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.