These committees have been formed in order to help share in the ministry of Shenkel United Church of Christ. The following is a brief description of each. Please contact the church office if you are interested in volunteering on any of these committees.
Advent Committee
This committee has the responsibility of planning and decorating the Sanctuary and Social Hall for the Advent and Christmas season through to Epiphany. The decorations vary from year to year. There is always a live tree in both the Social Hall and Sanctuary along with live greens throughout the church.
A workshop is held to get decorations ready and put them up and members of the congregations do this. Usually a hanging of the greens service is held in the evening of the first Sunday of Advent. Last year a social tea was held in the early evening prior to the hanging of the greens service. All church caroling is also held with either lunch before caroling or supper after caroling – depending on what time we start to carol. We sing to sick and shut-in members of the church. Transportation is arranged through Klein’s Bus Service using one of the school buses.
Decorations are then taken down the Saturday after Epiphany and stored for future use. There are approximately 12 members on the planning committee, and the whole congregation helps with the decorating.
Altar Committee
This committee was organized to take care of the altar and apse of the church. Those volunteers on this committee change the paraments (cloths on the altar, lectern and pulpit) according to the liturgical season. We also order flowers or flours for the altar on Sunday morning and for special occasions, i.e. Daffodil Sunday, plants for Easter Sunday and poinsettias at Advent/Christmas season. Rosebuds are ordered for the birth of a new child and special baptism candles are placed on the altar when the child is baptized.
Another aspect is ordering and placing candles on the altar, cleaning of the candlesticks, cross and paraments. We also care for the palm plants that are used Palm Sunday through Pentecost.
Training of the acolytes is part of the responsibility of this Committee. A schedule is made up and handed out to the youth volunteers ranging in age from third grade through seventh grade and sometimes beyond that age.
There are about 5-6 people on this committee at varying times of the year.
Board of Christian Education
The Shenkel Board of Christian Education oversees all aspects of Christian education in the church. This includes the Sunday School program, Kids Club, Youth Group, and special programs such as confirmation, Bible study, and special speakers. The Board consists of 6 members plus the Sunday School Superintendent.
Communion Committee
The duty of the Communion Committee is to prepare for the sacrament of communion:
· The wine is non-alcoholic.
· White bread cut into cubes or a whole loaf of bread is used.
· A plate with a pita (or loaf) and the chalice and pitcher are placed on the altar.
· The communion cups are collected from the pews after the service and are discarded.
· All the vessels are washed, dried, and stored in the appropriate cupboard.
· Receipts for the sacraments can be turned in to the Consistory for reimbursement.
The Communion Committee prepares for communion on the first Sunday of every month. Special communion services are also held on Maundy Thursday, Easter, Confirmation, Christmas Eve midnight, and whenever deemed necessary by the pastor.
Fellowship Committee
The Fellowship Committee was formed to plan events for all members of the Congregation to have fun and fellowship. Meetings are held usually once a quarter to brainstorm and decide what events to be held. We hold one fundraiser a year and that is our Fall Festival, which is usually held on a Saturday in September. The Committee depending on what project(s) within the church need additional funds determines the use of the proceeds from the Fall Festival.
Some of our past events have been: Family Game Night, Miniature Golf, Reading Phillies Baseball Game, Italian Night, and Everybody’s Birthday Party to mention a few. We are also thinking about doing a cookbook in the future.
Currently, we have approximately 15-17 people on the committee, depending on the current event.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee, in conjunction with the Financial Secretary and Treasurer, gives oversight to the finances of Shenkel Church and the Old and New Cemeteries. It meets periodically to review how we are doing to meet our budget; review our invested funds; review accumulated monies in the various fund accounts; and makes recommendations to the Consistory regarding the use and/or investment of funds.
Music Committee
The mission of Music Committee is to provide the service of music through voice and instrument, to enhance the worship services. The committee oversees maintenance of the organ, pianos, and other instruments acquired by the church. It also serves as liaison with the choir director and organist. The committee works in cooperation with the Pastor, Organist and Choir Director and is responsible for annual performance evaluation of the Organist and Choir Director. It meets as needed to discuss issues, ideas and recommendations regarding the Music Ministry of Shenkel United Church of Christ.
Property Committee
The Property Committee oversees the inside and outside general maintenance of the church. This committee does the annual cleaning of the grove, trimming the bushes and hiring someone to mow the property. The chair of the committee traditionally takes calls if something needs to be repaired or replaced and either completes it or has a professional in that area called in to make the repairs. Meetings are informal and held on an as-needed basis.
Service Committee
This committee volunteers their time to help with the serving of food and drink in our social hall after a funeral or memorial service of a member of Shenkel United Church of Christ. This allows the families to be together without worry of this task. As the chairman of this committee it is my job to be the contact person for the family to establish a time line, the number of people attending, and to help with any questions.
This committee also contacts other members of Shenkel UCC to provide a dessert and beverage as part of our service. The family of the deceased is responsible for any other food they want served. (I have references for caterers that I can offer someone who may not know who to contact). This committee will clean up after the meal and pack up any leftovers for the family to take with them.
It is a joy for all members of this committee to support our Shenkel family in this way.
Stewardship Committee
The mission of the Stewardship Committee is to help educate our members about the importance of sharing in the life and work of the church. This includes supporting the church’s day-to-day operations and missions, not only financially, but also through the sharing of time and talents to fulfill the larger mission of Shenkel United Church of Christ in the community, conference, denomination and the world.
To reach these goals, we encourage pledging, tithing, and financial support to keep our operational expenses and educational and outreach programs fully funded. Programs and projects are sponsored throughout the year to stimulate and encourage members to embrace faithful stewardship as an integral part of what it means to be a member of Shenkel United Church of Christ.