Dear Friends,

Christmas is drawing near. This email contains a few reminders and announcements for the coming days.

Remember this Sunday, December 10, is the Children’s Christmas Program at 10 am! Please come out and enjoy this performance and remember that Santa and his elf are here all morning to visit with children and hear Christmas wishes and take photos!!  After the program, at 11 am, there will be a special congregational meeting and potential vote for the sale of what many of us know as Outlot A.  All members are encouraged to attend the meeting. Check in will begin when the program finishes.

The Men of Peace are hosting a pancake breakfast this Sunday; and the Women of Peace are hosting a mini boutique which continues into Sunday: our morning is full of fun, inspiration, and conversation! Please plan on being present!

On Wednesday, December 13, we are hosting the community dinner at 5 pm; a fun Advent craft for all ages beginning at 5:30 pm, and a fun, family worship at 6:30 pm, featuring “The Grinch.”  This will be a great evening of fun and conversation! Please plan on joining us and bring your friends!

We continue to accept gift cards from Walmart and Target for the Holiday Baskets. Thank you so much for all of your board game donations!  We believe with what others have said they are bringing in the next few days, that we have plenty of board games. At the end of this email, Julie will insert the food donations that are still needed for the holiday baskets.

I wanted to mention kid friendly cereals.  As you are shopping cereal, remember that “kid friendly” is a major brand of cereal that has basically been drenched in sugar and boxed:  examples frosted flakes, fruity pebbles, fruit loops, cookie crunch, cinnamon toast crunch and the like.  Thank you so much for all of your thoughtfulness as we put these baskets together. There are so many families in our congregation and surrounding community for whom these baskets are their Christmas for their children. Your donations do make a difference!!

I also wanted to apologize to those of you who have been attempting to donate clothing, shoes, etc.  We are not able to accept these types of donations, as we do not know the sizes of the children and adults that we serve. We have been gifted with wonderful adult mittens for these baskets and another family is out securing mittens for children. This is really the limit of what we can provide in each basket, along with the generous gift cards that you are supplying. Thank you so much for all of your caring for these families!!

Last Sunday, I was able to give some words about faithfulness and stewardship in my sermon. As Christmas approaches, I invite you to be in prayer regarding your generosity and financial gifting. Most of us reading this email have been blessed beyond measure and as such are invited to return that blessing in service of others. Your faith and your giving are your spiritual discipline, and this is a good season to contemplate and be in prayer.

I hope you have a good week! See you Sunday!  Take care… be safe…

Pastor Valerie