HILLTOP HERALD JANUARY 2015

Deacons:

Patti Milsom, Chairperson

Kathleen Sokol, Co-chairperson

Linda Carlen

Gwen Davidson

Carol Henson

Sally Lickovich

Tricia Luebbe, Secretary

Nancy Rossi

JoAnn Sanders

Cathy Scott

Robert Shaffer

Tracy Spiegel

Jim Strand

Bob Weber

Leadership of Union Church Session:

Sally Andrews Stated Clerk

Scott Davis Outreach/Mission

Connie Rippole Administrative Support Team

Cheri Bittner Discipleship

Jim Hall Fellowship

Gail Jackson Childcare Committee

Rob Rossi Finance Team

Carol DiClemente Nominating Team

Jake Phillips Worship Team

Trustees:

Don Jukes, President

Bob Winning, VP

Tom Connell

Clyde English

Mary McNavish

John Miles

Union Church Staff Billy Younger Lead Pastor

Joshua Hjemvick Pastoral Assistant of Youth & Families

Monica Laughery Administrative Assistant

Matt Robles Assistant Director of Youth & Family Ministries

Lisa Berger Director of Children’s Ministries

John M. Seybert Director of Music Ministries

Sue Strunk Organist

Sarah Shaffer Treasurer

George Shumek Financial Secretary

Anne Burke Childcare Director

Carl Reed Sexton

Sally Andrews Pastoral Care Coordinator

Mimi Massucci Wedding Coordinator

Sue Shumek New Member Coordinator

Mark Trautman Cemetery

Youth Ministries (Grades 6-12) Building authentic faith that the students of Union Church can carry on to college and beyond.

Youth Group meets on Wednesday from 7PM-9PM during the school year.

In response to the gospel, we will love God, love one another, and love the world by making disciples of Jesus Christ.

discipleSHIP Children’s Ministries During the 9:15AM Worship Service, EXCEPT on the 1st Sunday of every month. Sign in at the discipleSHIP area in

Fellowship Hall:

Preschool (age 3-5) learns “God Made Me, God Loves Me, God is Always With Me”.

Children (K-grade 5) creatively get to know God through Bible teachings built around monthly virtues or characteristics of God.

Nursery care is available in the upper level of the Christian Education Building: 9:15AM Service for infants-age 3; 11AM Service

for infants-age 5. NOTICE: First Sunday of the month, nursery care is available at both services for infants-age 5.

HILLTOP HERALD

I hope everyone at Union had an enjoyable Christmas holiday celebrating the birth our Lord and Savior. As

we head into 2015, with all of its hope and promise, I thought I’d provide an update from the Capital

Campaign Committee on our progress so far and detail the next steps that will be taken.

I am happy to report that we have received 63 pledges so far and, combined with previous donations along

with the pre-existing Elevator Fund, we have commitments totaling $800,000!!! That is tremendous progress

toward the goal of $1.3 million. We still have some work to do, though. In addition to the $1.3 million goal,

we also have a goal of receiving pledges from at least 120 of our 200 families at Union. We are just over

halfway there. These remaining 57 pledges will be crucial in helping to reach our goal. Remember any

amount that you commit to the effort makes a big difference down the road. Tax refunds will be coming in

the next few months. Maybe a portion can be earmarked for the Capital Campaign Fund?

The committee has decided that the Campaign will continue until March 31st. At that point we will meet with

the architect to determine what can be accomplished with the funds raised/committed. That is why it is so

important that you make your pledge before March 31st. After that, we will limit the scope of the project to

fit the funds available. The goal is to begin construction sometime in 2015.

As a reminder, the project includes:

Closing the tunnel entranceway and building a new three-story entrance to the left of the tunnel

Air-conditioning the sanctuary

An elevator to provide access to the sanctuary/balcony and fellowship hall for those who cannot climb

the steps

If you haven’t yet seen the video of the new addition and elevator, check it out on the computer in

fellowship hall some Sunday or on the Union website at www.unionpresbychurch.org

For those that have already made a pledge, we thank you deeply for making a commitment to the future of

Union Presbyterian Church. For those still considering their contribution, a pledge card and envelope is

available at the information desk or by contacting Monica in the church office.

The Capital Campaign Committee asks that your prayerfully consider participating in this project to make

our church accessible, comfortable and inviting to all who may come through our doors now and 100 years

from now.

Yours in Christ,

The Capital Campaign Committee

UNION CHURCH 6165 Steubenville Pike McKees Rocks Pennsylvania 15136

phone 412-787-1818 fax 412-787-8126 www.unionpresbychurch.org

HILLTOP HERALD JANUARY CALENDAR 2015

Youth and Family Ministries

KALAHARI

Combined Youth Group Event

Come join us for an overnight to the greatest indoor water park–

KALAHARI! We will head out Friday, January 30th at 4pm and will

be back home Saturday, January 31st at 6pm. It will be a day you

won’t want to miss.

A $50 non-refundable payment is due by January 11th. There are

limited spots for this trip, so be sure to pay early to secure your

spot.

Additional monies will be necessary for breakfast and lunch on

Saturday (pizza on Friday will be provided).

If you have any question please feel free to contact Josh or Matt

Surf City offers middle school students the

opportunity to get out of the city, make some new

friends, tube, wave run, swim, climb sand dunes,

enjoy a really big lake, and most importantly examine

faith in Jesus Christ.

Registration for this trip is open from now until May

1st. Spots are limited, so reserve your spot now with

a $50 non-refundable deposit.

Trip Details:

Date: July 26-July 31, 2015

Cost: $410/person

This summer, our high school students will be

traveling to Omaha, Nebraska to serve with Christ For

the City International! The Urban Plunge program

invites students to experience ministry in the inner

city. Our students will visit seven to ten different

ministries throughout their week together. Ministry

service includes visiting the jail, feeding the homeless,

helping to sort and hand out clothes, and love

children in need, amongst many others. Urban

Plunge. Love God. Love People.

Registration for this trip is open from now until

May 1st. Spots are limited, so reserve your spot

now with a $50 non-refundable deposit.

Trip Details:

Date: June 27-July 4, 2015

Cost: $250/person

If you have any additional

questions, don’t hesitate to call

the youth and family ministry

office at 412-787-1818

Urban Plunge Omaha, NE, Students in grades 9-12

12 6:30pm Childcare Committee Meeting in Anne’s Office

7pm AST Meeting in Lounge

7pm Finance Committee Meeting in Noble House, dining room

7pm Outreach (Mission) Meeting in Noble House, living room

13 9am Quilters

6pm Discipleship Committee Meeting in Lounge

6pm Food Pantry open in Fellowship Hall

14 7pm Nominating Committee Meeting in Noble House

7-9pm Union Youth Group (Grades 6-12)

15 6:30pm Bell Choir Rehearsal + 7:30-8:45pm Choir Rehearsal

17 9:30-11am Trustees Meeting in Lounge

7pm AA Meeting in Fellowship Hall

18 9:15am Contemporary Service with discipleSHIP Children’s Ministries

9:30am Adult Bible Study in Lounge

10:15-11:30am Confirmation Class

11am Traditional Worship Service with Baptism and Nursery care for infants thru age 5

19 9am Knitters & Crocheters in Lounge

20 9am Quilters

7pm Deacons Meeting in Lounge

21 7-9pm Union Youth Group (Grades 6-12)

22 6:30pm Bell Choir Rehearsal + 7:30-8:45pm Choir Rehearsal

24 7pm AA Meeting in Fellowship Hall

25 9:15am Contemporary Service with discipleSHIP Children’s Ministries

9:30am Adult Bible Study in Lounge

10:15-11:30am Confirmation Class

11am Traditional Worship Service w/nursery care for infants thru age 5

6:30-8pm Adult evening Bible Study in Noble House

26 7pm Session Meeting in Noble House

27 9am Quilters

12:30pm Presbyterian Women Bible Study in Lounge

28 7-9pm Union Youth Group (Grades 6-12)

29 6:30pm Bell Choir Rehearsal + 7:30-8:45pm Choir Rehearsal

30 KALAHARI Union Youth Group (Grades 6-12) overnighter; depart Union at 4pm

31 6pm Union Youth Group (Grades 6-12) returns from Kalahari Resort overnighter

7pm AA Meeting in Fellowship Hall

Feb. 1 SOUPERBOWL OF CARING

9:15am Contemporary Communion Service w/ dismissal of children for discipleSHIP Children’s Music Program

9:30am Adult Bible Study in Lounge

10:15-11:30am Confirmation Class

11am Traditional Communion Worship Service w/nursery care for infants thru age 5

2 9am Knitters and Crocheters in Lounge

6pm Discipleship Committee Meeting in Lounge

7pm Worship Committee Meeting in Noble House

3 9am Quilters

7pm Fellowship Committee Meeting in Fellowship Hall

4 7-9pm Union Youth Group (Grades 6-12)

5 6:30-7:30pm Bell Choir Rehearsal + 7:30-8:45pm Choir Rehearsal

Surf City, Students in grades 6-8

HILLTOP HERALD JANUARY 2015

DEACONS

A new year brings about a chance for wonderful changes and inspiration in our lives. The lives of your Deacons has been

a very busy one. . .

The Food Pantry served around 35 families for Christmas Dinner including a large fresh ham for each. We also received a

very generous donation of 45 boxes from Giant Eagle. A special Thank You to Ron Schmidt! We also want to thank our

congregation for the many, many winter coat donations. You are keeping so many families warm this winter.

The Union Church Deacon family is happy to welcome 3 new Deacons: Gwen Davidson, Tracy Spiegel, and Cathy Scott.

So hard to say goodbye to those Deacons leaving! We have been so blessed with many hard working people!

Just a New Year reminder..... Your Deacons are here to help in any way we can.

Many Prayers, Patti Milsom

CHILDREN OF UNION CHURCH

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN NEWS

Throughout the 2015 year I want the news of PW here at Union to inform you about things that are happening among

the women at Union Presbyterian Church, in the Pittsburgh Presbytery and across the United States. The work of our

women’s group is explained by the purpose printed at the end of this article. At Union Church there has been some sort

of a women’s group since1880. The women came together to provide education about and aid to our missionaries in the

church. The early group was called the Women’s Missionary Society and worked diligently to carry the message of Christ

to many parts of the world as well as studying the Bible in women’s groups (known as circles in years past). For more

information about the beginning of the Presbyterian Women’s group read the “red history book”.

A hands on sewing project this year is making “sani panties” for girls in Africa. As we wrote in the last Hilltop Herald this

may not be as creative or pretty as the little dresses were last year but this is a need that needs filled. Many girls in

underdeveloped countries skip school many days during their menstrual cycle. Lack of sanitary products, taboos on

becoming women, and ignorance of those around them make life difficult for girls as they reach puberty. Join us on

Friday, January 16th

or Saturday, January 17th

from 9:30 until 1 to work together to create this gift for girls. We will have

patterns and some material. Please bring you sewing machine if possible. Check the bulletin board by the kitchen for

information and if necessary weather may cause a change.

For your information the Presbyterian Women in the Pittsburgh area have distributed $6000 to 12 different mission group

in the Pittsburgh.

OUR PURPOSE

Forgiven and freed by God in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves:

to nurture our faith through prayer and Bible study,

to support the mission of the church worldwide,

to work for justice and peace and

to build an inclusive, caring community of women

that strengthens the Presbyterian Church (USA)

and witnesses to the promise of God’s Kingdom

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT . . .

. . . As we begin a new year. Read-Smile-and consider these suggestions:

HOW TO STAY SAFE IN THE WORLD TODAY

Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.

Do not stay at home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home.

Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.

Avoid traveling via air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.

Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in hospitals. So….above all else avoid hospitals!

HOWEVER... You will be pleased to know that only .001% of all deaths occur at worship services in church, and these

usually relate to previous disorders...Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place to be at any given time is at church.

AND..Bible study is safe too. The percentage of deaths during Bible study is even less.

SO FOR SAFETY’S SAKE…. Attend church and read your Bible. It could save your life!

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”

Psalm 96:1 NIV

I pray this message finds you and your family well and enjoying the New Year! I am writing to invite you and your child to

get involved with a new discipleSHIP Children’s Music Program that we are offering this year. You will note in the church

bulletin each week there will be a specific time during the 9:15 a.m. service for Children’s Music.

Music is a gift from God! It is also a significant aspect of our worship and our children’s lives. As a former elementary and

secondary music educator that currently works with pre-service and experienced music teachers, I believe that music

should be nurtured in all individuals, as a life-enhancing experience, not only for those gifted with musical aptitude. The

Union Church Children’s Music Program provides an opportunity for children to learn to sing and play instruments. Each

week our curriculum will be based on a Biblical theme that incorporates Kodály and Orff-Schulwerk methodologies in

order to teach music performance, composition, and improvisation skills. The children will be involved in the 9:15 a.m.

and 11:00 a.m. services at the beginning of each month and special services throughout the spring (e.g., Palm Sunday,

Easter, and Mother’s Day).

I hope that you will consider involving your child in this special musical experience each week. You might also invite

friends and family members to join us. This is an excellent opportunity to involve our community as we joyfully Praise the

Lord! I look forward to serving with you and your child this year.

May God bless you!

Yours in Christ,

Dr. John M. Seybert

Director of Music Ministries

discipleSHIP Children’s Ministries Lisa Berger

Director of Children’s Ministries

HILLTOP HERALD JANUARY 2015

CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES, CONT.

Week Three is Talk. We can actually get to know God better by talking about Him with others. But this isn’t

just about talking about Jesus with people who don’t know Him yet. There’s also another important aspect

of talking about God. As kids process their growing faith, they will have questions and doubts. We want kids

to know that they can talk about God and work through their questions with others who also believe in

Jesus. We’ll spend time in Matthew 16:13-20 and look at the moment when Peter declared what he believed

about Jesus in front of all the disciples.

Our Bottom Line is: Practice talking about God. We can all share our story of faith with confidence

knowing that Jesus is who He said He is.

As we unpack these faith skills, we’re giving kids an opportunity to develop these skills over time so when

they grow older, they will understand what it means to be the church, and understand how to work, live,

and move in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

I can’t wait to see what God will do in the lives of kids and families this month as we commit to practice our

faith and grow in our relationship with God.

Lisa Berger

Director of Children's Ministries

UNION CHURCH CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

6165 STEUBENVILLE P IKE

McKEES ROCKS PA 15136 Phone : 412 -787 -1818

Have you never had to endure a child learning to play the clarinet? It’s pretty awful. It sounds more like a

person strangling a duck than anything close to actual music. However, that goes with any musical

instrument, doesn’t it? To become great at playing an instrument, you need to practice … to rehearse. You

need to commit to sticking with it even when you don’t feel like it.

Maybe you’re not really a “music person.” Maybe your interest involves the soccer field or basketball court.

Maybe you find yourself at home on the stage acting or dancing. Whatever your “thing,” you know firsthand

that in order to get better—to master your sport or hone your craft—you have to put in the work and

practice, practice, practice.

The same is also true for faith. It takes practice to grow and mature in your relationship with God. It takes

commitment. That’s why we’re spending the whole month of January to discover how commitment can

show up in our lives as we practice our faith.

Commitment is making a plan and putting it into practice.

If we want to know God better, we need to practice our faith. But practicing isn’t something that comes

naturally to any of us. That’s why we need a plan. And the best place to start is with spiritual disciplines; or

what we call, “faith skills.”

Each week this month, we’ll focus on one faith skill as we talk about making a plan and putting it into

practice. We will learn to HEAR, PRAY and TALK.

In Week One, we’ll look at the word Hear. We want kids to learn how to hear from God as they listen to

what Jesus said, listen to God’s Word, and His Holy Spirit. For the first week of commitment, kids will focus

on navigating and personalizing Scripture as they look at the familiar parable of the wise and foolish

builders found in Matthew 7:24-27.

Our Bottom Line is: Practice hearing what God says. We can’t do what God says until we know what

God says, and that begins with listening to God.

For Week Two, we’ll discover more about what it means to Pray. We want kids to understand that praying is

an important part of growing in their faith. They can pray knowing that God knows them and wants to hear

from them. They can pray with gratitude and honesty; pray for their needs and for forgiveness. They can

pray anytime, anywhere because God is always listening. That’s why we’ll look more closely at Luke 11:1-4

and the way Jesus taught His followers how to pray in the Lord’s Prayer.

Our Bottom Line is: Practice praying to God. We hope kids will come to believe that they can share

anything with God. There’s nothing too big or too small for Him to handle.

Summer JAM

2015

SAVE THE DATE!

JUNE 22-26