July / August 2017

Christ United Church of Christ, 1414 Ligonier Street Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650

Worship Services for July 7/2 - 7/9 - 7/16 - 7/23 - 7/30 Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM

Holy Communion for July will be celebrated on July 9.

Worship Services for August 8/6 Sunday Morning Worship, 11:00 AM, Holy Communion

8/13 Sunday Morning Worship, 11:00 AM— Church Picnic

at Legion Keener Park with covered dish following worship.

8/20 - 8/27 Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM

No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey you are welcome here.

Concerns of the Congregation Please pray for: Edith Bridge, Corinne Bukovac, August Heining, Ava Klug, Zoe Klug, Louisa (Nan) Mattern, Bob and Evelyn Neighly, Betty Newman, Louise Quitko, Kenny Repko, Emily Sautter, Terri Selembo, Jean Sheffler, Judith Short, Mary Ann Sil-laman, Russ Upholster, Reatha Young.

Praying the roll: Everyone on the church roster will have a turn at experiencing the comfort and peace of intentional prayer. We are family . . . .and families pray for one another! Please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers for the entire week. Week of July 2 Scott Dalton, Thomas and Lauren Davis, Sarah Davis Week of July 9 Kayla and Danny Cesare, Lauren DeAngelo, Miranda DeAngelo Week of July 16 Valerie and Riley DeMichele, Donna Dinco, Art Dira Week of July 23 Beverly Dumas, William and Ruth Eversole, Charles and Dorothy Facemyer Week of July 30 Sandra Fircetz, Beverly Fontaine, Richard and Robin Fritz Week of August 6 Bradley Fritz, Melissa Fritz, Pam George Week of August 13 Carol Gerhard; Cathi Gerhard; Michael, Amanda and Mollie Gerhart Week of August 20 David, Colby, Miles and Dean Grasmick; Nicholas, Marcus and Zoe Grasmick; Sandy Gregory; Diana Guy Week of August 27 Barry and Alice Harr, Gus and Alzene Heining, Sherry Heining

Communion Servers for July 9 Elder/Assistant … Rosella Holzer, Don Burd

Deacons/Main Servers . .Don Burd, Loretta Staruk, Elena Sillaman, Art Dira Deacons/Auxillary Server. . . Jim O’Connor

Communion Servers for August 6 Elder/Assistant … Carolyn Stutzman, Loretta Staruk

Deacons/Main Servers . .Loretta Staruk, Elena Sillaman, Jim O’Connor, Art Dira Deacons/Auxillary Server. . . Don Burd

From Your Consistory President

As we continue our search for an interim minister and a Pastor, I will keep you in-formed as to our progress. Please note that Communion for the month of July will take place on July 9, which is the second Sunday of the month. If you are interested in serving on any of the following committees of the church, please let me know. Faith in Formation (Christian Education), Lay Life and Mission, Worship and Music, Long Range Planning or Property and Grounds. The Church Picnic will take place on Sunday, August 13. The worship service will begin at 11:00 AM followed by a pot luck dinner at Legion Keener Park, Timken Pavil-ion. Be sure to mark your calendar and join the fun. If you know of anyone who would like to join the church, please invite them to do so. Or let me know and I will be happy to invite them. We will be taking in new members in the near future. Also, if you notice a visitor in church, please ask them to fill out a visitor card, which can be found in the pews. Lay Readers are needed for Sunday mornings. Look for the sign-up sheet in the Chap-el and sign up for a Sunday when you would like to read. Please remember if you are in need of pastoral care or have any concerns, please do not hesitate to call Caryn Dettling at the church office (724-537-4901) or Rosella Holzer at home (724-537-8077) or at work (724-539-9755 ext. 202) at any time. Rosella Holzer, Consistory President

We Welcome Our New Consistory Members

Judy Holden, Elder; Art Dira and Loretta Staruk, Deacons We also thank our outgoing Consistory members: Sandy Gregory and Dorthy Pau-lovich. Officers for 2017/2018 are Rosella Holzer, President; Carolyn Stutzman, Vice President and Jim O’Connor, Secretary

CHURCH PICNIC - Sunday August 13 Timken Pavilion in Legion Keener Park.

Worship is at 11:00 AM followed by a covered dish lunch.

USHERS LIST - JULY July 2 - Jim and Elena Sillaman July 9 - Marsha Ackerman and Larry Staruk July 16 - Mick Mattern and Judy Holden July 23 - Rich Baker and Art Dira July 30 - Sally Walker and Harvey Noel

USHERS LIST - AUGUST

August 6 - Marsha Ackerman and Larry Staruk August 13 - Jim and Elena Sillaman August 20 - Mick Mattern and Judy Holden August 27 - Rich Baker and Art Dira

GREETERS LIST - JULY July 2 - Jim and Elena Sillaman July 9 - Larry Staruk and Bill Berkey July 16 - July 23 - Harvey Noel and Art Dira July 30 -

GREETERS LIST - AUGUST August 6 - Larry and Loretta Staruk August 14 - and Bill Berkey August 20 - August 27 - and Art Dira

CONTACT US Newsletter Editor, Loretta Staruk - 724-879-8631 - cocoakitty2001@gmail.com

Church Secretary, Caryn Dettling Director of Music, Janice Seigle - 724-995-8396

Church Email: christchurchucc@verizon.net Church Office Phone: 724-537-4901

Christ UCC Website - www.ucclatrobe.org

MINISTERIUM FOOD ITEMS FOR JULY/AUGUST The Greater Latrobe Ministerium asks churches to donate items for the Food Pan-try distributions each month. The needed item for July is baked beans and for August it is instant potatoes. Thank you so much for your generosity. A box is in the sanctuary to collect these items.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED to help with Senior Food Distribution on Tuesdays, July 18 and August 22 at 8:30 AM. Thanks so much for your help as always.

Summer Plans With the return of high temperatures and humidity, it seems summer is here for sure. The Celebration of Pentecost was the last Sunday for the choir to sing before beginning a summer break. The singers worked hard, but we’ve managed to incorporate hearty laughs and fellowship between

learning parts and polishing our anthems. It’s hoped some individuals will be at worship to offer special music over the summer. On July 23 and August 20 (please note: this is a change of date), we’ll introduce ‘Summer Choir:’ an opportunity for regular choir members and anyone else who would like to come for a 10:20 a.m., Sunday morning rehearsal to pre-pare an anthem for that Sunday. Nothing too tricky yet worthy to praise our Lord; and singers can return to the pews after the anthem is presented. Preludes for the summer will include some based on American-bred, simple melodies and one that requires ‘wedges’ between pedals to sustain tones throughout the piece. A Brahms piece My Heart Abounds with Pleasure, is based on a German melody with an espe-cially appropriate text that well expresses what many of us hold in our hearts:

My heart abounds with pleasure in this fair summer time. When God, with fullest measure, renews the world benign.

All earth and all the Heavens doth God with life imbue; All creatures high and lowly, grow beautiful and true.

Soli Deo Gloria Janice Seigle – Director of Music

Want to sing one of your favorite hymns During worship this summer?

Drop a note in the offering plate with the title and hymn number and you may just see it listed in the bulletin sometime soon.

Search Committee Update The Search Committee interviewed candidates for the Interim Minister posi-tion on May 24 and May 30. The position was offered to one of the candi-dates. After visiting and touring the parsonage, he declined the position. His wife felt that the steps in the parsonage would be too difficult for her due to health conditions. After consultation with Rev, David Ackerman, the Penn West Conference Minister, another option was offered for consideration. This offer will be dis-cussed at the July 10 Consistory meeting. In the meantime, the Search Committee met on June 13, June 20 and June 27 to work on the church profile. The profile is a document we are required to complete before the settled min-ister position is posted.

Bienvenue will meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 12:30 PM. On July 5 we will meet at the Olive Garden on Route 30 in Greensburg at which time we will decide where to meet for our August 2 luncheon. The place of the August lunch-eon will be stated in the church announcements. All ladies of the church are welcome.

CHRIST CHURCH’S BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP The next book discussion will be held on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 11:00 AM. The selection is The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Bar-bery. In this novel the lives of fifty-four-year-old concierge Rene Miche and extremely bright, twelve-year-old Paloma Josse are transformed by the arrival of a new tenant, Kakuro Ozu.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Sunday School for Children September 9 will begin the Sunday School program for children ages 5 through 10. Two adults with child clearances will teach the lessons after the children’s sermon. Classes are scheduled for the second Sunday of each month (October 8, Novem-ber 12 and December 10 using the Seasons of the Spirit curriculum. Adult Sunday School is on hiatus until fall. Wednesday Bible Study at 10:00 AM each week continues with their study of “The Twelve Disciples.” Wednesday Evening Bible Study is on hiatus for the summer. They have planned the 4th of July Hot Dog sale as a mission to help the Klug family with medical expenses. Classes will resume September 6 at 6:30 PM with “Faith—Depending on God.” Elena Sillaman, Christian Ed Chair

A Sacred Conversation on Race with the Adult Sunday School Class

Hands up if you want to dialog about race and how it affects our church, commu-nity, and nation! If so, please join us this fall as we engage in this honest conver-sation using the United Church of Christ material White Privilege. This curricu-lum is an effort to allow us to see with new eyes how privilege works. It offers the promise and the possibility that those who commit to engaging in this dia-logue can develop higher degrees of awareness of privilege and its consequences. We all know that there are racial divides in our country. What can we learn by looking at the spiritual autobiographies of others told through the lens of race? This is the beginning of a journey. If we truly believe all are welcome here, we need to honestly focus on who we are and what this means. Jesus said, "Let those who have eyes to see, see." The curriculum is divided into four parts, and each one is designed to help us "see" the world of white privilege and its impact. While there are many tracks ahead on which one might seek to do social justice, this is designed to help us identify some basic truths and lift our awareness as a first step. "Because to be normal is to unquestionably be human, whiteness as the norm brings all other human lives into question." John Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. Honest discussions and searching can only lead us to be a more open and God-filled church. We will prepare resources for as many as express an interest, and you are encouraged to invite anyone from the community of all races and ethnici-ties. It is not necessary to attend every session, but it might be helpful to read over the materials, so you have an understanding of each week's focus. So mark your calendars and join in, beginning September 17 at 9:30 AM tentatively in the conference room.

FLEA MARKET AND USED BOOK SALE

Sign-up sheets will be available on July 30th for the August 19th Flea Market and Book Sale. We will need people to sort books, or-ganize and price flea market items the week of August 14th. On the day of the sale, help will be needed both in the flea market area and at the book sale. The sale begins at 8:00 A.M. and ends at 2:00 P.M. Thank you in advance for your help in making this fund raiser a success.

BABY BOTTLE CAMPAIGN 2017

Due to the resounding success of last year's effort, the Lay Life and Mission Committee has chosen to promote the Life-Way Pregnancy Center in August and September. The center will provide plastic baby bottles for us to take home and fill with loose change or folding money. They will be collected at the end of August (or sooner if they are full).

Life-Way provides life affirming alternatives, pregnancy and parenting support and social/community referrals. An "Earn While You Learn" program allows parents to earn points to buy needed nursery supplies. Supporting this agency is our way of reaching out to young families in our own community. Expect to see the baby bottles in August.

GREATER LATROBE CARING PROGRAM

Each summer, the Lay Life and Mission Committee requests donations of sweat shirts, sweat pants, shorts and t-shirts to restock supplies in local schools. The schools require that these items be “logo” free or “plain.” Students, at times, have an emergency need for clothing due to accidents of many types during the school day. Monetary gifts are also welcome.

THANK YOU to all of those who donated, prepared food and/or helped serve at the June soup and salad bar. Because of you, $355 was collected and will be used for missions in the church, in the community and throughout the world.

Everyone is Welcome

Emmaus is for the development of Christian disciples who wish to strengthen their spiritual lives. Hopefully you are committed to the lordship of Christ and you may understand that be-ing a Christian involves responsibility. Yet you may have unanswered questions about prayer, study and sharing your faith. No matter where you are in your relationship with Christ, the Walk to Emmaus is a safe retreat where you will find a community of friends who are seek-ing a deeper understanding of their faith. Come and grow your faith with us.

We invite you to join in a refreshing, exciting, and joyous weekend spent meeting Jesus as He comes to you through other Christians.

The Men's Walk is scheduled for October 12-15, 2017 and the Women's Walk is scheduled for October 19-22, 2017. The deadline for Sponsorship is September 1, 2017 - submissions are being accepted now. Both Walks will be held at: Mt. Chestnut Nazarene Camp in Butler, Pa.

Do not worry if you feel that you don’t know enough about religion or its foundations. If you go with an open mind and an open heart, you will TOTALLY enjoy this wonderful, spiritual enlightenment.

THE EMMAUS COMMA CLUB REUNION GROUP will meet on the third Sunday of each month from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM in the Conference Room. (In July, we will meet on the 16th and in August we will meet on the 20th.)

ARTICLES FOR THE SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER ARE DUE ON AUGUST 16.

Please send to cocoakitty2001@gmail.com or give to Loretta Staruk Thanks so much.

July 2017 Prayer Calendar

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Lord, you are to be blessed and praised; all good things come from you: you are in our words and in our thoughts, and in all that we do. Amen. --St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

1 Give thanks for those who donate blood.

2 Pray for all those in need of blood.

3 Pray for members of the armed forces and their families.

4 Independence Day

Give thanks for your freedom.

5 Thank God for health technicians and

radiologists.

6 Thank God for the skills of surgeons and anesthetists.

7 Thank God for chemists, pharmacists and the healing power of medicines.

8 Thank God for ambulance drivers and EMTs.

9 Ask God to watch over all who travel this summer.

10 Thank God for the skill and caring of nurses.

11 Pray for those who are hungry.

12 Thank God for physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

13 Praise God for the faithful support of our mission projects.

14 Pray for those who suffer with disabilities.

15 Ask God for help in forgiving others.

16 Thank God for the knowledge of doctors and specialists.

17 Pray for those with chronic diseases.

18 Thank God for hospital chaplains.

19 Thank God for hospital administrative staff, orderlies and porters.

20 Thank God for hospital social workers.

21 Pray for those with poor housing.

22 Thank God for the fun of traveling.

23 Pray for our country and our leaders.

24 Pray for God’s blessing on hospices and hospice workers.

25 Pray for people with autoimmune diseases.

26 Pray for those who have suffered deep loss.

27 Pray for those who face lifelong pain or disease.

28 Pray for those who are nursing a sick parent, partner or child.

29 Pray for search and rescue workers.

30 Pray for those with anxiety disorders.

31 Pray for new believers.

O God, let me not interrupt you with my chatter. Let me listen, rather, to your still, small voice. --Geddes MacGregor

August 2017 Prayer Calendar

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Almighty God and Father, help us to be still in your presence, that we may know ourselves to be your people, and you to be our God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. -From New Every Morning

1 Thank God for the ability to hear sounds, music and voices.

2 Pray for those who cannot hear the sounds of life.

3 Pray for those who work with the deaf.

4 Pray for those who are awaiting trial.

5 Remember families of prisoners.

6 Pray for those who support prisoner’s families.

7 Pray for those who are in prison.

8 Pray for those convicted of crime.

9 Pray for the innocent who are imprisoned.

10 Give thanks for those who have devised laws upon which our security depends.

11 Pray for those who administer justice.

12 Pray for the police forces that uphold the law and detect crime.

13 Christ Church Picnic – give thanks for the opportunity to relax and enjoy!

14 Thank God for the fruits and vegetables that help sustain us.

15 Pray for people faced with difficult decisions today.

16 Thank God for those who serve on church committees.

17 Pray for those who work in prisons.

18 Pray for probation officers.

19 Give thanks for those who have the welfare of prisoners at heart.

20 Praise God for the amazing universe.

21 Pray for victims of disasters.

22 Pray for those who find life too much for them.

23 Pray for those with poor housing.

24 Ask God to bless the work of our church.

25 Ask God to lead us in ways of justice and peace.

26 Pray for those who live in places of conflict in the world.

27 Praise God for the sun and warmth of summer.

28 Pray for students and teachers.

29 Pray for school bus drivers.

30 Pray for the support staff in schools.

31 Thank God for the hope we have in Christ.

Creator of the universe, watch over us and keep us in the light of your presence.

Mission Statement: To reflect Christ’s love in everything we do

Vision Statement: Not our will, but God’s

July 2017 Church Calendar

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

11:00 AM

Worship

3

4

Independence

Day

Church Office

Closed

5

10:00 AM Bible

Study

12:30 PM Bienvenue

at Olive Garden

6

7

8

9

11:00 AM

Worship

Holy

Communion

10

6:30 PM

Consistory

11

11:00 AM

Book

Discussion

6:30 PM Lay

Life & Mission

12

10:00 AM Bible

Study

13

14

15

16

11:00 AM

Worship

12:30 PM

Emmaus

Comma Club

Reunion Group

17

18

8:30 AM

Senior Food

Bank

19

10:00 AM Bible

Study

20

7:00 PM Bell

Choir

21

22

23

10:20 AM

Summer Choir

11:00 AM

Worship

24

25

26

10:00 AM Bible

Study

27

28

29

30

11:00 AM

Worship

31

August 2017 Church Calendar

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

10:00 AM Bible Study

12:30 PM Bienvenue

3

4

Wedding

Rehearsal

5

Wedding

6

11:00 AM

Worship

Holy

Communion

7

6:30 PM Lay Life 8

9

10:00 AM Bible Study

10

11

12

13

Church Picnic

11:00 AM

Worship

Followed by

covered dish

14

6:30 PM

Consistory

15

16

10:00 AM Bible Study 17

18

19

8:00 AM to

2:00 PM Flea

Market and

Book Sale

20

10:20 AM

Summer Choir

11:00 AM

Worship

12:30 PM

Emmaus

Comma Club

Reunion Group

21

22

8:30 AM

Senior Food

Distribution

23 10:00 AM Bible Study

24 7:00 PM

Bells

25

26

27

11:00 AM

Worship

28

29

30

10:00 AM Bible Study 31