December 16, 2021

Pastor’s Letter December 16, 2021

Greetings Pine Glen Church Family,

I want to begin by saying Merry Christmas to you all! I trust you are enjoying all the festivities that come along with this season. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly we fly through the Christmas season. Enjoy it while it is here and remember that it’s all about Jesus! Our precious Savior left the glories of heaven to dwell in our midst (John 1:14) and to redeem His people from their sins (Galatians 4:4-5).

I would like to thank you for your generous “Year-End Giving” to the Great Commission Fund. Your gifts totaled over $4400! As you know, those gifts will stretch even further because of the matching grant that was in effect. There are numerous unreached people groups all over the world, and we must do all that we can to reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Simply put, people need the Lord! That is why we do all that we can to support the work of missions both here and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

On December 5 after church, we had a Potluck followed by a short program. This was a rich time of good food and fellowship and I look forward to many more times like it. God designed the Body of Christ to do life together and to encourage one another to serve the Lord (Hebrews 10:24-25). Church-wide events like this are great, but it is also beneficial to have smaller gatherings where we “show hospitality to one another” (1 Peter 4:9) in all kinds of different ways.

On a similar note, be aware that our Deacons for 2022 are Alan Steffen and Steve Fultz. Alan and Steve oversee the benevolent fund and want to help the people of PGAC any way they can. One of the things that will be helpful is simply making your needs known to them. If you, or someone you know in the church has a need, please contact

Alan (717-543-8846) or Steve (717-248-9410). We can’t help you if we are not aware of your needs. And by the way, I am not just talking about a financial need, but a need of any kind. I can’t guarantee that we will be able to help, but we will certainly try.

I don’t want to fail to mention our Christmas Program this Sunday night (December 19^th) at 6pm. Andrea Kauffman and Lois Walters, along with many others, have been working hard in preparation for it, and you won’t want to miss it. Let me also encourage you to invite a friend. I can’t wait!

Please bring 2 dozen cookies to share on a ready-to-serve plate.

Here is a quick devotional thought. When our Lord was on trial, Pilate asked him, “So you are a King? Jesus answered; You say that I am a King. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37).

This verse is instructive in all kinds of ways, but think of it from the perspective of Christmas. Why did Jesus come? Why did He leave the glories of heaven? We find the answer precisely in this verse – to testify to the truth. In fact, we might say that Jesus is truth incarnated. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). We live in the world that is filled with lies and deception. But in Jesus – the sinless, spotless, Lamb of God, we find truth. We find “the truth” that will set us free (John 8:32). But we must turn the eyes of our hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ in worship, adoration, and trust.

Before I close off, let me remind you of something that you already know – we are needy bunch. We are weak, fragile, broken, and desperately in need of help. The good news is that in the midst of weakness, Christians are actually strong. That is Paul’s logic in 2 Corinthians 12:10. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

For the person who is strong and self-sufficient, they are unaware of their desperate need for the grace of God. In contrast, the person who is broken and bankrupt and has come to the end of their rope, they have no option but to put their life in the hands of our gracious heavenly Father. Let’s renounce all pride and independence, and yield ourselves to the all-sufficient grace of Jesus (Isaiah 41:10).

This will be my last letter for 2021. God has been so amazingly gracious to us, and cared for us in ways that we cannot comprehend. I hope and pray that you have a wonderful Christmas and that you enter the new year with a spirit of great anticipation and hope.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

With much love and gratitude,

Pastor Dan