News regarding the life and ministry of our wonderfully diverse and energized faith community

FAMILY PROMISE

We celebrate that we successfully hosted 3 families, 14 children, during our first week with Family Promise.  Thanks to all who drove the van, cooked meals, entertained the kids, and slept overnight.  Also thanks to so many of you who donated items and gift cards that made it possible to provide this hospitality.

THOMAS MERTON CENTER AWARD

Join others who are committed to racial justice as KEEANGA-YAMAHTTA TAYLOR receives the THOMAS MERTON AWARD Today,  Friday, November 22  at the August Wilson African-American Cultural Center – the acclaimed art galleries at the center will be available at 5:00p along with hors d’oeuvres from Arnold’s Tea and a cash bar in the main lobby. Programming starts at 7:30p

Dr. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor is a scholar, activist and author who teaches in the African American Studies department at Princeton University.  She is the author of three books; the most recent titled: Race for Profit: How Banks and The Real Estate Industry Undermine Black Homeownership.

Tickets for this Thomas Merton Center Fundraiser: Members of the Thomas Merton Center are $55.00 and for non-members $65.00

Tickets may be purchased at EVENTBRITE or on the Thomas Merton website.

For more information you may contact the Thomas Merton Center or Pastor RoBear (Bob) Wilson: a49always@gmail.com  He is a member of the Board of Directors

HANGING OF THE GREENS

THIS Sunday, November 24th right after worship we will be spending time decorating our church for the Advent and Christmas season! It is always a wonderful time and we will provide something to eat! Come, add visual beauty to our experience this Advent!

ECO MINISTRY NEWS

Join us at our next conversation on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 7 pm as we continue to explore what it means to be grounded in “relationship to the land (earth) that is inseparable from our relationship with God our Creator, with each other, and all of Creation, in one single relationship.” We are challenging ourselves to explore the meaning of this for our own lives and for the work of the Eco-Ministry Team. Please join us.

ECO- MINISTRY  NEWS: HELP WANTED! …. TO DEVELOP NEW LEGISLATION LETTER WRITING PROJECT. 

We are partnering with the Environmental Team of East Liberty Presbyterian Church on a joint earth care legislation letter writing project. ELPC’s team already prepares researched educational materials and model letters for their congregation on legislation requiring action. This terrific resource will be available to our legislation project.

We propose to create a small Eco-Legislation Team as a special project of the Eco-Ministry Team. Recognizing people’s time constraints, people working on legislation letter writing can choose whether or not to also participate in monthly Eco-Ministry Team meetings. In either case, the Eco-Ministry Team will support the legislative work and coordinate with ELPC.  If you would like more information, or want to help design the letter writing project, contact Claudia at cdetwiler4@icloud.com.

MEDITATIVE SCRIPTURE READING GROUP

Would you like to re-engage with the scriptures? Join Companions in Christ in practicing meditative readings of scripture, guided by the lectionary text. Wednesday, December 11, 5:30 – 7:00 pm. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be biblically literate, have any experience with “meditative reading,” or even know what that means! We’ll all learn a new practice together! A light dinner will be provided. For more information, please talk to Joe. If you don’t catch him in the hallways, you can contact him at 304-731-8717 or joe@fumcpittsburgh.org

YOUTH CHRISTMAS PARTY!

Elf. Hot chocolate. Christmas cookie decorating. Ugly Christmas sweater contest. Sunday, December 15, after worship.

IT’S CONCERT SEASON!

• HALLELUJAH! CONCERT DECEMBER 7 and 8 at 4pm at Calvary UMC

Bask in Handel’s inspiring Messiah while surrounded by candlelight and Calvary’s magnificent Tiffany stained-glass masterpieces. Our FUMC Choir will be joining the choir at Calvary UMC AT Calvary church as part of our 125th Anniversary Celebration.

We will be performing the “Christmas” portion of Messiah. Calvary’s Music Director Brian Burns conducts the event which includes popular regional soloists, a chamber orchestra comprised of some of the area’s most accomplished instrumentalists, and the Festival Choir. The concert is family-friendly – each child 12 and under will receive an activity pack. This concert is also a sing-along. As an audience member you are not required to sing, but you are certainly invited to sing along on each of the choruses sung by the Festival Choir.

We also offer this concert in support of outreach ministries on Pittsburgh’s Northside. This year, as in years past, we ask audience members to bring non-perishable food items and extra shopping tote bags for Northside Common Ministries Food Pantry. Also, tickets are given to neighborhood schools, smaller churches, and groups such as Tickets for Kids.

It’s a fantastic way to kick off the holiday season, and we invite everyone to join in and sing for the joy of it! Tickets are available now at CalvaryPgh.com!

• OUR OWN CANDLELIGHT CONCERT

We hope you will also consider joining us on Saturday, December 14, at 7pm for our own Candlelight Worship Concert in the sanctuary at FUMC. This decades-long tradition is special and will be a bit more subdued this year due to our involvement in Calvary’s concert. This gives our church musicians the chance to take you on a special journey towards Christmas. Wonderful reception following. Hope to see you there!

“FAT SATURDAY BIRTHDAY BASH” – SAVE THE DATE

Fat Tuesday before Lent is for pancakes, but Fat Saturday is for cake, birthday cake!  Please save the date of Saturday, February 22, 2020 for First Church’s “Fat Saturday Birthday Bash”.

There will be a table for each month of the year – decorated in a theme chosen by the host of that table who will make and decorate a delicious theme birthday cake.  Attendees will be asked to join the table corresponding to their birthday to enjoy cake, snacks and good conversation.   Volunteers willing to choose a month (it doesn’t have to be your birthday month) and host that table or anyone willing to organize/coordinate the tables, should email Karen Merrick (crimmerr@aol.com).   May, July and August have been chosen, but the remaining months are open – first come, first serve! AND…there will be entertainment! First Church is full of very talented people. Please consider sharing your talent either solo or with friends and contribute to the evening’s program. Register by contacting Tim Coles (timcoles@fumcpittsburgh.org) or Dave Keller (revdfkeller@aol.com).

More information to come, but for now – save the date and please consider volunteering for one of the following to make this event a success:

• Host a table by yourself or with a friend (bake a cake and decorate it and the table in your chosen theme)

• Organize/coordinate the host tables

• Be part of the talent show!

THIS WEEK AT FUMC

Sunday, November 24

  9:00am          Handbell Choir Rehearsal

  9:35am          Chancel Choir Rehearsal

  9:35am          Education for All Ages

11:00am          Worship in the Sanctuary

12:30pm          Hanging of the Greens

  6:00pm          Sunday Night Yoga

Monday, November 25

 9:30am           IWAP English Class

  6:15pm          Phoenix Institute

Tuesday, November 26

7:45am            Susan Rupani Yoga

10:00am          Play Group

10:15am          Unity in Motion

10:30am          Staff Meeting

  1:00pm          East End Song Studio

  2:00pm          Strengthen & Stretch

  7:00pm          Edgewood Symphony

  7:30pm          NA Reading Group

  7:30pm          Chancel Choir Meet AT Calvary UMC for Messiah Rehearsal

Wednesday, November 27

9:30am            Shake Hands & Share

1:00pm            East End Song Studio

7:00pm            No Mystics in Motion

7:30pm            NA

Thursday, November 28

THANKSGIVING DAY

CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED

Friday, November 29

CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED

12:00pm          AA – Cookies & Kisses

1:00pm            East End Song Studio

5:30pm            Women’s AA

Saturday, November 30

  9:00am          First Food & Friends

12:30pm          George’s Group

STAFF