St. Paul's UMC

April 19, 2024

Family Night

Come tonight, Friday, April 19 from 6:00-8:00 pm in George Crooks Dining Area to help with final NoMIC Appreciation Brunch preparations! Families with children of all ages are welcome. Please note we will not be offering dinner, but if helpful for your schedule, you are welcome to bring your own to eat here.

Appreciation Brunch

The No Mission Impossible Club (NoMIC) will be hosting a brunch to thank all who have supported their missions by volunteering, donating, praying, and in every other way throughout the year! Please join us this Sunday, April 21 in George Crooks Dining Area immediately following the 10:30 am service.

Contribution Statements

Thank you for your continued support. First quarter contribution statements were emailed on April 17. If you did not receive an emailed statement or would like to have a paper copy, please contact Donna Barto or Linda Penley.

Drivers Needed

Drivers are needed to help provide rides to worship and church events! Please contact Anne Nelson to

volunteer. Need a ride? Please contact the church office.

Pastor’s Bible Study: Colossians

Join on May 1, 8, 22, and 29 at 9:00 am in-person in New Horizons, or 7:30 pm on Zoom (contact Pastor Karen for a link). Come explore the new life we are called to live in Jesus Christ! All are welcome! Bring your Bible! Note: we’ll have a picnic off-site on April 24 (contact Pastor Karen for details), and we will not meet on May 15.

Earth Day Event

Working for Justice is sponsoring an Earth Day Event on Sunday, April 28. Stop by Wesley Hall between services and visit the informational tables addressing gas leaks from abandoned wells, forest stewardship, and environmental legislation. All are local issues that impact our faith community. 

General Conference

Join United Methodists from across Western Pennsylvania in prayer for General Conference, scheduled April 23-May 3. Visit the WPAUMC website for more information and a weekly invitation to prayer. During the week of April 22, please pray for the legislation and its impact on our denomination’s life together.

Fishing & Picnic

Families are invited on Wednesday, April 24 from 5:30 pm - dusk at the North Park Latrobe Pavillion.

Sunday School

For the remainder of the season, children’s classes (age 4 through 5th grade) will meet together as a community for weekly lessons and hands-on fun! All 9:30 am classes/groups for children, youth, and adults will continue through May 19.

Vacation Bible School & Creative Arts Camp: June 17-21

All children entering Kindergarten through entering 6th Grade are welcome. Register today! Many volunteer opportunities are available and help is needed! Please contact Erin Soza for details.

Donations Urgently Needed

Together, we can make a difference! Several of St. Paul’s partner organizations have requested urgent financial assistance to meet immediate needs in our own community, and globally. While none of us can respond to every need, together we can share the love of God with those who are struggling by offering our financial and prayer support. Please give as you are able in response to the following:

• NHCO is supporting individuals and families in Millvale, Etna and surrounding areas who experienced recent flooding. Cash donations are most needed currently. You can make a donation directly to NHCO or through St. Paul’s, noting “NHCO Flood Response.” In addition, the already low NHCO food pantries are in need of food donations as they provide for those displaced by flooding. Especially needed are hearty or condensed soups, canned tomatoes, peanut butter, pasta sauce, baked beans, canned chili, canned pasta such as ravioli, and cereal. Donations can be dropped off at NHCO (M-F, 9:00 am-4:00 pm), in the St. Paul’s Ministry Center in Wesley Hall, or you can shop directly from their Amazon Wishlist.
• The Eastbrook Mission Barn, which is part of the UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) disaster response network, distributed 60 flood cleaning buckets to NHCO this week to help with the local flood response, and hundreds more to other nearby communities. They are now urgently in need of donations of supplies and/or completed cleaning bucket kits to replenish their stock. Click here for information about what to include. Supply donations and/or completed kits may be brought to the Ministry Center in Wesley Hall or the church office, or delivered directly to the Mission Barn. Financial donations may be made through St. Paul’s, marked “Mission Barn Cleaning Buckets, Advance #002009BF.”
• The Nyadire Connection (TNC) is requesting financial donations in response to a severe drought that is impacting the Country of Zimbabwe, leaving many without enough food. TNC partner churches, including St. Paul’s, have set a goal of raising a total of $100,000 by May 31, in order to provide basic food supplies for 350 families who live and work at the Nyadire Mission from June through December 2024. A contribution of $41 will provide a month of food for one family of 5 (or $287 for the full 6 months). Donate today (note that the donation is for “Nyadire Hunger Relief”), or through St. Paul’s, with your donation marked “Nyadire Hunger Relief.”

North Hills Handbell Festival

Enjoy a public concert in Fellowship Hall on Saturday, April 27 at 5:30 pm. Admission: $5 at the door.

United Women in Faith Spring Meeting

The United Women in Faith (UWF) will be hosting their annual spring meeting on Monday, April 29 from

7:00-9:00 pm in George Crooks Dining Area. We invite all women and men to attend to learn more about

Living in Liberty (LIL). The mission of LIL is to restore dignity, freedom, and a new life to victims of

commercial sexual exploitation by creating a safe, secure, loving, and nurturing community where healing occurs, and a new life begins. Please come and hear Elizabeth Echevarria’s inspired story of how she started LIL, and how you can help this important cause.

Summer Epistle

Our next Epistle will be available on Pentecost Sunday, and will highlight ministries from Memorial Day through August. Please submit materials to Carla Porterfield by Tuesday, April 30.

In This Together

Loss of a Parent grief education with Dr. Michele Reiss on Tuesday, April 30 from 7:00-9:00 pm.

Introducing St. Paul’s UMC Abundant Wellness Ministry!

Scriptural Foundation: Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Purpose: to follow Jesus into abundant life together. 

Mission: St. Paul’s Abundant Wellness Ministry creates opportunities for people to grow in wellbeing through Faith, Community, Nutrition, and Movement. All are welcome and our focus is on persons who are 50+.

Vision: St. Paul’s Abundant Wellness Ministry will nurture spiritual, emotional, mental, physical, nutritional, social, and intellectual wellbeing in our community.

St. Paul’s Abundant Wellness Ministry began with three focus groups, out of which a core leadership group formed to develop programming. We have several initial goals: to coordinate transportation for worship services and church events, arrange friendly phone chats to foster community connection, and organize a monthly “Lunch Bunch.” Please watch for more updates! Questions? Suggestions? Want to help? Contact Linda Cox or Pastor Karen.  

Abundant Wellness Ministry Lunch Bunch

Bring a bagged lunch and join us on May 1 from 12:00-1:30 pm in the Wesley Rooms for conversation, fun, and fellowship. We'll share ideas for healthy aging and offer short gentle movement activities, such as mindful walking and Qi Gong. All are welcome and activities are geared to any level of fitness. For more information, please contact Rosemary Hanrahan or Dianne Buirge.

Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry Celebration of Hope Gala

We would love to show our support for the excellent work of Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry by filling a Gala table with St. Paul’s people on Thursday, May 2 from 5:00-9:00 pm at LeMont Restaurant! Tickets are $150, and this investment will provide direct help and services to neighbors who are uninsured, underinsured, or under-resourced. This year’s Gala will feature Christy Porter and honor Suzanne Alexander. For more information, please visit https://anchorpoint.org/gala, or contact Diane Zebrine or Pastor Karen.

End Gun Violence Advocacy Day

St. Paul's Working for Justice (WFJ) will be traveling to Harrisburg to participate in CeaseFirePA's Advocacy Day to End Gun Violence on May 7. The group will be meeting with legislators and participating in advocacy discussions related to ending community violence via firearms. Click here for more information and to register. For questions and to arrange travel with others from St. Paul's, contact WFJ Chairperson Michael DiMonte.

Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra Concert

The Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra invites you to their spring concert on Saturday, May 11 at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary. $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors, and children under the age of 12 are free. Tickets are available online or at the door.

St. Paul’s Concert Series: Deanna Witkowski Trio

Join us for sacred jazz music on Sunday, May 19, 3:00 pm. Admission by freewill offering.

Music in World Cultures Benefit Concert

A special concert will be presented by Janet Harris on Thursday, May 23 at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Donations are welcome and will be used to help fund an upcoming mission trip. Janet is traveling with the Music In World Cultures mission team whose passion is supporting the global church by working with musicians and helping them to strengthen the worship life of their local congregations through music. MIWC began in 1996 and has ongoing missions in The Balkans, Caucasia, Ukraine, Jamaica, Kenya, Nepal, Northern Europe, Zambia.  

Book Club

Save the date and start reading! We will discuss a New York Times Editors’ Choice and USA TODAY Bestseller, Shark Heart by Emily Habeck on Tuesday, June 4 at 7:00 pm. Please RSVP to host, Rosemary Hanrahan.

Chancel Flowers

Please sign up by the Tuesday before the weekend of your choice. Arrangements are $47.

Church Office Hours

Monday - Thursday, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, Friday by appointment

We are Blessed by a Full Building of Ministry

Please continue to enter through the main church entrance (Wesley Hall) for worship and Sunday morning ministries. As a security measure, other entrances will remain locked.

Video Recording and Photography

Those in the sanctuary and throughout the building may appear on camera, and we may use these images in print or electronic media and on our weekly livestream. Contact the church office if you wish to opt out from having your picture shared.

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