SEPTEMBER 2018

The CORNERSTONE

2 YO! Youth Ministry

2 Sunday School Rally Day

3 Women of Westfield

3 Music Notes

3 Special Friends

4 Special Olympian Jill Byers

5 Serving in South Dakota

6 Joy! (Senior Adult Ministry)

6 Building Project Update

A publication of Westfield Presbyterian Church, New Castle, Pennsylvania

The Essential 100 Journey Begins by Pastor Mark Hughes

1 John 4: 8 declares, “ Anyone who does

not love does not know God, because God

is love.” (ESV) This is a statement that

Christians regularly declare to one an-

other, and to the world. Of course God is

love we proclaim! Yet, there are times

that I wonder if we really know and un-

derstand the depth of this statement?

I had a seminary professor who began

every class by stating, “We cannot love

God deeply without knowing God

deeply.” This statement, taken alongside

the 1 John passage above, points us to the

importance of knowledge of God to love

God. The place where the church has

regularly understood, and confessed, com-

ing to know and encounter God is in

Scripture.

If we truly desire to know God, and so

love God, we must go to where God

reveals himself to us. We must read

Scripture spiritually, study it commun-

ally, and pray it devotionally. We must

hear it preached and proclaimed. It must

be taught and received with eager hearts.

Simply put—the Scriptures reveal gos-

pel—the good news of the Lord Jesus;

that the light has come into the world

and the darkness could not, cannot, and

will not ever overcome it.

The gospel is centered on the founda-

tional teaching that a loving, creative

God sent his Son into the world, to give

freely of himself by dying on the cross,

so that humanity (indeed all creation!)

might be reconciled back to him. This is

very good news!

What’s INSIDE

Continued on page 6

www.westfieldchurch.org 1

Helping Our Community

In the coat rack area are special bins for your donations

of items for our local Project HOPE food pantry. During

September we are collecting cleaning products: disinfec-

tants, cleaners, toilet bowl cleaner, and dish soap. Items

always in need are coffee, juices, laundry soap, dish

soap and cereals. Adding just one item for HOPE each

time you shop will really make a difference!

Mats! Mats! Mats!

Come be a part of some-thing great!! Mat making be-gins Wednesday, Septem-ber 5, from 6 to 8 P.M. Can’t crochet? That’s ok, there is a job for you. We flatten, fold, cut, and tie bags before they are ready to sew. Please consider giving of your time to help make a difference in someone’s life. Also we need bags, so please drop them off in the parlor. So far we have made and delivered 109 mats! Acts 20:35: “In everything I’ve done, I have demonstrated to you how neces-sary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Mas-ter said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’”

This month I want to highlight Goodland

Church and my friend Becky Lahna who

is the lead planter there. Becky and her

team are focused on building “Gospel

communities” and from that, letting the

church grow and form and eventually

multiply.

Their identity is: “We want to see com-

munities of God’s people on mission in

every corner and cul-de-sac, every net-

work and neighborhood of our city so that

every person would have a chance to

encounter the God of grace in a tangible

way. We gather throughout the week in

homes for a meal, time of sharing, Bible

study, prayer and singing.”

Based in Santa Barbara, CA, Goodland

church seeks to do ministry in small

groups. They have three different types

focused on deep study, listening to each

other’s stories, and Bible studies that

have you encounter Christ. Learn more

by visiting goodland.church.

Youth Ministry Update by Pastor David Champ

As unbelievable as it seems, the fall se-

mester is upon us. We kick-off the fall

YO! programming with our annual

Amazing Race on Sunday, August 25.

On Wednesdays this fall our small group

ministry will study Jonah and Paul’s let-

ters to the Corinthians. On Sundays we

will study the Gospel of John centered

around the “I am” statements to discover

who this Jesus really is. We will continue

to meet on both nights from 6 to 8 P.M.

Please continue to pray for our youth.

They are experiencing ever increasing

cultural pressure and have the best chance

to reach more and more people for the

Gospel.

We are always looking for volunteers to

provide snack on Sundays and dinner on

Wednesdays. Feel encouraged to sign up

and support our youth. Sheets are on the

bulletin board by the church offices.

Rally Day is September 9

Heroes of the Old Testament will be the theme of our

Sunday School Celebration for all ages this fall. Join us

at 9:45 A.M. on Sunday, September 9, and be assigned a

“sword” or a “shield” for our attendance contest. All

classes are invited to participate and adults can enroll in

one that suits an age group or interest. You’ll also have

a chance to learn about the church-wide E100 Bible

reading plan.

Church Planting Spotlight Goodland Church, Santa Barbara

►FALL Highlights for YO!

5th Quarter Bonfires

(8/24, 9/7, 9/14, 9/28, 10/19).

Fall Party (10/14)

Elevation Worship Concert (10/15)

Fall D-Now at Camp Frederick

(11/9 - 11/11)

►FALL Family Event Ideas

New Castle Music Festival (9/1)

Pittsburgh Irish Festival (9/7 - 9/9)

Apple Festival, New Wilmington

(9/8)

Kennel Club Dog Show, Lawrence

County Fairgrounds (9/21 - 9/23)

Sperdute Farms Fall Harvest

Weekend (9/27 - 9/28)

►FALL Date Night Ideas

Blues, Brews, and BBQ, Fractured

Grape, New Wilmington (9/7)

Chef, Wine & Ale, Shakespeare’s

Restaurant, Ellwood City (9/10)

The CORNERSTONE SEPTEMBER 2018

www.westfieldchurch.org 2

The CORNERSTONE SEPTEMBER 2018

Women of Westfield (WOW) will meet

on September 18 at 10:30 A.M. in Fellow-

ship Hall. We have one hour for study and

a short business meeting followed by

lunch. As we begin a new Bible study,

this is a great time to join us!

God’s Promise: I Am with You, takes

readers on a journey through scripture to

consider circumstances in which God ar-

ticulated His promise of presence. We

will see anew that God offered words of

profound comfort and commitment to

individuals and communities from the

time of the patriarchs to that of the

prophets; from the judges to the kings;

before, during and after the exile; into

the New Testament and beyond, to the

end of the age.

During our first lesson we will also

explore why we as women are hesitant

to fully believe God’s promises. Why

do we doubt and worry? Please read

Genesis 26:1-6 and 28:10-22 prior to

our meeting. You will receive a study

book on September 18 if you have not

yet received one.

Music Notes by Sarah Phillips

Summer worship has flown by so

quickly. Not only did worship incorpo-

rate a contemporary ensemble, but the

services were blessed with special music

from a variety of soloists. I enjoyed

planning and participating with both

entities for a blended worship experi-

ence here at Westfield.

In July, I attended the New Wilmington

Missionary Conference on the campus

of Westminster College. Two work-

shops entitled “Music in Mission and

Ministry” and “Worship Leading and

Songwriting” were of great interest to

me. Dr. Bill McConnell presented many

ideas for choirs, bell choirs, and instru-

mentalists.

In August, I attended the Annual Choral

Workshop at Volkwein’s Music in Pitts-

burgh. Composer, arranger, conductor,

and pianist Mary McDonald led this

seminar.

It is now time to turn attention to the fall

season. Chancel Choir will resume its

important ministry, featuring unique

anthems that illuminate scripture and

celebrate the life of Christ. The Chancel

Choir leads congregational singing and

adds a stability to the worship service.

There is no way that I can express my

admiration to Westfield’s Chancel

Choir. Their dedication, stamina, will-

ingness to learn new music, and ability

to sing a variety of choral anthems, re-

sponses, hymns, introits, and benedic-

tions is most appreciated. Our Chancel

Choir cares and prays for each other and

for the Westfield congregation. May we

join them in singing psalms, hymns, and

spiritual songs!

Russ & Judy Bryan at their residence

Shirley Gibson

at Carriage Court

Eleanor Gwin at Avalon

Pearl Jolley

at her residence

Mary Lou Williams at Avalon

Christian Symbol: Seal

A seal is the mark of God’s promises to the believer and of the believer’s consecration to

God. Old Testament priests wore a piece of gold against their forehead, as a seal, en-

graved with the words “Holy to the Lord.” For Christians, the sign of the cross serves as a

seal of salvation. Paul declares, “He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put

his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come”

(2 Corinthians 1:21-22, NIV).

www.westfieldchurch.org 3

A New Bible Study: God’s Promise by Debby McClain

Shoe Collection Thank you so much for your generosity towards the shoe collection! You provided 50+ students with shoes and socks for the new school year. The families were ex-cited and thankful for your kindness. You have helped them get a good start this year!

I am truly blessed to be part of the West-

field Church family. Thank you for all the

encouragement, support, and gifts of

money, cards, pins, and prayers you gave

me as I prepared and traveled to Seattle to

compete in the 2018 USA Special Olym-

pics Games. We had an amazing week!

Highlights included the opening cere-

mony which was so inspiring and fun,

competing for medals, the excitement of

standing on the podium to receive a silver

medal in bocce, enjoying the beautiful

city of Seattle and the University of

Washington campus, sightseeing (Space

Needle and Pike’s Market), and meeting

so many wonderful people from all over

the USA. It was a privilege and an honor

to represent Lawrence County and Penn-

sylvania. Thank you, Westfield,

The Prodigal God: Finding Your Place at the Table

Coming Sunday Evenings this Autumn More Information is Forthcoming!

USA 2018 Special Olympics Update by Jill Byers

The CORNERSTONE SEPTEMBER 2018

www.westfieldchurch.org 4

Golf Outing Coming Soon

It’s time again for the Annual Golf Outing to help fund

MoCo House! Saturday, October 6, 7:30 A.M. Gather your

favorite golf buddies, and head to Tanglewood for a morn-

ing of golf, food, fun, and prizes! Shotgun start! Donuts

and great MoCo coffee before you tee off! Registration

deadline is September 28. Call 724.667.4293 or stop in

MoCo for more details.

The CORNERSTONE SEPTEMBER 2018

poorest counties within the US borders

with 97% of the population living below

the poverty line, and an average life ex-

pectancy of 47 years for men and 52

years for women. The reservation is very

depressed with many houses having no

electricity, no water/basic sewage sys-

tems, or being infested with black mold.

It also has some of the highest rates of

infant mortality, teen suicide, diabetes,

alcoholism, and high school drop outs.

For 5 days our team focused on WIS-

DOM, one of 12 Lakota Sioux Core Val-

ues, as we conducted “Art Camp” at the

school. Throughout the week we had 36

students aged 4-17 attend the Summer

Art Camp sessions along with some rela-

tives who visited throughout the day.

Students molded clay projects, painted

shields, strung necklaces, hand-printed

medicine wheels, colored in Native

American storybooks, played games,

wove dream-catchers, participated in

science experiments, and silk-screened t-

shirts. While at the school, breakfast

and lunch was prepared and served daily

for participants, relatives, and our team.

On Friday we celebrated our week with

an art show display, Rainbow play, and

luncheon for all our special guests. Each

student was given an art kit with various

supplies to take with them along with

their choice of books that had been do-

nated by the Pittsburgh community.

Emily and I were blessed with the op-

portunity to see God’s beautiful country

and serve others with our brothers and

sisters in Christ.

Serving in South Dakota by Natalee Schmolly

www.westfieldchurch.org 5

In June my niece Emily Sperdute and I

embarked on a 10-day journey to the

Great Plains with a group of 12 others

from the Pittsburgh area. For seven years,

Pastor Dennis Molnar (pastor at Unity

Presbyterian Church in Greentree, PA)

and his wife Terri, have partnered with

John Connolly to organize trips to the

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and sur-

rounding area.

Our first few days of the trip were spent

traveling, sight-seeing, immersing our-

selves in the culture, and prepping/set-up

for the Lakota Children’s Summer Art

Camp. We had the opportunity to tour

Fort Laramie, Wyoming where the Sioux

Treaty of 1868 was agreed upon, drive

through the Black Hills to see Mount

Rushmore, explore the Journey Museum

in Rapid City, visit the Crazy Horse Me-

morial mountain monument, and horse-

back ride through the Badlands. The

group also spent an afternoon in Hot

Springs at the home of Indian artifact

craftsman, Larry Belitz. He facilitated a

team building activity by instructing us

how to set up a traditional Sioux buffalo

hide tipi.

The main purpose of the trip is to form

partnerships and build trustful relation-

ships between the Indian and Non-Indian,

while working at Little Wound School in

Kyle, SD on the reservation. Pine Ridge,

an Oglala Lakota Sioux Native American

Reservation, was established in 1889 in

the Southwest corner of South Dakota.

Today the reservation consists of approxi-

mately 3500 square miles of land and ap-

proximately 40,000 people. It is one of the

Building Project Update Westfield Facility Use and Devel-opment Group (WFUDG) had an-other informative meeting with our architect, Eric Greene. He pre-sented us with elevation drawings from Taylor Engineering, the Civil Engineer, with options for chan-neling runoff water. They are look-ing into alternative options to di-vert storm water runoff instead of a standard retention pond on do-nated property beyond the ceme-tery. Further contact is being made with the gas company to run a line to the church from Westfield Road for heating our building. Heating with natural gas will be more cost effective. Mechanical. electrical, and plumb-ing engineers are working to com-plete all necessary drawings so plans can be submitted to local officials for approval. Discussions with the Cemetery Committee, Trustees, and WFUDG have been held concern-ing relocating the roadway into the cemetery.

According to a recent article in an AARP

Bulletin, having strong social connec-

tions, having something to do and some-

where to go, and developing an optimistic

outlook on getting older, all serve to re-

duce loneliness and social isolation that

has become a part of many lives. While

some states and even countries are recog-

nizing the problem and forming task

forces to address loneliness and isolation

issues, our “Just Older Youth” group aims

to address this important health issue for

our community.

Where some people deny and dread added

years, others embrace the longevity that

God provides to many of us. At JOY, we

gather weekly just to spend time with oth-

ers, enjoy a good meal and participate in

activities that keep us engaged. Getting to

know each other better, sharing ideas and

stories, and just having a place to relax,

are all goals that are met regularly. As we

approach our first anniversary of JOY-full

meetings, we look forward to inviting new

friends into our group.

Our upcoming activities for September

include: A JOY Birthday Party, a guest

speaker, a crocheting project, card and

board games, and MORE!

Joy Tip of the Month (from mikey’s fun-

nies): The easiest way to grow wise and

good is to be with people who are wiser

and better than you are.

The Essential 100 (continued from front cover)

Beginning September 10, the entire West-

field family will be provided an opportu-

nity to encounter the story of salvation

together. We will be reading Scripture

through the lens of the Essential 100 Bible

Reading Challenge. Everyone will receive

a punch card with the weekly readings.

Multiple adult Sunday school classes,

along with the youth will be discussing

the texts on Sunday mornings. The

weekly texts will be preached on Sunday

morning. As a family of faith we will

journey TOGETHER into God’s Word,

and experience God’s revelation to his

people. I encourage everyone to accept

this Bible reading challenge—and to do

so with a joyful, and grateful, heart.

I am eager to begin this journey with

you!

Join Us For Dinner

Stop in for our next free community meal on Wednesday,

September 26, from 5-7 P.M. It will be a great night to take

a break in your busy schedule between home, school and

work responsibilities. Do you normally eat alone? Come

over and share in our fellowship. Interested in volunteer-

ing? Please see Abby Stambul or any deacon to learn

more.

Purpose and Friendship Add to Longevity at JOY by Doreen Hietsch

The CORNERSTONE SEPTEMBER 2018

www.westfieldchurch.org 6

l-r, Dawn Palmer, Hazel Hassig, Doreen Hietsch, Maureen Kuhn at JOY

Westfield Presbyterian Church

Saturday, November 3 8:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.

$15 fee includes breakfast, lunch and materials Register online at www.westfieldchurch.org

For more information: Contact Lorraine Book at jfbook@verizon.net

Visit SoulShopMovement.org

In the past few years our Mohawk/New Castle community has experienced an increase in suicidal desperation as suicide has reached epidemic proportions in our world. It is critical that the church equips its members to address suicidal desperation. We need to be equipped to minister to persons who are currently engaged in suicidal thinking, persons who are concerned about someone who may be suici-dal, persons who have lost a friend or family member to suicide and persons who have recovered from a period of suicidal thinking. It is critical that the church develops a soul safe community in which persons who are impacted by suicidal desperation can speak freely and receive help without fear of judgment. To equip you and develop a soul safe community Westfield Presbyterian church will be offering SOUL SHOP, a workshop for congregations and communities to develop suicide awareness training and a suicide prevention plan for our com-munity. If you are part of a faith community, educational institution, mental health agency, first responder, political office or local business then this workshop is for you. The speaker’s fee is a gift to the community from Westfield church. A nominal fee of $15 is required from each participant to cover the cost of breakfast, lunch and materials.