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Psalm 68:6 — “God sets the lonely in families…”
This Sunday we are going to recognize “Pure Religion Sunday”. It is a globally unified day of recognition, celebration and action, when churches around the world celebrate God’s heart for orphaned and vulnerable children.
For centuries, the church stepped in to help orphans and widows. Government foster care programs in the U.S. came about in the early 1900s. Since then, the church’s role has dwindled, and our government’s $9-billion-a-year foster care system is failing. It’s stretched beyond capacity.
Reports of children harmed in the foster care system are common, and its success rate of reunifying families is only 47%.
What can we do? We can partner with Better Together, a faith-based nonprofit that has helped more than 15,000 children by building strong families and preventing the need for foster care.
98% of children served by Better Together through hosting and mentoring reunite and stay out of the state system.
The Better Together model builds family-like relationships between those who want to help and those who are hurting, building a community and relational connections. We will have representatives in worship on Sunday to tell us more about what they do, and help us to kick off our Angel Tree toy drive for Christmas.
Our Angel Trees are located at the back of church. There will be tags hanging on the tree with families and wish list of toys and items needed for families, adults and children alike. We will collect items by December 13th and then deliver them to the families the following week. Help bring joy to needy families this Christmas through this powerful ministry.
In response to the recent rains and flooding, we received resources for the NALC Disaster Relief in the form of flood buckets, Bibles, hygiene and kitchen kits, and Bibles. Churches from around the USA have donated these for instances like this.
We have hundreds to distribute – so don’t be shy about taking some. Give them to those in need – or to help prepare yourself and others for future storms. This can be an opportunity for mission and ministry. Praise God for our Disaster Relief organization that we help support through our budget this year. The blessings are returning!
In the name of Jesus Christ;
Pastor Dan
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Join us for worship this Sunday with First Evangelical and Holy Cross churches. Join us for a delicious lunch following worship in the Fellowship Hall.
- This Sunday we are welcoming Morgan Kirk from Better Together to help us kick off our “Angel Tree” toy drive for Christmas, and share in “Pure Religion Sunday”, a day when the church around the world celebrate God’s heart for orphaned and vulnerable children.
- The NALC Disaster Response delivered a truck load of flood buckets, hygiene and kitchen kits on Friday in response to the recent flooding. These are available to everyone for free! Please take one, or two, or more, and use or share with others that may need them.
- Join us for a Thanksgiving Feast after worship on November 22nd. Ham and turkey are provided, but RSVP and sign-up on the sheet in the back of the church to bring a dish to pass, if you are able. This is the Sunday before Thanksgiving.
- First Evangelical a nd Holy Cross Church Councils will meet separately after worship this Sunday, in Classroom #1 and Sanctuary, respectively. Holy Cross is having a Congregational meeting on November 15th after worship, all Holy Cross members are encouraged to attend.
- First Evangelical will no longer provide numbered offering envelopes. Please use envelopes provided in pews or with the offering box.
- Christmas is around the corner! Sign up to be in our Christmas Pageant this year – a special musical this year! The performance will be on December 20th in worship.
- Thank you to everyone who gave through our “Noisy Offering” to build a fence for our new playground! With your help we have met our goal of $6172.70. Praise the Lord!
