Messenger 11/28/24
First Sunday of Advent
For Sunday service, Judy Doyle will be serving as our Worship Leader and leading us through the Opening Prayer and the Call To Worship.
This week’s scripture reading will be Luke 21:25-36
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.”
A special thanks to this week’s Ushers, Richard Drath & Jenny Mannard.
To view the entire bulletin, click the link below.
Looking To Help Out?
We are currently looking for help for our Coffee Hour after Service.
Some of the ways you can help is by:
Assisting in the set up of coffee hour prior to worship starting
Bringing snacks, goodies, dessert to share
Assisting in clean up after coffee hour
The Coffee Hour is a great time for everyone to come together as a community and share their thoughts, ideas, and make a connection with other members at Church. To sign up or learn more, email Holly at office@gardenstreetumc.org or stop by the desk before/after service. You can also check out other volunteer opportunities such as Ushering and Flowers for Sanctuary.
Wesley Club Meal Volunteering
Wesley Club is very thankful for the generosity of Garden Street UMC.
Part of our hospitality as a congregation is to provide a meal for the students on Wednesday evenings. Please consider volunteering to provide a dinner. Generally, a meal for 8-10 people is adequate. There are several vegetarians.
Meals should be delivered to the Congregational Church fellowship hall by 5:45 pm on Wednesday. Please review the available slots below to provide a dinner for Wesley Club. Thank you for continuing to support campus ministry at GSUMC!
Click the link here to see open time slots. Email greg@gardenstreetumc.org for more information.
Holiday Joy Event – 2024
Sponsored by: Opportunity Council & Interfaith Coalition
Estimated Need - 106 Families/230 Children
Requested of GSUMC - Forty (40) $50 Gift Cards
(Fred Meyer, Safeway, Target, Walmart, or Winco)
If you are able and if you feel moved to participate in this wonderful community sharing event, please, the next time (don’t put it off!) you visit one of the stores listed above, purchase a $50 gift card and drop it in the offering plate no later than Sunday, December 8th . Or, if necessary, you can put it in an envelope and give it to Richard Drath who will be accumulating the cards for us and tracking our progress toward our $2,000 goal. Please write the dollar amount of the gift card in a visible spot so the recipient will know what it is. If you don't have a marker to do this, please include a note indicating the amount with the card and we will mark it.
Richard will see that all the gift cards are delivered to the FCCB event coordinator before Thursday, December 12th , the day the Holiday Joy Steering Committee will organize the gifts for the Holiday Joy Market that will occur here on Friday and Saturday, December 13-14.
If you are interested in helping with the event itself, please copy the link below, paste it into your internet browser, and click on it to go to the Signup Genius site where you will find a form listing the available volunteer activities, the date and times volunteers are still needed, and how many volunteers are still needed. You will also see the names of those who have already signed up. If you find something that interests you, select it, fill in your name and email address, and you will soon receive a confirmation from Signup Genius. You will be asked to complete the Interfaith Coalition Volunteer Form upon arrival. Be assured that your help will be very much appreciated. And if you need help with this process, feel free to call Myron Kirkpatrick at (541) 398-1960 or Kendra at (541) 398-2336 for help.
Celebrating Advent
Advent begins December 1st. As usual, we have chosen a devotional guide:
On the Way to Bethlehem by Rob Fuquay.
This year, in addition to Christmas as our destination, we will pay attention to the places along the journey that led to that starry night when a Child was born who would change the world: Rome (a place of longing); Jerusalem (a place of waiting); Nazareth (a place of simplicity); Bethlehem (a place of humility); and Persia (a place of return).
In each, we will ponder our own milestones – the progress and potholes on the way and what we gain, which will be different for each person. God speaks to us where we are. Consider sharing this trip by joining a small group. Journeys are more impactful (and richer!) when we travel with others.
Please buy your copy wherever you like to shop for books. We will not have books at church this year. Both paperback and Kindle versions are available online. There is still time to join a discussion group. Please sign-up for the time that fits your schedule from the following options:
Sunday afternoon, before or after worship
Tuesday afternoon, 2:00 – 3:30 at the church
RSVP on the back of the attendance slip during worship, in the chat for those of you who attend online, or by emailing Holly (office@gardenstreetumc.org). You can call Sara Hoskins (760-646-5480) if you have any questions.
Intergenerational Orchestra looking for members to join!
Come share music in worship on December 8th. All instruments and abilities are welcome. Music is easy/medium. No orchestra experience necessary.
Rehearsals will be:
Dress rehearsal Dec 7th at 10:00 a.m.
Performance will be Sunday, December 8th at 10:00am and 2:30pm.
Directed by Sharon Camblin. Contact Dallas at dallas@gardenstreetumc.org to join or for more information and the music!!
Coming up next week we have:
Wednesday (11/27)
Men’s Breakfast - 7:00 am at Avenue Bread on James St.
Sunday (12/01)
Christian Book Club - 10:30 am via zoom - “Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths,” by Karen Armstrong. Email office@gardenstreetumc.org to join
Choir - 1:00 pm at 2401 Cornwall Ave.
Handbells - 11:15 am at 2401 Cornwall Ave.
Sunday Worship - 2:30 pm at 2401 Cornwall Ave.
Prayers
Please Pray for:
All peacemakers, climate activists, water protectors, animal welfare activists, and social justice and antiracist activists
All affected by mass shootings and ongoing violence in our country
Law makers to make safer gun control laws
An end to hate towards LGBTQ+ individuals
Can’t make it in person? View the live on YouTube!
