May — June 2017
This issue of THE
METHODIST
MESSENGER is given by
Elma Martinosky in memory of her husband
Marty with whom she would have celebrated
their 58th wedding anniversary on May 9th
MON-YOUGH TRINITY CHARGE
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Phone: 724-929-4696
200 State Street, Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Pastor Derek R. Platt
Office Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. — Monday thru Friday
Fax: 724-930-9651
THEME FOR THIS ISSUE: “Honoring our Moms, Dads and graduates!”
“Never Have I Ever…”
“If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the LORD your
God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. 8 Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought:
“The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill
will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to them
and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and
in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be
openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.” –
Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Have you ever played the game “Never Have I Ever…”? It’s a fun game to play at camp, at youth
group meetings, or when a bunch of friends and family just get together. Here’s how it’s played:
Someone makes a statement beginning with the words “Never have I ever…” Anyone who has done
or experienced what the speaker says must stand. Then someone else makes another “I’ve never”
statement, and the others must admit whether they’ve done such a thing by standing or sitting. The
game ends when only one person is left sitting (or when everyone in the room turns eighty, whichever comes first).
How about playing a quick version of “Never Have I Ever…” right now? Check off any of the statements below that you could truthfully make:
_____ “I’ve never given my parents a Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift?
(Continued)
_____ “I’ve never put my own money in a Salvation Army Christmas kettle.”
_____ “I’ve never shared my favorite toys with others when I was a kid.”
_____ “I’ve never volunteered my time to help a person, group or ministry.”
_____ “I’ve never donated clothing to a person in need or a friend.”
_____ “I’ve never offered to pray for someone.”
_____ “I’ve never given a gift without expecting to get a gift in return.”
_____ “I’ve never surprised anyone with a sincere compliment.”
_____ “I’ve never visited anyone in a nursing home or a hospital.”
_____ “I’ve never put my own money in the offering plate at church.”
How many did you check? Four? Five? All Ten? In case you haven’t noticed, all the “Never Have I Ever…”
statements are about a form of generosity. If you checked all ten, then perhaps you need to work on showing generosity towards others. If you checked only one or none, then you deserve a halo. Maybe those
things don’t seem like a big deal to you because they’ve been engrained in you since you were young.
However, a lot of people will probably go through their whole lives without ever giving away clothes or tossing money into a Salvation Army kettle or a church offering plate. They will probably go through their whole
lives thinking that generosity is not important. But it is and that’s why God commanded it. Plus, there is
always room to improve on our generosity as well. In the verse that I bolded above, God says, “Give freely
without begrudging it… share your resources freely with the poor and with [others] in need”. God commands us to be generous, not only because it helps others, but also because it’s the right thing to do in furthering the Kingdom of God here on earth; which is what we should be doing.
REFLECT: Are you usually generous with: money, time, possessions, attention or kind words? Can you be
more generous in those areas? What about in other areas?
ACT: Pick one of those "Never Have I Ever…" statements that you checked and practice it this month!
PRAY: "God, I need your help being generous with ___________________________."
In His Service,
Pastor Derek
Senior Pastor – Mon/Yough Trinity Charge (Belle Vernon, Perryopolis, Concord)
200 State Street
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
[email protected]
724-929-4696 (Office)
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER 2017
THURSDAY, MAY 4TH
Theme: FOR YOUR
GREAT NAME’S SAKE!
HEAR US. . . FORGIVE US. . . HEAL US!
Scripture: “O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act!
For your sake. O my God. . . Daniel 9:19
As citizens and residents of the United States and as believers in Christ Jesus, we not only have a
spiritual responsibility according to 1 Timothy 2:1-2 to pray, but a civic duty as well to heed our President’s call to stand in the gap for our nation. Who but God’s people have the ability to enter into the
very throne room of Heaven with prayers and petitions!
Our theme this year is For Your Great Name’s Sake! Hear Us... Forgive Us...Heal Us! Taken from
Daniel 9:19, which says, “O Lord, Listen! O Lord, Forgive! O Lord, Hear and Act! For Your Sake, O My
God...”. As the 2017 National Day of Prayer on May 4th approaches, thousands of individuals,
churches, and communities will be working to rally millions of Christian’s to once again heed this call!
Scripture tells us again and again that our fervent prayer is effective. That our loving God responds to
His children’s earnest pleas in mighty ways that avail much, and ultimately determine the course of history.
At this crucial time for our nation, we can do nothing more important than pray.
(Copied from National Day of Prayer website.)
BLIND FAITH
Eighteenth-century British
evangelist George Whitefield
once asked a coal miner what
he believed.
“I believe what my church
believes,” the man answered,
respectfully and confidently.
“And what does your church believe?” Whitefield followed up.
“The same thing I believe,” the man said.
“And what do both of you believe?” the preacher
asked again.
“We both believe the same thing,” the man assured
Whitefield.
Belonging to a Christian church — and knowing exactly what it teaches — is vital but doesn’t guarantee salvation. That’s between each individual and God.
As Romans 10:9 (ESV) says, “If you confess with your
mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that
God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
PROCRASTINATORS
A pastor waited in line to have his car filled with
gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant
worked quickly, but many cars were ahead of the pastor
at the service station. Finally, the attendant motioned
him toward a vacant pump.
“Sorry about the delay” said the young man.
“Everyone seems to wait until the last minute to get
ready for a long trip.”
The pastor chuckled, “I know what you mean.
It’s the same in my business.”
CLOSE TO GOD
Isaac Newton
I can take my telescope and look millions and millions of
miles into space. But I can lay it aside, go into my room,
shut the door, get down on my knees in earnest prayer,
and see more of heaven and get closer to God than I can
assisted by all the telescopes and material agencies on
earth.
HONOREE’S LUNCHEON
Sunday, June 4th
following morning worship
We wanted to do something different this year to honor those who mean a lot to us in our lives. This
includes our moms, dads and dear friends. We want to also include our graduates as they move into
the next phase of their lives. In short, ALL ARE INVITED TO SHARE IN THIS FELLOWSHIP!
MORE DETAILS WILL BE FORTHCOMING!
GALIFFA’S FUNDRAISER
PIZZA, HOAGIES, PEPPERONI ROLLS &
GOURMET APPETIZERS
Sponsored by the UMW
All orders and money are due by
Tuesday, May 9th. Orders can be placed through
a UMW member or by placing your order on the
blank form found on the tables at the back of the
sanctuary.
“SUMMER FLOWERS”
— Anonymous
Behold the flowers of June!
How fair and bright their buds appear,
as, opening to the summer air,
our eyes and hearts they cheer!
That power which made and governs all
— the mighty power of God —
alone could life and beauty call
out of the lifeless sod.
Who would have thought there could
abound such beauty and delight
beneath the cold and wintry ground
that hid those flowers from sight?
And he, who from the winter’s gloom
can summer thus disclose,
shall one day make the desert bloom,
and blossom as the rose.
Don’t let life pass you by — take time to stop and smell the flowers!
“THERE IS NO OTHER LIKE A MOTHER!”
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY — SUNDAY, MAY 14th
A TASTE OF GOD’S LOVE
In Lost in Wonder, Love and Praise (Abingdon Press),
John Killinger describes a mother’s love — and how it offers
a tiny foretaste of God’s love:
“It is stronger than steel, softer than down and more
resilient than a green sapling on the hillside. It closes
wounds, melts disappointments and enables the weakest
child to stand tall and straight in the fields of adversity. I
believe that this love, even at its best, is only a shadow of
the love of God, a dark reflection of all that we can expect
of him, both in this life and the next.”
“Mothers hold their children’s hands
for a while, but their hearts forever.”
A MOTHER’S PRAYER
A. T. Pierson writes that “all true prayer trusts
[God] to give his own answer, not in our way or time, or
even to our own expressed desire, but rather to his own
unutterable groaning within us which he can interpret better
than we.”
As an example, Pierson points to Monica, the mother of the man who came to be known as Saint Augustine.
Although Monica “pleaded with God that her dissolute son
might not go to Rome, that sing of iniquity,” he went anyway. While there, he met Ambrose, bishop of Milan, who
led him to the Christian faith. Saint Augustine is considered
one of the most important church fathers.
“God fulfilled the mother’s desire while denying her
request,” Pierson writes. How might God be meeting your
desires, even amid what appear to be unanswered prayers?
“A CHILD NEEDS YOUR LOVE MOST
WHEN HE DESERVES IT LEAST.”
— Erma Bombeck
“YOUR CHILDREN WILL BECOME
“[A mother] never quite leaves her
children at home, even when she
doesn’t take them along.”
WHAT YOU ARE, SO BE WHAT YOU
— Margaret Culkin Banning
— David Bly
WANT THEM TO BE.”
SOME MOTHER’S DAY FUN
“The greatest gift I ever had came from God;
I call him Dad!” — Anonymous
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY — SUNDAY, JUNE 18th
THE ORIGIN OF FATHER’S DAY
One Sunday in 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd listened to a sermon honoring mothers. Her mother had died some years before, so her father had
raised her by himself. Dodd wondered why there wasn’t a day to honor
fathers, so she arranged a tribute to her father at a church in Spokane,
Washington. The date was June 19, 1910. Many people believe this was
the beginning of Father’s Day.
Another account holds that a West Virginia church held a tribute service for fathers in 1908, following a mine explosion that killed 360 men.
Regardless of which story is correct, President Calvin Coolidge was the
first president to designate a special day to honor fathers. In 1924, he
proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day.
FATHERLY GUIDANCE
— Sunday Adelaja
Every man who desires to become a true father has to
look continually to the Lord, that he might learn of him
how to relate to his own children.
SO GOOD
MY FATHER
At the communion rail, a man held out his hand to receive the bread.
His curious toddler by his side loudly asked, “Is it good, Daddy?” He
smiled and nodded yes.
Indeed, communion is a good gift from Jesus, who wants us to remember his sacrifice for us. The next time you receive communion, remember to “taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8, emphasis added).
By Anne Sexton
BLESSINGS BESTOWED
When author Gary Smalley asked 100 people to share how they knew
they’d received their parents’ blessing, they offered these memories of
fatherly love:
 My father put his arm around me at church and let me lay my head
on his shoulder.
 When my father faced a transfer at work, he purposely took another
job so I could finish my senior year in high school.
 When I wrecked my parents’ car, my father’s first reaction was to
hug me and let me cry instead of yelling at me.
 My father went with me to the store when I had to return a purchase
I regretted.
 My father let me practice pitching to him for a long time after work.
 My father cried during my wedding because he was going to miss me
being at home.
It doesn’t matter who my
father was; it matters who I
remember he was.
SOME FATHER’S DAY FUN
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
By Clay Harrison
May 4 — Colby Shutterly
5 — Lynette Klotz
Nina Valent
7 — Bradley Kennedy
10 — Michael Serenari
Cody Williams
14 — Michael Lewis
16 — Michele Canzonieri
17 — John Angelo
18 — Jacqueline DeWitt
Dorothy Williams
19 — Betty Neil
MacKenzie Skobel
20 — Janice Gray
23 — Lee Helferstay
Michelle Labash
Liam Owens
24 — Robert Lenhart
25 — Kathy Myers
26 — Rodger Leasure
Michael Skobel
27 — Lola Duncan
Boyd Skobel
Madelyn Zarichnak
28 — Jane Shider
29 — Lori Moody
Are you making a difference
Each place that you go?
Does the love light within you
Sparkle and glow?
Do people see Jesus when
They look in your eyes?
Are the words of your mouth
Uplifting and wise?
Do you sow seeds of kindness
In Jesus’ sweet name?
Are you quick to forgive
And unwilling to blame?
Do your hugs say “I love you!”
When others draw near?
Are you willing to help
When problems appear?
Is there love within you
You’re willing to share
With those who are different,
Who live “over there”?
Are you feeding God’s sheep
And helping them grow?
Are you making a difference
Wherever you go?
SUMMER CAME
By Bonnie L. Nelson
I heard the chirping of a bird,
I saw a green-clothed tree;
The laughs of children met my ear
As they cried out with glee;
I saw the sun high in the sky,
As if it were on fire;
I saw the hummingbird, so shy,
Flit about from flower to flower;
I felt the softness of the breeze
As it caressed my cheek —
As though in answer to my prayer,
Summer came last week.
“I call upon You; answer me, O God.
Turn Your ear to me; hear my prayer.”
Psalm 17:6
June 1 — LuAnn McGill
2 — Carrie Anderson
Linda Kander
Jessalyn Protin
Elmer Spiker
Elmer Spiker 3
4 — Mark Nagy
6 — Jacob Allison
Rosella DuBarr
7 — Charles Sztroin
8 — Edward Weightman
9 — James Layhue
10 — Kelsey Gilchrist
11 — Nancy Horvath
Jay LoGreco
14 — Jana Staffen
19 — Karlee Ferguson
Suzanne Schickel
20 — John Zelenski
21 — Jacob Brassart
22 — Michael Ferencz
23 — Cullen Cratty
Kayla Skobel Weil
26 — Jamie Butz
Vickie Skooglund
27 — Nancy Cardinale
29 — Mary Kathryn Schickel
Nancy Trombino
Eileen Whitaker
30 — Vicki Gilchrist
THE GIFT OF PRAYER
By Clay Harrison
Carl Dunlop
203 Vine Street
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Sue Horan
523 Belle Vernon Apartments
500 Blind Lane
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
George Leasure
235 Vernon Avenue
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Kathy Myers
337 Roley Street
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Sayde Myers
Country Care Manor
205 Coldren Road
Fayette City, PA 15438
I’m sometimes so tired and weary
That I can’t seem to stand
For the road ahead is dreary
Across life’s burning sand.
It seems the nights grow longer
When I can’t see the light…
If my faith were only stronger,
The path would be so bright.
Help me, Lord, to find the power
To endure what lies ahead.
Be my guide every hour
As I earn my daily bread.
Give me strength enough to rally
Over hills I must climb…
Lead me through the peaceful valley;
Lift me up one more time.
Be my friend when I am lonely;
Be my refuge from the storm.
When I’m cold or lost or hungry,
Take my heart and keep it warm.
Thank You, Lord, for being there,
For loving me so much,
And thank You for the gift of prayer
That keeps our hearts in touch.
PFC Canzonieri, Allen
Address not known
Michael & Valerie Ferencz
(Valerie in active service)
344 St. Thomas Dr. Apt. B
Newport News, VA 23606
Mitchell J. Hegarty
379 EAMXS/34OAMU
Unit 61204
APO/AE 09309-1204
TSgt Eric S. Hill
200 Edgecliff Way
Columbia, SC 29229
H. Lee Hill
Doris Nelson
317 Wellness Way, Apt. 134
Washington, PA 15301
7402 Paxton Drive
Fayetteville, NC 28303
Lorraine Quintier
Ryan Hill
919 Graham Street
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
164 Wayfair Lane
Hinesville, GA 31313
Jane Shider
Reinstadtler, Cory
Unit 100265
Box 1008
FPO AE 09578
325 Water Street
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
FC3 Schickel, Joseph P. (NEW)
959 Dahlgren Road
Box 3399
Dahlgren, VA 22448
THE POWER OF GOD
By Harold F. Mohn
He gives me faith within myself
When it seems all in vain.
He gives me hope to battle on
And help my goals attain.
He gives me faith and inner strength
When I feel great despair,
And since I place my trust in Him
My life’s no longer bare.
Jared T. Schomer
460 Constitution Street
Perryopolis, PA 15473
Sean Winterbottom
2533 Archdale Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
LCPL Zueger, Michael P. (NEW)
1976 Country Wood Blvd.
Jacksonville, NC 28540
RUTH — A PENTECOST STORY?
Let’s all take time to remember those who have
given their lives that we might have the
freedoms that we enjoy today. Also remember
to pray for those men and women who
presently serve in our military to continue the
work their predecessors began. We live in a
world filled with evil — pray that, with God’s
help, we will see the day that peace is restored
upon the earth.
GOD BLESS THOSE WHO SERVED AND ARE
PRESENTLY SERVING!
REMEMBER THEM ON MONDAY, MAY 29th!
ALWAYS WITH US
THE GLADDEST THING
Forty days after Easter, we celebrate Jesus’ ascension into heaven. This occurred 10 days before Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus’ followers, as he had promised.
Jesus’ ascension reminds Christians that although
his body couldn’t remain present everywhere, we can
universally experience his spiritual presence. In fact,
Jesus’ final words to his disciples — and to us — contain this key promise: “I am with you always, to the
end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, ESV).
THANK YOU TO OUR
WEBSITE SPONSORS
May — Wendy & Rob Kennedy in
memory of Elma & Marty Martinosky’s
anniversary
June — Nancy Snyder in loving memory
of Jack & Tiny Chalfant
The disciples were celebrating Pentecost, originally a
Jewish festival, when the Holy Spirit descended on them
and birthed the church. Pentecost, which began as a harvest festival, had come to commemorate the giving of the
law. The book of Ruth became integral to festival worship.
Why Ruth? This short story doesn’t mention the law, let
alone God giving it to Moses. Yet in Ruth’s devotion to her
mother-in-law (“Where you go I will go … Your people will
be my people …” [Ruth 1:16, NIV]), she fulfills not just the
letter but the spirit of the law: lovingkindness — all the
more remarkable because she’s a foreigner. Boaz, too,
demonstrates exorbitant kindness to Ruth.
As Christians celebrate the Spirit bridging differences in
Jerusalem, uniting all nationalities by making the gospel
message intelligible to all people, we too can remember
Ruth’s story. For in it, God unites two enemy peoples for
his grand purpose: Boaz and Ruth’s marriage leads to King
David and, ultimately, to King Jesus. Today, the Holy Spirit
continues to unite all categories of people under Christ’s
reign for the good of the world.
— Frederick Buechner, The Clown in the Belfry
Turn around and believe that the good news that we are
loved is better than we ever dared hope, and that to believe
in that good news, to live out of it and toward it, to be in
love with that good news, is of all glad things in this world
the gladdest thing of all.
FOR THE
JULY-AUGUST
ISSUE
ARTICLES ARE DUE ON
SUNDAY, JUNE 16th
DISCIPLES NEEDED
— Dallas Willard, The Great Omission
The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or
culture, are identified as “Christians” will become disciples — students, apprentices, practitioners — of Jesus Christ,
steadily leaning from him how to live the life of the kingdom of the heavens into every corner of human existence.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO SHOW AND SHARE YOUR FAITH!
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES!
Isaac Sapp
— son of Kevin and Barbara Post will graduate from Agora Cyber Charter School on
June 15, 2017. Isaac is looking at a career in the military (division not yet decided).
Reverend Derek R. Platt
— husband of Erin Minns Platt will graduate from Pittsburgh
Theological Seminary on June 2, 2017. Upon completion he will become a Provisional Elder.
Pastor Derek is presently Senior Pastor for the Mon-Yough Trinity Charge comprised of
Belle Vernon First, Concord and Perryopolis United Methodist Churches.
OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO WITH YOU!
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”
—Proverbs 4:7
WILLING
RECIPIENTS
A young graduate longed
for a certain sports car and
knew his dad could afford it. So
on the big day, he was infuriated to receive instead a leatherbound, embossed Bible. He threw it down and left for
good.
Years later, after his father died, the son entered
his father’s study with sorrow and regret. Sorting
through belongings, he found the gift and this highlighted verse: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your
Father who is in heaven give good things to those who
ask him!” (Matthew 7:11, ESV). Suddenly something
dropped from the back of the Bible: a key with a tag
from the dealer of the car he’d wanted long ago. On
the tag was his graduation date and the words “Paid in
Full.”
How often we miss out on God’s generous gifts
because they come “packaged” differently than we expect! At graduation — and throughout life — may we
be open to every gift God bestows on us with a Father’s
deep love.
A PURPOSE
AND A PLAN
“Always remember, when God
made you He did so with a purpose
and a plan.”
Many men (and women) find it difficult to believe that
God really did create them with a “purpose and a plan.”
If you ask them, “What is your purpose?” many would
reply, “To glorify God” — but our purpose is much more
specific than that.
“Jesus brought glory to the Father by doing the work
He was sent to do,” writes Dr. John Stanko in Life Is a
Gold Mine: A Practical Guide to Help You Discover Your
Purpose and Be More Productive (Evergreen). “He didn’t
glorify God by singing and praising or by being doctrinally
correct. He brought glory to God by being faithful to the
purpose assigned Him by the Father. You’ll glorify God in
the same manner as you complete the work that has been
set aside for you and you alone.”
COMMIT TO MEMORY: Joshua 1:9 (NIV): “Be
strong and courageous … for the LORD your God
will be with you wherever you go.”
CHANGED From the Inside Out
By Max Lucado
When you believe in Christ, Christ works a miracle in you. You are permanently purified and
empowered by God himself. The message from Jesus to the true Christian is simple: “It’s not
what you do. It’s what I do. I have moved in. And in time you can say with Paul, “It is no
longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
You may have asked yourself, “If I’m born again, why do I fall so often?”
Why did you fall so often after your first birth? Did you exit the womb wearing cross-trainers? Did you do the twostep on the day of your delivery? Of course not. And when you started to walk, you fell more then you stood.
Should we expect anything different from our spiritual walk?
“But” you may add, “I fall so often I sometimes question my salvation.”
Again, we return to your first birth. Didn’t you stumble as you were learning to walk? And when you stumbled, did
you question the validity of your physical birth? Did you, as a one-year-old fresh flopped on the floor, shake your
head and think, “I have fallen again. I must not be human”?
Of course not. The stumbles of a toddler do not invalidate the act of birth. And the stumbles of a Christian do not
annual his spiritual birth.
Do you understand what God has done? He has deposited a “Christ seed” in you. As it grows, you will change. It’s
not that sin has no more presence in your life, but rather that sin has no more power over your life. Temptation will
pester you, but temptation will not master you. What hope this brings!
Hear this. It’s not up to you! Within you abides a budding power. Trust him! “No temptation has overtaken you that
is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
THE DIFFERENCE A NEW HEART MAKES
Think of it this way. Suppose you, for most of your life, have had a heart condition. Your frail pumper restricts your
activities. Each morning at work when the healthy employees take the stairs, you wait for the elevator.
But then comes the transplant. A healthy heart is placed within you. After recovery, you return to work and encounter the flight of stairs — the same flight of stairs you earlier avoided. By habit you start for the elevator. But then
you remember. You aren’t the same person. You have a new heart. Within you dwells a new power.
Do you live like the old person or the new? Do you count yourself as having a new heart or old? You have a choice
to make.
You might say, “I can’t climb stairs; I’m too weak.” Does your choice negate the presence of a new heart? Does it
dismiss the work of the surgeon? No. Choosing the elevator would suggest only one fact — you haven’t learned to
trust your new power.
It takes time. But at some point you’ve got to try those stairs. You’ve got to test the new ticker. You’ve got to experiment with the new you. For if you don’t you will run out of steam.
Religious rule-keeping can sap your strength. It’s endless. No prison is as endless as the prison of perfection. Its
inmates find work, but never find peace. How could they? They never know when they are finished!
Christ, however gifts you with a finished work. He fulfilled the law for you. Bid farewell to the burden of religion.
Gone is the fear that having done everything, you might not have done enough. You climb the stairs, not by your
strength, but his. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure,” so you can say, “I
can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 2:13, 4:13). God pledges to help those who stop trying to help themselves.
“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Let God
change you from the inside out.
(Copied from the Good News Publishers gospel tract.)
BOOKS FOR
BELLE VERNON
The Administrative Council and Outreach Committee are
sponsoring a collection of books to be distributed to all
children in the Belle Vernon Elementary Schools. For
each child in the Marion and Rostraver Elementary
Schools (grades K-6) to receive one book for the 2017 Summer Reading Program, we will need to collect 1,226 books. We will be partnering with several
other Methodist churches in the Belle Vernon Area School District in this ministry. This project is part of a larger Connellsville District Mission Program to
collect one book for every elementary student in all of the schools located in our
district. Some helpful information:




Books must be purchased according to recommendations of the school
(see lists).
All books must be new.
You can purchase books at many local stores, bookstores, or from
Scholastic.com books online.
There will be a collection box in the entranceway for your use.
We will be collecting books according
to the following schedule:
February and March: K, 1 & 2
April: 3 & 4
May: 5 & 6
Deadline for collection is May 26
FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE CONTACT BARB HESS.
Summer Reading List
(Fourth Graders going to Fifth Grade)
*The 39 Clues series by various authors
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade by Barbara DeClements
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Lawnboy by Gary Paulsen
Rules by Cynthia Lord
*The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
* Holes by Louis Sachar
*Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
*Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket
*Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard
*Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin
*Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson
*Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce
Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn
Swindle by Gordon Korman
Dog Whisperer series by Nicholas Edwards
Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
*Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
*The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan
*Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien
Bunnicula by James Howe
*Matilda by Roald Dahl
*Sideways Stories from Wayside School (series) by Louis Sachar
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
*Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Suggested FAMILY Read Aloud: On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Summer Reading List
(Fifth Graders going to Sixth Grade)
1. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks (6 points)
2. Fish by L.S. Matthews (5 points)
3. Any book in the sports series by Mike Lupica (4-17 points)
4. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle (7 points)
5. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (8 points)
6. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (17 points)
7. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (7 points)
8. Treasure Island (Abridged) by Robert Louis Stevenson (2 points)
9. Treasure Island (Unabridged) by Robert Louis Stevenson (14 points)
10. The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake (4 points)
11. Haddix series by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5-14 points)
12. Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen (2 points)
13. Within Reach: My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer (11 points)
14. Pride of Puerto Rico: The Life of Roberto Clemente by Paul Robert Walker (5 points)
15. Swindle series by Gordon Korman (4-5 points)
16. A Series of Unfortunate Events Series by Lemony Snicket (5-8 points)
THE METHODIST MESSENGER
MON-YOUGH TRINITY CHARGE
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
200 STATE STREET
BELLE VERNON, PA 15012
Phone: 724-929-4696
Fax: 724-930-0651
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.bellevernonumc.org
RETURN SERVICE
REQUESTED
HONORING
MEMORIAL
DAY
MAY 29th
AND
REMEMBERING
FATHER’S DAY
SUNDAY, JUNE
18th
MOTHER’S DAY
SUNDAY, MAY
14th