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1 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 310 Oak Street Irwin, PA Phone No Website: Rev. David S. Lake Pastor Dianne Runser Director of Music Ministry The First United Methodist Church of Irwin exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We are a community of Believers, centered on Christ, united by God s love, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

2 From our Pastor Dear Church Family: As I was fishing the other day in a local stream, I thought how the movement of the water is much like that of the church. The water was not stagnate; it was moving on a journey to something bigger and better. Our church is also on a journey, currently facing a time of transition that is filled with opportunity to reevaluate who and what we are all about as a church. What is our call as individuals and a congregation to people, our community and the world? In the process of discernment and discussions about the mission and ministry of our church we discover that in our uniqueness and individuality there will be times of unity and times of tension. As we journey together through life there will be hills and valleys, up and downs. In any family, even in the church family this is normal. However if we allow these differences to create a wedge between us then the whole body, the Church, suffers. In 1 Corinthians 12:26 we have these words: If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (NIV) There will be times when we (pastor, individual members and the congregation as a whole) are sorry as to how some situations have turned out. We are saddened to know when anyone has left the church or anyone has been hurt every part suffers. There are always going to be differences of opinions and differences in theology. No two people are alike. Sometimes we simply need to accept to agree to disagree and allow the journey to continue. In the United Methodist Church one of our greatest strengths is our unity in our diversity! May we seek to celebrate this and not run from it. I believe in the healing power and presence of Jesus Christ. I know and believe that God s grace and love are the glue that holds each and every one of us together as families and as a congregation. God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God. Our journey is always flowing.. During this time of transition, let us seek to be move forward in peace and unity in order to glorify Almighty God as we walk and work together for the Kingdom of God, for the transformation of the world. In Christ, Rev. David S. Lake GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP: Our Grief Support group meets the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6:30 PM. There is no fee and the support group is open to anyone in our church or community who has experienced the pain of death and needs help working through their loss and managing their grief. Please contact Becky Rudy for more information. Our Christian sympathy to the family of: Phyllis M. Brink 4/1/2016 Joann H. Pirl 4/6/2016 Todd D. Walters 4/9/2016 James E. Zona 4/12/2016 LaVerne Halza 4/15/2016 Laura Baxter 4/21/2016 Joan C. Ryan 4/25/2016 May God comfort and bless their families.

3 Ladies Spring Tea Party The women of the church are invited to a Ladies Spring Tea sponsored by the United Methodist Women. This will take place at our church on Sunday, May 22, 2016 from 12:30pm to 3:00pm. A light lunch will be served. The speaker for this event will be Ellen Marsili. Ellen will be talking about Herbal Tea Blends. This is a thank you from the United Methodist Women. We hope you can attend and enjoy this wonderful time of fellowship. There will be a sign up for the tea after the Saturday services on April 30th, May 7th and May 14th. Sunday tea sign up will be after both services on May1st, May 8th, and May 15th. This will be for ladies of the church 18yrs and older. NURTURE COMMITTEE Eric Platt, Chair ( ) FELLOWSHIP NIGHT: The Nurture committee will be having a Fellowship night on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 6:30pm. We will be having a covered dish dinner and game night! The committee will provide the meat and drinks for the dinner so we are asking that you please bring a favorite side dish or dessert. A signup sheet will be passed around during the church services to help us know how many to prepare for. Any questions please call Becky Platt at Hope to see you all there!! Graduation Sunday 2016!!! Graduation Sunday will be June 5, This is the day that we, as a church family, recognize those who are graduating. If you are graduate or know of someone who is graduating, please call the church office at to let us know!! There will be recognition of the graduates during the services on the 5 th and a reception after the 10:45 service that day. There will be a Nacho bar and other goodies served in the gym to help us congratulate these individuals. Ahhhhh Time for Summer Camp!!! Are you registered yet? There are so many camps to choose from! If you start camping as a child, you can probably try every camp by the time you are an adult! Brochures are on the table in the narthex for Jumonville, Camp Allegheny and Wesley Woods. Follow these steps to register: Fill out the registration form from the brochure and turn it in to Debbie in the church office. She will issue a church check for 40% of the total cost of your event and then send it off to the camp you wish to attend. The camp will notify you when they receive your registration. A spot will be saved for you. (Some camps fill up fast, so don t wait too long to register)

4 Nurture, Cont d If you need additional funding, contact the camp you are attending to use some of their scholarship monies. This fund, called KIDZ TO CAMP, is there for your use! It is given by campers and churches and designated for this use! If more monies are still needed, contact our church office. There are additional monies designated for extra help. Monies come in from special offerings and the clothing bins throughout the year don t let the cost of camp discourage you from going! Every person that wants to go to camp can go! Questions Contact Laurie Saporito, Camp Steward at or cts72@hotmail.com NURSERY VOLUNTEERS: Two attendents are needed each Sunday to look after the children, ages 0 5 years (some a little older), so that their parents may enjoy the 10:45 AM worship service. It is not necessary for you to be in the nursery every week. You can either be added to the roster as part of the rotation or tell Kim when you are available. KEEP OUR CHURCH IN GOOD REPAIR Please remember these guidelines when using our church building: 1. Do not use poster putty, Scotch tape, duct tape, masking tape, or packing tape to hang things on the walls, doors, or woodwork. They pull the finishes off of the surfaces leaving ugly splotches. 2. Blue, low tack painters tape is permissible for hanging objects on the walls or woodwork. Dear Parishioners, On behalf of the VA Pittsburgh HCS patients and staff, we would like to extend our appreciation to you for your donation of 28 Valentine s Day cards for our Veterans. Your toughtfulness reflects the concern that you feel for our Veterans and for the service they provided to all of us while in service to our country. Without your support, we could not provide for the smaller niceties that make hospitalization more bearable. Your thoughtfulness also reflects the concern and compassion that our community feels for our Veterans. Also, I wish to extend my personal thanks to you for your recent donation of $ The commitment you have shown to our patients demonstrates your concern for America s heros. Thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, David DiFuccia, Voluntary Service Program Leader ********** Dear Friends, Thank you for your gift to the Western PA Prison Outreach Ministry. Your donation of $50.00 will help to continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ to those who are imprisoned and to help them to continue to grow in their faith through various prison ministries. We truly appreciate your faithful prayers and contributions. If you have any questions about Prison Outreach Ministry, please contact us. We would be happy to share with you more about this important ministry. Thank you for your support and may God bless you! Grace & Peace, WPA Prison Outreach Ministry Board

5 Thank You, Cont d ********** To my church family and staff, Thank you for your prayers, cards, and sentiments. They have been very comforting. Also, thank you Pastor Dave for the meaningful service and for your guidance. Edith Bush and the Todd Walters Family ********** Thank you for all your caring expressions of sympathy after the passing of my Mom, Joann Pirl. You are also my church family. With warmest regards through Christ who strengthens us. Sandy Lehner, Tom, and Family OUTREACH COMMITTEE Anne Osborn Chairperson The Outreach Committee meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm. Outreach Spud Bar Come hungry to church on Sunday, May 1 st. The outreach committee will be hosting our annual spud bar a huge baked potato with all kinds of topping and some sweet dessert! Take-out will be available after the 8:15am service. Dine-in and take-out will be available after the 10:45am service. The proceeds will be split between our community outreach and the work trip. Hope to see you there. The Rick Simms Memorial Work Trip 2016 In the March newsletter and bulletins we made the focus be about Sacrifice Now we want to shift the focus to Planning for the Future. We are asking you to Pray for this upcoming event for the visitation on May 12 th, for the family who needs our aid, and for the planning it will require to make it happen. If we understand one thing after 20+ years of this mission s outreach, it s how critical planning is for success. It all starts with you this body of believers who have been there, supporting this ministry with your prayers. We know that without you interceding on our behalf, this event may have ended long ago. But, your response to the call whether you be a work team member, a contributor of monies, food, & other supplies or the family keeping watch at home has long sustained the cause. Please join together once again, starting today, to set aside a time for prayer. We covet those prayers, trusting in them for a safe, rewarding and complete outcome to this year s project. To date we have 30 people confirmed as team members. Some are returning veterans, while others are newbies to the call. We plan to keep this information flowing via the newsletter and bulletins leading up to the event in June. If you haven t marked your calendars, the dates are June 26 th 29 th. We would like to hear from you if you might be interested in joining this year s team. It will require current clearance forms to be submitted to the office records prior. We are planning on continuing the collection of funds for specific building materials this year, either in Honor, Memory or Glory of God. The Material Forms are inserted into this newsletter. Also, if you would like to help an individual or family with scholarship monies (room & board), we ask you to do so by making that contribution through the church office so Debbie may keep your records of giving updated. Just place your wishes in an envelope with your name, envelope # and person(s) for whom you are donating. This is a great way for groups inside and outside the church to show their support for those folks. Once again this year, some of our group have

6 Outreach, Cont d submitted request to the Conference for financial aid but there is no way of knowing that those funds will be disbursed. We are thankful for past support from you and the conference. With Easter s reminder of the tragic yet triumphant events of Jesus death and resurrection still fresh, let s focus on Planning for the Future of others, our church and ourselves in the name of Christ!!!! Work Trip Coordinators, Patty & Jack Osterman Contact preference via namretsojp@gmail.com or phone May 8, 2016 WHY WE PRAY FOR AMERICA The National Day of Prayer is a vital part of America s heritage and is as relevant and critical today as it was at the first call by our Continental Congress in Established in public law by a joint resolution of Congress, signed by President Truman in 1952, then amended to designate the day under the 100th Congress and President Reagan in 1988, it states that: The President shall issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups and as individuals. In Romans 13, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. Not only are we exhorted to submit in recognition of God s sovereignty, but we are encouraged and exhorted to pray! I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. It is both our spiritual responsibility according to God s Word and it is also our civic duty as a citizen or resident of this great nation to respond when we are called upon by our leaders. During times of war, we have rallied millions to defend our nation against a physical threat, how much more should we rise up to defend her against a spiritual one the unseen enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy all that God has established and all those that follow Him. As our nation struggles with foreign and domestic threats, economic insecurity, cultural tensions, and continual challenges to basic constitutional rights, citizens of the United States are preparing to heed the call by our elected leaders to rise to the occasion and exercise one of their most precious freedoms the right to gather, turn to God, and pray. Will you respond to the call? Will you pray for America? Rev. Dion Elmore

7 FINANCE COMMITTEE Chairperson Laurie Saporito (724) Happy Spring to all! I guess it s time to get the garden in and enjoy the fresh veggies! Last year I had all my mason jars ready, but never got to use them! I ve never had much of a green thumb even my artificial plants die! I will try again, and hopefully I ll have a great harvest! Thank you to everyone that has been supporting our dining out at Bob Evans each month! Our May date is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 st from 7 AM to 9 PM at the Greensburg, Monroeville or North Huntingdon restaurants. Use the flyer included in this newsletter! Coming soon We are starting a Pizza Hut fundraiser! This might interest the youth since Bob Evans doesn t have pizza on their menu! This may also interest the Seniors, since Tuesdays are Senior Days! Go out to lunch on Tuesday and enjoy their Lunch Buffet from 11:30 to 1:30. The price is $4.99 with a drink purchase or enjoy an Italian Dinner later in the day! Pizza Hut s dining out fundraiser for our church will be the third Tuesday of every month starting Tuesday, May 17 th from 11 AM to 11:30 PM at the Irwin location only. The flyer included in this newsletter can be copied and used once a month on our scheduled dates. Present the flyer when paying your bill. Are any of you online shoppers? If so, our church is listed on umcmarket.org as Irwin First UMC and our church is able to get a percentage of the sales when you shop online. Since the launch of the UMC Market in 2012, over 40,000 supporters have signed up benefiting over 4,000 UMC Ministries. Most stores are participating in this, and each one gives a different percentage back. Once $100 has been reached in our account, UMC market will send a check to our church. Do your shopping online and support our church s ministries! See the enclosed information! How can you help your church? Support your church with your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your witness. Eat out during our dining out fundraisers, shop online or go out and plant some seeds! Do some gardening! It s ok if you don t have a green thumb the most beautiful gardens bloom in the heart! You can sow kindness and love into the lives of others! Soooooo hooray for the arrival of Spring and gardening! SPECIAL OFFERINGS One Great Hour Sharing $ Camp $ Prison Ministry $ OFFICE NEWS Debbie Massimino Office Manager fumc.debbie.offmgr@comcast.net Jeanne Kertis Secretary/Receptionist fumc.jeanne.secrep@comcast.net NEWSLETTER ARTICLES: All articles for the June 2016 Newsletter are due in the office by Sunday, May 22, *

8 NEWS FROM THE LOFT (CHOIR LOFT, THAT IS..) SUMMER SPECIAL MUSIC There will be no choir during June, July and August. Therefore, there is a special need for special music during each service. It may be a solo, duet or ensemble. It may vocal or instrumental music. Please consider the gifts that God has given you, then offer to share them with others to the glory of God. You may choose the service or services in which you can perform. Age and experience does not matter. If you are willing to share yourself with your church family, please contact Dianne Runser. CHANCEL CHOIR Returning members and new members are always needed. Our rehearsals are on Thursdays, 7:15 PM; in the sanctuary (May 12, 19 and 21). NOTE: No rehearsal May 5. Rehearsals will resume on September 1. We work several weeks ahead, so if you have to miss a rehearsal, that s OK. We will sing at the 10:45 AM service on May 1, 15 and 22. CATHEDRAL BELLS Our ringing for the year has ended. Many thanks go to the dedicated ringers who made this a successful ringing year. In the fall, we will have openings for several ringers. Please consider becoming a member of our musical family. Rehearsals will resume on September 1. SONSHINERS Our singing year will end on Mother s Day, May 10. Thanks to Hannah and Sophie for their dedication. Our last brief rehearsal is on May 1 immediately after the 10:45 AM service in the sanctuary. We sing at the 10:45 AM service on May 8. MEDIA TEAM Anyone interested in becoming a member of the sound/media team should stop by the soundboard one Sunday and speak to any team member. We especially need people for the 8:15 service. CURRENT TEAM MEMBERS! Please see Josh or Dianne to schedule your dates for service. We need all of you! RECORDINGS OF OUR WORSHIP SERVICES AVAILABLE A recording is made of each 10:45 AM worship service and special services. You may request a CD or tape copy of any service, either for yourself or to mail to someone else. We ask for a $1.00 donation if you are picking up the tape or CD at the church, or a $2.00 donation if you would like it to be mailed. This helps to defray the cost of the service. Envelopes for ordering are available on the table in the narthex. A full recording of each service may be downloaded at no cost from the church website. CHURCH WEBSITE Have you visited the church website yet? You will find a lot of information about the activities of our church. Drama team, media team and music department members may now access performance and rehearsal schedules on the website. Church members may also access the church event calendar and may download a copy of the weekly bulletin and an audio version of either the entire worship service or only the pastor s sermons. Committees may communicate with their members by posting announcements and minutes, which are view-able only by the committee members. To access these special features, you just have to create a log-in and indicate where you serve in the church. FACEBOOK Like us on Facebook! Every time you share one of our posts, more people can see our activities! Spread the word! This is an active, welcoming congregation!

9 Our Music Director, Dianne Runser may be contacted through a note in the church office, by phone ( ) or (fumc.dianne.mm@comcast.net), or by just coming to the organ bench on Sunday morning! WITNESS COMMITTEE Dianne Runser ( ) Chairperson. The Witness Committee meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM OUR DISTRICT Rev. Patricia Nelson, District Superintendent 310 Oak Street, Irwin PA, ( ) greensburg.office@wpaumc.org The Mission Statement of the Greensburg District: To assist, educate, and energize local churches to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. ************** **** OUR COMMUNITY FREE COMMUNITY SHRED EVENT Sponsored by Parkview Community Federal Credit Union 2100 Eden Park Blvd McKeesport, PA May 14, 2016, 10AM 1PM, North Huntingdon Townshouse October 22, 2016, 10AM-1PM, Parkview Community FCU There is no fee but all participants are asked to bring a donation for Jamie s Dream Team. Thes non-profit organization lifts spirits and provides assistance for qualifying individuals who are handicapped, disabled, terminally ill, severely injured or suffering from a serious medical condition, disease, or trauma. See the flyer on our bulletin board for more information. ********* Phasion for Sandye Fashions are by Phyllis May 15, 2016 at 2:00 pm First United Methodist Church of Irwin Tickets $ 10 Contact Dawn Capecci

10 The General Council on Finance and Administration is proud to be in partnership with Tribute to present UMCmarket.org -- the online portal designed for United Methodists to shop online at a variety of retailers who will donate to your local church or other United Methodist entity, to help you raise funds for ministry. Visit umcmarket.org, establish your free, online account and support our FUMC ministry by creating donations. 1. Enter your address 2. Type a nickname for you account 3. Create a password 4. Select a state (PA) and a city (Irwin.) A list of the UM churches and related organizations in the Irwin area will appear. 5. Select Irwin First United Methodist Church 6. Click Signup 7. At this point you may click on any of the available categories that may interest you or simply click Skip to continue. 8. Watch the short video clip which demonstrates how to shop using UMC Market. 9. Shop from among thousands of retailers. Each retailer will show what percentage of your donation will be given to our church. When you are finished shopping follow the procedure each store has to Checkout your items and make the necessary payment. UMC Market will automatically receive notification of your sale and will place the funds in their FUMC account. When their FUMC account reaches $100.00, UMC Market will send a check for that amount to our church. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Start your shopping by going to smile.amazon.com 1. If you already have an Amazon account you may log into it at this time. 2. If you don t have an Amazon account, it is easy to create one following the instructions on the screen. a. Enter the name you want on the account b. Enter your address. Re-type your address c. Create a password. Re-type your password d. Click on the Create an Account button 3. Select a charitable organization a. Type First United Methodist Church Irwin, PA b. When the listing organizations appears on the screen, select First United Methodist Church Irwin, PA. c. Click in the box that reads I understand that I must always start at smile.amazon.com to support First United Methodist Church Irwin, PA. 4. Click on the Start Shopping button 5. Shop any of the thousands of stores available on Amazon. When you have completed your shopping click on Proceed to Checkout. 6. Follow the instructions for shipping and payment. 7. Place your order. You will notice near your order number is a notation that you are supporting First United Methodist Church. It s that simple! You have your Amazon shopping done and, you have helped to support our church.

11 Route 30 Irwin, PA PIZZA HUT WILL DONATE UP TO 25% OF NET SALES! HELP OUR CHURCH RAISE FUNDS FOR ONGOING MINISTRIES ON THE FOLLOWING TUESDAYS: Tuesday, May 17 Tuesday, June 21 Tuesday, July 19 Tuesday, August 16 Tuesday, September 20 Tuesday, October 18 Tuesday, November 15 Tuesday, December 20 DINE IN OR CARRY OUT! 11 AM TO 11:30 PM LUNCHEON BUFFET 11:30 1:30 $4.99 WITH PURCHASE OF A DRINK PLEASE PRESENT FLYER AT TIME OF CHECK OUT FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF IRWIN THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! RICHARD SIMMS MEMORIAL WORK TRIP 2016 MATERIALS DONATIONS Lumber/roofing ($3.00 /board).. # Boards Total $ Dry wall sheets ($10.00/sheet)... # Sheets Total $ Paint/stain ($25.00/gallon). # Gallons Total $ Windows ($100.00/window).. Purchase a share in a # Shares Total $ window for $5.00 Doors ($120.00/door).. Purchase a share in a # Shares Total $ door for $10.00 General Material Donation Total $ Total amount donated (The designated names will be marked on the the lumber, dry wall windows, and doors at the site before the building of the project begins.) IN HONOR OF IN MEMORY OF TO THE GLORY OF GOD NAME: PHONE: Please place your order and payment in the offering plate or in the office door slot. Be sure to mark your check Material Donations. Work Trip donation envelopes are also in the pews.

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14 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Each Sunday at FUMC 8:00 Prayer Time 8:15 Worship 2:00 FISH & CHIPS 9:30 Sunday School 1 White 6 th Sunday of Easter Communion 12:15 SonShiners Outreach Spud Bar 9:15 Take-out 12:00 Eat-in, Take-out 8 White 7 th Sunday of Easter Ascension Sunday Mother s Day 15 Red Pentecost Baptism 1:00 Gym in use 22 White Trinity Sunday 1 st Sunday after Pentecost 12:30 UM Women s Spring Tea Newsletter Deadline 29 Green 2 nd Sunday after Pentecost 10:45 Worship May :00 UM Women 6:30 Grief Support 16 Gym in use 23 6:30 Grief Support 30 Memorial Day Office Closed 6:15 TOPS 7:00 Nurture 7:00 Outreach 7:30 NA in Kiwanis Room 10 9:00 Men s Work Team 6:15 TOPS 6:30 Witness 7:00 Trustees 7:30 NA in Kiwanis Room AM 11:30 PM Pizza Hut Fundraiser 6:15 TOPS 7:00 Finance 7:30 NA in Kiwanis Room 24 6:15 TOPS 7:30 NA in Kiwanis Room :00 Women s Book Study 7:00 Yoga 11 6:30 Fellowship Night 7:00 Yoga 18 7:00 Women s Book Study 7:00 UM Men 7:00 Yoga 25 7:00 Yoga 5 7:00 Disciple 12 7:00 Disciple 7:15 Choir 19 7:00 Disciple 7:15 Choir 26 Penn Trafford Graduation 7:00 Disciple 7:15 Choir :00 Food Bank Truck Gym closed 20 Gym in use 27 Norwin Graduation 6:00 Alternative Worship 14 10:00 Food Bank 6:00 Alternative Worship 21 7 AM - 9 PM Bob Evans Fundraiser 1:00 OES Grand Choir Meeting 6:00 Alternative Worship 28 6:00 Alternative Worship 6:15 TOPS 7:30 NA in Kiwanis Room *** Dates and times subject to change. Please check the weekly bulletin for updates. ***