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.