MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

July 20

Pie Auction

Immediately following pot luck luncheon

July 26

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Bake Sale booth at the

Oakmont Street Sale

July 28 - August 1

6:00 - 8:30

Vacation Bible School

“ Christmas in July”

August 15

8:00 pm

Movie Night

September 7

10:30 Combined Worship

11:30 Church Picnic

Open hear t s Open minds

Open door s

JULY / AUGUST 2014

“Canadian Coins”

Not long ago Michele was counting the money in the “Imagine No Malaria” collection

containers. Among the other coins there she found several Canadian coins and a ‘K’ coin.

She realized we couldn’t take them to the bank so she set them aside. The coins can be

used – in Canada and at the correct Orthodontist’s office –just not at any local business or

bank. It is likely that the coins got in the containers by accident – mixed in with other

‘pocket’ change.

The coins made me think about the good things we do as Christians. On first glance

actions may seem to be ‘good deeds’. And good deeds are what we are supposed to do.

Sometimes our good deeds serve another purpose. Our motive may not be a good deed for

the sake of helping another, it may be for another reason, masked by a good deed.

Jesus addressed this in The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-6) giving examples of

prayer, and doing good, not to advance ourselves, but to show the love of God. Later in

Matthew 23 he addresses the actions of religious leaders, They do all their deeds to be

seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, Matthew

23:5 (English Standard Version) He gives several examples in that chapter of doing good

just for show and praise. The leaders wanted to look good, which was their motivation for

their good works.

One of several proverbs speaking about integrity is Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the

upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.(NRS)

Integrity is what matches our motivation and our deeds to make sure they are honestly

good deeds. As with coins, deeds with integrity are good to see and good in purpose. I

bought one of the Canadian coins to serve as a reminder to myself to keep my deeds and

motivation aligned, much like this proverb:

“Better to be poor and walk in integrity than to be crooked in one's

ways even though rich.” Proverbs 28:6 NRS

Blessings,

Pastor Linda

.

HOPE CIRCLE

STAFF PARISH RELATIONS COMMITTEE NEWS:

Director of Children and Youth Ministries! Jessica Jacka has been

offered and has accepted the permanent, part-time position of Director

of Children and Youth Ministries. Please congratulate Jessica on this

new role.

Hope Circle will meet on Monday, July 14, at 7:00 P.M. in

the parlor to discuss Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of

the Lane". A real departure for the group, this tale of terror

and remembrance recalls the memories of a frightened 7 year

old boy and the girl who saved him. "A groundbreaking work

from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a

rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the

power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness

inside and out. A stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as deli-

cate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the

dark." (From the publisher.) At the August 11th meeting, we

will revisit a favorite author, the always thought provoking

Jodi Picoult. "The Storyteller" is a tale that forces a young

woman to struggle with a moral choice in order to help her

only friend. But when is it choice and when is an action a

moral imperative? To what length does one go to protect

family and keep the past from harming the future? And when

should punishment be replaced by forgiveness and mercy.

PRAYER CONCERNS

Please continue to pray for Frances Allison, Gillen Geary, Gen Hissem, Jane

McClelland, Joyce Miljanovich, Zola Stahley, Flo Thompson, and Nevin

Woodside who are recovering from recent hospitalizations or illnesses.

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

Please submit articles for the SEPTEMBER newsletter by AUGUST 15th. If

you would like to receive your newsletter by e-mail, please send us a mes-

sage at oakmontumc@verizon.net.

MEMORIAL DONATIONS

Donations have been received in memory of Al Kennedy from Dennis & Bar-

bara Starrett and family, Carol Davis, Matt & Lucy Gregory, Dennis Webster,

Tom & Francie Dinnin, Donald & Jacqueline Stoner, Michele & Bill Handy-

side, Patty Kay & Scott Santos and family, Betty Hunter, Mr. & Mrs. Donald

Nelson, The Robinson family, Jack Webster, Sharyn & Leo Sweeney, Marge

Kay, Janet Delchambre, and the Lions Club of Oakmont.

GENERAL FUND NUMBERS

FOR MAY

Connectional Apportionment (Mission Share)

is paid thru May

Balance 4/30 -$13,409.87 Income $12,689.75

Expenses $20,960.49 Balance 5/31 -$21,655.61

If we inadvertently missed listing your birthday, please call the church office

and let us know.

JULY

1 Nathan Delo

Leanna DiMatteo

2 John Meister

4 Rose Curran

Bonnie Pahlman

Nicole Whigham

6 Rosemary Pennington

8 Nancy Morrison

10 Joyce Miljanovich

Mary Ann Neva

Isabella Walsh

12 Laura Biery

Darleen Eden

Sarah Lacey

13 Florence Thompson

15 John Long

16 Evelyn Wensel

Marsha Wycich

18 Tracy Provenza

19 Jacob Barnes

Donna DeTurck

22 Jane Sykes

27 John Hildebrand, Sr.

Eleanor Hitchak

29 Jeanne Knox

31 Genevieve Hissem

Donald Nelson

AUGUST

1 Bill Hall

2 Martha Ewart

Bill Moore

7 Willie DeTurck

9 Christa Assad

Heather Fichte

Betty Hunter

10 Scott Ashbaugh

13 Tina Whitehead

14 Michael DiCocco

18 Michele Handyside

20 Edwin Allen

Bill Charlton

22 Caroline Kelley

23 Zane Crowell

24 Karen Sweetland

Carolyn Grimes

25 Don Klinsky

27 Lee Dezzutti

28 Gayle DiCaprio

29 Ari Crowell

Jan Moore

30 Burl Davis

Shannon Hatcher

Ron Kircher

We have received some interesting new additions in our church library. Through

the generosity of United Methodist Women, we are getting 3 more years of "New

World Outlook: the Mission Magazine of the United Methodist Church."

Now also available -

"Ezekiel's Bones" by Bill Kemp

"When You Don't See His Plan" by Nadine Hennessey

"Choosing a Bible" by Donald Kraus

A children's book - "What is God?" by Etan Boritzer

And we always have our good selection of Christian fiction.

Come check it out!

Barbara Marcus, Church Librarian

Library News

Congratulations Graduates!

Congratulations to all of our recent graduates.

Angela Ashbaugh (Riverview), Hannah Barnes (Riverview),

Gabrielle Casarcia (Plum), Margot Flowers (Riverview),

and Ben Strassner (Riverview) have graduated from high

school this year. Ashley Gaughan (Education, IUP) and

Jessica Jacka (Human Services, Walden University) have

received their Master’s Degrees.

JULY 28 - AUGUST 1

6:00 -8:30 PM

“CHRISTMAS IN JULY”

For all children ages 3 (potty trained) through 12.

LUNCHEON AND PIE AUCTION

As you know, Methodists make the best pies!!!!!!! And now you can have one of those

pies for your very own. On Sunday, July 20 there will be a pie auction and pot luck

luncheon following the 10:30 worship service. If you worship at the early service, you can

relax and have coffee/tea in the Social Hall while waiting for the luncheon to begin or you

can use the kitchen during the late service to make your lunch casserole. Then following

the luncheon, we will be auctioning off some of the best pies in town. (Proceeds benefit

the General Fund). If you are interested in donating a pie for the auction please see/contact

Donna Jacka at 412-828-2643. Don’t miss it, or your tummy will be sorry.

STREET SALE / BAKE SALE

Calling all bakers!!!! Calling all non-bakers!!!!!! We need your help. Our church

will be setting up a booth during the Oakmont Chamber of Commerce Boulevard Sale

on Saturday, July 26. The UMW will be baking pies for us to sell, but we need many

more baked items to make this event a success. (Proceeds benefit the General Fund).

Please plan to bake and bring your items to the booth, packaged and ready for sale. (If

for some reason you cannot get your baked goods to the Boulevard that day, just let us

know). For those of you who do not want to or cannot bake….we still need help to set

up, tear down (especially tear down) and working shifts at the booth. If you can help

with any of these items please contact the church office or Kathryn Burdelski at 724-265

-2453.