John Calvin Presbyterian Church

PROGRAM OF HOPE: October is our month for the Program of Hope. We will be making sandwiches and bagging lunches at 2:00 PM every Tuesday in October except Oct. 31st. 

MATTHEW 25: Tuesdays in October we will be presenting another program on the Matthew 25 initiative. Join us for this wonderful program at 12:30 PM in the Library. After the program you are welcome to join us in making sandwiches for Program of Hope. More information to come so mark your calendar now. 

BOOKS ON GRATITUDE: As Fall approaches, our thoughts begin to turn to the upcoming Holidays. As we start to prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving and Christmas this is the perfect time to reflect on Gratitude. How do we live a life of Gratitude for what God has done for us? As Christians our gratitude goes beyond a list of things we are thankful for and turns our hearts to action. The first three books recommended by Christian Education Director for this month will help us to learn to live a life of Gratitude and the last two books will help us to understand that being thankful leads to action to give back to God through our time, tallents, and tithe. This week’s book is Giving Together A Stewardship Guide for Families by Carol A. Wehrheim. In her follow-up to Getting It Together, Carol Wehrheim presents a concise, accessible resource to help families better understand the importance of stewardship: in the family, in the congregation, in the community, and in the world. Reminding us that stewardship is about much more than money, Wehrheim clearly illustrates a more holistic understanding of the concept to include careful consideration of the choices we make that show the role Christian discipleship plays in our lives. She skillfully analyzes biblical passages and identifies spiritual practices intrinsic to stewardship as a way of helping families respond to their call to be stewards in today’s world. Including both a participant’s section and a leader’s guide, Giving Together is ideal for group or family study.

PLEDGE DRIVE: The Annual Pledge drive is this month. Be on the lookout for your pledge letter and card in the mail. Please send in your pledge card by November 5th, even if you are unable to pledge at this time. 

CANDY, COOKIES, AND GIFT WRAP OH MY! The playschool is collecting candy, snacks, and drinks for Trunk or Treat on Friday, Oct 27th. Also don’t forget the Annual gift wrap and cookie fundraiser will be starting on Oct. 20th. We will send more information when we have it.

PICTURES: Do you have pictures of recent church events? We would love to have a copy too. Please share your pictures with Louise via email or text so we can add them to the slides.

CHURCH AUCTION COMING UP!! We are planning an online only auction to raise money for the church and we need your donations. We are looking for good quality furniture, vintage items, gift baskets, gifts cards, and other high value items to auction off for the church. Look through your house and see what treasures you are willing to part with. Items need to have a minimum value of $25. Take up to four pictures, send them to Louise (via email) along with a detailed description and we will get it on the website ready for a buyer to find that special item. If your items have any scratches or defects please make sure to snap a picture of that and put it in the description. Items will not be brought to the church until the auction has closed and your items have been snapped up. Have questions? Talk with Sue or Louise. Don’t have an item that’s okay. We will be sending the link for the auction and will need you to share it with all your friends, family, and social media outlets. 

FOOD DRIVE: The Presbyterian Women are sponsoring a Fall Food Drive from Sunday, Oct 15th – Sunday Oct 22nd. This year the food will be given to Jefferson Presbyterian Church Food Bank, an USDA certified food bank. The food is distributed twice a month – the first and third Saturdays, servicing between 120 and 140 clients each Saturday. This is the only food bank in the area that is open on Saturday. Donations come mainly from Second Harvest with other churches, groups and individuals contributing. We would appreciate your support. Should you choose to make a monetary donation please make the check out to the church and indicate that it is for the Food Drive.