Bits from Beth

December 18, 2025

 

Dear Friends:

On Sunday, our Hand Bell Choir inspired us with a prelude called Christmas Reflections that included many favorite carols. For the offertory they played an adaption of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Our Chancel Choir brought the message with this year’s Cantata, Here We Come a’Caroling, narrated by Autumn Beasley. We did record the service but it disappeared from Facebook before we could post it to YouTube. Fortunately, when we use a two camera setup, it records it on the IPad we use as the monitor so we were able to recover it, and repost it to both sites. Thank you to all those who dedicate their time and talent to our worship services. We appreciate you more than you know.

 

Our Monday, we celebrated our last Sue’s Table of the year. We could not have done it without our excellent volunteer’s – Patsy Hale and Bernie Dickson made the hash brown casseroles, Lynne Rowland made an apple cobbler, and Amanda Wunnerberg made her magic green beans. We also served fruit salad, turkey and ham, rolls, and peach cobbler with ice cream. Erin McAllister is our faithful tea and lemonade maker. Tate Wunnenberg and Sharon Lorvig brought our “gifts” down from the Food Pantry and stayed to serve and clean up. This fall, Larry and Ellen Horseman have come every Sue’s Table to wash dishes and clean up. This has saved us from buying endless paper goods! As our neighbors left, each received a special gift – a single serve coffee make, coffee pods, and a can opener. It was also our last closet giveaway for the year. Thank you for cleaning out your closet and providing our neighbors with clothing, shoes, and household items. Today, we took what little was left over to Ruby Snider. Everyone left with smiling faces!

 

We have had a great year welcoming new families to our church, welcoming new neighbors to our ministries, reaching children and youth with the message of Jesus, and doing what we can do to fulfill Jesus’ challenge to us found in Matthew 25:34-36:

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’



Our Leadership projected we would need to raise $367,000 to cover all our expenses for 2025. So far, we have raised $333,000. We are also there! Thank you for your faithful giving. Please remember our Blue Christmas Service Sunday evening at 5:30pm. This is a service design for those who are struggling with grief this season.

 

Grace and peace,

Beth