Then on Friday evenings we reached out to the families of our neighborhood through The Family Faith and Fun Nights. Though it looked as though this program was going to take off, we made the painful decision to close it in August when we went through three weeks without a single family in attendance. From the bottom of my heart, I want all of the wonderful volunteers to know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they made to try to make FFFN work. Please know that FFFN was not a failure. It was an experiment in love and mission. As we work to revitalize our congregation, we may try other programs which may or may ot work in this great laboratory we call the ministry of the CCW.
Of course that was not all we did this summer. Several of us attended and held leadership roles in the Regional Assemlby in late June. Did you know that Minister Fred Davis was installed at the assembly as the new Regional Board representative for the Greater Pittsburgh District?
Last, but definitely not least, 10 of us attended a week long mission trip in Kinston, North Carolina. We joined nearly a hundred Disciple youth and adults as we helped to build the Grove Park Christian Church which was flooded out during the 1999 Hurricane Floyd. The heat index was near 100, but you should have seen our youth hammering away on the frame of that church building! You can be proud of the youth and adults who represented our church this summer. We're ready to go to Kentucky next summer to build another church. Want to come?
-Pastor Janet
New Sunday School Schedule
Beginning Sunday, September 19
9:30 am Blessings in Sanctuary
9:45 - 10:40 Nursery care for infants/kindergarten
Word in Motion - for children, games & Bibles skills in the gym
Youth and Young Adults join Breakfast Club
Adult Classes: Breakfast Club
Bethany Class
11:00 - 12:20 Children's Bible Study
After the Children's Sermon in Worship, children in Kindergarten
through fifth grade will meet downstairs for Bible Study, crafts
and activities.
The Family and Youth Ministry Team is creating this new schedule in order to reach more children with the Word of God. Volunteers are needed to help once a month in the "Word in Motion" game time for children. Peggy Blackshire has generously offered her time to lead the Children's Bible Study this semester.
Please be in prayer for the Family and Youth Ministry Team as we create a new outreach program for neighborhood youth, as well as a monthly program for our church youth. See Kathy McLafferty or Pastor Janet with your ideas or offers to help.
Church Family Field Trip
Pow Wow: Saturday, September 25
Meet at church at 11 am
Donation: $5 adults
$3 elders and children under 12
Crystal Wilson is coordinating this trip to the Pow Wow in Dorseyville. Come and enjoy the treasures of our American Indian culture through dancing, arts and crafts as well as food. Sign up with Crystal. We need drivers!
Youth Camp Reunion
Sunday, September 26
Leave after worship and travel to Laurelview.
Youth in grades 6 - 12
are invited to Laurelview for an afternoon of study, worship and recreation
with their camp friends. Please see Katie for more information.
Reconciliation Offering - Sundays September 26 and October
3
"Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, hebe reconciled to God."
- 2 Corinthians 5:20
As the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks is upon us and the threat of terrorist still hovers over us, we need to review our "ministry of reconciliation". Hate and violence due to differences in race and culture still abound in the world and sadly in our own nation.
Your Reconciliation Offering is one important way in which you can promote peace in our world with the church of Jesus Christ leading the way.
Please give generously so that we might be instruments of God's peace in a world full of hate and violance.
C.W.F. - Tuesday, September 21, noon
Program will include a video called "The Jubilee Tree!". Bring a sandwich. Meet at church. All women are invited. Excitingn new program "Body & Soul", Octiber 18, 2004
Walk With The World And Make A Difference!
We would like you to participate in the 31st annual 2004 East End Crop Walk at 2 pm Sunday, October 10. Crop Walk is a program of Church World Service whose purpose is to raise funds to feed the hungry people in the world and in our community. The Christian Church of Wilkinsburg has participated in every one of them! You can be a walker. By walking, you get people to sponsor you for a certain amount for each kilometer of the walk, you get to take a healthful stroll with your friends and neighbors, and you also publicize Church World Service and its goal. Get your Cropwalker Envelope from Jack Peffer soon! Let's have more Disciples walkers than we had last year!
If walking is a problem for you, you can be a sponsor or make a designated contribution to Church World Service through the Christian Church of Wilkinsburg.
The East End Crop Walk was the best in Allegheny County in 2003 - over 80 people walked and more than $7,000 was raised! The 2004 goal of the East End Crop Walk is to recruit 100 walkers and collect more than $10,000 for Church World Service. Wilkinsburg Community Ministry (15%) and East End Cooperative Ministry (10%).
September Meeting Dates
Board Meeting Sunday, Sep 19 12:30 pm
Youth & Family Team Tuesday, Sep 21 6:30 pm
Reconciliation Sunday, Sep 26 12:30 pm
Prayer List
Prayers for our church
- As we begin a new church year
- As we reach out to children and youth
- as One Step begins its ministry to Middle School youth
- As New-To-You opens its ministry of hospitality
- As our flocks gather to support and care for one another
Prayers for Healing
- For Pastor Janet and her family during her treatment
Prayers for the Peacemakers
- For our police officers
- All working for peace in Iraq
Deacons' Scholarship Fund
The Deacons are offering minor scholarships only once this school year. Applications will be available Sept 1 2004 and need to be returned by Oct 1 2004 so that money can be approved at the October Board meeting. Checks will be allotted in November. If you do not intend to start classes until January/February you will either need to apply now or wait until next fiscal year. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.
In Blessed Memory - Dr. Paul S. Buck
None of us will ever forget the cowboy elder and board chair who blessed our church in countless ways over the last 14 years. Paul came to us as a lifetime Disciple from Oklahoma. During his time with us, he served as a deacon, an elder, a youth Sunday school teacher and the Master of Ceremonies for our 90thChurch Anniversary celebration. Paul also serviced in the two highest offices in our church as chair of the elders and as chair of the board. Being a bit of a rebel, Paul broke down several barriers in our church including the gender barrier in the nursery and the kitchen when he became the first male volunteer. Also, thanks to his Western shirts, he broke the suit coat barrier when he was named as an elder. We will truly miss his red flame shirt which he always wore on Pentecost. We will also miss his love for the church and dedication to our congregation. Paul was an excellent shepherd who went out of his way to take care of his sheep. He was a man of deep prayer who often could be found before worship quietly stealing a few silent moments with the Lord before worship.
Our prayers go out to Linda, Donovan and Briana and the entire Buck and Evans families. Paul's death this summer was tragic, but we are at peace in knwoing that Paul is at home with the Lord. Paul's favorite prayer was the Serenity Prayer:
God grant me the Serenity
To accept the things I cannot change
The Courage to change the things I can
And the Wisdom to know the difference.
In Blessed Memory - Kevin Smith
Our hearts are broken by the tragic death of Kevin Smith in June. Though not an official member of this congregation, we gladly claim Kevin as one of our own. Kevin had been attending worship regularly this year as he tried to put his life back together. We celebrated with Kevin last fall his announcement that he was engaged to Sandy. We were touched by the testimony he gave to us at our first Watch Night's service on New Year's Eve. We loved having Kevin help us with Family FAith and Fun Night program, because he loved to play with the kdis - being a big kid himself. Kevin always was a willing set of hands who gladly volunteered to help wherever we had a need from painting the new youth room and to bringing chairs in and out of the building for our summer Hope and Healing services.
Our hearts and prayers go out to Sandy, Devin and Melissa as well as to Kevin's sisters Cindy, Pam and Josie and his brothers and their families
We will never forget Kevin's smile which lit up a room and his wonderful faith in Jesus. His favorite songs which he and Sandy sang every morning say a great deal about his faith:
"Victory is Mine"
Victory is mine.
Victory is mine.
Victory today is mine.
I told Satan to get thee behind.
Victory today is mine.
And
"This is the Day the Lord Has Made"