Are We a Predictable Church? Francis Chan is an American preacher and the former teaching pastor of Cornerstone Community Church is Simi Valley, CA, a Christian church he and his wife started in 1994. He also authored a best-selling book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. Chan and his wife founded Cornerstone in 1994 with only 30 people. Within two months, the church had grown to 100 people, and by 2000, Chan was leading a $1 million project to provide for the 1,600-member congregation. Cornerstone is now one of the largest churches in Ventura County, California. Chan states that the church today has become predictable. “You go to a building, someone gives you a bulletin, you sit in a chair/pew, you sing a few songs, a preacher delivers maybe a polished message, maybe not, someone sings a solo, you go home.” Chan is concerned with what he sees as a big disconnect between the church of today and what it looked like 2,000 years ago, “When you read the New Testament, you see the Holy Spirit was supposed to change things so that this gathering of people who call themselves Christians had this supernatural element about them.”

Indeed, it was the Holy Spirit, which came down after Jesus ascended to heaven, that empowered Christians thousands of years ago. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, people began speaking in different languages, people were being healed, and believers had a supernatural love for each other. The fire that came down from heaven, that rush of wind, however, seems to have disappeared, Chan points out. “Do you really see this supernatural power at work when believers gather together for what we call church?” he asks. “Isn’t it the same Holy Spirit that is supposed to be available to us today? Why is it so different?”

It is a question I frequently ask myself, and many ask. Chan was successfully leading what is known as a megachurch. It grew by leaps and bounds to over 1,500 members in a few years. But he began to rethink “how we do church.” As successful as his church was, he began feeling uncomfortable with people driving long distances just to hear him speak every weekend, and with the church having become a once-a-week routine.

Continued . . .

The Messenger Volume 25, Issue 5

2019

NEWSINSIDE:

SessionNewsWorshipVolunteersNurseryVolunteers

HappeningsPrayerConcernsMissionManeuvers

MarthaCircleFacebook!

CoffeeHourScheduleMoreHappenings

ChurchLifeLadies’TeaAcolyteMinistry

CoffeeHourScheduleCommittee/Group

Meetings...andMORE

NewsfromthePewsPastorSermons

PhotoDirectory&AppMusicalNotesCelebrationsBirthdaysAnniversary

CalendarofEvents

From Our

PASTOR

STAFF & CONTACTS

PASTOR: Steve LaSor 724-836-3784 CHURCH OFFICE: Diane Dale 724-834-4960 MUSIC DIRECTOR: Jim Overly Email: maplewoodpc@comcast.net Web: www.maplewood.org Elders & Committees: Christian Education David Hileman, Chair Mike Cerilli Church Life Rita Perotti, Chair Donna Costelnock Finance Sharon Elkettani, Chair Diane West Missions/Outreach Bob Cochran, Chair Dennis Leavy Personnel Sharon Elkettani Property Dana Ferry, Chair Ray McAteer Worship Bob Bereit, Chair Katy Doran Clerk of Session Mary Jane Myers Deacons Chair Bonnie Peebly Treasurer Arlene Troster Financial Secretary Roy Myers Webmaster Bob Bereit Messenger Staff Katy Doran, Editor Marie LaSor Arlene Troster

The Maplewood MISSION STATEMENT: TO KNOW CHRIST and TO MAKE HIM KNOWN

By LEADING People to a Saving Faith in Jesus Christ, NURTURING and EQUIPPING People in the Faith,

Love and Knowledge of Jesus Christ, DEPLOYING People in Servant Ministries to the Rest of the World.

From Our Pastor Continued . . .

So, after 16 years at Cornerstone Church, he let go of the reins in 2010 and travelled to Asia where he and his family spent time with persecuted Christians and orphans. Something happened in the process! He states, “I heard one person say ‘the church today is neither super or natural; instead everything is predictable and everything is expected.’ Chan agrees, “Being around a church culture, even leading a gathering of believers, I’ve gotten pretty good at predicting what a church service should be.”

When Jesus said the power (dunamis) of the Holy Spirit would come upon his disciples it really did! And they were power-filled, powerful beings (disciples). Chan and others rightfully ask, “Why is it that in the church so many people are weak or defeated or we get so insecure because we look at ourselves rather than God? It doesn’t make sense.” Though Christians believe in an almighty and all-powerful God who places His Spirit in and upon believers, the response among His people today is: “Hi, welcome to church. Here’s your bulletin. We’ll get you out in an hour. Come back next week!” I mean, really, is that all God wants for us…intends for us? We are people of the Resurrection!!! We believe the same Spirit that was upon Jesus, empowering Him, filling Him, working wonders through Him, raising Him….is also the Spirit that He gives to us His church! Do we really believe the Holy Spirit exists today? What would the church look like today if we really stopped keeping things routine and predictable? What would happen if we prayed in earnest for that Spirit? I contend that the people of the Resurrection are to mirror their Lord’s life, and can only do so in the same way He did….through the power of the Holy Spirit! In this post-Easter season, I pray that the power and life of God’s Kingdom would be upon us empowering our witness to the Risen Lord. When that happens, the Spirit will bring life and transformation….to us, and to those we minister in Christ’s name! I believe THIS is what the world needs to see! And so I continue to pray, and ask that you join me in the same, Come Holy Spirit, Come!

Steve 

News from Session Actions approved by Session in April:

ACTION: To receive Carl Truxal as a returning member of Maplewood by letter of transfer from Delmont Presbyterian Church. ACTION: To confirm the removal of Dieter Troster and Richard Leamer as authorized agents for money market and savings accounts at Commonwealth Bank. Vickie Fry, assistant financial secretary, and Diane West, co-chair of the Finance Committee, will be added as authorized agents on the above listed accounts. Roy Myers, church financial secretary remains as an authorized agent on the accounts. Committee Reports Church Life – Considering having a ladies tea in May. In June there will be a picnic at Hoffers. Finance –Committee agreed to move $15,000 from the Money Market Reserve Account and divide it equally to deposit it in the DIA, VOO, and QQQ ETFs. Signatures for the checking account are now Arlene Troster, Bill Young, and Sharon Elkettani as authorized agents. Mission & Outreach –The Committee will continue the bread ministry for visitors. The next Union Mission meal is May 14, 2019. There is a CPR class available by the Mutual Aid Ambulance service. They would come to the church and give a one-hour free class. Property –AARP used our Fellowship Hall over the past few months to provide free income tax preparation to anyone who came. They did 597 tax returns. The new card access system has been installed on the downstairs door. Property Committee will be doing a church grounds cleanup on April 27, weather permitting. Over the next few months the recommendations of our security advisors and our budgeted projects will begin to commence.

Next Session Meeting will be May 20, 2019.

WORSHIP VOLUNTEERS Communion Preparation Mary Leamer & Bonnie Peebly Communion Servers Donna Costelnock, Penny Labeka, George & Carol Limegrover, Bonnie Peebly, Diane West Lay Reader Jean Gleditsch Greeters Tricia Lowden & Pat Labeka 5/5 Pat & Penny Labeka 5/12,5/19,5/26 Ushers Ann Ryan & Ruth Lash 5/5,5/12,5/26 Mike Cerilli 5/19 Downstairs Greeter Shirley Filicko Acolytes May 5th - Mike Cerilli May 12th - Karen Bouknight May 19th - Marie LaSor May 26th - Marie LaSor

NURSERY SCHEDULE: 5/05 - Katy Doran and Carmella McCormick

5/12 - Bonnie Peebly and Peggy Potts 5/19 - Melissa Lenhart and Susan Witt 5/26 - Marie LaSor and Carol Limegrover

SIGN LANGUAGE CLASS: Claudia Wolfe will teach a Basic Sign Language Class on Wednesday, May 8th at 10:00AM in the Fellowship Hall. Bobbie Johns will do a demonstration of religious signs. Sign up with Bulletin insert or call the Church Office.

Family of Paul & Pauline Fritz David & Bobbie Johns granddaughter, Ana Pat Labeka Joyce & Allan Neville’s daughter The Rupps granddaughter, Nicole Gene Vogt Lois Weyandt Persecuted Christians everywhere

Prayers for our Maplewood Church Leaders

Prayers for our local, national and world leaders, our armed forces and their families

Prayers for our persecuted Christian brothers & sisters world-wide

Prayers for our missionary families, the Carlsons & the Saldis

Maplewood Happenings

INSPECIALNEEDOFPRAYER

MARTHA CIRCLE:

Martha Circle had a wonderful turnout for our April meeting. Ann and Shirley out did themselves serving an outstanding brunch and decorating for the Easter season. We tried a change in our agenda order and put a higher priority on our Bible Study. I think the change was for the better and we did manage to continue our current study of the Old Testament book of Daniel. I have asked for volunteers to assist with the Bible study and Katy was the first to step up. I am sure we will be moving along with this study much quicker than prior months. On June 16 we will host our Father's Day Brunch with pies and sandwiches. Please notice that the coffee hour will be one week earlier than normal because we always want to honor the dads of our church on Father's Day. The bread ministry sponsored by our Mission Committee was also discussed and several members have volunteered to make sure that we have fresh loaves of bread to give as gifts to our first-time visitors at the Sunday Service. On May 15th we will have our get together in the church lounge with Doris and Claudia serving as hostesses and Katy presenting devotions. All ladies and friends of the church are invited to join in our fellowship.

We’re on Facebook! Come visit there:

www.facebook.com/maplewoodpc/

MISSION MANEUVERS The next activity for the Mission/Outreach Committee will be the Quarterly serving of dinner May 14th at the Union Mission of Latrobe. We will meet at Maplewood at 4:00 and carpool with the meal fixing's to Latrobe. An early heads-up advises that the American Cancer Society's 2019 Relay For Life will be held on June 8, 2019 at Hempfield High School. Orders for commemorative luminaries are being accepted. Registration forms are in the narthex.

MORE Happenings

CHURCHLIFE is sponsoringALADIESTEAon Saturday, June 1st in the Fellowship Hall. Doors open at 10:30 AM. The program begins at 11:00 AM. The topic is “The Nutrient is Right”. Our guest is Dawn Davoli, Registered Dietitian at Excela Westmoreland Hospital. She will discuss different nutrients, what foods they are found in, why they are needed, and your daily intake. Please RSVPbyMay12th, by placing the RSVP found in your Sunday bulletin, in the offering plate or by calling the Church office. Teas and cookies will be served.

CoffeeHourSchedule–2019:May LIFTGroupJune MarthaCircleJuly ChoirAugust FamilyPicnicSeptember WorshipOctober Personnel/FinanceNovember HangingGreens:

ChristianEd/Martha’sDecember ChristmasDinner

Did you know....... The light that is brought into our worship service by the Acolyte signifies bringing the light of Jesus presence into worship with us and as the light is taken out at the end of service it signifies taking the light of Jesus out into the world. This is a very important part of our worship service and we are in need of adults as well as our children, volunteers to serve in this role each Sunday. A sign-up sheet will be in the Narthex so please consider signing up. If you are unsure or have questions please see Marie.

VIPCalendarDates: EveryFriday,7:00AM,Men’sStudyBreakfast,Eat’nPark

EveryThursday,7:00PM,BibleStudy,followedbyPrayerMinistry,8:15PM

EveryWednesday,10:15AM,Women’sBookClub,7:00PMChoirRehearsal

EveryWednesday,LIFTWomen’sStudyGroup

1st Saturday Food Bank Distribution 1st Sunday Committee: Property 2nd Sunday Committee: Worship 1st Tuesday Committees: Christian Ed,

Church Life 2nd Tuesday Committee: Finance 2nd Monday Committee: Mission/Outreach 3rd Monday Session Meets 4th Monday Deacons Meet Last Sunday Food Bank Collection

. . . and MORE

NEWSfromthePews:WelcometotheWorld:

The joyful arrival of Dennis & Kathy Leavy’s new granddaughter, Brook Lillian.

GOODLUCK!Matt Christianson will be running the Pittsburgh Marathon on Sunday, May 5th.

OURPASTOR’SSERMONS:

Are you aware that all Sunday sermons are recorded and made available to members and friends through the Maplewood web site? While not a substitute for regular worship, these recordings allow you to keep up-to-date with insightful messages from Steve (and guest ministers) when you have to be away, due to illness, travel or family events. Recordings can be played on your computer, tablet or smart phone. To find the recordings, use your device browser, go to the church’s web site (http://www.maplewoodpc.org), click on Worship at the top of the screen and then choose Worship Services from the drop-down menu. The audio messages are located near the bottom of the page which appears. There are six weeks’ worth of messages from which to choose. If you wish, you can even download the recordings to listen later or when the internet is unavailable.

Photo Directory Phone App Communications Resources, Inc., the folks who host our Maplewood photo directory, have an App for your smartphone or tablet computer which makes the directory available right on your mobile device. With this service updates to the directory are available just as soon as they are posted. The App is available for iOs (Apple), Android and Kindle Fire devices and can be found on iTunes, Google Play or the Kindle web sites. Search the appropriate site for ‘Instant Church Directory’. Download and install the App on your device. It’s free! To use the App, your Email address must be stored in our directory. Check the printed copy of the directory in the narthex (or on our web site) to see if your Email is listed. If not, contact the Church Office to have it added. Once your Email is in the directory start the app on your mobile device. You will be asked to supply your Email address. Enter that information and a special authorization code will be sent to you. Copy the authorization code from the Email you receive into the app and you’re good to go. The first time you use the app it may take a few minutes for the directory to load up.

Photo Directory A handy guide to information about our members, the Maplewood Photo Directory is available in several formats: 1) Printed Copy in the Narthex; 2) On our web site (in the ‘Members Only’ section); 3) On your smart phone. We try to keep the information current and accurate, but ask you to periodically check your family listing. Report any textual changes that should be made directly to the Church Office. If you would like to update your photo, please arrange with Bob Bereit to have a new one taken, or supply a favorite family picture for inclusion (we can scan prints).

For this article, I was facing the dilemma that every writer faces...what do I write about this time? Enter God's answer to my prayer in the form of a person, who will remain anonymous. This person approached me after church the other week and asked me an interesting question: how do you choose the music you're responsible for selecting on Sundays? I sat and thought, and this is what I came up with.

1. I select the music (prelude, prayer response, anthem/special music, offertory, benediction response, and postlude) by looking at the LECTIONARY READINGS for that particular day. My 3 main tools for locating music that lines up with the scripture readings are http://www.hymnary.org (a service of Calvin College), http://www.cclisongselect.com (a service of CCLI), and scripture references in the backs of hymnals and praise and worship song collections. The lectionary is particularly helpful in selecting anthems that are appropriate for most Sundays, and we tend to repeat an anthem every three years because the lectionary is based on a 3-year cycle. There are times when the lectionary is NOT the best help in selecting music...those are the special days of the liturgical year.

2. CHURCH HOLIDAYS AND SEASONS should be relatively easy to select music for, right? (These include Advent, Christmas Eve, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Easter, and Pentecost at Maplewood.) Not necessarily, for 2 primary reasons: the actual dates for many change every year, and the available musical selections that are specific to church holidays and seasons can be limited. (I'm looking at you, Advent and Lent.) Due to the relatively limited musical selections that are appropriate for these segments of the church year, I would think that the field would be ripe for new musical offerings to be composed and made available for the Church to utilize. Good idea, except that it seems that congregations become used to certain songs for certain parts of the year, and trying to introduce new songs may be uncomfortable, and even awkward, so I try to balance old and new as much as possible. I have found that sometimes, the people in the congregation come up with really fantastic song suggestions.

3. CONGREGATIONAL INVOLVEMENT is a fantastic tool to utilize in keeping my finger on the pulse of where Maplewood is as a worshiping body. This includes specific song requests and special music during the summer. My goal has always been to involve as many members of the congregation in the musical life of Maplewood as possible, and trying new and different ways to achieve that goal. 3 things come to mind without much effort...I'm going to start inviting the congregation to sing the prayer response, along with the Chancel Choir, during the school year at someone's suggestion; Karen Bouknight is beginning to accompany herself on the piano when she sings; and Bobbie Johns will be interpreting (sign language) during certain songs, beginning with "His Eye Is On the Sparrow" for the prelude on April 28th, which is the last Sunday in April. I can hear someone asking why, when we don't have anyone who uses ASL (American Sign Language) at Maplewood. That's true, but I have found that signing is close to dancing as it interprets the lyrics, and if it opens a new dimension to worship for someone, praise the Lord! Also, did you complete the CD survey that was in the bulletin for several weeks? You have input into the musical life of our church!

4. THE HOLY SPIRIT does things that no one and nothing else can by supernatural means. When Steve moves off the pages of the lectionary for the scripture reading(s) his sermon is based on, I will probably still follow the lectionary readings, unless I get a nudge from the Holy Spirit. I always try to stay open to the leading of the Spirit, as does Pastor Steve, and you know what happens when we listen to the urging of the Spirit...the music and the sermon line up in a way that you experience the service more deeply and remember what you heard better due to the synergy you experienced. Whew! That just came right out...I hope it's not too long. Please remember that when you ask a question and/or make a suggestion,Pastor Steve and I both try to listen and effect change when we believe it's appropriate...so keep asking...but please be patient. Love y'all, Maplewood family! =)

In Him, Jim

Musical Notes from Jim

Do you have a birthday, anniversary, graduation or other special occasion to rejoice about? Are you remembering a loved one who has died? Are you joyful about God’s love? If so, share these events with others by placing flowers in our church for Sunday service. It’s very easy. Choose a date you wish to have flowers, fill out the form below and put in the church’s office. The rest will be taken care of for you. For $24.00, you can have fresh flowers for a service, a note in the bulletin to commemorate your special occasion and you can take the flowers home with you. If you do not want the flowers, the Deacons can deliver them to shut-ins. Detach and send to church office:

M.U.P.C., 108 Woodland Road, Greensburg, PA 15601 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - Name____________________________________________Phone________________ Date for flowers (Sunday)________________ Notice for bulletin to read: In honor of___________________________________________ OR: In memory of__________________________________________________________ I wish to (check one)_____take the flowers after the service _____let the Deacons deliver them to shut-ins ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7….Jordan Breegle Kristen Wonderling 8…Vicki Fry Penny Labeka 12…Ralph Hemminger JoAnn Hemminger Ray McAteer

14…Bill McBride 17....Paul Shearer Caad Costelnock Jane Myers 29…Kenny Hemminger Leona Zeigler

Celebrations

Celebrating More Than 50 Years of Marriage

John & Peggy Potts

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