September — October 2020 THE METHODIST MESSENGERbellevernonumc.org/images/202009news.pdf · 2020....
Transcript of September — October 2020 THE METHODIST MESSENGERbellevernonumc.org/images/202009news.pdf · 2020....
September — October 2020
This issue of THE METHODIST
MESSENGER is given by
Sally Myers in memory of
William, Margaret and Kathlian Myers
Belle Vernon First United Methodist
200 State Street, Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Member of the Fay-West Cooperative Parish
Phone: 724-929-4696 Pastor Ryan K. Washabaugh Fax: 724-930-9651
Topic: HOW DO YOU HANDLE CRISES IN YOUR LIFE?
FROM THE DESK OF
PASTOR RYAN WASHABAUGH Christ be with you! I hope this note finds you well! I have officially finished the first month of my tenure here at Perry-opolis UMC and First United Methodist Church of Belle Vernon, and how awesome it has been, and how blessed I have been over this
past month. About a year ago I had a prodding from the Holy Spirit (as well as my pastor), to answer God’s call into pastoral ministry. Sometimes God works in mysterious ways, and most of the time His plan does not run congruent with our humanly plans. This was the case with myself: I had a long term vision of continuing to teach at the Christian Academy and continuing my youth ministry for a long time, but that was not God’s plan. When I first accepted that my call from God had changed, and it did not align with what I had thought was God’s call on life, it was a time of uncertainty in my life, of how things would change for my family as well as the Academy where I played a vital role. I doubted my capabilities as someone who would be able to reach an audience that was older than me, and that I had never had experience with reaching before, but once again God has provided me with words to hopefully make a connection and an impact. My hope is that you are truly being blessed by the ministry of your church and the role that I play in that ministry. I am here to help the church with their mission and to help the church find their place in the community. (Continued)
SEPTEMBER
Please continue to pray for this church and for myself and my family as we continue to see how God moves through this church and this ministry. These are uncertain times with the pandemic and racial ten-sions on the rise in our nation, but God is present even in the midst of turmoil and strife. There are great things happening at both churches and we are able to see God moving in ways unexpected. My prayer for you is that you thrive as an individual, that we continue to thrive as a church, not just a lo-cal church, but as a universal church in the worship of Jesus Christ as well. God bless,
Pastor Ryan
Pastor Ryan Washabaugh [email protected] 724-640-7732 (m) 724-628-4017 (h)
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN
By Joe Stowell
READ: John 21:1-14
“After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.”
— John 21:1
Baseball legend Yogi Berra is known for his oft-repeated quips like, “It ain’t over till it’s over” and “It’s like déjà vu all over again!”
I wonder if the disciples felt déjà vu when they saw Jesus standing by the short (John 21). Discouraged and distracted by their own needs in the shadow of Peter’s denial and their deser-
tion of Jesus, they had abandoned their calling to follow Jesus and returned to their previous occupation — fishing.
Then, after a fruitless night of fishing, a voice from the shore called out, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (John 21:6). When they did, the nets were so full that they couldn’t be dragged in. No doubt their minds raced back to their first encounter with Jesus — when He showed up on the shore of their careers and, after another miraculous catch of fish, called them to leave their nets and follow Him (Luke 5:1-11).
Like the disciples, we may want to return to our own agendas when we get discouraged in our walk with Jesus. But then Jesus shows up again on the shore of our lives to extend forgiveness and to draw us back to those moments when He first called us. It’s like déjà vu all over again!
Son of the Living God! Oh, call us
Once and again to follow Thee;
And give us strength, whate’er befall us,
Thy true disciples still to be. — Martin
Jesus calls us to follow Him — and repeats His call when necessary.
(Copied from Our Daily Bread devotional.)
MONDAY,
SEPTEMBER
7th
REMEMBER
911!
Friday,
September 11th
2020 SEE YOU
AT THE POLE
EVENT
Wednesday, September 23rd
THEME: “RETURN
RESTORE
REVIVE
SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 23:25
“Josiah…..turned in total and repentant obedience to
God…..”
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th
Join us as we celebrate with our sister
churches around the world!
OCTOBER IS
PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH
We are asked to pray for —-
“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is
preaching and teaching.” — 1 Timothy 5:17
It’s most important that we pray daily for our spiritual leaders, including our Pastor and his family, our
Administrative Council and those in authority in our church as well as our sister church Perryopolis.
OCTOBER IS
DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
WEBSITE SPONSORS
SEPTEMBER — OPEN
OCTOBER — Sally Myers in
memory of her mother,
Margaret Myers
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
FOR
NOVEMBER — DECEMBER
ISSUE
Sunday, October 18th
“Autumn carries more gold
in its pocket than all the
other seasons.”
YOUR LATEST
NEWS!
Sally Myers, Chair
On Sunday, August 30th at 6:30 p.m., there will be a Special Charge Conference at our church under the provi-
sion of ¶246.7 for the following purposes:
1. Discussion and action regarding the sale of church property (334 Roley Street parsonage).
2. Discussion and action on Endowment By-Laws.
3. Discussion and action on the Kubalinski gift.
Our District Superintendent, Pastor Robert Zilhaver, will be presiding over this special meeting. We encourage you to join in these important discussions.
Mark your calendars and be sure to join us that even-ing.
Carol Zelenski, Chair
The Finance Committee would like to thank every-one for keeping our church’s finances in your prayers and for your continued support during this pandemic. It is the goal of this committee to be good stewards in spending what God has given us each week through your offerings. Every penny is prayerfully and carefully considered when making decisions about maintenance of our building and the ministries we support. God has been very good to us and we want to remember that as we move forward in doing His work in our community.
If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me, Carol Zelenski, at 724-433-7108.
CLOTHES 4U
Carol Zelenski, Coordinator
We are pleased to announce that we will be open in September for three Tuesdays as a BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL:
September 8th, 15th and 22nd.
Everyone is welcome to come and see us — to check things out. We have a lot of great items. Even though the pandemic has put us a little behind, we are working hard each time to catch up. This ministry has spread throughout the community and beyond. We’ve had people call us with donations from Washington, Bethel Park, and others. Please spread the news of our church’s mission to serve those who are in need.
We also want to thank all of you for your con-tinued support through your donations. May God con-tinue to richly bless each of you!
WEEKLY
MAILINGS
DURING THE
PANDEMIC
Have you wondered who is behind the mailings that you receive each week to keep you abreast for what is going on with your church? There has been a group of ladies who perform this function; and it includes Barb Hess, Bev Hazlett, Carol Zelenski, Sally Myers and Wendy Kennedy. Once the information is available from Pastor Ryan, everything is coordinated on the sheets which are run off and mailed to you.
We also want to thank Barb and Sally for their diligent work in getting the service out to those who listen on Zoom each week. This has been a tremendous help to our seniors who must be so very careful during this pan-demic. May God richly bless all of you!
Come to the
UMW YARD SALE
SATURDAY,
SEPTEMBER 26th
8:00 A.M. TO NOON
Lots of bargains!
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FUNDRAISER FOR THEM! THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
In lieu of a bazaar this year, the UMW will be holding a yard sale at the house and lot adjacent to the church.
Make plans to come and support it!
SEPTEMBER
SPECIAL
1st — Jeniffer LoGreco
Pam Yankel
3rd — Kayela Pavtis
5th — Keighen Owens
6th — Danyal Cowley
Lucy Gondak
Cheryl Mattay
9th — Morgan Perry
10th — Frank Hoosac
12th — Janice Shutterly
Leigh Stromberg
13th — Janet Stevenson
Sally Lopes
14th — Cyndil Labash
15th — Shawna Owens
17th — Ron Kander
19th — Carley Askin
20th — Elma Martinosky
22nd — Christopher Herron
Dale Lehew
25th — Jesse Gray
Jack Chester
26th — Lori Hill
Roland Shawley
27th — Mallory Staub
28th — Mark Hill
Amelia Longnecker
Shelly Rhome
29th — Daniel Henry
Chaz Sztroin
1st — Maura Askin
Emilee Hawk
Carolyn Mendola
3rd — Madison Shutterly
4th — Shelby Ferguson II
Nicole Winterbottom
5th — Clint Davis
6th — H. Lee Hill
7th — Connie Bethem
9th — Kaylee Gilchrist
Brian Layhue
Clare Parsons
Ruth Wilkinson
10th — Thomas Gilchrist
Jim LoGreco
11th — Ray Gilchrist
12th — Leann Watkins
15th — Linda Smitley
18th — Melissa Yancec
19th — Lauren Booher
Colin Chalfant
Emily Frederick
Kelly Hill
21st — Chanell Labash
Katelyn Mattay
22nd — Amy Boyd
Scott Shawley
23rd — Cyndi Kortina
24th — Ryan Dunmeyer
Tabitha Hill
Taylor Hill
25th — Monte Labash
26th — Diana Schomer
27th — Wyatt Perry
30th — Vince Trombino
31st — Terri Shutterly
Carrie Munshower
ALMOST AUTUMN
By Nora M. Bozeman
The days of Summer dwindle down
and Autumn’s song I hear,
The leaves will soon desert the trees
when frosty nights appear.
The air now holds a promise
of the season’s golden glow,
And as Summer takes her leave
Fall soon will overflow.
The beauty of each season
is always on display,
Summer, Winter, Fall or Spring —
hand in hand on God’s highway.
GOLDEN GIFTS
By Sara I. Brown
The trees sway softly in the breeze
Against a sky so blue,
The golden sun beams in across
A sea of morning dew.
My spirit quickens as I see
How much God really cares
To create such beauty just for me;
Reaching out, I take my share.
If man isn’t willing to take the time,
How can he truly live,
If he looks at neither sky nor sun,
Which God so freely gives?
Iva Doyle
700 Speer Street
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Edythe Ferencz
826 Edwards Avenue
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Cyndi Hoosec
305 First Street
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Diana McCallum
326 Market Street
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Carolyn Mendola & Sean
Ganoe
333 Joyce Drive
Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666-2140
George Leasure
235 Vernon Avenue
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Lorraine Quintier
919 Graham Street
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Jane Shider
325 Water Street
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Michael & Valerie Ferencz
PSC41 Bx. 4443
APO AE 09464-0045
TSgt Eric S. Hill
200 Edgecliff Way
Columbia, SC 29229
H. Lee Hill
7402 Paxton Drive
Fayetteville, NC 28303
Ryan Hill
894 Riders Way E
Evans, GA 30809
PV2 Kennedy, Bradley, A
Going back to college
Reinstadtler, Cory
6461 Crescent Way
Apt. 106
Norfolk, VA 23513
Jared T. Schomer
460 Constitution Street
Perryopolis, PA 15473
Sean Winterbottom
2533 Archdale Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
OCTOBER
By Milly Patzer
When the skies get dark and cloudy,
It is surely going to rain.
When the nights are growing colder,
Then Fall has come again.
It’s that lovely season
When leaves turn red and gold,
When though the sun shines brightly,
The days are often cold.
Night now comes so early,
Summer flowers cease to bloom.
Morning fogs drift in the valleys
To create an early morning gloom.
The garden sounds are quiet now,
The birds no longer sing.
Flying high up in the sky,
The geese are on the wing.
The winds of Fall will grow stronger,
The dry leaves will swirl and blow
And snuggle softly on the ground
To wait for Winter’s snow.
“Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior. For You I wait all the long day, because of Your goodness,
Lord.” — Psalm 25:5
I DID MY BEST
By James Joseph Huesgen
O Father see me thro’ this day,
Help me not begrudge
Love and kindness to any soul
I meet here, where I trudge.
I pray I judge not any soul
By color, looks or creed,
Let me love them for themselves
Help, in their sorest need.
And Father, when my day is done
As I lay back in my rest,
Let my reward be only
This day I did my best.
THE RIGHT HELP
By Bill Crowder
READ: Psalm 18:6-13
“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; ...my
cry came before Him, even to His ears.”
— Psalm 18:6
On a recent radio program, the hosts spoke with a “crisis management” expert about how a celebrity can recover from a public relations disaster. This specialist said one of the keys was to build strong allies who can help the star rehabilitate his or her image. In other words, it is vital when in trouble to get the right help.
That is wise counsel, for at the heart of all crisis man-agement is recognizing that we can’t accomplish every-thing on our own. Some challenges are too big. Some mountains are too high. In our own seasons of crisis, it is critical that we have help. That’s why it’s comforting to know that we have the strongest ally possible.
King David knew about that ally. In Psalm 18:6, he affirmed, “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.” There is no greater help in our time of need than God. He alone can carry us through the trials and crises of life, and we have His word that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).
When crisis hits, we don’t have to stand alone. We have the right help. We can depend on God to be the greatest ally we could ever know. Lean on Him.
When a crisis looms before you,
Don’t face it on your own.
Seek advice from godly counsel,
And take it to God’s throne. — Sper
Our greatest hope here below is to get help
from God above.
(Copied from Our Daily Bread devotional.)
COMFORTED TO
COMFORT
By Marvin Williams
READ: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11
“[God] comforts us. . . that we may be able to comfort [others] with the comfort with
which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
— 2 Corinthians 1:4
While speaking to a group of Christian athletes, I asked them how they normally responded to hardships. Their responses included fear, anger, self-pity, aggres-sion, despair, abusive behavior, apathy, and turning to God. I encouraged them to trust that God would comfort them and then use them to comfort others.
Just as I encouraged those athletes Paul encouraged a group of believers in a town called Corinth. He reminded them that afflictions were inevitable for the follower of Jesus. Many were being persecuted, imprisoned, and op-pressed — all because of their relationship with Jesus. Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that in the midst of their trouble God was their source of help. He would come to their side and help them to have godly respons-es. Then Paul gave one of the reasons God allowed suf-fering and brought divine comfort — so that the Corinthi-ans might have the empathy to enter into other people’s sorrow and comfort them (2 Cor. 1:4).
When we suffer, let us remember that God will bring comfort to us through His Word, by the Holy Spirit, and through fellow believers. God does not comfort us so that we’ll be comfortable; we are comforted by God so that we might be comforters.
When you receive God’s comfort,
Be sure to pass it on,
Then give to God the glory
From whom the comfort’s drawn. — Hess
When God permits trials, He also provides
comfort.
(Copied from Our Daily Bread devotional.)
OUR HEARTFELT
CONDOLENCES
To Bev Hazlett in the passing of her mother, Mary Ellen on Tuesday, July 28th. She will be missed! Please keep Bev in prayer as she goes through this most difficult time.
THE DAY’S FIRST TASK
By C.S. Lewis — Mere Christianity
The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists of shoving it all back, in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other,
larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.
NATIONAL
GRANDPARENT’S DAY
SEPTEMBER 13th
GOD’S LEFT HAND
A 6-year-old and his grand-ma went for a walk one autumn day. “Look at the gor-geous leaves!” Grandma exclaimed. “Just think, God painted each one of them just for us!”
“Yep,” said her grandson, “and he did it left-handed.”
Perplexed, Grandma asked, “Why do you think God used his left hand to create all this beauty?”
“Because,” said the boy matter-of-factly, “we learned in Sunday school that Jesus sits on God’s right one.”
OUR FIRM FOUNDATION
During his childhood on the Atlantic Coast, Gregory Elder devoted much time to creating elaborate sandcas-tles. “Whole cities would appear beneath my hands,” he writes. One year, when bullies repeatedly crushed his handiwork, Elder finally placed large rocks and concrete chunks at the base of his kingdoms. The returning bare-footed thugs soon learned a lesson.
Many people consider today’s church under attack from secularism, heresies and sin, Elder writes. “They forget that the church is built upon a Rock (Matthew 16:18), over which the gates of hell itself shall not pre-vail.”
Aw-FALL!
Share some laughs — or groans — with these autumn-themed jokes:
What did the tree say to autumn? “Leaf me alone!”
What did one autumn leaf say to another? “I’m falling for you.”
How do you fix a broken pumpkin? With a pumpkin patch.
Why are trees very forgiving? Because in the fall they “let it go” and in the spring they “turn over a new leaf.”
How do leaves get from place to place? With autumn-mobiles.
What’s the ratio of a pumpkin’s circumference to its diameter? Pumpkin pi.
FROM TRIALS TO TRIUMPHS
British evangelist Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947) was impoverished and Illiterate during childhood. He also stammered, which embarrassed him greatly. When he married a Salvation Army preacher, she taught him how to read using the Bible.
Wigglesworth recognized that all the adversities he’d faced were key to his ministry’s effectiveness. “Great faith is the product of great fights,” he said. “Great tes-timonies are the outcome of great tests. Great tri-umphs can only come out of great trials.”
“The simplest toy, one which even the
youngest child can operate, is called
a grandparent.”
CONGRATULATIONS
To Katarina Vogel, daughter of Doug and Christina Vogel of Raymond, New Hamp-shire. In May, she graduat-ed from the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY on an ROTC scholarship. She was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corp as a Second Lieutenant. She will be going to Quantico Ma-rine Base in October for more schooling and deployed at a later date. Katarina is the granddaughter of the proud grandparents, John and Carol Zelenski. May God be with her in her travels and her career.
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do,
you will never cease to grow.”
— Anthony J. D’Angelo
TIME FOR A POP QUIZ!
Tests don’t end once you finish school. Churchgoers of all ages can regularly conduct these quick assessments:
The worship test: Do I faithfully attend worship ser-vices and Bible studies?
The weather test: Am I a “fair weather” Christian? Do conditions that wouldn’t keep me from work keep me from church?
The work test: Am I willing to put my talents to use for my church? Can the congregation count on me to help however possible, or am I too busy elsewhere?
The wallet test: Do I regularly contribute or tithe? Am I giving my “first fruits” to God so the church can conduct his work?
A PRAYER FOR PEACE
St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian Catholic friar, is commemorated on October 4. Though it’s unclear whether this famous “peace prayer” was his, it reflects his gentle spirit as an ardent Christ follower:
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace,
Where there is hated, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand.
To be loved as to love,
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life. Amen!
CORONA VIRUS HUMOR
Staying 6 feet apart today is better than 6 feet under tomorrow.
Jesus cleanses the heart; we disinfect the pew!
Live, Love, Laugh, Lysol
STANDING TOGETHER: 6 feet apart!
Doors closed for now, but hearts remain open!
2020 was installed with a virus; come reboot!
THE BEST
MEDICINE
Near the end of his life, Protestant reformer Martin Luther suffered de-bilitating headaches. When told about a costly medicine that might
offer some relief, Luther smiled and said, “My best pre-scription for head and heart is that ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoev-er believeth in him should not perish, but have everlast-ing life.’” That Bible verse became a refrain for Luther on his death-bed. “What Spartan saying can be compared with this wonderful brevity,” he said of John 3:16. “It is the Bible itself!” After repeating the words of that Gospel-in-a-nutshell verse three times in Latin, Luther exclaimed, “They are the best prescription for headaches and heart-aches!”
JUST PLANT IT
As the church year wraps up, many Bible readings address the end times and Jesus’ return at an unknown date (unknown to all but God the Father, that is). Specific beliefs about the Second Coming vary through-
out Christendom, but our attitude about that momentous event affects how we live right now. “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to piec-es,” Martin Luther reportedly said, “I would still plant my apple tree.” Instead of constantly despairing about this broken-down world, we can remain determined to serve God and our neighbors, planting seeds of life and hope in the process.
BIBLE QUIZ
Name the first three kings of Israel in the order of their reigns.
A. Saul, David, Solomon B. Samuel, David, Saul
C. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob D. Solomon, Jesse, David
Answer: A (See 1 Samuel 9:15-17; 16:1-13; 1 Kings 1:28-30.)
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do
what’s possible; and suddenly you’re doing
the impossible.”
—Unknown
HANDLING
CRISES IN YOUR LIFE!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
(Proverbs 3:6-7 NIV)
All of us have had to face unwanted and cer-tainly unneeded crises in our lives from time to time. It may have been in the form of a devastating illness. Perhaps it was an unexpected death to a close friend or family member. We may have lost our job through layoffs or by closings. Then, of course, for all of us, it has been the Covid 19 virus/pandemic that seemed to come out of no-where to wreck havoc with everyone, not just in the United States, but all over the world. There are other crises I could name, but you know what they are. We each face different situations every day of the week — some tremendously difficult and others not so.
When faced with something new that will greatly impact your life, how do you handle it? Where do you go for help? Who do you call upon to help you or to get another point of view? Really, there is no estab-lished set of rules or list of helps for these types of things. Many peo-ple just don’t know what to do first or where to turn! As Christians, we have the best counselor in the world to seek during these troubling times — our Lord Jesus Christ! He is always “on call” when we need him. His communication lines are open 24 hours a day/7 days a week! You never get a busy signal or an answering machine. How do we get in touch with Him? Through PRAYER! If we just take the time to whisper a few words to Him in prayer, our answer will be on its way. That is what is so powerful about approaching the throne of God. We don’t have to wait and deal with any obstacles. We don’t have to talk to anyone other than Jesus Himself. THANK GOD!
The way this world is moving today, Jesus is really the only one who tells the complete truth and on whom we can rely. Man, even your best friend, might let you down, but JESUS WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!
Whether it is the coronavirus or death in the family, or any other over-whelming situation that you might be facing, just remember that our best source of help is JESUS! Take the time to read your Bible each day and spend some time in prayer talking to Him about your prob-lems. REMEMBER, HE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND AND HE WILL HELP YOU THROUGH ANY SITUATION! God bless all of you!
Stay safe and healthy until the next time —-
Cathy
Have a blessed fall!
THE METHODIST MESSENGER
FAY-WEST COOPERATIVE CHURCHES
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
200 STATE STREET
BELLE VERNON, PA 15012
Phone: 724-929-4696 Fax: 724-930-0651 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.bellevernonumc.org
RETURN SERVICE
REQUESTED
REASONS AND SEASONS
By Gina Laurin
“To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1
When your burdens heavy laden
from the cares you find in life,
And you cannot find a reason
for your troubles and your strife,
When if feels you go in circles
and at times you walk in place,
And your tears flow like a river
as they each run down your face,
You must know you’re not alone there
in your place of tears and pain,
And the burdens you now carry
are not carried all in vain.
For there’s reasons and there’s seasons
to the mysteries in life,
There’s sowing and there’s growing
through our happiness and strife.
We’re shaped and rearranged
with each burden that we bear,
A hard heart now made softer
one that understands and cares.
And though your pain seems now in vain
on this journey we call life,
Soon you’ll look back and you’ll realize
there were reasons for your strife.
A lesson learned, a different view,
we’re growing all the time,
You need only search within your heart
and a reason you will find.
WATCH FOR THE FALLING
LEAVES OF AUTUMN!