​​                ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS
Join us each Sunday morning as we learn about our relationship with Jesus through the people who encountered him during his earthly ministry.
The gospels are filled with stories of people whose lives were transformed when they met Jesus.  During worship for the next several months we will meet these people, to learn how their experience can guide our relationship with Jesus Christ.
11/4/2018      John 4:4-26: The Woman at Well
11/11/2018    Luke 8:26-39: The Gadarene                                                           demoniac
11/25/2018    Luke 8:40-56: A worried father                                                 and a sick woman
 
Rev. Bill J. will return to Old Union as our guest preacher on November 18 while our pastor is on study leave.  He has had a distinguished ministry and continues to be an inspiring preacher.
 
                     SCRIPTURE READERS
11/4/2018      Nancy K.
11/11/2018    Teresa K.
11/18/2018    Bill H.
11/25/2018    Becky M.
 
                         CANTATA CHOIR
Do you enjoy singing but aren’t able to take part in our weekly worship choir?  You’re invited to be part of our Christmas choir, which will offer the cantata “Let the Whole World Sing” during worship on December 23.  Practices begin this month after worship on Sundays and at 7:00 on Wednesdays.  Speak with director Cindy M. for more information
 
As plans continue for our pastor’s 14 week leave for renewal next year, a “sabbatical pastor” will serve us during his absence.  On November 27 the session will interview two candidates for the position.  Please pray for them as they meet with them.
 
                          NEW MEMBERS
Please join the rest of our church in extending a warm welcome to our new members, who officially became part of the Old Union family on October 28.
JOHN AND CHERYL D. are returning to Old Union after more than 40 years away, when they lived in the Slippery Rock area and worshiped at Muddy Creek Presbyterian Church.  They are now retired and live in their dream home in Mars.
BOB AND PEGGY M. began worshiping at Old Union in April, after moving to Treesdale.  Before that, they were active in the Buckingham Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers, Florida.
JIM AND SALLY P. come to us from the Jefferson Center Presbyterian Church.  When they are not busy working or visiting their grandchildren in Ohio, they live just outside Saxonburg.

Watch for plans for a Thanksgiving Eve worship service on November 21.  This will mark the conclusion of our fall session of GROW, and we will welcome our friends from Valencia Presbyterian and St. John Lutheran Churches for this event.
 
          GUEST SPEAKER FROM THAILAND
The adult Sunday School class will host a guest speaker on November 4, beginning at 9:45.  Bill and Susie A. are Zelienople natives who visited Thailand and felt God’s call to minister to children in poverty.  Since 2009 they have worked at a Christian children’s boarding school, helping young people receive an education and a pathway out of poverty.  Join us to learn about what God is doing through them in this far-away land!
 
In order to continue to offer the best possible pastoral service for our church, our pastor regularly attends study leave and continuing education events.  His terms of call provide for two such weeks of study each year.  In March Peter attended a seminar at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary on discipleship, and this month he will attend a religious conference in Denver.  The annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Bible Literature provide hundreds of sessions based on a wide variety of topics and issues over a five day period (November 16-20).  From them, Peter will select and attend those that will help him develop his understanding of our faith and of Scripture, so that he in turn can help members of our congregation to do the same.  Please pray for a productive and inspiring experience, and how it will benefit his ministry with us.
 
                              GROW
This fall’s GROW (Get Renewed on Wednesday) session continues this month, as our friends from with Valencia Presbyterian and St. John Lutheran Churches join us, 6:00-8:00, for a meal, fellowship, singing, and study groups for adults, youth, and children.  As we continue to study the Trinity, we will focus on the Holy Spirit on November 7 and 14.  Our fall session concludes with a Thanksgiving worship service on November 21. 
 
                     YOUTH GROUP
Our youth (6th-12th grade) will meet together with the youth of Crestview and Plains Churches on November 11, 6:00-8:00, at Crestview Church for games, study, and fellowship.  Watch for news about our November service project!
 
Help us help local families provide a jolly Christmas for their children!  We will partner with the Lighthouse Foundation to provide unwrapped, new gifts for children ages 0 to 16.  Watch for more information to come soon!
             

Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
​724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com