Supporting UCOM in the Christmas Season - Donations needed for Senior Presents

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UCOM (the United Church Outreach Ministry), seeks donations and volunteers in this Christmas season. See UCOM is in Need of Donations — St. John's United Church of Christ (stjohnsuccgr.org) for more information about the current ways in which we can help.

Donations are VERY MUCH APPRECIATED - particularly because UCOM has a list of gifts promised for 125 people. A UCOM affiliate created a gift tag tree with 125 tags but UCOM has only received 60 of those gifts. They are now purchasing gifts for the remaining people. UCOM has some monies in a general fund for this purpose (estimated 20-30 gifts), but this is not likely to be enough. That would still leave 35 gifts remaining. Please consider helping to support this outreach effort to UCOM clients, seniors in the UCOM ministry outreach circle!

Two options for donating:

  1. Sending a check (or delivering to UCOM):

    United Church Outreach Ministry
    1311 Chicago Dr SW
    Wyoming, MI 49509

    You may write "senior gifts" in the note area.

  2. Going online to the UCOM website & making a donation there (United Church Outreach Ministry :: Home (ucomgr.org)). If a person would like to designate "for senior gifts", there is a space for a note.

Monday, December 20, 2021: The Longest Night Service

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The clergy of the Grand West Association will offer a live-streamed (via Zoom) Longest Night Service of memories and reflection on Monday, December 20, 2021 at 7PM. 

This service will acknowledge that this season, while merry and bright for many, is not so for some. Mixed feelings of grief and loss mingle with the anticipation of the season. This is a time to express longing and joy together.

To join the service, click the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81053859339?pwd=eEJkZXM0M01Gd0MyQmdNWUJJeXBjUT09 

You can also join by phone by calling 312-626-6799 with meeting ID: 810 5385 9339 and passcode: 958932

The order of worship is available here: Longest Night Service

Location:

Zoom
Dec 20, 2021 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM

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Sunday Bible Study

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The Sunday Bible Study will meet via Zoom from 9:00 until 9:45 Sunday morning. Bill Newsom will lead our discussion of the gospel lectionary passage for that day.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/931107725?pwd=RkpYOTJmMHVSMUd1SGJ4U2EyMEdpZz09

A PDF study guide can be downloaded at

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/61ba396b991e8b187809c2df/1639594348085/SUNDAY+BIBLE+STUDY+12192021.pdf

You are welcome to join us for this encounter with the good news of Jesus.

UCOM is in Need of Donations

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UCOM is looking for donations of men's and teens winter gloves. If you would like to make a donation, you may email or contact the church office at (616) 453-2497 and we will pick them up or you can deliver them directly to UCOM at 1311 Chicago Drive, Wyoming, MI  49509.

They are also looking for volunteers willing to deliver gifts to senior citizens in the next 9 days. To volunteer call UCOM at 616-241-4006. Let them know how many deliveries you can make and they will set up a map for you and provide the gifts.

For questions or more information, feel free to contact Barb Huitema 616-438-1336

Join Us for Wednesday Evening Prayer

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Join us tonight, Wednesday, December 15, via Zoom at 6:30 pm for a brief Service of Evening Prayer.
It's an opportunity to see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices, and catch up with each other
and it's a great time to pause and reconnect during the middle of the week.

You can join from any digital device by clicking this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84551334188?pwd=VDhxY3BsdC8yVmdtMVd3NUsyREg3UT09

If you'd prefer to call in, you may do so by dialing (312) 626 6799, entering 845 5133 4188 when prompted for a meeting ID, and 947736 when prompted for a passcode.

The liturgy for evening prayer can be found here:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/61ba31de106b584668bc843d/1639592417755/Evening+Prayer+12-15-21.pdf

Evening Prayer and Fellowship normally happens at 6:30 pm each Wednesday but moves to 7:30 pm on the first Wednesday of the month due to our mobile Food Pantry.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021: UCOM Presentation

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Join us Wednesday December 15, 2021 for a presentation from Bruce Roller of United Church Outreach Ministry( UCOM). He will be discussing programs at UCOM to help marginalized families have a blessed Christmas and how we can help.  He will also discuss gift giving for Children in need of gifts.

Dr. Roller will join us at 7pm following the Wednesday night prayer service on Zoom.

Zoom link for prayer service and UCOM presentation: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84551334188?pwd=VDhxY3BsdC8yVmdtMVd3NUsyREg3UT09 

Meeting ID: 845 5133 4188
Passcode: 947736

Dial by your location
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

Location:

Zoom
Dec 15, 2021 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM

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This Sunday, December 12, 2021

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Welcome to Sunday morning!  This is the day that God has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! This Sunday, our worship will be led by our area conference minister, Rev. Ruth Fitzgerald.

While the COVID pandemic numbers in our area are above our target metrics, we continue to worship exclusively online. A small team of worship leaders (pastor, music director, liturgist, cantor, and tech) will broadcast the service from the sanctuary.  

You may join the worship service via our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stjohnsuccgr/ , our YouTube channel at http://alturl.com/etrte , or our website at https://stjohnsuccgr.org/ at 10:00 a.m.

There are links below this message to the order of service, the weekly Journal, a children's bulletin for the week's lectionary readings, a youth Bible Study, an Adult Bible Study, and a devotional guide for the week. Please share these resources with your family and friends and know that we are joined together across any distances or difficulties that might separate us.

When the service completes, please join us on Zoom for a time of fellowship using this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/192123229?pwd=Z203SlNXWmRmdnFFWDg4RlltZlVqdz09 

We are able to provide all of these wonderful services because of your continuing generosity and support.  If you are able to give to support our ministries, please do. You can make a donation or set up regular giving by clicking here:  http://www.stjohnsuccgr.org/give .  You can also simply mail your check to the church:

St. John’s UCC
1934 Bridge ST NW
Grand Rapids, MI  49504

Thank you for your continued faithfulness in supporting St. John's. Let us continue to hold each other and the entire world close to our hearts and to the heart of God in prayer.

Sunday Bible Study

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/61b3766023ba8e58db7f1cd2/1639151200659/Sunday+Bible+Study+12122021.pdf 

Youth Bible Study

https://blogs.elca.org/faithlens/ 

Children's Activity Sheet

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/61b3769187181841e9287b1d/1639151250143/children%27s+bulletin+12122021.pdf 

Weekly Journal

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/61b37a2506d89c624ddb5899/1639152167127/Journal12122021.pdf 

Order of Service

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/61b37743a3c0f5151c3bc0df/1639151427875/Order+of+Service+12122021.pdf 

Weekly Devotional

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/61b3777df3b86b55f429ce6c/1639151485275/Weekly+devotional+12122021.pdf 

Bethany Christian Services Partnership Orientation (zoom)

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If you would like to participate in the welcome we are extending to a refugee family arriving in Grand Rapids this week, let us know! We are now a partnering church community. The first family we will help to welcome will arrive on Thursday, December 9. The family will stay in a residential hotel for several weeks after their arrival in Grand Rapids.

An orientation for partnering church community members will occur on Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 6:00 PM. If you would like to join this zoom info session, please let Barb Huitema or Brenda Tooley know - we'll send you the zoom link. That's THIS WEEK!

Please let Barb know if and how you would like to participate in this church community effort! There will be more opportunities in future, as well. Stay tuned :)

Just as a reminder: Bethany Christian handles all aspects of the families’ welcome and ongoing support – from the airport welcome to securing housing to kitting out the house to helping with school placement and job-seeking to the family’s transition to full independence. We are not responsible for all of the family's resettlement needs. Instead, we partner with BCS to provide a warm welcome, support in the form of advice about things like dental services and schools, car rides to appointments (SSN, DMV, doc appointments, etc.), and a neighborly, caring presence as the family begins its new life in the States.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://bethany.zoom.us/j/92727724308?pwd=amNsSXliNmE1ZW5mczV2L0E4VVptQT09

Meeting ID: 927 2772 4308
Passcode: 693805

Welcoming New Families - We're Moving Forward

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As you know, Bethany Christian Services in Grand Rapids is now welcoming refugee families from Afghanistan to the Grand Rapids area. We are now a partnering church community. The first family we will help to welcome will arrive on Thursday, December 9. The family will stay in a residential hotel for several weeks after their arrival in Grand Rapids.

There are several things we can do to help welcome this family of four (parents and two daughters):

  • We can purchase a hot meal from a restaurant providing cultural appropriate meals for the family for immediately after their arrival (BCS has details about the meal possibilities).

  • We (any and all who are available) will definitely want to be present at the airport when the family arrives to help welcome them to Grand Rapids! BCS will soon inform us of the arrival time on this coming Thursday.

(We already have a volunteer who will purchase car seats for the daughters and another who has offered to purchase grocery items for the family from a list provided by BCS - MANY thanks to both people!)

An orientation for partnering church community members will occur on Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 6:00 PM. If you would like to join this zoom info session, please let Barb Huitema or Brenda Tooley know - we'll send you the zoom link.

Please let Barb know if and how you would like to participate in this church community effort!

Just as a reminder: Bethany Christian handles all aspects of the families’ welcome and ongoing support – from the airport welcome to securing housing to kitting out the house to helping with school placement and job-seeking to the family’s transition to full independence. We are not responsible for all of the family's resettlement needs. Instead, we partner with BCS to provide a warm welcome, support in the form of advice about things like dental services and schools, car rides to appointments (SSN, DMV, doc appointments, etc.), and a neighborly, caring presence as the family begins its new life in the States.

BCS has a number of informative webpages. Here is a good place to begin:

https://bethany.org/get.../donate/support-refugee-efforts