MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

May 3

Indoor Yard/Bake Sale

8:30 am - 3:30 pm

May 18

Last Day of Sunday School

Luncheon

May 28

Community Dinner at Verona UMC

June 1

Graduation Sunday

July 28 - August 1

Vacation Bible School

6:00 - 8:30

Open hear t s Open minds

Open door s

MAY 2014

Rich Beyond Measure!

One time Kimmy, a four year old girl in the church I was serving, shook my hand after church, and asked, “Are you rich?” I remember looking at her and saying, “Well, Kimmy, not rich in money, rich in people.” I am blessed to be rich in people. Over the years I have real-ized how valuable the relationships in my life are. As a child I had many great –aunts and uncles, a great-great aunt and uncle, two grandfa-thers a grandmother, great grandmother, cousins(first, second, third) and relatives that I can’t neatly fit into any category. It was great to go to family gatherings because there were people of every age, and they all had something interesting to say or do! When I was older, I learned that some of my ‘relatives’ were related because the family had chosen to include them in the family. It was then I realized that our ‘chosen’ family members were as precious as the ‘blood’ family. I, too, am family to people who have chosen to include me in their family – what a blessing. Later, as a pastor, I found that I cherished the people in the congregation. It began with Elvie, Thelma, and the others in the two church charge I served while attending seminary. As I moved from seminary to a three church charge in Pennsylvania, there was a new group of people to add to my ‘family’ (some are now related to me by marriage.) This adding to my people richness and my ‘family’ has continued. Being rich in people relationships is impor-tant in the church. In the church we are related to one another because we follow Christ. The down side of being people rich is saying farewell to them when they pass from life on earth. I have found consolation in most of those times to know I will see them again when I pass from this life. Here are two verses about friends and family from the Bible:

“A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 NRSV

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 NRSV Are you rich in people?

Blessings,

Pastor Linda

UMW NEWS

As the program year is winding down for UMW, I would like to take this time to reflect on all

that we have accomplished. It takes a great collaboration between the congregation and the

UMW to put on such successful events. The hard work paid off as we were able to contribute

over $17,000 to mission programs in 2013.

With our final event before breaking for Summer coming up, just a reminder that the Indoor

Yard Sale will be held in the social hall Sat, May 3rd from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm. We will also be

selling baked goods and bowls of Stuffed Pepper and Wedding soup in the Primary Room.

Come out and see what treasures you may find! And don’t forget that we are always looking

for volunteers later in the Summer for baking pies for the Street Sale.

So thank you again for volunteering, attending and supporting our UMW throughout the

year. We could never do it alone. We look forward to see you in September for caramel mak-

ing!

Yours in Christ,

Julie Trenn

OUMW President

.

HOPE CIRCLE

Hope Circle will meet on May 12th at 7:00 P.M. in the parlor to

discuss Fannie Flagg's "The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Re-

union". Ms. Flagg's quirky Southern humor permeates this tale

about Mrs. Earl Poole Jr., a Southern belle called Sookie by her

friends. The fun begins when Sookie finds out she isn't a Meth-

odist southerner, but rather an adoptee who was born to an un-

wed Polish Catholic from Wisconsin! Sookie's quest to find her

birth mother takes us back to World War II and the women who

kept things going at home when the men went off to war.

Please consider joining us for an hour of discussion and fellow-

ship.

PRAYER CONCERNS

Please continue to pray for Shirley Anderson, Audra Assad, Gillen Geary, Gen Hissem, Al Kennedy, Jeanne Knox, Darlene Lloyd, Jackie Lynch, Jane McClelland, Joyce Miljanovich, Zola Stahley and Flo Thompson who are re-

covering from recent hospitalizations or illnesses.

NEWSLETTER

Please submit articles for the JUNE newsletter by MAY 15th. If you would

like to receive your newsletter by e-mail, please send us a message at oak-montumc@verizon.net.

BAPTISM

On March 23rd we celebrated the baptism of Owen John Szallay. Owen is the son of Brian and Kristin Szallay and the grandson of Kathy and Jack Fisher.

THANK-YOU

Thanks very much for your prayers, words of advice, food, cards and other expressions of caring during the time of my hip surgery and recuperation.

Ken and I appreciate your caring and generosity.

Pastor Linda

GENERAL FUND NUMBERS FOR MARCH

Balance 2/28 -$8,193.16 Income $21,070.50

Expenses $20,316.85 Balance 3/31 -$7,439.51

Connectional Apportionment (Mission Share) is paid thru March

BLUE BOX UPDATE

You may have noticed a large blue box at each end of

the church’s parking lot. These boxes have been put

in place by Mission Partners.

This program collects gently used

clothing, shoes, purses, belts and

hats.

When the bin is full Mission Part-

ners collects the items from it, and

then processes them to maximize

their value.

Oakmont UMC receives 50% of any revenue gener-

ated by the items collected. By helping to fill the

boxes each person reduces waste and helps generate

revenue. OUMC has made $263.80 so far!

Mission Partners was created to help local non-

profits raise money and fulfill their missions in

the simplest and most profitable way possible.

COMMUNITY DINNER VOLUNTEERS

NEEDED

Volunteers are needed for the community dinner held

monthly at the Verona United Methodist Church.

The Oakmont UMC will be hosting the dinner on

May 28th. Call Suzy Hunter at 412-793-6965 or the

church office at 412-828-9499 if you can help out

with cooking, serving, or cleaning up. Monetary do-

nations to help toward the expenses of the meal and

donations of cakes and other desserts are very much

appreciated.

MAY

1 Lori Huha

3 Rich Lear

Scott Ashbaugh, Jr.

4 Erin Kennedy

5 Maggie Morrison

8 Allison Klinsky

14 Carol Burrows

16 Daniel Burdelski

18 Sam Steimer

22 Christianne McCall

23 Abigail Kelley

26 Dennis Casarcia

29 Kim Anderson

Earl Barnes

Allan Jones

30 Eric Mannas

If we inadvertently missed listing

your birthday, please call the

church office and let us know.

STAFF PARISH RELATIONS COMMITTEE NEWS:

New Secretary! SPRC is delighted to announce that Michele Handyside has

accepted the position of permanent, part-time secretary for Oakmont United

Methodist Church. We are especially grateful to her for her service as our

interim secretary. Please be sure to stop by the church office and introduce

yourself to Michele.

Interim, Volunteer Director of Children and Youth Ministries! Laura

Caruso has agreed to serve as our volunteer, interim Director of Children

and Youth Ministries while we continue our search. Laura has a lot of good

ideas and positive energy to help get this program up and running. Be sure to

look for activity announcements from her. Your SPRC remains committed to

identifying and hiring the best candidate possible for this position. We appre-

ciate your patience and your prayers!

THE PRAYER CHAIN IS BEING UPDATED

Please call the church office to let us know if you wish to be added to

the phone or e-mail prayer chain. Those who are on the prayer chain

already should let us know if would like to remain on or be removed

from the list.

INDOOR YARD SALE

Please mark your calendars for our Annual Spring Indoor Yard/Bake sale.

Saturday May 3, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm

In addition to a great variety of items in the Yard Sale, we will be will offering homemade

Stuffed Pepper Soup and Wedding Soup for eat-in or take out while supply lasts.

Orders are being taken for the soup at a cost of $6 per quart.

Items for the sale may be brought in to the Primary Room.

Bake Sale items may be brought in all day Fri. May 2 or at 8 am Sat. May 3.

Free Coffee for everyone.

Graduation Sunday is June 1st!

Call the church office if you know anyone who is

graduating from high school, college, or a trade school

this year. On Sunday, June 1st, we will recognize the

graduates for their achievements.

The UM Foundation in partnership with Autism Initiative:

A ministry of the Oakland UMC

“Keeping Your Special Needs Child Protected:

Estate Planning for Parents and Grandparents

of Special Needs Children”

Dutilh UMC

1270 Dutilh Road

Cranberry Twp, PA 16066

Saturday May 17, 2014

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Check-in 9:30 AM

The cost is $20.00 per family and includes lunch

and childcare. Scholarships are available upon request.

Make Checks Payable to the UM Foundation

Please register by May 12, 2014.

Register online at www.umfoundation.org E-mail: info@umfoundation.org

Phone: (412) 232 0650 or

(800) 743 2128

Fax: (412) 232 0675