July Dear Friends

Dear Friends,

It’s summer time!  You know what it means?  It means a different routine: no school, vacation, cookouts, swimming, or concerts in the park.  At church it means a different routine, too. We move to Fellowship Hall to worship at 10:00 AM.  While the choir takes a break, we will have special music from various musicians.  We will have different kinds of prayer and different ways to read Scripture. And we will have different speakers from our local partners in ministry.  They will be speaking on the theme of “What the World Needs Now,” based on Jesus’ call to serve those in need (Matthew 25). Here is the schedule:  

July 7          Music and a Meal and Meditation

July 14        Matthew 25:  for I was hungry and you gave me food

Guest Mission speaker:  Jay Poliziani, Pleasant Valley Men’s Shelter

July 21        Matthew 25:  I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink

Guest Mission Speaker:  Jennifer Scholosser, North Hills Community Outreach

July 28         Youth Sunday

August 4    Matthew 25:  I was a stranger and you welcomed me

Guest Mission Speaker:  Sister Linda Yankoski, Holy Family Institute

August 11  Matthew 25:  I was naked and you gave me clothing

Guest Mission Speaker:  Jonathan Damico, World Vision

August 18  Matthew 25: I was sick and you took care of me

Guest Mission Speaker:  Judy Eakin, Hearth

August 25  Matthew 25:  I was in prison and you visited me

Guest Speaker: Jody Raeford, Foundation of Hope, Allegheny County Jail

September 1 Music and a Meal and Meditation 

In addition to hearing them speak about their work  in our community, we will be collecting things that will help benefit their mission and outreach.  I will be publishing the list each week in the bulletin and in the e-blast. Make sure you check it out.  You can either bring an item from the list, or make a financial donation to support their work.

 At the June meeting, Session voted for our church to become a “Matthew 25 Church,” which means that we are joining with other Presbyterian churches committed to bring alive our commitment to boldly live out Christ’s call to serve the least of these in our community and around the world.

You might remember the song by the name “What the world needs now,” performed by Burt Bacharach in 1965.  It is what we might call “an oldie, but a goodie,” because it has a good message that we still need to hear, perhaps now more than ever:

What the world needs now is love, sweet love

It's the only thing that there's just too little of

What the world needs now is love, sweet love

No not just for some but for everyone

I hope that you will join me this summer in learning what the world needs now and how to put our faith in action in our community and in our world, so that they will know we are Christians by our love.  

Faithfully yours,

Pastor Donna