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Local church briefs

Clothing Available Bargains and Blessings Community Closet’s mobile thrift store will be open on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the First Commonwealth Bank, Main Street, Beech Creek, weather permitting. Gently used clothing, shoes and accessories for the entire family are available in sizes from infants through 3X. There is an abundance of children’s clothing available. Items are priced at $5 per bag full and bags will be furnished. Bargains and Blessings Community Closet is an outreach ministry of Faith Chapel UMC that serves Beech Creek, ...

Sins commonly swept under the rug

Sadly, it is common for many of today’s Christians to sweep some sins under the rug. By rationalizing that the sin is “not that bad,” sins can easily be “swept away.” Even though it is common to sweep sins under the rug, we should not. God tells us to confess our sins and He will forgive us (1 John 1:9). Here are five sins some “Christians” may try to sweep under the rug: 1. Pride — The first sin that is common to sweep under the rug is pride. As a biblical definition, pride includes “ideas of arrogance, cynical insensitivity to the needs of others and presumption. ...

Local church briefs

Community worship/picnic LAMAR — St. Mark Lutheran Church (850 Snydertown Road, Howard) will be holding a community worship and picnic Sept. 10 at Porter Township Recreation Park, in Lamar. All are invited to attend. The worship and potluck picnic will be under Pavilion 1 at the park. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. with an informal worship service, followed by a potluck picnic and free time in the park. For those planning to attend, if you would like to bring food to share, that is welcome, but you do not need to bring food to attend the event. Anyone attending also is invited to ...

Finding Faith: Back to school

Summer vacation is winding down and school is about to start. For some children this is an exciting time. For others it can be a time of sadness as they mourn the end of their summer vacation. They all know that summer vacation and youth itself are not our permanent state of being. The ...

Local Church Briefs

Outdoor movie night BEECH CREEK — The Beech Creek Wesleyan Church is hosting an Outdoor Movie Night on Friday, Aug. 25, at 8:30 p.m. Church members will be watching “His Only Son,” a movie about Abraham being commanded by God to sacrifice his son and finds his faith tested during his three-day journey. Please bring a lawn chair. The movie will be moved inside in the event of rain. The church is located at 217 Main St. in Beech Creek. Sunday concerts LAMAR — Lamar Lighthouse Camp along Route 64 in Lamar will have Summer Concerts each Sunday evening at 7 p.m. On Aug. 20. ...

Sweden raises terror threat level for fear of attacks following Quran burnings

STOCKHOLM — Sweden raised its terror alert to the second-highest level on Thursday after a string of public desecrations of the Quran sparked angry demonstrations across Muslim countries and threats from militant groups. The Swedish Security Service, known as SAPO, lifted the “terror threat level” one notch to “high,” the fourth of five levels, for the first time since 2016. The move reflects Swedish concerns that repeated Quran-burnings this year by a handful of anti-Islam activists have made the Scandinavian country a prime target for Islamic extremists. Prime ...