NORWIN ALLIANCE CHURCH September 2017

KOINONIA “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship (Koinonia) of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

If you are looking for a solid devotional book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young will feed your soul. Written as if Jesus were speaking to you in the first person, Young paraphrases Scriptures revealing the Lord as the love and strength of the Christian. The following are some examples of the Lord simply and powerfully speaking to you:

I am your Strength I am your Goodness

I am your Salvation I am your Holiness

I am your Deliverer I am your Ransom

I am your Counselor I am your Peace

I am your Hiding Place I am your Everlasting Home

“Do not be ashamed of your emptiness. Instead see it as the optimal condition for being filled with My Peace. Rejoice in the relief of being fully understood. Nothing that you do or don’t do can separate you from My Presence.”

COME

INVITE your friends, family, and neighbors

SIGN-UP to help

PRAY

* * Please bring your lawn chairs/blankets, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen . . . and JOIN US for a great day in the park with our neighbors (dress is CASUAL)! The day will begin at 10:00 am with coffee, juice, and donuts.

The service begins at 10:30 am at the Park Amphitheatre followed by lunch and activities.

Activities include: Corn Hole, Volleyball Game, Bounce House, Bocce Ball, games for kids and more . . .

Please sign the sheet in the narthex and mark the area you are able to help.

Yard signs will be available - please take one and display in your yard.

HELP US spread the Good News

Church Park

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Irwin Park

10:00 am - 2:00 pm

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The following items were approved at the Elder’s and Ministry Board meetings in August:

1. Since there is no Young Adult Group, the Elders approved the 2017 High School Graduates to continue attending Youth Group through December 2017.

2. The Youth Group to attend Ignition at Cornerstone Ministries in Murrysville on Sept. 23

3. Vacation Bible School to be held June 10-13, 2018.

4. September Congregation Meeting to be held Sunday, September 24th at 11:30 am.

5. Baby Bottle Campaign to be held in September.

6. The proposed 2018 Budget was presented to the Ministry Board. After much discussion, the budget will be revised and presented again at the September Board meeting and then the final budget will be presented to the Congregation at the Congregation Meeting.

7. In July we took in about $1,700 more than the budget need and we spent about $4,500 less than we took in. It was another very good month financially.

8. There is a mold problem in the Puppet Closet downstairs. Trustees will look into a solution.

Congregation Meeting SUNDAY, September 24th

11:30 am

Please make every effort to attend this meeting. Some items of business that will be discussed are:

1. Nominating Committee members will be chosen.

2. The 2018 Church Budget will be presented and voted on.

Don’t be left in the dark ~ stay and hear what is happening at Norwin Alliance Church and let your voice be heard. * * A quorum is needed to approve the 2018 budget.

Responsibilities of the Nominating Committee: ~ Nominate Officers of Norwin Alliance Church (Ministry Board Secretary, Church Treasurer, Asst. Church Treasurer, Board Members at Large) to be elected at the January Congregation Meeting.

~ Nominate “positions of serving” to be appointed by the Elder Board.

~ Consider nominees from the Elder Board for the position of Elder and if desired, make Elder nominations to the Elder Board.

If you have any questions, or would like to suggest a person for an office, please contact the Board Members-at-Large (Yvonne Blair, Lori Nelson), Jeff

CONNECTION Service

Sunday, September 17, 2016 6:30 pm

Speaker: Randy Brown

Worship: NAC Worship Team

WHAT ARE YOU CATCHING? John 21:4-6

“The way you store up TREASURE in HEAVEN

Is by investing in Getting people there”

Rick Warren

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The Youth will be attending IGNITION

on Saturday, September 23, 2017

at Cornerstone Ministries Murrysville, PA

See one of the youth leaders for more information.

“See You at the Pole” Wednesday, September 27, 2017

“See You at the Pole” (SYATP) is an annual gathering of Christian students of all ages at a flagpole in front of their local school for prayer, scripture-reading and hymn-singing, during the early morning before school starts. The American SYATP events occur on every fourth Wednesday of September.

It’s here…It is time to get your worship on! Choir will be back in session starting August 31 at 7pm. We are ready to start singing again for the morning 10:45 services. Practices are Thursday evening 7-8:30. You will be with an amazing group of people doing what we all love while serving Jesus in song. I call that a triple blessing.

No auditions are required; and you don’t have to be a soloist, just be willing and show up to the sanctuary on Thursday the 31st. Come give us a try!

Ladies Night Out!

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Rodney’s Restaurant

6:00 pm

A sign-up sheet will be available on the shelf in the narthex. Please sign it when it becomes available and join the ladies for an evening of food and fellowship!

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KEEN-AGERS

If you are age 50 or over, this is your special invita on to a end the September mee ng of Norwin Alliance Keen‐Agers on Thursday, September 21st beginning at 11:30 am.

Our entertainment for September will be (singer) George Brle c and his wife Rose doing sign language to the music.

Our menu will be heritage foods, we can’t wait to see what heritage side dishes and desserts everyone will bring.

Invite and bring a friend and remember to bring your personal table place se ngs.

Devo ons will be read by Bill Swope.

Flu Vaccines will be offered by a pharmacist from Rite Aid Pharmacy at 1:30 pm. Anyone can get the flu shot at that me (you do not need to a end Keen‐Agers). Please bring your insurance card with you if you plan on ge ng the flu shot.

Our next mee ng will be October 26th. We will be collec ng non‐perishable items for a local Food Bank. Looking forward to seeing you all at the mee ng in September.

Joe and Pat Beyer Co‐Presidents of Keen‐Agers

Optimum Wellness Counseling is a professional Christian counseling practice that services children, adolescents, and teens. They utilize professional counseling techniques along with therapeutic relationships to help children who are having difficulties. They help kids with: Anxiety, Depression, Behavioral Issues, Grief and Loss, Fears and Phobias, Social Skills . . . and much more.

Services provided: Child and Adolescent Counseling, Teen Counseling, Individual Adult Counseling, Marriage Counseling, Family Counseling, Christian Coaching.

Call today at 724-405-7425 or visit www.optimumwellnesscounseling.com.

Sessions are help at Norwin Alliance Church by Brandon Ricker, MS, LPC, NCC.

Which group do you fall in? (excellent sermon by Benjamin Cox at Youth Sunday)

Group A

The Crowd ~ followers of Jesus who hinder others from coming to Jesus.

Group B

Those who know they need Jesus and earnestly seek Him no matter the “roadblocks”.

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VIGNETTES BY VIRGINIA

On the first Monday of September, Americans are excited to celebrate Labor Day. We think of the noisy, colorful parades, probable last days for picnics, swimming, Kennywood, Idlewild, or other fun parks and activities. Most children and youth have already returned to school. County fairs are over. Yard gardens are becoming empty. Also so quickly - - Sept. 23 - - the days of autumn begin.

Labor Day is dedicated to the social and economical achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the workers for the strength, prosperity and well-being of the United States of America. In the very early years of our country it was common for children as young as five years old to work a twelve hour shift for seven days a week with the family. A child of that age who had to work to help the family could not attend school; violence began with strikes and riots. Army troops were called by President Grover to settle the fighting. Over a dozen people were killed. Different states began to pass an act making the first Monday on September a legal holiday. Congress passed the date on June 28, 1894.

God’s Word reminds us of the importance of labor, working for the Lord. The Bible has many examples of men and women who worked for the Lord. Jesus, of course, gave excellent descriptions to us of working for Him and with Him. Matthew 11:28 says: “Come unto me; all who labor and are heavy laden . . . I will give

you rest.” A little further along in the book of Matthew is the example of the vineyard workers, Chapter 20:10-13. Looking at missionary Paul and the work he so willingly did in love for the Lord, we can see other men and women who labored with him.

Labor, actually begins in the Garden of Eden. Adam had much to do; but he erred when he sinned. So what had started out as his responsibilities and fellowship with the Father, became much more demanding. Of course this had changed the entire lifestyle of all the population coming to the world for all time.

What does it mean to labor? Work? Endeavor? Be forced? A daily grind? Chores? Sweat? Struggle? Employment? It cannot be easy all the time; but we are to be thankful for employment when using skills and talents - - and education - - that God has so very graciously and lovingly given to us. When we look around the area where we live, we can be so grateful for the positive effects we have in SW PA, and the year 2017; and also knowing that Jesus will return on day soon. Think of other countries that struggle ALL the time, in so many different ways. AND GOD LOVES ALL OF US!! We do not labor in vain.

Remember another meaning of the verb ‘labor’ and what a mother endures out of love. (I was born on Labor Day and must have been very anxious to arrive. My mom did not have enough time to make it to the hospital; I was born in the doctor’s office. VSW)

NAC can help to reduce the number of abor ons in the

U.S.A. The Woman’s Choice Network is an outreach

ministry of Jesus Christ through His church. WCN is

commi ed to presen ng the gospel of our Lord to

women with crisis pregnancies‐both in word and deed.

You can help by being a prayer partner and contribu ng

to the Baby Bo le Campaign at NAC from Aug. 27‐Sept.

24, 2017.

Please pick‐up a bo le from the round table, fill it with

your extra change, and bring back to the church by

September 24th.

Ques ons? Contact Connie Niedermeyer.

August 27th - September 24th

BABY BOTTLE CAMPAIGN

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The Women’s Corner By Janis Swope

Busy, busy, busy! That seems to be a word I’ve been using a lot lately. I know this phrase gets a lot of use, but I still have to say it – I don’t know how I would get anything done if I were still working! I don’t have children or grandchildren to keep me busy, but somehow God in His grace has filled my life with people and things that need doing. (Praise God for His love and kindness! I am blessed with family, friends who are close to being family and my dear church family. I truly love every one of you!) But why is it that I have long stretches of not being busy and then stretches of time where everything happens at once? Lord, why not spread this busyness evenly over time, just like the icing on a cake is spread smoothly over the cake top? A month ago our washer broke with a loud bang and water went everywhere. The way my washer and dryer are situated, it means that it is extremely practical to also replace the dryer at the same time. (They were both 14 years old and I’ve been told that’s pretty good for an appliance these days! Besides the dryer has been chirping for a long time anyway.) Family things came up demanding my time and many phone calls and visits. That part of my life has not slowed down and does not seem likely to for at least another month or two. Planning for a vacation (our first in 4 years) scheduled to take place in the middle of this is getting short shrift because my attention is elsewhere. Scheduling doctor appointments and Bill’s colonoscopy (which turned out lovely) is squeezed somewhere in there. Painting a bedroom, getting new carpeting for that same room and going through years of stuff that filled that room has been pulling at me. And just a day ago the toilet in our downstairs bathroom broke and needs replaced. Thank the Lord, the plumber is supposed to come tomorrow morning! In addition to that I plan and study for what I will present to my wonderful ladies in Bible Study and Sunday School. Please do not think I am complaining because I’m not. I wouldn’t have my life any other way. I’m basically a pretty happy camper with the way things are. But wouldn’t it be nice if everything was spaced out nice and neat? That would make a marginally OCD person like me really, really happy. I could plan to my heart’s content. Where is this all going you ask? Well, let me tell you…when I get busy like this, then that’s when I start to have less room for devotions, or praying or Bible reading. My time with God suffers. I always seem to short change my time with God so that I can give more time to whatever else is tugging at me. The result is that I start doing dumb things, like relying on myself and my energy and less on letting God help me. I start to think; I can handle all of this. After all, look how well I’ve handled things in the past. Look how well I’m handling things by myself now! I begin to forget that I wouldn’t be the person I am or where I am without God’s guidance and provision on my behalf. The emphasis begins to be more on me and that’s when things start to go bad. I recently had one of these

“focus on me” spells and whatever I tried to do did not turn out well. Someone asked me for assistance and because I didn’t go to God with the problem properly and started to feel proud about how I was handling the situation the whole thing turned into a fiasco! I didn’t want to listen to the advice of other Christians who were familiar with the situation. I turned my eyes from God and said I have this wonderful solution and then the whole thing became a bust! When these situations happen, I am always caught off guard, because I let busyness take away my time from God. This is obviously a lesson I need to keep learning because I still haven’t got it right. Take a tip from me – keep your heart and mind focused on God and turn everything over to Him. Pray about everything. Jesus is there at the right hand of God interceding all the time on our behalf. Always make time to pray and seek God’s wisdom even when you think you have the problem all figured out. His ways are not always our ways. We may think we know what is best for ourselves and other people, but God always knows more than we do. Never get too busy that you can’t stop and talk it over with God. He loves us so much that He will always be there to listen to what’s on our heart. It has been a time of endings and beginnings in The Women’s Sunday School Class and Ladies Bible Study. The Women’s Sunday School Class is taking a look at “Cults and the Essentials of the Christian Faith.” We found in our study of James that we need to be very wary of false teachers and that the only way to do that is to become so familiar with the essentials of the Christian faith so we can discern between the truth and a false teacher. If you are interested, please join me and others in the Craft Room at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

The Ladies Bible Study has just begun studying the Book of Job. Some people are afraid of this book and others find it to be their favorite book of the Bible. What do you think about this unique book of the Bible? If you are wondering about Job please consider joining our study. We meet Monday mornings at 10:30 a.m. in the craft room and end at noon. And as usual, we’ll have the coffee on! The Last Word

“An Amish woman told me, ‘Making a batch of vegetable soup, it’s not right for the carrot to say I taste better than the peas, or the pea to say I taste better than the cabbage. It takes all the vegetables to make a good soup!’ ”

~ Sue Bender, author