september — october 2020 the methodist messengerbellevernonumc.org/images/202009news.pdf · 2020....

September — October 2020

This issue of THE METHODIST

MESSENGER is given by

Sally Myers in memory of

William, Margaret and Kathlian Myers

Belle Vernon First United Methodist

200 State Street, Belle Vernon, PA 15012

Member of the Fay-West Cooperative Parish

Phone: 724-929-4696 Pastor Ryan K. Washabaugh Fax: 724-930-9651

Topic: HOW DO YOU HANDLE CRISES IN YOUR LIFE?

FROM THE DESK OF

PASTOR RYAN WASHABAUGH Christ be with you! I hope this note finds you well! I have officially finished the first month of my tenure here at Perry-opolis UMC and First United Methodist Church of Belle Vernon, and how awesome it has been, and how blessed I have been over this

past month. About a year ago I had a prodding from the Holy Spirit (as well as my pastor), to answer God’s call into pastoral ministry. Sometimes God works in mysterious ways, and most of the time His plan does not run congruent with our humanly plans. This was the case with myself: I had a long term vision of continuing to teach at the Christian Academy and continuing my youth ministry for a long time, but that was not God’s plan. When I first accepted that my call from God had changed, and it did not align with what I had thought was God’s call on life, it was a time of uncertainty in my life, of how things would change for my family as well as the Academy where I played a vital role. I doubted my capabilities as someone who would be able to reach an audience that was older than me, and that I had never had experience with reaching before, but once again God has provided me with words to hopefully make a connection and an impact. My hope is that you are truly being blessed by the ministry of your church and the role that I play in that ministry. I am here to help the church with their mission and to help the church find their place in the community. (Continued)

SEPTEMBER

Please continue to pray for this church and for myself and my family as we continue to see how God moves through this church and this ministry. These are uncertain times with the pandemic and racial ten-sions on the rise in our nation, but God is present even in the midst of turmoil and strife. There are great things happening at both churches and we are able to see God moving in ways unexpected. My prayer for you is that you thrive as an individual, that we continue to thrive as a church, not just a lo-cal church, but as a universal church in the worship of Jesus Christ as well. God bless,

Pastor Ryan

Pastor Ryan Washabaugh [email protected] 724-640-7732 (m) 724-628-4017 (h)

DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN

By Joe Stowell

READ: John 21:1-14

“After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.”

— John 21:1

Baseball legend Yogi Berra is known for his oft-repeated quips like, “It ain’t over till it’s over” and “It’s like déjà vu all over again!”

I wonder if the disciples felt déjà vu when they saw Jesus standing by the short (John 21). Discouraged and distracted by their own needs in the shadow of Peter’s denial and their deser-

tion of Jesus, they had abandoned their calling to follow Jesus and returned to their previous occupation — fishing.

Then, after a fruitless night of fishing, a voice from the shore called out, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (John 21:6). When they did, the nets were so full that they couldn’t be dragged in. No doubt their minds raced back to their first encounter with Jesus — when He showed up on the shore of their careers and, after another miraculous catch of fish, called them to leave their nets and follow Him (Luke 5:1-11).

Like the disciples, we may want to return to our own agendas when we get discouraged in our walk with Jesus. But then Jesus shows up again on the shore of our lives to extend forgiveness and to draw us back to those moments when He first called us. It’s like déjà vu all over again!

Son of the Living God! Oh, call us

Once and again to follow Thee;

And give us strength, whate’er befall us,

Thy true disciples still to be. — Martin

Jesus calls us to follow Him — and repeats His call when necessary.

(Copied from Our Daily Bread devotional.)

MONDAY,

SEPTEMBER

7th

REMEMBER

911!

Friday,

September 11th

2020 SEE YOU

AT THE POLE

EVENT

Wednesday, September 23rd

THEME: “RETURN

RESTORE

REVIVE

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 23:25

“Josiah…..turned in total and repentant obedience to

God…..”

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th

Join us as we celebrate with our sister

churches around the world!

OCTOBER IS

PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH

We are asked to pray for —-

“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is

preaching and teaching.” — 1 Timothy 5:17

It’s most important that we pray daily for our spiritual leaders, including our Pastor and his family, our

Administrative Council and those in authority in our church as well as our sister church Perryopolis.

OCTOBER IS

DOMESTIC

VIOLENCE

WEBSITE SPONSORS

SEPTEMBER — OPEN

OCTOBER — Sally Myers in

memory of her mother,

Margaret Myers

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

FOR

NOVEMBER — DECEMBER

ISSUE

Sunday, October 18th

“Autumn carries more gold

in its pocket than all the

other seasons.”

YOUR LATEST

NEWS!

Sally Myers, Chair

On Sunday, August 30th at 6:30 p.m., there will be a Special Charge Conference at our church under the provi-

sion of ¶246.7 for the following purposes:

1. Discussion and action regarding the sale of church property (334 Roley Street parsonage).

2. Discussion and action on Endowment By-Laws.

3. Discussion and action on the Kubalinski gift.

Our District Superintendent, Pastor Robert Zilhaver, will be presiding over this special meeting. We encourage you to join in these important discussions.

Mark your calendars and be sure to join us that even-ing.

Carol Zelenski, Chair

The Finance Committee would like to thank every-one for keeping our church’s finances in your prayers and for your continued support during this pandemic. It is the goal of this committee to be good stewards in spending what God has given us each week through your offerings. Every penny is prayerfully and carefully considered when making decisions about maintenance of our building and the ministries we support. God has been very good to us and we want to remember that as we move forward in doing His work in our community.

If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me, Carol Zelenski, at 724-433-7108.

CLOTHES 4U

Carol Zelenski, Coordinator

We are pleased to announce that we will be open in September for three Tuesdays as a BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL:

September 8th, 15th and 22nd.

Everyone is welcome to come and see us — to check things out. We have a lot of great items. Even though the pandemic has put us a little behind, we are working hard each time to catch up. This ministry has spread throughout the community and beyond. We’ve had people call us with donations from Washington, Bethel Park, and others. Please spread the news of our church’s mission to serve those who are in need.

We also want to thank all of you for your con-tinued support through your donations. May God con-tinue to richly bless each of you!

WEEKLY

MAILINGS

DURING THE

PANDEMIC

Have you wondered who is behind the mailings that you receive each week to keep you abreast for what is going on with your church? There has been a group of ladies who perform this function; and it includes Barb Hess, Bev Hazlett, Carol Zelenski, Sally Myers and Wendy Kennedy. Once the information is available from Pastor Ryan, everything is coordinated on the sheets which are run off and mailed to you.

We also want to thank Barb and Sally for their diligent work in getting the service out to those who listen on Zoom each week. This has been a tremendous help to our seniors who must be so very careful during this pan-demic. May God richly bless all of you!

Come to the

UMW YARD SALE

SATURDAY,

SEPTEMBER 26th

8:00 A.M. TO NOON

Lots of bargains!

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FUNDRAISER FOR THEM! THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

In lieu of a bazaar this year, the UMW will be holding a yard sale at the house and lot adjacent to the church.

Make plans to come and support it!

SEPTEMBER

SPECIAL

1st — Jeniffer LoGreco

Pam Yankel

3rd — Kayela Pavtis

5th — Keighen Owens

6th — Danyal Cowley

Lucy Gondak

Cheryl Mattay

9th — Morgan Perry

10th — Frank Hoosac

12th — Janice Shutterly

Leigh Stromberg

13th — Janet Stevenson

Sally Lopes

14th — Cyndil Labash

15th — Shawna Owens

17th — Ron Kander

19th — Carley Askin

20th — Elma Martinosky

22nd — Christopher Herron

Dale Lehew

25th — Jesse Gray

Jack Chester

26th — Lori Hill

Roland Shawley

27th — Mallory Staub

28th — Mark Hill

Amelia Longnecker

Shelly Rhome

29th — Daniel Henry

Chaz Sztroin

1st — Maura Askin

Emilee Hawk

Carolyn Mendola

3rd — Madison Shutterly

4th — Shelby Ferguson II

Nicole Winterbottom

5th — Clint Davis

6th — H. Lee Hill

7th — Connie Bethem

9th — Kaylee Gilchrist

Brian Layhue

Clare Parsons

Ruth Wilkinson

10th — Thomas Gilchrist

Jim LoGreco

11th — Ray Gilchrist

12th — Leann Watkins

15th — Linda Smitley

18th — Melissa Yancec

19th — Lauren Booher

Colin Chalfant

Emily Frederick

Kelly Hill

21st — Chanell Labash

Katelyn Mattay

22nd — Amy Boyd

Scott Shawley

23rd — Cyndi Kortina

24th — Ryan Dunmeyer

Tabitha Hill

Taylor Hill

25th — Monte Labash

26th — Diana Schomer

27th — Wyatt Perry

30th — Vince Trombino

31st — Terri Shutterly

Carrie Munshower

ALMOST AUTUMN

By Nora M. Bozeman

The days of Summer dwindle down

and Autumn’s song I hear,

The leaves will soon desert the trees

when frosty nights appear.

The air now holds a promise

of the season’s golden glow,

And as Summer takes her leave

Fall soon will overflow.

The beauty of each season

is always on display,

Summer, Winter, Fall or Spring —

hand in hand on God’s highway.

GOLDEN GIFTS

By Sara I. Brown

The trees sway softly in the breeze

Against a sky so blue,

The golden sun beams in across

A sea of morning dew.

My spirit quickens as I see

How much God really cares

To create such beauty just for me;

Reaching out, I take my share.

If man isn’t willing to take the time,

How can he truly live,

If he looks at neither sky nor sun,

Which God so freely gives?

Iva Doyle

700 Speer Street

Belle Vernon, PA 15012

Edythe Ferencz

826 Edwards Avenue


Cyndi Hoosec

305 First Street


Diana McCallum

326 Market Street


Carolyn Mendola & Sean

Ganoe

333 Joyce Drive

Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666-2140

George Leasure

235 Vernon Avenue


Lorraine Quintier

919 Graham Street


Jane Shider

325 Water Street


Michael & Valerie Ferencz

PSC41 Bx. 4443

APO AE 09464-0045

TSgt Eric S. Hill

200 Edgecliff Way

Columbia, SC 29229

H. Lee Hill

7402 Paxton Drive

Fayetteville, NC 28303

Ryan Hill

894 Riders Way E

Evans, GA 30809

PV2 Kennedy, Bradley, A

Going back to college

Reinstadtler, Cory

6461 Crescent Way

Apt. 106

Norfolk, VA 23513

Jared T. Schomer

460 Constitution Street

Perryopolis, PA 15473

Sean Winterbottom

2533 Archdale Drive

Virginia Beach, VA 23456

OCTOBER

By Milly Patzer

When the skies get dark and cloudy,

It is surely going to rain.

When the nights are growing colder,

Then Fall has come again.

It’s that lovely season

When leaves turn red and gold,

When though the sun shines brightly,

The days are often cold.

Night now comes so early,

Summer flowers cease to bloom.

Morning fogs drift in the valleys

To create an early morning gloom.

The garden sounds are quiet now,

The birds no longer sing.

Flying high up in the sky,

The geese are on the wing.

The winds of Fall will grow stronger,

The dry leaves will swirl and blow

And snuggle softly on the ground

To wait for Winter’s snow.

“Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior. For You I wait all the long day, because of Your goodness,

Lord.” — Psalm 25:5

I DID MY BEST

By James Joseph Huesgen

O Father see me thro’ this day,

Help me not begrudge

Love and kindness to any soul

I meet here, where I trudge.

I pray I judge not any soul

By color, looks or creed,

Let me love them for themselves

Help, in their sorest need.

And Father, when my day is done

As I lay back in my rest,

Let my reward be only

This day I did my best.

THE RIGHT HELP

By Bill Crowder

READ: Psalm 18:6-13

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; ...my

cry came before Him, even to His ears.”

— Psalm 18:6

On a recent radio program, the hosts spoke with a “crisis management” expert about how a celebrity can recover from a public relations disaster. This specialist said one of the keys was to build strong allies who can help the star rehabilitate his or her image. In other words, it is vital when in trouble to get the right help.

That is wise counsel, for at the heart of all crisis man-agement is recognizing that we can’t accomplish every-thing on our own. Some challenges are too big. Some mountains are too high. In our own seasons of crisis, it is critical that we have help. That’s why it’s comforting to know that we have the strongest ally possible.

King David knew about that ally. In Psalm 18:6, he affirmed, “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.” There is no greater help in our time of need than God. He alone can carry us through the trials and crises of life, and we have His word that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).

When crisis hits, we don’t have to stand alone. We have the right help. We can depend on God to be the greatest ally we could ever know. Lean on Him.

When a crisis looms before you,

Don’t face it on your own.

Seek advice from godly counsel,

And take it to God’s throne. — Sper

Our greatest hope here below is to get help

from God above.


COMFORTED TO

COMFORT

By Marvin Williams

READ: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

“[God] comforts us. . . that we may be able to comfort [others] with the comfort with

which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

— 2 Corinthians 1:4

While speaking to a group of Christian athletes, I asked them how they normally responded to hardships. Their responses included fear, anger, self-pity, aggres-sion, despair, abusive behavior, apathy, and turning to God. I encouraged them to trust that God would comfort them and then use them to comfort others.

Just as I encouraged those athletes Paul encouraged a group of believers in a town called Corinth. He reminded them that afflictions were inevitable for the follower of Jesus. Many were being persecuted, imprisoned, and op-pressed — all because of their relationship with Jesus. Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that in the midst of their trouble God was their source of help. He would come to their side and help them to have godly respons-es. Then Paul gave one of the reasons God allowed suf-fering and brought divine comfort — so that the Corinthi-ans might have the empathy to enter into other people’s sorrow and comfort them (2 Cor. 1:4).

When we suffer, let us remember that God will bring comfort to us through His Word, by the Holy Spirit, and through fellow believers. God does not comfort us so that we’ll be comfortable; we are comforted by God so that we might be comforters.

When you receive God’s comfort,

Be sure to pass it on,

Then give to God the glory

From whom the comfort’s drawn. — Hess

When God permits trials, He also provides

comfort.


OUR HEARTFELT

CONDOLENCES

To Bev Hazlett in the passing of her mother, Mary Ellen on Tuesday, July 28th. She will be missed! Please keep Bev in prayer as she goes through this most difficult time.

THE DAY’S FIRST TASK

By C.S. Lewis — Mere Christianity

The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists of shoving it all back, in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other,

larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.

NATIONAL

GRANDPARENT’S DAY

SEPTEMBER 13th

GOD’S LEFT HAND

A 6-year-old and his grand-ma went for a walk one autumn day. “Look at the gor-geous leaves!” Grandma exclaimed. “Just think, God painted each one of them just for us!”

“Yep,” said her grandson, “and he did it left-handed.”

Perplexed, Grandma asked, “Why do you think God used his left hand to create all this beauty?”

“Because,” said the boy matter-of-factly, “we learned in Sunday school that Jesus sits on God’s right one.”

OUR FIRM FOUNDATION

During his childhood on the Atlantic Coast, Gregory Elder devoted much time to creating elaborate sandcas-tles. “Whole cities would appear beneath my hands,” he writes. One year, when bullies repeatedly crushed his handiwork, Elder finally placed large rocks and concrete chunks at the base of his kingdoms. The returning bare-footed thugs soon learned a lesson.

Many people consider today’s church under attack from secularism, heresies and sin, Elder writes. “They forget that the church is built upon a Rock (Matthew 16:18), over which the gates of hell itself shall not pre-vail.”

Aw-FALL!

Share some laughs — or groans — with these autumn-themed jokes:

What did the tree say to autumn? “Leaf me alone!”

What did one autumn leaf say to another? “I’m falling for you.”

How do you fix a broken pumpkin? With a pumpkin patch.

Why are trees very forgiving? Because in the fall they “let it go” and in the spring they “turn over a new leaf.”

How do leaves get from place to place? With autumn-mobiles.

What’s the ratio of a pumpkin’s circumference to its diameter? Pumpkin pi.

FROM TRIALS TO TRIUMPHS

British evangelist Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947) was impoverished and Illiterate during childhood. He also stammered, which embarrassed him greatly. When he married a Salvation Army preacher, she taught him how to read using the Bible.

Wigglesworth recognized that all the adversities he’d faced were key to his ministry’s effectiveness. “Great faith is the product of great fights,” he said. “Great tes-timonies are the outcome of great tests. Great tri-umphs can only come out of great trials.”

“The simplest toy, one which even the

youngest child can operate, is called

a grandparent.”

CONGRATULATIONS

To Katarina Vogel, daughter of Doug and Christina Vogel of Raymond, New Hamp-shire. In May, she graduat-ed from the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY on an ROTC scholarship. She was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corp as a Second Lieutenant. She will be going to Quantico Ma-rine Base in October for more schooling and deployed at a later date. Katarina is the granddaughter of the proud grandparents, John and Carol Zelenski. May God be with her in her travels and her career.

“Develop a passion for learning. If you do,

you will never cease to grow.”

— Anthony J. D’Angelo

TIME FOR A POP QUIZ!

Tests don’t end once you finish school. Churchgoers of all ages can regularly conduct these quick assessments:

The worship test: Do I faithfully attend worship ser-vices and Bible studies?

The weather test: Am I a “fair weather” Christian? Do conditions that wouldn’t keep me from work keep me from church?

The work test: Am I willing to put my talents to use for my church? Can the congregation count on me to help however possible, or am I too busy elsewhere?

The wallet test: Do I regularly contribute or tithe? Am I giving my “first fruits” to God so the church can conduct his work?

A PRAYER FOR PEACE

St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian Catholic friar, is commemorated on October 4. Though it’s unclear whether this famous “peace prayer” was his, it reflects his gentle spirit as an ardent Christ follower:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace,

Where there is hated, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is error, truth;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand.

To be loved as to love,

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life. Amen!

CORONA VIRUS HUMOR

Staying 6 feet apart today is better than 6 feet under tomorrow.

Jesus cleanses the heart; we disinfect the pew!

Live, Love, Laugh, Lysol

STANDING TOGETHER: 6 feet apart!

Doors closed for now, but hearts remain open!

2020 was installed with a virus; come reboot!

THE BEST

MEDICINE

Near the end of his life, Protestant reformer Martin Luther suffered de-bilitating headaches. When told about a costly medicine that might

offer some relief, Luther smiled and said, “My best pre-scription for head and heart is that ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoev-er believeth in him should not perish, but have everlast-ing life.’” That Bible verse became a refrain for Luther on his death-bed. “What Spartan saying can be compared with this wonderful brevity,” he said of John 3:16. “It is the Bible itself!” After repeating the words of that Gospel-in-a-nutshell verse three times in Latin, Luther exclaimed, “They are the best prescription for headaches and heart-aches!”

JUST PLANT IT

As the church year wraps up, many Bible readings address the end times and Jesus’ return at an unknown date (unknown to all but God the Father, that is). Specific beliefs about the Second Coming vary through-

out Christendom, but our attitude about that momentous event affects how we live right now. “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to piec-es,” Martin Luther reportedly said, “I would still plant my apple tree.” Instead of constantly despairing about this broken-down world, we can remain determined to serve God and our neighbors, planting seeds of life and hope in the process.

BIBLE QUIZ

Name the first three kings of Israel in the order of their reigns.

A. Saul, David, Solomon B. Samuel, David, Saul

C. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob D. Solomon, Jesse, David

Answer: A (See 1 Samuel 9:15-17; 16:1-13; 1 Kings 1:28-30.)

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do

what’s possible; and suddenly you’re doing

the impossible.”

—Unknown

HANDLING

CRISES IN YOUR LIFE!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

(Proverbs 3:6-7 NIV)

All of us have had to face unwanted and cer-tainly unneeded crises in our lives from time to time. It may have been in the form of a devastating illness. Perhaps it was an unexpected death to a close friend or family member. We may have lost our job through layoffs or by closings. Then, of course, for all of us, it has been the Covid 19 virus/pandemic that seemed to come out of no-where to wreck havoc with everyone, not just in the United States, but all over the world. There are other crises I could name, but you know what they are. We each face different situations every day of the week — some tremendously difficult and others not so.

When faced with something new that will greatly impact your life, how do you handle it? Where do you go for help? Who do you call upon to help you or to get another point of view? Really, there is no estab-lished set of rules or list of helps for these types of things. Many peo-ple just don’t know what to do first or where to turn! As Christians, we have the best counselor in the world to seek during these troubling times — our Lord Jesus Christ! He is always “on call” when we need him. His communication lines are open 24 hours a day/7 days a week! You never get a busy signal or an answering machine. How do we get in touch with Him? Through PRAYER! If we just take the time to whisper a few words to Him in prayer, our answer will be on its way. That is what is so powerful about approaching the throne of God. We don’t have to wait and deal with any obstacles. We don’t have to talk to anyone other than Jesus Himself. THANK GOD!

The way this world is moving today, Jesus is really the only one who tells the complete truth and on whom we can rely. Man, even your best friend, might let you down, but JESUS WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!

Whether it is the coronavirus or death in the family, or any other over-whelming situation that you might be facing, just remember that our best source of help is JESUS! Take the time to read your Bible each day and spend some time in prayer talking to Him about your prob-lems. REMEMBER, HE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND AND HE WILL HELP YOU THROUGH ANY SITUATION! God bless all of you!

Stay safe and healthy until the next time —-

Cathy

Have a blessed fall!

THE METHODIST MESSENGER

FAY-WEST COOPERATIVE CHURCHES

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

REASONS AND SEASONS

By Gina Laurin

“To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1

When your burdens heavy laden

from the cares you find in life,

And you cannot find a reason

for your troubles and your strife,

When if feels you go in circles

and at times you walk in place,

And your tears flow like a river

as they each run down your face,

You must know you’re not alone there

in your place of tears and pain,

And the burdens you now carry

are not carried all in vain.

For there’s reasons and there’s seasons

to the mysteries in life,

There’s sowing and there’s growing

through our happiness and strife.

We’re shaped and rearranged

with each burden that we bear,

A hard heart now made softer

one that understands and cares.

And though your pain seems now in vain

on this journey we call life,

Soon you’ll look back and you’ll realize

there were reasons for your strife.

A lesson learned, a different view,

we’re growing all the time,

You need only search within your heart

and a reason you will find.

WATCH FOR THE FALLING

LEAVES OF AUTUMN!

september — october 2020 the methodist messengerbellevernonumc.org/images/202009news.pdf · 2020....

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