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Update and Resources
November 18, 2022
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"May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully"
~ Colossians 1:11
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Sunday Worship at 10am
in our Sanctuary
Join us in our Sanctuary at 10am for Sunday worship service in person or watch our live stream by clicking here. You can also view the service later on our Kent UCC Video page. Click here to print the bulletin for an order of worship for those worshipping at home.
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Thanksgiving
Community Meal
THIS SUNDAY
Our Thanksgiving Community Meal will be THIS Sunday November 20. We would like to give our guests a lovely traditional Thanksgiving Meal again this year and we are planning to serve 50 -60 people. We need 2 more volunteers to cook and serve and to help clean up. We will be making the stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetable, and cranberries at church. If you are willing to make one of these dishes or want to come and help us cook / serve at church on that day, please click the sign- up genius here. All donated food items need to be brought to the church kitchen door between 3:45 and 4:00pm on Sunday, November 20. Your chef skills are greatly appreciated and much needed to make this meal a success! Please feel free to call or email Gayle Wall with questions gayle_wall@ yahoo.com
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The Advent Workshop is THIS SUNDAY November 20th after worship DURING hanging of the greens in Van Meter hall. Activities, light snacks, cookie decorating, and lots of fun is to be expected!! Parents can help with hanging of the greens while their kids are downstairs. | |
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Advent Devotionals
Do you want to "Be Ready" for Advent? The "Be Ready" Advent devotionals are in and they can be purchased in the church office for $5. During the time leading up to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, these devotionals are a constant reminder to pause, reflect, pray, and wait for the Christ child. Contact Leah in the church office to purchase one or if you have any questions.
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Outreach Is On The Move!
*Thanks to our generous congregation, we were able to send $1,166 to our Five for Five offering for Neighbors in Need, and this week we took a check to Kent Social Services from the Bob Clark Turkey Fund for $991 to feed food insecure families this Thanksgiving. Sharing our gifts with those in need.
*Our Outreach Ministry is once again addressing needs throughout the world by assembling hygiene bags for the Wider Church’s disaster relief program. These bags are delivered to communities and countries impacted by wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, tornados, earthquakes, and other disasters. Each bag will consist of
- One hand towel measuring approximately 15″ x 28″ to 16″ x 32″ (no fingertip, bath, dish towel or micro-fiber).
- One washcloth.
- One wide-tooth comb removed from the package. Must be sturdy with at least 6 inches of teeth. No pocket combs or picks. Rattail and combs without handles are acceptable.
- One fingernail or toenail clipper removed from the package (either one is acceptable).
- One bath-size bar of soap in the original package.
- One toothbrush in the original package.
- Ten standard size Band-Aids.
Our Giving Tree is located by the elevator. We ask that you bring donated items for our hygiene bags and place them under the tree sometime between now and December 18. Outreach will be assembling the bags in mid-December. Thank you for participating in this important Outreach mission.
*The Ben Curtis Foundation provides a complete Christmas for many families throughout the area by providing toys and dinner at their Very Merry Christmas events. Each child from these families submits a wish list and individuals or members of the Foundation shop for the items on these lists. Last year 184 families were provided with Christmas. Kent UCC will be sponsoring 5 children with a $500 donation. In addition, we would like to help wrap these gifts, so Outreach has signed up to volunteer Saturday, December 3 at the Ben Curtis Wrapathon. We need 8 wrappers from 11-1 and 5 wrappers from 1-3. Use SignUp Genius to volunteer here. The wrapping takes place at the Ben Curtis building in Brady Lake, 2121 Brady Lake Rd. Thank you for helping with such an important event. If you have any questions, please contact a member of Outreach.
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Madrigal Dinner
Theodore Roosevelt HS Choirs are presenting their annual Madrigal
Dinner on Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10 at 7:00 PM at Stanton Middle School. Tickets are $30 and can be reserved by visiting roughridermusic.ludus.com and/or by calling
Rachelle Roeger at 330-808-1597.
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The Joyful Cookie Exchange!
On Sunday, December 11, our coffee hour will be an opportunity for members to enjoy Christmas cookies at church and to take home an assortment of goodies, as well. Here’s how it works: If you would like to participate in the exchange, please bring to church on the morning of December 11, two and a half dozen of one kind of home-baked Christmas Cookies. Those who bring cookies to share can then choose 2 dozen cookies to take home. The extra half dozen will ensure there will be plenty for everyone to enjoy during coffee hour. Please drop off your cookies before church so that the Fellowship committee can arrange and display them for coffee hour. Boxes will be provided for take-home.
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Make A Joyful Noise
While we invite all those who enjoy singing to join our Chancel Choir, we know that many people struggle with the extra time commitment. NEW for this year is "Make a Joyful Noise Sundays" where we will invite congregants to join the choir for JUST THAT DAY! Interested singers will rehearse with the Chancel Choir at 9:00 AM and will then sing the anthem during the 10:00 AM worship service... No extra time commitment! Participants can still sit out in the congregation and will simply walk up to the chancel when it is time for the anthem. Our upcoming "Make a Joyful Noise Sunday" date will be December 11. Please keep these dates in mind if this interests you! The anthem selection will be easy enough for ALL to learn in a 45-minute rehearsal. Please talk to Corey Fowler, director of music, if you have any questions.
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Annual Reporting Time
The time is upon us once again to turn in your annual reports to me. Congratulations on another amazing year! As we slowly emerged from the grips of this pandemic, you all have stepped up in so many different ways, I cannot even begin to list how many. As always, I love working with each and every one of you. Thank you all for being you, and for the wonderful work you do.
Now on to the fun stuff (that may be a bit of a stretch). The deadline this year will be Friday, December 16, 2022. Please include up to 3 pictures from the year that can be added to your report for visual record keeping. Remember that the reason we do this reporting, is to create a small snapshot in the history of our church for that specific year. Let's report all the amazing work you have all done this year. I know there is a lot.
Late submissions may not be taken. So please, get your reports in to me as soon as possible.
Email your reports to Leah by clicking here.
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Kent Social Services
Needs Our Help
KSS still needs canned soup, ramen noodles, and canned beans as well as other staples. Outreach will continue to bring the items in our church grocery cart to Kent Social Services on a regular basis. In addition, Kent Social Services is continuing its holiday drive. In order to provide $50 in gift certificates for each child for Christmas, KSS is asking for gift certificates from either Target or Walmart in amounts up to and including $50. So you can purchase gift certificates in the amounts of $5, $10, $15, etc. KSS will make sure each child gets a total of 50 in gift certificates. Outreach asks that members take these directly to Kent Social Services or mail them to Kent Social Services, 1066 S Water St., Kent, Ohio 44240. This year the needs are great. We are so thankful for our generous congregation.
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ACME Cash Back Program
Want to thank all our Acme shoppers who are participating in the Acme Community Cash Back program by turning in their register receipts. This year’s program ends on December 24, 2022 and whole register receipts that show that money was earned for Community Cash Back may be turned in through January 15, 2023. Baskets are on the Narthex window and the table by Fellowship Hall.
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Ukraine Relief
You are invited to prayerfully consider donating to Ukraine Relief by writing a check with “Ukraine Relief” in the memo line or by using Engage on-line. While the war rages on, we can make a difference by contributing to our denominational and ecumenical relief efforts.
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What is Text Giving?
- Text Giving is another way you and your family can give to our church.
- Its super easy; just text the word GIVE to (330) 275-1772 and you'll immediately receive a text back with a link that takes you to our Engage page.
- There, you can sign into your Engage account or continue as a guest. The advantage of logging into your account is that our church staff can track your gift and include it in your quarterly giving summaries.
- You can from there choose to make a one time gift, or reccurring gift, and select the desired amount.
- You may also help our church by covering the processing fees; for example, if you give $5.00 then the processing fees are $.46 ; so your total gift for that transaction would be $5.46.
- Once you submit your offering gift, you'll receive an email from the host company to serve as your receipt.
- Quick Tip: save the number as a contact in your phone as KENT UCC Text Giving and easily pull up the information while sitting in the pews on Sundays.
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Worship Volunteer Opportunities
There are many opportunities for you to serve. If you have any questions, please contact the church office.
Usher
Ushers welcome worshipers and escort them to open seats and receive our offering. You’ll be part of a team of ushers consisting of four ushers. Sign up HERE.
Greeter
Extend extravagant hospitality to visitors and members with a warm smile. Sign up HERE.
Liturgist
Liturgists participate in worship services by reading parts of the liturgy. You’ll get the readings in advance. Sign up HERE.
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Flowers for Sunday Worship
By dedicating flowers for worship, you can remember and honor a loved one, celebrate a special occasion, lift up someone in our church family, or simply share your joy. Please sign up HERE to save a date and make your dedication.
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Prayer List
If you would like to ask the entire congregation for prayer for yourself, someone else or for our community and world, please submit it on our new website by clicking the “Prayer Request” tab here, or by letting our church office, or a Deacon, know while Pastor Amy is away on sabbatical. We will share the prayer list in our weekly updates, as you see below.
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In Our Prayers
Pastor Amy while she is on sabbatical
Rudy Capece, grandson of Debbie and Al Barber
Jane and Jack Fender, friends of the Saltzman's
Bruce Hansford
Jeff, friend of Harold Hight
The Hassler Family
The Hook Family
Bev Feher, long-time friend of Barb Marken
Carol Horner
Danielle Ingersol, Sue Otterson’s niece
Bruce Moore
Billy O’Malley, nephew of Annie O’Malley
Lawrence Prichard
Jason, son of Laurie Riddle and Zoe Walsh
Rev. Pat Russell
Shelley, neighbor of Laurie Riddle and Zoe Walsh
Gladys Wells
Student that Stacey Brown knows
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Looking Ahead
- November 27 – First Sunday of Advent and service of baptism; Pastor Amy returns to the pulpit
- December 11 - Make a Joyful Noise Sunday/Joyful Cookie Exchange
- December 16 - Annual Reports Due
- December 18 - Lessons and Carols Service
- December 21 - Blue Christmas Service
- January 22, 2023 – Annual Congregational Meeting
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This Week’s Sacred Text
Colossians 1:11-20
May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
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Thanks be to God, who is still speaking! | |
Whoever you are, wherever you are on life's journey...
you're welcome here!
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Kent United Church Of Christ
1400 East Main Street
Kent, OH 44240
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