Preaching Schedule Lent and Holy Week 2013

This Lent and Holy Week I will be preaching on a number of the Sundays and holidays.

February 13, 2013, Ash Wednesday, 7:00 PM at the NuValley Presbyterian Church in Rural Valley.

February 17, 2013, First Sunday in Lent, 11:00 AM, at the Presbyterian Church of Goheenville.

February 24, 2013, Second Sunday in Lent, 9:00 AM at the Plumcreek Presbyterian Church in Willett. and at 10:30 AM at the Washington Presbyterian Church in Home.

March 3, 2013, Third Sunday in Lent, 11:00 AM at the Presbyterian Church of Goheenville.

March 10, 2013, Fourth Sunday in Lent, available.

March 17, 2013, Fifth Sunday in Lent, 9:30 AM, at the NuValley Presbyterian Church in Rural Valley.

March 24, 2013, Palm Sunday, 9:00 AM at the Atwood Presbyterian Church in Rural Valley, and at 11:00 AM at the Plumville Presbyterian Church.

March 28, 2013, Maundy Thursday, 7:00 PM at the NuValley Presbyterian Church in Rural Valley.

March 31, 2013, Easter Sunday, 9:00 AM at the Atwood Presbyterian Church in Rural Valley, and at 11:00 AM at the Plumville Presbyterian Church.

My Preacing Schedule for July

I've received my preaching assignments for July.  I am scheduled to preach a total of seven times at three congregations, each of which I have visited previously.

July 8, 9:30 AM at the Saltsburg Presbyterian Church, and then 11:00 AM at the Tunnelton Presbyterian Church.

July 15, 11:00 AM at the Tunnelton Presbyterian Church.

July 22, 9:30 AM at the Saltsburg Presbyterian Church, and then 11:00 AM at the Tunnelton Presbyterian Church.

July 29, 10:00 AM at the Apollo United Presbyterian Church.

By the way, I've been maintaining a map showing the locations of local congregations I have visited, sometimes to preach, sometimes for worship for a special occasion, sometimes for a meeting.  (I wait until I actually visit the church before adding it to this map to be sure that I have marked the correct location.) If you don't know where any of these congregations are located, my map might help you.

Upcoming worship opportunities

I'll be preaching in a number of different churches over the next few weeks.

July 25, 2010. 9:00 AM at the Crooked Creek Presbyterian Church.
and 10:15 AM at the Appleby Manor Presbyterian Church

August 1, 2010. 9:30 AM at the Mt. Nebo Presbyterian Church

August 8, 2010. 9:30 AM at the Jacksonville Presbyterian Church
and 11:15 AM at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church

August 15, 2010, 10:00 AM at the Boiling Springs Presbyterian Church

August 22, 2010, 10:00 AM at the Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church

File under : Presbyterian, worship

The month of May

I have an interesting month ahead. I understand that May is Mental Health Month and National Stroke Awareness Month, among other special observances.

My own activities will include the following:

May 1, 12:30 PM: Building Block Blitz, in Macy's Court of the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills. I'll be there taking pictures of children building houses with Legos™ to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity of Allegheny Valley.

May 2, 11:00 AM: I'll preach at the Pine Run Presbyterian Church in Apollo.

May 9, 9:30 AM: I'll preach at the Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church in Templeton. At 11:00 AM I'll preach at the Concord Presbyterian Church in Dayton.

May 16, 11:00 AM: I'll preach at the First Presbyterian Church of Avonmore.

May 23, 9:15 AM: I'll preach at the Crooked Creek Presbyterian Church in Ford City. At 11:00 AM I'll preach at the Appleby Manor Presbyterian Church also in Ford City.

May 30, 10:45 AM: I'll preach at the Apollo United Presbyterian Church.

File under : Allegheny Valley, Apollo, Habitat, PCUSA, Presbyterian, worship

Poverty housing and Habitat for Humanity in the Allegheny Valley

In many older communities in the Allegheny Valley there is an ongoing problem of substandard housing, which is often the only option available for families living in poverty.

Habitat for Humanity of Allegheny Valley offers one faithful response to the problem of poverty housing. Organized in 1996, it has been building decent homes with partner homeowners since 1997.

Support for Habitat is so broad that it is easy for people to forget that Habitat is a Christian ministry. Countless local church groups volunteer their time in our building projects. Church groups come from out of state as well. Although we don't require volunteers or homeowner families to make to make a formal profession of faith, we do invite them to join us in something that Jesus is doing in the world.

Beyond faith groups, our local affiliate has had help from American Eagle Outfitters, State Farm, and Comcast, to name just a few of the corporations who have lent a hand and provided resources. We've had an amazing partnership with the new mall in the area - the Pittsburgh Mills.

Habitat's work involves a careful balance of enlisting and deploying volunteers, soliciting donations of funds and materials, identifying and supporting partner homeowners and their families, and developing projects in which all of the above can come together. A couple years ago I visited one of our local affiliate's work-sites on a day when an unexpectedly large group of volunteers showed up. I was amazed by the flexibility of our Executive Director Diane Belitskus in adapting to the greatly increased number of volunteers that day, and her ability to identify tasks that were suitable for the unexpected group.

Our local affiliate is working on increasing its building capacity. We have benefited from a special partnership between Habitat for Humanity International and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans called Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity. Under this larger partnership Thrivent Financial is providing $125 million over five years to help Habitat for Humanity significantly increase the number of homes it builds. Habitat for Humanity of Allegheny Valley is one of the many local affiliates that has received grants and extra commitments of volunteer hours from Lutherans to build more homes.

As I have seen the wonderful things that Thrivent Builds has been able to accomplish in partnership with affiliates around the world, I have been asking myself one question: Is there an entity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that is in a position to make a similar partnership with Habitat for Humanity?

File under : Allegheny Valley, Church, Habitat, PCUSA, Presbyterian, housing, poverty