Pastor’s Corner
Not everyone is aware but the church year runs differently than a secular calendar. The world around us operates on a twelve-month calendar that starts on January 1st and ends each year on December 31st. The church’s calendar works differently; it is determined by seasons. The year starts out with the season of Advent, waiting for God to be manifest in the world through the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Advent is followed by the season of Epiphany, discovering that there is something special about Jesus; then into Lent when we experience suffering and loss; capped off by the Easter season of hope and restoration. About half way through the church year, we celebrate a season of new possibilities at Pentecost and give ourselves time for rest during the Ordinary season.
This cycle holds the church together in a rhythmic pulse of human emotions: new life, joys, sorrows, pain, loss, hope and promise. As a congregation we grow together through each of these seasons of the church year and of life. We invite you to join us in the journey.
One of the essential elements in the church year is change. There must be change in order to move from one season to the next. We mark this change by using different colors in our worship space for each season (blue for Advent, purple for Lent, white for Easter, red for Pentecost, and Green for Ordinary time).
This year at Grace UCC, we will be experiencing a different kind of change in our midst. Starting November 15th, I will be leaving as pastor to accept a call to serve as Minister and Team Leader of Parish Life and Leadership as part of Local Church Ministries in the national setting of the United Church of Christ. The five years of shared ministry at Grace UCC has been a blessing, and the work of the church will continue in my prayers.
Grace UCC will have an interim minister in the coming months. This will be a season of discernment and prayer for the congregation, one in which you our neighbors and friends are invited to join by attending worship or participating in other church events which can be found in the calendar section of this website.
For my farewell wishes—I pray that the church, whether gathered or scattered, is ever attentive to the still-speaking voice of our loving God, calling us into the life of the church as sisters and brothers in Christ.
In Peace,
Pastor Holly
About Rev. Holly MillerShank
Welcome—and thanks for checking out the Pastor’s Corner at Grace UCC in Lebanon, PA.
Here’s a little bit about me. My name is Rev. Holly MillerShank—I have a great deal of energy and enthusiasm for serving as preacher and teacher of Grace United Church of Christ; I know this is where God has called me to be, and I invite you to come and join us in ministry.
I am a native of Lebanon County, a graduate of Eastern Lebanon County High School. I left the area for about eight years, most of which was spent in Washington, DC. I have my BA in International Relations American University in Washington, DC, as well as a minor in Religious Studies and a teaching certificate in English as a Second Language.
While I was in college, I began serving the wider church as the Associate for Community Outreach for the United Church of Christ Office of Public Life and Social Policy. I specialized in making U.S. policy towards Latin America come alive for members and congregations of the UCC. As a result of this work I was honored with the Margru Kinson Justice Award at General Synod 24, the highest honor bestowed upon Youth and Young Adults in the denomination.
I find inspiration and hope in Jesus’ prayer that we may all be one (the motto of the UCC). God has been active in my life not only within local congregations but also in larger contexts. I have served as a Global Ministries Volunteer in India, participated in mission trips to South Dakota and New Orleans, completed my third year of Seminary at the Universidad Biblica Latino Americana in San Jose Costa Rica, and have represented Penn Central Conference on the Local Church Ministries Board of Directors for the United Church of Christ.
My Master’s of Divinity degree is from Lancaster Theological Seminary. After I completed my religious studies, I served as the National Grassroots Organizer for Witness for Peace. It was during that time that I felt God calling me to local church ministry at Grace UCC. Through the discernment of the Holy Spirit by myself and by the members of Grace UCC, I was called as their pastor in September of 2005, the same month I married my husband, Jonathan, who is also from Lebanon County. I am also a certified facilitator of Prepare / Enrich, widely recognized as one of the best pre-marital counseling inventories in the country. For more information visit www.prepare-enrich.com.
My husband and I are currently building a house—no contractors; it’s really us building it. I also belong to a local Rotary Club and take weekly yoga classes to relax and find focus in my studies. I thoroughly enjoy ministry in this vibrant congregation. I look forward to discerning God’s call for our lives and responding with joy and purpose to Christ’s ministry in our midst
Blessings,
Pastor Holly
Rev. MillerShank’s drop-in office hours are Tuesday 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and Wednesday 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
