9 November 2007

Shoeboxes of Love

Church of the Beloved is once again participating in Operation Christmas Child, sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse.  This program 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. 

 

Pray that the Spirit will guide each of us as we select specific gifts for the boy or girl we are gifting.  Pray that through our prayers and gift selection, that child will feel God’s touch.  As you pack your box, take a moment alone or as a family to ask God’s special blessing on that child who lives in such need.  May Jesus speak to THAT CHILD in magnificent ways.

 

Don’t forget that if you can, add $7 in a separate envelope to cover shipping costs.

 

We will collect these shoeboxes and bless them in worship on Sunday, November 18^th. 

 

Want to be inspired at what a shoebox gift can do?  For those 13 and older at Beloved, we 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 of adults and youth, click here.

 

J. Derek Harbin, priest

 

 

Gala Countdown:

Only 22 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…

Beloved Women's Fellowship will meet on Wednesday, November 14^th from 7-9pm at Beloved Garden. For those who would like, take out food will be ordered from a neighboring restaurant. At this meeting we will spend some time making simple items to sell at the Beloved Christmas Workshop to be held after worship and Christian Formation on December 9th. Come and enjoy fun and fellowship with the wonderful women of Beloved! Please come or you will be missed!

 

 

Beloved’s Cecilia Atwood will be singing a solo during the upcoming CHEA Choir Concert, Celtic Creation.  CHEA is a home school organization that includes 200 singers from the Charlotte and Union County areas, ranging in ages 5-19.  This free concert will feature popular songs from England, Ireland and Scotland and will be held at 7pm on Thursday, November 15^th at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews.  For more information, click here.

 

 

On Sunday, November 18^th we will bless shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child during worship.  After hospitality time, the Beloved Beehives will merge following worship for a special intergenerational session in preparation for the season of Advent.

 

 

We are two weeks away from Simon Evening of Giving, to be held at South Park Mall on Sunday, November 18^th from 6:30-9:30pm!!!   Hopefully everyone who wants to participate in selling Simon Evening of Giving tickets this year has received a packet of tickets and information.  If not, please contact Catherine Atwood, Shari Wynn, or Kris Leinenkugel ASAP!!!  We have only 1½ weeks remaining to sell tickets.  Please note---All unsold tickets must be either returned or paid for by Wednesday, November 14^th.   Checks can be made out to “Church of the Beloved.”  Even if you have decided not to sell tickets, this year, please consider buying tickets for you and your family.  Three dollars goes to the Simon Foundation for at-risk children and Beloved keeps the remaining seven dollars.  Remember our goal is financial self-sufficiency by the end of 2008.  Thank you for your dedication to Beloved!

 

 

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. 

 

 

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!!

 

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. 

 

Friends of the Groom is a professional theater company dedicated to communicating the Christian message in an entertaining and challenging format. The inter-denominational group is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and normally travels in teams of two or three. Since 1980, they have performed plays, led retreat weekends, and conducted workshops in thousands of locations from Anchorage to Canterbury.

 

 

Folks from Beloved will be working at the Operation Christmas Child warehouse on Friday evening, December 7^th from 9-10:30pm.  To be a part of the Beloved Team, click here.

 

 

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!!

 

 

Beloved eNews publishes each Thursday.  News and calendar information should be submitted via email by the Monday preceding the publication date.

 

 

November 4…Attendance: ~114; Worship Offering: $4,240.  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 11…Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17 & Luke 20:27-38

 

Serving at God’s Altar on November 11…Complete setup/complete teardown: Angel Army Team #4; Acolytes: Clare Harbin, Elizabeth Nichols, Madelyn Ricket, Paige Wilson; Offering Basket Passers: Adam Burnett, Holly Burnett Grace Miller, Isaac Neel; Offering Tellers: Liz Wilson, Head & Craig Doyon, Assistant; Presenters: Shari, Morgan & Mackenzie Wynn; Altar Bread Baker: Shari Wynn; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Anna Moore & Janis Conlon; PowerPoint: Cyteria Knight; Reader: Paige Wilson.

 

 

In our Prayers…click here

Upcoming Calendar…click here