Kempton New Church

“There are three essentials of the Church: an acknowledgment of the Divinity of the Lord, an acknowledgment of the holiness of the Word, and the life that is called charity.” - Divine Providence ¶259:3

The Kempton New Church is a congregation of people who believe that there is one God in one Person, our Creator and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; that the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem are the Lord’s Word; that the life of religion consists especially in keeping the Ten Commandments, and in doing our daily work justly and faithfully; and that there is a life after death, a heaven and a hell, where we continue to live as complete human beings.

We try to help each other understand the Lord’s Word and encourage each other in applying it to life. We welcome you.

Website Features:

•	Video Services
•	Audio and Text Sermons
•	Examples of the Spiritual Sense
•	Service times
•	Summary of the Teachings of the New Church

Letter to the Community:

Summer 2019

Dear Neighbor,

Are you looking for a church for you and your family? Are you seeking a spiritual home where you can worship the Lord and learn from His Word? If so, you are welcome to try out the New Church. As Jesus said to His first disciples, John and Andrew, “Come and see.” (John 1:38)

We have services every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. You can also explore the teachings of the New Church at www.KemptonNewChurch.org. There you can listen to our services online and read some of our teachings.

Our services have a mixture of traditional and contemporary hymns, and the message is always based on Scripture. Services are between thirty and sixty minutes long. The congregation is about 150 people, including seniors, families, young adults and children. About a fifth of the congregation did not grow up in the New Church, but joined the New Church as adults.

The church is two miles west of PA 143 on Hawk Mountain Road, about half a mile past Pine Creek Road.

This summer, a new pastor is taking office here, the Rev. Brett Buick (in the photo). Brett is married to Karla (Cole); they have six children. Brett served as a captain in the army and an assistant district attorney before he was called to the ministry. Brett has been our assistant pastor for four years and a great help to the congregation. I am looking forward to working with him in my retirement.

Transitions

Changes are not easy. Think of a little child leaving home to go to school—not easy for the child or his mother! College students facing graduation often feel anxious, being thrust into a world where they have to find a job, a place to live, and make their own way. There’s the transition from being single to being married, and another big transition when a child is born. Finally, there is the passing from this world to the spiritual world, for our loved ones and then for ourselves.

But changes are how we learn and grow. We can have confidence that if we let the Lord lead us, all the changes in our lives, whether they seem sad or joyful at the time, are ways by which He is guiding us to eternal happiness. As Joshua and the sons of Israel were getting ready to enter the land of Canaan—a land of promise but full of enemies—the Lord said to Joshua, “Be firm and have courage. Do not be terrified, neither be dismayed, for Jehovah thy God is with thee, in all the ways in which thou goest.” (Josh. 1:9)

Sincerely,

Rev. Lawson M. Smith

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