The Week Ahead –
Annual Charge Conference Week!
Saturday, November 26
9:00 am Yoga
Sunday, November 27:
8:30 am: Early Worship in the Sanctuary – First Sunday of Advent
Livestream available on Facebook
10:00 am: Worship in the Sanctuary and Sunday School
3:30 pm: Esprit
6:00 pm: Youth Group
Monday, November 28:
9:00 am: Lend-A-Hand
7:00 pm: Men’s Bible Study
Tuesday, November 29:
9:00 am Yoga
12:00 pm: Deadline for Saturday Tiding
12:00 pm Prayer Group
Wednesday, November 30:
10:30 am: Rainbow’s End Opens (Donations accepted 11 am – 2 pm)
7:00 pm Annual Charge Conference
Thursday, December 1:
9:00 am: Yoga
10:30 am: Rainbow’s End Open (donations accepted 11 am – 2 pm)
2:00 pm: Chair Yoga
5:00 pm Big Book Step Group
Friday, December 2:
10:30 am: Rainbow’s End Open (donations accepted 11 am – 2 pm)
Saturday, December 3:
9:00 am: Yoga
10:30 am: Rainbow’s End Open
Sunday, December 4:
8:30 am: Early Worship in the Sanctuary
Livestream available of Facebook
10:00 am: Worship in the Sanctuary and Sunday School
Livestream available on our YouTube channel
6:00 pm: Youth Group
Together in Christ—We Worship
Worship with Us! Everyone is welcome!
Sunday services are at 8:30 A.M. & 10:00 A.M. in the Sanctuary.
Sunday, November 27 – First Sunday of Advent
Scripture: Matthew 24: 36-44
Romans 13:11-14
Sermon: Awake and Ready – Rev. Herb Taylor
(If you are feeling unwell, tested positive for COVID-19, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, please stay home.)
During Our 10 am Worship Sunday School is happening for any children who would like to participate.
Committed to Serve—You are Making a Difference!
There will be a gift-making workshop on December 11 from 11:30 to 1:30 in the Fred Curtis Hall for children of all ages to make gifts and crafts for Christmas presents. Pizza will be served for lunch. The new Children and Youth Ministries Committee is sponsoring this event to give parents a short time to go shopping and run Christmas errands. Please sign up at church on the clipboard outside Heather’s office. We need a head count for craft supplies and lunch.
YOU are a VERY generous church! A million thanks for the tremendous outpouring of over 250 pairs of warm socks, over 40 jackets, and oodles of hats and gloves for our homeless Veterans!!! Our church as been asked by CHAMP Homes, A Baby Center, and Safe Harbor Women & Children’s Shelter, for gift cards for their guests for Christmas. With your help the Outreach Committee is hoping to be able to purchase 85 ($25) gift cards, which is a HUGE number! With God all things are possible! If you would like to donate towards a gift card please put in the memo section of your check CHAMP, or BABY, or SAFE HARBOR.
Alternative Giving for Christmas: As Advent approaches, do you have people for whom you shop who have everything they need – and more? Consider getting them an Alternative Christmas gift this year that will bless and honor them by blessing others less fortunate. Alternative Giving Cards are available for the missions our church supports in Sierra Leone, West Africa: the Child Reintegration Centre and Mercy Hospital; as well as for the Osterville Church’s Pastor’s Discretionary Fund to support urgent local needs. Christmas gift cards and instructions for these opportunities are available on the Outreach Bulletin Board in the solarium.
Mission Trips to Sierra Leone in 2023: Helping Children Worldwide has announced planned mission trips to Sierra Leone, West Africa for 2023. The dates of the trips are:
- July 16-30 – Zoom Interest Meeting 2/5/23 @ 3:30 p.m., application deadline 2/12/23.
- OCT 15-29 – Zoom Interest Meeting 5/14/23 @ 1 p.m., application deadline 5/21/23.
- DEC 26-JAN 3/2024 – Zoom Interest Meeting 7/23/23 @ 3:30 p.m., application deadline 7/30/23.
For additional information, please contact Patty Morell at 703-725-2773.
I Can Make a Difference Pledge Drive Update
Your Stewardship Committee sets its goals for the yearly fund-raising campaign based on information
from the Finance Committee. We work hand in hand to help the finance committee fund the budget
necessary to keep the heat and lights on at our church, compensate our staff and fund mission and
ministry both local and outside of our area. This year we set three pledge goals:
1. Because we came into 2022 with such a large deficit, our first goal was “Bare Bones”. If
we raised $185,000, we could fund our mission and ministries in 2023 with a much
smaller deficit. The good news is that we have surpassed that goal!
2. Our middle target was $205,000, to fund a mid-range balanced budget for 2023 which included
much deserved and deferred cost of living increases for our staff, adequate funding for the
Trustees (utilities, maintenance, mortgage payments) and funding for all our ministries.
3. Our third (stretch) goal is to surpass $205,000. This would allow us the funds to accomplish
Targets 1 and 2 and to pay down some debt we incurred over the past few years.
We want you to know that we are overwhelmingly grateful for your generosity. Together, we dared to
dream, knowing that, if we worked together, we could make a difference. You have made a difference!
We are blessed. We surpassed our ‘bare bones” target and are closing in on our middle target goal!
If you have not returned your pledge card yet, please return it soon. It would be wonderful to
announce, at the November 30th Charge Conference, that we will be able to balance our budget in
2023!
Thank you again for your pledges and Making a Difference!
Help Anna Lovelette! She is working on an Eagle Scout Project at our outside Blaine Taylor Chapel putting up railings at the entrances. She will be working on this endeavor on Sunday, November 13 and Sunday, November 20 right after church. Any help or donations would be great.
November 2022 Collection for UMCO Pantry goods this month: Flour, Sugar, Cereals, Oatmeal, Grits, Pasta, Mac and Cheese, Biscuit and Pancake Mix, Powdered Milk, Rice, Dried Beans and Grains, Cake and Bread Mixes, Crackers, Stuffing, Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate.
Aid for Florida If you want to make a donation to help the survivors of hurricane Ian, you can make a check out to UMC with a memo to Florida relief. We will send it to UMCOR where 100% will be sent to Florida relief.
Rainbow’s End is Open. You can shop Wednesday through Saturday 10:30am-3pm We are looking for fall and winter clothing. For men we need vests, sweaters, shirts and socks. For women, anything in good condition. Donations are accepted on Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays 11 am – 2 pm. Please do not leave any items in or outside the shop. If you cannot donate during these specific hours, please contact store manager, Pamela Turner, 508.428.5304. Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Thank you for supporting our staff, volunteers, and the church.
Other Announcements/Events
We want to remember your Birthdays and Anniversaries! Let the office know your dates so that we can celebrate.
Arrangements for Sunday services are available for $50. You may choose whom you wish to honor and for the Sunday you would prefer. Give Jane a call 508-428-2811 or pick up a form on the bulletin board outside the bathroom in the Solarium.
Hello, all knitters, it is time to begin meeting in person again. I am proposing that we meet in the 1st Sunday of each month between services in the Parlor. I am looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible. I’ve missed this. Please invite others too! – Debbie