This Week at Peace - November 20 - 27

Oops, I accidently clicked "hide this message from non-leaders of this email group, so I'm the only one who received This Week At Peace last week.

Let me wish you all a "Happy Thanksgiving" and welcome you to the Season of Advent, which begins Sunday with a focus on "Being Prepared" (Mark 13:24-27). I think you'll love the opening of the service, thoughtfully prepared by our dramatic readers, Peter, Drew, and Chris, led by Jane Taylor, not to mention the dynamic choir piece at offering. We Deiberts are traveling mid-week, but will be back for church Sunday. Hope to see you then.

Special giving opportunities in December: Alternative Gifts International, the Angel Tree (for Beth-El Farmworker Families) & the Joy Offering (for retired Presbyterian ministers & racial ethnic colleges.

May you be given grace to love those with whom you spend Thanksgiving, as well as to be thankful for those whom you miss.

Last week's note below.

Dear Peace Family,

It brings me great joy to announce that we have almost reached our big, holy, audacious goal this year. Last January, we prayed for a great year in membership in our new location. We said “Let’s hope for twenty new family units this year.” We are at the end of November with seventeen new family units (singles, couples, families), and there are at least ten more who are considering. Those of you who are new members in 2011, thank you for the joy you bring us!

As we challenged ourselves to choose gratitude and generosity, even in harder economic times, we knew that we would need to surpass last year’s giving by nearly 50K to move confidently into 2012. I am encouraged to report that we are $40K above last year’s giving of $209,000, and with a few more promises, we will be strong. Thank you for catching the vision of Peace and stretching yourselves in faithful giving.

Pray for Elders Elect (Kathy Flora, Jenny Sheffield, Don Simpson, Mark Winters, and Andrew Deibert—youth) who are training for ordination, and give thanks for Elders whose term on session is ending in January. (Chuck McClurg, Robin Miller, Rod Scott, and Barbara Staton).

We come to the final Sunday of the church year, Christ the King. Our scripture is the story of the sheep and the goats from Matthew 25, a passage which always challenges us to examine our compassion for the “least of these.” Remember that you can make a difference for the needy by participating in our Alternative Giving International program.

Kickball & Hotdogs in LWR Adventure Park (Greenbrook Blvd) has become a relaxing and enjoyable intergenerational experience for the Peace family. Hope you can join us tomorrow at 3 and bring a friend. There was a great article about Peace’s Faith & Film Night in today’s paper! Don't forget to sign up for December Dinner Groups tomorrow.

We are praying for all who find the holidays difficult, especially those who are grieving. We remember Karen Lowder, who is having a memorial service for husband Barry Sunday afternoon, and Diane Engster and Bill Yolton, who lost both Bill’s daughter and Diane’s father in a two week period.

With gratitude for each of you,

Elizabeth