MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

July 20
Pie Auction
Immediately following pot luck luncheon
July 26
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Bake Sale booth at the
Oakmont Street Sale
July 28 - August 1
6:00 - 8:30
Vacation Bible School
Christmas in July
August 15
8:00 pm
Movie Night
September 7
10:30 Combined Worship
11:30 Church Picnic





















Open hear t s


Open mi nds


Open door s


JULY / AUGUST 2014


Canadian Coins

Not long ago Michele was counting the money in the Imagine No Malaria collection
containers. Among the other coins there she found several Canadian coins and a K coin.
She realized we couldnt take them to the bank so she set them aside. The coins can be
used in Canada and at the correct Orthodontists office just not at any local business or
bank. It is likely that the coins got in the containers by accident mixed in with other
pocket change.
The coins made me think about the good things we do as Christians. On first glance
actions may seem to be good deeds. And good deeds are what we are supposed to do.
Sometimes our good deeds serve another purpose. Our motive may not be a good deed for
the sake of helping another, it may be for another reason, masked by a good deed.
Jesus addressed this in The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-6) giving examples of
prayer, and doing good, not to advance ourselves, but to show the love of God. Later in
Matthew 23 he addresses the actions of religious leaders, They do all their deeds to be
seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, Matthew
23:5 (English Standard Version) He gives several examples in that chapter of doing good
just for show and praise. The leaders wanted to look good, which was their motivation for
their good works.
One of several proverbs speaking about integrity is Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the
upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.(NRS)
Integrity is what matches our motivation and our deeds to make sure they are honestly
good deeds. As with coins, deeds with integrity are good to see and good in purpose. I
bought one of the Canadian coins to serve as a reminder to myself to keep my deeds and
motivation aligned, much like this proverb:
Better to be poor and walk in integrity than to be crooked in one's
ways even though rich. Proverbs 28:6 NRS

Blessings,
Pastor Linda







.
HOPE CIRCLE





STAFF PARISH RELATIONS COMMITTEE NEWS:

Director of Children and Youth Ministries! Jessica Jacka has been
offered and has accepted the permanent, part-time position of Director
of Children and Youth Ministries. Please congratulate Jessica on this
new role.

Hope Circle will meet on Monday, July 14, at 7:00 P.M. in
the parlor to discuss Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of
the Lane". A real departure for the group, this tale of terror
and remembrance recalls the memories of a frightened 7 year
old boy and the girl who saved him. "A groundbreaking work
from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a
rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the
power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness
inside and out. A stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as deli-
cate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the
dark." (From the publisher.) At the August 11th meeting, we
will revisit a favorite author, the always thought provoking
Jodi Picoult. "The Storyteller" is a tale that forces a young
woman to struggle with a moral choice in order to help her
only friend. But when is it choice and when is an action a
moral imperative? To what length does one go to protect
family and keep the past from harming the future? And when
should punishment be replaced by forgiveness and mercy.





PRAYER CONCERNS
Please continue to pray for Frances Allison, Gillen Geary, Gen Hissem, Jane
McClelland, Joyce Miljanovich, Zola Stahley, Flo Thompson, and Nevin
Woodside who are recovering from recent hospitalizations or illnesses.

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
Please submit articles for the SEPTEMBER newsletter by AUGUST 15th. If
you would like to receive your newsletter by e-mail, please send us a mes-
sage at oakmontumc@verizon.net.

MEMORIAL DONATIONS
Donations have been received in memory of Al Kennedy from Dennis & Bar-
bara Starrett and family, Carol Davis, Matt & Lucy Gregory, Dennis Webster,
Tom & Francie Dinnin, Donald & Jacqueline Stoner, Michele & Bill Handy-
side, Patty Kay & Scott Santos and family, Betty Hunter, Mr. & Mrs. Donald
Nelson, The Robinson family, Jack Webster, Sharyn & Leo Sweeney, Marge
Kay, Janet Delchambre, and the Lions Club of Oakmont.

GENERAL FUND NUMBERS
FOR MAY






Connectional Apportionment (Mission Share)
is paid thru May
Balance 4/30 -$13,409.87
Income $12,689.75
Expenses $20,960.49
Balance 5/31 -$21,655.61









































If we inadvertently missed listing your birthday, please call the church office
and let us know.
JULY
1 Nathan Delo
Leanna DiMatteo
2 John Meister
4 Rose Curran
Bonnie Pahlman
Nicole Whigham
6 Rosemary Pennington
8 Nancy Morrison
10 Joyce Miljanovich
Mary Ann Neva
Isabella Walsh
12 Laura Biery
Darleen Eden
Sarah Lacey
13 Florence Thompson
15 John Long
16 Evelyn Wensel
Marsha Wycich
18 Tracy Provenza
19 Jacob Barnes
Donna DeTurck
22 Jane Sykes
27 John Hildebrand, Sr.
Eleanor Hitchak
29 Jeanne Knox
31 Genevieve Hissem
Donald Nelson

AUGUST
1 Bill Hall
2 Martha Ewart
Bill Moore
7 Willie DeTurck
9 Christa Assad
Heather Fichte
Betty Hunter
10 Scott Ashbaugh
13 Tina Whitehead
14 Michael DiCocco
18 Michele Handyside
20 Edwin Allen
Bill Charlton
22 Caroline Kelley
23 Zane Crowell
24 Karen Sweetland
Carolyn Grimes
25 Don Klinsky
27 Lee Dezzutti
28 Gayle DiCaprio
29 Ari Crowell
Jan Moore
30 Burl Davis
Shannon Hatcher
Ron Kircher
We have received some interesting new additions in our church library. Through
the generosity of United Methodist Women, we are getting 3 more years of "New
World Outlook: the Mission Magazine of the United Methodist Church."
Now also available -
"Ezekiel's Bones" by Bill Kemp
"When You Don't See His Plan" by Nadine Hennessey
"Choosing a Bible" by Donald Kraus
A children's book - "What is God?" by Etan Boritzer
And we always have our good selection of Christian fiction.
Come check it out!

Barbara Marcus, Church Librarian

Library News

Congratulations Graduates!

Congratulations to all of our recent graduates.
Angela Ashbaugh (Riverview), Hannah Barnes (Riverview),
Gabrielle Casarcia (Plum), Margot Flowers (Riverview),
and Ben Strassner (Riverview) have graduated from high
school this year. Ashley Gaughan (Education, IUP) and
Jessica Jacka (Human Services, Walden University) have
received their Masters Degrees.


















JULY 28 - AUGUST 1
6:00 -8:30 PM
CHRISTMAS IN JULY
For all children ages 3 (potty trained) through 12.



LUNCHEON AND PIE AUCTION

As you know, Methodists make the best pies!!!!!!! And now you can have one of those
pies for your very own. On Sunday, July 20 there will be a pie auction and pot luck
luncheon following the 10:30 worship service. If you worship at the early service, you can
relax and have coffee/tea in the Social Hall while waiting for the luncheon to begin or you
can use the kitchen during the late service to make your lunch casserole. Then following
the luncheon, we will be auctioning off some of the best pies in town. (Proceeds benefit
the General Fund). If you are interested in donating a pie for the auction please see/contact
Donna Jacka at 412-828-2643. Dont miss it, or your tummy will be sorry.





STREET SALE / BAKE SALE


Calling all bakers!!!! Calling all non-bakers!!!!!! We need your help. Our church
will be setting up a booth during the Oakmont Chamber of Commerce Boulevard Sale
on Saturday, July 26. The UMW will be baking pies for us to sell, but we need many
more baked items to make this event a success. (Proceeds benefit the General Fund).
Please plan to bake and bring your items to the booth, packaged and ready for sale. (If
for some reason you cannot get your baked goods to the Boulevard that day, just let us
know). For those of you who do not want to or cannot bake.we still need help to set
up, tear down (especially tear down) and working shifts at the booth. If you can help
with any of these items please contact the church office or Kathryn Burdelski at 724-265
-2453.