SUMC Announcements

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Once again, the members and friends of the Sewickley United Methodist Church will provide the area communities with a sumptuous feast of roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, coleslaw, dinner rolls, fruit pie, and beverages served family style in the Simpson room or via “take-outs” from the youth activity rooms beneath the Simpson room. Each year our volunteers manage to out-do themselves in supporting this event, and the Ohio River valley communities look forward to the great food and wonderful hospitality.

The dinner is organized every year by 22 team leaders, each responsible for a certain function, and this year they are led by Sandra Lane, the chair of the 64th SUMC Annual Turkey Dinner. New members and friends are added to the team each year, so new ideas and fresh perspectives are never lacking.

Tickets for the dining room seatings at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. are $15 for adults, $6 for children from 4 to 10 years of age, with children 3 and under admitted free. All tickets for the take-out service from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. are $15. Tickets may be obtained from Dottie Price at 412-741-4660, or by calling the Church office at 412-741-9430.

Read more about it on the Turkey Dinner page.

Get your tickets early this year! For the last seven years we have sold out and have had to turn folks away.

A small group assisted with the Center for Hope’s food distribution on January 18th. One participant, who went back and forth into the cold to help load the groceries into the patrons’ cars, called the work “fun”. All who assisted found the experience to be rewarding. In order to plan future involvement, Outreach would like to know of anyone else interested. Center for Hope welcomes children and teens to volunteer, as well. Please see Martha Boward or Barry Lewis if interested.

Donations are welcomed at any time, but look for the grocery cart on the fourth Sunday of each month. Pick up an item or two while you shop and help replenish the local food pantry.

SUMC will again collect items to assemble cleaning kits. Look for a poster that will show the needed items. Outreach is asking that you pull off the tab of what you will supply and print your name on the chart. A bin will be in the back of the sanctuary for your donations. Outreach will shop for you, if you would prefer – just mark funds “Cleaning Kits”. Thank you for your continued support of UMCOR’s disaster relief efforts.

Special Offering – February 19th
This special offering helps promote awareness issues and supports Western PA Conference ministries that provide opportunities for fuller inclusion of people with disabilities. Please use the special envelope located in the pews or at the information table, marking Disability Awareness on the check or envelope.

Outreach is planning a Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) Bunco Night to benefit Imagine No Malaria. Besides asking you to mark your calendar to come play this simple dice game and enjoy great fellowship, Outreach needs your help with prizes. Outreach will accept new items that can be used as prizes, so clean out those unwanted/unused gifts and other small items that have been taking up space in your home. Items must be in new condition. Donated items may be placed in the box at the back of the sanctuary. Direct any questions to Martha Boward or Alisa Lenhardt.

Friday, February 24th 5:30 p.m.
SUMC will show soon-to-be released Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men following a kid-friendly light dinner. To allow parents time to enjoy some time without children, the movie and activities will run until 8:30 p.m. Children ages 4 and up are welcome to this event – we do ask that children under age 4 be accompanied by an adult. The event is open to the community, so extend an invitation to your neighbors. In order to have adequate supervision, registration is required for this movie event. Please email names and ages of children to veggietalessumc@yahoo.com or call the church office.

New members will be received during the 11 a.m. Traditional Service this Sunday, January 29. If you would like to join the church at that time, please contact Pastor Russel at pastor@sewickleyumc.org or 412-741-9433.

The United Methodist Women will hold their next meeting on Sunday, February 19 at 12:15 p.m. in the Simpson Room. Following a light lunch, a business meeting and the pledge service will be held. At the January meeting a budget of $4,480 was approved. If you cannot attend the February meeting and would like to make a pledge, please contact Pat Grossarth, treasurer.

In 2011 we were able to complete our pledge to mission as well as support the following Western PA conference agencies - Asbury Heights, Ward Youth & Family Services, Ruth M. Smith Center, Zoar Home, Church Union and Bethany House. Also receiving support were Union Aid Society, Sewickley Community Food Bank, Salvation Army, Red Bird Mission and the East Liberty Family Health Care Center.

After the Turkey dinner on February 9, the potato room in the basement of the church will be available to accept your donations to the spring rummage sale which will be held May 11 and 12.

We are the hosts for the March 4 Lenten dinner. Please bring a dessert as well as a casserole.
Pat Grossarth is in charge of coordinating this activity for the UMW.

This Saturday, January 28th, I will be re-vamping the Nursery Room. There are many older toys and items in the Nursery that are well-loved and need to be replaced. If you have anything you’d care to donate: used toys, books, puzzles, music, etc., it would be appreciated. I will be there at 9 am to start, and anyone who is able to join me is welcome. We should be done quickly! If you have toys or anything to drop off, please contact me, and I can pick them up, or leave them in the nursery with my name on them.

I know the children thank you for your support in helping us to update the nursery!

Have a great week,
Kelly Herman

One of the most endearing things about this community dinner is that it brings all of us, as a congregation, together. I invite you to take part in the fun and fellowship with any one or more of the tasks below.

February 4 Saturday from 9-11am
Facility Prep- We need a few folks to help get both kitchens and the dining area prepped. Wiping down all surface areas, setting up tables, washing silverware and dishes.

Wednesday, February 8
Several jobs falls on this day depending on what your schedule will allow.
Bread Tearing- begins at 8 am is usually done before 11am but you are welcome to float in and out with whatever time you have to offer. You can expect some casual fellowship time with fun for all.
Turkey Roasting - Take a turkey home to roast, we have nearly 50 turkeys that need roasting. You will be provided will a full set of instructions. We ask that you bring back your cooked bird by 9am on Turkey Day!!
Potatoes- The peeling of potatoes are done by machine but on the evening of Wednesday, February 8, we need a few folks to help chop the potatoes into pieces. Men usually do this work but women are welcome too. Start time is 6pm.

Thursday, February 9- Turkey Dinner day!!!
Wait Staff- During the dinner we need folks to serve food and drinks, clear and re-set tables; working a shift of 1-2 hours would be helpful.
Clean up- A fresh group of helping hands would be great for this work that begins after the second seating around 7:15 and is done by 9:00pm. Work includes: vacuuming the Simpson Room, collecting the linens and getting the kitchen back in order.

There is a sign up sheet in the back of the church for all of the above listed tasks. Let us where you’d like to help and we welcome with open arms.

If you can’t be there in physical spirit perhaps you’d like to help in another way. Many years ago, members of the congregation collectively made 90 pies for this dinner that serves 600. In recent years, with busy schedules we have opted to have Safran’s bake them for us. However, we do try to cover the pie costs with donations. $5 /1 pie or $10 / 2 pies, please see Sandra Lane, if you’d like to make a donation towards pies.

And finally, we have tickets to the dinner available for sale- see Dottie Price or call 412-741-4660. Seating times are 5pm or 6 pm and take- out is available. $15 each

Thanks and blessings to you,
Sandra Lane
Turkey Dinner Coordinator

Help Wanted
The 64th Annual Turkey Dinner is set for Thursday, February 9, 2012. Your participation is what makes this dinner a success. As you can imagine, there are various tasks involved when you are feeding 600 friends from the community a homemade turkey dinner with all the trimmings. We welcome you to be a part of this great time of fellowship and rest assured there is a job for everyone. Please speak with Sandra Lane to see how you can help out or visit the signup board in the back of the sanctuary.
Thank you.

Turkey Dinner Tickets On Sale Now!!!
This homemade meal includes turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, coleslaw, dinner rolls, coffee and fruit pie (sugar free pies available). There is are seatings at 5:00pm and 6:00pm and take out is available. Tickets can be purchased through the church office @ 412.741.9730 or speak with Dottie Price, Ticket Team leader.
Don’t miss out – this event is a sell-out every year.

Pie Money
Many years ago, members of the church used to make 1-2 pies which were served at the Annual Turkey dinner. As lives became more hectic we opted to have Safran’s do the baking for us. However, we still try to defer the cost by collecting donations for the pies; $5 /one pie and $10 /2 pies. If you would like to make a donation please see Sandra Lane. Many thanks.

Turkey Dinner Team Leader News
Turkey Dinner Team leader meetings are scheduled for Sunday, January 8 in the Simpson room after the 2nd service. The second Team Leader meeting will be Sunday, January 29 after the 2nd service. And, a wrap up meeting on February 12. Thanks in advance for your continued dedication to this event.

With cold weather upon us, we are asking for cold weather foods – soups, stews, hot cereals, cocoa, etc. While the cart will be in the sanctuary on January 22nd, donations may be brought at any time and placed in the Simpson Room.

The Outreach committee will meet on Tuesday, January 17th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss plans for 2012. All committee members are encouraged to attend, but anyone is welcome at the meeting.

A small group of people are needed to assist at the Center for Hope, preparing for their food pantry distribution. Martha Boward will leave Sewickley UMC at 4:45 p.m. and is able to take 5 people with her. Please speak with Martha if you would like to help. Future opportunities are being planned.

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” Psalm 139:14

With the focus on basic survival after Hurricane Katrina, one grassroots organization in New Orleans, La., wanted to make sure the dreams of the city’s youth would not be washed away. In 2007, the Fountain of Youth Foundations (FYF) was created to offer refuge to teens dealing with violence in their communities. “It was a healing process for them to talk about someone being hurt in the family by violence,” said Sabrina Short, executive director. The youth decided they needed to embrace change and discussed ways to stop the violence. In the end, 1,500 youth pledged to end violence in New Orleans. A community developer project that receives funds from United Methodist’s Human Relations Day offering, FYF focuses on mentoring, community service and encouraging teens to look beyond their surroundings. Participant Clarence Williams said the program taught him to “experience the world, go out, have fun. Just help others. Do things; get to know people. It showed me a lot.” College and graduate students serve as summer interns to support the ministry. “For the first time in my life,” said intern Philip Kuntz, “in terms of ethnicity, I was a minority. I guess I had some hesitation about what it would be like. But it was surprisingly natural.”

Your gifts to Human Relations Day provide avenues to restored relationships through ministries like Youth Offender Rehabilitation, Community Developers self-improvement programs and United Methodist Voluntary Services community advocacy programs. It’s time to think and support justice, to become radical in changing lives and changing the world. Please give generously. Special envelopes for Human Relations Day offerings may be found in the bulletin or at the back of the sanctuary. You may also include your special offering with your regular giving – please mark Human Relations.

2011 Year-End Giving Statements have been prepared and will be ready for pick up at the back of the sanctuary this Sunday. Please review your statement and notify the church office of any discrepancies.

With cold weather upon us, we are asking for cold weather foods – soups, stews, hot cereals, cocoa, etc. While the cart will be in the sanctuary on January 22nd, donations may be brought at any time and placed in the Simpson Room.

• For providing Christmas gifts for 66 children from Bethany House Academy. For many of the children, your gift was the only one that they received. The greatest gift given, however, was your acts of generosity and caring. Thank you.
• For decorating the “Mitten” Tree with warm mittens, scarves, hats, gloves, and socks. Didn’t the tree look beautiful? Thank you for decorating it so well.
• For your continued support of the Sewickley Community Food Pantry. While we didn’t have a special collection for December, the grocery cart was overflowing. Thank you.

“Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve,” said the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

Better Community Development, (BCD), a social outreach ministry of Theressa Hoover United Methodist Church, Little Rock, Ark., is putting that philosophy into action. Recently, BCD teamed up with United Methodist-related Philander Smith College — also in Little Rock — to offer the Religious Life Service Learning Internship. The internship, which takes place in a non-profit or religious setting, helps students to determine their vocation in the church. Interns explore questions of value, faith, meaning and vocation. Supported by the annual Human Relations Day offering, the community developer program traces its roots to Theressa Hoover United Methodist Church, which continues to reach out to its neighbors today. When we give to this special offering, we share “hearts full of grace.”

Your gifts to Human Relations Day provide avenues to restored relationships through ministries like Youth Offender Rehabilitation, Community Developers self-improvement programs and United Methodist Voluntary Services community advocacy programs. It’s time to think and support justice, to become radical in changing lives and changing the world. Please give generously. Special envelopes for Human Relations Day offerings may be found in the bulletin or at the back of the sanctuary. You may also include your special offering with your regular giving – please mark Human Relations.