JAN MESSENGER

Volume XIII

January 2008

The Messenger

“THOUGHT STARTER”

The new year is a time to reflect and celebrate. It is a time to think about where we have been, where we are, and where we would like to be as individuals and as the church. My family and I are excited that God has brought us to this new beginning at Clen-Moore Presbyterian Church. It is a time of joy, excitement, nerves, and anticipation for Clen-Moore and our family.

Looking back over the last twelve months we have many things for which to be thankful. I would like to thank the Pastor Nominating Committee for all their hard work and hospitality. They did an excellent job representing Clen-Moore and reaching out to us while we were in transition between Atlanta and New Castle. Bill Meyer has done a great job as Interim preparing the way for a new pastor. For all that he has done, I am grateful.

We are excited about what is ahead of us. God is never boring and is always surprising those who follow him. The Spirit is active in New Castle and Clen-Moore. I have no doubt there will be challenges, there always are, but God is faithful. As I begin my time at Clen-Moore, I would ask that you pray for me; that God would give me wisdom, courage and keep me humble. I ask that you would pray for my family as well, my wife Karen and our daughters Emma and Noelle while they are still in Atlanta. They will come to New Castle once we have a contract on our house, hopefully soon!

January is the time for new beginnings, to make resolutions for the coming year. Let us resolve to follow the baby out of the manger, to serve him in the world and each other with love and grace.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Chris Weichman

Attendance

Sunday
School 10:30

December 2                  101                     184
December 9                    96                     151
December 16                  64                     125
December 23                112                     167
December 24                306 (Christmas Eve Service)
December 30                108                    181

Mission Payments

The Session approved to send mission payments on a monthly basis. For the month of December, we sent support to the following missions:

World Mission Initiative        $1,000
Witnessing Ministries              $1,000
Sabineta de Yasica Church     $6,500
Christian Academy                  $1,000
United Word Missions            $1,000

Per Capita Apportionment

The 2008 Per Capita Apportionment for each church member is $24.99. The breakdown of that amount is as follows:

Presbytery of Shenango $ 17.20
Synod of the Trinity $ 2.00
General Assembly $ 5.79

If possible, we ask that each member pay their own Per Capita to the church treasurer by January 31, 2008.

Inter-Church Food Bank

(Info from 2 Food Bank programs)

During October, there were 190 visits for a total of 448 individuals being served.

Needed for January: sauerkraut, macaroni & cheese, hamburger helper, coffee, canned soup, crackers.

Thank Offering Update

Thank Offering Sunday was observed on November 18^th with women of the congregation leading us in worship. Dr. Mark Meyer was our guest speaker. The total received for Thank Offering was $3,060.00 and the Presbyterian Women thank you!

11 Hannah Donaldson

13 Rebecca Campbell

14 Victor Duffy

15 Cheyanne Singer

15 Bella Tinstman

20 Michael Giardina

20 Tyler Sauter

21 Ethan Hamill

21 Zane Hamill

24 Ashley Kemp

29 Austin Browne

31 Zachary Hoxworth

Greeters for January

January 6: Narthex: Larry & Janet Verone
Circle Drive: Lenny Wilson

January 13: Narthex: Ed & Jane Van Dusen
Circle Drive: Yvonne & Glenn Klingensmith

January 20: Narthex: Don & Bev Nicolls
Circle Drive: Henry & Winnie Barkley

January 27: Narthex: Ray & Gail Keffer
Circle Drive: Denny Richards

Prayer Chain

Anyone who wants to be a member of the prayer chain or has a prayer request, call June DeEulio (724-654-3305) or Marge McConnell (724-654-1377).

Nursery Schedule

Infant

January 6: Marjorie Plyler

January 13: Joan Rapp

January 20: Renee Phillips

January 27: Help Needed/Call Office

2/3 Year Olds & 2nd Hr. Kindergarten

January 6: Nancy Natale

January 13: Help Needed/Call Office

January 20: Jen Conrad

January 27: Help Needed/Call Office

Children’s Worship

Leaders to be announced

Stretch and Relaxation Class

Stretch and Relaxation Classes… continue on Tuesday afternoons from 1:30-2:30 p.m,. in the Assembly Room. Sharon Esposito begins the hour with a time of devotion to which we all can relate. Then, Andrea Lamb gently guides women of all ages and abilities to listen to their bodies and find a comfortable level of flexibility along with stress-reducing movements. Treat yourself and join us, you’ll be glad you did! Childcare is available upon request.

Scrapbooking Workshop

Did you make a New Year’s resolution to get organized? Why not start with your photos? You have a wonderful opportunity at our church on Thursday evenings from 6-9 p.m. Denise Gerber, a Creative Memories consultant, continues to guide this workshop aimed at getting life memories together in albums. You (and anyone else who would enjoy this) are welcome to join in at anytime. Bring your pictures, any supplies you already have and come see what it’s all about! Denise will also have products available if you need them. Dianne DeEulio leads a weekly devotional.

Attention Session members!!!

Outgoing members of Session are asked to please leave their session manuals after the January 15^th meeting, or return them to the church office.

Join in a local AIDS Caregiver Kit Build!

Local volunteers throughout Africa provide physical and emotional support to those living with HIV/AIDS. Yet many of these courageous caregivers lack the basic supplies they need to safely and effectively minister to the sick and dying. Caregiver kits offer necessary resources, hope, and encouragement to those on the front lines of the AIDS pandemic. Each kit contains basic supplies to help caregivers live out their call to show Christ’s love to people suffering from AIDS. For more information visit…www.worldvision.org/carekits

These kits will be prepared on Saturday, January 19^th from 10 a.m. -12 noon at First Presbyterian Church, 125 N. Jefferson Street.

If you or your family are interested in participating in this event, call the church office (724-654-6657) or see Sue McFarland.

Hospital Privacy Act Requirements

Because of the hospital’s privacy act regarding patients, the church office is unable to call and ask who has been admitted.

We are asking family members and friends to let us know when a Clen-Moore member is hospitalized.

Mary Circle

Date: January 10, 2008

Time: 9:30 a.m. Place: Parlor

(More info to come in church bulletin.)

“Penny Power” Penny Carnival

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 21^st, we will be a host site for the Americore and I Care House event “Penny Power” Penny Carnival. The event will run from 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

Elementary children in grades 1-4 are invited to engage in a service project so that their “day off” can become an opportunity to help their community. And secondly, they learn about the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

There will be games (that cost a penny to play), activities, prizes and food. All proceeds are donated to local needy families to help pay their gas bills.

Volunteer help, food and monetary donations are needed. If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact Nicole Filyo at 724-738-CARE or vial email at nmf2477@sru.ed.

Annual Congregational Meeting
with Lunch

The annual congregational meeting will be Sunday, January 27, 2008 following the 10:30 a.m. service. Lunch will be held in the Assembly Room afterwards. A free-will offering will be received for the lunch.

Memorial Fund Contributions

Thanks to the following for their gifts to the Memorial Fund:

In memory of William L. Nesbitt Sr.’s 2 year anniversary of his death by: Loretta Nesbitt

In memory of Bill Belknap by: Robert & Eileen Koslow

In memory of Bill Belknap by: Donald Victor

The Upper Room Coffeehouse

Have you visited the coffeehouse? Located on the third floor, right off the elevator you will find a wonderful new place to invite friends and family.

Come before Sunday School or prior to the worship service. Sit and enjoy a cup of your favorite coffee, hot tea or hot cocoa (for FREE) while relaxing, enjoying fellowship and listening to Christian music. “To-go” cups are also available.

Times of operation are Sunday mornings 8:30-10:15 a.m.

Pre-School Department

As Jesus said in Mark 10:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Teachers, Becky Reese, Nancy Natale, Barbara VanHorn, and Karen Oliphant, invite children ages two through Pre-K to join the Pre-School Department to learn God’s word. The curriculum, “The ABC’s of the Bible,” consists of a Bible story, scripture, coloring page, singing and prayer. After Sunday School, the children are welcome to stay and play during the church service. Please come and join us this Sunday!

Primary Department

Primary Sunday School includes children in grades K-3. We use the David C. Cook Sunday School Curriculum, which teaches age appropriate biblical stories relating them to childrens’ lives today. It is a fun and exciting curriculum, full of hands on activities and interactive lessons, that is sure to build your child’s faith journey. Many times throughout the year, the children are invited to participate in musical programs during the regular church service.

Marie Meyers, Amy Allshouse, Margie Tintsman, Jennifer Conrad, and Nancy Book are the current teachers. We open our class with music and singing, followed by departmentalized lesson time beginning at 9:15 a.m.

We enjoy seeing our faithful students each week and look forward to meeting new ones! We hope to see your child Sunday morning!

Junior Department

This Sunday School class consists of grades 4 to 6 with Cassy Fullwood and Debbie Caparoula as the teachers. Bibles are very important to us and are required in class every Sunday. Bibles can be provided for those who do not have their own. The kids are rewarded with a special breakfast for bringing their Bibles 3 consecutive weeks.

We study the books of the Bible and where they are located (Old and New testament) and look up scripture verses. We also learn about the disciples of Jesus. As each of the seasons approach, we focus our studies on Lent and Advent. An exciting way of reviewing our lessons is when we play games such as Bible Trivia, Bible Blurt and Bible Pictionary.

Come join us for a Sunday morning full of fun learning about Jesus!

Teens Department

Amy Plyler leads teens in grades 7 to 12. They meet every Sunday morning on the 3^rd floor of the church at 9:15 A.M. The morning usually begins with a stop in the coffee house for a hot beverage, then discussion on various topics and what the Bible has to say about it follows. All are welcome in January as we talk about prayer and what it means to have “Conversations with God.”

If you have any questions or would like more information, please call Sue McFarland at (724) 654-6657

Session Hospital Visitation

January 6: Valerie Measel & Nancy Grissett

January 13: Dave Esposito & Betty Alborn

January 20: Debbie Book & John Karmecy

January 27: Lou Hill & Barb Harper

Deacon for January

Marge Wilson

PW Spring Gathering

Thursday, April 20, 2006

9:00 a.m.

Slippery Rock Presbyterian Church

258 Slippery Rock Drive

Ellwood City, PA 16117

Please come and join other Presbyterian women for a day of fellowship and inspiration! Registration begins at 9:00 a.m., singing begins at 9:25 a.m., lunch is at Noon and the day ends at 3:00 p.m.

The guest speaker is The Rev. Carmen Cox-Harwell, Synod of the Trinity Representative. She is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and associate pastor of Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. A graduate of Pittsburgh Seminary, she serves the Presbytery, Synod of the Trinity, and National Church. You can’t help but smile when in the presence of this dynamic personality!

We will collect articles for Westminster Highlands, including paper towels, toilet paper, table napkins, dish towels, dish soap, brooms, hot cocoa, jelly, peanut butter, etc.

We continue to collect new greeting cards for Mercer County Regional Correctional Facility. Please be sure the cards are clean, unused, and have envelopes. Check that your address is nowhere on the cards! Used stamps are still being collected also.

Lunch Reservation

Cost $5.00

Due before April 13, 2006

Make check payable to PW in Shenango and return this form to:

Vickie White

4046 Hazen Street

New Castle, PA 16101

Reminder

Annual Reports are due January 11th

Thank You’s

Dear Caring Friends:

Thank you so much for the food you provided our family after the birth of Nora. The food was delicious and plentiful. It was very much appreciated and helped to make our first days home with Nora more peaceful. May God bless your ministry.

In Christ’s Love, The Ball Family

Dear Clen-Moore Church Family:

Thank you all for your prayers, cards and well wishes both before and after the birth of Nora. We really appreciate you thinking of us during this special time in our life. May God bless and keep you all.

In Christ’s Love, The Ball Family

To the Loving People of Clen-Moore:

I thank each of you for your loving prayers, kindness and concern during my hospital stay and recuperation. I still need prayer for strength to get out and about. Thank you and may God bless each of you.

Sincerely, Grace McClymonds

The Clen-Moore Care Givers are just that! I appreciate the beautiful poinsettia and the delicious banana bread. My room looks very festive with the red plant.

Thank you, Mildred Wiley

I would like to thank Lou Hill and his Crew, Bob and Donny McFarland and Tom Rapp, for the delicious “Happy Birthday Jesus” breakfast. A big thank you to Sue McFarland and Becky Reese for all your help. I would also like to thank anyone who helped in any way.

Lynda Bloise

Our sincere thanks to all who baked pies, made financial contributions, or helped in any way to make the 2007 Clen-Moore Community Christmas Dinner a huge success. In spite of the weather outside, approximately 300 folks enjoyed the delicious dinner and great fellowship together in the assembly room. May we continue to be “blessed to be a blessing” in the New Year.

Nominating/Service Committee

Dear Clen-Moore Church:

Your Christmas dinner was the best one Clen-Moore ever had! It was wonderful!

Mr. Ubry

We would like to sincerely thank Susan McFarland for all of her hard work and new ideas. It has been a fun and wonderful learning experience, participating with you. Looking forward to more congregational participation this year.

Supporting you 100%, The Duffy Family

Baptisms

The following children were baptized on Sunday, December 23^rd:

Shane Thomas, born 11-8-01 and Shannon Lina, born 5-20-04, son & daughter of John & Erika McConahy.

Deaths

We commend to the comfort of the spirit of God: Alfred Kegarise (brother of Dale Kegarise) and James Garberry

Dear Caring Friends:

Thank you so much for the soup, cookies, rolls and the piece of cake celebrating Ruth Houston’s 95^th birthday. Also the visit with my friend, Ruth Ketzel.

Sincerely, Betty Eisenhuth

The Missional Church at Clen-Moore Presbyterian

The Missional Mindset

Church

The missional church thinks of itself as a community of those who love God and "who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

	It is not a particular denomination. Any collection of God's people who act in concert together in fulfillment of God's purpose, regardless of the standards and requirements of their organization, is a missional church.
	It is not a physical location. Picturing the church as the building where people congregate is neither emblematic of God's people nor testimony of God's purpose.
	It is not a dispenser of religious goods and services. It is not a fraternal organization or a social club where members see themselves as dues payers whose individual needs must be met.
	It is not the personality of the pastor. The missional church exists because its members love God and are called to fulfill God's purpose. Its existence has nothing to do with the popularity of the person in the pulpit.

The missional church sees itself as identified and defined by its relationship with God and not by its organization, the building it occupies, the quality of its services, or the charisma of its clergy.

Clergy

Ordained clergy have completed specialized training and have been authorized to perform certain practices or functions considered to be sacred by their respective denominations, but they are called by God to provide for the spiritual care and guidance of a community of believers not to do all the work of the church.

The missional church believes that all the members of the church, not just the hired professionals, are called to minister to others in God's name.

Worship

Corporate worship is an important moment in the life of the people of God. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24).

"In spirit and in truth" implies a process rather than a program. It is about active participation in the proceedings and not about passive attendance at an event. Worship should enlighten, encourage and energize those in attendance. It should not be a comfortable routine that is faithfully observed because it makes the participant feel good.

The missional church is more concerned about the end results of the process and less about the rituals practiced or the format followed. God's people gather together as a body of believers to seek God's presence, to praise God for his gift of salvation, to enhance their knowledge and understanding of God's will and to become realigned with the Triune God's purpose. In a missional church, worship is a rallying point from which God's people emerge, directed and inspired by the Son and strengthened and sustained by the Holy Spirit, to carry out the Father's mission throughout the week.

Missions

Christ sent His followers into the entire world to make disciples of all people.

	The missional church does not identify "missions" as a program of God's church. The missional church believes that God has a mission for his church in this world and that God's people are the mission program.
	The missional church does not limit "missions" to check writing. In some instances, it is not possible or practical for all of God's followers to travel and minister to persons who live in far-away countries; and, in those instances, the church chooses to send substitutes in the persons of professional missionaries and to support their work with financial donations. While such support is an important and necessary contribution to achieving God's purpose, limiting mission work to check writing alone ignores the Scriptural directive that Christ-followers are called to "go out".
	The missional church views "the entire world" as including the local community and its neighborhoods and "all people" as including those that live next door or across the street or in some other part of town.

Evangelism

The word "evangel" comes from the Greek word evangelion which is interpreted to mean the "good news" or the "gospel", and the dictionary defines "evangelism" as the winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ. The Bible says that spreading the good news of God's salvation and making Jesus-followers of all peoples throughout the entire world is God's mission for his church here on earth and that His followers are sent to carryout that mission.

The term missional church is not just a new strategy for evangelism. Evangelism is not just another program, activity or service to be designed and implemented by a church committee. The missional church sees evangelism as the goal of every church program, activity and service.

Success

	The missional church does not measure the success of its ministries by the number of persons on the membership rolls. What matters is how many of its members are actively engaged in the church's ministries.
	The number of professionals on the payroll is also not a measure of a missional church's success. It's not about how many people minister inside the church but how many people minister outside the church.
	Success is measured by how many people the church ministers to everyday of the week not by the number of persons who attend Sunday morning services.
	In the missional church there is a shift in emphasis from how many people attend Sunday school to how many people has it equipped for ministry.
	Success is not measured by the size of the church's bank account but by the church's stewardship in effectively utilizing its financial resources to carryout God's mission.

The Partnership For Missional Church Steering Team

Prime Timers Corner

Good Health And Happiness To All Of You For 2008!!

It didn’t take much of this winter weather (snow, freezing rain, ice storms, winds up to 40 miles an hour) to start counting the days until Spring comes.

The Clen-Moore Prime Timers are ready for the challenges of 2008. The officers for the year are: Administrative Leaders: Grace Lyon & Bob McConnell,

Secretary: Eileen Daugherty, Treasurer: Anna Mae Steinbrink.

A reminder that Prime Timers membership dues of $5.00 is due during the month of January. This small fee is needed to help pay our expenses for the year. Dues should be paid to our treasurer, Anna Mae Steinbrink.

Prime Timers meets on Tuesdays mornings in the assembly room. It starts at 9:30 and is usually finished shortly after 10:30. Come join us for coffee, fellowship, and an uplifting experience as Steve Plyler leads us in the study of the Bible.

See you Tuesday, Bob McConnell

Prime Timers

2008 Broadway Shows

Time for the new season of Pittsburgh Broadway Shows!

January 19: “The Lion King”. See it again to pick up all the things you missed the first time, like the unforgettable visual images and musical score.

February 2: “Sweeny Todd”. The legendary demon barber, hell-bent on revenge, takes up with his enterprising neighbor to slice their way through London’s upper crust.

March 1: “The Drowsy Chaperone”. The new musical comedy that is swooping into town with tons of laughs and the most Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway.

April 12: “The Wedding Singer”. Robbie is the life of the party until his fiancée leaves him at the altar. Robbie tries to spoil every wedding he is to sing at. This show takes us back to a time when hair was big, greed was good, collars were up and the wedding singer was Robbie.

Sounds like a great new series. These are all Saturday matinees.

A Note from Peggy

Greetings to all of you! Have a happy, healthy New Year!

We can still take a few for the Carousel for the year. The first production is “The Odd Couple”.

We will have more day trips after the New Year. If you would like to see something special, just let us know. We have a whole new year to keep us motivated and interested in seeing some of the beauties God has provided for our pleasure. Thank you for traveling with us this past year and we look forward to another year of traveling together.

Yours in Christian love, Peggy Byler

2008 Carousel Shows

January 23: “The Odd Couple”. Set in New York City, two recently divorced men, a neurotic neat-freak photographer and a disheveled sportswriter, move in together and adjust to life after divorce. Guaranteed to make your life seem “normal.”

March 12: “The King and I”. This show will impress you with elaborate costumes, striking sets and a storybook romance. The wonderful score features music you know and love including “Whistle a Happy Tune”, “Getting to Know You”, “Hello Young Lovers” and “Shall We Dance”.

May 14: “Damn Yankees”. Joe Boyd is addicted to baseball and particularly the Cleveland Indians. He is

willing to sell his soul to bring the Indians to victory over the team we all love to hate – those Damn Yankees.

July 16: “Viaggio” is brought to life by the “el Circo” troupe. Watch the dazzling performances including beautiful gravity-defying acts, aerial tricks, and ethereal acrobatics all set to evocative music.

September 10: “Wizard of Oz”. One of the most beloved musicals of all time. Relive the classic! Now is the perfect time to revisit Oz to see what happens to the three witches of Oz.

November 19: “All Shook Up”. Elvis songs, sung by the entire cast. Heat up the season with this sizzling, energetic, musical told through more than 24 of Elvis Presley songs. Music, mischievous madness and unexpected pairings are sure to rock the house.

This series looks like one of the best we have seen. These trips to the Carousel are the easiest you can make. The only walking involved is to your seat in the theater. The cost is just $350 for a whole year of entertainment. The cost includes: bus transportation, drivers tip, dinner of your choice, waiters tip and last but not least is the excellent show. The bus leaves Clen-Moore Church at 10:30 a.m., has a stop at the Country Club Plaza and is home by 6:00 p.m. Call me (Peggy Byler, 724-652-8918) if you’re interested or have any questions.