Great Job!

Hurray!  A big thank you to everyone who helped with baking cookies and manning the bake sale table last weekend. We've kicked off our fundraising efforts for our summer mission trip to Duluth, Minnesota.

We sold out of all our goodies quickly after the 11:00 service and made $285!! Great job everyone! We're on our way!

Nativity Play

I've assigned roles for our Nativity Play that will be performed on December 24th at the 4:00 service. 

Rehearsals are as follows:

Sunday, December 16 between services 10:30-11:00

Sunday, December 23 between services 10:30 - 11:00 and dress rehearsal/staging after the 11:00 service until about 1:30. 

Monday, December 24 final rehearsal at 3:00 ("performance" at 4:00)

I hope I got everyone who said they wanted to perform this year. If you are not on this list but wish to help out and take a part, please let me know ASAP. If you can't come to a rehearsal, let me know now. 

Cast

Narrator: 

Beth Stark

Mary: 

Jessica Krone

Joseph: 

Nathan Pohl

Gabriel: 

Drew Degener

Innkeeper: 

Alex Marchand

Shepherds: 

Amanda Glass

Madelyn Degener

Angels: Caitlin Marchand

Brenna Degener

King Herod:  William Stark

Wise Men: Luke Pohl

Joshua Doering

Louie Stark

Why Ring Bells for the Salvation Army?

The Red Kettle Christmas Campaign enables The Salvation Army to provide food, toys and clothing to over 6 million people during the Christmas season and helps more than 34 million Americans recovering from all kinds of personal disasters nationwide. 

Seems like a good reason to me!!

Feed the Homeless

It’s that time of year again when we get up really early on a Sunday and spread God’s love and compassion to the guests at the First United Methodist Church in Plymouth. FUMC hosts a rotating homeless shelter through the Cass Community Social Services.  This will be our 5^th  year of serving in this valuable ministry. Our middle school youth group is scheduled to prepare and serve breakfast on Sunday, November 11 to about 50 homeless people who stay at this rotating shelter. This would mean getting up pretty darn early in the morning, but it is a great opportunity for service. Let me know ASAP if you’d be willing to do this. Please let me know in person, text or email me.

We meet at the church in Plymouth at 5:30 AM and prepare and serve breakfast at 6:00. We also eat with them and fellowship with them, showing them Christ’s love over breakfast and conversation. Sometimes we play games like chess, or cards before they leave about 7:00 AM. Once breakfast is over, we clean up and head back to our homes (usually by 8:00.) We will still have Breakfast Club that morning at 9:15. 

We will be preparing eggs, fruit, pastries or muffins, juice and sausage to go with our meal that morning. 

If you have volunteered for this ministry in the past you know how much joy you can bring to others less fortunate and you know how much joy you also receive from serving. I encourage you to sign up, you won’t regret it! Adults are more than welcome to stay, help prepare, and fellowship with the guests.

Looking forward to serving alongside of you,

Nancy

Share your Faith, Learn about Other's!

Wednesday, October 17

7:00 - 9:00 PM (We'll meet at Geneva at 6:45, or meet us at the church around 7:00)

 @ St. Thomas a'Beckett church

Area teens from all faiths to meet!

Each visiting teen (or teens) will give a 5 minute (or so) synopsis of the beliefs and practices of their religion.  There will be a total of 7 or 8 different religions represented and all teens will have the chance to listen to each group speak on behalf of their faith.  

After all have spoken, we will open up the floor to questions - in which ALL teens (a'Becket and visitors) will be able to ask and answer.  When we have finished, we will end the evening with some fellowship - cookies, punch, conversation and laughs! 

Adults are invited as well!  I am sure parents would love to hear their teens speak. 

from Stephanie Tierney, Youth Pastor at St. Thomas a'Beckett:

I really think that this meeting holds so many opportunities for some great understanding in regards to the teens.  It is my hope that some great connections and friendships will result from this.  Thank you so much for your interest in be a part of this - I cannot wait to meet everyone!  

30 Hour Famine POSTPONED

October 5 and 6th are super busy for everyone I guess! We'll try to do this in January when we've got more time...

Our 30 Hour Famine has been postponed!! It seems that the majority of our youth have soccer, swimming, running, marching band, family trips, and other very important activities that weekend. We will attempt to do this again in January. If you have already collected funds, please let your donors know we will be doing the Famine in January instead. 

We’re off to a running start!

I’m really excited about how our fall programming has taken off.  We’ve had a really good turnout on Sunday mornings for Breakfast Club. I’ve enjoyed watching the videos and listening to the reader’s theater versions of The Story, but I’ve mostly been energized by the discussions! Our middle schoolers can come up with some very good questions and have great insight as well.

I’m really enjoying Sunday night youth fellowship as well. We’ve had some pretty good laughs during some of our games. And yes, I will admit it was pretty exhilarating when I actually won a game of Ga Ga Ball. I’ve got some fun activities planned for our weekly youth group time, but I also hope to take suggestions from you (this means youth AND parents!) There will be a box in the youth room marked “Sunday Night Suggestions” and I hope you use it! Please put game suggestions, service/mission project suggestions or anything you have in mind for our Sunday Night get-togethers; remember this is YOUR youth group!

I also hope you think about bringing friends to both Breakfast Club and Youth Group on Sunday nights. The more the merrier!