December 2025

Ministerium Social Outreach and Planning Meeting 
December 4, 2025 
Doug Lamb Conference Room, CPOW 

Welcome: Mason Brown 

Introductions & Prayer: Dan Anderson 

Community Updates:  

  • The mayor is retiring at the end of the year. Phil Clark will be the new mayor in the new year. 

Informational Updates: 

  • EACTC- Gail Viscome 

  • Connections has only had 2 students this year. This program is in place of having children complete community service hours. It’s a partnership between the magistrate, EACTC, and Cornerstone Youth Center. 

  • Homework Helpers: going great in the Middle School, the high school program hasn’t taken off. They need volunteers in the morning to help with that. (7:40 am to 8:45 am). 

  • UCEA Community Cupboard- Steve Knox 

  • Donations have been abundant! Had to start storing food in the Barn. 

  • Record-breaking month of serving clients & food donations in November. 

  • Served 1,449 households so far this year. 

  • Turkey Giveaway 12/13 at Elizabethtown Mennonite. 

  • Military Share- 2nd Thursday of the month. Call Monica at 717.821.4684 to register. This month’s is December 11. Upcoming dates are January 8, and February 12, 10-12pm. 

  • UCEA- Heather Elicker 

  • Clothing Barn: Need more clients. Not accepting donations until the new year. Volunteer Hours: 114.50, Families: 39, Adults: 73, Children: 26 

  • MOW- need more clients, keep an eye out for a flyer coming soon. 

  • Barn is being used for Food Bank storing boxes for Turkey Giveaway 12/13 and overflow storage of food donations.

  • ECHOS Winter Shelter opens Sunday 

  • UCEA rebranding. Look for that in the new year. Name Change: Community Place & Clothing Closet. 

  • Three big projects coming up: 

  • 53 needs a new basement header and basement steps and door replacement. The basement steps and door will be done after the header, by Lancaster County Career & Technology Center. 

  • 61, in the basement where the Cupboard is, received a grant for the bathroom remodel, in the bid phase. 

  • EASD-  Jenn Fields 

  • Homework Helpers are not only helping students complete homework/missed work; they're also helping with skills. They're teaching students how to communicate with teachers and each other, which is great for getting students "life ready". 

  • Instant Decision Week: 160 appts with colleges and tech schools and military. Had a 96% acceptance rate. 

  • Holiday Help with gifts- lots of generous community members and churches. 

  • Threads & Treads- Served 36 families  

  • Bear Bags- record numbers in people taking advantage of the program. 

  • Looking for creative ways to sponsor the dogs. $6000 for initial cost from UDS plus 

  • 35 (4 new from last month) students who are homeless. 

  • Crisis counselor- 47 HS students, 27 MS students (251 interactions) just this year. Looking for budgeting to continue the funding for this program. 

  • Lunch Debt- no student will ever go hungry. There are a lot of reasons why people don’t requalify or get missed or have a debt. Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren is working on a giving tree program to help pay down this debt. Churches are encouraged to email the program if you want to donate to pay the $34,000+ debt. You can email:  givingtree@etowncob.org   

  • Cornerstone- Jim Bush 

  • Jonathan & Jenn have been going in separately (once a week) to proctor during lunches at the Middle School to help build relationships with the  

  • Annual Banquet coming up in March at the Star Barn w/ speaker Seth Joyner (former Philadelphia Eagle). 

  • Could use more volunteers on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays (Middle Schoolers). 

  • Winter Retreat is January 23-25 at River Valley Ranch in Maryland. 

  • Effective January 1 Mason Brown will be the Board President 

  • Gave away 150 food boxes. Partnered with  Chiques Church of the Brethren. (50 boxes to Cornerstone kids, 50 boxes were given away by The Bridge church, and 50 boxes were given away by Freedom Ministries). 

  • Kid’s Christmas party is coming up. If you would like to contribute small stocking stuffers, contact them. December 19th is the event.  

  • Everance- Lynette Morales 

  • Available to meet with you about what services they provide for churches and organizations. 

  • Church Updates 

  • Word of Life Bible Chapel 

  • New Youth Pastor 

  • The Bridge 

  • Starting 12/11 (in Bainbridge) will be doing a community lunch at the church to get people out and  

  • Partnering with Bainbridge Fire Co. And Freedom Ministries for a toy drive and giveaway. 

  • Bainbridge Christmas Caroling 12/17 at 6:30pm. 

  • Christ Church UCC 

  • Monthly: has a focus on non-profit, raising funds and/or work projects. 

  • Concert Saturday at 2pm 

  • Elizabethtown Christmas parade Saturday at 4pm- will be handing out hot chocolate at the church to parade attendees. 

  • Ministerium/UCEA Events: 

  • Turkey Giveaway- December 13th for the food bank clients at Elizabethtown Mennonite. 

  • It’s the holiday season, don’t forget to bless our policemen with holiday goodies! [Elizabethtown Borough, Northwest Regional, & Susquehanna Regional]  

  • The next ministerium meeting will be held on December 18th at The Marriage Hub for the Pastor’s Spiritual Enrichment & a light breakfast. 

  • The next Social Outreach & Planning Meeting is scheduled for January 8th. 

  • Closing Prayer- Paul Swanger 

Heather Elicker