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| First United Methodist Church | 200 Market Street Warren, PA 16365 814-723-4930 |
| Ministry
of Worship
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Don’t forget to check out our calendar and our outreach ministries and UMYF UPCOMING EVENTS pages for more ways you can be involved.
CONFERENCE CAMPING We are blessed to have three beautiful camps in the Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church: Jumonville (near Uniontown, PA), Allegheny (near Somerset, PA), and Wesley Woods (Grand Valley, PA). Each summer there are a host of camps offering arts & crafts, computers and astronomy, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, and more. We make scholarships available to families in our church each season, so don't let cost keep your children from camp. The theme for summer camp2008 is "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream (Amos 5:24)." New camping brochures are available in the church office or with Heidi Ketzko; and online information and registration is available at www.wpaumc.org. You can also find specific information for Wesley Woods at www.wesleywoods.com. See our Camping Steward, John Lewis, our pastors, or Heidi Ketzko for more information. This is a wonderful opportunity to bless your children with a physical and spiritual experience that will change their lives! Talk with them. Sign up soon.
NOTHING BUT NETS Rick Reilly, a writer for Sports Illustrated, came back from a visit to Africa recently with a burden on his heart. He saw the poor health conditions that exist in Africa, especially AIDS and malaria. Knowing that something was already being done about AIDS, he went to all the major sports that included nets in their games and asked them to get involved in a program to help eradicate malaria. The National Basketball Association and the Women's National Basketball Association took him up on his challenge. The United Nations was invited to become involved in developing the program. Then the United Methodist Church was contacted because we have the means of distribution (so distribution does not have to be re-invented). VH1 (a music channel) decided to provide advertising. Then Bill Gates offered to match $3 million in offerings. Before much could happen, a little girl heard about it, started talking with her family and others about it, and they raised $10,000. The program is going to be simple: raise money! The treated nets cost $10 each. Unofficially, we're collecting money right now. You can mark your checks or envelopes "Nothing but Nets" and it will be applied to this great cause. And, as with all special mission askings, 100% of our dollars go to the requested project (few sending agencies can make that claim). So, the men, women, and especially the children of Africa will be blessed by your offerings. Give generously.
WORK TRIPS Work Trips to Louisiana and Mississippi to aid in repairing the damage created by Hurricane Katrina are happening weekly, and new sites are being added regularly. If you are interested, please contact the pastor. Scheduled trips are usually listed for us about two months at a time. Work trips are anywhere from 5-15 days (sometimes more) for which you pay to go to locations in the LA-MS area and rebuild houses and churches, or perhaps help by cooking and washing clothes at a home base. Costs are usually minimal, about $25-40 a day covers room and board, because accomodations are usually minimal, dorm style; and you'll share travel expense. There is usually a small insurance fee, about $25. And shots are required for tetanus and hepititis (available from the PA State Dept. of Health for free). When our team went last March, it cost us about $350 each, and we drove one vehicle. If you have an interest, speak with Rev. Starr. You cannot imagine the blessing that you will receive when you give your time and effort in this way. Note: The three United Methodist Conference in Pennsylvania have been the most responsive area of the whole country to the plight of those who lost their homes, and more, because of Hurricane Katrina. Work trips are leaving weekly. Join one!
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