The Messenger
June, 2015 Volume 21, Issue 6 NEWSINSIDE:
Session:
Actions
Reports&Reminders
WorshipVolunteers
CoffeeHourSchedule
MaplewoodHappenings:
MarthaCircle
DeaconNews
VBSReminder
NurserySchedule
More:
Children’sChurch
CongratstoGrads
SpecialPrayerConcerns
FYI:
VIPCalendarDates
MissionsTyphoonReport
PraisesforDads
MusicalNotes
ChurchLife
ComingEvents
Celebrate/Commemorate
CalendarofEvents
TheSeasonoftheSpirit
Haveyoueverheardtheexpression,“Welivewherewelook”?OurLord
said it a different way, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also.”
What we give our attention to, what we place our loyalty in, where we
spend our time and money, that is where we will live our lives. We live
wherewelook.Morethanthat,theplacewelivewillhaveitseffectonus.
For us as Jesus' followers, the truth is pretty much the same: We live
where we look! That's why Jesus told us to love the Lord with all heart,
soul,mindandstrength.Whatwetreasure,whereweplaceourfocusin
eachoftheseareasofourlives,willaffectus.Wepursuewhatwetreasure.
Rather than a threat, however, this principle holds great
promise for us as God's children in whom the Holy
Spirit dwells. Notice what Paul told the Corinthians:
For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had
that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the
Lord. And the Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us
more and more like him as we are changed into his
glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
From
Our
PASTOR
Paul promised the Corinthians, and at the same time promised you and
me, that if Christ is our focus, if Jesus has our heart and we focus upon
him,thentheHolySpiritgivesusthefreedomandpowertobecomelike
Jesusalittlemoreeachday
Paul says something similar to the believers in the churches of Galatia
whenhetalksaboutthefruitoftheSpirit.Therearethingsthatnaturally
happen in the physical world and in a similar way, there are "Spirit‐
natural" things that happen for those who have the Holy Spirit living
insidethem:webegintotakeonthecharacterandcompassionofJesusby
displayinginourlivestheSpirit'sfruit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self‐control; against such things
thereisnolaw(Galatians5:22‐23).
Continued...
The Maplewood MISSION STATEMENT:
TO KNOW CHRIST and TO MAKE HIM KNOWN
By LEADING People to a Saving Faith in Jesus Christ,
NURTURING and EQUIPPING People in the Faith,
Love and Knowledge of Jesus Christ,
DEPLOYING People in Servant Ministries to the Rest of the World.
STAFF & CONTACTS
PASTOR:
Steve LaSor
724-836-3784
CHURCH OFFICE:
Diane Dale
724-834-4960
MUSIC DIRECTOR:
Jim Overly
Elders & Committees:
Christian Education
David Hileman,Chair
Donna Costelnock, CoChair
Church Life
Carol Limegrover, Chair
Jean Gleditsch, Co-Chair
Finance
John Potts, Chair
Membership
Bob Rymer, Chair
Katy Doran, Co-Chair
Missions
Bob Bereit, Chair
Personnel
To Be Determined
Property
Ray McAteer, Chair
Allan Neville, Co-Chair
Worship
Mike Cerilli, Chair
Arlene Troster, Co-Chair
Clerk of Session
Mary Jane Myers
Deacons Chair
Marie LaSor
Treasurer
Arlene Troster
Financial Secretary
Roy Myers
Webmaster
Bob Bereit
Messenger Staff
Katy Doran
Marie LaSor
From the Pastor continued . . ..
These are the character qualities of Jesus! The Spirit is at work to
make us more like Jesus
To say that we live where we look is a spiritual reality — a
promise given to us by Paul that is assured by the presence of the
Spirit. However, we determine how much of this transformation by
the Spirit happens in us. Where we focus and what we treasure
owns our heart and sets the direction for our lives. We live where
we look!
As we come to the end of our regular church calendar and enter the
summer months, I want to say again what I’ve been saying all year
to our Sunday Adult class, let's focus upon Jesus! Let's unleash
the Spirit's power of transformation most of us who love Jesus
desperately seek in our lives.
Summer is not a time to take a vacation from our faith! My prayer
for you, and I hope your prayer for me, is that Jesus can become
real to you and be seen in you a little more each day. The Holy
Spirit is at work to help this transformation happen. We just need
to keep our focus on Christ…because we live where we look!
The Spirit of the Lord be upon you!!
In Christ!
Steve
News from Session
Actions approved by Session in May:
1. ACTION: to transfer Bernard Heartjens
membership, with regret, to Westminster
Presbyterian Church
2. ACTION: to accept the bid from
Raimondo Construction contingent on
receiving the Byers Trust money.
Reports & Reminders
Worship: June 6 and August 8 there will be special
musical programs at Maplewood.
Finance: They are looking for someone to help
Arlene as Assistant Treasurer.
Church Life: They are looking for ways to save
money for the Christmas dinner.
Missions: American Cancer Society will be
running a Relay for Life on June 6 and 7. Local
churches will staff a booth where relay participants
can come for prayer. Maplewood will staff this on
June 6 from 10-11 am.
Property: JPS Landscaping of Irwin will do the
lawn work.
Task Force – Elder B. Rymer reported we received
only one bid for the lift project and handicapped
restrooms. The bid from Raimondo Construction
is a total of $167,392. This bid is valid for 75 days
and if we accept the bid the work will be complete
in 90 days. Steve will contact John Scales about
talking to the judge to get the funds from the Byers
Trust.
Christian Education – Pastor Steve read the letter
regarding state required background checks he will
be sending to all volunteers and personnel that
work with children.
Membership Committee - Elder B. Rymer
reported they are checking with the University of
Pittsburgh to see what kind of programs we could
establish that would be attractive to their students.
Next Session Meeting will be June 15, 2015 .
WORSHIP VOLUNTEERS
Communion Preparation:
Cindy Conrath, Ron Shafer
Communion Servers :
Marie LaSor, Donna Anderson, Cindy
Conrath, Donna Costelnock, Val & Ray
McAteer
Lay Reader:
June 7, 14 – Sue Kramer
June 21, 28 – Bob Bogert
Greeters:
June 7 – Jean Gleditsch, Evalinda Rose
June 14, 28 – Cerilli Family
Ushers: Bill Young, Ron Shafer
Acolytes:
June 7th - Maura Hileman
June 14th - Rachel Rossi
June 21st - Liam Hileman
June 28th - Tyler Williams
July 5th - Jonathan Bouknight
Coffee Hour Schedule – 2015
June-Martha Circle
July-Choir
Aug-Church Picnic
Sept-Worship
Oct-Mission
Nov-Christian Ed
Maplewood Happenings
MARTHA CIRCLE
Our plans for the summer have been completed. 13 of our group enjoyed breakfast at Eat N’Park
on May 20th. We missed our members who were either out of town, taking care of family or ill.
We’ll have to go out to breakfast again in the near future. After a short business meeting we were
given a handout explaining the meaning of Pentecost Sunday and Ordinary Days.
On June 17th we will have our annual picnic at the home of Mary Lou Constable. Everyone is
invited to join us and bring a friend and your favorite picnic food. Please let Mary Lou know if you
plan to attend.
On July 15th we will have a brunch at The Supper Club, Greensburg train station. More on this in a
later bulletin.
On August 28th we plan, as a group, to attend the Jeanne Robertson show at the Palace Theater in
Greensburg. Jeanne Robertson is a professional speaker who specializes in hilarious humor based on
her life experiences. Speaking to thousands of people annually, she utilizes her positively funny style
to illustrate that a sense of humor is much more than a laughing matter. It is a strategy for success.
All ladies of the church and a friend are invited to join us.
Deacon News:
The Deacon's next home communion
will be on Sunday, June 7th. Please
let Marie know if there is someone you
would like to be included on our list.
THANK YOU!!
The revived Nursery has been a big success! A special
Thank You to all the ladies who have volunteered to
assist in this valiant mission. You are doing a wonderful
job and it is most appreciated.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL:
JUNE NURSERY VOLUNTEERS
Mark your calendars for
Maplewood's Summer
Splash 3!!! August 3rd August 6th. Adults and
"older" youth please
watch for sign-ups to
volunteer!
7/05/15:
Arlene Troster and Peggy Potts
7/12/15:
Val McAteer and Susan Witt
7/19/15: Carol Limegrover, Donna Anderson,
Bonnie Peebly
7/26/15: Christy Musgrove and Melissa Witt
________________________________________
8/02/15:
Carmella McCormick and Katy Doran
More Happenings
CHILDREN’S CHURCH VOLUNTEERS:
Maplewood is now winding down with Sunday School and Children's Church for the summer. We would
like to continue the Children's Church at the end of summer, so we would like to ask for your help. We
know what a convenience it is to parents, and a great learning experience it is for the kids. Please help us
in continuing this by volunteering. Contact Mike Cerilli at 724-961-2521, or at [email protected].
Thank you.
High School
Nicholas Rossi - Greensburg Salem
Alexis Hileman - Penn Trafford
Heidi Thorne – Latrobe
College
Autumn Limegrover - University of Pittsburgh
Kimberly Casteel - Westmoreland Community College
INSPECIALNEEDOFPRAYER
Jo Foti
Ruth Gordon
Jim Frye
Dave Gosser
Pastor Steve’s parents
Bill McBride
Duane Miller
Pat Marsh’s mother
John Scales
Susan Witt’s mother & uncle, Don Smeltzer
New Additions in BOLD
Several of your prayer requests have been removed. If you or your family member is still in need of prayer, please
complete a Prayer request card (in pews), notify Katy Doran or leave a note in “The Messenger” box in the Church
Office.
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Prayers for our Maplewood Church Leaders
Prayers for our High School & College grads, our College Students
Prayers for our local, national and world leaders, our armed forces and their families
Prayers for our persecuted Christian brothers & sisters world-wide
Prayers for our missionary families, the Carlsons & the Saldis
FYI and More
VIP Calendar Dates:
Every Friday, 7:00AM, Men’s Study Breakfast, Eat’n Park
Every Wednesday, 10:15AM, Women’s Book Club
Every Sunday, 10:00AM, Prayer Ministry (Summer Schedule)
1st
Committees: Christian Ed, Church Life
2nd & 16th
Women in Stitches
th
6
Food Bank Distribution
Committees: Mission, Finance, Property
8h
9th
Committee: Membership
th
15
Session Meets
16st
Personal Money Matters, 1:00PM
27th Food Bank Collection
29th Deacons
SPRING CHOIR DINNER:
All choir members who have not signed up
for the June 12th dinner should do so
before June 7th. We will be gathering at
Rizzo’s in Crabtree at 6:30PM and we will
choose from their menu. If you plan to
attend, please sign up in Jim’s office.
MISSIONS: TYPHOON REPORT FROM THE CARLSONS:
Hi Bob,
Thanks for writing. Yes, we are doing fine now. Things have been quite hectic since category 5
Tropical Cyclone Pam ripped through Vanuatu March13. There was incredible devastation. The building
we were staying in suffered some damage and one of our other guest houses lost the roof and much of
the furniture inside was damaged. But we have a work team from Wycliffe Australia in Vanuatu this
week working on repairs. The local people we worked with on Tanna took a really hard hit. Almost all
the bamboo/thatch houses were knocked down or blown away. But praise God, there was very little loss
of life. Now the people are replanting and rebuilding. The destroyed gardens are their primary concern.
Various governments and aid agencies came in right away to help get things moving in the right
direction. I think it will be a long time before schools and churches are rebuilt though. So much remains
to be done. I am thinking that most if not all of the Bible and MegaVoice players we had distributed
would have been destroyed. But some of the undistributed books and players are still safe and ready to
give out to people.
We just got into Los Angeles today, and we'll be in Pennsylvania on Wed. We'll be here until at least
July, and then return to Vanuatu. We would love to come down and share at the church sometime in June
or July if you would like. Just let me know.
Thank you to all of you at Maplewood for your support and prayers.
Greg
Praises for Fathers
Silent Strong Dad
Special Hero
He never looks for praises
He's never one to boast
He just goes on quietly working
For those he loves the most
His dreams are seldom spoken
His wants are very few
And most of the time his worries
Will go unspoken too
He's there.... A firm foundation
Through all our storms of life
A sturdy hand to hold to
In times of stress and strife
A true friend we can turn to
When times are good or bad
One of our greatest blessings,
The man that we call Dad.
When I was a baby,
you would hold me in your arms.
I felt the love and tenderness,
keeping me safe from harm.
I would look up into your eyes,
and all the love I would see.
How did I get so lucky,
you were the dad chosen for me.
There is something special
about a father's love.
Seems it was sent to me
from someplace up above.
Our love is everlasting,
I just wanted you to know.
That you're my special hero
and I wanted to tell you so.
In Memory Of My Dad
If I could write a story
It would be the greatest ever told
Of a kind and loving father
Who had a heart of gold
If could write a million pages
But still be unable to say, just how
Much I love and miss him
Every single day
I will remember all he taught me
I'm hurt but won't be sad
Because he'll send me down the answers
And he'll always be MY DAD
Sources: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/in-memory-of-my-dad#ixzz3bTSv0eci
Family Friend Poems
MUSICAL NOTES from JIM
I'm writing this at the tail end of the National Worship Leader Conference in Centreville, VA, where I had the
blessing of hearing a panel discussion and attending 2 breakout workshops led by Bill and Gloria Gaither. I'm
going to share some of the wisdom they shared with us. I hope it inspires and challenges you as much as it did
me.
*How do we balance the old and the new? How and why does a hymn or praise and worship song "stick"? Is
there a way to determine and/or forecast that?
*Information can be transmitted virtually instantaneously these days...but how many of us actually have
anything worth saying and sharing?
*Fires - like campfires, firepits, chimineas, and barbecues - draw people to them. If you don't build a fire, they
won't come. (In the local church, how do you build an inviting fire?)
*We can't fight AND harmonize at the same time. (Remember the school board members in the musical "The
Music Man"? Ice cream...ice cream...ice cream...ice cream. "Ladies, you will never see these 4 men without
each other again.")
*It's not singing the melody in unison, or all together, that makes the body function, but singing in parts. The
local church, as well as the global body of Christ, needs to remember that, and appreciate and accept
EVERYONE who makes up the body of Christ.
*There's nothing wrong with "contemporary"...EVERYTHING has been contemporary at some point in time.
We need to remember, though, that contemporary contains the word "temporary", and is relatively fleeting.
*According to Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Los Angeles, "This is not about you." This is the
opening sentence in his book The Purpose-Driven Life. So who is it about? It's about God, and it's about others.
I'm going to leave you with a question that was generated from several workshops I attended this week, and I
seriously want feedback from anyone who is a part of Maplewood, regardless of age, gender, or any other
characteristic that might make you feel set apart from our music ministry:
??? HOW CAN I SERVE YOU???
I love y'all, and I'm looking forward to a fun-filled summer with our Summer Concert Series, Maplewood
Follies: Christmas in July, VBS, and whatever else pops up throughout the next few months. God bless! = )
In Him, Jim
CHURCH LIFE CALENDAR OF EVENTS Please be sure to mark your calendar for the following upcoming events at Maplewood. Summer Concert Series presents: Brad Yoder with Special Guest, Jason Rafalak June 6, 2015 at 7:00 pm Coffee House in the fellowship hall. $5 at the door. Christmas in July – July 25 & 26 at 7:00 pm Jim Overly, Jamie DeRosa and Matt LaSor ‐ August 8 or 15th at 7:00 pm When: August 16 Where: Twin Lakes Pavillion 5 Time: 10:45 Service, Lunch at noon Bring your favorite covered dish to share SEPTEMBER – Dinner for SIX – watch the bulletin for sign ups in August Christmas Dinner When: December 20 Celebrate or Commemorate
Do you have a birthday, anniversary, graduation or other special occasion to rejoice about? Are you
remembering a loved one who has died? Are you joyful about God’s love? If so, share these events
with others by placing flowers in our church for Sunday service. It’s very easy. Choose a date you
wish to have flowers, fill out the form below and put in the church’s office. The rest will be taken care
of for you. For $20.00, you can have fresh flowers for a service, a note in the bulletin to commemorate
your special occasion and you can take the flowers home with you. If you do not want the flowers,
the Deacons can deliver them to shut-ins. Detach and send to church office:
M.U.P.C., 108 Woodland Road, Greensburg, PA 15601
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - Name____________________________________________Phone________________
Date for flowers (Sunday)________________
Notice for bulletin to read: In honor of___________________________________________
OR: In memory of__________________________________________________________
I wish to (check one)_____take the flowers after the service _____let the Deacons deliver them to
shut-ins
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June Celebrations
6…..Christen Tyner
15…Michelle Gordon
9…..Ron Shafer
Ellen Thorne
George Roth
17…Maura Hileman
Roger McCormick
Erin Thompson
10…Babe Pacienza
Mike Troster
20…John Marsh
22…Maryann McCoy
11…James Fry
Linda Paul
23…Adam Truxal
12…Coleman Brumley
25…Alexis Hileman
13…Bill Young
26…Audrey Reid
14…Rosemary Fry
29…Chris Rossi
JUNE 2015
Sunday
31
9:30 AM Food Bank Collection
10:00 AM Prayer Group
10:45 AM Worship Service
12:00 PM Coffee Hour
Monday
1
7:00 PM Christian Ed
7:00 PM Church Life
Tuesday
2
Wednesday
3
10:15 AM Women's Book
Club
7:30 PM NAR-ANON
Thursday
4
11:00 AM Presby
7:00 PM C.O.M
Friday
5
7:00 AM Men's Study
Breakfast
Saturday
6
9:00 AM Food Bank
7:00 PM Yoder/Rafalak
Concert
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Communion Sunday
10:00 AM Prayer Group
10:45 AM Worship Service
10:00 AM Prayer Group
10:45 AM Worship Service
7:00 PM Finance
7:00 PM Missions
7:00 PM Property
7:00 PM Session
2:00 PM Membership
10:15 AM Women's Book
Club
7:30 PM NAR-ANON
9:30 AM Mental Health
7:00 AM Men's Study
Breakfast
7:00 AM Men's Study
Breakfast
11:00 AM Martha Circle Annual Picnic
7:30 PM NAR-ANON
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
29
30
1
2
3
4
7:00 PM Deacons
10:15 AM Women's Book
Club
7:30 PM NAR-ANON
10:00 AM Presby
7:00 AM Men's Study
Breakfast
Father's Day
10:00 AM Prayer Group
10:45 AM Worship Service
12:00 PM Coffee Hour
28
9:30 AM Food Bank Collection
10:00 AM Prayer Group
10:45 AM Worship Service
10:15 AM Women's Book
Club
7:30 PM NAR-ANON
11:00 AM Presby
7:00 PM C.O.M
7:00 AM Men's Study
Breakfast
Independence Day
9:00 AM Food Bank