15 November 2007

A Thanksgiving Holiday Miscellany

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.  No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.                 ~H.U. Westermayer

It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for.  He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire.  Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient.  But a thankful heart hath a continual feast.  ~W.J. Cameron

 

O Lord that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness. ~William Shakespeare

 

Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest (people); but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude.  ~E.P. Powell

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.  ~Melody Beattie

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.  ~Robert Caspar Lintner

 

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.  ~W.J. Cameron

 

Gala Countdown:

Only 16 Days remain until

A Beloved Evening with Friends and Family

A night of Inspiration, Vision and Fun

Saturday, December 1^st from 7-8:30pm 

This won’t be the same without you!! 

Reserve your spot today!

 

Around Beloved…In honor of Beloved’s 5^th Birthday celebration at Christmas last year, folks from our worshipping community shared personal reflections from their lives of faith that we combined with scriptural passages and sent out to all of you as daily Advent devotions.  As we prepare for this year’s Advent season, we would love to have more of these reflections to share!  If you would be willing, or if you would like more information, please click here.

11.18.07 This Sunday, November 18^th, the Beloved Beehives will merge following worship for a special intergenerational session in preparation for the season of Advent.

11.18.07 This Sunday we will also bless shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child during worship.   This program, sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse, provides a shoebox for a child who lives in poverty somewhere in the world—and as a gift at Christmas—sends the hope that Jesus brings into the world in a hands-on project.  Click here for gift ideas and information on how to pack your box. 

 

 

11.18.07 Sunday is the long-awaited Simon Evening of Giving, to be held at South Park Mall from 6:30-9:30pm!  Please note---Ticket sale proceeds and returned unsold tickets are now overdue!  Checks can be made out to “Church of the Beloved.”  Thank you for your dedication to Beloved!

 

 

11.19.07 Beloved Men’s Fellowship will meet on Monday, November 19^th from 7-9 at Beloved Garden.  We will still eat, drink and be merry, but this time we will spend some important time visioning about the group’s direction for the upcoming year.  We need your voice to be heard!  For more information, contact Frank Reid or David Cash. 

 

 

12.01.07 Mark your calendars for December 1!  Come to A Beloved Evening with Friends and Family.  Relax over dessert and beverages in a cabaret atmosphere.  Laugh with your sisters and brothers in Christ.  Be moved and inspired by the Beloved Band and the theatrical talents of our special guests—Friends of the Groom—a professional theater company from Cincinnati, Ohio dedicated to communicating the Christian message to adults and children in unexpected, entertaining and challenging ways.  Celebrate our blessings and hear where Beloved is going in the future.  Of course, friends are welcome as well and free childcare will be offered for those children under 6 who might prove distracting to others.  Here are the details: Saturday, December 1^st from 7-8:30pm @ Providence Presbyterian Church.  For more information, speak to Ben Copeland, Craig Doyon, Harris High, Tony Hodgson, Dick Reif or Fr. Derek.  Don’t miss the inaugural offering of what we expect to become one of Beloved’s annual highlights of the year!  Reserve your spot today!!

 

 

12.01.07 Friends of the Groom will offer a drama workshop on December 1^st from 2-4pm for the Charlotte community called Beyond Bathrobes: Drama and Storytelling for the Church.  This is a workshop for any adult or youth who likes, or thinks they would like, to express their faith creatively.  Those who come will be invited to participate in a variety of drama and storytelling activities, including five ways to perform a story in worship and creative uses of drama in worship.  Pre-register by clicking here. 

 

 

12.02.07 Sign up on this day for this year’s Epiphany Pageant to be presented during worship on Sunday, January 6, 2008 (rehearsal will be at 10am on Saturday, January 5).  Costumes and script (for those who desire a speaking part) are provided.  All interested Adults and Children are encouraged to participate!!  Many hands are needed behind the scenes as well.  If you are interested in helping (purchasing fabric, cutting patterns, sewing costumes, collecting props, dressing children, assisting with rehearsal, etc.), please click here. 

 

 

12.07.07 Adults and children are invited to join the Friday morning FaithQuest participants as they travel to Old Salem to participate in Home Moravian Church’s Candle Tea.  This annual event (dating back to 1929!) in the Single Brothers’ House includes being welcomed by hosts in early Moravian costumes who guide small groups through the Chapel for singing Christmas carols, the dining room where beeswax candles are being made, the kitchen where sugar cake and coffee are served, and the two rooms in the sub-basement where the Putz is on display. (The word "putz" is of Germanic origin meaning "to decorate".) The two sections of the Putz include a replica of Salem as it would have appeared in the 1800s. At the Nativity scene the story of the birth of the Christ Child is shared.  For more information, click here.  To register, click here.

 

 

12.07.07 Folks from Beloved will be working at the Operation Christmas Child warehouse on Friday evening, December 7^th from 9-10:30pm.  (For those in school needing community service hours, this is a great opportunity!)  To be a part of the Beloved Team, click here.

 

 

12.09.07 On Sunday, December 9 following Worship and Christian Formation, Beloved’s Fellowship Team will host a Brunch followed by a Christmas Workshop and Cakewalk.  The focus of the Christmas workshop will be small handmade items that children may want to buy for their parents, siblings, or perhaps teachers.  Some creative members of our congregation have also made items that the adults will be interested in purchasing, as well.  There will also be simple gift-wrapping available for their purchases; donations for this wrapping station would be most appreciated.

 

Volunteers from our church are preparing some delicious brunch food. The menu will consist of homemade breakfast casseroles, assorted fruit, croissants and mini muffins, cheese grits, juice, and It's a Grind coffee. Make your paid reservation early beginning on Sunday, November 4th. A member of the Fellowship Planning Team will happily assist you. The cost: Adults $5, ages 3-10 $2.50, and under 3 are free. All are welcome on Dec. 9 but paying ahead will allow the "cooks" to determine how much food to prepare.  To top off the morning, there will be a Cake Walk with items donated by the wonderful cooks at Beloved. We are very excited about this event and look forward to your participation!!

 

 

12.23.07 On Sunday, December 23, Bishop Gregg will join us for Eucharist and the traditional “Hanging of the Greens and Chili Potluck Lunch.”  Following worship with our bishop on this day, we’ll begin decorating with greenery and poinsettias before sharing a potluck meal (watch for sign-ups for chili, salad or dessert).  The decorating also includes assembling luminaries with sand and candles that are distributed around our campus on Christmas Eve.  On that night a crew of volunteers, often those with high school and college-age kids, enjoy one another’s company as they visit while the candles are lighted.   

 

 

12.24.07 Beloved’s 7pm December 24^th Christmas Eve Christ mass Celebration begins with pre-service music at 6:40pm and is followed by Hot Cider and Christmas cookies.  Plan to make this a meaningful beginning to your 12-day Yuletide celebration!

 

 

Beloved eNews will not publish next week due to the Thanksgiving Day National Holiday.  News and calendar information should be submitted via email by Monday, November 26 for the November 30 edition.

 

A Note From Beloved’s Advisory Team…Church of the Beloved has done an admirable job of approaching cash flow “break even” in the first six years of existence and is well on its way to meet that stated goal by the end of 2008.  Well done!  In 2007 we are running far ahead of last year’s income levels, yet as we approach the end of the year we find ourselves still a little short on needed budget income.  A wonderful way to help solve this situation and also help your own year-end tax planning would be a gift to Beloved of appreciated securities.  For those of you who own securities, 2007 has been a pretty good year even with the recent market down and upturns.  As you probably know, when you give securities you enjoy a tax deduction for the current market value and avoid later taxation on your capital gains.  This benefits you in many ways but most of all it benefits Church of the Beloved.  We urge those with securities to give this idea your prayerful consideration.  If you would like to make such a gift, please contact Beloved’s Development Office.

November 11…Attendance: 133; Worship Offering: $2,697.  Income needed for ministry each week: $5,500 (fully funded) à $4,400 (requiring other funding sources i.e. fundraising events).  The financial goal of Church of the Beloved is to reach self-sufficiency (i.e. pay all expenses without income from outside sources) by 12/31/2008.

 

 

Scripture Readings for November 18…2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 & Luke 21:5-19 38

 

Scripture Readings for November 25…2 Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43

 

 

Serving at God’s Altar on November 18…Complete setup/complete teardown: Angel Army Team #5; Acolytes: Adam Burnett, Holly Burnett, Garreth Floyd, Lauren Widener; Offering Basket Passers: Jennifer Elyea, Joseph Elyea, Emma Ryan, Sam Ryan; Offering Tellers: Bud Moore (Head) & Roey Southard (Assistant); Presenters: Lynn Burnett & Julie Mooney; Altar Bread Baker: Kris Leinenkugel; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Brian McCarthy & Dick Reif; PowerPoint: Miles Harbin; Reader: Cecilia Atwood.

 

Serving at God’s Altar on November 25…Complete setup/complete teardown: Angel Army Team #1; Acolytes: Trinity Atwood, Cecilia Atwood, Daniel Dygowski, Madelyn Rickett; Offering Basket Passers: Ben Heckmann, Owen Heckmann, John Mark Dygowski, Joy Dygowski; Offering Tellers: Bud Moore (Head) & Craig Doyon (Assistant); Presenters: Katrina & J.R. West; Altar Bread Baker: Janis Conlon; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Al Krantz & Harris High; PowerPoint: Joseph Nichols; Reader: Janis Conlon.

 

 

In our Prayers…click here

 

Upcoming Calendar…click here