News & Notes 11/5/09
Hello Friends,
The church has been buzzing with activity all week long. It began with the election process, as we’re the polling station for Ward 5 in Dover. And since then it’s been setting up for the Holly & Harvest Fair/Silent Auction. You folks are steppin’ up to the plate. Thanks very much. May that continue - through the set-up, into the Fair/Auction itself, and especially ending with the clean-up and resetting of the church spaces!! This is the largest fund raiser of the year for our church family, and I hope everyone will try to help in some way - great or small! The fair/auction will run from 8 AM till 1 PM - see you there.
I need to lift up a reminder to the members of the Church Council and Finance Committee: we (i.e. Deanna Gallant) need to hear from you about your reservations for the Leadership Dinner this Sunday evening - at 6:30 PM, at the Wentworth Home. At the moment very few folks have responded to the invitation, and we really need to get our “number” turned in to the folks who will be preparing and serving the meal. Can you call Deanna right away? Thanks.
And the rest of our congregation is invited to the Celebration Luncheon on Sunday, November 15th - right after the service (remember we’re having just one service - at 10 AM - on November 15th). The Finance Committee began receiving reservations last Sunday - they’ll give folks another chance this coming Sunday - and then phone calls will be made to those who weren’t in church either day. We really want EVERYONE to come to worship and the luncheon on Consecration Sunday. May it truly be an ALL-CHURCH event!
Let me correct an error that I perpetuated. There will NOT be any Sunday School on Consecration Sunday - so all the students and teachers can take part in this very important worship service. We’ll offer our expanded childcare/nursery - through six year olds - during the service. I’m sorry for making the mistake of saying Sunday School would be held.
Next Tuesday we get to provide dinner to the folks at the Dover Friendly Kitchen again! Workers are needed (call Rita Murphy or Carolyn Reichert if you can volunteer, or have questions). As always, we’ll need desserts as well. Please bake your favorite, and bring it to the church by 3 PM next Tuesday! The guests always love what we share with them.
Applebee’s is saluting US veterans and active duty military on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) with a free entree. Even if you don’t know a veteran or anyone else in active military service, pass this on - someone you know may! Check it out at http://applebees.com/vetsDay/default.aspx — or look at
http://militaryfinancenetwork.com/2009/10/15/2009-veterans-day-discounts/
Looking ahead, let me just lift up a couple things that are on the horizon:
*Our next Healing Service will take place on Wednesday, November 18th, at 7 PM, in our sanctuary. The format will be the style of worship from the Taize community, in France.
*Our November Public Supper will take place November 21st - a week early due to Thanksgiving. We’re serving Ham and all the fixin’s.
*We’re starting to collect non-perishable food items, as well as financial contributions, for the Thanksgiving Baskets that will be put together and delivered on November 22nd.
*The Interfaith Thanksgiving Service will be held at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church (next to the Dover City Hall) on Sunday, November 22nd, at 7 PM. Our Choir and Sacred Dancers will take part once again.
*On November 29th, we’ll have just one service again - with no Sunday School - and it’ll be our “Hanging of the Greens” service.
In a recent email from our Wanakee United Methodist Center, the included a couple quick items that I thought I’d share with you:
* Congratulations to former staff members DAN READ and KATHLEEN SARGENT on their Wanakee wedding. On August 29, 2009 Dan and Kat put the outdoor chapel to great use with their beautiful wedding.
* Become a fan of Wanakee United Methodist Center through FACEBOOK. Share your love for Wanakee by posting pictures or sharing your thoughts on one of the discussion threads.
* Continued thanks to FRIENDS OF WANAKEE. Gifts continue to come in-from sailboats and couches to monetary donations. FOW help Wanakee to provide great, Spirit-filled opportunities for many people in many ways. Keep an eye out for the next mailing this November.
Our New England Conference Web Site Receives Awards from United Methodist Association of Communicators:
The newly redesigned New England Conference web site received the United Methodist Association of Communicators (UMAC) Best in Division and Best in Class for Internet Design awards. United Methodist Communicators from across the denomination met for their annual meeting last week in Nashville, Tennessee. Learn more about the United Methodist Association of Communicators and listen to podcasts of Bishop Sally Dyck’s keynote address at www.umcommunicators.org, and visit our award-winning site at www.neumc.org !
With the Holly & Harvest Fair coming right up, I thought I’d share this story. Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about. The daughter answered, ‘Don’t be scared, you’ll get your quilt.’ Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning’s Sunday school lesson was about. He said ‘Be not afraid, thy comforter will coming.’
See you in Church. Peace, Mark