Pastor’s Message for October 2025

Unstoppable Love

Picture it: The year was 1987 and a band that had been born of the psychedelic era named Jefferson Airplane had morphed into the pop-chart topping “Starship.” In every roller rink and shopping mall, the soaring voices of Grace Slick and Mickey Thomas brought America together with the anthemic power ballad “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”

I was ten years old at the time, and while I didn’t fully understand the cultural movements of the day, I knew one thing for certain: this song was the most awesomely awesome song ever written, a true masterpiece of popular music and cheesiness. However, in the decades since the ’80s’ zenith, tastes in music changed. Today, you might find much of Starship’s mid-’80s output on lists of “worst songs ever.” Apparently, there is such a thing as too much cheese.

Still, that cheesy declaration of unstoppable love makes a perfect doorway into Paul’s bold declaration about God’s love found in Romans 8:38–39:

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things, present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul’s version of “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us” isn’t about teenage romance or ’80s hair spray. It’s about the unstoppable, unshakable love of God. Notice how thorough he is: life and death, past and future, spiritual powers and worldly ones, the highest highs and the deepest lows—he ticks off every possibility and then stamps it all with God’s promise: Nothing can separate us from God’s love.

And here’s the kicker: that love is for everyone. Not just the people who look faithful, or act holy, or already “have it together.” God’s love is for the doubters, the strugglers, the outsiders, the in-betweeners. It’s for the person who feels unworthy, the neighbor we find difficult, and yes—even you and me on our worst days.

That’s why this passage is so powerful: it’s not just about God’s persistence, but about God’s embrace. Love doesn’t just endure—it expands, reaching every corner of creation and every human heart. That’s the Power of Love.

So when the world feels shaky, remember Paul’s anthem: God’s love will never let go. Nothing’s gonna stop us now.

God loves you, and so do I,
Pastor Jim Sands

Coming Up…

< June 2025 >
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1Worship w/ Communion 11am from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Holy Communion Offered Church Sanctuary + Google calendarKids Sunday School 11:15am from 11:15 am to 12:00 pm
Times are approximate. Begins after children's message during 11am worship. + Google calendar
2 3 4Meeting of the Eves 6:30pm @Aliquippa First from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Evening women's group of Monaca & Aliquippa First UMCs
Meeting location alternates between the two churches.
Monaca UMC: Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov
Aliquippa First: Feb, Apr, June, Aug, Oct, Dec
+ Google calendarAA Meeting 7pm from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
5Busy Hands 1pm from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Knitting/crochet Group Carey Community Center + Google calendar
6 7AA Meeting 10:30am from 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
8Worship 11am from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Traditional worship, including prayer and the singing of traditional hymns. Church Sanctuary + Google calendarKids Sunday School 11:15am from 11:15 am to 12:00 pm
Times are approximate. Begins after children's message during 11am worship. + Google calendar
9Book Club 7pm @Aliquippa First from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
"Reading United Methodists" Discussing:
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Aliquippa First UMC + Google calendar
10Food Pantry Distribution 11am-Noon from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
+ Google calendar
11"PhDs" 6:30pm @Aliquippa First, Lounge from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
For "Projects Half Done" - knitting/crochet group; 2nd & 4th Wednesday of the month at Aliquippa First UMC + Google calendarMinistry Action Team 7pm from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
+ Google calendarAA Meeting 7pm from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
12 13 14Coffee Mugs & Kids Club 10am from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
2nd Saturday of each month. Fun for the kids; caffeine for the adults! Carey Community Center + Google calendarAA Meeting 10:30am from 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
15Happy Father's Day! all day
+ Google calendarWorship 11am from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Traditional worship, including prayer and the singing of traditional hymns. Church Sanctuary + Google calendarKids Fun-day School 11:15am from 11:15 am to 12:00 pm
Our focus through the summer is FUN!
Times are approximate. Begins after children's message during 11am worship; ends when worship concludes.
+ Google calendar
16 17Hymn Sing 1:30pm from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Brighton Wellness & Rehab + Google calendar
18AA Meeting 7pm from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
19Busy Hands 1pm from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Knitting/crochet Group Carey Community Center + Google calendar
20 21AA Meeting 10:30am from 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
22Worship 11am from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Traditional worship, including prayer and the singing of traditional hymns. Church Sanctuary + Google calendarKids Fun-day School 11:15am from 11:15 am to 12:00 pm
Our focus through the summer is FUN!
Times are approximate. Begins after children's message during 11am worship; ends when worship concludes.
+ Google calendar
23Vacation Bible School 9am-Noon all day
+ Google calendar
24Vacation Bible School 9am-Noon all day
+ Google calendar
25Vacation Bible School 9am-Noon all day
+ Google calendar"PhDs" 6:30pm @Aliquippa First, Lounge from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
For "Projects Half Done" - knitting/crochet group; 2nd & 4th Wednesday of the month at Aliquippa First UMC + Google calendarAA Meeting 7pm from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
26Vacation Bible School 9am-Noon all day
+ Google calendar
27Vacation Bible School 9am-1pm from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
VBS: 9-Noon
Wrap-Up Party: Noon-1pm
+ Google calendar
28Monaca Community Day / Fireworks all day
Visit our booth! We'll be selling hot sausage sandwiches and haluski + Google calendarAA Meeting 10:30am from 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
29Worship 11am from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Traditional worship, including prayer and the singing of traditional hymns. Church Sanctuary + Google calendarKids Fun-day School 11:15am from 11:15 am to 12:00 pm
Our focus through the summer is FUN!
Times are approximate. Begins after children's message during 11am worship; ends when worship concludes.
+ Google calendar5th Sunday Donut Fellowship 12pm from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
+ Google calendar
30