Jan. Crosstalk

CrossTalk
January 2009
Online Chuch Newsletter
Greensburg United Methodist Church

Pastor's Page

It is a reality that we live in the world that has multiple “spiritual” influences. Religions in the world, such as Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, are also religious approaches that many in our country embrace. It’s not unusual to find that co-workers, neighbors and maybe even members of our own family hold to a different belief about God than we who are Christians.

And you have been wondering about this. It is the topic that I have been most asked about here at GUMC. As Christians, how do we understand and address the issue of other world religions? It’s not a topic to stick our heads in the sand about or that we can just dismiss. The fact is that the fastest growing religion in the world is Islam—or the Muslim faith.

So let’s dive into the topic together. Beginning the first Sunday in January, I will present a series I’m titling “When Jesus Meets Buddha, Confucius and Mohammed: Christianity in a Multi-Religious World” Below you will see the schedule for the messages. Maybe you’re interested in learning more about other religions. Or perhaps you know someone you’d like to invite. Either way, we will take several weeks to understand other world religions or how the Christian faith, in comparison, is unique, distinct and different from them.

In addition, on Jan. 18th and 25^th, Dr. Bruce Barnes, a Mid-east archaeologist and specialist in mid-east religion, will be with us. He will speak in the Fellowship Hall during the Sunday School hour (9:30-10:30 am). During that time, he will not only educate us about mid-east faith, but answer question you may have about what is currently going on in the Mid-east. Living as a Christian in our culture today is not without challenges. I hope this series will not only help you be more prepared to meet the multi-religious world we live in, but also experience renewed confidence and commitment in living as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

                     SERIES: When Jesus Meets Buddha, Confucius and Mohammed:
                                              Christianity in a Multi-religious World


                             Jan. 4:    Christianity at the Crossroads     Jan. 11:   Hinduism

Jan. 18: Islam Jan 25: Buddhism

                           Feb.1:   Judaism                                              Feb. 8:    The Christ of Christianity


                               Big Blessings,
                                                       Rev. Mitch

Spiritual Growth Opportunities at GUMC

Our Sunday School classes are held at 9:30 am
We hope that you will find a class suited to your needs.

Nursery: newborn to 2 years old
Upper level Room 103

Diana Stiles- Nursery Worker

Preschool: 3 years old- pre Kindergarten

Upper level Room 101/102

Andrea Cowgar and Kelli Johnson-teachers

A.R.K. (Amazing Rotating Kids): grades K-6^th
                   Lower level
                  Storytelling Room 13/15
                    Arts/Crafts Room 14/16
                    Games/Activities Room 17

Cookery Room 23/25 (lower level)

Confirmation: 7^th graders and up
Lower level Room 18/20

Mark Nicol and Vince Lehman- teachers

Jr./Sr. High: Lower level Room 10

Mike Hale- leader

Home Improvement: Adults
Upper Level Room 109/111

Doug Oplinger- leader

Friendship Class: Adult
Upper level Room 108/110

Jim O’Brien- leader

Issues & Answers-Topical Bible Study: Adult
Lower level Room 11

Tommy Sloan- leader

Pathfinders: Adult
Library Conference Room

Pat Stiles- leader

Thursday Morning Bible Study: Adult
                     Library/Conference Room
                      Pastor Mitch – Leader

             The Finance Committee would like to thank everyone for their wonderful support of the church this past year. The things that where accomplished were amazing, the sewer work, the boiler, the refinance of the building, the apportionment, etc. Thank you for being so dedicated and so faithful to our church!! May 2009 bring you many blessings and continue to bless our church!

Thank you!

                                Chris O’Brien

Finance Chairperson

Congratulations to the Oplingers on their new granddaughter born December 23^rd, McKenzie Elizabeth.

Sunday School Classes

Our adult Sunday School program offers great opportunities for learning, stimulating discussion and the opportunity to get to know other church people better. Many of the classes are growing and we welcome anyone not currently attending to visit some classes and see if one would be a place you’d like to grow and learn.

The Home Improvement Class is studying The Purpose of Christmas.

The Friendship Class is studying Methodism

The Issues and Answers Class is studying Spiritual Gifts.

The Pathfinders Class is studying the Old Testament book of Zechariah.

The ARK will study “Psalms and Songs” in January followed by “Feasts and Festivals” in February.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

1/2		Jennifer Douglas
1/3		Becky Calaway
1/3		Denny Hartong
1/6		Karen Spurrier
1/8		Denise Clay
1/11		Hope Long
1/13		Ken Leonard
1/13		Luke Strauss
1/15		Faye Alderson
1/15		Jeremiah Campbell
1/16		Alley Payne
1/16		Chris Calaway
1/17		Jill Lehman
1/18		John Pence
1/20		John Clay
1/22		Richard Nester
1/24		Kelly Witsaman
1/25		Alex Nibling
1/26		Scott Waseman
1/26		Shelly Keller
1/27		Faye Shahan
1/29		Nicole Jones
1/30		Donna Nicol
1/30		Nick Celetti

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

1/2	1957	Joe & Janice Conley
1/23	1965	Wendel & Mary Draman
1/25		Mike & Hazel Trinko
1/31	1953	Charlie & Betty Gross
1/31	1987	Vince & Jill Lehman

TRUSTEE’S CORNER

One of the responsibilities of your Trustees is to maintain the integrity and usefulness of our facilities. For a building the size and age of the Greensburg United Methodist Church, this task sometimes seems enormous. There always seems to be something that needs urgent attention.

As you know, the current major project is to update sections of the Church and parsonage roofs. Due to the generosity of individuals and groups, we were able to replace the roofing on part of the Sunday School Wing and the Chapel this past fall. We also have received some funds that will go towards replacing the sanctuary roof. This is a major and urgent costly project. As soon as monies are available we would like to put a new steel roof over our sanctuary. This will greatly enhance the beauty of our facility and provide long lasting protection for our Church.

Unfortunately, projects like this are not part of our normal Church operating budget. We must depend on the generosity of Church members and groups to help us raise the necessary monies to accomplish this task. Your trustees will appreciate your consideration is helping to raise the necessary monies for this project.

THANK YOU

  Dear Church Members & UMW,
            Your thoughtfulness at this time of year is really appreciated. Thank you for the tree, fruit, cookies and candy. Wishing you all a very happy holiday.
                                    Maxine Messner

Greensburg United Methodist Church,

I want to thank you for the Christmas tree and goodie bag for Christmas. It was really enjoyable and I appreciate you thoughtfulness. Hope all have a nice holiday.

June Brumbaugh

It was a pleasant surprise to be give the nice bag of “goodies” on Sunday. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness
Agape,
Hope M Long

Thanks, Women’s Group for the small Christmas tree I received. It’s beautiful and helps make my Christmas season more complete!
Marge Nivens
Merry Christmas to each of you!!

Dear Greensburg United Methodist Women’s Group & CareRing Committee,

            On behalf of my mother, Virginia Whittaker, I would like to thank you for the darling little Christmas tree, the cookies, fruit and the candy. She was thrilled to have “goodies” to give to family and visitors and loved sharing of her tree.

Most of all she wants me to thank you for coming to visit her. She loved the visits even though she had difficulty getting the right words to come out of her mouth. She had no trouble feeling the love of Christ that is in you. You brought her the love and joy of Jesus and helped her experience the excitement of the Christmas season.

At such a busy time of year, you took the time to visit my mother. Since she only moved here when we moved she does not know anyone except her family, the staff and some of the other residents. Being visited by you wonderful ladies really brightened her day.

Thank you again for your time, your talents, your kindness and your willingness to save the Lord.May you have a blessed Christmas Season.
                        God Bless You,

                                              Nancy Martin
                                  Daughter of Virginia Whittaker

Dear Trustee Committee and Church family,

I would like to thank the many people over the last three years that have helped me on this committee. We have gotten a lot of major work done and I am grateful for all of the hard work and many hours of volunteered time. I have learned a great deal about the entire behind the scene action that goes on to make the church run. It has been a great learning experience. I would encourage people to get involved with something that matters to them. There are so many programs and committee's that can make a difference in your life but also the lives of the people at our church and the surrounding community.

May God bless everyone and I wish the new committee chairperson all the best in the New Year!!

Donna Nicol
Trustee Committee Chairperson

A GIFT FROM GOD

God’s gifts come to us in various ways and should be used to His glory to benefit one’s fellow man.

            The gift for an organist is the spiritual expression of the congregation singing hymns of praise and to the music selected for the worship service.

            In addition to the above for me is the gift of the digital Allen organ with so many options to help enhance the music. Thank you for making this the greatest Christmas gift as selecting music with so many new sounds available is a dream come true and may all of you have a very Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year.

                                  Yours in Christ,
                                   Betty Gross, organist

Greetings from Pebble Creek,
I want to thank all of you for your prayer, carols and visits during my hospital and nursing home stay. Thank you, too, to the UMW for the Christmas tree. I hope to be able to be back in church before Christmas.
Love to all,

Agnes Gant

Dear GUM Women’s Group and CareRing Team

            I really appreciate the Christmas Tree and the goodie bag of fruit and cookies, also the past cards and all of your prayers.

                                    Happy New Year,
                                   Dalton & Winnie Shipe

To all my GUMC Family,

           Thank you for the cards, the prayers, phone calls, and all your support. Some days the pain is almost unbearable – but then I remember where he is and I am so thankful that God has taken away the pain.
                                   Thank You,
                                 The Riggs Family

Prayer Corner
From Tommy Sloan

A New Year Prayer

Holy Father, God of our yesterdays, our today, and our tomorrows. We praise You for Your unequaled greatness. Thank You for the year behind us and for the year ahead. Help us in Your new year, Father, to fret less and laugh more, to teach our children to laugh by laughing with them, to teach other to love by loving them, knowing, when Love came to the stable in Bethlehem, He came for us so that Love could be with us, and we could know You, that we could share love with others. Help us, Father, to hear Your love song in every sunrise, in the chirping of sparrows in our backyards, in the stories of our old folks, and the fantasies of our children. Help us to stop and listen to Your love songs, so that we may know You better and better. We rejoice in the world You loved into being. Thank You for another new year and for new chances every day. We pray for peace, for light, and for hope, that we might spread them to others. Forgive us for falling short this past year. We leave the irreparable past in your hands, and step out into the unknown New Year knowing You will go with us. We accept Your gift of a new year and we rejoice in what’s ahead, depending on You to help us do exactly what You want.. I say it again, we rejoice! In Jesus name, Amen.

New Greif Workshop

On Thursday, February 5, 2009, a new seven session grief workshop will begin. If you or someone you know is grieving the loss of a loved one this workshop would be of help to you (or them) ---Guaranteed! There is not much in this world that I would guarantee with so much assurance, but our experience with three grief workshops is that everyone who has attended regularly has benefited greatly from coming. There still can be ice and snow in February and March, as we all know, and we may need to do some makeup classes, but so far we have never had to cancel a class. If driving at night or driving period is a [problem for you, please let Mary at the office or Doris Feddersen (899-1654) know and we will work out something.

The group will meet the first and third Thursdays in February, March and April, and the first Thursday of May. If you have a friend that is grieving, please consider coming with him or her for at least the first few sessions. The workshop covers such topics as guilt, anger, taking care of you, understanding how other people may react to your loss, and finally reconciliation, where people begin to move on with their lives and are no longer stuck in their grief.

The groups do become very supportive of each other. Last winter’s group recently had a wonderful Christmas party. And yes, there are good cooks from other denominations! We are nearing the close of this fall’s Grief Workshop and hope to finish by December 30. We have been delayed by one member’s pending surgery.

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

The Cancer Support Group had its annual Christmas Party at the first of December. I am sure no one from outside would have guessed that this was a cancer group because we had so much fun, there was so much laughter and everyone was talking to everyone else. This is one of the purposes of this group—to provide a place where we not only support, care for each other, and find out lots about cancer and resources in the community; but here is a place we can laugh about the ups and downs of our cancer journey with people who know just what we are talking about. If you or someone you know has cancer come try us out. You’ll be glad you did!

Because of the holidays the next meeting will be January 20, when we hope to have Dr Donald Eicher speak on the causes of cancer. Anyone from the congregation who has, has had, or wants to prevent cancer occurring is welcome to come. We meet from 6 to 7:30 PM in the library.

Have you ever wondered how Christianity is different than other religions of the world? Or perhaps you thought all religions are basically the same. Beginning the first Sunday in January, Rev. Mitch will present a series titled “When Jesus Meets Buddha, Confucius and Mohammed: “Christianity in a Multi-Religious World”.

Below you will see the schedule for the messages. In addition, on Jan. 18th^th and 25^th, Dr. Bruce Barnes,a Mid-east archaeologistand specialist in mid-east religion, will be with us. He will speak in the Fellow-ship Hall during the Sunday School hour (9:30-10:30 am). During that time, he will not only educate us about mid-east faith, but answer questions you may haveabout what is currently going on in the Mid-east.

SERIES: “When Jesus Meets Buddha, Confucius and Mohammed: “Christianity in a Multi-religious World”.

Jan. 4: Christianity at the Crossroads               Jan. 11:   Hinduism
Jan.18:   Islam                                                      Jan 25:    Buddhism
Feb.1:    Judaism                                                Feb. 8:   The Christ of Christianity

Invite someone to join in!

Greeters – 2009
8:30 Service-Ed & Peg Vaughn
10:30 Service-Tara & Jason Beamish

Thank you all for volunteering with the 3 to 5 year olds during the 10:30 am service. Listed below are the January and February schedules.

If you need to change with someone or cannot work your Sunday, please contact me at 330-899-9799 or e-mail me at acowgar@sbcglobal.net.

Thanks again!
Andrea Cowgar

01/04/09 Jen Allen
01/11/09   Ken & Connie Leonard
01/18/09   Kelsey & Lydia Corle
01/25/09   Sara Sehm

02/01/09 Meredith Groves & Becky Dando
02/08/09 Barb & Coty Phillips
02/15/09 Donelle, Richard & Marissa Kirk
02/22/09 Sylvia Hays

OPENING JANUARY 8, 2009San Cristobal, Guatemala

Juan Wesley Colegio Christian Bible School for children and teens and eventually seminary students will also attend. Bible school classes will also be held there.

Gotten Your Tickets Yet for“OODLES OF NOODLES AND TONS OF FUN”?

OK!! Our Christmas and New Year’s celebrations are but memories—hopefully some very good ones—so now it’s time to be sure to get the 2009 calendar into action and put a great big red circle around Saturday, January 31^st for the UMW Spaghetti Dinner and Talent Show, “Oodles of Noodles and Tons of Fun.”

The food and fun will run from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m., so plan to come whenever you’d like and stay as long as you’d like.

We already have some great acts lined up, but we know there are still lots of you who are itching to share what you can do to entertain and delight. Don’t be shy! You know, even Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Brittney Spears and all the rest had to start somewhere! Please understand, there’s no contest involved here—no “UMW Idol” or anything—this is all just for fun!

Don’t forget the food, too! Dinner will include spaghetti, salad, bread, beverage, and desserts that will knock your socks off. All this for only $6. for adults and $4 for kids 12 and under. Little kids 2 and under are free. Proceeds to go to United Methodist Women missions.

Tickets are going fast, so pick them up before or after church, and…START PRACTICING!!! See Kelly Johnson, Judy Martin or any of the other UMW talent scouts when you’re ready to sign up your act. Hollywood may be in your future!

Greensburg United Methodist Church

January Newsletter