HYMN SING UPDATE As many of you are aware, in May the 11:00 service attendees were given the

opportunity to choose hymns for the summer hymn sing portion of worship. I havent heard much feedback, and I can tell you how it worked from my perspective. From May 29 through September 4 there were 15 Sundays. The pattern of singing 3 hymns each week would mean at most 45 hymns would be sung. That assumes someone would remember we had sung a particular hymn and none were repeated! A total of 67 hymns were suggested and one chorus not found in the hymnal. From May 29 through September 25 all 67 were used. How? In addition to using the hymns chosen for the hymn sing, they were used as prayer hymns and closing hymns for many weeks. By the end of the summer I learned these things about this method of gathering songs for the hymn sing: 1. We had a great variety of hymns. 2. There was wider participation in song selection. 3. The song leader had no trouble understanding the title or the number. 4. We all could mark our hymnals ahead of time. 5. We never got to play stump the song leader or stump the organist! I thought it worked well to choose the hymns this way and enjoyed the variety I hope you did as well. Pastor Linda DISCIPLE ANYONE? Several persons of the congregation have been through the DISCIPLE program an intense 30+ week course of Bible Study, discussion and reflection. We have several of the materials available here in the church and trained leaders. If you would like to know more about DISCIPLE or are interested in a DISCIPLE group starting here at Oakmont, please contact Pastor Linda by phone 412-828-9499 or e-mail oumcpastor1@verizon.net.

October 2011

O pen hear t s O pen minds O pen door s

A Great Team

If you like sports, this time of year is full! We can watch professional baseball and football. There are college teams for football and soccer, and locally high schools sponsor football, soccer, and cross country. What makes a team successful? Is it the skill of the coach in teaching and motivating the players? Is it having the best players on your team? Perhaps it is having the best equipment and playing surface. A team can have all that and lose. What makes a team successful is working as a team. During a recent Steelers game coach Tomlin noted that something was missing, his team was not gaining momentum from one another, and he intended to talk to them about that as they headed into the locker room for half time. If sports teams need to work together it stands to reason that Gods team, the church, needs to work together. Beginning with the basic unit of the local congregation team work is important. If every person, each committee, each class is only focused on self, the church is not a team. Every person, committee, class in the congregation is successful when it is focused on working together with the others under the leadership of Christ. Being a team does not come naturally it takes intentionality and work. Each one involved intentionally participating in the work of the whole. Does one have to do everything? No, just think of the whole and not focus on the me. An acronym for team could be Together Enthusiastic Active Ministry. This would describe our church working together with Christ as our coach. A verse from the Bible that speaks to becoming a team is this one written by Paul to the church at Ephesus; Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4: 15-16 English Standard Version. Blessings, Pastor Linda

Did You Know? The Staff-Parish Relations Committee is OUMCs administrative team, made up of lay people and clergy. We integrate staff and congregational interests to focus on the mission of the church. You may be thinking, what does that mean?! Some examples of our responsibilities are to: Handle proper screening of lay employees by contacting references and doing background checks Support the training and education of the Pastor and Staff Identify individuals within the congregation whom God seems to be calling for ordained ministry Review staff job descriptions Evaluate the ministry of our church Review employee salary and benefits Celebrate the work of our staff, all of whom do so much to build the mission and vision of our church The members of the SPRC Team are: Bill Hall, Bill Jacka, Becky Houston, Laura Lowe, David Fichte, Emma Lee Crannell and Nancy Harley. BIBLE STUDY We meet Tuesdays at 10:00 am and Wednesdays at 7:00 pm and are currently exploring the writings of the New Testament using the story of Jesus as the starting point. This survey of the testament looks at how the early church took ownership of and was shaped by the story of Jesus and how the church learned how to develop as disciples and create communities of faith. In the weekly video segments, listen as scholars fascinate you with facts and information that opens new understanding and enlightenment for your group. In the second video, sit in on a table conversation between guest scholars and debate key issues in the text. 26 27 28 30
OCTOBER

NEWSLETTER Please submit articles for the November newsletter by October 15 . GENERAL FUND NUMBERS FOR AUGUST: Income $ 14,736.55 Expenses $ 22,992.18 Balance 8/31 $ - 11,836.95 The Mission Share has been paid through August. WENDYS FUNDRAISER The Finance Committee has approved a dinner fundraiser at Wendys in Harmarville the third Monday of each month. 20% of all orders (drive through also) between 5-8 pm on that night will be contributed to OUMCs General Fund. You do not need to take a bulletin insert or any paperwork with you. Just mention that you are from OUMC when you order. MAX & ERMAS FUNDRAISER This popular fundraiser will be returning in November. Please watch your church bulletin or call the church office for details.

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Rhianna Mechesney Katherine Burdelski Jeff Allen Cindy DiCocco Mark Mattis, Jr. Cathy Smierciak Alica Mechesney Victoria Burdelski Cindy Chapa Audrey DeTurck Jan Beiber Sharen Lenkey Gary Pennington Lindsay Scatena Rob Jackson Meghan Stammer Nancy Standifur Thomas K. Ritter Janet Delchambre Eric McCall Jackie Kaminsky Edith Roney Sean Provenza

If we inadvertently missed listing your birthday, please call the church office and let us know.

SECOND SUNDAY COVERED DISH LUNCHEONS RETURN October 9 there will be a luncheon immediately following the 11:00 am service. The Trustees will be putting up tables following Morning Star, and the Outreach Team will host the event. Please plan to bring your own table service and a dish to share and join in the fellowship.

WOMEN OF FAITH A group of 21 women are excitedly looking forward to the Conference Fri., Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8. Im sure we will be sharing more about it in the November newsletter. MOMMY, DADDY & ME OUMC Mommy, Daddy, and Me Playgroup will meet outside at area playgrounds during the month of October or until the weather turns too cool and rainy! It is a good way for the little ones to run off some energy and the adults to enjoy the company of other adults. We will meet on the first and third Thursday of each month at 9:30 AM. Hope to see you there! For more information or to be on our email list, contact Joy Cottrill and Willow (Age 2) @ joycottrill@gmail.com. (Due to Riverside Park playground area being under construction, well be trying some new playgrounds. Please check your email for meeting area. If the weather is inclement, we will meet in the church nursery CHURCH OFFICE NEEDS YOUR HELP We are in the process of updating/completing church records that help us with the ministries of the church. Please provide us with your birth date by calling and leaving a message or jotting it down on a piece of paper and putting it in the offering plate. With our computer programs, we will then be able to sort groups of certain ages and give them pertinent information that we have to share. ALSO if you have college students in your family, we would appreciate having their current address. CARAMELS Caramel cooking is under way. We need volunteers, not only for cooking on Mondays at 8:30 am but also for cutting, wrapping and packing on Wednesdays at 8:30 am. Even if you can only stop in for an hour, you are welcome. Lunch is provided every Wed. Please join us for the fellowship while enabling the ladies to fill the orders. Our goal is 1000 pounds. We are maintaining the same price of $10 per pound. To order caramels go to bit.ly/caramels2011 and complete the on-line form or call 724-882-0062.

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES 10:00 am10:45 am NurseryDave & Heather Fichte Pre-K1st GradeJessica Jacka 2nd3rd GradesLori Rajkowski 4th, 5th & 6th GradesMatt Huha Age 12Sr. HighDeborah Cascarcia Contemporary Discussion (Adults)Bob Whyte Halfway to Heaven (Adults) - Jim Ashbaugh MIC Class(Adults) - Janet Delchambre & Donna DeTurck Sunday School can help us fulfill that promise we sometimes make to ourselves to try and grow in The Word. Please enroll your children in a class and prayerfully consider joining an adult class. If you need more information or want to discuss Sunday School further, please contact Julie Kelley, Chair of the Education Team.

HOPE CIRCLE Our book Discussion Group will meet on Monday, October 10th at 7 7:00 PM in the parlor to discuss Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. Famed opera singer Roxane Coss is entertaining the guests at a party in a fictional South American country when terrorists break in and take everyone hostage. The power of Roxanes beautiful voice becomes the bridge between the hostages and their captors. The situation stretches to weeks and then months and the relationships between captors and hostages begin to blur. People dont always act in the way one might expect, just as you or I dont know how we would react in such a situation. As in opera, the author takes the reader through a wide range of human emotions with the beauty of the music always present. Interested women of any age are invited to join the group for an hour of discussion and fellowship.

GREETINGS TO YOU FROM THE OAKMONT UNITED METHODIST WOMEN With our successful Fall luncheon and program behind us, the women haven't missed a beat! Caramel cooking/wrapping is already under way and once again our goal is 1000 boxes. This means we need lots of help, even if it is only an hour on cooking or wrapping days. There is always a nice lunch for the Wednesday wrapping day. We will begin accepting orders on Oct. 1. Jen Klinsky will be in charge of orders. You can order by going on line Oct. 1st at bit.ly/caramels2011 or you can call Jen at 724-882-0062. Once again, we are asking that you limit your orders to 25 boxes due to the demand. And with the smell of caramels in the air, you know the annual Christmas Bazaar isn't far behind. Mark your calendars for Nov. 19th 10 am to 2 pm. and plan on joining us to do some shopping and enjoy our delicious luncheon. In September, five members on the OUMC Board received their 3 year pins in recognition of their service. Janet Bowman, Grace Campbell, Dottie Wolslayer, Dawn Whyte and Julie Whyte Trenn. A surprise award was given to Bob Whyte in recognition of all of the shopping and extra work he does for OUMW. Janet Bowman has completed her term as OUMW president and Julie Whyte Trenn is our new president. We really appreciate the work Janet did as president. She was always so full of energy and inspiration. She has agreed to produce our next OUMW program in the spring, so you know it will be special! Kim Anderson and Karen Sweetland have joined the Board as Members At Large. If anyone has an interest in sitting on the Board, please contact the Church Office. Yours in Christ, Julie Whyte Trenn

MEMORIAL GIFTS Many gifts to the Memorial Fund were received during the summer months. In memory of Wayne Delchambre from: Jane & Jim Sykes, Cathy & Ed Smierciak, Barbara & Burl Davis, Karen & John Jacobs, Carol & Jim Broz, Jeanne Knox & Bob McElhose, Joyce & Lou Miljanovich, Rosemary & Gary Pennington, Becky Houston, Nancy & Ron Standifur, Colleen & Bill Briggs, Julie & Jason Kelley, Al Kennedy, Mr. & Mrs. Camillo DeLellis, Mary Francis Burkett, Jean Witt, Norma Rocchini, Jean Zatlin, Mr. & Mrs. William Bandi, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Tomer, Mr. & Mrs.Philip Pechersky, Beryl Thomas, Florence & Charlene Washlaski, Mary Ann & John Cosgrove, Vera Viale, Jan & Russ Truby, Nancy & Anthony Betz, Jackie & Bill Hanley, Kathleen Napier, Kyle Baker, Fred Favo, the Lions Club of Oakmont, Stella Gasior, Richard Boulden, Nancy & Mark Harley, Betty Hunter, Oakmont Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy Center and Don & Marigene Nelson. In memory of Harriet and Bill Deitch from: Mr. & Mrs. John Crawford and Alyssa and Holly & Bob Shaffer In memory of Harper Edwards from: Pat & Betty Albright, Jeanne Knox & Bob McElhose, and Tom & Narda Funk In memory of James Kennedy from Harriet Miller In memory of John Simmons from Mrs. Ann Simmons The Memorial Fund of our church supports special projects beyond the annual budget. We are sincerely grateful for this expression of support for the ongoing work of the Oakmont United Methodist Church.

REPORT FROM TINA WHITEHEAD CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Im back!! Was I ever away? How can a place be so totally different and yet so much like home at the same time. I feel almost schizophrenic, living in two completely different realities, and being at home in both. Let me re-cap the first 24 hours: Educational Opportunities, the travel agency that Ive connected with over the past 14 years arranged for me to travel with a group so that I could more easily get my 3 month tourist visa when I arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. And it worked. I was asked a few standard questions and got my visa with no difficulty. The next hurdle was how was I going to get from the airport to Jerusalem. I decided to tag along with the group and see if their driver would take me even though they were heading to Bethlehem. I couldnt believe my eyes when I recognized my friend, Ahmed, as their bus driver. No problem, he said after we hugged. And my worries again came to nothing. I no sooner got settled in my room at the hotel and the phone rang. Come down! My friends Saad and Omar had come to take me to Ramallah and I again found myself in the back of a white Mercedes on the familiar route through the checkpoint to Rukabs, the best ice cream shop in the West Bank. I couldnt help but notice the excitement in the streets as the Palestinian people anticipate their inclusion as the 194th state in the United Nations (the vote is scheduled to be taken this Friday, Sept. 23.). Vendors were on the streets selling sweet corn in paper cups, red, black, white and green Palestinian flags were flying from car windows, as were the new white U.N. flags with the number 194 prominently displayed in the bottom corner. The streets were in chaos with cars and people and there was an energy everywhere that you couldnt miss. Then back to Jerusalems Old City for tea before heading to the hotel close to midnight. Only 7 hours had passed since my plane had landed, but I felt like Id been back forever. The next morning I worshipped at East Jerusalem Baptist Church, again connecting with friends and meeting people from all over the world. I heard a tremendous sermon given by the General Secretary of the European Baptist Federation who was visiting the Holy Land and participating in a conference. He inspired us with a message about the generosity of God, taken from Matthew 20:116. I had a wonderful conversation with him after the service, as well as conversations with women from Latvia, Canada, Great Britain, the U.S. and Bethlehem and a father and son from South Africa. What an amazing experience this is! All of this within 24 hours of landing. And now, 2 days later, Im settled in my apartment in Beit Safafa and waiting to begin work tomorrow in Bethlehem. I always question why I continue to disrupt my life in Oakmont to come back here, but Im never disappointed with my decision. I continue to believe that it is God who sends me, and I look forward to seeing where He will lead in the coming months. Blessings and peace, Tina

Well hello! This is my very favorite season of the year. I just love the fall weather. Youth group started its year with a service project! Our very first get together was to serve at a fundraiser for a little boy named Trey who has cancer. Some of you may remember that we did a fundraiser for him ourselves last year. It was a good evening, and the kids did a great job. Thanks to all who helped! We continue to meet on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30. If you are interested or have any questions at all please feel free to give me a call 412.889.4589 or email me at marie42696@aol.com The youth group is planning to attend the SPARK conference in January. To raise funds for the trip we are thinking of holding a combination Talent Show/Spaghetti Dinner/Auction Saturday December 3 rd. Please be thinking of a talent you would like to share with us!!!! You may attend one or all parts of the evening. You can perform in the show or share a talent that we can auction off!!! More details with follow as the date gets nearer. The little ones group is having a Harvest Festival at my home Sunday, October 2nd from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Ages 3-11 come on out for some apple cider, cookies, crafts and fun! My address is 1543 Riverside Road in Verona. We are right off Verona Road. Just turn right (if traveling from Oakmont) at the only stop sign! Please feel free to call for directions or with questions. The end of October brings us the Trunk or Treat. We have had so much fun having this event inside the church, decorating rooms and having a little party that we will do so again this year. So mark your calendars for Saturday, October 29 th from 6:30 8:00. Costumes are optional. If anyone is interested in donating candy, or being a part of the evening by choosing a room in the church to decorate and give out candy please let me know. We would LOVE to have you join us! The post-high school kids group is having their first meeting on Friday, October 7 th at the home of Cheryl Turner, 6368 Lowell Dr., Verona. We are planning a bonfire so hopefully it wont rain!!! I cant wait to see everyone! I miss you all so much!! As you can see we are a busy, busy church! See you in November!