Bread & Pastries for the Food Pantry
Did you know that every Thursday our Food Pantry receives the unsold goodies from The Bread Basket in Saratoga Springs? Homemade, hearty breads and dinner rolls, and tasty scones, muffins, danish, and cinnamon rolls are bagged up and distributed to any and all clients looking for something sweet. The Bread Basket is happy to see their baked goods not go in the garbage, and our clients are happy to receive them. And we are happy to be the conduit for such a service. Thank you to our volunteers: Thelma Armer, Marion Coton and Jack Schloss, Joyce Garlock, Donna and Stan Lockwood, Diane and Ron Solotruck, and Linda Sheeran.
For the two weeks that The Bread Basket was closed for renovations last month, Leah's Cakery in Round Lake offered their bread and pastries to us. We thank both businesses for their help in feeding the hungry.
Upper New York Annual Conference 2020
TOGETHER in Prayer: Courageously sharing GOD's STORY
On Saturday, October 3, 2020, clergy and laity gathered virtually through a secured livestream for a condensed version of our yearly meeting. Here are some highlights:
It's Pastor Appreciation Sunday!
Pastor Appreciation Sunday, celebrated annually on the second Sunday in October, is a good time for United Methodists to thank clergy for the work they do year-round. Please take the time to greet, call, or email Pastor Kelly and thank her for the work she is doing for the church.
First Presbyterian Annual Election Day Chicken BBQ
The First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa (First Presbyterian Church, 22 West High St., Ballston Spa, www.ballstonpresby.org) will be holding its annual Election Day Brooks Chicken BBQ, Tuesday November 3, 2020, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Half Chicken, roll, coleslaw, potato, and dessert for only $13.25.
CARRY OUT ONLY THIS YEAR. PLEASE PREORDER TO MAKE THINGS GO SMOOTHLY. Call 518-885-5583 before 4:30 pm on Election Day to reserve your order. It goes fast!
Help us help the local community! All proceeds go to support families in the Ballston Spa area through the Ballston Area Clergy Association.
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.
Thrift Shop Request
As was reported in the Ministry Matters a few weeks ago, the Thrift Shop was closed, and will remain closed, due to Covid-19. The status of the Thrift Shop will be reviewed next April. Until the time that a decision has been made, there is to be nothing left for donations. Your generosity is greatly appreciated; however, without having the Thrift Shop open and functioning, the donations are piling up without benefit of use. So we have to ask that you do not bring donations to the Thrift Shop until the final status has been decided. At that time there will be an article in the Ministry Matters to that effect. Thank you for honoring this request.
A Message from the NYS Department of Health
What is COVID Alert NY?
COVID Alert NY is New York State’s official Exposure Notification App. This is a free smartphone app for anyone 18+ that lives and/or works in New York available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store starting October 1st. The COVID Alert NY app notifies users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Upon receiving an exposure notification, the app will encourage users to contact their physician or the State Health Department hotline (1-833-227-5045) to get more information about quarantining and testing.
Anyone who downloads the app does not have to worry about being tracked, identified, or having their personal information shared. The app is completely anonymous and does not track your location or movement. No personal data is collected. COVID Alert NY uses Bluetooth proximity-enabled exposure notification technology provided by Apple and Google which is safe and secure.
What can you do?
The more New Yorkers using the COVID Alert NY app, the more effective it will be as a tool to fight against COVID-19. We need your help to rally your community to download and use the app.
Supporting Our Church Together
We currently have a financial shortfall due to the decreased attendance at worship services. Cost cutting measures are being implemented wherever possible. We have an ongoing fundraiser for Hoffman Car washes that we hope you will support. However, what is most needed is consistent givers. If you are already using VANCO to send your gifts to the church, we are grateful; you can also give online securely on our website. You can also use a “BillPay” option from your bank at no cost. You can designate that a certain amount be sent to us by mail and they will write a check as part of their customer service. All it takes is to contact your bank. And if you need the church’s mailing address, it is 101 Milton Ave, Ballston Spa, NY 12020.
Thank you for your help in meeting our needs.
Weekly Sermons on Facebook
The sermon can be found in print (as well as video) on the Recent Posts page of this site. If you do not have access to that, a print copy can be mailed to you from our church office. Please let the office (518-885-6886) know if you would like it mailed to you and are not currently receiving it that way.
The Worship Schedule for October
Oct. 25 Reformation Sunday
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Sermon: “We Seek to Please God, Not People”
Theme: Being faithful in faith matters
Fair Trade
Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are still available from Stan Lockwood. If interested, please contact him at 518-885-1552 or via email at sdlock2008@hotmail.com. Stan is requesting that anyone interested in purchasing any dark chocolate bars (and which kind) before the holidays to please pre-order. He would place the order by November 10th.
Music for Services
At present, we are not permitted to sing hymns as a congregation, so we would like to feature instrumentalists as much as possible. If you are interested in playing during the service, please contact Cathy King at 518 584-2865 or cathys.notes@gmail.com with your availability. She would need a few dates that work for you so she can schedule things appropriately.
Many thanks for sharing your gifts of music!
Basic Lay Servant Course to be offered via ZOOM in October
Interested in becoming a Certified Lay Servant, Certified Lay Speaker or Certified Lay Minister? Here is how you start!
This course is foundational for all courses in Lay Servant Ministries. Participants are encouraged to discover and employ personal spiritual gifts as God intended and to consider the importance of exercising servant leadership, developing future leaders, remaining rooted in consistent spiritual practices, and being part of a group that holds members accountable in their discipleship." (2020 Lay Servant Catalog)
Mondays, October 19 and 26: 5:30-8:30
Thursdays, October 22 and 29: 5:30-8:30
Cost: $15
Instructors: Arlene Schmidt, CLM, and Jacqueline Kim, CLS
To register contact Adirondack District registrar Arlene Schmidt at adschmidt@nycap.rr.com. Class size will be limited to 12 participants and must purchase the book "Lay Servant Ministries: Basic", by Sandy Jackson with Brian Jackson.
Dates for additional courses in the Certified Lay Ministry are to be scheduled.
Have a blessed week
Did you know that every Thursday our Food Pantry receives the unsold goodies from The Bread Basket in Saratoga Springs? Homemade, hearty breads and dinner rolls, and tasty scones, muffins, danish, and cinnamon rolls are bagged up and distributed to any and all clients looking for something sweet. The Bread Basket is happy to see their baked goods not go in the garbage, and our clients are happy to receive them. And we are happy to be the conduit for such a service. Thank you to our volunteers: Thelma Armer, Marion Coton and Jack Schloss, Joyce Garlock, Donna and Stan Lockwood, Diane and Ron Solotruck, and Linda Sheeran.
For the two weeks that The Bread Basket was closed for renovations last month, Leah's Cakery in Round Lake offered their bread and pastries to us. We thank both businesses for their help in feeding the hungry.
Upper New York Annual Conference 2020
TOGETHER in Prayer: Courageously sharing GOD's STORY
On Saturday, October 3, 2020, clergy and laity gathered virtually through a secured livestream for a condensed version of our yearly meeting. Here are some highlights:
- Opening Remarks by Bishop Mark Webb: He commented that he has frequently turned to Psalm 46 during this pandemic. "God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear..."
- Devotions by Rev. Dr. Sung Ah Choi of Marcellus UMC: She noted that we must "catch the new wind of the Holy Spirit... leading by faith (not by sight) has been our training all along. People look to us Christians for hope, to see what God can do. We are the messengers of hope for God."
- Leadership Team Report: They stressed the Discover, Develop, Deploy (3D) strategy of revitalizing local churches.
- Board of Pensions and Health Benefits Report: Three recommendations were passed which included
- the 2021 housing/rental exclusion
- the 2021 past service annuity rate for the pre-82 pension plan to remain the same as for 2019, and
- the 2021 Comprehensive Benefit Budget Plan.
- Equitable Compensation Report: Details can be found at unyumc.org/events/annual-conference-2020
- Nominations Report: Our new Conference Lay Leader is Drew Griffin, and Jessica White is the new Associate Lay Leader. Adirondack District Co-Lay-Leaders are Gracie Lynn Besse & Linda Sheeran.
- Trustees Report: The expenses of our properties (such as closed churches, district properties, camps) are greater than their income. One church in the Adirondack District, North Creek, closed this year. Also included was the fact that some of our churches are involved in the Child Victims Act, mainly due to their affiliation with a Boy Scout troop.
- Conference Council of Finance and Administration (CF&A) Report: Due to COVID-19, the budget for 2020 was adjusted slightly, as was the 2021 budget. However, it is the hope and expectation that churches continue to give their Ministry Shares.
It's Pastor Appreciation Sunday!
Pastor Appreciation Sunday, celebrated annually on the second Sunday in October, is a good time for United Methodists to thank clergy for the work they do year-round. Please take the time to greet, call, or email Pastor Kelly and thank her for the work she is doing for the church.
First Presbyterian Annual Election Day Chicken BBQ
The First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa (First Presbyterian Church, 22 West High St., Ballston Spa, www.ballstonpresby.org) will be holding its annual Election Day Brooks Chicken BBQ, Tuesday November 3, 2020, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Half Chicken, roll, coleslaw, potato, and dessert for only $13.25.
CARRY OUT ONLY THIS YEAR. PLEASE PREORDER TO MAKE THINGS GO SMOOTHLY. Call 518-885-5583 before 4:30 pm on Election Day to reserve your order. It goes fast!
Help us help the local community! All proceeds go to support families in the Ballston Spa area through the Ballston Area Clergy Association.
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.
- Joyce Cook (53 Margaret Drive, Ballston Spa) and Bob Elbertson (91 Church Avenue, Apt. 211, Ballston Spa) are both home now. They would enjoy receiving your cards and short phone calls.
- Please pray for Cathy King, who is in quarantine following her trip to Denver to tend to her mom.
- Please pray for Melissa Taylor and her family as they undergo health issues and challenges.
Thrift Shop Request
As was reported in the Ministry Matters a few weeks ago, the Thrift Shop was closed, and will remain closed, due to Covid-19. The status of the Thrift Shop will be reviewed next April. Until the time that a decision has been made, there is to be nothing left for donations. Your generosity is greatly appreciated; however, without having the Thrift Shop open and functioning, the donations are piling up without benefit of use. So we have to ask that you do not bring donations to the Thrift Shop until the final status has been decided. At that time there will be an article in the Ministry Matters to that effect. Thank you for honoring this request.
A Message from the NYS Department of Health
What is COVID Alert NY?
COVID Alert NY is New York State’s official Exposure Notification App. This is a free smartphone app for anyone 18+ that lives and/or works in New York available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store starting October 1st. The COVID Alert NY app notifies users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Upon receiving an exposure notification, the app will encourage users to contact their physician or the State Health Department hotline (1-833-227-5045) to get more information about quarantining and testing.
Anyone who downloads the app does not have to worry about being tracked, identified, or having their personal information shared. The app is completely anonymous and does not track your location or movement. No personal data is collected. COVID Alert NY uses Bluetooth proximity-enabled exposure notification technology provided by Apple and Google which is safe and secure.
What can you do?
The more New Yorkers using the COVID Alert NY app, the more effective it will be as a tool to fight against COVID-19. We need your help to rally your community to download and use the app.
Supporting Our Church Together
We currently have a financial shortfall due to the decreased attendance at worship services. Cost cutting measures are being implemented wherever possible. We have an ongoing fundraiser for Hoffman Car washes that we hope you will support. However, what is most needed is consistent givers. If you are already using VANCO to send your gifts to the church, we are grateful; you can also give online securely on our website. You can also use a “BillPay” option from your bank at no cost. You can designate that a certain amount be sent to us by mail and they will write a check as part of their customer service. All it takes is to contact your bank. And if you need the church’s mailing address, it is 101 Milton Ave, Ballston Spa, NY 12020.
Thank you for your help in meeting our needs.
Weekly Sermons on Facebook
The sermon can be found in print (as well as video) on the Recent Posts page of this site. If you do not have access to that, a print copy can be mailed to you from our church office. Please let the office (518-885-6886) know if you would like it mailed to you and are not currently receiving it that way.
The Worship Schedule for October
Oct. 25 Reformation Sunday
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Sermon: “We Seek to Please God, Not People”
Theme: Being faithful in faith matters
Fair Trade
Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are still available from Stan Lockwood. If interested, please contact him at 518-885-1552 or via email at sdlock2008@hotmail.com. Stan is requesting that anyone interested in purchasing any dark chocolate bars (and which kind) before the holidays to please pre-order. He would place the order by November 10th.
Music for Services
At present, we are not permitted to sing hymns as a congregation, so we would like to feature instrumentalists as much as possible. If you are interested in playing during the service, please contact Cathy King at 518 584-2865 or cathys.notes@gmail.com with your availability. She would need a few dates that work for you so she can schedule things appropriately.
Many thanks for sharing your gifts of music!
Basic Lay Servant Course to be offered via ZOOM in October
Interested in becoming a Certified Lay Servant, Certified Lay Speaker or Certified Lay Minister? Here is how you start!
This course is foundational for all courses in Lay Servant Ministries. Participants are encouraged to discover and employ personal spiritual gifts as God intended and to consider the importance of exercising servant leadership, developing future leaders, remaining rooted in consistent spiritual practices, and being part of a group that holds members accountable in their discipleship." (2020 Lay Servant Catalog)
Mondays, October 19 and 26: 5:30-8:30
Thursdays, October 22 and 29: 5:30-8:30
Cost: $15
Instructors: Arlene Schmidt, CLM, and Jacqueline Kim, CLS
To register contact Adirondack District registrar Arlene Schmidt at adschmidt@nycap.rr.com. Class size will be limited to 12 participants and must purchase the book "Lay Servant Ministries: Basic", by Sandy Jackson with Brian Jackson.
Dates for additional courses in the Certified Lay Ministry are to be scheduled.
Have a blessed week