Pastor’s Notes

Holy Week 2023

The beginning of April signals Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. My hope is that you have been using this season of Lent well and have been preparing yourself for the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, followed by the building resistance to the teaching of Jesus. On Maundy Thursday we will worship at 7:00 PM to first remember the meal that Jesus had with His disciples in that upper room. We will celebrate communion to recall and be a part of that meal. Then, as our worship on Maundy Thursday continues, we will follow Jesus to the cross, with the second half of the service looking forward to Good Friday. After the bell chimes 33 times in a darkened sanctuary to remember each year of Jesus’ life, the lights in the sanctuary will come up so that we may safely exit in reverent silence. On Easter Sunday we will go to the tomb with Mary and discover that death has not won the day. We will discover and celebrate that Jesus has been resurrected and that what Jesus said remains true. Jesus was, and still is, the way, the truth, and the life. Hallelujah!

Even as we get ready for Holy Week, this season remains active. We recently were visited by Heather McGarvey. Heather participated with us in worship by preaching the message for the day and played her oboe with Joy Smith on the piano. We learned of Heather’s new mission to Romania. I hope to soon be able to share with you how we, as a church and as individuals, can support her as she starts and sustains her new ministry. God is truly at work with Heather and her new ministry!

We have been approached by A One-Room Schoolhouse, an organization that helps parents who choose to home-school their children, with a request to use our facility three days a week during the school year providing common learning and social opportunities. By the time this is distributed, I expect the Session will have made a decision about going forward with A One-Room Schoolhouse. I will provide an update in my next communication to you. I close with Psalm 146, verses 1-2, 8-10.

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!

To God be the Glory!

Pastor Frank Hancock

Email: pastor@plumcreekpc.com

Office: (412) 793-4525

Cell Phone: (412) 860-3719 – Please feel free to leave a message.

Twenty years ago, while helping at her church’s VBS, Heather McGarvey first sensed God calling her to serve the children of Romania. At the time, she was focused on becoming a professional musician and she didn’t understand how God could call her to Romania, and to music at the same time. Years later, as a senior in college, Heather attended the Urbana Missions Conference with a friend. On the opening night of the conference, she found a seat in the large arena and her friend pointed out that she must have dropped something under her seat. Not having dropped anything, Heather reached down to see what it could be. It was a pamphlet that said across the front “Mission: Romania. Do you have a heart for the orphaned children of Romania?” She was shocked, and her friend told her “If God is throwing pamphlets at you, then it’s time you listen.”

It was at that mission conference that Heather first connected with Heart to Heart International Ministries. The following summer she went on her first trip to Romania. Unlike her previous travels, she didn’t want to leave at the end of two weeks. So, she signed up to go back for a Holiday trip. It was during that holiday trip that the Heart to Heart staff began mentioning that they were in need of a music teacher, and they asked that Heather pray about coming full-time. She assured them that she would, although at the moment, she didn’t think that she would ever move to Romania.

Two months after that trip, while in the middle of an orchestra audition, God stepped in and overwhelmed Heather with a passion to leave the professional musician life and move to Romania full time. She applied for the full-time position through Heart to Heart, was accepted, and spent the next 5 ½ years teaching music and creative art in Romania.

During those 5 ½ years God continued to challenge Heather and show her how He can use the creative arts as an open door to reach young people. It was an amazing time of seeing God at work and realizing how He desired to use the gifts He had given her. After many years of serving, God made it clear that He was calling Heather to expand the creative arts ministry, and that it would involve moving on from Heart to Heart. In order to take the time to discern how to live into this new calling, Heather moved back to the States.

After 1 ½ years in the States, and much prayer, Heather felt the Lord leading her to start a new nonprofit Mission Agency. Creative Missional Community, CMC, is a creative arts-based mission to reach the young people in Romania and share the love of Christ with them.

CMC is in the startup phase now and Heather is working to develop the financial support that will allow this mission to be successful.

Heather anticipates that the costs for initial startup and ongoing support to be: $1,500.00 USD – Initial travel back to Romania and establish a place to live while serving this ministry

$2,000.00 / month – Ongoing living expenses for Heather while in Romania

$500.00 / month – Direct support for her creative arts orphan ministry

The good news for Heather is that the local Romanian currency, the Leu, is currently trading at 4 Leu per 1 US dollar. Another item of good news is that the cost of items in Romania, those items that are available in Romania, are generally more reasonably priced than they are in the United States. These two factors working together will allow Heather to be successful with this level of support.

How can you support Heather and her continued ministry in Romania?

Visit the CMC Missions website and become more familiar with her mission, https://www.creativemc.org (NOTE: There is a different organization at www,creativemc.com. Make sure you put .org at the end of the URL!)

Consider a one-time gift to her mission using the Donate link on the site.

Consider supporting Heather and her mission with an ongoing monthly gift in any amount using the form at the Monthly Partner link on the Give page.. $10.00 / month will cover the cost of supplies for one young person to be involved in the arts.

$20.00 / month will cover the cost of music lessons and instrument upkeep for a student.

$50.00 / month will cover the cost of transportation to and from the ministry locations each day