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Open arms and serving hands transforming lives through Christ |
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JOIN US FOR
WORSHIP
Worship Services:
8:00 and 10:30 a.m.
Traditional
9:15 a.m.
Praise and Worship
THIS SUNDAY,
December 3, 2017
Holy Communion
1st Sunday of Advent
"A Miracle of Timing"
Galatians 4:1-7
215-357-6998
HOURS
Monday - Friday
8:30-3:00 p.m.
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THIS WEEK'S
CALENDAR
Sunday, December 3
9:00am
Children's Sunday School
10:30am
Children & Youth Sunday School
10:30am
Confirmation Class
Monday, December 4
6:45pm
Advent Bible Study
7:00pm
Celebration Ringers
Tuesday, December 5
10:00am
Advent Bible Study
7:00pm
Praise Band Rehearsal
Wednesday, December 6
7:00pm
Advent Bible Study
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PRAYER LIST Please click to view
All "Ongoing Prayer Concerns" will be listed for
2 weeks.
Please submit a new prayer request card if you desire to renew the listing for 2 additional weeks.
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Prayer Shawl Ministry
Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month
in the parlor - 10 AM
Please come help knit or crochet various items for those in need.
Contact Roberta Nelson for more information or if you
w
ould like to request a
Prayer Shawl.
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Please go to the Children's Ministry Page for forms.
Children's Sunday School
Children's Sunday School is held weekly at the 9:15 and 10:30 services
f
or children 4 years old through 6th Grade. A parent must accompany children who are attending for the first time.
Volunteers are needed for both the 9:15 and 10:30 services in Children's Sunday School. Contact Alison Beal.
Youth Sunday School
Sunday school takes place every Sunday at the 10:30 service. Youth who have completed 6th grade through 12th grade go directly to the Youth Room in the Education Wing. Youth are encouraged to worship together at the 9:15 service.
Nursery
Available at both
9:15 and 10:30.
We welcome all children birth through 4 years old.
The nursery is equipped with a calling system and will alert you in worship if your child needs you.
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RONALD McDONALD HOUSE TABS COLLECTION
Naomi Circle is collecting tabs from beverage cans for Ronald McDonald House. You will find a container under the sign hanging on the UMW bulletin board. Please place them in a plastic bag and put it in the container. This is an ongoing collection, so keep bringing them in as you collect them.
Thank you.
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DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Looking for a little inspiration during the week?
Try an online devotional.
(has many devotionals to choose from)
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Blessing of the Animals
I
t was a wonderful day giving thanks for all God's creation, and celebrating His gift of creatures, great and small.
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MOBILE GIVING
Have you ever arrived at church and forgot your giving envelope? Or you would like to make a Communion Offering and you have just 18 cents in your pocketbook?
Well, help as arrived, as
St John's now offers mobile giving!
Just go to the
website
click on the donate now button, and register. Once you're registered, you can either make donations by debit or credit. It's quick and secure. The same vendor that handles electronic giving for us, Vanco Services, has state of the art encryption, so you can rest easy that your transaction is 100% safe and confidential.
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UMC LINKS
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I watched with great interest the movie "Wonder" over this past weekend. Actually, we went at the suggestion of my 12-year-old grandson, Jalen, who said, "Oh! We're reading that book in school, Mom-mom - let's go see the movie'!" I asked, "Well, what's it about?" "It's about a boy with a facial deformity." "Oh really? Well, okay, let's go!"
First of all, let me say that I totally recommend this movie - and not just for children! There are so many good things about it. It tells a powerful lesson on love, grace, persistence, determination, tolerance, and transformation. The story begins with a young boy who refuses to leave the house without wearing a space helmet. It concludes with a young boy who can confidently face life without the helmet, and in addition to that, there is the amazing growth and transformation of the young people surrounding him.
Many of you know that my daughter, Allison, was born with a cleft lip and palate. Certainly nothing as severe as the character in this story, Auggie. But having been through the too-many-to-count surgeries beginning at the age of 3 months and still ongoing as recently as this past summer, I can attest to the fact that ANY deformity or ANY disability/difference, is a tough thing for a person to live with and to overcome.
If you've ever met or seen pictures of Allison, you might not immediately notice the scar from the cleft. Thanks to the excellent plastic surgery available these days (and a little make-up lol), she mostly has overcome the deformity. However, I recently looked back at all the photos I have of her, and I said, "every one of these pictures is from the right angle - that's strange!" To which she replied, "I do that on purpose." "Oh really?" Gee, I had no idea she was still sensitive about it. And, of course, hers is a relatively minor 'difference'.
Wouldn't it be a great project for ALL of us during the Advent season to make an effort, at least once, to go out of our way to spend a little time or to give a little extra attention to someone we might know (or we might run into) who deals with a significant difference or disability? Wouldn't that be a great way to share the joy of the season?
Pastor Janice
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2017 ADVENT/CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
Festival of Carols
Sunday, December 10th at 6:00 p.m.
An evening of Christmas Music and Caroling
Presented by St. John's Choirs
Sunday, December 17th
A service of Christmas Music presented by the Choirs
at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. only
(PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE NO 9:15 AM SERVICE)
Sunday, December 24 - Christmas Eve Day
10:00 a.m.
(ONE SERVICE ONLY)
Christmas Eve Candlelight Services
5:30 p.m.
Children's Christmas Pageant
Children's Choirs
7:30 p.m.
Adult Choir and Ring of Faith Handbell Choir
9:30 p.m.
Youth Praise Choir and Grace Notes Handbell Choir
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Sunday, December 31 - New Year's Eve
10:00 A.M.
(ONE SERVICE ONLY)
Remember to use your Advent Mission Offering Envelopes
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Advent Mission Project 2017
What gift will you give to Jesus this year for His birthday?
We invite you to give to this year's Advent Mission project, which supports the Christian engineering nonprofit, Water Mission, in its effort to bring power and water back to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. For more information, visit
www.watermission.org. Please place your contribution in the wooden manager in the Narthex. Checks can be made out to St. John's United Methodist Church.
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CHRISTMAS POINSETTIA PLANTS We will be having our Poinsettia Garden on Sunday, December 10, December 17 and on Sunday, Christmas Eve. If you would like to order a plant, please fill out a flower envelope and place in the offering plate. Please be sure to indicate if your poinsettia is in memory or honor of someone or to the glory of God.
PAYMENT MUST BE ENCLOSED WITH YOUR ORDER. The cost of each plant is $6.50.
Deadline for ordering is this Sunday, December 3rd.
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CHRISTMAS ANGEL TREE 2017
Please take a tag from the tree and return it the Narthex with your unwrapped gift by this Sunday, December 3.
Should you have a gift receipt, please attach it to your gift with tape. This is a big help for the paents, should there be duplicate gifts or a change in size.
Thank you for sharing in this wonderful tradition and may you all have a truly blessed Holiday season. Any questions, please contact Kathy Keppol at 215-357-7404 or speak to any of the United Methodist Women Mission Team Members.
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Our 2017 Advent Devotional will be available this Sunday, December 3. Devotionals will be available in the Narthex after all three services. Be sure to get one for yourself and one to share with a family member or friend as well.
A big thank you to Bonnie Bustard, Jackie Brownell, Marjorie Elwell and Betty Witschard for their help folding the devotionals.
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Sunday nights
7:00-8:30 PM
Hmmm. What are we doing at Youth Gr
oup?
This Sunday, December 3
Movie Night!
Popcorn will be provided
but
feel free to bring your own snacks to share!
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No Youth Group on December 10
Festival of Carols at 6 PM
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Youth Group Progressive Dinner
December 17 - 4 PM-?
Join us for a night of Caroling and Eating
You must sign up for this event on bulletin board
outside youth room.
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Morrisville Food Bank Monday
December 11- Contact David Bigam
Do Not Miss This Opportunity!
Come and experience great Fellowship!
Morrisville is open to anyone interested in going to help make 220 grocery bags full of food.
Families are always welcome!
Following this event we always head to Chick-fil-a for Milkshakes!!!!
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And as always
Bring a Friend and Bring a Can!
(All food collected goes to Jesus Focus Food Pantry)
Have you HELPED anyone today?
Have you SAID SOMETHING NICE to anyone today?
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CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS EVE PAGEANT
Rehearsal Schedule:
December 3 |
(Sunday) |
4:30-5:45 PM |
Speaking parts only
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December 9 |
(Saturday) |
9-11 AM |
All Children
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December 16 |
(Saturday) |
9-11 AM |
All Children
Dress Rehearsal
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CHRISTMAS MUSIC PROGRAMS
Festival of Carols
Sunday, December 10 - 6:00 pm
Choirs Handbell Choirs Special Music
Orchestra Carol Singing
Canned Goods Food Drive
Music Sunday Services
Sunday, December 17
9:00 & 10:30 Services
Choirs and Handbell Choirs
"A Christmas Music Celebration"
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TURKEY DRIVE FOR EASTWICK FOOD BANK
On Monday, November 20, Ann and John VanEerden made a delivery to the
Eastwick Food Bank of
30 frozen turkeys, 2 certificates for a free turkey in any supermarket and a check for $525.
Eastwick, again, was a happy and grateful recipient.
Thank you for your support and generosity.
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Join the Conversation and
Bring a Friend!
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ARE OPEN
DAILY
9:00a.m. - 5:30p.m.
Donations of clothing and household furnishings accepted.
Closing for the winter on December 3
For the past few weeks we have had a full trailer ready to go to Kentucky, but have been unable to rent a tractor to pull the trailer to Kentucky. Our understanding is that all available tractors are in the South helping with storm relief. In addition, once we reach December, the potential for winter storms in the mountains between here and Beverly, Kentucky increases and we do not want to take the chance of traveling through a bad storm. Finally, the second trailer we use for trips to Kentucky is 75% full and therefore we are limited as to how much we can receive.
For those reasons we are closing the Red Bird Trailers on Sunday, December 3, 2017.
Thank you for your continued support.
Dick Paulus -
Team Leader,
Red Bird Trailer Mission
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When you purchase Warrior Coffee as a Christmas gift you can give two gifts in one.
That's correct, because by
fighting for what's right one cup at a time, you are giving the gift of a premium grade coffee and knowing that your su
pport ensures that every penny of profit goes directly to the villagers in the El Naranjito, Dominican Republic to improve their standard of living and provide sustainable and environmentally friendly projects to enrich their lives.
Coffee orders placed on Sunday will be available at St. John's on Sunday,
December 17.
Warrior Coffee is served exclusively in the Grace Cafe.
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