Sunday Worship Services Are At The Building At 11 A.M.
Covid safety protocols are in effect, including wearing a face mask, and keeping six feet physical distance. If you have any sickness symptoms, please do not attend in person.
We plan to continue to provide the call-in phone conference option for anyone who cannot attend worship service in the building. Call around 10:50 a.m. and just wait for someone to greet you. The conference phone number is 412-307-7952. (Conference line availability may vary, as different guest ministers are to lead the worship services each Sunday.)
Upcoming Special Dates
January 1st New Year's Day (Happy New Year to All) January 6th Epiphany of the Lord January 9th Communion January 17th Martin Luther King Day January 30th Annual Congregational and Corporation Meeting (snacks provided) February 14th Valentine's Day February 21st President's Day
A Message From Session Memembers
Have you had an opportunity to think about or set your New Year's resolutions for 2022? Have you already broken the resolutions you made, or are you committed to past failed resolutions you repeatedly made? A New Year's resolution is a tradition in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behavior, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their life at the start of a new year. Perhaps your resolutions are the usual ones: lose weight, exercise more, save more money, spend less, read more, quit smoking, etc. If you have not already done so, why not add to your list: be kinder to others, attend worship service more often, do more charitable/volunteer work, tell family and friends more often that you love them, etc. Isaiah 43: 18-19 (Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth...).
Why not combine Valentine's Day with your New Year's resolution list? 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things). We wish you a Happy, Healthy and Safe 2022. May your Valentine's Day be full of love and many good surprises.
Your Session and current ruling Elders: Audrey Moore, Carol and Jack Ladebue, and Ronda Kopchak
Guest Worship Leaders For January & February
January 2nd Rev. Steven Bomely January 9th Rev. Dr. William Gracey January 16th Rev. Ronald Church January 23rd Rev. Ronald Church January 30th Rev. Dr. William Gracey February 6th William Branning (seminary grad) February 13th William Branning February 20th William Branning February 27th Rev. Dr. William Gracey
Status of Finding Our New Pastor
We have emailed and phoned the Pittsburgh Presbytery staff to inquire about the status of the posting of our part-time Pastor position and what we need to do to form a committee in order to start interviewing candidates. We also inquired about what we can and cannot do with respect to securing guest worship leaders. To date we have no further information to pass on to you expect that things are in process. We will be meeting with our moderator on January 9th and hopefully will have further information to announce in the next newsletter. We are being patient as we understand the hiring of a new pastor is a lengthy process.
Please Keep in Your Prayers
On Monday, December 20th, Rev. Kathy Hamilton-Vargo had urgent and required hernia (2 hernias!) surgery. Her recovery period is expected to be six weeks. She has been instructed by her surgeon to take it easy during this period but hopefully will be able to continue her daily walks soon. Please continue to pray for her speedy recovery.
Edna Czlapinski's sister Mae recently passed. Mae had health problems for quite some time and we had been praying for her. Please keep Edna, Felix and all of her family and friends in your prayers and sympathy.
Please also keep in your prayers Amanda and Aubriella Gordon, Lois Baxendell, Jerry Bauer, Juanita Johnson, Sharon A. Ives, Janet Williams and her son Brian, Christine Zarnich, Charlotte Taylor, Jean Long, Janet Frisch, Charlotte Flamm, Adrianne Legas, Michelle Alker, as well as Mike Vargo.
Another New Email Address
We are having difficulty with our new email address and had to make a change. The new and hopefully not temporary email address is [email protected]. Our secretary Vicki will respond to any emails that are sent to that address.
Update on Property Issues
In November we were able to get the plastic sheets placed over the pews, organs, chairs, tables, etc. in the sanctuary. Everything there has been put to bed until the spring when we hopefully will uncover those items and enjoy the beauty of that space. Our sincere thanks to all who helped with that project.
Fred Winkler has contacted a few companies about the fascia work that needs to be completed in the yard area. One estimate received for this work is around $10,000 as scaffolding and other equipment is needed to complete the job. He is waiting to hear from other individuals/companies. If you know of any contractor who does this sort of work, please leave a message on the Church phone or send an email and we will pursue the lead.
The waterproof paint for the women's restroom has been purchased. The outside wall in that room will probably be painted early in 2022.
Plastic that is covering the windows in the gym need to be lowered to protect the room from getting too cold this winter. This is a two person job. If you can assist, please call the Church office. More property work needs to be done but that work will be listed as others are completed.
Annual Congregational and Corporation Meeting
Our annual Congregation and Corporation Meeting for members will be held on January 30th, 2022. The meeting will begin around 1:00 pm. Light snacks will be provided. Copies of the annual report for review by members prior to the meeting will be available at the Church on Sunday, January 23rd. There will be no conference call connection for this meeting and we encourage members to attend the gathering in person if possible. Members who want a copy of the report mailed to them should call the Church office.
Kitchen Korner (A recipe for cold weather)
Italian Wedding Soup 2 or 3 (37 oz.) containers of chicken broth 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach (cook and drain spinach before adding) 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup cooked pastini (or more if desired or any small pasta) 1 cup thinly sliced carrots (or more if desired) 1 cup cooked chicken breast (chopped into small pieces)
Meatballs: 1/4 to 1/2 lb. ground beef 1 egg 1/3 to 1/2 cup Romano cheese 1 tbsp parsley (or more if desired) Salt and pepper to taste Minced garlic (optional - gives it more flavor)
Mix above ingredients for the meatballs and form into small meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Drain meatballs on paper towels to drain off excess grease. Idea: You can buy frozen Mini Italian Meatballs in a bag at Giant Eagle rather than make them and put as many as you like into the soup pot.
Place broth and carrots in large pot and heat carrots until tender. Add meatballs and simmer for 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes before service add cooked chicken, spinach, and pastini. Right before serving sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on soup.
New Offering Envelope Numbers for 2022
The offering envelopes for Church members are now available and can be picked up at the Church on Sundays before and after worship service. For most of the members the envelope number assigned in the past has been changed. This change has resulted in a cost savings for our Church and the ability to better manage our record-keeping system.
We continue to be thankful to those of you who have mailed in their offerings or special donations and are grateful to those of you who turned in their pledge cards last month. God bless you.