A Thanksgiving Prayer:
Oh, God, when I have food,help me to remember the hungry;When I have work, help meto remember the jobless;When I have a warm home,help me to remember the homeless;When I am without pain,help me to remember those who suffer;And remembering, help meto destroy my complacencyand bestir my compassion.Make me concerned enoughto help, by word and deed,those who cry outfor what we take for granted. ~Samuel F. Pugh
|
|
|
Coming Up on Sunday...
| |
Sermon:
"Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord"
"For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man." Matthew 24:38 & 39
Isaiah 2:1-5 Romans 13:11-14 Psalm 122 Matthew 24:36-44
Lay Assistant:
Ann Phelps Advent Readers: Dominick, Stephanie, Malik, D.J., & Mariah Reading
Communion: John & Mary Lyle, Buster & Jane Kellogg, Ralph & Martha Whtieman, Carol & Bonnie Heflin, Bob Green, Darlene Moffet, Armond & Betsy Akey
Beedle/Crucifer: Megan and Abby Brown
Ushers: Julie Armstrong, Tom & Eileen Giddings,
Nancy Dowell, Jim Glasgow
Greeters: Dick & Jan Speer Ron & Kristie Murdock
Coffee Hour: Rod and Hallie Lemon
Nursery: Lolla Ballard and Chloe Larson
Children's Church: Alison Clark
|
|
Sunday Mornings
|
Children 3yrs - 6th grade: Meet in the theater upstairs. Parents are welcome. Youth 7th - 12th grade: Meet in the senior high room in the youth wing. Adult Bible Study: This class met this morning and will continue meeting on Sunday mornings at 9:15 in the Bride's Room across from the chapel. Joyce Hagemann will be your very capable teacher. Reading for the next week may be picked up in class or in the social hall. The fall series will be studying The Inescapable God from Exodus and the Psalms.
Faith & Life: "The Greatest Story Ever Told" - For three weeks in December, we will be discussion the story of Jesus Christ.
Nov. 28 - How did we get it? - How did the story of Christ come together - Origin of the New Testament. Dec. 5 - Where has it been? - Translations and traditions based on the Christmas story. Dec. 12 - What does it mean? - How has it changed the world and us? |
|
Congregational Meeting
|
We will have our congregational meeting on November 28, following worship to elect our new officers for 2011.
|
|
"An Invitation to Read the Bible"
|
On November 28, we will begin our challenge to read the Bible in a year. Below is a list of the first week to get you started. You may also find your daily/weekly Scripture readings in the bulletin, e-newsletter, or on Facebook. Monday (11/28) - Genesis 1:1-3:24 Tuesday - Genesis 4:1-6:22 Wednesday - Genesis 7:1-10:31 Thursday - Genesis 10:32 - 13:18 Friday - Genesis 14:1 - 17:27 Saturday - Genesis 18:1-20:17 Sunday - Genesis 20:18 - 23:20
|
"Invitation to Read the Bible" for Families
|
The challenge to read the bible in a year begins on November 28 - the beginning of the Christian year. The CE committee came up with an idea to make it easier for families to read the bible with their children. We have purchased 15 - 365 day children's bibles. There is a story for each day of the year with pictures. If your family would like to have one of these bibles, please let Margie know (5129).
|
|
|
Devotional readings for each day of Advent will be available on November 28 - the first day of Advent. You may pick one up under the mirror outside the office or in the narthex. This year's devotional is called, "Living the Advent Story", and comes from Presbyterian's Today.
|
|
Christ's Helping Hands Monthly Giving Program
|
Our focus for November: Jamieson Community Center, which is currently in critical need of financial support. It relies on community donations for the majority of its work, such as the Kids Club afterschool program and its Christmas programs, and it also needs to be able to pay its employees to run such essential programs as the thrift store, food pantry, and senior nutrition program. We are aiming for $500 to reach our yearly giving goal for JCC. Please consider making a donation using the pew envelopes or by dropping off a check of the church office, and please keep the center in your prayers this month.
|
|
'Tis a Time for Thanksgiving
|
Look for a sign our WNL children have made. They want to help you remember to bring food each week for the Jamieson Center box. You may bring anything non-perishable and place it in the shopping cart or a box at the door. To make it easier, you could go with a schedule such as this: Nov. 28 - Pancake mix & Syrup Dec. 5 - Spaghetti Sauce & noodles Dec. 12 - Raman noodles & soups Dec. 19 - rice & beans Dec. 26 - Peanut Butter & Jelly Jan. 2 - Hamburger/Tuna Helper & tuna or Mac & Cheese Let's fill the boxes each week! Thank you!!
|
|
Advent Fair/Potluck
|
The entire church family and friends are invited to our Advent Fair and Potluck on the first Sunday of Advent, November 28. 4:00: Hanging of the Greens/Decorating the church as well as making crafts and playing games. 5:30: Potluck Supper (bring a dish to pass and table service.) This is a fun evening for people of all ages. Please join us as we prepare for the coming of Jesus - the reason for the season, - the Messiah. Please call the church office (5129) or sign up on the office door and let us know how many to expect so we can have enough crafts.
|
|
Advent Fair/Potluck
| 
|
|
50th Wedding Anniversary
|
Ken and Phyllis Wilson will celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary on November 25, 2010. You are invited to their open house on Saturday, November 27, from 2-4:00 p.m. at the Farm Bureau in Monmouth.
|
|
WNL Musical
"A Christmas Carol: Scrooge in Bethlehem"
|
We are so excited to be producing a Christmas musical on December 1, at 6:00p.m. Ashley Blust, a student at Monmouth College has been directing our children at WNL with the assistance of Dr. Steve Richter, Professor of Music at MC. Please join us in the sanctuary for this wonderful gift offered by our children. They are very excited and have been working hard for weeks.
|
|
'Tis the Season
|
Please join Choral Dynamics as they welcome the holidays with an exciting presentation of seasonal music on December 3rd & 4th at 7:30 p.m. and December 5 at 2:00 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $7.50 for youth. Children 12 and under are free with a paid adult.
|
|
College Care Packages
|
We would like to thank the many Monmouth College students who participate in the life of our congregation by giving them a care package of goodies during their finals. We need your help.
Please sign up on the office door if you can donate a homemade baked good, microwave popcorn, candy, hot chocolate, or fresh fruit. Please bring it to the church by Sunday morning, December 5. Care packages will be assembled and delivered on that day.
|
|
Mitten Tree for Jamieson Center
|
Isabel Circle is sponsoring a mitten tree again this year to help make sure there will be warm little fingers this winter. Please bring new mittens, gloves, and hats and place them on the tree in the social hall by Wednesday, December 10. The mittens will be taken to Jamieson Center to be available at their Christmas Store. Thank You.0 for adults and $7.50 for youth. Children 12 and under are free with a paid adult.
|
|
A Christmas Time for Refreshment
|
Come and enjoy fresh, hot tea and shortbread; your favorite Christmas music; and, the fellowship of your friends. Pastor Myers will host A Christmas Time for Refreshment on Thursday afternoon, December 16, from 4:30-5:30 p.m.
|
|
Deacon Caroling
|
The deacon's have scheduled their caroling for December 19, from 4:00 - 5:30, and you are all invited! Join them, afterward, for soup and finger food in the church social hall.
|
|
Prayers for...
|
Kathy Yates, Kylie Logsdon, Erma Smallwood, Carol Olsen, Joan Steis, Jack McBride, Eilleen Spoerl, and Frank Sorensen. |
|
Calendar:
Today- Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday- Office Closed
Sunday- Choir @ 9:00 a.m.
Sunday School @ 9:15 a.m.
MR Madrigals Prelude @ 10:15 a.m.
Worship @ 10:30 a.m.
Congregational Meeting @ 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday- WNL Musical @ 6:00 p.m.
Thursday- Thai Circle @ 9:30 a.m.
|
|
|
| |
What Do You Think?
Thank You!
On Monday, I had the privilege of offering the Thanksgiving program for our local Rotary Club. As part of my presentation, I shared with them an illustration from my consulting work with the presbytery.
As I have shared with you before, I perform some of the triennial visits with the sessions of congregations within our presbytery. Consistently, I have found that regardless of their size, wealth,or the challenges they face, every congregation has some wonderful things for which to be thankful. Nevertheless, to a session, they all share the common concerns of wanting more members and more money. Their fear for the future, rather than their faith in God, seems to have undue influence upon their ministry in the present.
Personally, as I look fifteen to twenty years down the road, I, as many of you, have concerns for our future. However, as I was visiting with our local Rotarians, I realized that our concerns for the future should not overshadow the many blessings in the present for which we may be thankful. Moreover, as I mentioned to the children on Sunday, we might even want to give thanks even for the challenges we face.
Our first pledge report is in and it looks to be a good one. We are still waiting for 21 pledges from 2010 to come in, which will help to determine our budget. However, if they come in at last year's level, we will see a modest increase in the number of pledges and their total. Currently, we have no reason to believe these pledges will not be made for 2011.
Presently, we have 42 households who have pledged the same as last year. We have 15 pledges that have decreased and 29 that are new or were increased over last year. To have another year of modest growth in our financial pledges is, in itself, something for which to be grateful. That it occurred in a year where we had some significant disagreement over a few of the actions taken by our session is even more reason to give thanks.
While I do not know who gives money, or even pledges to our congregation, from the numbers that I do have, it appears no one has significantly changed their pledge from last year out of anger or frustration. I mention this because this speaks well of the spiritual maturity, integrity, and generosity of the people of Faith United.
Even when we disagree, we appear to share the common belief that we are here, not to give our lives to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or even to a local congregation, but to Jesus Christ. This alone should give us plenty of hope for our future.
There is no question, we have much left to do in furthering the ministry of Jesus Christ in our time and place. The challenges we face are daunting. Nevertheless, I believe if each of us takes a moment to reflect upon the many blessings that we share in our life together, we will find our resources are greater than any challenge we may face. For this, we may be truly thankful.
See you in church!
Pastor Myers
revhaggis1@hotmail.com
|  |
|
|
