Spotlight on Engagement
Glenn Haas
“The big thing is the connections you make…it’s the people that make it meaningful.”
Glenn Haas has been making connections at DPC since 1990, when he joined the church and quickly immersed himself in youth ministries, including the junior/senior high youth group and Wednesday Club. The initial catalyst to his involvement, he notes, was a personal invitation from his new member sponsor. Glenn says he took a leap of faith in accepting that invitation and is so glad that he did.
According to Glenn, the rewards of his involvement have been many. He has thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the youth, as well as with other volunteers. He says that involvement at the church, particularly working with youth, has helped him grow in his faith, and has also helped him become more outgoing. Above all, Glenn notes, through his involvement, he has developed strong relationships, made some incredible memories, and has been able to watch some of our members grow up before his eyes.
Anyone who knows Glenn is quick to sing his praises. Erin Rizk, who volunteers with him at Wednesday Club shares, “Glenn is a kind, calm, and consistent role model for the youth of DPC. The kids can count on Glenn to be there for them and truly makes everyone feel like they are important and valued.” This sentiment is underscored by Megan Craig, Interim Youth Director and lifelong member of DPC, who says, “Glenn has had a profound impact on young lives regarding faith formation. He has been one of the most stable people/things about our youth program. He shares personal stories that make him relatable to kids, asks questions more than gives answers, and always makes a point to learn everyone’s name.” Caroline Rawlings, who participates in Element and serves with Glenn on the Youth Committee shares, “Glenn is a great example of someone who sees a need and steps in to help. I hope others will be inspired by Glenn to get involved.”
In addition to serving as a leader for Wednesday Club and the junior/senior high youth group, Glenn has shared his time and talents within the Confirmation program, Vacation Bible School, and Children’s Worship Time/Children’s Worship Time Plus, as well as serving as a Deacon, Ruling Elder, and a member of multiple committees. Of all those areas, he notes, working with the youth has been his favorite.
No matter what area interests you, Glenn suggests, “Just jump into it. Get involved. Once you get involved you get to know more people, and I think that’s key. If you are just coming on a Sunday morning, you are just going for the hour and then leaving. Whereas if you get involved, you know more people, and on Sunday mornings you connect with those people. You have that emotional connection.” Glenn is quick to point out how important it is to have volunteers who dedicate their time to children and youth. “It gives the kids someone consistent they can look up to over time. And the kids in the youth program are the ones who tend to continue to go to church when they are older. They are the ones who keep coming back.”
Krista Spadt
“Krista just has a way about her,” says Tanner Benson, member of the Moms of Young Children Group at DPC. “A gentleness and a sensitivity that invites you to open up. She has a curiosity and enthusiasm, and she is able to lighten the mood and make things fun. It’s that combination of gentleness and empathy and genuineness – and just an easy, sweet sense of humor – that makes her the full package as leader.”
Members of the Moms Group have a deep affection and respect for Krista Spadt – founder and facilitator of this faith-based group designed to connect and support mothers through fellowship, education, and shared experiences. Described by participants as authentic, compassionate, and humble, Krista is touted both for the care she takes in planning meetings and for her facilitation skills.
Launched in September of 2019 as a branch of the national organization Mothers of Preschoolers or MOPS (which focuses on on the development of participants as women, mothers, leaders, and Christians), the group quickly attracted more than a dozen active participants for regular, weekday meetings on the church campus. When COVID forced an end to in-person gatherings in the spring of 2020, Krista quickly pivoted to ensure the group could continue to meet participants’ needs. Emerging from under the MOPS umbrella, Krista began to develop original content, while eliminating the constraints and program fees associated with the MOPS program. Gatherings were moved online during evening hours, opening up the group to individuals whose daytime schedules or proximity to the church had previously prevented them from participating. “Having the meetings over Zoom during the last two years has been a true gift. It’s been a practical way for women of young children to share, to cry, and to laugh together over the absurdity of how our lives have been turned upside down during COVID,” says group member Meghan Burkins.
Krista describes the Moms of Young Children Group as centered on faith formation, support, and relationship building, and strives to strike a balance between focused discussions and informal fellowship. Meetings typically begin with a pre-planned activity, but conversations are allowed to unfold naturally. As explained by Krista, “Sometimes the conversations start one way and then move in a completely different direction, and that’s great. We want it to be that way. It is not a stagnant thing and it is not a Bible study. There is a devotional and we usually have some sort of starting point, but it doesn’t necessarily begin and end there.”
While acknowledging that her original interest in leading a mother’s group at DPC stemmed from a desire to meet an area of need, Krista is quick to point out that her involvement in this ministry has enriched her life as much as those whom it serves. “This has become my group as well…I am also making friends. I am also able to tell my stories and vent my frustrations. I am also able to ask my questions and to question my faith and have other people put in their two cents.”
The Moms of Young Children Group meets over Zoom on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 8:00-9:00pm. If you would like to learn more, please contact Krista Spadt at dpc@dtownpc.org or visit the Moms Groups Page on the DPC website. All are welcome!
Do you have a group or a church member at DPC you would like to see spotlighted here? Email Christian Menno (christianm@dtownpc.org) or Christine Graham-Rawlings (chrisr@dtownpc.org) with your suggestions.
Marianne Gilmour
“It is time…to weed!”
The declaration was a familiar one to those DPC members who heard it. And it had not to do with a gardening group nor the Property Committee.
It was the periodical call from Marianne Gilmour to her fellow DPC library volunteers indicating that it was time to freshen up the selection of books.
It is this enthusiasm, among other qualities, that will be sincerely missed by the Library Committee now that Marianne has stepped away from her role after nearly 20 years serving the Ruth I. Hughes Memorial Library in Andrews Hall.
“It’s been a joy,” said Marianne, a 50-year member of the church. “It really is an excellent library and my hope is that there will always be funds to help secure new books for all ages.”
Her other hope is for new volunteers to join the team to help with the cataloging, shelving, and, of course, the weeding.
Library Committee Moderator Mary Lee Reiff said Marianne’s expertise – having earned a degree in Library Science from Drexel and worked at various libraries including Melina Cox Library in Doylestown and the Bucks County Free Library – has been invaluable. “In honor of her many years of service, the Committee is donating the books A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You, Charlotte’s Web, and Millions of Cats. These are three of Marianne’s favorites, which she says have meaningful messages for both children and adults,” Mary Lee added.
If you would like to know more about DPC’s wonderful library, or if you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to us by clicking the “Get Involved” button toward the top of this page and we will contact you about the next steps.
Do you have a group or a church member at DPC you would like to see spotlighted here? Email Christian Menno (christianm@dtownpc.org) or Christine Graham-Rawlings (chrisr@dtownpc.org) with your suggestions.