Our Mission
To transform people, creating disciples of Christ
who are devoted to living in a biblically-functioning community.
Jesus said, “Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks" - Luke 22:31 (CEV)
Mistakes happen. In the above Scripture, Jesus was sharing with Peter that he was going to deny Him three times. And as Christ predicted, Peter denied Jesus three times in Jesus' darkest hour. Peter had made many mistakes before but denying that he ever knew Jesus had to be his biggest mistake! If we know the outcome of the Scripture, GOD's plan for Peter came from his mistakes and gave Peter strength. Peter learned from his mistakes, and it lit a fire in him for GOD that never was able to be smothered.
How many times have we made mistakes? I make them all the time in one way or another. I may make them in my thoughts or actions, or I may possess the lack of desire to do things. It can be literally any- thing. One of the greatest inventors ever, Thomas Edison, said, "I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that will not work." Such wise words from a man who was excellent at making mis-
takes. So many times, we feel that what we try to accomplish must work the 1st time we attempt some- thing. If what we try to do does not work, we become deflated and oftentimes give up because we hate the idea of failure or mistakes. We constantly feel guilty over things way past their expiration date (so to speak). Isn't it great to know that GOD is not like that? Once we atone for our mistakes, GOD consid- ers it water under the bridge. If we have a true change of heart, we should not continuously punish our- selves over our mistakes. Proverbs 28:13 tells us that "It will not go well for the man who hides his sins, but he who tells his sins and turns from them will be given loving-pity." When we make mistakes, we should find ways in our hearts and minds to resolve those mistakes, otherwise we are doing a disservice to GOD's grace.
Even though our mistakes become a part of us, they should never define who we are. None of us are perfect and we will all make mistakes and some of those mistakes may be the worst mistakes a person could make. However, GOD's plan allows us to go through terrible mistakes to get us to where He wants us to be. The change(s) that happens through our mistakes are then the results of GOD chipping away at a "hard rock" to reveal the beautiful spirit He has designed in each of us. Each mistake can be a lesson on who we are. It does not matter if you were a thief, an adulterer, an alcoholic, a gossiper, a murderer etc... Remember, Saul before he became the Apostle Paul persecuted Christians and GOD used him to reach many of the so called "outcasts". Moses thought it would be best if GOD used some- one else to lead the Israelites. Jonah ran from GOD, but GOD used him to save Nineveh. These men understood that even though GOD allowed them to make mistakes, it was because of those mistakes that allowed them to grow.
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Food pantry donations can be dropped off Sunday mornings during worship times, or Mondays & Wednesdays between the hours of 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (in the back of the Sanctuary).
Staple items for the food pantry are canned soups, canned fruits & vegeta- bles, peanut butter & jelly, pasta & sauce, pancake mix & syrup. All items are accepted. If you cannot bring the items to the church, please call (814) 266-1512 and leave a message.
Thank you for sharing your blessings with others.
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As a parent I can only tell my children so many times not to do something. If they then make a mis- take, I hope that a lesson is learned from the mistake(s) made. GOD allows mistakes so that we be- come wiser and stronger in Him. I am going to continue to make mistakes, not intentionally, but I will not let the mistakes I make define me. I do not want to spend my days feeling sorry for the mistakes I've made so I will cry out to GOD for Him to pardon my mistakes. I want to give GOD the glory of all that I do for Him. I pray that I can learn to be a better provider of His Word, comforter to those in need and friend to all the people I meet.
May you look to GOD for all the mistakes you ever made. Hopefully you are willing to learn from those mistakes so that you can be a vessel used by GOD. Remember, you're never too old to make mistakes and it is never too late to share GOD with others.
GOD bless, Pastor "D"
Hope-filled hearts
When Bowen Hammitt was born with essentially half a heart, the odds were stacked against him. But after three surgeries and numer- ous setbacks, Bowen is now an active 11-year-old who raises aware- ness about congenital heart disease. He’s also a budding Christian musician, following in the footsteps of his dad, Matt (formerly with Sanctus Real). The Hammitts use Bowen’s story to offer hope amid adversity — “a message the world really needs right now.” The docu- mentary Bowen’s Heart features this tagline: “Is it worth giving your heart to something that can break it?” Absolutely, say his loved ones, who describe Bowen and his life as incredible blessings from God.
For Matt Hammitt, Proverbs 13:12 is now a favorite Bible verse.
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,” it reads, “but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (NIV).
The Finance Committee and Administrative Council will meet on Monday, February 21, 2022. This will be a combined Zoom
meeting. Information for the Zoom meeting will be emailed closer to the date.
Choir practice will resume on Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Come on out and join us for fellowship and singing! If you have any questions, please contact Stacy Novak at 814-244-6192.
If you are interested in being a Worship Leader during our worship services, please contact Karen Kissinger. Also, there is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the hallway.
Habitat for Humanity will hold a Spaghetti Dinner in the church social hall on Saturday, February 12, 2022. The dinner will be at 4:00 p.m.
We will be celebrating Boy Scout Sunday on February 6, 2022 at our morning worship service.
Valentine’s Dinner and a Movie—parents and kids are welcome to come out and enjoy dinner and a movie for Valentine’s Day. The dinner will be held on February 11, 2022 beginning at 5:00 p.m. The movie will begin at 7:00 p.m.
If you would like more information, please contact Haley Natta at 814-244- 8829.
The Forest Hills Ministerium will have its annual pastoral exchange Sunday on Sunday, February 13, 2022.
• African American History Month
• Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2022
• Presidents Day, February 21, 2022
• Transfiguration of Our Lord, February 27, 2022
“Always be kinder than you feel.”
The gift of animals
When God made the animals and gave them to the first human being in the Garden of Eden, though they weren’t precisely the companion Adam needed, not all was lost. According to Genesis 2, God gave Adam the privilege of naming them all, and when you name something or someone, you bond with that being in a special way. Ever since creation, humans and animals have been connected — often for good purpos- es, though sometimes not; as the saying goes, “It’s complicated.”
But on the positive side, Trisha McCagh, a renowned animal communicator, writes: “Animals are the bridge between us and the beauty of all that is natural. They show us what’s missing in our lives, and how to love ourselves more completely and unconditionally. They connect us back to who we are and to the purpose of why we’re here.”
I would say animals also show us how to love other people, nonhuman beings and the earth more com- pletely and unconditionally. And they call our attention to God’s creativity. Praise God for the gift of the vast variety of animals with whom we share this planet!
—Heidi Hyland Mann
No regrets!
If you’ve ever regretted a big purchase and wondered if you could return it, you’re familiar with the nagging feeling of buyer’s remorse. Thankfully, our Redeemer never experienced that. As a church sign proclaims, “When Jesus bought you, he never had buyer’s remorse. And he never will!” To Jesus, the payment of suffering and death was well worth the payoff. “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2, NIV).
Keith and Marsha Griffith 5
Barry and Dana Himes 14
Bill and Cheryl Brush 17
Bradley Bixel Tim Leventry Tom Stewart Terry Hill Lori Penrod Bethany Moore John Leipchack Josie Helsel
Libby Gordon Donna Williams Lynnea Bailey Kris Cramer Jessica Stewart Belva Mock Christy Roth Lori Baumgardner
Faith’s role in love
In It’s Okay Not to Be Okay, Christian author Sheila Walsh looks at the all- encompassing love that Jesus expects of his followers. He commands us to
“love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27, ESV).
But we can’t love that way without faith, Walsh writes. “I’m not living by faith if I have an answer to everything. If I understand everything God does or
doesn’t do, then all I need to love him with is my mind. We’re called to love him with more.” That “more,” she explains, involves these paradoxes: “We love with all our heart, even when it’s broken. We love with our soul, even when our humanity wrestles against our situation. We love with our strength, even when it’s almost gone. We love with our mind, even when we don’t un- derstand.”
Even if God’s purposes and plans don’t make sense here on earth, we can heed this advice from the great preacher Charles Spurgeon: “When we cannot trace [God’s]
“Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike?”
—John Wesley
Elton Zion Sunday School
Feb. 6 The Five Friends Luke 5:17-26
Feb. 13 Healing A Man Luke 6:6-11
Feb. 20 A Servant Is Healed Luke 7:1-10
Bible Verse
All the people were beside themselves with wonder. Filled with awe, they glorified God, saying, “We’ve seen unimaginable things today.”
Luke 5:26
If you opted to take a plant last September during our Rally Day celebration we encourage you to continue caring for the plant. Also, continue to support the family of the child assigned to your plant. Here are some suggestions for being involved, even remotely, with the children in our church.
Write a note for a parent to slip into a child’s lunch
Think about who you have forgiv- en in a week.
Think about who has forgiven you in a week.
Close your eyes and picture the children of our church
Ask a child to help you with a task you can’t do
Read a story to a child over the phone or with facetime
Say a bedtime prayer with a child over the phone or with facetime
Share food with a child; maybe a special treat the child can choose
Talk to a child.
Ask about their day.
Spend some quiet time reflecting on your childhood. If given the oppor- tunity share one of your childhood experiences with a child you know.
If possible send a text message to a child today. Ask if they like playing
in the snow. Plant a seed, with or for a child. Take photos of it sprout-
ing and growing. Compare its growth to the way the child is growing.
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lton Zion United Methodist Church PO Box 96Elton, PA 15934 Phone: 814-266-1512
