MARS MEMO

A Message From= The Pastor

As we begin a New Year I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some thoughts about the most important thing = we do together as God’s people and that is WORSHIP.

First, worship is service to God. I= t is the most important work of the people of God.&= nbsp; We call what we do together on Sunday mornings a worship service bec= ause it is our service to God. Wha= t get in the way of our worship is that we confuse “service” with “serve-us.” The direction of worship is to be from believers to God. We are to come together to lift our praises to God and thank him for all his blessings. We are to come together to express= our love and commitment to him. A person needs to be a believer to rightly worship God, and yet worship is not just for believers. Worship c= an be a witness to those who have not yet come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Worship is expressing= our love to God for who he is, what he has revealed to us, and what he is doing= in our lives. Worship is our pub= lic witness to a watching world. = It is to be something unbelievers can learn from. They learn from seeing people of f= aith praying, singing, thanking, listening, giving, testifying, trusting, and obeying God. In genuine worsh= ip God’s presence is felt, God’s pardon is received, God’s purpose is revealed, and God’s power is displayed!

Second, a church is not a building. You don’t need a building to worship God. Acts 17:24 says, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in templ= es built by human hands.” No building (or lack of one) should be allowed to control, limit, or distract people from worshiping God. J= esus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I will be in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). We must not th= ink of the church as a building. We = must think of it as the faithful gathering of the people of God along with those whom God has not yet made himself known.&n= bsp; People come first, not the building.

Third, there is no correct “style” of worship. J= esus only gave two requirements for legitimate worship: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and= in truth” (John 4:24). God is not offended by different styles of worship, as long as it is done ̶= 0;in spirit” and “in truth.”&= nbsp; Judging from the amazing variety of creatures on the earth, I rather think God enjoys variety! Wor= ship style says more about the cultural background of a particular group of peop= le than it does about theology. = Every church likes to believe its worship style is the most biblical. The truth is,<= /span> there isn’t a biblical style of worship. What is more important than the st= yle of worship is whether unbelievers can observe the joy that we feel when we worship.

Fourth, if our worship = is to be a witness to unbelievers, and not just a “serve us” experience, then we need= to express our joy so others can see= how we value God’s Word, how we respond to it, and how the Bible answers = the problems and questions of life. We need to express how God encourages, strengthens, and changes us through worship. We need to demonstrate God’s presence with us, moving in our midst! That’s not easy for the R= 20;chosen frozen” which is often the way we Presbyterians are referred to. It’s not about putting on a show. God despises insincerity. But we do need to figure out how t= o be transparent Christians, so that others may see the genuine joy and gratitud= e we hold in our hearts toward God! We need to pray, “Oh, God, let my life be filled with joy so that others= may see you at work in my life. U= se me as a witness to your love.” In this way our worship becomes evangelism! A service to God!

Fifth, God expects us to be sensitive to our guests when they come to worship. We must be willing to adjust our worship practic= es to help newcomers feel comfortable. We need to design our worship service so it’s not a stumbling block to visitors seeking God. When you have guests over to your house for dinner, y= ou have some different expectations for the way your family behaves. You prepare for the arrival of your guests. You clean the house a= nd prepare something good to eat. You pay attention to your guests from the moment they arrive until they leave.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> You make sure they are served firs= t. You even use your special china. The table conversation is usually = more courteous, and you expect everyone in your family to be on their best behavior. By doing these thin= gs you are showing respect and sensitivity to your guests. When we are in God’s house, = he expects his children to honor his guests in the same way. We are to greet them warmly and ma= ke sure they are comfortable. We= are to go out of our way to welcome them and include them.

Sixth, making our worship service “comfortable” = for the unbeliever does not mean we have to change our theology or our message.= B= ut it does mean we have to change our environment. This can be done through the way we greet visitors, the way we make announcements in the service, the style of music we use, the Bible translation we read, and the way the message is preached. Each Sunday as I st= and in the pulpit, it is my aim to preach the Bible in a way that relates to every= one and in a way everyone can understand. The message does not always make us “comfortable” because God’s truth sometimes makes us feel uncomfortable. Still, I try to do this without sc= olding anyone or putting them down; with respect and love. The believer and the unbeliever are alike in that both need to hear answers to the deep questions they are asking. Who am I? Where did I come from? What is the purpose of my life? Why is there suffering and evil in= the world? How can I respond to t= he evil in the world, and how can I rise above it? How can I experience the joy and p= eace I long for? The God who made us provides the answers to life’s deepest questions through his Word.

Seventh, there is no set way to design a seeker sensitive service. This is because unbelievers are not all alike! Some want a service that makes the= m feel a part of it; others want to sit passively and watch. Some seekers like quiet, meditative services, while others like high-energy services. The style that works best in one a= rea of the country will not work in another. Styles of worship are negotiable, but three things are not: (1) we m= ust treat unbelievers with love and respect, (2) we must relate the worship ser= vice to their needs, and (3) we must share the message of God’s love in a practical, understandable way. All other elements are secondary issues that churches need to be careful not to= get hung up on.

Eighth, when all is said and done, the thing that really attracts people to a church is changed lives. P= eople want to go where lives are being changed, where hurts are being healed, and where hope is being restored. Let us strive to be that kind of place. Please join me in asking God to make us the kind of people who demonstrate his love and have a passion for others to know Him.

God bless you in the year to come and God bless the witness of Mars United Presbyterian Church. As individuals may we might be lig= hts in the darkness and together let us be a beacon of hope!

        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; Yours in Christ,

   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;      Rev. Jean Gomola

WO= MEN’S BIBLE STUDY   A NEW TIME AND A NEW STUDY! The Women's Bible Study continues on January 8 at 1:30 p.m. in the Red Room. The new s= tudy is “Above and Beyond” on the books of Jonah and Ruth. For more information, please call Margaret Cook at 724-625-2217. All are welcome!

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WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY A= Bible Study Group for= women is held on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. at the church. If you have any questions, please = call Christi Augustine (724-625-2285). All are welcome!

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Notes from our Session: <= o:p>

Summary of our December 13, 2007 Meeting:

Pancake breakfast is scheduled for February= 2, 2008.

Pastoral Nominating Committee presented the Congregational Information Form

Committee assignments were made as follows:= Building & Grounds: Ira Baumgartel; Christian Ed.= : Alma Staskiewicz; Mission &am= p; Outreach: Lisa Foster; Membership: Keith Nichol= s; and Worship: Christi Augustine

Clerk of Session 2008: Ira Baumgartel

Joint Deacon/Session meeting will be held on January 17, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE for January 2008:<= /span>

Tarry & Talk Crew: S= tewardship Committee: Linda Lees, Jim Gr= ay and Tom McMeekin

MUP Driver: Jam. 6– Jay Wilson

            No one has signed up to be the van coordinator for 2008. Please call the office if you woul= d be willing to schedule the volunteers for 2008.

Flowers: Jan. 6 –

            Jan. 13 – Elizabeth Walker

            Jan. 20 – Ruth and Jay Wilson

            Jan. 27 -

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Crib Room: Jan. 6 – Lisa Foster

            Jan. 13 – Karen Moore

            Jan. 20 – Shelley Wood

            Jan. 27 – Angela Guesman

OFFERING ENVELOPES FOR 2008 = are available in the Tarr= y and Talk area. Please be sure to = pick up yours. Note that you may h= ave a new number for 2008. Thank yo= u for your faithful stewardship.

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NEW MEMBERS WILL BE RECEIVED on January 27 at the = 11 a.m. worship service.   N= ew member class will be held on Saturday, January 12 from 9 a.m. – noon. Please see Rev. Gomola = if you are interested in participating. Membership in the Presbyterian Church is by profession of faith, reaffirmation of faith or transfer of certificate from another church.=

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CONFIRMATION CLASS will be held on Sunday, January 13 at 12:15 p.m. Lett= ers were sent to parents of eligible students this past fall. Please RSVP to the church office to ensure lunch is prepared for you. If you did not receive an invitation and are interested in joining, please contact Rev. Gomola.

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THOSE SERVING IN THE MILITARY

     &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;     NEW ADDRESS:

Marcy Cranmer   =             &nb= sp;        Lt. Andrew Lubbert

MNFI C2 CSG   &n= bsp;          MTT 0721

Unit 42002   &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;   Unit 42737

     &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;     FPO, AP 96426-2737

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Mars United Presbyterian Church<= /o:p>

Phone: 724-625-1365

Email: marsup@mars-up.org=

Website: www.mars-up.org

Office Hours:&n= bsp; Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Rev. Jean E. Gomola, Pastor

Email: Gomola@mars-up.org=

        =             &nb= sp;    Cell Phone: 724-699-91= 85  &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            Da