News & Notes 11/19/09
Dear St. John’s Folks,
What a day!! We have certainly had some different weather this year, haven’t we? Here we are in the middle of November, with temperatures in the low sixties!! We’ll take all we can get!
Our Public Ham Supper will take place this Saturday - from 4:30 till 6 PM. Once again, it would be great to have extra helpers. Our “fearless leader,” Ann is home with the flu that her family had last weekend! And we have a couple “regulars” away this weekend. Come Saturday morning around 9 AM, or afternoon around 4 PM - and we’ll give you a job. Or come at 6 PM , and we’ll welcome you to the “clean-up crew!!”
This Sunday’s worship services will be special - with baptisms and presentation of Bibles to the second graders at the first service - and the Cornerstone Dance Choir at both services!! We’ll have the ingathering of contributions for the Thanksgiving Baskets, and the “Angel Tree” has been sit up - with suggested gifts to purchase for some struggling families in our area. (See notes below for these last two items.) It’ll be great - you won’t want to miss it.
The Youth Group will be distributing Thanksgiving Baskets this Sunday, and we still have a lot of “feathers” left in the basket. I am writing in hopes that some of you will be able to pick up one more thing before coming to church on Sunday, so I’ve listed below the items we include and still need for the Thanksgiving dinner. Other items are extras that we like to provide, but we don’t want to skip on the main meal. Thanks for your generosity in this important local mission!
Thanksgiving Dinner
celery onions squash stuffing gravy
pie crust pie filling fresh fruit evaporated milk cranberry sauce
pie plates turkey pan
Extras
cereal soup peanut butter spaghetti sauce pasta
toilet paper jelly canned vegetables
If it’s easier for you to make a monetary donation, that works, too. I’ll be shopping after church with some of the youth anyway. Thanks again! Your contributions will truly bless someone’s holiday. Brenda
It has been pointed out that no one has signed up to host Coffee Fellowship for next Sunday - 11/29 - (or for the first three Sundays of December). The Hospitality Committee has made the decision that they cannot fill in for every Sunday that hasn’t been “taken.” So if no one signs up, then, more than likely, there will not be Coffee Fellowship offered on that day. If you can help out next week, please give Ann Kippley a call to let her know. If you can help with any of the Sundays that are coming up, please sign-up on the list posted on the kitchen window door. Thanks!!
As you may have noticed, our “Angel Tree” is up. We have received requests for Christmas gifts for children in need from many of the local organizations and schools, and would love to be able to help again this year. When you pick a star (containing a suggested gift) from the tree, after purchasing the gift, please DO NOT wrap it, but DO attach the star to your gift. This will aid us in making sure the right person/organization gets the gift. The gifts will have to be brought back to the church by December 10th, at the latest. Thanks again for always being present to the community’s needs. The Outreach Committee
Our Worship Committee would love your assistance this Sunday afternoon, at 2:30 PM, to bring the Advent/Christmas decorations out and set things for next Sunday’s (11/29) “Hanging of the Greens” service. It’s always fun - even though a lot of work!! So . . . many hands makes light work. Won’t you offer yours?
Sunday evening the Dover Cooperative Ministries Council and Dover Area Religious Leaders Association (DARLA) will host this year’s Thanksgiving Service, at 7 PM, at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church (corner of Hale and Locust Streets in Dover). This year’s service - like last year’s - will feature music, dance and readings from the various traditions of the participating congregations. Our Choir plus Shawne Freeman (solo dancer) will be taking part. Those attending are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for the local pantries (when you arrive, place your gifts on the window openings along the sides of the church) and/or monetary gifts for Dover Friendly Kitchen or the Dover SHARE Fund. St. John’s is usually WELL represented at Interfaith and Ecumenical events - may that be so this Sunday as well.
Tuesday evening, November 24th, at 7 PM, our District Superintendent, Mike Davis, will be here to lead our annual Church Conference. This is the annual meeting of the year - with some business, and some celebrations of the ministries of the past year, and some discussion about how the church might “move” into the future. Everyone is invited to this meeting - members of the church have the privilege of voting.
These next two items relate to events happening at the Rolling Ridge Conference and Retreat Center in Andover, Mass.:
JOIN retreat Leader, Paul Millin for “In darkness, seeing a Light: An Advent Retreat”
Unanticipated events can cause unplanned journeys. For Mary and Joseph, the journey to Jerusalem was required but not desired. Security and community were at home, while vulnerability and uncertainty were companions on the journey to Jerusalem. How does God’s presence accompany them? This Advent we are living through the unexpected vulnerability of dramatic changes in the economy, housing and employment. Hopes are being put on hold; plans are being scaled back or scrapped. Fear hovers over the season. How can we make our Journey to Bethlehem this Advent and welcome new life at Christmas? With Joseph and Mary as companions, share in sacred stories as guiding stars to look for signs of grace and God’s presence in our time. Is there a song/carol, picture, poem, scripture or object that symbolizes what speaks to your heart in an uncertain time? Bring it; share its meaning as an offering for the retreat companions. Advanced Registration: $48 After 11/25/09: $55 Call Today and Mention email CODE: “Advent” and receive the entire Day Apart for only $40!
3RD ANNUAL ROLLING RIDGE CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR!!
Join us at Rolling Ridge on Saturday, December 5 from 9am-3pm for this special day, including a Toy drive to benefit North Andover & Methuen Family Self-Sufficiency: “Breaking the cycle of poverty.” Shop the two floors of the mansion for unique handmade crafts, enjoy a holiday luncheon in the “Ridge Cafe” and browse the Rolling Ridge Art Gallery for that special gift. Register to win one of many door prizes, and take home a specialty baked good or famous Rolling Ridge Chocolate Chip Cookies! All proceeds to benefit the Ministry of Rolling Ridge
Finally, I hope this touches you the way it touched me! A young man shopping in a supermarket noticed a little old lady following him around. If he stopped, she stopped. Furthermore she kept staring at him. She finally overtook him at the checkout, And she turned to him and said, “I hope I haven’t made you feel ill at ease; it’s just that you look so much like my late son.” He answered, “That’s okay.” “I know it’s silly, but if you’d call out “Good bye, Mom” as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy.” She then went through the checkout, and as she was on her way out of the store, the man called out, “Goodbye, Mom.” The little old lady waved, and smiled back at him. Pleased that he had brought a little sunshine into someone’s day, he went to pay for his Groceries. “That comes to $121.85,” said the clerk. “How come so much … I only bought 5 items.” The clerk replied, “Yeah, but your Mother said you’d be paying for her things, too.” . . . . Bet you thought it would be a tear jerker, didn’t you? Is the moral of the story then, to “never trust little old ladies?”
That’s it for now. If I don’t see you between now and next Thursday, let me wish you a blessed Thanksgiving. See you in church. Peace, Mark