FOCUS Inside this issue: We exist to grow in passion for God and compassion for people. Volume 16 Issue 2 February 2020 From the Pastor 1 Church & Ministry News 2-4 Adult Growth Classes 5 Alliance Youth 6 Children’s Ministry 7 International Partnership 8 Anniversaries/Birthdays Condolences 9 February/March Calendars 10-11 James Llewellyn Senior Pastor Rigel Holmes Youth Ministries Joanne Kreinbrook Operations Jennifer Dail Worship Ministries Julie Stahl Children’s Discipleship Cindy Llewellyn Children’s Outreach Rev. James Llewellyn Senior Pastor From the Pastor’s Desk 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 It’s February, and often the highlight of this month is Valentine’s Day. Every Feburary 14 is set aside to show our significant other some special sign of our love. From chocolates to flowers, the day is generally associated with a materialistic sign of affection, and while there’s nothing wrong with chocolates or flowers, love is far more than a gift purchased once a year. But why talk about love? The Bible frequently talks about the importance of love, and outlines the importance of being people of love. We are called to love God, love our neighbor, love our enemies, and love those that persecute us. Jesus even highlights that the world will know we are His followers by our love. The word “love“ has been hijacked by various aspects of our culture and media. The word is used frequently, though it’s rarely meant. The same word that is used to describe our affinity for certain foods and restaurants is also used to express our feelings towards our children. While I am sure many of us really like pizza, I doubt anyone would give their life for one. Love holds a different meaning when applied to a person versus an object. We are willing to do anything to protect those we love. This brings a particular challenge considering Jesus calls us to love all people. It’s easy to love our family and those who are similar in beliefs, but what about the people we disagree with? We are not called to simply tolerate people, something common in our society, nor are we called to just be nice to people. We are called to love people, all people. If we love people, we should have a heart for them. Through the life changing power of Jesus, our hearts can be driven by the same love He has for people. If we begin to see people the way Jesus sees them, then our hearts should break for those who have yet to know Him. Evangelism should be motivated by love, desiring all people to know God, rather than spending an eternity separated from Him. Rather than approaching people with an attitude of “I have this figured out,“ we should approach them with a heart of love, with an urgency to share the good news, and the hope that we have received. If we just tolerate people, then waiting for the “perfect“ opportunity might be our plan. However, if we love people then waiting is not an option. We should make an effort to spread the Gospel as often as we can, because if someone we love is in danger, we warn them right away. As you see hearts all around this month, use it as an opportunity to share your faith. Let us show our love to all people, and not just one day a year. May we be people known for our love, and may the world know we are follwoers of Jesus because of it. -Pastor Lu
12
Embed
Volume 16 Issue 2 FOCUS February 2020 · 2020-02-04 · Volume 16, Issue 2 Page 3 Men’s Sunday Prayer Ministry The Men’s Prayer Ministry meets every Sunday morning prior to the
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
FOCUS
Inside this issue:
We exist to grow in passion for God and compassion for people.
Volume 16 Issue 2
February 2020
From the Pastor 1
Church & Ministry News 2-4
Adult Growth Classes 5
Alliance Youth 6
Children’s Ministry 7
International Partnership 8
Anniversaries/Birthdays
Condolences 9
February/March Calendars 10-11
James Llewellyn
Senior Pastor
Rigel Holmes
Youth Ministries
Joanne Kreinbrook
Operations
Jennifer Dail
Worship Ministries
Julie Stahl
Children’s Discipleship
Cindy Llewellyn
Children’s Outreach
Rev. James Llewellyn
Senior Pastor
From the Pastor’s Desk
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35
It’s February, and often the highlight of this month is Valentine’s Day. Every
Feburary 14 is set aside to show our significant other some special sign of our love.
From chocolates to flowers, the day is generally associated with a materialistic sign of
affection, and while there’s nothing wrong with chocolates or flowers, love is far more
than a gift purchased once a year. But why talk about love? The Bible frequently talks
about the importance of love, and outlines the importance of being people of love. We
are called to love God, love our neighbor, love our enemies, and love those that
persecute us. Jesus even highlights that the world will know we are His followers by
our love.
The word “love“ has been hijacked by various aspects of our culture and media.
The word is used frequently, though it’s rarely meant. The same word that is used to
describe our affinity for certain foods and restaurants is also used to express our
feelings towards our children. While I am sure many of us really like pizza, I doubt
anyone would give their life for one. Love holds a different meaning when applied to a
person versus an object. We are willing to do anything to protect those we love. This
brings a particular challenge considering Jesus calls us to love all people. It’s easy to
love our family and those who are similar in beliefs, but what about the people we
disagree with? We are not called to simply tolerate people, something common in our
society, nor are we called to just be nice to people. We are called to love people, all
people.
If we love people, we should have a heart for them. Through the life changing
power of Jesus, our hearts can be driven by the same love He has for people. If we
begin to see people the way Jesus sees them, then our hearts should break for those
who have yet to know Him. Evangelism should be motivated by love, desiring all people
to know God, rather than spending an eternity separated from Him. Rather than
approaching people with an attitude of “I have this figured out,“ we should approach
them with a heart of love, with an urgency to share the good news, and the hope that
we have received. If we just tolerate people, then waiting for the “perfect“ opportunity
might be our plan. However, if we love people then waiting is not an option. We should
make an effort to spread the Gospel as often as we can, because if someone we love
is in danger, we warn them right away.
As you see hearts all around this month, use it as an opportunity to share your
faith. Let us show our love to all people, and not just one day a year. May we be people
known for our love, and may the world know we are follwoers of Jesus because of it.
-Pastor Lu
Page 2 FOCUS
Young Marrieds Small Group Our Young Marrieds small group, lead by Pastor Lu and Cindy, meets on Thursday evenings at Panera in
Greensburg at 6:30pm. If you are a young married couple and you would like to connect with other young married
couples and grow in your faith, then contact Pastor Lu, or the church office.
Marriage Class - Saturday, February 22, 9:00am-2:00pm If you are engaged or considering marriage, plan to attend the Marriage Class which will be held on Saturday,
February 22, 9:00am to 2:00pm in Conference Room 550. This class is highly recommended in order to have a
member of our Pastoral Staff perform your wedding ceremony. Lunch will be provided. For additional information,
please indicate on your Sunday connect card or contact the Church Office, 724-837-1122, or email at
Awana February is a month that focuses on the world LOVE. It is a time to share with others how much they mean to
us along with celebrate the love we have with one another. I enjoy seeing week after week how our Awana leaders
“love” the kids that come each week. Thank you! Our weekly themes are as follows:
5: Zoo Night- Bring your favorite Stuffed Animal
12: Crazy Heart Night-Wear your Valentine Colors and Hearts
19: Twinsies Night- Bring a friend and dress alike
26: Super Silly Socks Night-Wear your “Craziest” Socks!
Great Date Night - Friday, February 7 - 6:00-9:00pm Hey students! The Great Date Night has returned!!! On Friday, February 7 from 6:00 to 9:00pm, our Youth
Group will host the Great Date Night. This is an evening of babysitting offered to the parents in our congregation
with children birth to age 11. Drop off will begin at 6:00pm. Participating student volunteers are encouraged to
show up at 5:30pm (unless they have younger siblings). Any donations received will benefit our upcoming trips.
You must volunteer to benefit from the donations. Sign-up for students is available at Youth Group and on Sunday
mornings on the Youth Sunday School room bulletin board.
Parents may sign up their children in the Lobby on Sunday, February 4, or by calling or e-mailing Pastor Rigel –
Creation Trip Introductory Information Meeting – Sunday, February 23 - 12:15pm Each Summer our youth group takes an awesome trip to the Creation Music festival in Mt Union, PA for a week
of camping, concerts, worship, and messages. This trip has been part of this youth ministry for over 30 years and
has become a familiar summer trip for many of the students of Greensburg Alliance Church!!! This summer’s trip to
Creation will take place June 24-28. The cost of the trip will be $175 which includes festival entry, food, equipment
rental, and transportation. Of all of the trips that we take, this is one of the best bargains that we have going.
With all of the new students that are showing up to youth group we wanted to give an opportunity to have a
brief informational meeting after church so that families who are not familiar with the trip can hear about it and
have an opportunity to ask questions. So if you are interested in learning more about this trip and being able to ask
questions, please take a half hour to join us on February 23 in the fellowship hall at 12:15pm. Our goal is for you to
gain a better understanding of this trip before we open registration.
Please note: If you are a student/family that is already familiar with this trip there is no need for you to attend
this meeting. We will still have our normal mandatory meeting closer to the actual trip for all students who are
registered.
Cereal Night at YG - Thursday, February 27 You bring the cereal, we provide the milk! On Thursday, February 27 we will be having a Cereal Night at Youth
Group. Students are encouraged to bring their favorite cereal to share as a snack. Any leftovers will be donated to
the Welcome Home Homeless Shelter in downtown Greensburg.
Children’s Ministries
Page 7 Volume 16, Issue 2
Children’s Ministries
Orange Program Volunteers We want to give an extra THANK YOU to all our Sunday Morning volunteers in Children's ministry. We have an
awesome group of volunteers working together each and every Sunday. Our Sunday mornings start off in prayer
together and quickly move to greeting the children and families, playing some games, singing songs, digging into
God's Word, and teaching each other how we can apply God's truths in our own lives today. It is a jam packed
morning and flies by so quickly. We see so many children's smiling faces move in and out of the children's wing
and that is only possible because of the service of our dedicated volunteers. You are making a difference in our
children's lives and their futures. Thank you for making yourself available to be with them!
If you would like to volunteer, or have questions about volunteering, feel free to contact Julie Stahl by email at
[email protected] or phone 814-525-1090 for anything regarding our Children’s Ministry Orange programs
Parent Cue App
The Orange curriculum we use for Sunday mornings in most of our classrooms has an app available for
parents! It's called the Parent Que App. This app is a great tool for parents to build on Sunday teachings. Once
your account is set up for each child, it provides videos from the weekly Bible lesson, helpful parenting tips, Bible
memory verses, a simple age tracker, and more for each child! The app is intuitive to set up and available on apple
or android devices. Feel free to ask Julie if you have any questions!
Attention Toddler Room Parents
In March, we will be transitioning the older children who are 3 1/2 years old or older (birthdays fall between
3/1/2016 - 8/31/2016) to the preschool room. The preschool room is room 410 and is the first room on
left. This transition is to help keep our children of similar age and development in the same classroom. We have a
wonderful staff of preschool teachers that are excited to meet your children. The first day these children should go
to the preschool room will be on March 1, 2020. Your child's check-in tags will be updated with new classroom
assignments after that date. If you are wondering if your child is moving up or should you have any questions
about this transition feel free to connect with Julie Stahl.
Vacation Bible School 2020
VBS Informational Meeting Toot Toot!!! Attention everyone, VBS is a few months away,
but we need to round up our crew and see who is “all aboard” on
the VBS team. If you are a parent, grandparent or someone who
loves to share Jesus with others, well, we need you on our team!!
We will be having an informational meeting on Sunday, February
9, 2020 at 12:15 in the Fellowship Hall.
We will be sharing the theme, date, and areas of need for
volunteers for this fun and faith-filled week of VBS. Mark you
calendars and “come aboard ”to be part of this team. If you have
any questions, please contact the office or Cindy Llewellyn at