The Caller November 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9 Inside this issue: 3 Letter from Pastor Allan 4 Birthdays; Day Camp at Plum Creek stats 5 Stewardship 6 Children and youth Christmas program UPCOMING EVENTS Living Roots Sundays at 10:30 am Wed. Afternoon Bible Study Wednesdays at 1 pm Change Sunday (Daylight Savings Time) on Nov. 5 7 Christian Education 8 Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes 9 Calendar The Presbyterian Church of Plum Creek 550 Center New Texas Road Pittsburgh, PA 15239-1502 Election Day November 7 Veteran's Day November 11 Deacons' First Aid Class November 18 Caller Articles Due November 20 Thanksgiving November 23 Decorating the Sanctuary November 25 Gingerbread House Party December 2 Living Nativity December 9 & 10 Children's Christmas December 17 Program & Breakfast Christmas Caroling December 17 Secretary@PlumCreekChurch.com www.plumcreekchurch.com November 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9 Page 1
The Presbyterian Church of Plum Creek publishes The Caller monthly (with the exception of July and August). If you have an item to contribute, please email it to Secretary@PlumCreekChurch.com or place it in The Caller mailbox in the church office. To submit a newspaper or magazine article to be reprinted in The Caller, include the name and date of the newspaper or magazine where the article was originally published. The deadline for all articles is the 20 th of the month. Please provide submissions in computer-ready (MS Word or text) format when possible. Thanks! Church Address: The Presbyterian Church of Plum Creek 550 Center New Texas Road Pittsburgh, PA 15239-1502 Office Phone Number: (412) 793 4525 E-mail Address: Office Hours: Pastor Director of Youth and Educational Ministries Director of Music Ministries Business Administrator Worship Services Sunday School Classes Secretary@PlumCreekChurch.com Monday Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Allan Drake Justin Pearl Gloria Mayo Kathy Kirk Sundays at 10:00 a.m. Sundays 8:45 a.m. November 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9 Page 2
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. Acts 2: 46 I d like to focus on the phrase Every Day in this beautiful Bible passage about the early Church in the book of Acts. The idea of repetition, habitual routines, or a certain groove that is in a loop is an interesting aspect of this early Church to consider. In our daily lives, having a schedule or a routine is important. A routine or schedule keeps us on track and going in a particular direction. For example, I have developed a new routine in order to keep in shape! Granted I m not as ambitious as some of our members at Plum Creek who are runners and very good at it! Lol! But I ve been enjoying a morning walk nearly every day after dropping Aaron off at his school! Me and my little dog Sugar take Aaron to his school then we drive over to Boyce Park and walk for about 30 minutes. Of course, this is not a very long jaunt! But we are in a groove that Sugar my doggie will not let me escape! If she sees me taking Aaron to school that means a walk with dad! During that walk, I prayer-walk and share with God my thoughts, feelings, ambitions, fears, struggles. As we head into the fall, it s a good idea for us to develop an every-day attitude towards our faith walk. It s time for us to expand our faith routine. Maybe you ll follow my lead and take up your own morning prayer-walk to spend time with the Lord? Worshiping more regularly on Sundays could be a helpful goal for some. Participating in studies at the church in order to deepen one s faith would be a productive new groove to set! The idea is for our faith in God to develop into a more regular and every-day habit! I know one member from Plum who gets up every morning around 5 am and reads his Bible before starting his long day of dealing with management, personnel, and the demands of a successful business. Maybe I ll see you and your doggie at Boyce Park sometime soon! A little while back I ran into my dear friend Ruth Boozer from the Church at Boyce Park with her adorable little doggie! Build a new faith routine today! See you at the park with your walking shoes on and your hearts ready to pray! Blessings, Pastor Allan November 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9 Page 3
November 1 November 9 November 13 November 24 Arleen Bradley Wilma Elicker Pat Croyle John Thompson If you know anyone who is 70 or older, please let the church office know. We don t want to miss anyone. The Deacons are offering a First Aid class on Nov. 18! Stats for the 2017 Day Camp at Plum Creek Once again, the Day Camp at Plum Creek offered 3 one-week sessions for elementary children and 1 three-day session for Junior High campers. This year s program included: Fifty-seven campers attended camp this year and eleven attended more than 1 week. A total of eight zip codes were represented in the attendees. The age range for campers was 6 years to 15 years. Ten 1-week scholarships were given to low income families. Off-site trips included visits to Nesbit s Bowling Lanes and Boyce Park Nature Center. Cinemark Theater at the Monroeville Mall was visited by the Junior High campers. There were 3 counselors, 1 counselor-in-training, and 7 support staff assisting Matthew Scruggs the Summer Director for the Day Camp. November 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9 Page 4
Stewardship As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10 Stewardship is many things. In its simplest form Stewardship is a commitment by you to serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There are many ways to serve Him. Most of us think that Stewardship only requires us to provide financial support. That is only the beginning. However, it is that time of year to plan for the coming year and to further His mission. We need to determine a budget for 2018 and, with the tumultuous year, we have had we need your help more than ever. In order to better help meet the budget, a church member has committed to providing an incentive for us to have a successful year. The church will match our commitments as follows: *If your annual Plum Creek will also Commitment is: receive: $1 to $250 Match dollar for dollar $251 to $999 $250 $1,000 to $1,999 $350 $2,000 and above $550 * As a bonus, if half or more of the congregation makes a financial commitment, we will receive an additional $5,000. Please support this creative and unique opportunity for Plum Creek. Please bring your commitment cards on Sunday, November 19, when they will be blessed for Christ s work Also, if you are not up to date on your 2017 commitment, please consider your love of our church and, more importantly, to His mission for Plum Creek. November 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9 Page 5
December 17, 2017 10 a.m. Plum Creek s sanctuary Breakfast to follow in fellowship hall Rehearsal schedule: Saturday, December 9 Age 4 grade 6-10:00 am. Saturday, December 16 Age 2--grade 6-10:00 am. Parental supervision for children ages 2-4 during rehearsal is kindly requested. November 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9 Page 6
Christian Education News and Events We are already halfway through out fall programming, and it is time to start looking ahead to Advent and Christmas programs. Keep your eyes peeled in the upcoming week for more details about Christmas Caroling, the Living Nativity, and the Children s Christmas Program. Already we have begun recruiting students, selecting scripts, and picking themes. This is going to be one fantastic Christmas season at Plum Creek! Looking to participate in one of our programs, or to get more information? Feel free to contact me at any time at christianed@plumcreekchurch.com or at 412-793-4525. Sincerely, Justin Pearl Christian Education Director SPECIAL EVENTS Nov. 19 th, 6:00pm Dec. 9 th Dec. 9 th -10 th 6:00pm Youth Thanksgiving Party Living Nativity Rehearsal Living Nativity Dec. 9 th and 16 th, 10:00am Children s Christmas Pageant Rehearsal Dec. 15 th, 6:00pm Advent Movie Night Dec. 18 th, 10:00am Children s Christmas Pageant Dec. 17 th Intergenerational Christmas Caroling Dec. 20 th, 6:00pm Youth X-Mas Party WEEKLY EVENTS Sundays, 8:45am Sundays, 10:30am Sundays, 6:00-8:00pm Saturday, 7:30am Wednesdays, 1:00pm Sunday School Living Roots Youth Group Men s Bible Study Wednesday Afternoon Bible Study November 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9 Page 7
November 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9 Page 8
November 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9 Page 9