NET Dinner: Neighbors Eating Together, We are hosting the community on Wednesday, February 7th, 5:30 pm. Come eat, or check out how you can help serve or clean up on the foyer table.
(ed. note- People in our community are increasingly lonely so meeting people in person is needed more than ever. We have an opportunity to address the need through real relationships, with real conversations. And what better way than to meet others over a meal?; especially neighbors that we might otherwise never see? In our own building no less! The vision of the NET dinners was never to merely feed people, poor or not. It was to provide a time and place where we could meet as neighbors together, foster community, and address a more basic need than even food).
Other upcoming NET dinners: 2/28 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
Family Game Night– bring a game or a family and enjoy games and snacks on Friday 6:30 p- 8:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall.
Retreat– March 16-17 at Camp Pinnacle. Join us for a church family retreat for time of fellowship and learning together. The theme is friendship with God in the book of James. Details on the foyer table. Signup coming soon!
Mission-Learning Trip: we are exploring the possibility of a mission trip together this summer. The next meeting will be February 10th, 8:30 am.
Schoharie Reformed Church is dedicating their sanctuary after 6 1/2 years of rebuilding after flooding. They are hosting a weekend of activities to celebrate: February 24th & 25. You are welcome to attend. See schedule of events on the foyer table and online: http://www.schohariereformedchurch.org/engage/rededication.cfm There are two events that need RSVP by 2/14.
If you are in need of prayer or a visit, Elders, Deacons and Pastor Jeff are available. If you, or someone you know, have a material need the Benevolence Fund can help.
Book Conversation Group– join us in reading A Long Obedience in the Same Direction; Discipleship in an Instant Society by Eugene Peterson. We’ve started, but you may still join us whenever you can make it; 7-8:30 pm at the Spencer’s house. Each meeting we choose the chapter for the following week.
Blurb about the book: As a society, we are no less obsessed with the immediate than when Eugene Peterson first wrote this Christian classic. If anything, email and the Internet may have intensified our quest for the quick fix. But Peterson’s time-tested prescription for discipleship remains the same–a long obedience in the same direction. Tucked away in the Hebrew Psalter, Peterson discovered “an old dog-eared songbook,” the Songs of Ascents that were sung by pilgrims on their way up to worship in Jerusalem. In these songs (Psalms 120-134) Peterson finds encouragement for modern pilgrims as we learn to grow in worship, service, joy, work, happiness, humility, community and blessing. This 20th anniversary edition of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction features these Psalms in Peterson’s widely acclaimed paraphrase, The Message. He also includes an epilogue in which he reflects on the themes of this book and his ministry during the twenty years since its original publication.
Operation Christmas Child
The numbers are in! 11,012,840 shoebox gifts were collected during the 2017 collection season. Thank you for the role you played in providing children around the world with much needed gifts and the opportunity to hear the Good News. Your efforts will have an eternal impact on many children, their families, and their friends. The shoeboxes we packed last fall are touching lives in the Dominican Republic.
We have already begun to gather gifts for our 2018 packing party. Thank you to everyone who donated their Christmas cards and/or already snagged some bargains for our shoeboxes. And let’s not forget the nimble fingers of Joan Youmans at work knitting hats! Since February is Dental Health Month, our gift focus will be toothbrushes. We are committed to including more than one in each box. Multipacks are desirable. If shopping is not your thing, I will be happy to receive your monetary donation toward a bulk purchase of toothbrushes.
Some of you have requested a list of items to assist you in year ’round shopping for OCC. The following items will be included in each of our boxes. We will also need an assortment of small toys, games, clothing items, hair accessories, art supplies… for our “Choose One More Gift” table.
- bars of soap
- washcloths
- combs
- small stuffed animals
- crayons
- pencils
- pencil sharpeners
- spiral notebooks (full size)
A box is located in the foyer where you may leave the gifts you have purchased. Please keep in mind that all items must be new. We may not include glass/breakables, liquids, or war related items such as guns, toy soldiers, or camouflage clothing.
There are many ways in which we are called to support Operation Christmas Child. The most important is through prayer. I invite you to join me at my home (3701 State Route 30) on Feb. 26 at 10 a.m. for a time of fellowship and prayer.
Live in hope!
Mary Lou