SUMC Announcements

We’d love for everyone to experience the joy of belonging to Christ, but it can be difficult to know how to reach out to those around us that we sense are in need of the peace God brings. Our conference has arranged for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to present its Christian Life & Witness Course for just $10. There are two opportunities:

• April 17 & 18 at First UMC in Titusville.
• May 1 & 2 at Lakeside UMC in DuBois.

Classes are 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Friday and 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Saturday. More information will be posted in the back of the sanctuary. Please let Kim Benjamin know if you would like a registration form. It should be mailed by April 6th.

Our next meeting is Monday, April 20 at 7 p.m. We will finalize plans for the Pittsburgh District UMW Spring Day Apart on Saturday, April 25. Nancy Shuluga and Pam Wright are co-chairing the food committee for this event and will be contacting individuals for food donations as well as hostesses for the day.

Please contact Pat Leiphart at 724-266-5989 or leipkin@yahoo.com if you would like to register for Spring Day Apart. Reservations are due by April 12. Cost is $7.00.

The Spring Rummage Sale will be held on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9. We need your donations as well as help with pricing the items, setting up and selling. Please contact Pat Leiphart or Pat Grossarth if you are willing to help.

Pledge cards and membership information are available from our treasurer, Pat Grossarth. We donated $100 to camperships last month.

Mark your calendars for June 7th. We’ll be having our annual Church Picnic at Walker Park. There will be more details in the May’s Minutes.

God Stories, Inspiring Encounters with the Divine edited by Jennifer Skiff is very interesting reading. It tells of everyday people and their experience with God in their lives. I enjoyed reading some good news for a change and how God’s hand has touched their lives. One of our church members, Eva Houser, is featured on pages 101 and 102 as she wrote, “I asked for a sign”. Not to spoil the book, for you all, please check it out in our church Library. Thank you, Eva, for sharing your book with us.

New arrival in the Library is a CD of Favorite Hymns of Billy Graham sung by Wintley Phipps. Wow, what a great CD for easy listening and wonderful memories of past Billy Graham Crusades. Thanks to Kim Benjamin for the donation.

New to our Library is the 2008 Book of Discipline. This is a book of the law of our denomination. The book describes the job functions of our church council and the different duties of our committees. It is the guide book of our church and why we do things the way we do.

Children check out our DVD collection. We have new VeggieTales and Pond’s series DVD’s. Come and look for what is new.

MANY THANKS to the congregation for their donations thus far for Bethany House! As of Sunday, March 1, we have collected $1257.00 to help Keith Murphy and Bethany House maintain their programs! Our goal is still $2000, but we’re sincerely hoping to “break the thermometer” and go beyond that total by the morning of March 22. (Check out the SUMC for Bethany House thermometer displayed in the hallway between the Simpson Room and the sanctuary). As you heard Keith mention is his compelling messages during our services on February 15, he is currently working without a salary in order to help keep the programs afloat, so every dollar we raise WILL make a difference.

If you missed meeting Keith, he and several of his kids will be joining us for the March 22nd Lenten Dinner and performing a program for us afterwards. We plan to present a check to him (and our Easter Undies*) that evening. Mark your calendars!

* See the bulletin for more information about Easter Undies for Bethany House!