​Ballston Spa United Methodist Church
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 Important Announcement
     Since the Covid average has risen, 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.

Happy Reformation Sunday
     In the church in Wittenberg where Martin Luther preached, there is a wonderful painting.  In it, Luther stands in the pulpit on the right hand side, and the people stand on the left.  In between the people and the preacher is Christ on the cross.  Reformation Sunday is a reminder that this is the bedrock of our faith – the grace and mercy given to us in Jesus Christ.  Keeping the most important thing in the center of the picture is the only hope for our faith and for this community that we call “church.”  
 
All Saints Observance
We remember the saints who went before
Shirley MacMillin                Ann Heffernan                 Kathy Haege                   Rose Warner               Bill Doyle                        Joyce Cook
Dan Hayner                            Virgil Drake                       Edith Drake                     Marion Phillips         George Wilson             Marie Wilson
Hans Torgersen                   Mary Torgersen               Chris Torgersen            Fran Torgersen          George Jascewsky      Chet Carson
Clara Carson                          Tom Peterson                   Anthony Ciarlone         Loron Silliman, Jr.    Robert Harrington    Janice Green
Marjorie Harrington          Janet Willey                       Sharon Maron                Edna Komada
  
Thank You!
     Thank you to Glenn Harrison who provided pastoral coverage during Pastor Kelly's recent vacation. Thanks also to Ilah Sisson Walser and Linda Sheeran for leading our service on October 24th.

Sunday School Next Week
     Join us for Sunday School!  We will meet as one group approximately two Sundays a month through the end of the year.  We have some fun projects and activities to share with the kids to make it exciting.  The dates we plan to have Sunday School are:  11/7, 11/21, and 12/12.
 
Consecration Sunday
     Consecration Sunday is November 14, where people are asked to grow spiritually by giving a percentage of their income to the Lord's work through their congregations.  Asking the question of our Lord, "What percentage of my income would you have me give?" has prompted spiritual revival in members and churches.  Rev. Steve Butler will be guest speaker.
Tithing in the Bible
  • Abraham Commenced It (Genesis 14:18-20)
  • Moses Commanded It (Leviticus 27:30)
  • Malachi Confirmed It (Malachi 3:10)
  • Jesus Commended it  (Matthew 23:23)

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.
 
Red Bird Shoebox Ministry 
     We have packed up the shoebox gifts to transport to Beverly, Kentucky.  We completed 28 shoeboxes:  5 for men, 10 for women, 6 for a boy child, and 8 for a girl child.  Thank you for your generous gifts and monetary donations.  The boxes were stuffed full of goodies and needed items for each category.  All of these will go to making someone's Christmas a little brighter because you cared.  Thank you!
 
Winterwear Mission
     The frost has started, and it is getting cold, so it is time to start our Winterwear Mission.  This 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.
 
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.  

Thank You from Bishop Mark J. Webb
     Thank you for paying 100 % of your shared ministries in 2020.  This is a significant achievement, and I am very mindful you have accomplished this only through great effort and steadfast commitment.  In any normal year, paying 100% of your shared ministries request is noteworthy.  In 2020, it is amazing.  Thank you for this and for all the other ways you serve Christ through your church and in your community.

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 keep the family and friends of Bill Benton in prayer.  He died in a motorcycle crash last week and leaves a wife and three daughters behind.
  • Ruth Persons asks: Please pray for my friend Tina as she is having major dental issues.  She had stitches removed on Monday.  Then  will be going back to the dentist on November 1st.
  • Please keep Eleanor in prayer.  She suffered a heart attack and had a stent put in.  
  • Prayers for the family and friends of Janice Green who passed away on October 13th.  Janice and her husband Don had been active members of our church for many years and supplied the leadership of numerous church dinners.
  • We have also received word that Edna Komada, a longtime member, passed away at the end of September in Boulder City, Nevada.  Prayers for her family and friends.
  • Prayers go out to Jean Keehan on the loss of her companion, Jim Daley.  
  • Thank the Lord!  Baby Brodhi is home with his parents, Ami and Dan.  The new parents are enjoying and learning every moment.
  • Please keep Kelly Schmidt and her family in prayer.  Kelly’s grandmother is not doing well.
  • Please pray for Dorothy Collins who is not feeling well and has to return to work.
  • Please also pray for Dorothy’s friend Sharon that her doctors find the right medications and treatments for her.
  • Prayers are requested for Cherrie Sander’s friend John Hulbert.  He found out he has pancreatic cancer and had a biopsy done Friday.
  • 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.

UMC Budget, explained
Please click here to read more about how the United Methodist Church distributes the funds it receives from local churches and Annual Conferences.

Ballston Spa Ecumenical Thanksgiving Bag Ministry
     Once again, the First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa would like to invite you to participate in the Ballston Spa Ecumenical Thanksgiving Bag Ministry.  Last year over 100 dinners were provided to families in need.  You can help by filling a bag with items needed for a basic and healthy Thanksgiving meal and delivering the bag and turkey to the First Presbyterian Church on November 21 from 11:30 am – 2 pm.  The items to be included in the bag are:
  • $10 gift card to a local grocery store, OR an 8-14 pound frozen turkey
  • 2 boxes seasoned stuffing mix
  • 2 boxes instant mashed potatoes
  • 2 cans of gravy (no glass please)
  • 3-4 cans of vegetables
  • 1 can cranberry sauce
  • 1 boxed dessert mix
You can also volunteer to help on distribution Monday, November 22 from noon to 6 pm.
Thank you for your help as we seek to be a blessing to those in need this Thanksgiving.   
 
Let’s Change the World, One Bouquet at a Time!
     We are thrilled to announce the Bloomin' 4 Good Program, a program from Hannaford that works to give back in our local communities.  In this program, every $12.00 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet sold sends a $1 donation to a non-profit local from the store in which it was purchased. 
     For the month of December 2021, Ballston Spa United Methodist Church Food Pantry has been selected to receive a $1 donation for every $12.00 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker sold at the store located at 43 Round Lake Road, Ballston Lake NY.
     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
November 7 - Holy Communion
November 7 - Sunday School
November 9 - Church Council (via Zoom), 7 pm
November 14 - Consecration Sunday, guest Rev. Steve Butler
November 21 - Sunday School
November 21 - Hanging of the Greens

Celebrations!
This week's birthdays: 
  • Mary Drake (11/3)
  • Emily Skillings (11/6)
Happy birthday to both of you!

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                         
AJ Schmidt
Projection                Riley Schmidt
Liturgist                    Linda Sheeran
Children’s Time    Linda Sheeran
Ushers                       George Mallette and Conrad Dorau

Community events
     The First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa will be holding its annual Election Day Brooks Chicken BBQ, Tuesday November 2, 2021, 4:00-7:00 pm.  Half Chicken, roll, coleslaw, potato, and dessert for only $14.  Take out only.  No Reservations needed; first come, first served.  Help us support the local community!  All proceeds help families in the Ballston Spa area.
 
    Gateway House of Peace asks: Have you ever felt called to sit with people who are dying?  Do you have experience helping a loved one transition and would like to help others through the process?  If you don't have any experience in such work, are you interested in learning?  If you would like to learn more about caring for people transitioning, you are welcome to attend our volunteer training on Saturday morning 9-12 November 6.  Please email Bethany Gonyea with questions: bgonyea@gatewayhouseofpeace.org
 
     There will be a Men’s Ministry Roast Pork Dinner at the Simpson UMC on Saturday, November 6th from 4 to 7 pm (or until sold out).  Adults $13, children $7.  This will be a takeout only dinner.
 
     Simpson United Methodist Church is having their famous steamed brown bread and bake sale.  Order your brown bread by November 15th by calling 518-885-4794.  The cost is $6.50 per loaf.  Pick-up dates are Friday, November 19th from 4 to 6 pm and Saturday, November 20th  from 9 am to 2 pm at the Simpson UMC in Rock City Falls.

     Please join Kathleen A, Sanvidge, licensed funeral director and owner of Townley & Wheeler Funeral Home in Ballston Lake for an informative presentation and complimentary luncheon on Tuesday, November 9th at noon concerning the advantages of taking charge of your final arrangements.  This will be held at St. Edward the Confessor Church, 56 Clifton Center Road, Clifton Park, NY 12065.  Please RSVP: Townley & Wheeler Funeral Home (518)-399-5022
​
​​Have a blessed week

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