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Church Chimes A Congregation of The Evangelical Presbyterian ChurchA Congregation of The Evangelical Presbyterian ChurchA Congregation of The Evangelical Presbyterian ChurchA Congregation of The Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Our Mission

Glorifying God by joyfully following Christ according to Scripture!

Our Vision To be a vibrant community of Reformed believers creating a refuge of peace in Jesus Christ through the study of God’s Word, worship, service and evangelism.

Peters Creek Presbyterian Church ▪ 250 Brookwood Road ▪ Venetia, PA 15367 September 2014

Youth Group Kickoff Night Sept. 4, 6:30 p.m.

First Week of Sunday School Sept. 7, 9:45 a.m.

All Church Picnic September 7, Noon

Men’s Breakfast September 13, 9:00 a.m.

Fall Festival Oct. 18, 3:30 p.m.

Sr. High Work Day at the Pittsburgh Project Oct. 25, 8:00 a.m.

Youth Group Halloween Party Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m.

Jr. High Laurelville Retreat with PKF Nov. 7-9

Plan to attend the Plan to attend the Plan to attend the Plan to attend the 2nd Annual 2nd Annual 2nd Annual 2nd Annual

Fall Festival at Peters Creek!Fall Festival at Peters Creek!Fall Festival at Peters Creek!Fall Festival at Peters Creek!

October 18October 18October 18October 18 3:30 3:30 3:30 3:30 ---- 6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m. More information More information More information More information coming soon!coming soon!coming soon!coming soon!

Coming this Fall to Peters Creek...Coming this Fall to Peters Creek...Coming this Fall to Peters Creek...Coming this Fall to Peters Creek...

Fall Worship Schedule It is time to kick-off our fall schedule! On September 7 we will begin Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. with one service at 11:00 followed by the Annual Church Picnic. This will be an exciting day and a great opportunity for fellowship! On September 14 we will go back to two services at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

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A merican popular songwriter Tom Jones wrote the song “Try To Remember.” It’s a soothing melody about a man in the December of his life

remembering his youthful September days.

Try to remember the kind of September When life was slow and oh, so mellow Try to remember the kind of September When grass was green and grain was yellow

I have to admit September has always been one of my favorite months and Jones’ description captures its essence. It is a month that many of us connect with our youth and the life rhythm of the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. For me, in my mid-twenties, September took on a melancholy cast because I no longer went to school, but instead went to work and I now worked the whole year. A natural rhythm had been interrupted, something passed away. I was adjusting to the new life pattern. In the adjustment process I found myself going back to my college town on some weekends to see friends who were still in school. Soon I found our life tempos didn’t match and it was then that I began to make the transition from the mellow days of youth to the life of an adult.

Nostalgia for mellow days when the grass was green and the grain was yellow is part of our humanity. It has been said that, “the young have lots of time and few memories, while the elderly have lots of memories and little time.” One of the places we have deep memories about is the church. Some of us remember the time when the life of the church was stable and slow. We remember when our Sunday school departments were filled with graded classes with school like curriculum. Our churches were people gathered to do things. Then the church was a respected institution and the Pastor was a respected community leader. People listened to the Church then. Ah, those mellow stable days of September for the Church!

The days in which we live now are not the warm days and

cool nights of September, but rather, they seem like the worry and uncertainty of an approaching winter storm. Clouds seem to be on the horizon for the Church. Will it survive, is it relevant any longer? Why don’t people go to church anymore? Why don’t we have the respect of the culture?

These days are a time of uncertainty for the Church. That’s why in the month of September, I will preach on the subject of the Church. Does the Bible have anything to say about the days we live in? Does it give us a clue as to what to expect and how to be the Church in our time?

Well, the Bible does give answers to those questions. Jesus Himself was emphatic about her importance, he even gave His personal guarantee that His Church would survive and flourish. The strength of the Church has always been in her call to represent the truth of God even when it challenges deep rooted and accepted cultural practices and beliefs. The Church has always lost ground when she becomes like the culture around her. That is a temptation we should always avoid as the Church. But we need encouragement to keep our faith lively in times of cultural transition and change. We will be encouraged by remembering to whom the church belongs, on what foundation is she built, what the forces that are arrayed against her, and that she will survive and even flourish in times of opposition.

Pray for the Church because she is God’s design to use our efforts to bring about His September Kingdom of spiritual green grass, abundant harvests, and smooth transitions that go from life to life. We can remember the mellow days of the Church in America, but it is better to

never forget the promises given to the people of God.

Your Pastor and Friend,

Doug Brandt

Try to Remember,Try to Remember,Try to Remember,Try to Remember,

Try Not to ForgetTry Not to ForgetTry Not to ForgetTry Not to Forget

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September 7 Is It My Church or His Church? Matthew 16:18 Rev. Doug Brandt speaking September 14 The Master Builder Matthew 16:18 Rev. Doug Brandt speaking September 21 The Foundation Matthew 16:18 Rev. Doug Brandt speaking September 28 Hell Hath a Fury Matthew 16:18 Rev. Doug Brandt speaking October 5 Will the Church Survive? Matthew 16:18 Rev. Doug Brandt speaking

The Annual Church Picnic will be held on September 7 following the 11:00 service on the church lawn. Meat, beverages and dessert will be provided. Families with the last name beginning with A - M bring a salad and N - Z a side dish. There will be fun for all ages with corn hole, kids games, lots of food and time to catch up with your Peters Creek friends! Please sign up in the Narthex.

The September Mission of the Month is the Peters Township Food Pantry. The pantry is located at Peace Lutheran Church on Route 19 and services 50 – 65 families each month. The items we would like to collect are personal care items such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant and any paper products or laundry detergent. Bags with a list of items will be available in the Narthex the first Sunday of September to fill and return with items purchased. The Food Pantry appreciates all that our church has done to support their efforts.

Mud for Middle Schoolers!

This fall we are joining a HUGE middle school retreat at Laurelville organized by the Pittsburgh Kids Foundation. Students in grades 7-8 are invited to this mud-filled weekend with hundreds of other Pittsburgh-area students. We will depart in the evening on Friday, November 7. And we will return in the af ternoon on Sunday , November 9. The cost of the retreat is $60.

Beginning this fall, Youth Group will move from Sunday nights to Thursday nights. We plan to meet from 6:30 until 8:00 every Thursday night in the Youth Hall. Our first meeting will be September 4. If you have any questions about the switch, please contact Eric Toohey to learn more.

Our summer mission trip to the Pittsburgh Project was so much fun, we are going back this fall for a One Day Plunge on Saturday, October 25. Students in grades 9-12 are invited to join us as we help repair homes and serve the needy in our city. The cost for the day is $15. We will depart at 7:15am and return around 6:00 p.m.

The Youth Mission Trip for next year is July 13-17 to the Pittsburgh Project. Students finishing grades 6-12 are invited to attend. Contact Eric Toohey for more information.

Student Ministry

Youth Mission Trip 2015Youth Mission Trip 2015Youth Mission Trip 2015Youth Mission Trip 2015

Important Dates August 24 (2:00pm): EPC Lakeside Luau

Sept. 4 (6:30pm): Youth Group Kickoff Night

Sept. 7 (9:45am): First Week of Sunday School

Oct. 18 (evening): Autumn Apple Festival

Oct. 25 (8:00am): Sr. High Work Day at the Pittsburgh Project

Oct. 30 (6:30pm): Youth Group Halloween Party

Nov. 7-9: Jr. High Laurelville Retreat with PKF

Dec. 18 (6:30pm): Youth Group Christmas

Party

Men’s Breakfast is back! Don’t miss out on the first Men’s Breakfast of the fall on September 13 at 9:00 a.m. This is a great time of Fellowship and great food!

Cross Stitchers Cross Stitchers will start again in September. All are welcome. We have a great time of fellowship while working on projects to benefit others. We welcome new ideas. You may work on a project of your own or work on one of our projects. You may also work on “the” project of the day at home if you can not get to the church. Here are some things we need:

• You

• Your ideas

• Extra yarn you may have

• Prayers from all We have done many projects for the military, the homeless and our own shut-in members. We meet on the second and third Tuesdays of the month from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in Youth Hall. Doris Sawhill 724-941-6210 (church) 412-308-6957 (home)

September Greeters

September 7

(11:00 a.m.) Bob Elmes

September 14

(8:30 a.m.) Tom & Judy Weaver (11:00 a.m.) Barb Mullen

September 21

(8:30 a.m.) Audrey May, (11:00 a.m.) TBA

September 28

(8:30 a.m.) Dorothy McMurray (11:00 a.m.) Kathy & Ron Crosby

A Message from Your Visitation Pastor Since June 15, the day I fell, it seems as if the congregation is full of Visitation Ministers. I would like to say, “Thank you” for the care, prayers, kind words, food and flowers that have been sent to me since my fall. Everyone has been so considerate and I want you to know that everything you have done is appreciated. Healing is not complete but things are better each day. The prayers are most important and thank you everyone. God bless you all. Doris

PCPC's Children's Sunday School KickOff will take place on Sunday, September 7 from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. We will have an informal time of snacks and games for the children, while the parents can meet the teachers and helpers in their children's respective Sunday School classes. The Preschool class will meet in A4 ("The orange room"); the K-3rd grade class in A3 ("The blue room"), and the 4th -6th grade class in A5 ("The yellow room"). The same Sunday, after the 11 a.m. service, we will also have our Annual Church Picnic, which in-cludes lunch for everyone, and special surprises and games for children!

Save these dates for the Summer of 2015!! VBS: July 6-10, 2015

At GospelLight's amazing SonSpark Labs, children will excitedly explore God’s life-changing plan as they find out the answers to life’s most important ques-tions. They will discover that God loves them,and that through Jesus they can be members of God’s family and personally experience God’s plan for each of us—GP4U = J! ....Whether you can bring your children or your grandchildren, invite your neighbors or your friends, or whether you can even volunteer -- please keep those dates in mind! :D

As a special “September surprise” for young families, we are planning a Family Movie Night on the lawn on Friday evening, September 19, at 7:10 p.m., weather permitting. We will be watching The Croods. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and watch a family friendly movie with your children and friends! This is a free event! Popcorn and drinks will be provided. In case of inclement weather, the movie will be shown in the Fellowship Hall.

Adult Sunday School 9:45 a.m.

Christian Essentials Led by Denny Hutchison Meets in Hinman Hall “Finding the Humble Church in the Psalms” Through in-depth study and discussions of the Book of Psalms, this class is aiming to learn what it means to be part of a truly God-dependent, humble Church. Questors Led by Terry Toohey and Jay Mininger Meets in Hinman Hall The Questors Adult Sunday School Class is studying the book “66 Love Letters” by Dr. Larry Crabb. Dr. Crabb is a seminar speaker, Bible teacher, author, and founder/director of New Way Ministries. Dr. Crabb brings the story and message of the Bible, through 66 love letters (1 for each book of the Bible) into the story of our lives. We will begin II Thessalonians this fall. All are welcome.

Bible Studies The Afternoon Women's Bible Study begins a new study on Thursday, September 11, at 12:30 pm in the Youth Hall. God's Living Word: Relevant, Alive and Active is part of the popular Women of Faith Study Guide series. This 12 week Bible study explores the genres of writing in the Old and New Testaments, such as law, narrative history, wisdom writings, and epistles. Please RSVP to Susan Prosser at esprosser@verizon.net to order a book or ebook and to request childcare. The Women’s Thursday Evening Bible Study will begin September 11 at 7:00 p.m. We will continue our study of “66 Love Letters” by Dr. Lawrence Crabb. Please contact Cyndi Taylor at 724-745-9068 if you plan to attend.

Young Families Bible Study – Starts Sept. 7th

Our Young Families Bible Study begins Sunday, September 7 at 6:00 p.m. Parents of young children are invited to gather together weekly as we study Paul’s letter to the Galatians. We will be using Timothy Keller’s Galatians For You as our guide. You can pick up a copy of the book in the narthex or in

the church office (suggested donation of $5.00). The study will meet in the Youth Hall from 6:00 to 7:30pm every Sunday. Childcare will be provided. Please contact Eric Toohey for more information.

Peters Creek Presbyterian Church peterscreekchurch@verizon.net

724-941-6210 www.peterscreekchurch.org

Publication Deadlines Articles for the Church Chimes and announcements for the bulletin should be submitted in electronic format. Submissions for the Chimes are due no later than noon on the 15th of each month for the following month’s edition. Sunday Bulletin Submissions are due no later than noon each Wednesday.

Church StaffChurch StaffChurch StaffChurch Staff

Doug Brandt Senior Minister doug@peterscreekchurch.org Eric Toohey Associate Pastor eric@peterscreekchurch.org Doris Sawhill Visitation Minister doris@peterscreekchurch.org Brian Pappal Music & Worship Minister brian@peterscreekchurch.org Katie Brandt Director of Children’s Ministry katie@peterscreekchurch.org Eileen Dellorso Accounting eileen@peterscreekchurch.org Jennifer Such Administration & Communications jenn@peterscreekchurch.org Paul Eiben Facilities Manager paul@peterscreekchurch.org Evan Stockton Custodian evan@peterscreekchurch.org

I would like to sincerely thank the congregation for their overwhelming support and encouragement during the ordination process and especially at my ordination service. It was wonderful to see so many of you at the service showing your support for me and my family. I especially want to thank you for an incredibly generous love offering and the many thoughtful cards I received. Your outpouring of love brought great joy to Abbey and me. I am truly blessed to have such a loving church family who prays for me and my family. Thank you so very much for making it such a pleasure to serve as one of your pastors. Eric Toohey Thank you to everyone who prayed for and/or donated money to the Urban Impact Foundation for the Monthly Mission Offering during July! The support I received from Peters Creek Church was an incredible blessing to both me and

the children I worked with.

Thanks,

Sarah Prosser