saturday, December 12 – Caroling/Mobile Lovefeast
• Thursday, December 24 – Deliver Lovefeast Bags to Shut-ins

What you need to know about this Sunday (November 15^th) and next Sunday (November 22^nd):

This Sunday we will celebrate Holy Communion during our in-person worship. Please join us online at 10:00 a.m. You may provide your own elements for Communion or you can stop by the church office where you will find the pre-packaged Communion elements on the table in the hallway (under the TV monitor). We will not have the Drive-in option this Sunday.

Next Sunday (November 22^nd) we will begin our Morning Worship at 10:00. At 10:30, our brothers and sisters at Rolling Hills Moravian (Longwood, Florida) will join us online (our tech team will make this happen – you will not need to do anything different). Rev. Evette Campbell, pastor of Rolling Hills, will lead the service from that point on, and Pastor Gray will preach. We look forward to having this service together! We will not open the sanctuary for in-person worship that morning.

However, on Sunday evening (November 22^nd) at 6:30 p.m., we will have our Thanksgiving Service. Registration for in-person attendance at that service will begin on Tuesday, November 17^th. The service will also be live streamed via Facebook.

102 years ago today, on November 11, 1918, World War 1 ended with the signing of the Armistice. 101 years ago, ,in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson called for the nation to remember those who died in their country’s service and to make the day an opportunity for America to “show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.” Armistice Day became Veteran’s Day by an act of Congress in 1954. 

President Eisenhower called on the nation to 

•  remember the sacrifices of those who fought in all our nation’s wars,
•  celebrate the contributions of all veterans of military service, and
•  rededicate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace.

We can do that today with this prayer:

On this day, we remember those who have served in our Armed Forces. Prince of Peace, even as we pray for an end to war, we give thanks for our soldiers’ courage, for their love of country, and for their work to bring peace to our world. Healer of All, bind up the wounds of all who have served. Show us how to comfort those who are hurting. Merciful God, all suffer the cost of war. We remember widows and widowers, orphans, and all those separated from those they love. we pray, Gracious God, that swords will be turned into plowshares and that peace will reign. We give thanks for all who have served. Shield from danger those who bravely protect us. With them, may we glory not in war, but in your love and righteousness. Strengthen us to be your peacemakers in the world. Amen.

~Bishop Sam Gray

Register to Attend Worship

If you would like to attend the 10:00 a.m. IN PERSON worship service on Sunday, November 15, we ask you to register online. You may sign in digitally by going to newphilly.org and following the link that says “Register Your Church Attendance.”

Once you click the “Register Your Church Attendance” link, please read all the information and answer all questions, once completed you will receive an email confirmation of your registration. If anything changes and you need to cancel or make changes to your reservation, you may log back into Realm or call Rachel in the church office for assistance. *Registration closes Saturday, November 14*

*You will now you have completed registration properly when you receive a confirmation email.*

We are asking that you arrive between 9:45 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. to enter and be seated by an usher.

We want to keep our pastoral staff, musicians, video and audio technicians safe.  And we want to keep each other safe. We will ask for your feedback and responses to share with the Regathering Team and with the Joint Board as we look at the next stages in our regathering in person for worship, fellowship and service.

Here are some ways we ask you to care for yourself and others while at worship today:

• If you have a temperature greater than 99.5, any symptoms, or recent exposure to coronavirus, are over 65 with underlying conditions, we appreciate your caring for yourself and others by not attending in person. We will continue to livestream (and save) the service on the New Philadelphia Moravian Church Facebook page and YouTube page for viewing. We will continue to offer the Zoom for listeners for those without computers or mobile devices.

• Please arrive between 9:45 a.m. and 10 a.m. for the 10 a.m. service. Use the center Sanctuary/narthex entrance (front door) and stay at least six feet away from the persons waiting to be seated. Ushers will admit you, then seat you. You may pick up an order of worship before entering the sanctuary.

• Please complete the contact information requested either using your smart phone or tablet  for the link on newphilly.org or offering the information to a greeter who will have a tablet or  phone at the narthex entrance.

• Follow the three W’s (Wear a mask, Wait six feet  between you and others, Wash/sanitize your hands) while inside the sanctuary for the service and while outside before entering. (Yes, this does mean keeping your mask on while inside the building.)

• Physical distancing of at least six feet does not allow for hugging, handshakes, high fives or fist bumps whether inside or outside the building. Kindly try gestures such as hands to heart or waves to show your greetings, your care for others and your fellowship and friendship.

• Seating is marked and spaced so that you will be distanced from others and so that worship and music team and audio and video technicians are distanced. The balcony will not be available for seating at this time.

• A few singers and musicians will provide music. We will not sing together as a congregation or read aloud together during the service.

• At the end of the service, ushers will direct congregants to exit, starting with the last seated at the back and moving toward the front (the last shall be first). Please wait in your seat until an usher directs you to leave.

• A restroom is available in the narthex, the area as you enter the church building. Signage will let you know about cleaning supplies available.

• We are not able to provide a nursery, use of water fountains or use of the building except for the sanctuary where we have designated an entrance and exits. Please enter and exit the church only through the narthex. Ushers will help guide you.

On Sunday, November 15, we will celebrate the Festival of Jesus Christ as Chief Elder with our in-person and live streamed Worship Service at 10:00 a.m. During the service we will gather at the Lord’s Table. 

Looking ahead:

The “most wonderful time of the year” is fast approaching! Even with restrictions and guidelines in place, we look for ways to remember and celebrate God’s greatest gift to the world: God’s son, Jesus. I’d like to share some plans that are in place for the Advent and Christmas season, but first some exciting news about Thanksgiving:

I understand that New Philly has been having a Thanksgiving service on the Sunday evening before Thanksgiving. We will do that this year with an in-person (and live streamed) service (following our established guidelines) on Sunday, November 22^nd at 6:30 p.m. Registration for attendance at that service will open on Tuesday, November 17^th. 

What about the morning service on Sunday, November 22^nd? I have been asked to preach at the Harvest Celebration of Rolling Hills Moravian Church (Longwood, FL) via Zoom (so I don’t get to go to Florida!). I will be preaching in that service from right here at New Philadelphia. The plan is to join together with the Rolling Hills congregation (virtually) for the morning service. Next week we will send out more details and instructions for being part of that service.

So, on Sunday, November 22^nd:

• Morning worship “together with” the Rolling Hills (FL) Moravian Congregation for a “Harvest Celebration.”
• At 6:30 p.m. we will have our in-person (and live streamed) Thanksgiving Service.

Christmas Eve

There will be 3 different opportunities for celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 24^th.

1. Our musicians, staff and others in the congregation will be putting together an amazing Virtual Lovefeast that will be streamed at 4:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. It will not be an in-person service. It will include music (Bells of Joy, Band, Beracah Choir, Chancel Choir, Minor Prophets, instrumentalists, etc.) and a Lovefeast and Candle Service using Lovefeast bags that can be picked up at the church on Christmas Eve morning (with bun, instant coffee, creamer, sugar, an ode and a trimmed beeswax candle). Bags will also be delivered to our homebound members. As with the Sunday morning services, the Lovefeast will be available for later viewing, but we will encourage people to watch it “together” at 4:00.

2. At 6:30 p.m. we will have an in-person Christmas Eve Service in the sanctuary, following our guidelines and restrictions and with no Lovefeast “elements” (food or beverage). We will use battery-operated candles and have one soloist for Morning Star (with the Worship Team responding antiphonally). The service will focus on Christmas music, the Christmas story (with the help of the putz) and other “Christmas-y” features. Registration for in-person Christmas Eve Service will post at a later date.

3. At 8:00 p.m. we will have an informal outdoor Christmas gathering under the tree lights, with live Christmas music similar to the set-up for the drive-in communion services. Coffee and cookies will be available (one person will be assigned to pour coffee from the urn as people hold their cups to be filled and each person will be given a prepackaged cookie). It will be a time of joyful fellowship!

In addition to all of this, Clyde is moving forward with exciting plans for 12+ Days of Service; our organist, Michael Westmoreland, is preparing lots of Christmas and Advent music for “extended preludes” during Advent; members of our band will be recording heart-warming, traditional music to share throughout the season; Evie has some exciting things “up her sleeve” for the New Philly kids; Zach and Erin are keeping the Youth focused on the message of the season; instrumentalists are preparing special music…

Yes, it looks like it can still be the “most wonderful time of the year!”

This Sunday, November 1 will be live-stream only. 

We will be back with In Person registration for Sunday Worship, November 8 – registration will open Tuesday, November 3.

AND don’t forget to fall-back one hour this weekend.