MARS MEMO

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VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

AVALANCHE RANCH

July 9 – 13 from 6-8:15 p.m.=

Ge= t ready for an Avalanche of Fun at Avalanche Ranch where kids will have a wild ride through God’s word! Come, join Buc, Shadow, Sk= ye, Boss and Ranger. Get your registra= tion form completed and returned today.

You’ll be glad you did!

Mars United Presbyterian Church

Phone: 724-625-1365

Email: marsup@mars-up.org=

Website: www.mars-up.org

Office Hours: Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. = 211; 2 p.m.

Rev. Jean E. Gomola, Pastor

Email: Gomola@mars-up.org=

Cell Phone:&nbs= p; 724-699-9185

Home Phone:&nbs= p; 724-458-9292

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR PASTOR<= /b>

The hot days of summe= r are upon us and with them come the wonderful opportunities to travel and be out= side for picnics and recreational activities.&n= bsp; One church I served would experience an increase in attendance during the summer months because all the snow birds would come back home to escape= the intense summer heat of Florid= a. Then they would head south again a= s soon as flurries threatened and numbers would be down through the winter. Mars UP on the other hand has a different attendance pattern. People seem to disappear during the summer and attendance drops off dramatically. I want to take this opportunity to gently remind you to make church attendance a priority this summer, especially if you have children, = and it doesn’t matter how old they are.&= nbsp; Your church attendance speaks volumes to them about what is really important.

When I was a child, I= had a “drug problem.” I= was drug to church every time the doors were opened. My family never missed church. Even when we went on vacation, whi= ch was never anywhere else but to visit relatives in North Carolina, we went to church.   We just didn’t feel ri= ght missing church. We had a deep= sense of how important it was to be in the house of the Lord on Sunday morning for worship. My parents would say, “We were God’s people and God’s people worship together on Sunday mornings.”   I learned early on the importance of faithful weekly church attendance. =

Now as an adult, those “drugs” are still in my veins; and they affect my behavior in e= very thing I do, say, think and feel. They are stronger than cocaine or heroin. This “drug problem” ha= s been something my husband and I have passed on to my children. As they were growing up, we refuse= d to allow them to participate in anything that would keep them from attending church on Sunday mornings. Th= ey were all involved in sports, but we were clear, they could not miss church. In all the years of s= occer, softball, baseball, swimming, basketball, tennis, volleyball and scouting, = they were not allowed to miss<= /st1:PlaceName> church. One time our daughter, Ali, who was about 10 years old, pleaded with us to allow her to go with her traveling soccer team to a special tournament. The team had to leave town before even the 8:30 a.m. service was ove= r so we required her to go to the Roman Catholic Church the night before. It was a real learning experience = for her. When she got home from t= he service we asked how she liked it. She said, “It was so confusing. I didn’t know when to stand = up or kneel and I didn’t know any of the songs. And that Pope really scared me.” She never asked to= miss her own church again.

It’s not just a= bout what we get out of going to church, but what we give to God through our pra= ise and thanksgiving. Our corpora= te worship experience is to be FIRST and foremost a gift to God as a token of = our love and appreciation. SECOND= , it is for our own good – to lift us up and encourage us for the week to come, equipping us to live more faithful lives. THIRD, it is our public witness fo= r all to see – our way of proclaiming just how important God is to us.=

Please know that when= you aren’t in church on Sunday mornings, you’re missed. There is a sadness felt by all tho= se who must carry on the work of worship without you!

If you are traveling = this summer, be sure to attend worship wherever you are. God in his great kindness will rew= ard you for your faithfulness.   = ;

            =             &nb= sp;            =            =   &nbs= p;         Yours in Christ,

            =             &nb= sp;            =            =    = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;       &nbs= p;                 &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;           &= nbsp;   Rev. Jean Gomola

Rev. Gomola’s Summer Schedule:

J= une 25-July 7 (vacation)
July 13-21 (youth trip to Jekyll Island)
August 27-Sept.3 (vacation)

Ga= ry Weston will be on call during Rev. Gomola’s vacation and youth trip t= o Jekyll Island.   In case of Pastoral emergency, plea= se call the office during regular office hours, or Gary Weston’s cell ph= one at 724-816-0573.

SPECIAL MUSIC for SUMMER - Now that the choir has been dismissed for the summer, won't you consider lending your talents for one Sunday this summer = to provide special music during our 10 a.m. service, or maybe you know someone= who would like to share their gift? There are sign-up sheets in the Tarry= and Talk area for July and August so let's get those spaces filled up! Le= t's make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

NEW OVERHEAD PROJECTOR There<= span style=3D'font-size:10.5pt'> is a new overhead projector donated by a genero= us church member for the use of the congregation. If you have need of this tool, it = is locked in the AV Closet on the 2^nd floor. Please call the office and it will= be made available to you.

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY =

A Women's Bible Study= continues on FIRST Mondays, July 2 and August 6 at 2:00 p.m. using the Horizon's study titled "In the Beginning." This study will cover the = book of Genesis. For more information, please call Margaret Cook at 724-625-2217. All are welcome!

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New Wilmington Mission Confe= rence will be held July 21-28. We are now the New Wilmington Mission Conferenc= e, after being the New Wilmington Missionary Conference for 1= 01 years. We decided that the word "missionary" was keeping some people from attending. We believe the category "mission conference" has a greater general appeal than "missionary conference" to peop= le who don't know anything about us. .

Our purpose and our goals have&nbs= p;not changed. We have always been a mission conference that lifts high the cross of Christ and considers the Great Commission to be our charge. Our intense desire is that individuals w= ill be encouraged to follow Jesus more closely and urged to get involved with w= hat he is doing in the world. The Gospel will be proclaimed. The ca= ll to deeper discipleship and disciple-making will be given. Speakers, missionaries and small group leaders will challenge attendees to consider h= ow to live out that calling.

The New Wilmington= Mission Conference (NWMC) looks to deepen the missionary spirit, seeking fulfillment of the Great Commission, with a focus on youth ages 12-25. Mission interpretation meets the duty and ideal of carrying the gospel to ALL the world. NWMC uses = its Presbyterian mission heritage to encourage a deep spiritual life of fellows= hip with God by promoting service and witness for Jesus Christ.

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Check for registratio= n and other details on the internet at: http://nwmcmission.org/

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Notes from= our Session:

Summary of our J= une 21, 2007 Meeting:

Home communion was taken to shut-ins.

Will receive Tera and Jason Day into membership= and baptism of Jason and Alva Day.

No communion on July 1.

Peach Festival will be held August 17.

Insulation of the office attic was approved.

SUMMER DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS The Quiet Hour and The Upper Room are available for= your daily meditation assistance. = Please feel free to take a complimentary copy available just inside the double doo= rs to the parking lot – see the rack on the left. New editions are always available.=

FUN IN THE SON (Jekyll Island) July 14 – 21 This high school youth conference is one of 32 events sponsored by Youth Confere= nce Ministries (YCM), formerly known as Presbyterians for Renewal Youth Ministr= ies (PFR YOUTH). This particular conference has been in existence for 31 years. It began with 300 kids and has gro= wn to over 1,000. Please pray for o= ur teens as they prepare for this venture.&nb= sp;

SOUTH BUTLER COMMUNITY MEALS-ON-WHEELS GOLF O= UTING The Tenth Annual Golf Outing to benefit South Butler Community Meals-on-Wheels will be held on= Monday August 6^th at Conley's Resort on Route 8. It will be a 9:00 a.m. tee-off with registration starting at 8:00 a.m. There will be lots of prizes and contests during the outing along with the great food and golf! Basic Hole sponsorships are $100. Premium Contributing Sponsorships are $250. = Golfing Foursomes cost $320 ($80 per person). We’re looking for golfers and sponsors!! Contact SBCMOW off= ice at 724-898-0080 or Tim Stenner at 724-538-9380 for further information about this local ministry or for registration forms for= the golf outing.