Churches

Christ Episcopal Church, Corner of Delaware and Dundaff Streets, Forest City is accepting coats, blankets, scarves, gloves/mittens and snow suits for their annual free coat distribution.

To schedule a drop-off donation time, please call 570-540-5936. The church works with the American Legion Post 154, of Montrose, PA for this project. The American Legion travels Susquehanna County with hundreds of coats and racks to be utilized by the churches in Susquehanna County. Monetary donations to: American Legion Post 154, 14515 State Route 3001, Montrose, PA 18801.We thank Post 154 for their continued efforts in providing coats for the people of Susquehanna and the surrounding communities.

Our annual community coat distribution will be held on Friday, October 24th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm and Saturday, October 25th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. We thank the community for its support of our coat distribution. We welcome and serve all in Christ's name. Faith, Food, Fun – join us Sundays at 9:00am for our service.

We welcome and serve all in Christ's name at Christ Episcopal Church, a Healing Church, located at the corner of Delaware & Dundaff Streets in Forest City. It is a place where anyone of any age can step inside and find healing.

Christ Church is known for its ongoing strong involvement with families, neighbors and friends in and around the local area. Fr. Bill McGinty is offering a monthly healing service the first Sunday of every month. The next service is Sunday, October 5, at 9:00am. We welcome and serve all in Christ's name.

There are no questions asked, or requirements needed to step inside the church's big red doors, merely bring an open heart to receive the Lord's Healing Love. Light refreshments follow each service. Faith, Food, Fun! Join us on Sundays at 9:00am.

Good day dear hearts, I love you. I hope last week's article containing the words of our very own Rylinn Groover gave you encouragement and a promise of a new generation. My hope is that our circumstances will change in our nation and we will somehow unify. The violence could accelerate with retaliation. The last time we did this 650,000 American citizens died. It was called the Civil War.

In a world where labels are worn like badges, the title "Christian" is often claimed with pride. It appears on social media biographies, bumper stickers and attending church on some Sundays. But beneath the surface of that title lies a question that every man or woman of faith must wrestle with: Are you a believer or a follower?  The distinction is not just semantic. It's Spiritual. It's practical and eternal.

Belief is the beginning, not the destination. Believing in Jesus and accepting Salvation is one thing. Some people say that's all you have to do, and with that type of thinking the person who just made the proclamation of Salvation lacks a full understanding of what they did. The new convert needs to be guided and taught what believing in Jesus is all about. Many people believe in Jesus. They believe He existed, that He was a good teacher, maybe that He died and rose again. But belief alone doesn't transform a life. Listen to what James, the brother of Jesus has to say about this in James 2:19, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder." Belief is foundational, yes, but it's not the finish line. It's the doorway to discipleship. And discipleship, following Jesus, is where transformation begins.

Jesus never said, "Admire me." He said, "Follow me." Jesus lays out His terms in Luke 9:23, "Then He said to them all. Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me daily." To take up the cross meant to carry one's own cross and follow the cross to the place of execution. Many Galileans had been killed that way by the Romans and Jesus would face it as well. With this word picture, Christ presented a clear and challenging description of the Christian life. Being His disciple means putting aside selfish desires, shouldering one's cross every day and following Him. This meant literal suffering and death. 11 of the 12 Apostles were persecuted and killed. The only apostle who died of natural causes was John. He was 97 or 98 when he died. For us today, being a disciple means understanding that we belong to God and live to serve His purposes. Consider this: Do you think of your relationship with God primarily in terms of what's in it for you, or in terms of what can you do for Him? This isn't a casual invitation. It's a radical call to surrender. To deny self means letting go of ego, comfort and control. To take up your cross daily means embracing sacrifice, obedience and sometimes suffering. And to follow Him means aligning your steps with His, even when the path is narrow, unpopular, or costly.

Let's be honest. In today's culture, it's easy to be a believer. You can believe in Jesus and still live for yourself. You can believe and still chase status, comfort and convenience. You can believe and never open your Bible, never serve your neighbor, never surrender your will. But you cannot follow and remain unchanged. Following Jesus means your calendar looks different. Your conversations sound different. Your priorities shift. Your relationships deepen. And your decisions reflect a higher allegiance. It's about pursuing God, not just knowing about Him, but walking with Him.

Following Jesus isn't about perfection, it's about direction. It's about daily steps toward Him, even when you stumble. It's about choosing obedience over convenience, truth over popularity and sacrifice over self. Do you believe in Jesus or are you following Him? I encourage each one of you, including myself to reflect on one area of your life where we have been a believer, not a follower and commit to one step of obedience this week. God Bless.

Dear Lord, we thank you for your faithfulness and we thank you for being with us in the circumstances and changes in our lives. While we don't have the control to change, let us surrender to you and let your peace wash over us. Father, we ask your blessing upon our little town. Send your Spirit and touch the broken-hearted, give peace to the sick, bless the poor.

Contact me anytime. Pastor Vince Chiaramonte, 570-853-3988, Susquehanna Christian Community Church, 1361 Main Street, clearmountain2158@gmail.