November 2018 - Newsletter

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WORDS OF WISDOM
Had any trials in your life lately? Trials provide opportunity to deepen our relationship with God. They provide by developing in us the kind of patience that awaits on God and trusts Him for strength to endure the setbacks of life. They can to wait upon the Lord for his help and strength.
Do you know what FEAR is? False   Expectations   Appearing   Real
When we observe the Lord's Supper, any ritual can lose meaning, but that does not make the ritual meaningless. May we always be moved with gratitude for the wonderful gift of ritual, Rather than give up the ritual, we need to restore the meaning.
Thank God for how he has provided for you in the past. Remembering God's provision for yesterday gives hope and strength for today.
Praise to God comes naturally when you count your blessings.
Once you have trusted Jesus Christ as your savoir, you can never lose your relationship with Him. The Bible is full of promises that He will be with you always, even when you feel far away from Him. In moments when we don't understand God's ways, we need to trust His unchanging character. Our situation may look very different from God's point of view. We need to remember that God is good and faithful, even though we can't see everything and may not understand how He works.
You like to eat, don't you? What are you waiting for? The Bible nourishes us for the day's journey. It strengthens us when we are weak, gives us wisdom and encouragement. God has set before us a banquet of delectable spiritual food and calls us to come and eat. We are all invited. The Bible is the bread of life and it never gets stale.
 
SARANAC LAKE ECUMENICAL FOOD PANTRY
October is Peanut butter and jelly month. Please add your donation to the red shopping cart at the back of the sanctuary.
 
CHURCH COUNCIL - REPORTS
Finance - Pledge and identified giving along with plate offering and Festival Offerings is $13,700 better than last year. Giving is generally up and we also had some significant one time gifts.
Special Appeals for fuel at $1,555 is $859 better than last year.
We received a $7,900 donation and we have used $550 in memorial funds to cover the cost of the purchasing pew cushions for the sanctuary, balcony and choir loft.
We received $1,845 as a use donation for the Community Supper to offset operating costs in the building.
Rummage sale income, for the two sales, was $5,852 compared to last year of $6,189.
We received $20,000 to provide a roof for the Handicapped Ramp.
Salaries are $4,557 less than last year.
Our fuel expense so far is $3,602 greater than last year reflecting cold weather and increased cost per gallon.
Music and the cost for the hand bells is $1,112 over last year.
Ecumenical Council received $1,200 this year compared to zero last year.
Repairs and Maintenance is $10,238 over last year including $497 spent on the exterior of the building, $872 on the heating system, $538 on the lift, $435 on electrical and $213 on the men’s bathroom. In September we spent $8,473 to replace the fuel tank.
We continue to be current on our Ministry Shares payments.
Our current income is $8,765 over current expenses at this time.
According to my calculations we have $36,894 in unallocated funds at the end of the month.
Outreach – the new welcome visitor card was displayed. The plan is to give them to Barbara Darrah to distribute; they will also be on the back table and downstairs on the table by the entrance to the Fellowship Hall... It would be better to have someone hand them to you. Pat Brown and Carol Griebsch have joined the team and will be sending written notes to visitors.
 
RUMMAGE SALE
A very successful Rummage Sale was held at the end of September which benefited the church.  As usual the
church was very full of items to be sold, along with the garage outside.  Setting up the tent outside were:
Jim & Barbara Halla & Chris, Elwin & Charlotte Hall, Trevor Fravor & Autumn, Mitch Smith, Joel Wit.  Setting up tables before the sale were: Pam Ryan, Eric Olsen, Alan & Nancy Roberts, John & Em Ellithorpe, Ruth Damp. Working at the sale were: Charlotte Hall, Merle Smith, Dolores Commo, Jessie Aubin, Jean McDouongh, Eileen Leavitt, Avana Forsyth, Sharon Farmer, Joan Sleinkofer, Gina Norton, Ruth Woodward, Barbara Halla, Virginia Santy, Martha Donnelly, Maxine Chardeen, Eileen McCalvin, Richard & Debbie Harrison, Roz Deitz, Mary Kent, Cathy LeBlanc, Diane Kelting, Ruth Damp, Pam Ryan, Barbara Darrah, Nancy Stover, Jean Kern, Chris Weidenheimer, Bette Deschler, Ed Martin, Mary LaBrake, Joel Wit, Al & Cathy Fuller, Em Ellithorpe, Clarrice Shore, Alan & Nancy Roberts, Mitch Smith, Marlene Martin, Darrell Davies.   
Bob Donaldson took away 2 loads of garbage.  Richard & Debbie Harrison took away 4 loads of stuff that 
we could not sell.  
Donated were: bedding etc, to the Humane Society, Handi-capped items, St Joe's received 3 bags of 
clothing, Scotts Florist received many vases, Austin Dridge took the books, High Peaks Hospice received
all the last clothing and shoes.
Again we would like to thank everyone so much for all your help to make it possible for us to raise
$4,117.00 to benefit the church.  It was greatly appreciated.  
  
SAFE SANCTUARIES
            There will be training held in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, December 8 beginning at 10 am. This training is mandatory for anyone in our congregation who works with children, youth or vulnerable adults. Many thanks to Travis McElyea for making the arrangements for this training to come to us.

A LOSS
On October 12, Virginia Anne Lester-Santy passed. I like to think of her as a professional volunteer. In addition to volunteering at the hospital, Virgie did many things for our church: working at the rummage sales, ushering, providing refreshments for the fellowship hour, and helping with community supper prep on Wednesday mornings. In addition, she was president-elect of the United Methodist Women. On of her relatives, Jane Lester, referred to her as Saint Virgie. Now she rests among the other saints.  
 
SANCTUARY OR FELLOWSHIP HALL?  -  WHICH WILL IT BE
         As many of your know, we have been holding our services in the Fellowship Hall during the winter months (January, February and March) to help reduce our fuel oil costs. Now, our weekly attendance has grown to the point where the fellowship hall will be crowded.
         Our financial gurus have looked at the heating costs for the last few years and have determined that the cost of a service in the sanctuary is about $85 more per Sunday. This is where our ongoing fuel appeal comes in. There are small brown envelopes in the pew racks labelled FUEL APPEAL. Your additional contribution through those envelopes will help keep us upstairs on Sundays.
 
REMEMBER WITH A CARD
Rose Nadon: Neighborhood House, PO Box 46, Keene Valley, NY 12943
Genevieve Clarkson: Champlain Valley Senior Community, 10 Gilliland Lane, Willsboro, NY 12996
Margaret Turnbull:  3873 Burnup Road   Black River, NY  13612  

DID YOU KNOW…? Your church can be found on Facebook. Just go to First United Methodist Saranac Lake.  (Complete with capital letters and spaces.) When the page comes up, click on “like.”