1st Sunday in Advent
Sunday, November 28, 2021

Sunday School begins at 9:00 am
Worship begins at 10:15 am

Thanks to the Faith Singers who will share an anthem with us
and to our volunteers:
Brenda Hovis, Head Usher
Tom Hovis & Tim Hovis, Ushers
Barb Maursky, Lay Reader
Tom Hovis, Financial Secretary

To view the live streamed service from home at 10:15 am
Sunday morning, go to YouTube

To follow along at home, click here to print the bulletin.
   A Congregational Meeting was held on Sunday
and the results are in -
 
• The 2022 Budget was approved
and
• Rodney Koch was elected to a second
3-year term & as Steward on the
Memorial and Enduring Gifts
THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR

(This week's office hours are not the norm.)
WEDNESDAY -Office Closed
 
THURSDAY    -Happy Thanksgiving
                       -Office Closed
 
FRIDAY           -Office Closed
 
SATURDAY     -9:00 Decorating the Sanctuary -
Help is greatly appreciated!!
 
SUNDAY         -9:00 Sunday School
11/28             -10:15 Worship
                        -Advent 1/ Communion

MONDAY       -9 – 4 Sandy works from home*
                        
TUESDAY       -6:00 – 7:30 Faith in Stitches
 
WEDNESDAY -
 
THURSDAY    -2:00 Mission Meeting
                        
FRIDAY           -Office Closed
-Pastor's Day Off
 
SATURDAY     -10-12 Encore Hall Rental
 
SUNDAY         -9:00 Sunday School
12/5              -10:15 Worship
-Mainstreet Brass
                       -11:30 Faith Singers Rehearsal
* Please note – Pastor Bruce has a new contact number to call if you can’t reach him at the office – 484-893-0698.
 
* If you need something from Sandy when she works from home on a Monday, you can reach her by leaving a message on the church phone which she checks throughout the day or call her cell at 610-967-6232.
A Daily Devotional

Needing Bread - by Mary Luti  

The disciples came to Jesus and said, “Send the crowds away, so they may go buy food.” Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” –Matthew 14:15-16 excerpted (NRSV)

It used to be that if you didn’t understand it, weren’t baptized, didn’t believe correctly, or weren’t morally pure, you were barred from Communion. It was called “fencing the table.” Everybody did it.

But these days some churches are unfencing. Completely. They say Jesus never turned anyone away from his table, so neither should we.

Never mind that Jesus was always a guest with no table of his own to welcome anyone to. Or that the early church emphatically excluded notorious sinners, the unbaptized, and heretics. Or that the church has consistently taught that Communion is for members. Only.

We’re opening our tables anyway, even though we’ve never done it this way before. Really. Never.

Now many people once ruled out are coming. Little kids, unbaptized adults, intellectually disabled people, the weary, the sin-sick, the doubting, the curious—they’re all coming. 
 
Because they want it, this gift they can’t explain, don’t believe in correctly, or were told they don’t deserve. They want it, this company for their loneliness, this healing for their estrangement, this home for their wandering, this approval for their very beings. This pardon. This love. This memory. This meeting. This mercy. This food.
  
Above all, this food. For a bottomless hunger. 
 
And the church that’s always needed to have all its theological ducks in a row before budging an inch; the church that’s always gone to the wall for its beliefs and put others up against the wall for theirs; this obtuse yet still teachable church is finally starting to obey Jesus: “You give them something to eat.”  

There is so much hunger. 
 
The church has bread. 
 
Prayer
We don’t have to be deserving. All we need is to need the bread. Thank you, Jesus.
About the Author
Mary Luti is a long time seminary educator and pastor, author of Teresa of Avila’s Way and numerous articles, and founding member of The Daughters of Abraham, a national network of interfaith women’s book groups.
MISSION REMINDERS

Holiday Hope Chests
 
Thank you to all who are taking part in our Holiday Hope Chest mission. Filled boxes must be returned by this Sunday, November 28. 

Christmas Gifts for our Forget-Me-Nots

Consider being a Christmas blessing to one of our own church family.  As we head closer to the day, and while you’re shopping for everyone on your list, if you would consider doing a special kindness for one of our Faith Family’s forget-me-nots, please check the names below.  Merry Christmas!
 
BeBe Moyer   -   Sugar free candy (favorite Josh Early)
Frank Styer   -   Long sleeved shirt (L)
Joan Jones   -   Homemade Christmas cookies 
LaVerna Diehl   -   Any Josh Early candy
Marv Neely   -   Homemade Christmas cookies  (favorite choc. chip)
Patti Neely   -   Homemade Christmas cookies 
  
Please contact Caroline Frantz, 610-691-8714 and tell her who you’re shopping for so we can check them off the list.  

We will be decorating the sanctuary with Poinsettias for the Christmas season. Please print and complete the ORDER FORM and return with payment via mail, drop off at the office, or on Sunday in the offering plate. Deadline to order is THIS Sunday, November 28th.
Faith Church will hold an on-line
Holiday Mini-Talent Auction
through December 5th
 
Our talent auction is officially underway!!
 
Thanks to everyone who has donated this year, we have some very unique and creative items up for bid. Below you will see instructions on how to proceed. 
 
(New items can still be added to the auction so if you haven't submitted your talent/service offering get it to Wes Koser asap!!)

Thanks,
the FUNdraising Committee
 
Wes Koser - koser1@yahoo.com or 610.841.7077
 
Instructions to bid:
 1. To view the auction items, simply click on the link provided. www.32auctions.com/fucc2021 Anyone with this web address can view the items, so feel free to forward it on to others.
 
2. To bid, you have 2 options:
     a) Follow the on-screen instructions to create a username and bid on the items as you wish
    b) Email or call Wes Koser and state which items you would like to bid on and for what amount. Wes will then submit a bid for you using a generic Faith Church username.
 
Instructions to pay:
1. Once the Auction closes, you will be emailed instructions on how to pay online.
2. If you are uncomfortable paying online, you can pay for your items with a check or cash to on Sunday morning, or Sandy David during normal office hours.
3. Payment is expected to be made 1 week after auction closes. 
Interested in sponsoring ALTAR FLOWERS in 2022? Reserve your dates now! You can reserve your dates on the schedule in the Narthex or call or email the church office. The cost is $35. (Please hold off paying for your flowers until the new year:)
If you would like to take part in the service as usher or lay reader, please email Joan Hassler .
Is there someone in your life in need of prayer? Click here to fill out a prayer request form and Pastor Bruce will mention that person’s first name during worship. Please be sensitive to privacy. Permission to share from those involved must be granted before making a request.
Recycling Soft Plastic

Keep those plastic bags coming!  

Collection boxes can be found in
the Narthex and in the Office Lobby

Here is a list of acceptable plastics:
 
Let’s save our oceans and the animals that live there
by turning these materials into a reusable product!
Any questions please see Jerry Trexler. 
Help fill the Betty Lou's Pantry basket in the Narthex! Currently, the most needed items are:

Chunky Soup or Chili
Boxed Potatoes
(Scalloped, Au Gratin, Stovetop Stuffing)
Packaged Pasta & Rice Side Dishes

Thank you to everyone who donated laundry detergent for BLP in October. Unfortunately, Faith Church fell far short of our request of 100 bottles. Please feel free to bring detergent to church on Sunday or deliver to the Pantry Wednesday Mornings between 9-10 AM

If you or someone you know is in need of food,
please call 610-282-2838 and leave a message
Let's remember our Friends, Members, Forget-Me-Nots and others as we continue through some uncertain times. Keep each other in your thoughts and prayers and stay connected if possible.

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS:

22 Nolan Ryan
25 Rebecca Hite
26 Eric Koch
26 Noah Ritter
27 Robert Pierson
27 Ryenn Amato
  
(If you would like to send cards, addresses can be found in the Members & Friends Directory link at the bottom of this email.)

Click here for a list of birthdays and addresses of our Forget-Me-Not's. Some phone numbers are also included if you'd like to give a call! Also included on the list are names, addresses, and phone numbers of members who usually attend services but don't get to see the recorded services on a regular basis. Reach out to them and say hello or fill them in on the weekly news!
A Special THANK YOU to all who continue to financially support our ministry as you are able. Through these uncertain times our financial obligations continue and our regular bills are still coming in. Again we'd like to remind you there are several ways you can do this:

  1. Mail your offering directly to the church
  2. Make an electronic donation through Tithe.ly on our website's Giving page
  3. Use your bank's Bill Pay service
IMPORTANT LINKS

(Updated 10.21.21)

Need to make changes, corrections, or additions to our Church Directory? Click HERE to let us know if your info is current or if we need to make
changes. Thanks in advance for taking the time to keep our
Church Directory up to date.





Contact us via email or call the church office at 610.282.3939

Dennis J. Duda, Organist & Music Director
Sandy David, Parish Administrator
(click on names to send an email)