WHAT’S INSIDE:
Say Hello to Interim
Senior Pastor Jim Tubbs ......... 3
What Gift Shall I Bring? ........... 4
Welcoming Children
and Families ............................ 5
Another Christmas Story ......... 6
December Mission Focus ........ 7
Ingomar Child
Enrichment Center .................. 8
Youth Ministry Update ........... 10
January Mission Focus .......... 11
Our Stephen
Ministers Grow ...................... 13
Where is my
Pledge Card? ........................ 14
Church Family ....................... 15
Message from the Pastor....... 16
Ingomar
A bimonthly newsletter of Ingomar United Methodist Church
December 2013/January 2014
Vol. 24, No. 6
Come
and
see
An invitation to make life better
Jesus said, “Come and see.” (John 1:39). The expression “seeing is believing” indicates what
happened when the disciples followed. The disciples used the same words to invite others.
You don’t need all the answers to the questions of faith to invite
others to church. You don’t need a slick marketing campaign
or fancy outreach program. You don’t have to exaggerate or
persuade. Just find your own way of saying “come and see.”
The ‘invitation’ is a first step to Radical Hospitality – one of “The
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations” by Bishop Robert
Schnase, adopted by Ingomar Church. About 70 to 75 percent
of all people who start attending a church do so because they
were personally invited. Sometimes it takes several attempts,
but a personal invitation is the most effective way to bring new
people to Jesus.
Think about people with whom you share activities, especially
those who don’t have a church home. Then pray for the right
time and opportunity. At Ingomar Church, reasons to invite
people occur all year long – in fact this newsletter is filled with great examples.
Invite a family with young children to Kids on the Rock, our Wednesday night programming for grades K-5. Tell
someone about the great time the youth had on a recent retreat, and invite him or her to the next one. Invite a family to
participate in one of our preschool service projects like KIDS FOR KIDS: Fighting Hunger in Our Community that
helped raise awareness of world hunger.
(continued on next page)
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(continued from previous page)
Tell a friend about an upcoming Wellness Ministry event.
Talk about the success stories from our recent Abundant
Life study and invite someone to the next series of
classes. The calendar is full of opportunities to invite
others to help with the many missions supported here.
Advent is a perfect season to invite a friend to experience
God’s “Unbreakable Gifts” – hope, joy, love, and
peace – highlighted in a special sermon series. The
inspiring presentation of “Another Christmas Story” is
another great opportunity to invite everyone in the local
community to experience the story of Christ’s birth
through music and drama. And there’s no better time to
invite a friend than Christmas Eve, as we celebrate the
birth of Jesus with four candlelight services.
An invitation as simple as “come and see” has the
potential to be life changing. Share the joy and love
you have experienced through a relationship with Jesus.
Seize the opportunity when it comes, and just say,
“come and see.”
Invite your friends
to Ingomar Church!
Every Sunday morning
9:00 AM and 11:15 AM
Traditional Worship in our Sanctuary
10:00 AM
Contemporary Worship in our Fellowship Hall
Sunday School at 10 AM and 11:15 AM for all ages.
Nursery care available for all services.
Every Sunday evening
FISH (9th thru 12th grade youth). Join us Sunday
evenings for fun, fellowship, and a focus on God at
6:00 p.m. in the Community Life Center.
Every Wednesday evening
CONNECT Dinners. Join us Wednesday evenings
in Fellowship Hall at 6:00 p.m. for a meal and good
fellowship! Donations are appreciated and proceeds
benefit Ingomar Living Waters—providing clean water
for the world! Bring your family and your friends and
let’s CONNECT!
KIDS ON THE ROCK. Our midweek program for children
in K – 5th Grade takes place every Wednesday from 6:30
– 7:45 p.m. in the Community Life Center Café. Worship
music, skits, and activities help kids discover Jesus.
R.O.O.T. (6th thru 8th grade youth). Fun, fellowship, and
a focus on God, every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in the
Community Life Center.
Sunday Worship in December
Join us for worship as we explore the “Unbreakable Gifts”
God offers to us. These gifts cannot be lost, never go
out of style, and are independent of the chances and
changes of life. They are hope, love, joy and peace.
December 4th
Blue Christmas - 6 p.m. A special candlelight service,
with scripture readings, songs, and messages all about
HOPE and COMFORT. More at ingomarchurch.org
December 6th & 8th
Ingomar Church hosts Pittsburgh Concert Chorale Sounds of the Season. Friday, December 6, at 7:30 p.m.
and Sunday December 8, at 4:00 p.m. Tickets available
at pccsing.org
December 12th - 15th
Another Christmas Story 2013 - Experience Christmas
in a new way! The music and drama will inspire. The love
will overflow. Doors open at 7 p.m. All performances at
7:30 p.m. Visit ingomarchurch.org for details and to
reserve tickets.
December 24th
Christmas Eve
4:00 PM
7:00 PM
9:00 PM
11:00 PM
Service for families with young children
Traditional Service
Contemporary Service in Fellowship Hall
Traditional Service with Communion
All Christmas Eve services conclude with “Silent Night”
and candle lighting.
For more information, call 412-364-3613 or visit
ingomarchurch.org.
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Say Hello to Interim
Senior Pastor Jim Tubbs
We welcome Pastor Jim Tubbs,
who will be serving as interim
senior pastor of Ingomar Church
while Pastor David continues to
heal. Jim has served churches
in the Western Pennsylvania
Conference of the United
Methodist Church for 35 years,
including 8 years as District
Superintendent of the Franklin
District.
Retired in July 2011, he and his
wife Jolene reside in Conneaut
Lake. They have two daughters
– Janine married to Jeff with
daughters Jordyn and Jayme
living in Fairview, PA, and
Jessica married to Patrick with sons Liam and Adian and
daughter Elizabeth living in Prosper, TX.
“In my early years of ministry, Pastor David and I served
together on the Equitable Salary Commission of the
conference and our paths have intersected many times
over the years,” said Pastor Jim. “I feel honored to have
the opportunity to serve as the interim senior pastor of
Ingomar United Methodist Church and to work with the
church staff and church family in the ministries of the
church while Pastor David continues his time of healing.”
Pastor Jim began working in an administrative capacity in
November and he will begin preaching in December. We
look forward to the blessings that Jim’s service will bring
to Ingomar Church.
Upcoming Sermons:
Great opportunities to
invite a friend!
Advent
December 1, 2013
God’s Unbreakable Gift of Hope
December 8, 2013
God’s Unbreakable Gift of Love
December 15, 2013
God’s Unbreakable Gift of Joy
December 22, 2013
God’s Unbreakable Gift of Peace
Christmas
December 24, 2013
God’s Unbreakable Gift of Jesus
December 29, 2013
God’s Unbreakable Gift of Reflection
Epiphany Experiences
January 5, 2014
John the Baptist – I Must Diminish
January 12, 2014
The Shepherds – When They Saw The Baby
January 19, 2014
Mary – Not What You Want To Hear
January 26, 2014
Joseph – You Meant It For Evil, But God Meant It
For Good
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Extravagant Generosity
What Gift
Shall I Bring?
By Trina Walker
One of my favorite Christmas television specials is “The Little
Drummer Boy.” Tragic circumstances find the drummer boy going
through the motions of playing his music. Angry. Joyless. Then,
he has the opportunity to come before The King – Christ Jesus in
the manger. Everyone is bringing gifts. The little drummer boy has
nothing to offer. Certainly nothing fit for a King. Or does he?
Hesitantly, he wonders, “Shall I play for Him?” The drummer boy
plays his best – from his heart. Baby Jesus smiles. Suddenly, the
drummer boy is made new again. He has returned to Jesus the very
gift God bestowed upon him. The drummer boy’s gift from God – his
ability to play music from his heart and soul – comes full circle. The
King, Christ Jesus, is honored. And the drummer boy regains the joy
he once found in his music.
Do you think of yourself as gifted? Do you wonder if your gifts and
talents are good enough to give to a King?
This Christmas, what gifts will you lay before The King? God has
given you something. The Bible tells us that each of us has unique
and very purposeful gifts. The Bible also tells us that God wants us
to use those gifts to honor him – to build his kingdom.
Here at Ingomar Church we are striving to make life better for people
by helping them develop their relationships with Jesus Christ. We are
trying very hard to do our part to build up the kingdom of God here
on earth. Your gifts make it happen. You have talents you can offer.
They may be in the areas of music or administration or hospitality or
caring for others. You have time you can offer. Maybe it’s an hour
every Sunday morning to hold a baby, or 30 minutes here and there
to help with mailings and twitter postings, or several hours to work on
a special project. You have treasures you can offer. Your financial gifts
can support the good work of our church, from our programs for
children and teens to our worship services to local mission projects
and worldwide mission service.
What gift will you bring? God has given you something special. Offer
it back to him. You will be blessed.
Ingomar
CHURCH
Making Life Better.
OUR VISION: We believe that God is
calling our church to make lives better
and transform the world by valuing each
person and guiding them into a personal
relationship with God through Jesus
Christ.
OUR MISSION: The mission of our
church is to reach people with the good
news of Jesus and together become fully
devoted followers of Christ.
OUR PLAN: We believe we can achieve
all that God has in store for us by
perfecting five practices – each of us
individually and together as one church.
Our Five Practices:
WELCOMING — Radical Hospitality
To unapologetically invite, welcome
and care for those who are friends,
acquaintances and strangers.
WORSHIPPING — Passionate Worship
To actively and personally engage in
worship experiences that honor God,
refresh our spirits, provoke change and
transform our lives.
LEARNING — Intentional Faith
Development
To encourage and foster lifelong spiritual
growth through small group and personal
study experiences.
SERVING — Risk-taking Mission and
Service
To make the world a better place through
the active and personal engagement of
every person in the church.
GIVING — Extravagant Generosity
To give freely, joyfully and faithfully in
response to God’s love for us and as an
expression of our love for God.
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Intentional Faith Development
Welcoming Children and Families
to Ingomar Church
By Andrea Czartoryski, Children and Family Ministry Director
This year, we’ve
introduced two programs
that welcome children
and families from our
church and surrounding
community to worship
and learn at Ingomar
Church!
Kids on the Rock is our new Wednesday night program
for children in Kindergarten through grade 5. Using the
curriculum and resources in 252 Basics by the reThink
Group, we invite kids to discover and live out a new
understanding of how to grow in relationship with God
and with others. We also take kids into the heart of
God’s Big Story. Worship music, skits, and activities are
organized around key Bible stories that help kids discover
Jesus and reflect His character to the world around them.
To make it easy to understand, we focus on a monthlong theme and Bible verse, and a weekly Bottom Line,
or short phrase that’s easy to remember. Children and
families are given their own take - home cards each week
with activities and ideas to inspire faith conversations at
home. Parents are encouraged to watch a video about
the monthly topic at whatisorange.org/252basics/
monthly, and can also get helpful tools and information
at orangeparents.org.
month, families are invited to attend age-appropriate
events geared toward building faith at home. These
events support families and empower parents to make
their homes the primary place where their faith is
nurtured. Through fun family friendly activities, parents
and children learn about a topic, and then receive tools
to take home and create shared faith experiences for the
whole family. To allow families an opportunity to fellowship
with one another, lunch or dinner is served to begin each
event. Events this year have included Understanding My
Bible, Family Devotions, Financial Peace Junior, and the
Advent Celebration. Future events will include The Family
Blessing, Family Service Projects, My Church, and more!
Please visit ingomarchurch.org/youth/childrenfamily-ministry/ for dates, times, and registration
information.
Josi Pietrzyk, a 5th grade regular at Kids on the Rock
said, “I wanted to have a youth group to go to like my
older sister had. I’m really excited about Kids on the
Rock! It’s a great way to get social with people my age. I
love the youth leaders that do the skits and help us during
the night, and I love the singing, dancing, and games!”
Families First is our new monthly program that
welcomes families from the church and greater Ingomar
community to learn together! The first Sunday of each
Kids on the Rock includes worship music, skits, and activities
focused on key Bible stories for children in Kindergarten through
grade 5.
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Radical Hospitality
Another Christmas Story
Our gift tothe
In 2002, “Another Christmas Story” began
as a desire to present a unique, relevant and
contemporary way to share the story of the
birth of our Savior – one in which music and
drama would convey the message of God’s
love with energy, excitement and truth.
Each year, the performances
have touched the hearts
of the audiences, telling
the story of Christmas in a
fresh and innovative way.
This year, Ingomar Church
continues the tradition,
presenting Another Christmas
Story, December 12-15.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and
performances begin at 7:30
p.m. each evening.
Over 100 musicians, singers,
dancers, actors and behindthe-scenes volunteers work
for months to make the show
possible. And while the core
message of God’s love remains consistent, each year the
production offers a fresh approach to the music, talent,
dance, drama, lighting – and this year is no exception.
community
A children’s chorus will make its debut this year. The
orchestra has welcomed new musicians, and the band
has an exciting new rhythmic foundation sure to raise
the energy level. And for the first time this year, tickets
are available online. Tickets are free, but are required
to reserve seating. Visit ingomarchurch.org for ticket
information and availability.
If you’ve experienced the
show in the past, you know
it’s a perfect opportunity to
invite friends and neighbors.
Use it as a way to introduce
someone new to the amazing
gift of love from God.
Seating for each
performance is limited,
and historically every
performance has sold out,
so be sure to reserve seats
in advance. Invite others
to share this experience.
Specially designed
invitations are available so
that you can personally
invite friends, neighbors, and family. Take advantage of
the opportunity. Spread the joy and peace that can only
come from this amazing story of God’s love for all of us.
Invite people to come expecting to meet Jesus. They will
leave feeling loved.
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Extravagant Generosity
DECEMBER Missions Focus: Rainbow
Christian Missions – Kenya, Africa
Serving God through Child Sponsorship
(education), Family Needs (food, clothing,
shelter), Medical Care, HIV/AIDS support,
and Clean-Water Wells
Thousands of poverty stricken Kenyans have been
helped through the hands of Rainbow Christian Missions
(RCM). For these blessings we give all glory, honor, and
praise to God, for it is by God’s grace alone that RCM
is able to exist and function – through God’s provision
and through the compassion and generosity of our child
sponsors and donors. Following are excerpts of two
stories that have warmed our hearts. To read eleven
more, visit ingomarchurch.org.
RCM provides Medical Care
“I saw the true God.” That’s what Teddy Oduor’s mother
Agnes, said about RCM’s help. Teddy is a small boy who
was severely injured when the wall of his uncle’s house
fell in on him last February. Teddy’s leg was crushed, the
bones broken in several places requiring surgery, after
which metal pins were screwed into his leg and held in
place by a long metal rod. That was Teddy’s condition
when his mother brought him to RCM’s free medical
outreach last July in the village of Imanga, Kenya. Agnes
had been given until the end of June to pay the hospital
to remove the pins and rod, but the family had no means
to pay. Timing is everything and God’s timing is always
perfect! That day, RCM transported Teddy, his mother,
and a nurse to the hospital and paid for Teddy’s hospital
and surgery costs to remove the pins and metal rod.
After the surgery, Teddy’s mother said, “I thank God for
these people. I don’t even know them but I think it is God
Himself who came. On that day, I saw the true God! ...
Teddy had been left to God’s help alone - and God came
– on the right day, and at the right time!”
Teddy Oduor’s hosp
ital care was paid for
by RCM.
RCM provides Family Needs
(food, clothing, shelter)
“I do not know where to start,” said Florence Okutoyi
(grandmother to Miriam Anindo). “When I look at my
grandchildren … and how RCM has helped them by
providing food, education and clothing, I feel the love of
God upon me. If it were not for RCM … Esther would
have died in her first two months! I thank RCM for
providing milk and baby food. Esther is now growing and
strong, so healthy you would think she was breastfed by
her mother. Praise God! God is Great! If not for RCM, my
grandchildren would be street children because I am very
old and unable to provide food, clothing and education
for them. God bless Ruth and RCM.”
Rainbow Christian Missions – Kenya, Africa
(continued on page 9)
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Ingomar Child Enrichment Center
KIDS FOR KIDS: Fighting Hunger
in Our Community
by Robin Macon, Director of the Ingomar Child Enrichment Center
One of this year’s highlights for the children of
Ingomar Child Enrichment Center was a school
wide science and community service project
called “KIDS FOR KIDS: Fighting Hunger in
Our Community.” The children learned how
they could actively make a difference in the
lives of other children, with special emphasis
on fighting the problem of world hunger.
On Wednesday, October 16th, we hosted approximately
250 people for the spaghetti dinner! Families arrived with
donations in hand for the food pantry. It was a wonderful
night of connecting with other families, feasting on the
food – some of which was grown by the children, and
contributing to an important and worthy cause. We
collected three full carts of food and over $1150 that
was donated to local food banks.
Early in September, the children planted lettuce seedlings,
basil and tomato plants in self-watering, sustainable,
maintenance-free planter systems called Earth Boxes.
The Earth Boxes were located in the playground where
the children could watch, measure and record the growth
of the seedlings.
In October, the children watched “Growing Hope for
Hunger,” a video that originally aired on CBS in 2011
as part of a Sesame Street Special. The video teaches
very young children about food drives, food banks and
community gardens that donate a portion of their harvest
to food banks. Most importantly, the children learned
that there are kids who don’t always have enough to eat
– kids who may live in their very own neighborhood who
depend on food donated to food pantries.
The culmination of the project was a spaghetti dinner held
on World Food Day, October 16, 2013. World Food Day
was established to raise awareness about hunger on the
local and global level, and to find ways to combat hunger.
Families donated fresh or canned tomatoes, pasta and
other vegetables to be used in the making of sauce and
spaghetti for the dinner. On October 15th and 16th, each
class harvested the basil and lettuce plants, some of
which had tripled in size! Robin Macon and Bonnie Getkin
lovingly prepared the dinner, with the help of
Judy Hummel and Tracy Simon, two of the ICEC
teachers. Parents of the Parent Steering Committee
prepared the desserts.
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Rainbow Christian Missions – Kenya, Africa
(continued from page 7)
Florence
her
Okutoyi and
ter
gh
au
grandd
ul
kf
an
th
r,
Esthe
for the help
provided by
RCM.
Victoria Atieno, a
grateful recipient
of a new
mattress supplied
by RCM.
RCM has recently added 27 new children to our
sponsorship program. We are looking for sponsors
who would like to make a difference in the life of a
child by helping to provide them with an education.
The cost is only $204 per year for a child in primary
school and $504 per year for a child in high school
(high school includes tuition, room and board).
Rainbow Christian Missions (RCM) is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization founded and run by Ruth
and Chub Dietz, members of Ingomar UMC. RCM
is funded solely by the grace of God by donors and
child sponsors such as you.
For information, contact Ruth Dietz, (412) 364-6402,
email: [email protected]; website:
rainbowmissions.com If you would like to donate
to Rainbow Christian Missions, please use the
yellow envelope in the bulletin or pew rack and place
it in the offering plate.
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Youth Ministry
Update
by Megan DelGrosso, Youth Director
Ingomar Student
Ministries continues to
reach out to students
to draw them in and
encourage them to ‘come’
to church, ‘come’ to youth
group, and most importantly, ‘come’ to Christ.
Offering exciting and consistent programming, ROOT,
our junior high program on Wednesday nights attracts
25-35 students each week, and FISH, our senior high
program on Sunday evenings consistently has 15-25
regular attendees.
On October 27th, we enjoyed an opportunity to come
together for All Youth Worship. And students in our
ROOT program experienced fun, high-energy passionate
worship, as well as lots of mud during the annual MUD
Weekend at Laurelville Camp and Conference Center.
All youth are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Invite
someone you know to come and join us!
Junior high students got down and dirty during
the annual MUD weekend retreat.
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Extravagant Generosity
JANUARY Missions Focus:
Enga Bible Translation
In January 2012, Adam Boyd, son of church members Bob and Heather Boyd, went with his family to Papua New
Guinea to work in Bible translation. Feeling called to work with Enga, the largest vernacular language in Papua New
Guinea, Adam spent his first year learning the Enga language.
After mastering the basics of Enga, Adam mentored a team of nine Enga speakers through a five-week translator
training course. Upon completing the course, Adam and the team began their first assignment and completed a
translation of the Abraham story (Gen. 11:27–25:11).
After completing various checks to ensure accuracy and clarity, the team is now recording the story for distribution
on solar-powered audio players so that it will speak clearly and plainly to more than 300,000 Enga speakers, most of
whom have great difficulty reading in their own or any other language. A limited number of printed copies will also be
made available for those who would like to read. Simultaneously, Adam and the translation team have started drafting
the book of Mark.
Adam Boyd
and his fam
ily – serving
Bible Transl
as
ators in Pap
ua New Gu
inea.
Enga Bible Translation
(continued on page 12)
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Give Online.
Enga Bible Translation
(continued from page 11)
School books in the charre
d rubble of a burnt house
in Sakarip.
It’s Easier
Than Ever!
www.ingomarchurch.org/onlinegiving
It’s convenient.
It’s secure.
It saves time.
It’s environmentally
responsible.
Join those who have already
burnt
ed remains of another
A bed frame in the charr
house in Sakarip.
taken advantage of the benefits
of Online Giving. One-time special
gifts or recurring contributions are
automatically transferred from your
checking or savings account. It’s an
easy way to share God’s blessings
and to support the work of the church.
SIMPLY VISIT
ingomarchurch.org/onlinegiving
During the Boyd’s stay in Enga last summer, eleven houses
in the home village of two of the Enga translators were
burned to the ground as a result of tribal fighting. It was an
immediate reminder of just how desperately the people of
Enga need the Word of God in their own language. Please
pray for the Boyds and for the safety of the Enga translators
as they complete this important work! For more information
about the Boyds, visit pngboyd.blogspot.com. If you
would like to donate to support their work, please use the
yellow envelope in the bulletin or pew rack and place it in the
offering plate.
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Risk-Taking Mission & Service
Our Stephen Ministers Grow by
Collaborating with Others
On October 12th, the Stephen Ministry of Ingomar Church
hosted a round table discussion that brought together
representatives from eight area churches. Congregations
represented included Southminister Presbyterian (Mt.
Lebanon), Community Presbyterian (Ben Avon), Christ
United Methodist (Bethel Park), Mt. Chestnut Presbyterian
(Butler), First Presbyterian (Beaver), Berkley Hills Lutheran
(Pittsburgh North Hills), Baden United Methodist (Baden),
and Grace Community Church (Cranberry Township).
Stephen Ministers from each church offered helpful tips,
pitfalls to avoid, training schedules and other topics that
benefit their respective congregations.
Following coffee, fellowship, and opening prayer, Margie
Martinelli, Wellness Ministry Coordinator, led a question
and answer session focusing on how we might better
serve as Christ’s hands in caring relationships and
ways in which we might promote wider participation by
congregations and the community.
This was the second time Ingomar Church’s Stephen
Ministers have hosted this event. It was well received and
beneficial to all participants.
ations shared
Stephen Ministers from nine congreg
12.
ber
Octo
experiences on
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Extravagant Generosity
Where is my
Pledge Card?
You may have noticed that you were not asked to return a pledge card
last November. For many of us this is a significant change – we’ve always
done pledge cards! But a pledge card is not our gift to God and the
church; it is merely a statement of our intentions.
We need our spirit of giving to be faithful and strong. Each time we give,
our hearts soften a little, and we move closer in our relationship with God.
Pledge cards are available for church family members who are blessed
by praying over and making a financial pledge to the ministries of the
church. For the rest of our church family members, we trust that your
pledge is in your heart.
Our prayer is that – with or without a pledge card – the Holy Spirit inspires
you to grow in your financial support of the worship, education, wellness
and mission outreach or our church.
It takes the tithes, gifts and offerings of all of us to support the ministries
of the church for the advancement of God’s kingdom.
How is my offering used by the church?
Have you ever wondered exactly where your offering goes? The answer is
pretty simple. It mainly goes to four key categories – staff compensation,
facility maintenance, missions and our annual apportionment to the
Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. Your
tithes, gifts and offerings support God’s work in our area, throughout
the United States and around the world through your church.
Ingomar is a BIG church, and that’s a great thing! We are blessed with
lots of members, a great staff and beautiful land and facilities. Over the
past year we have filled staff positions and expanded programming,
enabling our church to positively impact the lives of more people.
As we seek to bring people into relationship with Jesus through Ingomar
Church, we each must do our part. In fact, in 2014, our church budget
will need an additional five to ten percent in giving over 2013 to cover the
costs of church ministries.
We ask you to be faithful in your stewardship of the financial resources
entrusted to you by God. Our work as the hands and feet of Jesus in
the community depends upon our tithes, gifts and offerings.
You can learn more about stewardship and the challenges and
opportunities in funding the ministries of our church in the months
to come.
We are indeed abundantly blessed!
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Ingomar
Announcements
Church Family
Ingomar Spirit is a bimonthly
publication for the members, friends
and supporters of Ingomar United
Methodist Church and its ministries.
Ingomar United Methodist Church
1501 West Ingomar Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone: 412-364-3613
Website: www.ingomarchurch.org
Sunday Worship and
Church School
Outdoor Worship at 8 a.m.
Traditional Worship at 9 a.m.
and 11:15 a.m.
Contemporary Worship at 10 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages at
10:10 a.m.
Pastors
David Streets
Dianne Glave
Director of Administration
Chub Dietz
Director of Worship and the Arts
Erica Oshlick
Director of Ingomar Child
Enrichment Center
Robin Macon
Organist / Choirmaster
Don Megahan
Orchestra Conductor /
Choir Director
Woody Brown
Office Manager
Norma Moser
Office Assistant
Carol Sabreen
Communication and Marketing
Manager
Mark Gulden
Coordinator of Worship
Technology
Zack Oshlick
Children and Family
Ministry Director
Andrea Czartoryski
Youth Director
Megan DelGrosso
Nursery Coordinator
Sarah Strickland
Volunteer Coordinator
Jami Pietrzyk
Wellness Ministry Coordinator
Margie Martinelli, RN
Accountant
Joyce Barksdale
Facilities Manager
Cloye Moser
Sympathy:
To the family of Jean Widdowson who passed away on September 13, 2013 in
Lakeland Florida.
To the family of Carolyn Wirth who passed away on September 19, 2013.
To the family of Betty Hess, who passed away on October 4, 2013.
To Mary Hosler and family whose father, Richard E. Myers passed away on
October 4, 2013.
To Edna Marshall and family, whose mother Kathryn “Kay” Zipay passed away
on October 23, 2013.
To Jim Harper and family, whose wife Pat Harper passed away on Saturday,
October 26, 2013.
To Jane Wetzel and family, whose husband Clark Spargur passed away on
November 1, 2013.
Congratulations:
To Jarod & Nicole Craig on the birth of their son, Harris Gary Craig, on
September 20, 2013.
To Luke & Lindsay Thorwart on the birth of their daughter, Susannah Louise
Thorwart, on September 30, 2013.
To Jeremy & Colleen Hartzell, on the birth of their daughter, Naomi Oletha
Hartzell, on October 5, 2013.
To Jess & Nicole Mishko, on the birth of their son, Ryder Thomas Mishko, on
October 11, 2013.
Letter from the Pastor
(continued from back page)
the world. Offer an invitation to the sermon series and drama as outreach to the
community. Share the gifts of Jesus Christ our Lord with others.
Yes, one of the gifts is hope, of which Ingomar Church has plenty. We have also
experienced much change in 2013. Remembering both hope and change, we
welcome Pastor Jim Tubbs, our new interim senior pastor at the start of Advent.
We are excited to have him here with us and as is typical of Ingomar Church we
will give him a warm welcome. He has all of our support. During this change,
pray for Pastor David Streets, our senior pastor, who continues to recuperate at
home after surgery. Our hope and prayer is David’s healing.
Pastor Dianne
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Ingomar
CHURCH
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Pittsburgh, PA
Permit No. 2512
Ingomar United Methodist Church
1501 W. Ingomar Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15237-1644
Welcoming Change:
Jesus’ Birth to Ingomar Church
Pastor: Dianne Glave
“Be alert, be present. I’m about to do
something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t
you see it? There it is! I’m making a road
through the desert, rivers in the badlands.”
Isaiah 43:19 (The Message) speaks to
change, suffering and hope. Brand new
things call for change often coupled with the
book-ends of suffering and hope. The desert,
the badlands are in-between places taking
us on difficult roads and treacherous rivers
that lead to hope in a cool breeze threading
across the sky or a glass beaded and filled
with crisp refreshing water.
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SPIRIT_Dec-Jan_FNL.indd 16
And isn’t that the story of Jesus Christ. His birth at
Christmas irrevocably changed the world giving us
hope. He is our living God, born in a manger. And in
the full cycle of life, from birth to adulthood, he suffered,
sacrificing himself, dying on the cross for our sins. His
sacrifice is our hope in the holiday season. The ministry
of Jesus Christ in the New Testament defines who we are
as Christians in the midst of change, suffering, and hope.
In December, as we move into Advent—celebrating the
events leading up to Jesus’ birth and then Christmas
Eve—His wondrous miraculous birth—we will focus on
the theme “Unbreakable Gifts.” The Sunday sermon
series will illustrate the gifts Christ has given to us through
his life and death: hope, love, joy, and peace. And we
look forward to “Another Christmas Story,” a musical
drama unique to Ingomar Church. I encourage everyone
to invite and welcome visitors to our Christmas programs.
We can share the love of Jesus, who was born to save
Letter from the Pastor
(continued on page 15)
11/16/13 2:50 PM