SUMC is an active church in our local community and in missions around the world. Here’s what’s going on.
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Outreach
November 10th from 8 am to 1 pm in the church’s Simpson Room. Details on how to register for the blood drive will be available on the website and through out the church. If you have questions, contact Martha Boward. The drive is open to the public, so share the date with others. There is a critical shortage of blood in the Pittsburgh area, so if you are able to give, please consider doing so.
Sunday, September 8th is designated by Western PA Annual Conference for this special offering which supports the educational ministries of the Conference, which include Training and Resources and Laity Scholarships. Please use the “blue” envelopes located in the pews and on the information table or mark your check/envelope “Christian Ed” and include with your regular offering. You may also select “Christian Education Sunday” on EasyTithe.
You must know there has been a lot of flooding in and around the Pittsburgh area. The Western PA United Methodist Disaster Response Coordinator has put out a call for volunteers this Friday and Saturday to help cleanout 12 houses in Jeannette, PA.
Look for the cart on July 21st. Children are out of school for the summer—consider purchasing peanut butter, jelly, macaroni and cheese, juice, and other nutritious, kid-friendly foods for July’s collection.
Your Outreach Committee invites you to pack Blessing Bags on Sunday, July 14th, following both the Contemporary Worship and the Traditional Worship Services. Using components provided through the Outreach budget, you will pack a Ziploc bag to then carry in your vehicle to hand to a “homeless” person who you might encounter asking for assistance.
School’s out, and Summer Lunch Programs are ready to feed children age 18 and younger. There is no registration required to participate. Kids can visit any site during its specified serving time to receive a free meal.
In Arizona border towns, communities facing social challenges are dramatically divided. In Liberian villages, citizens’ human rights are being violated. In local U.S. communities, women and girls are being bought and sold against their will. Moved by Christ’s love to pursue reconciliation and peace, honoring the dignity of every individual made in God’s image, The United Methodist Church is unwilling to turn a blind eye to injustice.
Coraopolis Youth Creations will be partnering with the Food Bank for Food and Fun, which provides much needed lunch followed by activities, free of charge to youth age 18 and younger.
If this topic interests you, save the date of Saturday, June 22 for this workshop at Butler First UMC. Details have not yet been finalized, but you can check the WPAUMC website www.wpaumc.org for updates or contact Alyce Weaver-Dunn, Director of Connectional Ministries at dcm@wpaumc.org.
In May, SUMC Outreach Committee highlighted some of the ministries served by the capital campaign. If you have yet to make a contribution or pledge to this campaign, the forms can be found at the back of the sanctuary. You may learn more at https://www.wpaumc.org/DRURCampaign.
It is not too late to bring your new and gently used CLEAN shoes (pairs only) to help EUMA (Erie United Methodist Alliance) with its Annual Shoe Drive. Sewickley UMC will collect from now until June 2nd.
Look for the cart in the sanctuary on May 26th and help local families with food insecurities overcome that challenge. Sewickley Community Food Bank opens its doors on Wednesdays from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm to distribute food to those in need in and around the 15143 zip code. With the school year coming to an end, consider foods that might provide breakfast and lunch to children who normally receive those meals at school. Thanks to SUMC, 10 Easter Bags were distributed to the food bank’s clients.
The Outreach Committee is seeking several people to give a short testimonial about their positive experience with any of the WPAUMC’s camps or retreat centers.
Camping and Retreat Ministries serves over 20,000 people each year through camps, programs, retreats and other ministry opportunities. To increase participation, a capital campaign has been started to raise no less than $2.5 million and challenge a goal of $5 million. In May, SUMC Outreach Committee will highlight some of the ministries served. Congregants will then be encouraged to either make a gift or a pledge to this initiative.
Did you know that more than 20,000 Native Americans are part of The United Methodist Church? Our offering directly supports Native American congregations, equipping them to minister authentically with their communities, while honoring creative expressions of culture and heritage.
Trinity UMC (McMurray) is hosting this on Saturday, May 18th, from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. Rev. Leo Yates, consultant for United Methodist Global Ministries’ Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry, will lead this training, which is designed for clergy, laity, students, and interpreters interested in deaf ministry in a Christian context.
Traditionally, SUMC has selected a United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) relief kit to assemble and deliver to AC at Grove City College each June. UMCOR keeps an inventory of relief kits ready for its ongoing ministries and for emergency responses. SUMC will assemble 50 hygiene kits.
Donations of nonperishable food are welcome and help the Sewickley Community Center Food Bank provide help to those in need. Look for the cart in the front of the sanctuary on Sunday. Thank you for helping local families in need.
Should the federal government shutdown continue, please share with those federal employees affected that there is assistance available. In particular, there are resources listed on the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank (GPFB) website and Facebook page. Additional volunteers are also needed to help with the extra packing and distributions needed to serve the over 18,000 federal workers in the area served by the GPFB. Visit this webpage for details on the available assistance and the opportunities to help.
If you have interest in mentoring children through Jewish Family and Children Services (JFCS), training will be held on January 19th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Mentoring is provided January through May, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, in Crafton Heights (West End) to children, including refugees from Syria, Congo, Somalia, and Afghanistan. Those interested in mentoring, please contact Andrew VanTreeck by email or at 412-904-5970 with questions or to apply.
