Wesley United Methodist Church

Wesley is rich in tradition and always looking towards the future. We welcome you to worship with us on Sunday mornings at 10am. Everyone is welcome. http://www.wumcsf.org

Halloween is not my jam.

Not that I have any particular moral qualms with Halloween in general. It has Christian roots, after all, and a wide array of cultural practices that make the day thoroughly interesting. I get that.

Still, I don’t get into ghouls or ghosts or jump scares. Gory stuff makes me queasy. I don’t like the color orange, and I detest the smell of pumpkins.

So really, there’s not much in it that would appeal to me. When it comes to Halloween, I’ll wish everyone a good time and turn off my porch light, thank you very much.

The next holiday, though—Thanksgiving—is one I can get behind. Once we set aside the Pilgrim mythologies those of a certain age learned when we were in elementary school, it’s hard to argue that Thanksgiving isn’t one of our most important holidays. After all, it is not just a celebration of something past. It is a disciplined look at where we are, here and now.

Thanksgiving doesn’t ask us to ignore pain or suffering, but it does ask us to look at the big picture. The world around us is filled with tragedies and heartbreak, true enough. But it is also littered with blessings and serendipities.

Life is certainly inconsistent, and one moment’s joy can give way to sorrow in the next. But the reverse is also true. Joy shows up in surprising ways, often when it’s needed most.

I’m not going to ask you to be a blind optimist. I’m not even going to ask you to ignore what hurts. What I am going to do, however, is remind you to be hopeful.

Even now, we have much to be thankful for.

New contemporary songs for November:

“Gratitude” by Brandon Lake https://open.spotify.com/track/0cXV6AoJBnrnrXK0toJHpB?si=c01bd0297d1d4e4f

“Come What May” by We Are Messengers https://open.spotify.com/track/5zpuYdCR4Tmm7zv6wYgqMK?si=9f0ff249dad34b02

“Splinters and Stones” by Hillsong United https://open.spotify.com/track/7HplQBe0vCDriIzpEiw7wB?si=4a4e50fe519f440c

--Eric

Wesley is involved in some really cool stuff! We have partnered with Habitat for Humanity, Community Revitalization and BAM to begin addressing challenges in the Whittier neighborhood. Wesley is a part of the large area that makes up the Whittier Neighborhood. Wesley will provide the space for meetings - Fellowship Hall- and the other groups will organize and facilitate the meetings. Even if you don't live in the Whittier neighborhood you are encouraged to attend these meetings. Your warm welcome and interest in our neighborhood will go far to spread a positive impression of the Wesley family.

The first meeting will address transportation challenges in the Whittier neighborhood. A total of seven forums are planned each with a different key issue that is facing the neighborhood. The date for the first forum is Saturday November 18 at 10a. Come have a cup of coffee and a treat and meet your Church's neighbors.

If you have any questions or would like to provide treats for this meeting, please call Mary Poppenga.

In September Wesley served 147 people on a Monday night canteen. In October Wesley served 220 people on a Sunday night and ran out of food. The Nightwatch Canteen is a much-needed food source in our community. To help ensure that Wesley can continue to serve, the money collected from the October 28th rummage sale will go to Wesley's Nightwatch Canteen fund.

1. The Worship committee is looking for a volunteer to lead the congregation in singing hymns. Let the worship committee know if you can help!

2. We need help keeping the church clean. Sign-up sheet in Narthex.

3. The media room upstairs can use more volunteers. Don't worry there is training! See the service from a different view.

Income 10 months 2023------ --------------------$ 93,298.73

Expense 10 months 2023 ----------------------- ($120,211.48)

Expense exceed Income @ 10/31/2023----------($27,812.45)

Don Armstrong, Treasurer

Balance 9/30/2023----------------------------$19, 392.17

Donations October 2023--------------------------$245.00

Interest earned --------------------------------------$6.80

Balance 10/31/2023 -----------------------------$19,643.97 Don Armstrong, Treasurer

Sympathy- friends and family of Bill Kluckman

Sympathy - to Donna Allis on the death of her son Greg

Sympathy - Lea Watson and family on death of daughter Jackie

Ernie Griner - several surgeries and hospitalization in Minneapolis

Zelma Dean - Rehab after hospitalization

Carole Anderson -doing rehab

Trish Garcia - had surgery now rehab

Erlene's cousin Jeff there have been small improvements after a stroke

Aggie Borman - recovering from a heart transplant and doing great

Sandy - Bernie McCabe's daughter, ongoing illness

Carmen Britt - Sister Kim and Brother-in-law, Dave - prayers needed

Kolby Bohmbach – Continued prayers for good test results

Felsheim Family – working to keep Bennett safe

Karen Renken- continued prayers for healing

Bob Whiting’s daughter Robyn –doing well after a kidney transplant

Nila & Karen’s sister-in-law Karen - continued prayers

José Garcia’s mom, Maria Herrera - breast cancer

The American Cancer Society sponsors the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November (November 16), challenging smokers to give up cigarettes for 24 hours. If you or a loved one smokes cigarettes, consider joining the movement, and take the first step toward quitting cigarettes forever!

Every year the Great American Smokeout draws attention to preventing deaths and chronic illnesses caused by smoking. From the late 1980s to the 1990s, many state and local governments have raised taxes on cigarettes, limited promotions, discouraged teen cigarette use, and taken further action to counter smoking. States with strong tobacco control laws saw up to a 42% decrease of smoking in adults.

Though smoking rates have dropped, almost 38 million Americans still smoke tobacco, and about half of all smokers will encounter smoking related deaths. Each year, more than 480,000 people in the United States die from a smoking related illness, meaning smoking causes 1 out of 5 deaths in the US alone.

So, if you are a smoker, consider stopping for one day. To access resources in South Dakota, log on to https://doh.sd.gov/topics/tobacco/tobacco-prevention-control-program/ .

Blessings,

Dawn Armstrong, Parish Nurse

What is in a Shoebox Christmas gift?

To start, wrap the bottom and top of a shoebox separately with Christmas gift wrapping paper. Add items that you purchased into the box. If you have children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, ask them what they would like for Christmas. Add that, a few more smaller gifts, some candy, a winter hat, mittens or gloves, place a rubber band around the box and then the top (or use a piece of elastic you can get from a fabric store and cut to size). Label the box with the age group and gender of the child on top of the box. Use the following age groups when you create your label: infant, toddler, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, 13 and up. Please only add new toys and please do not put any clothing except the hats, gloves or mittens in the boxes.

We have empty, wrapped boxes left over from last year if you need a box or boxes to fill. We can always use more empty boxes as well if you have any you would be willing to share with us.

Bring the filled boxes to Wesley by Nov. 5 and someone will get them to the pickup site which will be at Sunnycrest again this year. Last year we collected 31 boxes. I think we can do better than that this year.

Tuff Home in Hills, MN: Jackie Dreyer

Good Sam / Hill: Linda Varud,

Southridge: Guy Varud; Cleova Frahm

VA in Luverne: Bob Morrison

The congregation came forward to bless prayer shawls given to Chuck, Angi and Ernie Griner. Ernie is in a children's hospital in Minneapolis, has gone through surgeries and is very sick. The prayer shawls remind the Griners they are not alone; the Wesley family is praying for them.