Dear friends,

On Sunday, we will move from "masks required" to "masks recommended" in worship. That means you may choose whether or not you wear a mask. Some of you will receive this news with joy and others with anxiety. I ask that you all follow the guidelines above and be kind, be compassionate, and be considerate.

I am so proud of you all. These have been difficult years, yet we have faced them together, in relative harmony despite differences of opinion. We have kept one another and our community safe through the worst of it. While we know the pandemic is not over, and those of us with health issues still have reasons for concern, we have many more tools now to keep ourselves and others safe.

Thank you all for your patience and perseverance. I love you, and I am honored to serve you.

Peace,

Pastor Lisa

October 6-10: Pastor Lisa in Anchorage for the Alaska Conference Clergy Retreat.

October 14-15: Spacious Table worship gathering and host training - see below for more information.

The book of Numbers catalogs the journey of the people and the precious items of the tabernacle as they move from Mt. Sinai, wander through the wilderness, and approach the Promised Land.

Organized by two main census lists, the book of Numbers calls us to question who counts, what our material culture says about us, and what we hold holy.

This Season of All Saints, we are going to explore the book of Numbers through the series Census: Taking Stock of Life and Faith.

Click HERE for the 10/2 Worship video on YouTube.

The bulletin for the Sunday service is HERE.

Click here for ages 3-6 and here for ages 7+.

The Season of All Saints starts October 2 with an all new series called CENSUS: taking stock of life and faith based on the book of Numbers.

On October 9, you will have the chance to share your own family heirloom. Do you have something special passed down through your family? An item that tells something about what your family values and cherishes? Would you be willing to do some "show and tell" during worship?

If so, please respond to this email and let Pastor Lisa know what item you'd like to show and why it's important to you. Thank you for sharing your heirlooms with us!

Sunday School for all ages Sunday morning at 9:45 am.

Two Classes Available

Volunteers are always needed. Please contact the church office to volunteer as a Sunday school leader or helper, or for more information.

Are you curious about this small group experience? On October 14, Pastor Erin Day will host a Spacious Table worship gathering, so you can experience what it's like to worship around the table. Then on October 15, she'll hold a host training for those who are interested in hosting small groups this fall.

October 14, 5 pm: Spacious Table worship @ Pastor Lisa's house

October 15, 9 am-4pm: Spacious Table host training @ the church

Please RSVP by responding to this email if you are interested in learning more about being a host.

Committee Chairs, please start working on your annual tasks and reports for Charge Conference, which is December 1 at 6 pm.

General assignments are:

Trustees - complete report

Finance - complete report, pastor's compensation, and draft budget

SPRC - complete employee evaluations, pastor's evaluation, and salary recommendations

Nominations - recruit committee members

All other committees - write a 1/2 page report on the work of your committee since last charge conference and your plans for the upcoming year

Go to this link to find the required reports: https://alaskaumc.org/2022-charge-conference-files/

Thank you all for your faithful service!

This group meets at 3 pm on the first Tuesday of each month in person and on zoom. October begins our new year of reading.

Book titles for the remainder of 2022:

If you are interested in joining contact Ruby Nofziger or Peggy Ostrom. This group is open to all.

We hope to be back in person in October. Watch this space for the announcement. Please check out the other opportunities available.

The 2022 Program Resource, Mosaic of Faith: We Are All Part of God's Story, from United Women in Faith is available now! 

United Women in Faith Digital Resources hosts a Community Gathering each month through the digital platform, Mighty Networks. For more information about this gathering, or to join this online community, contact Peggy Ostrom.

The September-October 2022 issue of The Upper Room devotions is available in the Narthex. Please stop by during office hours to pick up a copy, or contact the church office to have one mailed to you.

There are many ways to give:

Click here for our church donation page.

Safely text your donation through the Give+ app. Learn more here.

Click here to select Homer UMC as your charity on Amazon.

The 2022 Church Directory is now available – thank you, Peggy, for all your hard work! Three options are available:

In order to conserve paper, the printed versions will be "Print on demand." A small number of copies will be available on Sundays (if you worship in-person, feel free to pick one up!), otherwise, please contact the church office if you want a printed copy and specify whether you want the large-print or booklet format.

Our current office hours are:

Tuesday - Thursday, 9 am - 1 pm

Interim Office Manager: Peggy Ostrom

Be advised that the church outer doors are kept locked during the week. Please call the church office before you come to verify that someone is there to let you in.

NOTE: Pastor Lisa is now 3/4 time pastor of Homer UMC and 1/4 Alaska Director of Connectional Ministries. Please email or call to make an appointment.

We practice spiritual disciplines so that when difficult times arise, we have tools to keep us grounded in God's grace and love. Click here to watch Pastor Lisa's YouTube channel, Raven Fed.

Over the course of the week, if you are in need of comfort and worship, "visit" some of the other Alaskan United Methodist churches to watch their worship services. Click here to see the list of churches offering online worship.