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| 7 Marietta Avenue - Mount Joy, PA 17552 717-653-5888 |
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| OUR PASTOR
 The Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Mount Joy is the Rev. Dr. Robert S. Burns. His wife's name is Shirley, and she works at the Children's Home in the Masonic Village, Elizabethtown, PA.
They have two children, Heather Burns Fisher and Jonathan Burns, and one grandchild, Jay Benjamin Fisher.
Rev. Burns was graduated from Houghton College with a B. A. degree. He received a B. D. and D.Min from Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA and a Th. M. degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Pittsburgh, PA.
He was ordained by the Philadelphia Presbytery, Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.
He completed a two year program in Spiritual Direction/Formation from Oasis Ministries. He is an active counselor in Spiritual Direction and now serves on the Oasis Board of Directors. He is a member of the Donegal Area Rotary Club and was President 2001-2003. He is active in the Mount Joy Ministerium and is a member of the Presbytery of Donegal where he serves on the Committee On Ministry.
Rev. Burns believes that the primary purpose of the Church is mission, evangelism, fellowship, worship, social action, and the teaching of God's Word found in the Bible. His sermons are based on the Scripture with a concern for events and issues as they affect the lives of people today. He believes we are called to follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and to help the poor, the hungry, and those in need.
Rev, Burns always welcomes new people to join our fellowship and would be glad to talk with anyone about the mission of our caring, friendly congregation.
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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
You are invited to come to our Christmas Eve Service on Wednesday, December 24, 2008, at 6:30 pm in our sanctuary. It is always a special time for our congregation as we gather to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. The worship service is one hour! It includes a play presented by our Youth Fellowship. We will sing Christmas carols, light the Christ-candle on the Advent wreath, enjoy special music by our Senior choir, listen to Scripture and a brief message, receive an offering, and conclude with our annual Candlelighting ceremony. We want to encourage you to bring your family and friends. In the midst of our busy Christmas celebration we need to pause and remember the true meaning of Christmas. Let us praise God together for revealing Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.
As we prepare for Christmas during this Advent season, I want to encourage you to spend some extra time reading the Christmas events in the Bible. It will be very helpful to you. During the four weeks of Advent we engage ourselves in spiritual self-examination in expectation of Christ's second coming in glory. Every year I choose a Christmas text to use in my personal meditation. This year it is Matthew 2:1-12, where the baby Jesus was visited in Bethlehem by the Wise Men. It is a fascinating story! They are led by a star to the place where Jesus was born. No doubt these men were court priests who practiced astrology. There are many speculations about this star in history. You remember that King Herod was secretly trying to discover where this child was living in order to destroy Him. When the Wise Men finally found Jesus with Mary and Joseph, the Bible tells us they worshipped the Christ-child, offering gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I am reading this text each day and it is amazing what the Spirit of God brings to one's attention for help and guidance.
I hope this Christmas season is a joyful time for you. There are times when we experience difficult times, sadness, doubt, and even despair. Matthew 2:10 says, "When the Wise Men saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy." As we look to God in prayer, we are often overwhelmed with joy and praise. There is an old Hispanic saying, "When it gets dark enough you can see the stars." Please join us in worship this Christmas season. Merry Christmas to you. See you in church. |
