All are welcome here. We are one of over 800 Methodist churches in the Upper New York Conference, whose vision is to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to be God's love with our neighbors in all places.

Pastor Dion's UPDATES and INSPIRATIONS

Rejoice in the Savior always! I say it again: Rejoice! Let everyone see your forbearing spirit. Our Savior is near. Dismiss all anxiety from your minds; instead, present your needs to God through prayer and petition, giving thanks for all circumstances. Then God’s own peace, which is beyond all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, my siblings, your thoughts should be wholly directed to all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, decent, admirable, virtuous or worthy of praise. Live according to what you have learned and accepted, what you have heard me say and seen me do. Then will the God of peace be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9)

Our Thanksgiving holiday is drawing near with food, family, friends, football, and perhaps a dish of the spiritual practice of gratitude.

Some Native Americans view the U.S. national Thanksgiving holiday as a day of mourning, so extend a gentle listening ear to hear what is in your neighbor’s heart. Together may we grow in love, wisdom and peace.

My practice on Thanksgiving Day has been to gather with people of a variety of religions and ethnicities, and enjoy a diversity of foods, prayers, songs—the stories shared with open hearts. The experience gently helps us become aware of ancient and new practices of thanksgiving around the world.

Giving thanks in North America and throughout the earth predates our national holiday. Our ancient human ancestors gave thanks according to what seemed fitting in their time and place. This coming Thanksgiving Day, each of us will find ways of giving thanks fitting for our lives and culture today.

As Jane Kamensky says, "holidays say much less about who we really were in some specific Then, than about who we want to be in an ever changing Now.”(Billy Honor. The Underside of Thanksgiving. Sojourners. 2014.)

In preparing for Thanksgiving 2025, take time to consider God’s shalom dream for the earth. I encourage you to take at least one concrete action to live into your dreams of grateful living, joyful community, humble sharing, and a world filled with compassionate caring.

As you consider the dreams and needs of your neighbors, you may want to engage in acts of kindness: give a bit more to food pantries, send cards of encouragement, or commit to work for justice to assist the vulnerable according to their needs in 2025 and your perceived callings.

May we all prepare our hearts for lives of gratitude that gently nurture peace among neighbors, within families, and throughout the earth.

Have a blessed time of thanksgiving.

Peace, Dion

WORSHIP

Worship services are held each Sunday at 9 a.m. and are followed by a coffee hour in Fellowship Hall .

Nov. 2 @ 2 a.m.— Daylight Saving Time ends. Don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour or you will be very early for church!

Nov. 2— All Saints Sunday, a day to recognize loved ones who have died during the year.

Nov. 9—Laity Sunday

Nov. 23—Thanksgiving Sunday. Area clergy will host a Thanksgiving service at Stillwater United Church at 2 p.m.

Coffee Hour

Many thanks to those who have stepped up to host or assist with Coffee Hour. If you are still thinking about it, remember that Jack Hill and Bill Bobear are always happy to handle coffee duty. If you are planning to bring something, please let the host know so s/he can plan accordingly.

The Music Gathering continues to practice after church on most Sundays. If you play an instrument, please join us. Drum or guitar players are especially welcome. For more information, contact Carol Eddy (518-588-8906).

SPECIAL EVENT

Churchwide Harvest Potluck Dinner and Program

Have you been missing your church friends? Plan to come on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m., when United Women in Faith will host a potluck dinner in Fellowship Hall. Members Bill and Laurie Bobear will present "The River of No Return," an illustrated talk about their journey to Costa Rica. To help in planning, please let Kay Egan (kayegan01@gmail.com) know what you plan to contribute to the dinner (main dish, vegetable or salad, dessert) or sign up in Fellowship Hall.

OTHER HAPPENINGS

Saturday, Nov. 1, @ 1:30—A memorial service for Joyce Smith will be held at Eastern Parkway UMC, 943 Palmer Ave., Schenectady. Joyce, her husband Rev. Russell Smith, and their daughters, Diane and Judy, were our parsonage family from 1969 to 1973.

Our church's Annual Charge Conference with District Superintendent Debbie Earthrowl is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8, at 2:30 p.m. at Melrose UMC. Representatives from Mechanicville, Johnsonville, Pittstown, and North Chatham UMCs will also be in attendance.

Mark your calendars now for Sunday, Dec. 14, at 3 p.m., when our church choir will offer its annual Christmas cantata. Get in the spirit of the season with "The Ballad of Bethlehem" by Pepper Choplin.

OUTREACH

Sunday, Nov. 2—Joseph's House donations due at church. Current needs: Sweatshirts L and XL, socks, scarves, towels, canned soups, ramen noodles, and hot chocolate.

OUR METHODIST CONNECTION

Skye Farm Summer Camp

Here are some of the highlights from Skye Farm's report of their summer camp and retreat season. For the complete report, see https://skye-farm-newsletter.beehiiv.com/

Registration for the 2026 season opens on Dec. 13!

Summer 2025 was a beautiful whirlwind. 6 weeks, 17 programs, 22 staff, 250 campers, and countless friendships formed, memories made, and relationships with God deepened. Here are just some of our favorite highlights:

Celebrating 20 years of our partnership with Warren County Cornell Cooperative Extension, which has sent thousands of local kids to camp on full scholarships over the past two decades
Revitalizing our off-site trip programs, getting kids back into more adventures in the Adirondack wilderness
Welcoming 3 new chaplains to join us for a week of bible study and faith formation with campers
Watching our Voyagers leadership campers play and lead games with younger campers

Celebrating Christmas in July with a live nativity play during Thursday worship
Hearing the camper who was nervous to try canoeing proudly telling a staff member how much fun she had on the peace canoe
Doubling the registration cap on our new Fun Size program, allowing even more young campers to try out a half week at camp for the first time
Watching campers enthusiastically cheering for their cabinmates, kitchen staff, and even campers they haven’t even met yet during camp talent shows
Handing out “pocket Jesus” tokens to campers during Thursday worship
Seeing kids relax and connect without phones and technology, being themselves and feeling the love in this community

Late-Summer Retreat Season

Our busy summer season doesn’t end when the last summer campers go home at the end of Week 6! The second half of August is filled with retreats of all kinds, allowing a wide variety of people to enjoy the beauty of the Adirondacks in the summer, building community, trying new things, and encountering God. Here are some of the major retreat groups we hosted in August and September of 2025:

· Little Ones - Put on by volunteers as well as paid summer staff, this annual retreat is for kids ages 3-7 accompanied by an adult family member. This year’s retreat was our biggest in recent history, with over 30 people enjoying the fun!

· Preachers: Rest. Work. Play. - We were happy to host this one-day retreat for UMC pastors and their families led by UNY UMC’s Preachers Rest Work Play organization, giving time for rest, renewal, and fun at the lake!

· Guilderland High School Cross Country Retreat - For the better part of the last two decades, we’ve had the pleasure of hosting GXC’s pre-season running camp, with between 80-120 runners, coaches, and chaperones running our trails, doing cannonballs in the lake, bonding as a team while unplugging from technology, and eating lots and lots of yummy camp food!

· Skidmore College Outdoor Orientation Program - 2025 marks our second year hosting incoming 1st years from Skidmore College and their peer advisors over Labor Day Weekend. Filling just about every bed on main camp, these students get to make friends around the campfire and go off site on various Adirondack adventures. It’s a blessing to be able to help their transition into college as they build community and step out of their comfort zone, and we look forward to continuing to be a part of this program for years to come!

· Creating in Creation - This annual crafting retreat is our opportunity to offer a weekend on main camp full of crafting, meals in the dining hall, and fellowship. Crafters this year came from all over New York state, and were members of local churches, camper parents, camp alumni, and crafting retreat experts.

In addition to these major retreats, we also were happily busy hosting:

· Private family retreats & family reunions, both on main camp and at Ogden & Shippey lodges

· A wedding rehearsal dinner for some of our Sherman Lake neighbors

· A memorial service for some of our Sherman Lake neighbors

· And last but absolutely not least, several church retreats for congregations to step outside their daily routines and spend time in community at camp

As we move into our fall and winter seasons, with our seasonal dining hall, cabins, and other facilities shutting down for the winter, we continue to host retreat groups in our year-round spaces.