Our church is currently seeking a registered nurse to work 12 hours per week as a Community Parish Nurse. The Community Parish Nurse would visit people in their homes and other settings to consult with them about their medical needs; refer people to appropriate healthcare providers and community services; and address people's mental, emotional and spiritual needs. The Community Parish Nurse will also work with a Health Ministry Team at the church to offer a variety of events that would promote whole person health and wellness of members of the church and community. Applicants may e-mail a resume (with three references) to Dr. Bowen at craftonup@yahoo.com, or send it to him at 80 Bradford Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15205.
This is an exciting opportunity for our church to extend the healing and loving presence of Christ into our church and into the community. If you know a registered nurse who might be interested in working with us, please have him or her contact us as soon as possible.
Ed Bowen
Friday, March 20, 2009
Tell Me About Your Church
If you were talking with someone at the store or on the sidewalk and at some point in the conversation the person said, “Tell me about your church,” how would you respond? If you had thirty seconds or so to tell about our church, what would you say?
When I recently met with our church staff, we discussed that very question. Because the truth is that quite often opportunities to talk with other people about our church or about our faith come up suddenly, and so it’s wise for us to consider what we would say when those circumstances arise. After all, there is an old joke: “What do you get when you cross a Presbyterian with a Jehovah’s Witness? The answer: someone who rings your doorbell, but who has absolutely no idea what to say.” But instead of being speechless when we have opportunities to share something about our church or our faith, I believe God wants us to be prepared to share some good news with people.
When people ask me about the church, the basic message I am communicating these days is this: God is doing exciting and amazing things through Crafton United Presbyterian Church to make a positive impact on the community. And to back up those words I would point to the 50 or more children who gather each week for Youth Club and Adventure Group and the way that young lives are being changed for the better. I would point to the dozens of older adults from across the community who gather regularly for our CAMP senior citizen program, and how much they enjoy and appreciate the fellowship and activities. I would point to the way that our church supports the community food pantry ministry, and assists many families each month who are going through difficult times. And those are just a few of the many examples of the great things that God is doing through our congregation to make a positive impact on the community.
As you interact with friends and neighbors, what message are you communicating about our church and about your faith? Think about it. Consider what you’ll say. Because God gives all of us opportunities to be bearers of the Good News.
Ed Bowen
When I recently met with our church staff, we discussed that very question. Because the truth is that quite often opportunities to talk with other people about our church or about our faith come up suddenly, and so it’s wise for us to consider what we would say when those circumstances arise. After all, there is an old joke: “What do you get when you cross a Presbyterian with a Jehovah’s Witness? The answer: someone who rings your doorbell, but who has absolutely no idea what to say.” But instead of being speechless when we have opportunities to share something about our church or our faith, I believe God wants us to be prepared to share some good news with people.
When people ask me about the church, the basic message I am communicating these days is this: God is doing exciting and amazing things through Crafton United Presbyterian Church to make a positive impact on the community. And to back up those words I would point to the 50 or more children who gather each week for Youth Club and Adventure Group and the way that young lives are being changed for the better. I would point to the dozens of older adults from across the community who gather regularly for our CAMP senior citizen program, and how much they enjoy and appreciate the fellowship and activities. I would point to the way that our church supports the community food pantry ministry, and assists many families each month who are going through difficult times. And those are just a few of the many examples of the great things that God is doing through our congregation to make a positive impact on the community.
As you interact with friends and neighbors, what message are you communicating about our church and about your faith? Think about it. Consider what you’ll say. Because God gives all of us opportunities to be bearers of the Good News.
Ed Bowen
Friday, March 13, 2009
A Challenge and an Opportunity
Chances are you heard about the survey that was recently released concerning religion in America. Among the study's more shocking findings is that the percentage of people in the United States who claim to have no religion at all has nearly doubled in the past twenty years. Currently 15% of all Americans say they have no religion.
Reverend Kendall Harmon, a theologian for the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, says a couple once walked into his office carrying a yellow pad full of questions their teenage son had provided. Among them: "What is that guy doing hanging up there on the plus sign?"
So often Christian churches make the assumption that nearly everyone in our communities are already Christians, and that our mission is simply to "remind" people about what they already know and believe. But as this study shows us, the challenge in front of us is much greater than that. The challenge is that we live in a nation where an ever-increasing number of people have no knowledge of the Bible and no understanding of the Christian faith.
That, however, also presents the church with an opportunity - an opportunity to be involved in mission work right in our own neighborhoods. Who do you know that doesn't have an active, vibrant relationship with Jesus? Who do you know that doesn't have a meaningful involvement with a church? Is there some family member, friend, neighbor, or co-worker that you know that you could be reaching out to?
It's true: not everyone you invite to come with you to worship is going to accept that invitation. But there are people out there who will accept that invitation, but they're not going to until that invitation is extended to them. Pray for the people you know who don't currently have a meaningful life of faith. And pray for yourself that God might work through you to invite and welcome those people into a relationship with Jesus and with his church.
Ed Bowen
Reverend Kendall Harmon, a theologian for the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, says a couple once walked into his office carrying a yellow pad full of questions their teenage son had provided. Among them: "What is that guy doing hanging up there on the plus sign?"
So often Christian churches make the assumption that nearly everyone in our communities are already Christians, and that our mission is simply to "remind" people about what they already know and believe. But as this study shows us, the challenge in front of us is much greater than that. The challenge is that we live in a nation where an ever-increasing number of people have no knowledge of the Bible and no understanding of the Christian faith.
That, however, also presents the church with an opportunity - an opportunity to be involved in mission work right in our own neighborhoods. Who do you know that doesn't have an active, vibrant relationship with Jesus? Who do you know that doesn't have a meaningful involvement with a church? Is there some family member, friend, neighbor, or co-worker that you know that you could be reaching out to?
It's true: not everyone you invite to come with you to worship is going to accept that invitation. But there are people out there who will accept that invitation, but they're not going to until that invitation is extended to them. Pray for the people you know who don't currently have a meaningful life of faith. And pray for yourself that God might work through you to invite and welcome those people into a relationship with Jesus and with his church.
Ed Bowen
Friday, March 6, 2009
Where Have You Seen God Today?
Where have you seen God today? That's an important question that we all should be asking ourselves on a regular basis.
At the conclusion of our worship service each Sunday we say that we believe that "we go nowhere by accident. Wherever we are, God has a purpose in our being there."
Whether we realize it or not, God is present and at work in our lives every moment. Yet amid the busy-ness of our lives we often overlook what God is up to. So especially during this season of Lent, try to take some time each day to reflect on the happenings in your life - the big and the small events - and consider what God is saying to you. Consider what God is trying to teach you. Consider what God is trying to lead you to do.
Where have you seen God today?
Ed Bowen
At the conclusion of our worship service each Sunday we say that we believe that "we go nowhere by accident. Wherever we are, God has a purpose in our being there."
Whether we realize it or not, God is present and at work in our lives every moment. Yet amid the busy-ness of our lives we often overlook what God is up to. So especially during this season of Lent, try to take some time each day to reflect on the happenings in your life - the big and the small events - and consider what God is saying to you. Consider what God is trying to teach you. Consider what God is trying to lead you to do.
Where have you seen God today?
Ed Bowen
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Ash Wednesday
We had a wonderful Ash Wednesday service this week. One of the things that made it so special was the fact that nearly twenty of our Youth Club children stayed and took part in the service.
Even though the students had been at school all day, and even though they had already spent more than three hours at the church for Youth Club, a large number of the young people expressed a desire to share in the worship service. Some of the children, in fact, even pleaded with their parents for permission to stay. It was a rather amazing thing.
During the service, all of the children sang a special song, two of them served as acolytes, and one helped to run the video projectors. After the service, many of the adults present commented on how well the children conducted themselves.
It's exciting to see young people becoming so enthused about worshiping God. It's my hope and prayer that in the coming months that children and families that don't currently have a church to worship with will continue to feel led to worship with us, and that together we might grow in our love and worship of God.
Ed Bowen
Even though the students had been at school all day, and even though they had already spent more than three hours at the church for Youth Club, a large number of the young people expressed a desire to share in the worship service. Some of the children, in fact, even pleaded with their parents for permission to stay. It was a rather amazing thing.
During the service, all of the children sang a special song, two of them served as acolytes, and one helped to run the video projectors. After the service, many of the adults present commented on how well the children conducted themselves.
It's exciting to see young people becoming so enthused about worshiping God. It's my hope and prayer that in the coming months that children and families that don't currently have a church to worship with will continue to feel led to worship with us, and that together we might grow in our love and worship of God.
Ed Bowen
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Donation Decision
Back in October our church received an anonymous donation of $46,600. The money came in the form of a cashier's check from a local bank, so we could not ascertain who the gift was from. The check simply came with a hand-printed, unsigned note that said "Please use this money in whatever way God directs you in his service."
After receiving input from the congregation and after prayerfully considering the matter for several months, our session recently decided how to use the funds. Almost half of the money ($20,000) will be set aside to help fund a new Community Nurse Ministry. The idea is that we will be looking to hire a registered nurse who would be available to work with us about 12 hours per week. The Community Nurse would serve a wide variety of roles. For instance, the nurse could be available to visit people in their homes after they are discharged from the hospital to make sure that they are doing OK. The nurse could also visit with many of the older adults in the area, counseling with them about their health and well-being, realizing that many older adults do not have family members nearby to make sure that they are getting the care and attention they might need. Also, recognizing that many people of all ages in the area do not have health insurance, the Community Nurse could help connect people with the healthcare resources that are available to them.
But beyond discussing with people their physical needs, the Community Nurse will also address the spiritual needs that people might have. In that regard, the Community Nurse will work with a Health Ministry Team that we will assemble in the coming months. The Health Ministry Team will work with the Community Nurse to sponsor helpful programs, such as possibily offering training for teenage babysitters, or putting on classes for parents of newborns, or sponsoring seminars for people who are caring for loved ones who are experiencing dementia. The possibilities are endless. The Health Ministry Team would also seek to provide hands-on caring for people, perhaps by transporting people to medical appointments or by visiting with those who are sick or who are going through a time of grief.
In addition to the Community Nurse Ministry, another portion of the anonymous donation ($6,600) will be used to provide scholarships for young people to attend church summer camp, mission trips, retreats, and other special events. This will help make sure that young people will not be prevented from taking part in meaningful events if their family cannot afford it.
Another $10,000 of the funds will be used to do improvements to the kitchen and fellowship hall, and another $10,000 will be used to help replace the church's boiler. While that money will help improve and enhance our physical facility, the session believes that using that money in that way also helps us to continue our church's ministry, since so many community groups count on having our church available to them and since so much of our building is utilized by our many outreach activities, such as the Youth Club, the CAMP senior citizen group, and the food pantry.
The church is grateful for this wonderful gift. We look forward to the fruit that will result from the undertakings that are being made possible because of that donation.
Ed Bowen
After receiving input from the congregation and after prayerfully considering the matter for several months, our session recently decided how to use the funds. Almost half of the money ($20,000) will be set aside to help fund a new Community Nurse Ministry. The idea is that we will be looking to hire a registered nurse who would be available to work with us about 12 hours per week. The Community Nurse would serve a wide variety of roles. For instance, the nurse could be available to visit people in their homes after they are discharged from the hospital to make sure that they are doing OK. The nurse could also visit with many of the older adults in the area, counseling with them about their health and well-being, realizing that many older adults do not have family members nearby to make sure that they are getting the care and attention they might need. Also, recognizing that many people of all ages in the area do not have health insurance, the Community Nurse could help connect people with the healthcare resources that are available to them.
But beyond discussing with people their physical needs, the Community Nurse will also address the spiritual needs that people might have. In that regard, the Community Nurse will work with a Health Ministry Team that we will assemble in the coming months. The Health Ministry Team will work with the Community Nurse to sponsor helpful programs, such as possibily offering training for teenage babysitters, or putting on classes for parents of newborns, or sponsoring seminars for people who are caring for loved ones who are experiencing dementia. The possibilities are endless. The Health Ministry Team would also seek to provide hands-on caring for people, perhaps by transporting people to medical appointments or by visiting with those who are sick or who are going through a time of grief.
In addition to the Community Nurse Ministry, another portion of the anonymous donation ($6,600) will be used to provide scholarships for young people to attend church summer camp, mission trips, retreats, and other special events. This will help make sure that young people will not be prevented from taking part in meaningful events if their family cannot afford it.
Another $10,000 of the funds will be used to do improvements to the kitchen and fellowship hall, and another $10,000 will be used to help replace the church's boiler. While that money will help improve and enhance our physical facility, the session believes that using that money in that way also helps us to continue our church's ministry, since so many community groups count on having our church available to them and since so much of our building is utilized by our many outreach activities, such as the Youth Club, the CAMP senior citizen group, and the food pantry.
The church is grateful for this wonderful gift. We look forward to the fruit that will result from the undertakings that are being made possible because of that donation.
Ed Bowen
Friday, February 6, 2009
School District Consolidation
I have to admit that it has been a long time since I wrote to a government official. But when I read about the Governor's recent proposal to institute a process that would lead to the consolidation of the state's 501 school districts into 100 districts, I sent letters to my state representative and senator, asking them to do what they could to oppose that plan.
I agree that making school districts more efficient and cost-effective is certainly a desirable goal. But my concern is that by creating these mega-districts, more and more students are going to get lost in the system. According to the Post-Gazette, if this consolidation were to take place, the typical school district would be made up of about 17,500 students, meaning that each grade level would include approximately 1,400 students.
Perhaps just as important, families and local communities are going to be more and more marginalized from the education system. If districts become exponentially larger, as the Governor is wanting, there is no way that administrators and school boards are going to be able to be as responsive to the particular needs of students, families, or communities.
Another consideration is the fact that if there were to be significant consolidations, many students - including elementary school students - are going to end up being bussed out of their neighborhoods considerable distances to new schools.
I believe that the decision about whether to consolidate or not should be left to local school districts and voters. Consolidation should not be mandated by the powers-that-be in Harrisburg.
Finding ways to reduce the cost of education is certainly a worthwhile undertaking. But I believe that the Governor's rather heavy-handed proposal is wrong for the schools of our state.
If you have a strong feeling about this matter, I would encourage you to contact your legislators. For those in the Crafton area, your Senator is Wayne Fontana, Senate Box 203042, Harrisburg PA 17120, and your Representative is Daniel J. Deasy, P.O. Box 202027, Harrisburg PA 17120.
Ed Bowen
I agree that making school districts more efficient and cost-effective is certainly a desirable goal. But my concern is that by creating these mega-districts, more and more students are going to get lost in the system. According to the Post-Gazette, if this consolidation were to take place, the typical school district would be made up of about 17,500 students, meaning that each grade level would include approximately 1,400 students.
Perhaps just as important, families and local communities are going to be more and more marginalized from the education system. If districts become exponentially larger, as the Governor is wanting, there is no way that administrators and school boards are going to be able to be as responsive to the particular needs of students, families, or communities.
Another consideration is the fact that if there were to be significant consolidations, many students - including elementary school students - are going to end up being bussed out of their neighborhoods considerable distances to new schools.
I believe that the decision about whether to consolidate or not should be left to local school districts and voters. Consolidation should not be mandated by the powers-that-be in Harrisburg.
Finding ways to reduce the cost of education is certainly a worthwhile undertaking. But I believe that the Governor's rather heavy-handed proposal is wrong for the schools of our state.
If you have a strong feeling about this matter, I would encourage you to contact your legislators. For those in the Crafton area, your Senator is Wayne Fontana, Senate Box 203042, Harrisburg PA 17120, and your Representative is Daniel J. Deasy, P.O. Box 202027, Harrisburg PA 17120.
Ed Bowen
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