Join us in Arcadia for a delicious pancake breakfast this Saturday, November 16 from 9:00-noon and bring your furry friends for a blessing of the animals! (If you think Chef Nikki's burritos are good - you need to taste these flavor-infused flapjacks!) There will be community, laughter, and a special moment for our beloved pets. Whether they bark, meow, chirp, or silently gaze at you — they’re all welcome!

Cantilena, under the direction of David Schildkret, presents “In Praise of Music” this Sunday, November 17, at 4 p.m. in the sanctuary. The program honors the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia (her day is November 22) and features Benjamin Britten’s magnificent “Hymn to St. Cecilia.” Also included are works by Moses Hogan, Stephen Sametz, Alice Parker, local composer J. Edmund Hughes, and many more.

The Dayspring youth are selling Butter Braid pastries starting this Sunday, November 17, following the 10:00 service on the patio. You can also order online HERE. Pickup is on December 15 and 22. If you haven’t tried these delicious Butter Braids, now’s your chance! This fundraiser will support the youth program and summer trips!

Learn how to make your own compost by turning kitchen scraps and garden cuttings into a rich source of organic matter that recycles nutrients right back into your garden. Master Gardener Emily Heller is an energetic speaker who invites participants to ask questions. You will leave class overflowing with ideas of how to be a better gardener and composter. Register HERE. Please email Chris with questions. 

The 2024-25 Borderlands Produce Rescue season is just around the corner. Dayspring partners with Borderlands to bring unsold fresh produce from regional farms directly to our neighborhoods. Starting the third Saturday of November, we will host a monthly event for the Arcadia neighborhood. Volunteers are needed to pack food boxes of approximately 70lbs. This is a great chance to spend time in the neighborhood, interact with neighbors, reduce food waste and bring healthy food to local families. Our next event is November 23 from 6:00 - 10am. If you’re interested, please email Pastor Michael.

Join more than 70 local vendors at the Dayspring Preschool and Kindergarten’s 39th annual Holiday Boutique on Friday, November 22, from 9:00-7:00 and Saturday, November 23, from 9:00-4:00. Admission is free. There will be food and entertainment throughout the weekend. 

The SEMA Foundation, who joined us earlier this year for our “Sacred Earth: Common Ground” storytelling event, invites Dayspring members to their Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday, Sept. 23, 5 p.m. at their Chandler location. The event is free, however please RSVP here so they can plan accordingly. SEMA Foundation is a Turkish Muslim community organization that strives to promote peace, harmony, and understanding among diverse communities through education, cultural exchange, and interfaith dialogue.

Our annual food drive is Sunday, November 24. We will have a refrigerated truck in the parking lot to collect donations (including frozen turkeys!) for the United Food Bank in Mesa. Last year’s Fall Food Drive collected 2,409 pounds of food, including 48 turkeys, and provided more than 2,700 meals to those experiencing food insecurity in our area! 

We also celebrate Thanksgiving and Commitment Sunday on November 24 by offering our pledges to the General Fund of Dayspring for 2025. This service has become a beloved tradition at Dayspring as we celebrate with all of our choirs, special music and liturgy to pledge our financial commitments to the future of Dayspring. Submit your pledge online HERE.

The November 24 Taizé service is at 4:00pm in the Fellowship Hall. Gathered in the presence of Christ, this is a time of meditative common prayer. During the service, we sing uncomplicated, repetitive songs, uncluttered by too many words, allowing the mystery of God to become known through the beauty of simplicity. A few words are sung over and over again, which helps us to go deeper into prayer. In between the chants we have a scripture reading followed by silence. During this silence, we allow the Word to sink deep into our hearts. Repetition of the words of the chants stills our souls. Silence draws us closer to that inner place where we know God is truly with us. The time and space become sacred. Nothing is hurried. Nothing is rushed.

We are excited to host the annual Tempe Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at Dayspring Tempe on Tuesday, November 26, at 7:00pm. The service, which brings together people from a variety of faith traditions across the valley to our campus, will be in-person as well as live-streamed on our usual channels. Also, a “pick-up” choir directed by David Schildkret will rehearse at 6pm — all are welcome!

Last weekend was our monthly Second Sunday service. Do you love it? Are you indifferent? Do you have ideas how to make it even better? We're always looking for feedback! Please fill out our quick survey HERE!