www.nativityarden.org
828.684.0352
Weekly e-news       11/3 /16
+ worship         
   


This Sunday is All Saints Sunday, a time for us to remember the lives of those who have gone before us in this journey of faith. Their memory is bittersweet, to be sure, because we miss them in our lives. All Saints is a time to be reminded that we are united in Christ, across time and space. And at the table, in the bread and wine, not even death separates the family of our Triune God. 

+ care
   


We will be celebrating the life of Clement Hahn, beloved and long-time Nativity member, on Saturday morning November 5 at 11:00 AM.  We continue to hold his wife, Juanita, children ( Kenneth, DeAnna & Kimberly) and grandchildren in our prayers. If you would like to be a part of the funeral meal team for this event, please contact Princess Ferguson by clicking here

To read Clement's obituary, 
click here.

- - - - - 

We are saddened to inform you that one of our newest members, 
Delora Hoeft, died yesterday. 
We ask that you keep her daughter, Karen Rich, and the entire family in your prayers during this difficult time. 

+ nursery volunteers needed!
 
We try to make worship welcoming for young families here at Nativity, and one important part of that is to provide a nursery for those children who are too fussy for church. While we provide one staff person for this task, we also support that person with a volunteer assistant. We are now in need of volunteers.

If you would like to volunteer to spend your time with some very cute and playful children, we ask you to prayerfully consider signing up for a Sunday or two by clicking here.

If you have questions, please call the church office at 828-684-0352.

+ yard guard 
 
Nativity Yard Guard needs the help of the congregation on two consecutive Saturdays in November: the 12th & 19th.  9:00 am to noon. We will be cleaning up the church grounds -- corralling all those fallen leaves -- and preparing for the winter months.  Bring your rakes and blowers. Refreshments provided. 



OFFERING  update
October 2016
_____________________________________

$36,000 budgeted
$38,735 received

Thank you for your faithful commitment to Nativity; your giving  has  a significant impact on the resources and opportunity  for  outreach from our congregation. 

For the month of November, 
our budgeted offerings are $59,800.
 
If you have any questions, 
please contact Carrie Dahlberg,
 our  Financial Secretary,  here

Nativity Endowment Fund Applications 
are Available!
_____________________________________

Now through December 5th, the Endowment Fund Committee will accept applications for grant and scholarship disbursements. 

 Established in 2004,  the 
Nativity Endowment Fund receives and disperses financial gifts from church members and friends to carry on the ministry of Christ through Nativity in future years. 

For an application, or to learn how you can make a gift of kindness, please visit the Give section of the nativityarden.org website 
by clicking here.

+ learn
 
Fall 2016 Faith Formation 

Join us between worship services each Sunday from  9:40 to 10:20  as we explore our faith and build community at Nativity!
 
I ntergenerational Faith Formation: everyone in 2nd grade and older is invited to meet in the Fellowship Hall.
 
Building Blocks: Children in 1st grade and under meet in the Preschool Big Room. 
 
*Nursery is available for children 3 and under*
 
For more information, contact Pastor Rachel here
 - - - - -
Daily Scripture Readings:
Sunday: Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 6:20-31
Monday: Zephaniah 1:14-18
Tuesday: Nahum 1:1-11
Wednesday: Habakkuk 3:1-19
Thursday: Jeremiah 1:1-19
Friday: Ezekiel 1:1-28
Saturday: Ezekiel 37:1-14

God's Story, Our Story
Weekly devotional materials relating to the Narrative Lectionary are available on the Welcome Desk.
+ council corner

Minutes from previous meetings can be found on the church's website here.

+ check us out
on social media!
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
View on Instagram
 Click  for Nativity's
FALL BACK!

time_for_change.jpg
This is a friendly reminder that this Sunday we "fall back," returning to Eastern Standard Time. 
Enjoy some extra sleep 
and see you at church!

+ give

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
this Saturday, Nov 5th!
New Volunteer Opportunity
Nativity has been asked to take an additional Saturday at Calvary Food Pantry.  This coincides with our expanding volunteer pool, and it seems the Spirit is moving!  We'll now be serving at Calvary on the 1st and 2nd Saturdays of the month, beginning Nov. 5th.  Thanks to our volunteers for making this ministry possible!

Calvary Food Pantry requests our support with the annual Thanksgiving meal project. CFP will distribute turkeys and hams for 180 families on 
Saturday, November 19
Here are ways you can help:
designate monetary funds through your offering to CFP ($15 provides one turkey), bring Thanksgiving "fixings" to the cart in the fellowship hall -- boxes of stuffing; canned pumpkin, vegetables, cranberry sauce, broth, etc.,  and pray for our neighbors in need. 

whole_family_at_dinner.jpg

 If you know an individual or family in need of food for Thanksgiving or on an ongoing basis, please share that Calvary Food Pantry provides food for anyone in need. The pantry is open every Saturday from  8:30 - 11 a.m. 

 You can do "God's Work - Our Hands" with other Nativity volunteers by signing up at the Welcome Desk for the first or second Saturday of the month. To learn more, contact Pastor Rachel or 
Heather Neal (658-9309) 
here if you'd like to learn more, 
or simply sign-up at the Welcome Desk
and learn first-hand! 

+ NPK

Nativity Preschool and Kindergarten will be selling Christmas Wreaths this during the holiday season, and 50% of the proceeds benefits the school directly! Click here to see the flyer and learn more. Additional flyers are located at the Welcome Desk in the Fellowship Hall. 
 
Click   here  to see who's celebrating their birthdays in November.
+ book discussion group

woman_hammock_reading.jpg

The Nativity Book Discussion Group 
will meet on Tuesday  afternoon
November 8, at 1:30  pm.
NOTE: Because that day is Election Day and the fact that Nativity is  a voting site,  we will meet in the modular unit behind the church.  
We will be discussing  Memory Man  
by David  Baldacci .

The evening group will meet  on Thursday night,  November 10, at  6:30 pm 
in the Preschool Big Room as usual 
and will discuss the same book. 

December's book is  
Me Before You   by Jojo Moyes 
and January's book is  
Circling the Sun  by Paula McLain. 
Come and join in the discussion and bring a friend. See you there!


For Discussion Guidelines, click here.
+ welca

NC Women of the ELCA invite you to join us 
for Lutheran World Relief Volunteer Day, which will be celebrated from November 10-13, 2016. Christian Tours has arranged a four day bus trip from Newton, NC to New Windsor, Maryland and to Lancaster, PA. You will have the opportunity to tour and to volunteer at the LWR warehouse and SERRV. More information can be found in the brochures on the Women's bulletin board.

The Ladies Lunch Bunch  will resume meeting 
in January 2017.  

The Women's Meeting will be held  Thursday, November 10, at  11:00 in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome to attend and join in the Bible study, Pursuing God's Beauty, a study of the Gospel according to John. Bring a bag lunch, if you wish.

The Card Ministry meets immediately following the Women's Meeting at  12:30 pm on  Thursday, November 10. We gather to make cards for Nativity's members on the prayer list. All are welcome to come and participate. All that is needed is the ability to follow directions.

- - - - - 

Since 2013 we have been able to track quilts and kits sent to Lutheran World Relief. During the past three years, 398 quilts have been sent to the Philippines and Peru (2014), Georgia (2015), and India (2016). 185 Personal Care Kits have been sent to the Philippines (2014), Yemen and Lebanon, Worldwide, and  Georgia (2015). Our youth tied 15 fleece blankets which were sent to Angola (2016). 113 School Kits made last year were sent to Nicaragua this year. In the last 15 years, Nativity Quilters have made 2,307 quilts, not including 
this year's numbers.

Thank you to the whole congregation who supported these projects for 
our sisters and brothers in need! 

 This year 161 School Kits and 118 quilts will be sent to the LWR warehouse in New Windsor, MD.  


Camp Agape 
Clean-up

Click here for information about Camp Agape, the damage it sustained during the hurricane, and ways you can lend a hand. 
+ Living Lutheran
    November 2016



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