› Pentecost! Come, Holy Spirit!
Sunday, June 8
Lord’s Day Worship in Loeffler Chapel at 8 am & the Sanctuary at 10:15 am
Pentecost Picnic at 11:15 am in Fellowship Hall
› Pentecost! Come, Holy Spirit!
Sunday, June 8
Lord’s Day Worship
in Loeffler Chapel at 8 am
in the Sanctuary at 10:15 am
Pentecost Picnic
11:15 am in Fellowship Hall
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” – Acts 2:1-4
he dramatic story of Pentecost is full of speaking, flames, smoke, and the Spirit. All who gather for worship are invited to experience this old story brought to life. During the final hymn, we will be sent out to Harvard Avenue lawn (weather permitting), singing, drumming, and moved by the Spirit. During this time worshipers will have the opportunity to receive an anointing by the Pastors, asking the Spirit’s presence to abide with each. Following worship, all are invited to gather back in the Fellowship Hall for fellowship and a picnic lunch. Friends and neighbors are welcome as always. Don’t forget to wear red!
› Pentecost Picnic
Sunday, June 8 / 11:15 am (in Fellowship Hall)
Suggested contribution: $5 per person / $10 per family
› Pentecost Picnic
Sunday, June 8 / 11:15 am
in Fellowship Hall
Suggested contribution:
$5 per person / $10 per family
ll are welcome to celebrate Pentecost with a picnic and activities for all ages, celebrating the gifts of the Holy Spirit! Parish Life will provide fresh grilled burgers (including a vegetarian option) and hotdogs. The rest of us are invited to bring family-sized offerings of our favorite picnic dishes to add to the buffet tables. Please click here to tell us if you plan to attend and what you want to bring. Various activities will be planned around the church for all of us to have fun, and celebrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
ll are welcome to celebrate Pentecost with a picnic and activities for all ages, celebrating the gifts of the Holy Spirit! Parish Life will provide fresh grilled burgers (including a vegetarian option) and hotdogs. The rest of us are invited to bring family-sized offerings of our favorite picnic dishes to add to the buffet tables. Please click on the button below to tell us if you plan to attend and what you want to bring. Various activities will be planned around the church for all of us to have fun, and celebrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
RSVP for the Pentecost Picnic
› Pentecost Offering Supports Youth
Offerings dedicated on Pentecost Sunday, June 8
› Pentecost Offering Supports Youth
Offerings dedicated on Pentecost Sunday, June 8
“O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.”
he Pentecost Offering is one of 4 special offerings managed by the Presbyterian Church USA. Each year on Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the church. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence with us now, connecting us with the church of the past, continuing to inspire the church of today, and pointing us to the church of the future. Each year, this celebration is parked by receiving the Pentecost Offering which supports ministries that directly nurture the faith of our children, youth, and young adults.
Local congregations retain 40% of the offering to support programs for young people right here in our community. The 40% of contributions retained by SPC will go directly to the scholarship fund that supports SPC’s youth summer trips. The remaining 60% is utilized to support youth and young adult ministry efforts at the denominational level such as The Senior Project, a new endeavor to help graduating senior explore their next steps in faith, community and vocation, and the Young Adult Volunteer Program, training and equipping young adults to volunteer for a year of service at sites both in the US and around the world, and finally, the “Educate a Child, Transform the World” initiative, which provides resources to congregation to advocate and ensure equitable, accessible, quality public education, so that all children may grow into the fullness of life.
Since the Pentecost Offering began in 1998, Presbyterians have raised nearly 18 million for ministries that build a solid foundation of faith for young people, and we believe we are called to do even more. Contributions will be welcome through Sunday, June 15.
Contributions are welcome in any of the following ways:
- Write a check made payable to Swarthmore Presbyterian Church, with “Pentecost Offering” on the memo line. This may either be mailed to the church or placed in a Pentecost Offering envelope on Sunday morning.
- Use the Pentecost Offering envelope found in the pew pockets.
- Give through the “Vanco Mobile Faith Engagement” app which you can download for free from the App Store or through Google Play. Once you have downloaded and installed to your device, open the app and search for “Swarthmore Presbyterian Church” to make a payment or offering. For more information about using this app, click here.
- Give by going to SPC’s Online Donation Page, where you will find options for automating giving on a schedule of your choice.
An excerpt from the Companion to the Book of Common Worship (Geneva Press, 2003, 117-119):
According to the Day of Pentecost story in Acts 2:1-13, God gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower witnesses to the resurrection. Sounds from heaven, cosmic language, the rush of a mighty ruach (wind, spirit, breath) invaded the house in which the apostles gathered, and appeared to them as a burning fire. Tongues of fire touched their nerve centers. A power — the unseen power of God — moved among them and gripped them. The Holy Spirit is unseen, like the wind, which is why the Old Testament calls it ruach YHWH, “the wind, or breath, of God” (cf. John 3:8). The Spirit is the “unseenness of God” working among us.
