SUMC Announcements

We will hold a Rummage Sale on September 11 and 12 from 8 a.m. to noon both days. Please bring your items to the Potato Room in the basement of the church. Volunteers are needed the week of September 7 to sort and price the items. We also need help (cashiers, baggers) on Friday and Saturday of the sale. Please contact Pat Grossarth at 412-741-6208 if you can help. Remember many hands make light work.

Several of our members will be going to Red Bird Mission in Kentucky in August. Donations of bottled water and cash to cover gasoline expenses are needed. Please contact Kristine Swaney for details.

In the June/July issue of Focus on the Family there is an article about internet gambling. Although this type of gambling is technically illegal in the U.S., many people play online. This type of gambler also bets more frequently and aggressively than those who gamble in casinos. The article continues with an illustration of viewing life as a bicycle wheel with God as the hub and your life as the outer wheel. Each spoke is an extension of God - family, work, health, faith, etc. Then the reader is asked to view their life if gambling were the hub. What a sad difference.

In September we will be recognizing our new third graders and giving them their Bibles. As of this printing we have only two students entering the third grade. They are Sarah Bollman and Jeremy McCoy. If your student is not listed, please contact the church office or Sandra Lane, the Church’s Librarian.

The church picnic was a wonderful event with over 125 persons in attendance and great food and great fellowship with our churches’ families. It was a sunny and warm day, and many found the creek a welcome relief and refreshing as they splashed through the water. Thanks to the Nurture Committee and the Library Committee for all their great efforts in making the day a wonderful experience. Most of all, thanks to all the folks who came out, as it was the best crowd our church picnic has had in years. See you all next year.

The church library is following the summer schedule. It is open for use during the normal church office hours weekdays and on Sunday morning from 8 AM to 11:30 AM. Summer time is a great time to read a good book. We offer some wonderful books for your reading pleasure. Stop in and visit us.

Congratulations to all the members of the Class of 2009 upon graduation from your course of study. Missed in our previous newsletter were Christy Foster (bachelors) and David Flaherty (masters in history). Best wishes to all as you pursue your career goals.

I wanted to thank the community for their support over the past 6 months with our fundraising efforts and let them know of our progress. Also to remind them they can follow our daily blog found by a link at our church website: www.SewickleyUMC.org

In an hour and a half we loaded up 13 bags with 50# each of supplies. Some items donated, some purchased with donated funds. Maxed out! We had stuff left over we’re going to try to add to our personal luggage. And we still had time to watch the Pens win the Stanley Cup! What a night.

We were able to purchase 250 spanish bibles (for use in our daily ministry studies), 3 great microscopes (for our “education day” - including watershed, hygiene (Henry the Hand program), science experiments using microscopes to study what’s in their water and glo-germ - a great demonstration how germs are spread using a UV black light. We are also going to be providing the community with 100 clay pot water filters, including 11 for the classrooms at the school and many teacher supplies. On our final day, we will do a community clean up with the students. We will also bring two guitars and a keyboard that were donated for the village - we will use them when we visit churches and sing a few select songs. In addition, we will be doing some painting of the Shoulder to Shoulder (Hombro a Hombro) clinic, a mural at the school and some light construction changing out a squatter toilet for a flush one.

Alisa