Welcome to Advent! This is the week of Hope
Advent, (from the Latin adventus, “coming”), in the Christian church calendar, is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. We celebrate by lighting candles on an Advent wreath, a circular garland of evergreen branches representing eternity. On that wreath, five candles are typically arranged with one candle lit each Sunday and the fifth candle lit on Christmas Eve. Each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ. The first candle, which we light today, represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming Messiah.
Important Announcement
We ask that all people wear masks. Please enter through the south door and exit through the north door. 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.
United Methodist Student Day - November 28
United Methodist Student Day is when the United Methodists set aside time to honor and celebrate students in congregations and around the world. With this special offering, we invest in them as their spiritual gifts are revealed and they grow into strong leaders. We are mindful that they may be struggling financially, spiritually or emotionally. They are preparing themselves to face a world that, in many ways, is broken and hurting. Give...and you help our students thrive. You may donate by cash or check by making a note stating the purpose of the donation.
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.
UMCOR - Love Joy Hope Peace
You bear witness to God’s presence in the world when the sick are made well and the vulnerable are protected. Join others just like you who are bringing life-saving medical interventions to at-risk children and families around the world. Please give today by marking your check Love Joy Hope Peace, or clicking here and choosing the UMCOR fund, or by visiting UMCOR at umcmission.org/givelove.
Thank You
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.
Thank You
Thank you for your generous donations to the Ballston Spa Ecumenical Thanksgiving Bags. You have been a blessing to those in need this Thanksgiving.
Sunday School December 12th
Join us for Sunday School! We will meet as one group and have some fun projects and activities to share with the kids to make it exciting. We look forward to seeing you!
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.
Upcoming Events
December 1 - Charge Conference 4 pm (via Zoom)
December 3 - 1st Friday Open House 5:15
December 5 - 2nd Sunday of Advent – Peace
December 7 - Finance Mtg. 6:30 pm
December 12 - 3rd Sunday of Advent – Joy
December 14 - Church Council 7 pm (via Zoom)
December 19 - 4th Sunday of Advent – Love
December 21 - Blue Christmas 7 pm Round Lake
December 24 - Christmas Eve Svc. 7 pm
Dec. 25-Jan. 1 - Pastor Kelly on vacation
Celebrations!
This week's birthday:
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 Riley Schmidt
Projection AJ Schmidt
Liturgist Jason Behnke
Children’s Time Sue Cramer
Ushers Melody Babcock & Conrad Dorau
Have a blessed week
Advent, (from the Latin adventus, “coming”), in the Christian church calendar, is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. We celebrate by lighting candles on an Advent wreath, a circular garland of evergreen branches representing eternity. On that wreath, five candles are typically arranged with one candle lit each Sunday and the fifth candle lit on Christmas Eve. Each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ. The first candle, which we light today, represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming Messiah.
Important Announcement
We ask that all people wear masks. Please enter through the south door and exit through the north door. 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.
United Methodist Student Day - November 28
United Methodist Student Day is when the United Methodists set aside time to honor and celebrate students in congregations and around the world. With this special offering, we invest in them as their spiritual gifts are revealed and they grow into strong leaders. We are mindful that they may be struggling financially, spiritually or emotionally. They are preparing themselves to face a world that, in many ways, is broken and hurting. Give...and you help our students thrive. You may donate by cash or check by making a note stating the purpose of the donation.
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.
UMCOR - Love Joy Hope Peace
You bear witness to God’s presence in the world when the sick are made well and the vulnerable are protected. Join others just like you who are bringing life-saving medical interventions to at-risk children and families around the world. Please give today by marking your check Love Joy Hope Peace, or clicking here and choosing the UMCOR fund, or by visiting UMCOR at umcmission.org/givelove.
Thank You
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.
Thank You
Thank you for your generous donations to the Ballston Spa Ecumenical Thanksgiving Bags. You have been a blessing to those in need this Thanksgiving.
Sunday School December 12th
Join us for Sunday School! We will meet as one group and have some fun projects and activities to share with the kids to make it exciting. We look forward to seeing you!
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:
- Mark Warner writes: I learned today that a good friend I’ve worked with for many years has been diagnosed with early-onset memory loss. He is being treated with anti-Alzheimer’s medication & must wait several weeks for a CAT scan. Please pray for Louis.
- Prayers of healing for Melody Babcock following her surgery.
- Jason Behnke had surgery 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 suffered a broken hip in a fall and underwent surgery.
- Please pray for Dorothy’s friend Sharon that her doctors find the right treatments for her.
- Pat Jones would like prayers of 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 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.
Upcoming Events
December 1 - Charge Conference 4 pm (via Zoom)
December 3 - 1st Friday Open House 5:15
December 5 - 2nd Sunday of Advent – Peace
December 7 - Finance Mtg. 6:30 pm
December 12 - 3rd Sunday of Advent – Joy
December 14 - Church Council 7 pm (via Zoom)
December 19 - 4th Sunday of Advent – Love
December 21 - Blue Christmas 7 pm Round Lake
December 24 - Christmas Eve Svc. 7 pm
Dec. 25-Jan. 1 - Pastor Kelly on vacation
Celebrations!
This week's birthday:
- Cherrie Sanders (12/1)
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 Riley Schmidt
Projection AJ Schmidt
Liturgist Jason Behnke
Children’s Time Sue Cramer
Ushers Melody Babcock & Conrad Dorau
Have a blessed week