For the unaware, I’m currently teaching the new member’s class, and it’s always a good time. We do plan to offer the class a couple times a year, so if you’re not in it now, consider joining us the next time through! Whether you’re new to the church or have attended for many years, it’s a great opportunity to get to know new faces and learn a little bit about the history and the “behind the scenes” of the church.
Anyways, one of the things that always astounds me when covering our new membership class material is the passage of time. In the first class, we cover church history at a very high level from the time of the book of Acts through modern times. I realize that the western calendar reflects this, but it’s obviously two thousand years’ worth of material! That’s a lot! But take a step back… Before diving into church history, what about pre-church history? What did things look like before there was the church and before Jesus had organized his disciples and formed the early Christian church?
In the Old Testament, the Israelite and Judean kingdoms began to wane following the first three Davidic kings: David, Solomon, Rehoboam. In spite of repeated and consistent warnings by God to turn from wickedness and follow Him, the peoples of Israel and Judah refused to obey the law of God and refused to heed the words of the prophets. Around 722 BC (or 700 years before Christ was born), the northern kingdom Israel fell to the Assyrian Empire. Less than 200 years after that, Judah fell into similar trouble in 586 BC - though this time was with the Babylonians, as they were the new ascendant empire at the time. Babylon not only sacked Jerusalem, but tore down the walls and carried many people away into captivity, a period of 70 years in which Babylon yanked the best and brightest Jews from their home and hauled them off to learn the customs of the new overlords. Eventually, Nehemiah, Ezra, and Zerubbabel led the Jews back into their homeland and rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple, but this started a period of about 400 years between the Old and New Testaments.
Then things in the world were just perfect and calm for 400 years, right? Well, not quite. After Babylon fell, the Medes and Persians took over. A hundred years after that, the Greeks took over under Alexander the Great. A hundred years after that was the rise of the Roman empire under Julius Caesar. And while these individual empires rose and fell, God was pretty quiet. At least from biblical texts. It was a long time of no prophets, and I’m sure there were many wondering, “Where is God?”
Although God was quiet, God was not absent. He foretold the rise and fall of these kingdoms through Daniel, in which he had a dream of a statue composed of various materials representing various kingdoms (Daniel 2). After describing the rise of the Roman empire, Daniel says in Daniel 2:44-45 that in those days, God will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. I don’t think that I’ve ever really thought of Daniel 2 as a Christmas text, but here we are. God’s plan has continued to unfold, even when it feels like He isn’t there and when the world is in chaos.
In His perfect timing came the incarnation. The infinite God that created the universe stepped into a world of time, weakness, frailty, and sin… In the form of a little baby. It had to happen this way, of course. Just as sin entered the world through one man (Romans 5:12), Jesus the God-Man was able to live the perfect life that we couldn’t live to suffer and die in punishment that we deserved. And He, being the perfect God, was the only one who could do that. But death was not master over him (Romans 6:9), and Christ lives even now. He died to free us from our sin, but lives to never die again, as a first fruit (1 Cor 15:20).
As the saying goes, timing is everything. Do I fully understand why God chose 2000 years ago, and not a decade or century earlier or later? Of course not, and with things like that it’s almost foolish to conjecture. But what I do know is this, Romans 5:6. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. And He did this out of a passionate and incredible love for each one of us.
My prayer for each one of us this holiday season is to be reminded that God has His own timing. But His timing is right. Even when it seems like God’s timing is wrong (e.g. Lazarus’ death in John 11, Jesus calming the storm in Luke 8, etc), God knows what He’s doing. We Americans have been blessed with nearly 250 years of limited wars and peaceful transfers of power, so whatever domestic or international uneasiness we feel has many people feeling anxious. What I want to encourage you is that even in this crazy, weird, upside-down timeline we’re in, let’s pray for patience with the process, let’s pray for God to accomplish His will, and for God to be glorified in His timing. And while we can’t slow down time, we can at least enjoy the time that God has given to us with our family and friends.
Tim Leidy,
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas.
Ladies of Leidy’s
Calling all ladies to join us for our monthly LOL meeting on Tuesday, December 3 at 7 PM, meeting in room 123. We will have some light refreshments as we review the recent Gift and Craft event as well as the fun of the Advent workshop. We plan on reviewing future events that will be occurring in 2025 such as our annual Ladies of Leidy’s potluck dinner meeting that will occur in March as well as the Ladies Tea (even though it is in May, it’s not too soon to start planning for this extra special time of tasty delights and fellowship). Please feel free to bring a friend along to our December meeting! You may contact Alice Kraus if you have any questions. Hope to see lots of our ladies there!
When Seasons Change
A fellowship ministry for widows to connect and be encouraged. We meet in one another’s homes on the third Tuesday evening of the month at 6:30 pm. If you would like to join us, please contact Donna at weissdonna42@gmail.com or Verna at gvbowman@comcast.net.
As we near the end of the financial year, we’re excited to announce our $25,000 Double Your Dollar Campaign! Thanks to the incredible generosity of two individuals in our church, every dollar you give during December will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000 to our Renovation Fund. We hope to reach $50,000—or more—by December 31! This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact as we work together to close the year strong and continue the vital ministry of Immanuel Leidy’s Church. Your contribution—large or small—will be doubled, allowing us to maximize our resources for God’s kingdom work. We kindly ask that your gift to Double Your Dollar be in addition to your regular generous giving by using the Renovation Fund Envelope or a Second Mile Offering Envelope and indicate Renovation Fund. Let’s finish this year with a spirit of generosity and gratitude! You can give online at https://leidyschurch.churchcenter.com/giving, by mail, or in person.
Sunday Worship Services - December 1, 8, 15, & 22nd
This Advent season, join us for our sermon series, Waiting for the King. Together, we’ll explore Old Testament prophecies that foretold the Messiah’s arrival and reflect on the miraculous story of His birth. Discover the hope, peace, joy, and love that come with the fulfillment of God’s promises in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Let this season renew your faith and deepen your anticipation for the coming of our King and Savior.
Advent Workshop - December 1 from 4 PM - 6 PM
Get into the Christmas spirit with our Advent Workshop, where we’ll enjoy building a festive Christmas craft together! We’ll provide pizza and beverages—just bring a dessert to share. Parents, we’ve got crafts tailored by age group, so be sure to help your little ones choose the perfect project. Craft choices and sign-up sheets are on the table outside the Fellowship Hall. Everyone is welcome to join in this fun and creative evening, sponsored by Ladies of Leidy’s!
Carols & Song Service - December 15th at 6 PM
Join us for our Carols & Songs Service! Celebrate the season with timeless carols, songs, and Scripture readings that highlight the anticipation and retelling of Jesus’ birth story. Bring your family and friends for this special evening.
Christmas Eve Services - December 24th at 5 PM
Experience the warmth and joy of our kind and welcoming church this Christmas Eve as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Join us for a special worship service where we’ll reflect on Scripture, sing beloved carols and songs, and end the evening with a candlelight singing of Silent Night. We invite you to share in this celebration.
If you are 55+ or even close, come join us on Thursday, December 12th from 11:30AM to 1:30PM in the Fellowship Hall. There is a sign up sheet in the hallway (which helps us know how many folks to prepare for, so please sign up early!) Come for a lively lunch and Carole singing, warm fellowship and happy familiar faces to wish each other “Merry Christmas!”
Help us get ready for the parade! We’ll be worshiping from a giant Radio Flyer on a flatbed truck while spreading joy and sharing invites to Church. And of course, we’ll have plenty of candy to hand out too! You can help with painting or building the wagon, taping candy canes to the invites, joining us to walk in the parade, and if possible - pulling some of your own kids or candy in a red wagon from home! Signup here to help!
On Saturday, December 14th beginning at 10:00 in the Youth Room, we will be having our kick-off party for the spring musical. We’re looking for kindergarteners on up to help make this year’s musical a success! In addition to singing in the choir, we need older kids to be skateboarders and a group of teenage girls…(Gen Z speak is a plus!) No singing or performance experience necessary, just a willing “BEEattitude”. Please invite friends, neighbors, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to join us for our kickoff party to see if they want to join our musical team.
Present: Brian Shoemaker, Jim Foote, Kendall Musselman, Shaun Permar, Tony Kapusta, Pastor Darren DePaul, Brian Radcliff, Jerry Kulp, Josh Heebner, Ken Merritt, Bob Ott, Jim Kinney, Dave Doran, and Francis Weiss
Devotions: Brian Shoemaker led devotions based on Psalm 40:1-10. He shared that in verses 1 and 2, David is crying out to God and He rescues him. He related this to salvation, emphasizing that as Christians, God rescued us by lifting us up and giving us new hearts. Summarizing verse 4 and 5, he shared that if we trust in Him our blessings will be too numerous to count, but pride will cause us to lapse into falsehood. He noted that we should keep our hearts and minds on the Lord, not the world. Brian cited that verses 7-8 talk about sacrifice and offerings and commented that Christ is the sacrifice and we don’t need to make other sacrifices because of what Christ did for us. Reciting verses 9 and 10, he concluded by emphasizing that our faith is not a private matter and that we should share the good news of Jesus to all. The meeting was opened in prayer.
Minutes: Minutes from the Consistory Meeting of October 9th were reviewed. On motion of Jerry Kulp, seconded by Brian Shoemaker, the Minutes were approved.
Financial Report: General Fund giving totaled $76,749, while budgeted expenses totaled $95,712 resulting in a Total Fund Balance of $130,390 (note this will increase by about $55,000 when our certified deposit matures in March). The average weekly giving was $20,275, which is above our "budgeted" weekly income of $14,261. Renovation Fund contributions were $25,697 with disbursements of $44,616, resulting in an ending balance of $127,052. The current forecast suggests that we will finish the year with a surplus of close to $40,000 to $50,000 above budget. Giving is trending to come in around $25,000 higher than budgeted, and as of October, our spending is $47,000 favorable to budget. However, there are credit card expenses in the amount of about $18,000 that still need to be booked. Work is also being done to finalize the opening of the consolidated investment account and endowment fund.
On motion of Ken Merritt, seconded by Kendall Musselman, the financial report was approved.
Teams Reports: The AV & Tech Management Team reported that Baird Thompson will receive training on the building operating system next week. Christian Education noted that their quarterly meeting will be held November 18th and a preliminary meeting for Spring Kid’s Quest will be held in January. Monthly Sunday school meetings are ongoing and all Sunday School positions are staffed. Community Outreach shared that plans for the Souderton Christmas Parade are on track and they are in the process of securing a bus for Walk for Life in January. A “deep clean” of the kitchen will be conducted by the Food & Fellowship Team on November 9th. The Missions & Ministry Support Team worked on and submitted their proposed budget. The Property Team is dedicate to finishing the job of mulching the beds around the church and reported that the new church signs for Cherry Lane and Mifflin Street have been ordered. On November 17th, the Welcoming Team will meet. The Praise & Worship Team is currently planning for the Thanksgiving Eve Worship Service and they shared that it will have a similar structure to previous years. The Care & Outreach Team shared that the O.A.S.I.S. Potluck Dinner was a success and they are currently planning for their Christmas Luncheon.
Business Items: The preliminary budget for 2025 was reviewed and discussed. Some revisions were agreed on and they will be made ahead of the December Consistory meeting for further review. At that time the preliminary budget will be voted on by Consistory, posted in the Narthex, and eventually voted on at the Congregational meeting in January. A very generous donation of $75,000 was received from William and Myrtle Jones. The funds were designate for a new upgraded projection system in the sanctuary, in honor of their deceased son and beloved church member, Roger Jones. After researching options, Consistory agreed to move ahead with the process of hiring a company to install new LED screens in the sanctuary. It was decided that the Annual Congregational Meeting will be held after worship on Sunday, January 12th. Lunch will be served. Consistory decided that beginning this year Consistory officer’s will elected by Consistory by voting for nominees via a paper ballet. Regarding the HUB, St. Peters, the primary tenant, will be remove the old pews and replacing them with new high quality seating that members of the property committee have approved. The new seating will remain with the building should St. Peters vacate it in the future. St. Peters has also hired Concrete Concepts to install a new epoxy flooring in the sanctuary. The property team will form a subcommittee, headed by Brian Radcliff, who will be in communication with St. Peters regarding the HUB building. Regarding newly elected Consistory members, Dave Doran and Jim Kinney, it was decided that Dave Doran will be filling Aaron Vogelzang’s vacant seat. Since Aaron had resigned his position, Dave’s first term will end in 2026 (the date when Aaron’s second term would have ended). Jim Kinney will be filling Bob Ott’s vacant seat and therefore his first term will end in 2027.
Brian Shoemaker led a time of intercessory prayer for spoken concerns and the meeting adjourned.
Question 47: Does the Lord’s Supper add anything to Christ’s atoning work?
No, Christ died once for all. The Lord’s Supper is a covenant meal celebrating Christ’s atoning work; as it is also a means of strengthening our faith as we look to him, and a foretaste of the future feast. But those who take part with unrepentant hearts eat and drink judgment on themselves.
1 Peter 3:18: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. . . .
Commentary - J. C. Ryle
Let us settle it firmly in our minds that the Lord’s Supper was not given to be a means either of justification or of conversion. It was never meant to give grace where there is no grace already, or to provide pardon when pardon is not already enjoyed. It cannot possibly provide what is lacking with the absence of repentance to God, and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an ordinance for the penitent, not for the impenitent, for the believing, not for the unbelieving, for the converted, not for the unconverted. The unconverted man, who fancies that he can find a shortcut road to heaven by taking the Sacrament, without treading the well-worn steps of repentance and faith, will find to his cost one day that he is totally deceived. The Lord’s Supper was meant to increase and help the grace that a man has, but not to impart the grace that he has not. It was certainly never intended to make our peace with God, to justify, or to convert.
The simplest statement of the benefit which a truehearted communicant may expect to receive from the Lord’s Supper . . . is the strengthening and refreshing of our souls. Clearer views of Christ and His atonement, clearer views of all the offices which Christ fills as our Mediator and Advocate, clearer views of the complete redemption Christ has obtained for us by His vicarious death on the cross, clearer views of our full and perfect acceptance in Christ before God, fresh reasons for deep repentance for sin, fresh reasons for lively faith, fresh reasons for living a holy, consecrated, Christ-like life,— these are among the leading returns which a believer may confidently expect to get from his attendance at the Lord’s Table. He that eats the bread and drinks the wine in a right spirit will find himself drawn into closer communion with Christ, and will feel to know Him more, and understand Him better. . . .
In eating that bread and drinking that cup, such a man will have his repentance deepened, his faith increased, his knowledge enlarged, his habit of holy living strengthened. He will realise more of the “real presence” of Christ in his heart. Eating that bread by faith, he will feel closer communion with the body of Christ. Drinking that wine by faith, he will feel closer communion with the blood of Christ. He will see more clearly what Christ is to him, and what he is to Christ. He will understand more thoroughly what it is to be “one with Christ, and Christ one with him.” He will feel the roots of his soul’s spiritual life watered, and the work of grace in his heart established, built up, and carried forward. All these things may seem and sound like foolishness to a natural man, but to a true Christian these things are light, and health, and life, and peace.
Leo Schuster
I recently saw a restaurant advertisement that simply had the name of the restaurant and the words spiritual dining. It made me wonder about whether dining, at its best, is more than a mere material experience. And it made me think about the Lord’s Supper, the spiritual meal, and what it does and doesn’t do.
There are actually three dimensions to what the Lord’s Supper does: past, present, and future. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, he told his disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19), underscoring that what he was urging them to do would point back to what he had done for them. When we remember what Jesus did for us, we ground our lives in his finished work. The Lord’s Supper isn’t a way you can earn your salvation; it is spiritual dining for those who are saved. It doesn’t add anything to the finished work of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, but confirms and strengthens us in him. It becomes a sort of gospel shorthand where, as an ancient writer put it, first we hear the gospel, then we taste the gospel, and so the gospel goes forward in our lives on two legs. As Paul put it in 1 Corinthians, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (11:26). As Christians we eat and drink to remember Jesus’s triumph. That’s the past dimension.
Paul points to the present dimension of the Lord’s Supper when he writes in 1 Corinthians, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (10:16). That word participation could also be translated “fellowship” or “communion.” It’s where we get the term communion. Think of what that means— the Lord’s Supper is not only a symbolic reminder of what Jesus has done for us; it’s also a present communion with one another and with Jesus. Spirit, Restoration, Growing in Grace
It’s important to note that the bread and wine don’t change in any way. Jesus isn’t present physically, but he’s present spiritually as the Holy Spirit exhibits him to us by faith. Now for those who are spiritually unresolved, the Lord’s Supper is a call to them to receive Christ rather than to participate in the meal. By witnessing Christians partaking, they’re encouraged to hear the echo of Jesus’s loving call: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). And when we as believers take communion by faith, Jesus meets with us, uniting us as a community, nourishing us with himself, and strengthening us to love and obey him. That’s the present dimension.
When Jesus gave his disciples the cup he said, “I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29). With these words he directed them to the future dimension of the Lord’s Supper, as a sign pointing forward to the great day of anticipation. It’s a foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb and the everlasting feast believers will enjoy with Christ in glory. Now we’re broken creatures due to sin. Through Christ’s broken body we’re made whole again. Yet in this life we continue to experience the brokenness of our fallen condition. The future dimension of the Lord’s Supper points us forward in hope to a day when we will be made completely whole and when we’ll enjoy, with our Savior and with one another, dining at its very best.
Birthdays
1 JoAnn Elliott
5 Phoenix Lepping
6 Riley Peck, Brent Talbot, Sr.
7 Cheryl Hall, Mary Beth Musselman
8 Jonas Leidy, Nelda Metzler, Francis Weiss
9 Denise Kulp, Karen Mirabella
12 Brent Talbot, Jr.
13 Noah Kulp
14 Carol Kretschmer
16 Audrey Niederhaus
17 Rich Kapusta
18 Betty Weber
20 Peg Mower
21 Genie Smedberg
22 Alison Grater, Lori Maxwell
24 Steve Bandura, Ally Hager
27 Debbie Bandura
28 Sue Lindner
29 Carol Godshall
30 Yvonne Shoemaker
31 Karen Parry
Anniversaries
7 Mark & Sharon Kostishion
19 Ken & Wanda Ritter
27 Ken & Nicole Peck
28 Jeff & Lori Maxwell
31 Robert & Elaine Frank
