www.westfieldchurch.org 1

FEBRU ARY 2019

The CORNERSTONE

2 Pastor Mark

2 Special Friends

3 Sarah Phillips

3 Trudy McEwen’s New

Book

4 JOY!

4 Pastor David

See Our Missionary

Update Special Feature

A publication of Westfield Presbyterian Church, New Castle, PA

Man Camp at Seneca Hills

The Grace that Delivers

What is Man Camp? A gathering of men

who come together to worship, fellow-

ship, build relationships, reflect, relax,

refresh and reset.

Featured this year is Worship Leader Rev.

Brad Anderson who currently serves as

lead Pastor at Valley Springs Presbyterian

Church in Roseville, California. Joining

him is musician Brian Campbell who has

toured with bands like Jars of Clay, Sleep-

ing at Last and others.

Activities for the weekend include: sling

shot range, skeet shooting, rifle golf,

archery, steaks, dodge ball, shooting

range and amazing worship.

Registration for this February 15 - 17

event is open now at senecahills.org. Fee

is $155. Early birds who register before

February 8 pay only $125. Westfield

offers a 50% fee scholarship for any

registered camper. Pick up a brochure in

the Welcome Center and please contact

the church office for more details.

What’s INSIDE

Fabulous February at JOY!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a

Special Luncheon for you and a guest!

NOON on

Thursday, February 14 Westfield Church Fellowship Hall

♥Reservations Encouraged ♥

Experience more JOY on page 4

Loved and Known

“Jesus knows me, this I love,” read the

church sign. That twist on the classic chil-

dren’s song emphasizes the importance of

being both loved and known. “It’s not one

or the other; it’s hard truth and ridiculous

grace,” sings contemporary Christian art-

ist Tauren Wells in “Known.”

Timothy Keller, in The Meaning of Mar-

riage, describes the duality this way: “To

be loved but not known is comforting

but superficial. To be known and not

loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully

known and truly loved is, well, a lot like

being loved by God. It is what we need

more than anything. It liberates us from

pretense, humbles us out of our self-

righteousness, and fortifies us for any

difficulty life can throw at us.”

VBS Directors Needed

Life is wild, God is good! Our Christian Education committee

is looking for new directors for ROAR! our 2019 VBS pro-

gram. Experience God’s love in a new way as you share the

Gospel with children and create an opportunity for them to

come to God and experience His amazing love. You’ll be sur-

rounded by our volunteers who love VBS! Please contact Linda

McBride, Pastor Mark, Pastor David, or the church office.

www.westfieldchurch.org 2

Special Friends

Russ & Judy Bryan at their residence

Shirley Gibson

at Carriage Court

Eleanor Gwin Mary Lou Williams

at Avalon

Hazel Hassig at her residence

Pearl Jolley

at her residence

As I type this newsletter article out on a

cold winter day, with snow on the ground

and a bright blue sky above, I am moved

by the great excitement of what is about

to happen at Westfield Church this spring.

When the weather breaks, and the ground

begins to thaw, construction is scheduled

to begin on Westfield’s new ministry life

center. It has been a true blessing to me,

moving here as an outsider less than one

year ago, to experience your devotion, and

sacrificial giving, to make this ministry

vision a reality.

As I consider this powerful dream, which

is about to become a reality, I am re-

minded of the words of the Lord Jesus

when he was challenged by a Pharisee

regarding the purpose and intent of God’s

Law,

“Teacher, which is the greatest com-

mandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “’’Love the Lord your God

with all your heart and with all your soul

and with all your mind.’ This is the first

and greatest commandment. And the sec-

ond is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as

yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets

hang on these two command-

ments.” (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV)

These words of Jesus are powerful and

challenging. As we continue to move

forward with the ministry life center, we

must always bear in mind that we do not

do mission. Rather, we have been called

by Christ Jesus to participate in what

God is already doing in our community.

Another way to think about this subject

is to state that we (the church) do not

DO mission FOR God. Rather, we ARE

the mission OF God. As one missiologist

eloquently states, “God does not have a

mission for his church. Rather, God has

a church for his mission.”

As we enter into a new season within the

life of Westfield Church, I am asking

each of you to be praying earnestly

about how God will use this new build-

ing for his mission. How will we serve

others through it? How will we be a

blessing through it? How will God be

glorified through it? How will our

neighbors truly be loved through it?

I am excited to be on this ride with you

and am fortunate to call Westfield home.

Food Pantry Needs

During February please shop for the following items for

Project HOPE: pasta & sauce (macaroni and cheese,

rice). Items always needed include coffee, juice, laundry

soap, dish soap and cereal. Please leave your items in the

labeled bins in the Welcome Center.

The MARK of the Times by Pastor Mark Hughes

The CORNERSTONE FEBRUARY 2019

Blessed to Be With You We want to express our sincere thanks

for all of the cards, gifts, well-wishes,

and holiday greetings over the past holi-

day season. Westfield is truly filled with

kind, warm-hearted people who care

deeply for their pastor and his family.

We are very blessed to be with you all as

we serve Christ Jesus

together. 2019 is

going to be a

wonderful year

within our shared

life together.

Mark, Shaylene, Rebecca, and Isaiah Hughes

www.westfieldchurch.org 3

Bible Quiz

In Luke’s account of Jesus calling the first disciples from their work as fishermen to follow

him and “fish for people” (NIV), which disciple is not named?

A. James B. John C. Simon D. Andrew

The CORNERSTONE FEBRUARY 2019

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is a 270-

voice choir, which for the most part is

comprised of vocally untrained church

members. The choir has recorded three

videos, three DVDs and numerous al-

bums, winning five Dove Awards and six

Grammy Awards. Their concert venues in

NYC have included Carnegie Hall, Radio

City Music Hall, and the Madison Square

Garden Theater. They had the honor of

singing at the Billy Graham Crusades that

were held in NYC’s Central Park and

Flushing Meadows Park.

The recognition that the choir has re-

ceived has provided them with an open

door for ministry in presenting the gospel

message through music to people all over

the world.

After thirty years of recordings and live

performances, the choir continues to rely

on the Lord for His grace and direction in

their ministry. The Brooklyn Tabernacle

Choir is a highly unlikely group of peo-

ple, a mixture of ethnic and economic

backgrounds, in the heart of a city syn-

onymous with coldness and decay.

Made up of doctors, attorneys, former

street people, nurses and ex-crack addicts,

the choir is a unique cross section of hu-

manity. Director Carol Cymbala explains:

“None of us would have met if it weren’t

for Christ. Our backgrounds are just too

diverse. But all of us have one thing in

common: we have all been lifted up and

changed by the power of Jesus Christ. So

the choir sings, not about a mere theo-

logical doctrine, but about what has hap-

pened to them. It’s not just the lyrics of a

song; it’s a reality to each of them.”

Starting each rehearsal with prayer rein-

forces that principle as the choir asks the

Lord to bless their music and anoint their

songs for the services. They minister at

three 2-hour services weekly and occa-

sionally at Tuesday Night Prayer Meet-

ing.. They do a myriad of special re-

cordings and productions.

I have loved their concept and sound for

a long time. They take established songs

and re-mold them into the choir’s own

inimitable style: a palette of colorful

sounds, soulful ballads, up-tempo con-

gregational stanzas, dynamic solos, and

an eclectic collection of worship an-

thems.

I am hoping to incorporate some of the

anthems and arrangements used by the

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir with our

own Westfield Chancel Choir. We have

a great men’s section, and we are look-

ing for a few more ladies to join us and

expand the female section of the choir.

We will be rehearsing on Wednesdays

7:30-9:00 P.M. as we prepare music for

the upcoming season of Lent, Palm Sun-

day, and Resurrection Sunday. Please

prayerfully consider joining us and being

a part of this important ministry.

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir by Sarah Phillips

...all of us have one thing in common: we have all been lifted up and changed by the

power of Jesus Christ.

Westfield’s Trudy McEwen Publishes New Book Author Trudy Strawhecker McEwen

has written a new book titled Kitti

Puppi: The Abandoned and Rescued

Siamese Cat.

Told from Kitti Puppi’s point of

view, this true story is based on

Trudy’s journal entries over many

years that chronicle the cat’s life be-

ginning in April 2007 after being

rescued by Trudy’s parents George

and Mary Ann Strawhecker. Forty

short chapters and eighty-three pic-

tures taken by Mary Ann and Trudy

reveal an amazing cat with quite a

personality!

Trudy has graciously shared a copy

with Westfield for our church library.

The book also may be found at Ama-

zon.com and will be available soon as

an e-book.

Answer: D (See Luke 5:1-11.)

www.westfieldchurch.org 4

The CORNERSTONE FEBRUARY 2019

Are you looking

for an inexpensive

way to treat a

friend or two on

Valentine’s Day?

JOY (Just Older

Youth) will be

having a Special

Valentine Lunch-

eon on Thursday,

February 14, at

noon. It will be a great time to enjoy good

food and fellowship and to share a day

with a friend or a “date”! Reservations

are encouraged. Sign up at church or send

an e-mail to doreen@westfieldchurch.org.

Another special offering at JOY during

February will be our exercise classes for

all with an emphasis on improving bal-

ance. Those with canes or walkers are

encouraged to come and will

be included in these exercises.

Bethany Thomas will be lead-

ing us on February 7, 21, and 28, begin-

ning at 11:00 A.M. each of those days.

There will be no exercise class on Febru-

ary 14 because of the Special Valentine

Luncheon.

On February 21, Emilee Waldo, a Li-

brary Scientist, will give us some point-

ers on researching our roots. I under-

stand that she has a lot of good ideas and

am anxious to have her share them with

us.

Filling out the month, we’re ready for

another cooking day (Feb. 7) and an-

other favorite, JeOpardY (Feb. 28). It’s

going to be a month short on days but

not on activities!

Christ is Our Focus by Pastor David Champ Thank you for all of your prayers and

support as we, together as a church, min-

ister to the students and families of this

community. Please continue to pray for

our students. The pressures and stress of

our culture constantly surrounds them.

Pray that they may experience the release

and peace of Christ.

We have a busy couple of months coming

up for YO! In February we have our Su-

per Bowl party on the 3rd from 6-8 P.M.

We are asking every student to bring a

dish to share.

We have our annual Winter D-Now from

February 8-10. For this retreat, we will be

teaching our students the importance of

investing in their own community as well

as what it means to be a man and woman

of God. On February 15 we will attend the

Winter Jam Concert in Pittsburgh.

In March, we will be attending the Lauren

Daigle concert at the Benedum Center on

the 10th. We will be having dinner in the

city as well. The cost for this concert is

$25 plus the cost of dinner. Please sign

up ASAP as tickets will go fast for this

concert.

I want to ask you for your prayers for

our students as well as our youth team ─

Kevin & Jen Byers, Elizabeth Champ,

Cyndee Patton, Jason Patton, Jared Pat-

ton, Mickayla Nero, Miranda Nero,

Tim Wallace ─ who give up so much of

their free time to serve these students

and help them grow into deep, passion-

ate followers of Christ. Please pray that

Christ would always be our focus.

Fabulous February at JOY!

Christmas Miracle!

As the temperatures dip dangerously

low this season, we are especially

grateful for your generosity! Al-

though there was only one Sunday

to get hats, mittens, scarves, gloves

and socks in for the Salvation Army

before Christmas, it was a true

Christmas miracle that over 160

items were donated! Thank you!

JOY tip of the Month: Send a valentine to brighten

someone’s day! (Dollar Tree

has some inexpensive religious

ones.)

Sewing Day Planned

Blankets for Babies Sewing Day is

Saturday, February 23, from 9:30 to

3:00. There will be jobs for experi-

enced and novice sewers including

cutting, pressing, tying, folding and

machine sewing. Bring your own

machine.