Important Announcement
We want everyone to feel comfortable to come to church and to leave well. To that end we ask that all people wear masks upon entering or leaving the church. Please enter through the south door (the ramp) and exit through the north door as you are able. Please maintain social distancing. Once seated you may remove your masks if vaccinated. We acknowledge that this continues to be a challenging time and appreciate everyone’s efforts and caring for one another. With your help, and God’s, we will get through this together.
Thank Yous
Are You Called to Serve Communion?
After church services on December 5th, Pastor Kelly will be having a training session for anyone willing to volunteer to take communion to the members of our church who are in nursing homes or home-bound. These people don’t have the opportunity to receive communion any other way, but you can help. Can you share your time for this worthwhile opportunity to bring comfort and joy to others?
Charge Conference
There will be a charge conference held on December 1st at 4 pm via Zoom for the Trustees to discuss the issue with the Boy Scouts and the church.
Restoration Work
As you may have noticed, restoration work has begun on the church roof. The lift is in the parking lot and there may be ladders and workers in the area. Please be aware of this and be careful. It will be completed as quickly as possible. They are doing their best to get some of this done before winter and we are grateful for their efforts.
Church Building Restoration Fund
The work to repair the church’s structural stability has begun. Please consider contributing to help us work towards paying for this $71,500 project. Although there are investments which were received through generous bequests, the extent and cost of these repairs would significantly deplete church investments if not replenished. You can give online by clicking here (use the pull down menu to give to the Restoration Fund) OR give with cash or check through the weekly offering. Please clearly identify that the money is to be used for the Church Building Restoration Fund. Thank you for your support.
Adopt a Family for Christmas
Each year we adopt a family for Christmas. This year we have two children, a 12-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy. Their wishes, which were on the tags of the Christmas tree located in the front of the sanctuary, have all been claimed. If you took a tag, please return unwrapped gifts with the tag attached to the church by December 5th. There will be bins located in the back of the sanctuary in which to place your gifts. You may contact Mary Drake (518-478-5804) or Marcy Wilson (518-885-7472) with any questions.
Winterwear Mission
It is time to start our Winterwear Mission which will be held through January. Hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves will be collected to be given to people through our Food Pantry and sent to the Navajo people and the Church Without Walls. Your donations may be left in the marked basket in the sanctuary. Your gifts of warmth are greatly needed and genuinely appreciated.
December's First Friday Parade is Back!
On December 3rd the Village of Ballston Spa will be having their First Friday Event with a Christmas Parade. We will be having an Open House with music by members of the High School Orchestra from 5:15 to 6 pm, maintaining social distancing in the sanctuary, and we will be sharing cookies and cocoa outside. Stan Lockwood will be selling Fair Trade chocolate bars in the hallway, so be sure to see Stan before the chocolate is gone. The parade is scheduled to start at 6:30; get here early to get a good place to view it. If you are able to help in any way (baking, pouring cocoa, serving cookies, etc.) please contact the office (518-885-6886 or bsumc@albany.twcbc.com) to let us know how you can help. This is a big event in town, and we would like to let the people know we are still here.
Fair Trade
Fair Trade coffee and tea are still available for those who wish to purchase it. Just call or email Stan Lockwood to make arrangements (518.885.1552 or stosh964@gmail.com) . Also, dark chocolate bars will be available before the holidays to keep all who are chocolate lovers happy!! Thank you to those who support this ministry at BSUMC.
United Methodist Student Day is Nov. 28
For more than 100 years, United Methodists have been supporting their students’ educational needs through a special offering. Right now, there are United Methodist young people who might not have the resources to attend a school of their choice, or, for some, any school at all. But because of people like you, they will be sent into the world God loves with gifts made through United Methodist Student Day. Your contribution is an acknowledgment that the church has confidence in them and in their abilities. Please help deserving, young adults continue their education and their faith journeys. You may donate by cash or check by making a note stating the purpose of the donation.
Let’s Decorate!
At 7 pm Friday, November 26th, let’s meet in the sanctuary to decorate the church for Christmas. Wear your ugly Christmas sweater, you might win a prize! Let’s start the holidays off right with music and decorating and making a joyful noise! We look forward to seeing everyone there!
Thank You from the Missions Team
Thank you to all of you for supporting the mission project of the Sock Ministry. The final piece has been done with the drop shipments of socks into New Mexico for the Four Corners Native American Ministry there. They will all be delivered by the end of this month. These will be distributed to the Navajo peoples.
All totaled we donated 620 pairs of socks - locally (Food Pantry), Schenectady and Scotia areas (City Mission and Over the Bridge Ministry and Street Soldiers), Red Bird Christmas Shoebox ministry, and Four Corners. Thank you for your generosity and caring by providing socks and/or money to purchase socks. That all adds up to a lot of warm and dry feet.
Thrift Shop and Food Pantry
The Thrift Shop has reopened! Come shop on Tuesdays from 9:30 till noon. The Food Pantry remains open on Wednesdays from 9:30 till noon. Thank you to the people who continue to donate their time for both of these worthwhile missions.
Did You Know?
Our services are posted to Facebook and on our website. If you Like it on Facebook and share it, it will reach many more people than if it is just on our Facebook page. You can also direct anyone to the Recent Posts page of this site (https://www.ballstonspaumchurch.org/recent-posts), which is where the service is posted weekly. This would be spreading the Word of God, as we are told to do in the Bible.
Sunday Coffee Hour is on ZOOM or by Phone
Join us for the 9:00 am Sunday Coffee Fellowship on Zoom. Please meet by computer or phone by connecting with the following information:
In the Zoom app or by phone at 929-205-6099, you can use Meeting ID: 963 0143 0502 / Passcode: 956579. Or simply click here to join Zoom Meeting.
Prayer Group
Please consider joining our prayer group. This is an on-line way of praying for each other’s needs and praising God for what is happening in each other’s lives. If you would be interested in being involved, please either call or email the office and you can be set up.
This week's prayer concerns:
Please reach out to people who are alone during this time. A card or phone call will let them know they are not alone or forgotten.
Let’s Change the World, One Bouquet at a Time!
The Bloomin' 4 Good Program from Hannaford works to give back in our local communities. During December 2021 every $12.00 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet sold at the 43 Round Lake Road, Ballston Lake store sends a $1 donation to our Food Pantry. Each Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquet must have the red circle sticker on it to get the donation.
The Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet is a grower's choice floral bouquet. This means that the assortment of flowers within the bouquet will change. Be sure to look for the bouquet with the red circle sticker on it to be sure the purchase will support our food pantry.
Karen Nachbar Staulters Wins Ministry of Memory Award
The Ministry of Memory Award is a national award granted by the Historical Society of The United Methodist Church to recognize and encourage excellence in archival and historical work in the church. Karen Nachbar Staulters, a lay member at BSUMC, has won this distinguished award.
She became a member of Troy Conference Commission on Archives and History (CAH) in 2000 and officially assumed the volunteer position of Troy Conference Archivist in September 2004 as “a qualified candidate” whose “enthusiasm, knowledge, energy and personality have contributed to the smooth operation and effectiveness of the Troy Conference Archives.” Karen then became the Upper New York Conference Archivist and continued through September 30, 2017, when she resigned for health reasons. Karen coordinated the consolidation of materials from four conferences (North Central NY, Troy, Western NY, Wyoming) at the UNY Conference Center in Liverpool. She also trained folks in sorting records from closed churches, both individually and in a videotaped presentation for closing churches. Karen also assisted in drafting a successful Documentary Heritage Grant that funded a professional appraisal of our new combined archives and made recommendations for the archives going forward.
She continues to be an invaluable resource and advocate for the Upper New York Archives and is currently drafting our new archives policies and procedures. The UNY Conference congratulates Karen for receiving the Ministry of Memory Award.
Upcoming Events
Nov. 21-27 - Pastor Kelly on vacation
November 26 - Decorating Party 7 pm
November 28 - 1st Sunday of Advent - Hope
November 28 - United Methodist Student Day
Celebrations!
This week's birthdays:
There are no anniversaries this week.
If there is a birthday or anniversary that you would like shared, please send it to the church office by email. Happy celebrations are always a blessing!
Next week in worship:
Sound George Wilson
Projection AJ Schmidt
Liturgist Sarah Behnke
Children’s Time Linda Sheeran
Ushers George Mallette & Conrad Dorau
Have a blessed week
We want everyone to feel comfortable to come to church and to leave well. To that end we ask that all people wear masks upon entering or leaving the church. Please enter through the south door (the ramp) and exit through the north door as you are able. Please maintain social distancing. Once seated you may remove your masks if vaccinated. We acknowledge that this continues to be a challenging time and appreciate everyone’s efforts and caring for one another. With your help, and God’s, we will get through this together.
Thank Yous
- Thank you to Ruth Persons for leading worship on November 21, while Pastor Kelly and her family are on vacation.
- Thanks also to Glenn Harrison who provided pastoral coverage for the church in her absence.
- Thank you to Tom Chase for replacing the Bibles and hymnals in the sanctuary. It has been found that COVID is not passed through surface contact, so we are safe from that mode of transmission.
- Scoutmaster Rick Roby and the Boy Scouts have completed the raking at the parsonage where they were treated to cookies. Thank you for a job well done!
Are You Called to Serve Communion?
After church services on December 5th, Pastor Kelly will be having a training session for anyone willing to volunteer to take communion to the members of our church who are in nursing homes or home-bound. These people don’t have the opportunity to receive communion any other way, but you can help. Can you share your time for this worthwhile opportunity to bring comfort and joy to others?
Charge Conference
There will be a charge conference held on December 1st at 4 pm via Zoom for the Trustees to discuss the issue with the Boy Scouts and the church.
Restoration Work
As you may have noticed, restoration work has begun on the church roof. The lift is in the parking lot and there may be ladders and workers in the area. Please be aware of this and be careful. It will be completed as quickly as possible. They are doing their best to get some of this done before winter and we are grateful for their efforts.
Church Building Restoration Fund
The work to repair the church’s structural stability has begun. Please consider contributing to help us work towards paying for this $71,500 project. Although there are investments which were received through generous bequests, the extent and cost of these repairs would significantly deplete church investments if not replenished. You can give online by clicking here (use the pull down menu to give to the Restoration Fund) OR give with cash or check through the weekly offering. Please clearly identify that the money is to be used for the Church Building Restoration Fund. Thank you for your support.
Adopt a Family for Christmas
Each year we adopt a family for Christmas. This year we have two children, a 12-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy. Their wishes, which were on the tags of the Christmas tree located in the front of the sanctuary, have all been claimed. If you took a tag, please return unwrapped gifts with the tag attached to the church by December 5th. There will be bins located in the back of the sanctuary in which to place your gifts. You may contact Mary Drake (518-478-5804) or Marcy Wilson (518-885-7472) with any questions.
Winterwear Mission
It is time to start our Winterwear Mission which will be held through January. Hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves will be collected to be given to people through our Food Pantry and sent to the Navajo people and the Church Without Walls. Your donations may be left in the marked basket in the sanctuary. Your gifts of warmth are greatly needed and genuinely appreciated.
December's First Friday Parade is Back!
On December 3rd the Village of Ballston Spa will be having their First Friday Event with a Christmas Parade. We will be having an Open House with music by members of the High School Orchestra from 5:15 to 6 pm, maintaining social distancing in the sanctuary, and we will be sharing cookies and cocoa outside. Stan Lockwood will be selling Fair Trade chocolate bars in the hallway, so be sure to see Stan before the chocolate is gone. The parade is scheduled to start at 6:30; get here early to get a good place to view it. If you are able to help in any way (baking, pouring cocoa, serving cookies, etc.) please contact the office (518-885-6886 or bsumc@albany.twcbc.com) to let us know how you can help. This is a big event in town, and we would like to let the people know we are still here.
Fair Trade
Fair Trade coffee and tea are still available for those who wish to purchase it. Just call or email Stan Lockwood to make arrangements (518.885.1552 or stosh964@gmail.com) . Also, dark chocolate bars will be available before the holidays to keep all who are chocolate lovers happy!! Thank you to those who support this ministry at BSUMC.
United Methodist Student Day is Nov. 28
For more than 100 years, United Methodists have been supporting their students’ educational needs through a special offering. Right now, there are United Methodist young people who might not have the resources to attend a school of their choice, or, for some, any school at all. But because of people like you, they will be sent into the world God loves with gifts made through United Methodist Student Day. Your contribution is an acknowledgment that the church has confidence in them and in their abilities. Please help deserving, young adults continue their education and their faith journeys. You may donate by cash or check by making a note stating the purpose of the donation.
Let’s Decorate!
At 7 pm Friday, November 26th, let’s meet in the sanctuary to decorate the church for Christmas. Wear your ugly Christmas sweater, you might win a prize! Let’s start the holidays off right with music and decorating and making a joyful noise! We look forward to seeing everyone there!
Thank You from the Missions Team
Thank you to all of you for supporting the mission project of the Sock Ministry. The final piece has been done with the drop shipments of socks into New Mexico for the Four Corners Native American Ministry there. They will all be delivered by the end of this month. These will be distributed to the Navajo peoples.
All totaled we donated 620 pairs of socks - locally (Food Pantry), Schenectady and Scotia areas (City Mission and Over the Bridge Ministry and Street Soldiers), Red Bird Christmas Shoebox ministry, and Four Corners. Thank you for your generosity and caring by providing socks and/or money to purchase socks. That all adds up to a lot of warm and dry feet.
Thrift Shop and Food Pantry
The Thrift Shop has reopened! Come shop on Tuesdays from 9:30 till noon. The Food Pantry remains open on Wednesdays from 9:30 till noon. Thank you to the people who continue to donate their time for both of these worthwhile missions.
Did You Know?
Our services are posted to Facebook and on our website. If you Like it on Facebook and share it, it will reach many more people than if it is just on our Facebook page. You can also direct anyone to the Recent Posts page of this site (https://www.ballstonspaumchurch.org/recent-posts), which is where the service is posted weekly. This would be spreading the Word of God, as we are told to do in the Bible.
Sunday Coffee Hour is on ZOOM or by Phone
Join us for the 9:00 am Sunday Coffee Fellowship on Zoom. Please meet by computer or phone by connecting with the following information:
In the Zoom app or by phone at 929-205-6099, you can use Meeting ID: 963 0143 0502 / Passcode: 956579. Or simply click here to join Zoom Meeting.
Prayer Group
Please consider joining our prayer group. This is an on-line way of praying for each other’s needs and praising God for what is happening in each other’s lives. If you would be interested in being involved, please either call or email the office and you can be set up.
This week's prayer concerns:
- Prayers of healing for Melody Babcock following her surgery this week.
- Jason Behnke had surgery this week and prayers of healing are requested.
- Prayers for Dorothy Collins who is feeling under the weather.
- Cherrie Sanders asks for prayers for Arielle Olsen, who was baptized in August. She has bronchitis and Covid.
- Cherrie Sanders also asks for continued prayers for her friend John Hulbert who has started chemo treatments for his stage 4 cancer.
- Mary Drake asks for prayers for her Uncle Tom and the family in Indiana. He is 84 years old, and his kidneys are only functioning at 11%. He is declining dialysis due to his age. His wife Ann is suffering from dementia and doesn't understand what is going on.
- Ruth Persons asks for prayer for her friend Tina who is having major dental issues.
- Please keep Eleanor in prayer. She suffered a heart attack and had a stent put in.
- Please keep Kelly Schmidt and her family in prayer. Kelly’s grandmother is not doing well.
- Please also pray for Dorothy’s friend Sharon that her doctors find the right medications and treatments for her.
- Pat Jones would like prayers of comfort and healing for her sister Doris Diamond who has health issues.
- Please continue prayers for Olivia. She has been missing since June 20th.
- Pat Jones asks for prayers of comfort for Jim, a local man of ninety-three, who is in ill health.
- Carrie Adserias requests prayers for Kyle's Grandma Carleen who has been battling with spreading cancer and treatments for a while now and is currently suffering with complications.
- Ilah Sisson Walser asks for prayers for a family friend who is going through another bout with cancer with specialized treatments. Please add her to your prayers. Thank you.
- Please continue to keep Bill Haege, Marilynn Peterson, and Bob Elbertson in your prayers.
Please reach out to people who are alone during this time. A card or phone call will let them know they are not alone or forgotten.
Let’s Change the World, One Bouquet at a Time!
The Bloomin' 4 Good Program from Hannaford works to give back in our local communities. During December 2021 every $12.00 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet sold at the 43 Round Lake Road, Ballston Lake store sends a $1 donation to our Food Pantry. Each Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquet must have the red circle sticker on it to get the donation.
The Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet is a grower's choice floral bouquet. This means that the assortment of flowers within the bouquet will change. Be sure to look for the bouquet with the red circle sticker on it to be sure the purchase will support our food pantry.
Karen Nachbar Staulters Wins Ministry of Memory Award
The Ministry of Memory Award is a national award granted by the Historical Society of The United Methodist Church to recognize and encourage excellence in archival and historical work in the church. Karen Nachbar Staulters, a lay member at BSUMC, has won this distinguished award.
She became a member of Troy Conference Commission on Archives and History (CAH) in 2000 and officially assumed the volunteer position of Troy Conference Archivist in September 2004 as “a qualified candidate” whose “enthusiasm, knowledge, energy and personality have contributed to the smooth operation and effectiveness of the Troy Conference Archives.” Karen then became the Upper New York Conference Archivist and continued through September 30, 2017, when she resigned for health reasons. Karen coordinated the consolidation of materials from four conferences (North Central NY, Troy, Western NY, Wyoming) at the UNY Conference Center in Liverpool. She also trained folks in sorting records from closed churches, both individually and in a videotaped presentation for closing churches. Karen also assisted in drafting a successful Documentary Heritage Grant that funded a professional appraisal of our new combined archives and made recommendations for the archives going forward.
She continues to be an invaluable resource and advocate for the Upper New York Archives and is currently drafting our new archives policies and procedures. The UNY Conference congratulates Karen for receiving the Ministry of Memory Award.
Upcoming Events
Nov. 21-27 - Pastor Kelly on vacation
November 26 - Decorating Party 7 pm
November 28 - 1st Sunday of Advent - Hope
November 28 - United Methodist Student Day
Celebrations!
This week's birthdays:
- Ruth Persons (11/21)
- Helen Senecal (11/22)
- Marion Capasso (11/23)
- Janet Mallette (11/23)
- Kevin Blake (11/27)
There are no anniversaries this week.
If there is a birthday or anniversary that you would like shared, please send it to the church office by email. Happy celebrations are always a blessing!
Next week in worship:
Sound George Wilson
Projection AJ Schmidt
Liturgist Sarah Behnke
Children’s Time Linda Sheeran
Ushers George Mallette & Conrad Dorau
Have a blessed week