Congratulations to the Neighborhood Academy!

The Neighborhood Academy is the 2010 Peace Partner Award Recipient for its peace building contributions to Youth Services! The Academy is being recognized for its "long standing commitment to developing the mind, body and spirit of students and for working to break the cycle of poverty and violence."

The Peace Partner Awards are part of the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime's (CVVC) Peace-It-Together Community Initiative (PITCI). The Peace Partner Awards honor those persons and organizations who, through their work or service, help individuals, families, and communities heal from violence and crime and who embody the spirit of PITCI by resolving conflict, restoring relationships, and building peaceful communities in the Greater Pittsburgh Region. The Neighborhood Academy was nominated by Diana Wood, who coordinates Sixth's lunch brigade volunteers at the Academy.

The 2010 Peace-It-Together Community Initiative Reception and Peace Partner Awards Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 from 5:00 – 7:30 PM at the Regional Enterprise Tower in downtown Pittsburgh.

'Zombies' Protest Closing of UPMC-Braddock

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Zombies in movie makeup, pushing hospital IV stands and portraying what they said will be the results of corporate greed that caused UPMC to suck the life out of Braddock by closing the hospital there, marched on the nonprofit's Downtown corporate headquarters at noon today.

"I couldn't make it to a hospital in time because UPMC is closing Braddock," Emily Gorda, 29, of Braddock, one of the zombies in crusty gray makeup and a backless hospital gown, said explaining the symbolism during the march from the Greyhound Bus Terminal to the U.S. Steel Tower on Grant Street. "Our community is on life support. UPMC should be ashamed."

When the dozen zombie marchers reached the front of the skyscraper -- which houses UPMC offices -- their ranks swelled to about 40 protesters who held a mock UPMC board meeting on the sidewalk.

Filmmaker and Braddock resident Tony Buba, who worked on George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" and "Dawn of the Dead" horror movies, said the demonstrators were trying to draw attention not only to the closing of Braddock Hospital, scheduled for Jan. 31, but also the need for health care coverage and the closing of community hospitals, especially in poor and minority communities.
This story continues at www.post-gazette.com/pg/09352/1021997-100.stm

For more on efforts in support of Braddock, see www.savebraddock.com

Highlights from December Meeting

The peacemaking overture to General Assembly for which 6th was a cosponsor was passed at the Pittsburgh Presbytery level.... The panel discussion held at the seminary on the role of faith in our stance on the death penalty drew a small but interested audience..... CROP Walk contributions increased by 10+% from last year....The Neighborhood Academy has been nominated for a Peace Partner Award through the Center for Victims of Violent Crimes.... Concerned action and awareness on the situation in Braddock/closing of the UPMC hospital there goes on (the Tribune-Review has been a good partner in keeping this in front of the public eye)....Next lunch at the Neighborhood Academy is February 4th....Volunteers at Global Links are having *fun* while doing good! -- and the high level of participation has earned 'points' that may enable 6th to send medical packets to Nicaragua as part of our developing relationship with the community of El Porvenir....The Committee is interested in learning more about anti-sweatshop legislation; the law was initially introduced as the Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act..... The June 2010 mission trip will be an exciting and challenging opportunity for adults at Sixth!

Fellowship Hour (AKA Coffee & Cookie Time!)

Sixth shares a time of fellowship in the chapel after each worship service. Because we're good Presbyterians, we've tried to make that job one that's both decent AND in 'good order' by having each church committee take on the responsibility of finding volunteers for a month o' Sundays. Volunteers are not necessarily from that committee, but the committee makes sure the month is covered. Then -- because we *are* orderly! -- Shirley sends general instructions. These are not rules, but guidelines so that if you've never 'done fellowship' before you have some sense of how to go about it. For instance, Rich generally takes care of the coffee part of it! Hurrah!

The Church & Community Committee's next month o' Sundays for Fellowship is May 2010. We have three volunteers so far: Carol B. for May 2nd; Fred for May 9th; and Maggie for May 23rd.

If you know of anyone who might like to sign up, please show them the sign-up sheet in the chapel or contact Shirley. After someone puts his or her name on the sign-up sheet, Shirley will email the instructions to them.

Many thanks to all who volunteer for this gracious sharing of time.

Building Our Relationship with El Porvenir

The youth of Sixth Church traveled to Nicaragua in the summer of 2008 to work with the people of El Porvenir, a coffee cooperative whose coffee many of us continue to buy and enjoy. Adults from Sixth are developing the relationship through a mission trip planned for late June of 2010 (tentative dates: June 17-27).

Sara and Chris Berg came to the Church + Community Committee meeting this Sunday to distribute packets (of information AND forms) for adults who are interested in going and to answer questions. Sara stressed the physical nature of this trip. El Porvenir is at least three hours from a major city hospital; located at the top of a remote volcano, El Porvenir is accessed by dry river bed and rough trails. The work that the mission group will do will be physical: carrying heavy loads, feeding animals, weeding, moving rocks, etc.

The number of people who can go on the trip will be limited primarily by two factors: (1) transportation -- how many people can be safely accomodated in the type of vehicle needed and available for the trek to El Porvenir; and (2) number of translators -- there must be one translator for every 4 non-Spanish speakers.

If you are interested in going, please contact Sara or Chris Berg, Fred O'Leary, Peter Kaplan, Cliff or Nora Johnson, or Brenda Flores. Sara needs to have a solid count of the number of participants by January 9th; your initial deposit for the trip will be due in early February.

The Church + Community Committee voted to allocate some of this year's remaining funds directly to El Porvenir in support of their work and acknowledgement of our relationship with this community.

Address to Covenant Network

In our December Sixth Sense newsletter, Pastor Mary Louise speaks about an amazing speech given by Mark Achtemeier to the Covenant Network of Presbyterians and reprinted in the Presbyterian Outlook magazine. It speaks strongly to our More Light sense at Sixth, and gives hope for positive changes to come. Click here for a link to it, or here to grab a copy in PDF format.

Gospel Weekend featured in "News from Presbytery"

The Good News from Sixth Presbyterian & Bethesda United Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh: Sixth Presbyterian Church and Bethesda United Presbyterian Church welcomed more than 250 people to worship together on October 25 at the close of a rousing and spirited gospel weekend at Sixth led by Dr. Anthony Leach, professor of music from Penn State University.

Nearly 100 people sang all day on Saturday, learning nine anthems and songs, and enjoying lunch through a grant from the Amos 5:24 Task Force. Singers formed a gospel choir for Sixth's Sunday worship, including folks from Bethesda, Bethel and East Liberty churches and others.

Rev. Eugene Blackwell preached and Rev. Karen Battle joined Rev. Mary Louise McCullough of Sixth to lead a dynamic worship service, all made possible through a Transformation grant from Pittsburgh Presbytery. The weekend, especially worship, was truly transformational!

Christmas Joy Offering

The Christmas Joy Offering is one of the four special offerings designated by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to provide congregations direct ways of supporting specific causes. Half of the contributions to the Christmas Joy Offering are distributed to the Board of Pensions for assistance programs that provide support to retired and active church workers and their spouses and families. The other half supports Presbyterian-related racial/ethnic education through the General Assembly Council.

Sixth is grateful to Diana Wood for her work in coordinating our congregation's opportunity to participate in this annual offering.

More Babies!

Sixth has been blessed by the birth of lots of beautiful babies in our congregation this fall.

And guess what? That 6th 'fertile touch' extends to our contributions to the Goats For Gifts program, too! ;-)

The program's administrator writes: "Sorry about her backside, but yea, she's pregnant! The firstborn must be given to another survivor. So many thanks, again, to your thoughtful congregation."

Goats for Gifts is a volunteer organization; our contribution goes fully to the purchase of goats for survivors of the Rwanda genocide. Sixth's giving has provided 25 more goats this year.

Home at Last

EECM has launched a capital campaign in support of the East End Community House, a new facility to house -- in one central location -- all of the many EECM services now tucked into various nooks and crannies across the East End of Pittsburgh.

See http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09334/1017254-53.stm for more.

Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

34th Annual
Community Interfaith
Thanksgiving Service

Tuesday, November 24th at 7 PM

Baha'i - Christian - Hindu - Islamic - Jewish

Please join us as we share this wonderful Thanksgiving tradition with our neighbors of many faiths. This year's service is hosted by Congregation Beth Shalom at 5915 Beacon Street (corner of Beacon & Shady)in the Faye Rubenstein Weiss Sanctuary

Speaker: The Rev. Cynthia Bronson-Sweigert of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

With participation by the Taylor Allderdice High School Choir

An offering of canned goods and other non-perishables will be received for the Food Pantry of East End Cooperative Ministry

A cash offering will be received for the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry.

Norma & Jack Rally for Braddock

Undaunted by rain, Norma and Jack protest plans to close UPMC-Braddock.

For more on the community's efforts to ensure that health care is available, see:

Braddock Hospital's Closure Protested;

and

Braddock Residents Look Into Suing UPMC .

Reminder: Our Meeting's Coming Up

Please mark your calendars for the Church and Community Committee meeting on Sunday, December 6th, in the parlor.

We will make our final set of 2009 allocations at this meeting, and we are also working to set up a guest speaker on an issue of community concern. (Check back here for more on that as plans start to fall in to place!)

Support Rally for UPMC Braddock

Norma and Jack F. are staying on top of the community efforts to save the UPMC Braddock facility for healthcare in that community. A rally is planned for Thursday afternoon of this week (November 19th).

Save Our Community Hospitals

SAVE UPMC BRADDOCK

RALLY
TO SAVE OUR HOSPITAL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009 at 2PM

Fifth St. & Braddock Ave.

Braddock, PA

Lisa Larges Ordination

Lisa Larges, who preached so eloquently at Sixth this fall, has been approved for ordination by the San Francisco Presbytery, which also recognized That All May Freely Serve as a validated ministry.

For more, see the More Light Presbyterian website!

Honduras forum November 17th

There will be a forum to discuss the coup and political crisis in Honduras on Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 PM at St. Regis Church in Oakland (3250 Parkview Ave, 412-681-9365). The event is organized by the Pittsburgh Central American Solidarity Committee. The flyer for the event can be found by clicking here , and if you are interested in learning more about it, you can contact John Soluri by email: jsoluri@andrew.cmu.edu .

Jim McDowell Pottery Sale/Fundraiser

Saturday, November 14
11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Sixth Presbyterian Church
Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh PA
(Murray Avenue entrance)

Jim McDowell is again sharing his gift through a sale of his pottery this Saturday, November 14th. 40% of all sales will go toward Pittsburgh Presbytery's Lazarus Fund.

Jim and his wife Jan Fisher are members of Sixth. He has been a studio potter for more than 30 years and is well represented in museums and galleries across the country. While young Colin, above, holds one of Jim's bowls, Jim is perhaps best known for his face jugs, which he makes to "pay homage to [his] ancestors, those who survived the Middle Passage."

For more on Jim's work, see www.blackpotter.com.

For more on the Lazarus Fund, see www.pghpresbytery.org/justice/lazarus_fund.htm .

Neighborhood Academy Lunch: Chili With a Dash of Love

From Diana:

"We recently orchestrated another very successful group effort on behalf of the NA students and staff. Brenda F., Pam H. and I met at the church Monday evening and prepared enough chili for 50 people and prepared 8 loaves of Italian bread--buttered--for the entire group. Carol and Bill B. brought to the church on Sunday enough chili for 50. Then on Tuesday morning I heated up all the chili, and Louise F., Jenn F-G, Jonas and I loaded the car, drove to the school, unloaded, and served the meal along with a large tossed salad, apple juice and brownies (by Trish C.) and cookies (by Michael S.). Checkers joined us at the school (where she had already had a personal tour) and helped serve.

Just about everything was eaten. Actually, only some apple juice was left! Students and staff were most appreciative. If you want reimbursement for the costs of food purchase, please fill out a request form in the office, clearly marking the purpose and submit it to Maggie.

Our next lunch is THURSDAY FEBRUARY 4. Please notify me if you know already that you would like to help.

Thanks to all."

PCUSA article about Open Hands Ministries

Here's a link to a wonderful article about the amazing work being done by Open Hands Ministries here in Pittsburgh:

http://www.pcusa.org/seminaries/stantonpittsburgh.htm

The next work day is coming up soon on Saturday November 7th. Please contact Bryan Webler [ bryan.webler@gmail.com ] if you'd like to join the group from Sixth Church in their efforts to help to provide disadvantaged families the opportunity for affordable homeownership in the economically challenged Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Garfield and East Liberty.

THREE great ways to support EECM!

A lot is happening with the East End Community Ministry these days! In addition to Sixth's ongoing support efforts of EECM including our food pantry contributions and men's shelter meals, here are THREE great additional ways we can help to support this amazing organization that provides so much help to our neighbors in need:

Whole Foods 5% Day - Wednesday, October 28, 2009, - 8am to 10pm

Grab your grocery list and support EECM while you shop! On Wednesday, October 28th, Whole Foods Market will donate 5% of their sales for the day to East End Cooperative Ministry. EECM staff and volunteers will be on hand to distribute information about their many programs. They will also be giving away a limited number of EECM reusable shopping bags, so hurry in!

The 6th Annual Houses of Worship Architectural Tour

Celebrating the beauty within our community! (Church of the Redeemer, Sixth Presbyterian Church, and Temple Sinai,Sunday, November 1, 2:00 PM -- 4:00 PM)

Tour begins at 2:00 PM at Church of the Redeemer (5700 Forbes Ave.). Admission to the Tour is $20 plus a bag of non-perishable groceries for EECM's Food Pantry. Tour price includes docent-led tours of each congregation highlighting its history, art, and architecture, and a light reception at Church of the Redeemer. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling 412.361.5549. Tickets will also be available the day of the Tour. This is a great way to help out EECM and to learn more about the amazing architecture of Sixth Church and a few of our neighbors' houses of worship as well! And feel free to quiz one of our Sixth Docents to test their newly-gained knowledge of our church! They are Joan Gaul, Carole Emerson, Fred O'Leary, Dave Wood, and David Miller.

Share the Warmth! EECM's Annual Coat Drive

Do you have coats and jackets taking up space in your closet that never get worn? Why not donate them to East End Cooperative Ministry's homeless clients? EECM is accepting new and very gently (lovingly, even) used coats and jackets. Especially needed are men's coats in extra large sizes. Coats may be dropped off at the barrel located near the back doors of the chapel at Sixth. More information can be obtained by contacting Dave Wood.

More details about all of these and other wonderful EECM programs can be found by clicking their link in our column to your right --->

Stewardship Sunday Nov 8th - C&C summary

Sixth's annual Stewardship Sunday is coming up on November 8th!

Here is the information about the Church and Community to be included for that day:

The Church and Community committee is the mission arm of Sixth Church. Our committee’s work allows the gifts of volunteerism and financial support from the members and friends of Sixth Church to reach local and global communities and people who need our help.

Our committee selects organizations that may need financial or volunteer support to better serve others for a mission that is aligned with Sixth’s own mission. These include organizations focused on hunger relief efforts, local cooperative ministries, and social justice organizations.

Our committee coordinates the More Light Presbyterians initiative at Sixth Church, working on inclusiveness and equality issues for lesbian, gay and transgendered persons.

Our committee has worked with and supported organizations like Wilkinsburg Community Ministry, East End Cooperative Ministries, Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Neighborhood Academy, Mars Home for Youth, Camp Crestfield (Youth Scholarship Fund), Lazarus Fund of the Pittsburgh Presbytery, Just Harvest, Church World Services, CROP, Goats for Gifts: For Rwandan Women Affected by the Genocide, Open Hands Ministry and Global Links to help to provide aid and help where needed for the people these organizations serve.

Our committee communicates through e-mail, a weblog, bulletin announcements, the Sixth Sense newsletter, word of mouth, and a few committee meetings, typically about four a year.

Please contact Fred O’Leary ( fredoleary@gmail.com ) or Kit Ayars ( kit@pitt.edu ) if you are interested in being a part of this amazing piece of our life here at Sixth Church!

Tom Juring and his committee have planned a very special program to kick off our stewardship campaign, and of course a delicious lunch as always! Hope to see you all there ....

Next Meeting: December 6th

We're heading into a very busy time of the church family year, but please set aside some time now for a Church and Community Committee meeting on Sunday, December 6th, in the parlor.

We will make our final set of 2009 allocations at this meeting, and we have the possibility of two guest speakers on issues of interest and concern (anti-sweatshop efforts and affordable neighborhood housing).

Mmm, Mmmm, Good!

Time to start thinking about lunch at the Neighborhood Academy!

The first lunch event of the fall is Tuesday November 3. Please let Diana Wood know if you can help with preparing food several days ahead, preparing food during the morning of the 3rd, transporting and/or serving, or purchasing supplies.

What's the Neigbhorhood Academy? In their very own words: "Our curriculum and program intentionally focuses on providing a college-preparatory education to low-income students. Our unique approach includes an extended school day (8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.), very small classes, close and ongoing communication with families and a college preparatory curriculum that culminates in senior seminars in the humanities and sciences. At The Neighborhood Academy, we afford to low income students a private school, college preparatory education that they would not otherwise be able to obtain. To help our students to succeed academically, we also provide counseling, transportation, three meals a day and assistance with emergency needs like medical care. The breadth of our services to students is based on the belief that low-income students face unique challenges and need much more than “school” to learn."

"Sharing Surplus, Saving Lives" for 20 Years!

Global Links celebrates its 20th birthday today! Happy birthday -- and thanks to all who've made this important effort such a success.

See http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09287/1005194-114.stm for more.

Interested in volunteering? Please contact Jan Maxwell and join the merry cohort of Sixth members and friends who volunteer together once a month for a couple of hours.

"Connecting our Faith with the Death Penalty": An Interfaith Panel

Sunday, November 8, 2009 at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
1:30 Gathering, registration, refreshments
2:00PM Program
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Panel:
Moderator -Rev. Don Green
Father Frank Almade - St. Juan Diego Catholic Parish, Sharpsburg
Pastor Don Green - Executive Director of Christian Associates of Southwest Pa
Rabbi Art Donsky - Temple Ohav Shalom, Allison Park
Rector Mon McIntyre - Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Homewood & Professor , Duquesne University
Rev. David Morse - Retired United Methodist Pastor & Chair WPA UMC Conference Board of Ordained Ministry

The panel will present and discuss the challenge of reconciling denominational statements with personal beliefs. The goal is to help people think about, question and discuss the topic of the death penalty in relation to their faith journey.

Sponsored by Pittsburgh Faith in Action Against the Death Penalty, An Interfaith Initiative

Reminder: CROP Walk for Hunger

It's coming! Sixth Church walks on Sunday, October 11 at 2:00 p.m., starting from the South Avenue United Methodist Church in Wilkinsburg and walking through the neighborhoods of the East End to raise money for the hunger and refugee work of Church World Service.

Want to help? You can be a walker, or you can sponsor a walker with your pledge.

Here are a few examples of programs supported through the CROP Walk:

• A network of rural cooperatives in Haiti are working together to create economic security and sustainable food sources for their families.

• Women in 19 rural communities in Nicaragua are developing funds to promote local development and food security initiatives.

Pledge through the online donation site for our Pittsburgh East Walk -- or sign up to sponsor a walker any Sunday morning after worship.

SmallWorks Benefit Concert: Tunes and Televisions!

SmallWorks will hold its first annual benefit concert at Your Inner Vagabond in Lawrenceville on Friday October 2, 2009 at 7:00 pm. Music includes acoustic work by Black and Berg from their "Divide by Zero" project!

Admission is a $10 donation at the door. As Chris reminded us at worship this week, SmallWorks is working with Wood Street Commons to provide gently used televisions to its residents, so in addition to a ten-dollar-bill, please feel free to bring in that functioning television that you've been wanting to surrender: it's found a new home!

For more on SmallWorks, follow the link that can be found on the right side of this blog page. (That's it -- scroll down a little bit -- there! You found it!)

PBT Article on Churches & Recession

This week's Pittsburgh Business Times includes an article on the impact of the economy on local faith communities: "Churches feel effects of downturn, but see bright future ahead."

Mary Louise is quoted, and Sixth is offered as an example of a church that is becoming more open in communicating the realities and practicalities of its own financial needs.

Fellowship Hour: We're On for October!

The committees of Sixth take turns finding volunteers to set up/clean up and provide snacks for the congregation's fellowship (coffee-and-cookies) time after worship. The Church + Community Committee has the month of October: October 4, 11, 18, and 25.

Flood Damage Relief: Second United Presbyterian Church of Wilkinsburg

When heavy rainstorms blew through Pittsburgh on June 17, a number of churches in the Pittsburgh Presbytery sustained significant damage. In particular, Second United Presbyterian Church of Wilkinsburg suffered extensive damage to their Fellowship Hall, kitchen, two bathrooms and the downstairs hallway. They need to raise $24,880 to purchase materials and are asking for the prayers of their brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the Presbytery, and for any funding or labor that could help them through their repairs.

If you are interested in helping, through your time and talents or a financial contribution, please contact Rev. Deborah Warren at 412.242.4430.

For more on Second United's ministry, see http://web.mac.com/secondpresbyterian/iWeb/SecondUnitedPresbyterian/Home.html .

Have a Few Minutes? Speak Up!

Speaking of how we spend our time.... Nora writes that she is increasingly frustrated by the wimpiness of our elected officials in terms of tackling head-on the challenging but not impossible task of health care/insurance reform, especially in the face of hollering crowds.

Have two minutes? Read Nora's letter, below, which she has sent to her senators and congressman via email. I've included both her 'call to action' (addressed to all those who care about this issue) and her letter.

Have five minutes? Send an email to YOUR senators/representatives! Nora won't mind if you want to crib some from hers! You can find the email address for your senator (most of you reading this are probably represented by Casey and Specter) at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and the address for your representative at https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.

----------------------------------

Hi, friends -

Our federal elected representatives have gone home for the summer without enacting health insurance reform. Worse, it's questionable whether or not they'll ever be able to break through the ties of money and influence that bind them. I sat around all last week stewing helplessly about this. This morning, as the weather threatens to stew us all in fact, I pulled myself together, and e-mailed and called Senators Specter and Casey and Congressman Doyle. My letter follows to show that I really did get in touch with them. I

If you're contacting them as well, do let me know. I'm finding it very discouraging that the legislation under discussion so far has moved far from anything that might make a difference to all the un- and underinsured in this country or to the high costs of health care, and that the mindless yelling of bought-off crowds seems to be so influential. It's hard to be enthusiastic about what's being proposed at this point. So I'd like to hear if others of you, just to get a sense of a common interest. Thanks so much!

Nora

Dear Sen/Rep:

Please work to get us real health insurance reform. So far, it doesn't look good. It looks like the vested interests, namely big health insurance and big pharma, are having their way. They're bankrolling mob pressure against any meaningful change, and they've got the "Gang of Six", led by Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, batting around in their wet paper bag unable to do anything at all.

In fact, I heard Sen. Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Committee, say: "We've got a good health care system." What? What country is Senator Grassley living in? Canada maybe, where they do have a good health care system? Meanwhile, Kent Conrad, a Democrat on Sen. Baucus' committee, is proposing a health care co-op system. Please.

What we need is a system that will serve everyone and will save money in the long run. Single-payer health care does that. Why not work vigorously to educate your constituency about the facts of single-payer? There has not been enough information because everyone is so frightened of what the well-funded noise machine will do. Please break out of the mold and bring us a real solution to our overpriced, ineffective, and corrupt health care system.

Thank you very much.

How Do You Spend Your Time?

The New York Times posted an interesting chart on how people (over 15 years old) in the US spend their time on an average day.

It's fascinating (in ways that may or may not be healthy!). You can pick a random time -- let's say 6:50 PM -- and see the percentage of Americans who would normally be engaged in a given activity at that time. At 6:50 PM, 3% of Americans are playing sports. 1% are voluntering, while another 1% are engaged in religious activities (does blogging for a church committee count?). 24% of Americans, at 6:50 PM, would typically be watching television or a movie.

Walk the [CROP] Walk!

C+C Co-Chair Fred is one of Sixth's most faithful CROP walkers. Won't you join him and others on Sunday, October 11th, as Sixth Presbyterian walks through the East End of Pittsburgh to raise funds for Church World Services?

Our fall calendars fill up so quickly: please mark your calendars now so that you can walk or participate in some other way on October 11th.

Summer Calendar Alerts

It's Vacation Bible School Week at Sixth! Yay! Do you have a favorite Bible school memory? My two strongest memories of those days as a child are (1) grape kool-aid plus pretzel sticks tasting soooooo good; and (2) loving the way we got to all call out together "His steadfast love endures forever" during the psalm reading.

Taking a staycation and want to do a little volunteering? Sign up for the Tuesday, August 4th (10 AM till Noon: plenty of afternoon left for ice cream and the swimming pool!) volunteer stint at Global Links! Global Links collects unused medical supplies from local hospitals and ships them to hospitals serving the poorest of our extended human family in less developed countries. Contact Jan Maxwell if you'd like to help!

The deacons invite you to the first monthly Family Gathering on Tuesday, August 11th: an evening of supper and sharing. You're invited (but don't need to) bring a gently used item for little ones under 2 to be shared with other families who might need those items right now during a family expansion period! Babysitting and children's activities will be provided.

Pittsburgh Presbytery Says 'Get Connected!'

Presbytery has a new service, Let's Get Connected, that allows churches to list their talents and their needs online. In this way, congregations that need help in a certain area can find fellow Pittsburgh Presbyterians to help them, while those with gifts and talents can find opportunities that best match those gifts.

See Let's Get Connected! on the Presbytery website.

Allegheny County Council Approves Non-Bias Ordinance

Sixth's Session wrote to Rich Fitzgerald of the Allegheny County Council to express our support for the establishment of a county ordinance that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. That bill -- and an accompanying move to establish a Human Relations Commission -- was approved yesterday.

Session's letter noted that, since 1978, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has had a policy of supporting exactly this type of anti-discrimination ordinance; the General Assembly of that year agreed that “vigilance must be exercised…to initiate and support federal, state, and local legislation that prohibits discriminating against persons on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing and public accommodation.”

Council supporters included John DeFazio, James Burn Jr., Joan Cleary, Rich Fitzgerald, Dr. Charles Martoni, William Robinson, Robert J. Macey and Amanda Green. See http://www.alleghenycounty.us/council/members.asp should you wish to write a note of thanks to your County Council representative regarding the approval of this ordinance.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09183/981333-455.stm#ixzz0K75YkVMw&C .

EECM Food Pantry Expands Hours to Meet Growing Need

From the Post-Gazette:

East Liberty food pantry expanding hours
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
By Liyun Jin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The East End Cooperative Ministry will expand the hours of its food pantry beginning Monday, according to a press release today.

The pantry, which currently operates for two hours in the afternoon every weekday at East Liberty Presbyterian Church, will expand to include morning hours from 10 to 11:15 a.m. Monday through Friday.

"This dramatic step is being taken in response to growing requests for assistance," the press release said.

Pantry clients are encouraged to use the morning hours to discuss additional household needs with the food services case manager, as well as to obtain food.

The East End Cooperative Ministry will also offer more substantial meals and expand the hours of its soup kitchen beginning Monday, said Development Director David Dix. It will operate from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Current hours are 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09181/980847-100.stm#ixzz0JweYeNHt&C

PC(USA) Moderator in Action

Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow will speak Saturday evening at the New Wilmington Mission Conference (held July 18-25: see http://nwmcmission.org/ for details). Reyes-Chow is currently serving as PC(USA) Moderator. An ordained minister since 1995, he is a California native and the founding pastor of Mission Bay Community Church, a new church development of San Francisco Presbytery. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a special major in Asian American Studies, Sociology, and Religion and from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Bruce has served the PC(USA) over the years as a preacher, worship leader, and keynoter.

Bruce is "firmly convicted that life is just chaotic and that the key to finding security amidst the chaos is not to put life in a rigidly controlled box, but to embrace and claim God's presence in the ambiguity-a difficult way to live, but a way that honors the authenticity of our lives and strengthens our relationship with God." Bruce is a prolific blogger and has a large social networking presence.

P.S. Not only is Bruce Reyes-Chow a 'social networking presence,' but so is Sixth! If you're on Facebook, check out the Friends of Sixth Church group.

Lazarus Fund Suspends Applications

An update from Presbytery:

By God's grace at the June 8 meeting, the Lazarus Fund Ministry Team distributed $200 grants totaling nearly $10,000 to help local families pay their rent and utility bills. This will not happen in July because the fund is out of money and the ministry team has stopped accepting applications. As a result, a vital ministry in nearly 20 churches has been suspended at a time of crisis for many households.

The team thanks everyone for their past generosity, especially most recently on Lazarus Sunday in March, which has kept the fund going thus far. They are now asking for your prayer and your contributions. If you want to support the Lazarus Fund ministry, checks can be sent to Pittsburgh Presbytery, 901 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233, with "Lazarus Fund" noted on the memo line. For more information on the fund go to
http://www.pghpresbytery.org/justice/lazarus_fund.htm

EECM Off-to-College Kit

EECM expects to have 15 students who are heading off to college this fall and who will need a little TLC in the way of school/dorm supplies. The C+C Committee has agreed to be a sponsoring congregation for one of the students; Margaret Miller and Louise Ford have graciously volunteered to organize the contributions!

Priority items include: towels & washcloths, plastic shower caddy, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, twin extra long sheets, laundry basket, mesh laundry bag, and plastic clothes hangers. Other items needed include a 1" three-ring binder, stapler and staples, dry-erase board for door (with markers), highlighters, mechanical pencils, pens, sharpies, planner/organizer, spiral bound notebooks, and pocket folders.

Miscellaneous items that would be nice to include: tissues, liquid hand soap, roll of quarters, and a $25 calling card.

Congregations are asked to collect and present the items to EECM in the laundry basket (of whatever appropriate size) by June 30th, if possible.

Tie the Knot

Margaret Miller told us about this great awareness program that is so very timely with all of the news about legislation regarding same-sex marriages and partnerships. The program is called Tie the Knot and is symbolized by white ribbons with a single knot tied in the middle - a simple but meaningful way to say that everyone should have the right to tie the knot. Here's a link to the website with more great information about it:

www.whiteknot.org

We'll be having white ribbons of our own to give out at the Sixth Church booth at PrideFest this year! Thanks Margaret !!!

Fred (always a groomsman, never a groom ...)

Sixth Church: Affirming our Unity – More Light Sunday 2009

Our Sixth Church More Light Sunday is fast approaching and promises to be a great one! All in one jam-packed day of excitement we’ll have our More Light Sunday Worship Service, a team of Sixth Church folks marching in the Pride Parade, and a Sixth Church booth at PrideFest. For you calendars, we have:

Sunday, June 14th --

1. More Light Sunday Worship service at 10:00 AM at Sixth Church (note summer start time!)
2. Pride Awareness parade at Noon from Grant St at 1st Ave to Liberty Ave at 7th St
3. Sixth Church booth at PrideFest from 1:00 until 6:00 PM near the corner of 9th St and Liberty Ave

Our worship service that day will include a celebration with uplifting music, a video/photo slideshow, and a procession of signs proclaiming personal expressions on themes of unity, pride and connectedness.

The parade and booth will feature banners, signs, new Sixth Church More Light t-shirts, refrigerator magnets and ribbons in support of same-sex marriage legislation. We’ll also be showing off one of our two new More Light flags.

The parade starts at from Grant St at 1st Ave, moves onto the Boulevard of the Allies, down to Stanwix St, and turning onto Liberty Avenue finishing at the stage at PrideFest on Liberty Ave at 7th St. BEST PARKING NOTE: First Avenue Parking Garage . Rachel Rothenberg is coordinating the marchers this year. To join us for this part, you can contact Rachel, sign up on the sheet in the Chapel, or shoot Fred an e-mail at fjo@city-net.com .

The booth will be near the corner of 9th St at Liberty avenue and is a chance for us to share with Pittsburgh all of the great things a welcoming More Light Church like Sixth has to offer! The festival runs from 1:00 to 6:00 PM and is free to all. We’ll have t-shirts, a slide show, information about Sixth and the More Light Presbyterians movement, refrigerator magnets, candy, music and more fun than the bumper cars at Kennywood. If you’d like to be part of the booth team for a short shift, please contact Fred. BEST PARKING NOTE: Ninth and Penn Parking garage .

More to come -- stay posted!!

Church and Community meeting this Sunday May 31

The Church and Community committe will meet this Sunday May 31 in the Parlor after Worship and after the reception for Mr. Hughes.  We'll plan to get started around 12:30.  Please see the e-mail Kit sent around for the agenda and topics for discussion. Lots of exciting things going on with our committee these days !!

Support for Healthcare Reform

At the 218th meeting of General Assembly (June 2008), Presbyterians adopted a recommendation supporting national health care reform, calling for advocacy and education that pursues “the goal of obtaining legislation that enacts single-payer, universal national health insurance as the program that best responds to the moral imperative of the gospel.”

As part of that work toward advocacy and education, Sixth Church is a proud sponsor of Healthcare: Human Right and Moral Imperative, a regional conference organized by the Western PA Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare. The conference will be held on Sunday, June 14th, from 1 PM till 5 PM at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in East Liberty/Highland Park.

The conference is free; a light lunch will be served at 1:00, with the program beginning at 2:00. This is one of ten regional conferences around the country being supported by the Presbyterian Church USA. More information and online registration are available at http://www.wpasinglepayer.org/ConferenceAnnouncement.html .

God's Whole Family

The National Welcoming & Affirming Presbyterian Conference
September 4 - 6, 2009 Labor Day Weekend
Second Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee

From Michael Adee:

"God's Whole Family" is hosted by Second Presbyterian Church, Nashville and produced by More Light Presbyterians for pro-LGBT Presbyterians, families, friends and allies.

Easy online registration now with housing options at: www.mlp.org/mlp2009reg

Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of the 218th General Assembly, PCUSA, will be there as keynote speaker and preacher. Bruce is pastor of Mission Bay Community Church, a multi-cultural Presbyterian congregation in San Francisco, CA

Bruce's blog: http://www.mod.reyes-chow.com/

Rev. Debra Peevey, MLP's Campaign Outreach Coordinator for Amendment 08-B, will be present to share heartwarming stories of faith, courage and transformation plus lessons learned from the campaign. Debra is a minister in the Disciples of Christ tradition and lives with her spouse, Candy in Surprise, AZ.

We will gather in community and deepen our faith through affirming worship and by celebrating the gifts of God's creation, love and grace for us and all the world.

Think Road Trip! Get a group from your church, youth group, campus or seminary community, or presbytery to be in “Music City USA” for the LGBT-affirming faith and spiritual experience of the year!

Group registration discount 5 for the price of 4, discounted registration for high school, college and seminary students, and early registration discounts for all.

Email inquiry at mlpinmidtn@yahoo.com. local phone contact: Trice Gibbons 615.292.1555

Register online today at www.mlp.org/mlp2009reg

See you in Nashville and bring your family & friends!
--Michael Adee

PS -- Please forward the good news and this invitation to others within your family, circle of friends, church, youth group, campus or seminary community!

Michael J. Adee, M.Div., Ph.D., Executive Director & Field Organizer
More Light Presbyterians, 369 Montezuma Avenue # 447, Santa Fe, NM 87501 USA
(505) 820-7082, michaeladee@aol.com, www.mlp.org

Neighborhood Academy Works

Three of the first four graduates of the Neighborhood Academy are graduating from COLLEGE this spring! So far, seventeen students have graduated from the Academy; all of them have gone on to college.

All of them.

That's a tribute to the Neighborhood Academy, to the volunteers who support the Academy's work, to the families involved, and to the students themselves, who put in a lot of hours and a lot of effort in order to graduate.

For more on the NA alumni who are graduating this month from college, see http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09129/968946-53.stm .

EECM Fundraiser: Do Good by Eating Well

WHAT: A Flavor of the East End
WHEN: Saturday, May 30
WHERE: Pittsburgh Glass Center

Join East End Cooperative Ministry for this annual fundraiser featuring great food, lively music, glass blowing demonstrations and more! Participants will have the opportunity to create their own work of art.

A Flavor of the East End benefits the hungry, homeless and at-risk children and youth of Pittsburgh's East End.

For more information, please call EECM at 412-361-5549.

Camp Crestfield: Got Gravel?

The Church + Community Committee supports the work of Camp Crestfield. Please see below for camp news and opportunities!

-----------------------------------------------
News from Crestfield Camp & Conference Center
A ministry of Pittsburgh Presbytery

Summer Camp
New for 2009

Campers who attend one week of camp are able to attend additional weeks in the 2009 season for 50% off!! In a time when we are looking for great deals and wonderful summer activities for our children and grandchildren, consider summer camp at Crestfield. Summer camp begins the week of June 21. Get out those calendars and see what week(s) work for you!! For a complete listing of our summer camp opportunities go to http://www.crestfield.net/SummerPrograms.htm#Top

Upcoming Retreats at Crestfield

Older Adult Retreat
May 19-20, 2009
Psalms for Life
OK Seniors! Crestfield isn't just for kids! We have 2 days of fun, relaxation, study and worship planned for you. We will even provide transportation for you. Retreat cost is $65 for double occupancy in Scott Lodge, our hotel-type facility with single beds and private bathrooms. Rev. Cynthia McClung and Linda Pokrajac will be the retreat leaders. For on-line registration form go to
http://www.crestfield.net/senior_adult_retreat.htm


Summer Camp Highlights

Horse Camp
July 19-24
Grades 6-11
Crestfield introduces a new camp this year for horse lovers! Campers will travel to Slippery Rock University's Equestrian Center for 4 afternoons of horse interactions. Campers will learn safety around horses, how to care for, groom and saddle horses as well as learn riding skills. In addition to horse encounters, campers will enjoy other Crestfield activities such as worship, Bible Study, archery, canoeing, climbing wall and much more. This camp is limited to 10 campers so register today!

Little Ones and Loved Ones
June 30-July 2
August 17-19
It's Back! This camp promises to be the most meaningful 4 days and 3 nights that you'll spend with your child all year long! Parents, grandparents, or relatives and their children (age 3 to 7) will grow in God's Word as together they explore the Bible, enjoy the beauty of Crestfield and experience all the fun that camp has to offer. Participants stay in comfortable Scott Lodge. This is a great opportunity for an older child to attend Genesis Camp (first timers) and for you to be on the grounds with a younger child. Call Becky if you have any questions.
-------------------------------------------------------------

HELP NEEDED:

Pot holes at Crestfield
The snow Crestfield experienced over the winter has now thawed. With the thaw we have discovered that our roads are more mud than gravel. If you have access to any excess gravel that would help to eliminate the mud and make our roads drivable again, please contact Mike, Crestfield's buildings and grounds keeper at Mike@Crestfield.net.


Help Needed
Are you a Registered Nurse longing to spend a week in the great outdoors? Crestfield is looking for volunteer RNs to help for one week at summer camp being the health care provider. Responsibilities include administering medications, triaging and treating injuries. Crestfield provides an air conditioned room in Scott Lodge, meals you don't need to cook or clean up, lots of fun and the opportunity to grow in your faith. If you have a current PA nursing license and are interested, please contact Betty at bangelini@pghpresbytery.org. Bartering for your child's /grandchild's week of camp is a possibility.

Make A Joyful Noise!

The East Liberty Family Health Care Center is honoring Janet Edwards and 24 other people at a gala on Sunday, May 17th, at Joyful Noise 2009. The event will feature Aaron Copland's 'Fanfare for the Common Man' and proceeds will benefit the East Liberty Family Health Care Center, which offers a Christian ministry of whole-person healthcare.

Tickets are $75 per person or donations are accepted.

Where: Westin Convention Center Hotel (1000 Penn Avenue/Pittsburgh 15219)
When: Sunday, May 17th, from 4 PM to 7 PM

Registration and Online Invitation at:

https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/EastLibertyFamilyHCC/OnlineRegistration.html

Spring C+C Opportunities !!

Our More Light Subcommittee will meet on May 10th in the Parlor (around 12:15 PM) to shape plans for participation in our More Light celebration (worship, marching) on June 14th. Please see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-awVQkTeVE for some inspiration! All are welcome to attend this meeting: ongoing or prospective new members of the More Light Subcommittee.

Glenda has been generously organizing the fellowship hour offerings this month. She needs your help with this Sunday’s spread! If you’ve always wanted to help out with providing treats for the fellowship hour, this is your golden opportunity. Please contact Glenda at 412-421-7944 or doctorgoldwoman@verizon.net .

March for Darfur in DC

From Pittsburgh Presbytery:

Washington DC will be the site for a rally to urge a concerted diplomatic push to end the crisis in Darfur. Supported by the Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition, a round trip coach bus is available for $20 to take participants to the rally. The rally will be on Sunday, April 19. For additional information go to
http://www.pittsburghdarfur.org/ .

Worship in the Park: June 7, 2009

Sixth will hold its annual Worship in the Park this year on June 7th. This will be the first day for receiving the Peacemaking Offering, too!

Lunch at the Academy

On Tuesday, April 14, volunteers from Sixth will be preparing and serving lunch at the Neighborhood Academy school. We usually prepare the meals on the afternoon before or the morning prior to 10:30, and then some of us transport and serve the food at the school. This typically involves the time between 10:30 and 1:30. Please let Diana know if you can help with the cooking or serving.

Usually eight to ten individuals get involved, and the school now has heating ovens so the food can be kept warm!

For more information or to volunteer, contact Diana Wood (dmwood@pitt.edu).

Some notes about the March 14th Pittsburgh Presbytery meeting and proposed amendment 08B

At the March 14th Pittsburgh Presbytery meeting, a motion was made to extend the time for those who wished to speak on behalf of or against passing amendment 08B beyond the 20 minutes allocated. The motion was voted down, and I did not get the chance to present what I had prepared to say that day. Below is what I would have said:

My name is Fred O’Leary, and I worship and serve at Sixth Presbyterian Church in Squirrel Hill.

I’ve had the good fortune over the past few years to study with folks who have researched much about the history of the Presbyterian Church. I’ve learned about the past 150 years, and our Church’s struggles to move beyond prior literal interpretation of the bible that excluded women and people of color from serving God in a meaningful way. I look around this sanctuary with pride and I see the very clear and wonderful results of having moved beyond those forms of discrimination that tarnished our denomination. One day my hope is that we’ll be able to look back on this issue with that same pride.

It’s been my observation that it’s very rare when someone actually hears the sometimes quiet whisper that is a call to serve God, and often even rarer when one responds to that call. We in this room can probably each remember the first time we recognized that call.

That call sometimes goes out to God’s followers who are excluded from serving by our current Book of Order.

That call sometimes goes out to beloved children of God like our own Reverend Brent Dugan of Ben Avon, who was so loved by his congregation there when his life was tragically cut short in November 2006. In my opinion, this sort of tragedy is precisely the sort of thing we all need to be seeking to eliminate by bringing dialog on these difficult issues forward, and working to end the exclusion of some from a call to serve. Never again should anyone have to feel so torn between their belief in and desire to serve God, and the person that God created them to be, that he or she should desire to end their own life.

I’d like to close by reading two short poems to you.

The first one is some words that may be familiar to many of you: ‘Those who are called to ordained service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation, pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church.’ I share these poetic words with you today, and ask you to think of them on their own, and not with regard to what the words they are intended to
replace.

The second comes from the 40th Psalm. I’ve found it helpful in my contemplations in preparation for today’s meeting: ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Happy are those who make the Lord their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods. You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.’

May God’s grace be with all of us today.

Pittsburgh Presbytery Votes on Amendment 08b

Just got back from the special meeting of Presbytery, where the final vote was against affirmation of Amendment 08B to the Presbyterian Book of Order. The proposed amendment, which focused on a person's hearing of a call rather than a person's sexuality, was defeated by a vote of 206 to 105.

All in God's time.....

Share Your Time & Talents

Interested in some hands-on mission opportunities? Please check the working draft of this opportunities chart: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df9bxh2j_1784w6qzhs .

Here you'll find opportunities to....

• renovate houses (through Open Hands Ministry), or
  
  
• prepare and serve lunch to school students and staff (Neighbhorhood Academy), or
  
  
• interview community members in need of emergency funding (Lazarus Fund, or
  
  
• package medical supplies for people in underserved countries (Global Links), or
  
  
• write grants for a vibrant urban congregation (Bethesda Presbyterian)
  

.... or serve with joy in many other ways!

If you see errors in the chart or if you have suggestions for additions to the chart, please let me know.

Issues of Concern: Single Payer Health Care; Environmental Justice

Health care and the environment are central concerns of the Church and Community Committee. See below for information shared by the Pittsburgh Presbytery on opportunities to get involved and learn more about these issues.

Single Payer Health Care for All
Single payer health care is an issue that has been in the forefront of Pittsburgh Presbytery. In fact the General Assembly 2008 passed a resolution on single payer health care that was initiated by Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Join others at the Single Payer Health Care for All-Citizen Call to Action! meeting to be held on March 28 from 9:00 AM-4:00PM in 2210 Doherty Hall at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The aim of this event is to make the case for passage of publicly funded, privately delivered health care (via HR 676 and Pennsylvania bills SB 300 and HB 1660), including fair and comprehensive benefits for all. RSVP to Mary Pat Donegan at drdoneagain@yahoo.com.

Statewide Environmental Justice Conference
"Building Healthy & Improved Communities for All" is the focus of the first Statewide Environmental Justice Conference to be held on April 26-28 in Harrisburg, PA. You will learn how to keep your community healthy, hear from experts and gain resources and tools. Registration deadline is March 13. For registration and additional information go to
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/environadvocate/cwp/view.asp?a=1538&q=542615

Data Geek Treat

If you like to see things tallied and organized, and you're curious how the votes are coming in regard to General Assembly's 08-B amendment, see http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pz4ZcEBLpqZuM9uHsVdKKWw.

This is a spreadsheet showing the current running tally of presbytery votes on Amendment 08-B (see blog post below for more on that Amendment) AND a tally of the shift in presbyteries from earlier votes on similar measures.

Amendments to the Book of Order Proposed

The Presbyterian Church USA’s 218th General Assembly sent ten amendments and four ecumenical statements to all 173 Presbyteries for prayerful consideration and yes/no votes. The changes include a proposed amendment that would delete the current paragraph G-6.0106b in the Book of Order — which requires church officers to live in “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness”—and replace it with a new G-6.0106b (see below). The proposed new G-6.0106b ties ordination decisions more closely to assent to the ordination vows currently in the church’s Book of Order without singling out a sexual conduct standard.

The Pittsburgh Presbytery will hold its vote on these amendments and statements on Saturday, March 14th at Northmont Presbyterian. Please keep the Presbytery and Sixth’s voting elders and ministers in your prayers.

Proposed New Language in Amendment 08-B:

Those who are called to ordained service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003), pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church. Each governing body charged with examination for ordination and/or installation (G-14.0240 and G-14.0450) establishes the candidate’s sincere efforts to adhere to these standards.

The full text of all of the amendments and statements is available at www.pcusa.org/generalassembly/amend/proposed-amendments-2008.pdf . The current vote tally for the amendments is also available online at www.pcusa.org/generalassembly/vote08.htm .

Lazarus Fund Accepting Applications

Good news! Thanks to many who contributed so generously, the Lazarus Fund has raised enough money to again accept applications for emergency-need grants of up to $200.

For more information, see Presbytery's Lazarus Fund site:
http://www.pghpresbyteryorg/justice/lazarus_fund.htm.

A New Era of Responsibility: Faith & Determination

From President Obama's Inaugural Address:

"... For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task...."

Next Meeting: February 15, 2009

Please mark Sunday, February 15th, as the date of our next Church and Community Committee meeting. We'll meet in the Ridinger Room around 12:15 PM (however long it takes us to grab a cookie and a cup of coffee after worship and make it down the steps!).

By the time of this meeting, we should have an approved budget for 2009 and can begin to prioritize our work and funding for the year. In addition to deciding which organizations we want to give funding to and how much, we also need to start setting some priorities around volunteer efforts.

The Neighborhood Academy (lunches, study halls), Global Links (packing supplies), and the CROP Walk (walking, collecting sponsors) will continue to be areas of focused attention for volunteer efforts. What about key projects for the Muscles & Mops group? For More Light?

GA Amendments & Ecumenical Statements

The 218th General Assembly sent ten amendments and four ecumenical statements to all Presbyteries for prayerful consideration and yes/no votes. They affect the life and ministry of our churches and merit our full attention. Click here to read the full text of these amendments and statements.

The section, "On Amending G-6.0106b, G-14.0240, and G-14.0450 (Item 05-09)", addresses the elimination of some exclusionary language regarding ordination and installation, which is particularly of interest to Sixth Church and other More Light churches.

As Pittsburgh Presbytery considers the proposed amendments to the Book of Order and Ecumenical Statements, six listening and discussion sessions have been arranged by an Advisory Committee of Pittsburgh Presbytery. Members of the Advisory Committee will attend each session to facilitate discussion, record questions and summarize comments shared. It is hoped that church members, officers and ministers will participate in these sessions as preparation for the Presbytery vote on these pending matters in spring 2009.

Wednesday, January 14
10:00 -11:30 am at Lebanon PC (2800 Old Elizabeth Road, West Mifflin)

Saturday, January 17
10:00 -11:30 am at Cross Roads PC (2310 Haymaker Road, Monroeville)

Thursday, January 22
7:00 - 8:30 pm at Northmont UPC (8169 Perry Highway)

Saturday, January 24
10:00 - 11:30 am at Southminster PC (799 Washington Road)

Monday, January 26
10:00 - 11:30 am at Fox Chapel PC (384 Fox Chapel Road)

Wednesday, January 28
7:00 - 8:30 pm at East Liberty PC (116 S. Highland Avenue)

Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

EECM’s 25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Sunday, January 18, at 3:30 pm
Eastminster Presbyterian Church

This January marks the 25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration to be held by EECM and the Council of Congregations. It is the only time each year when all of the congregations come together in an interfaith worship service.

The service will be held on Sun., Jan. 18, at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 250 North Highland Ave. Music performed by several groups and individuals will begin at 3:30 pm. The Worship Service will begin with a Congregational Role Call at 4 pm. Bishop David Zubic, of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese, will speak.

Prior to the worship service, Bill Wharton, ‘the Sauce Boss’, will play and sing spicy Florida blues, while cooking gumbo for all. Lunch will begin at 1:30 pm, in Eastminster Presbyterian Church’s Fellowship Hall. There’ll also be a vegetarian soup. The suggested donation for the lunch is $8/ person over 12 years of age.

A reception will follow the worship service. Please come for the afternoon, and help us celebrate at this year’s very special event! For questions or more information, call 412.361.5549 x411.