Help provide a Thanksgiving Dinner

As in previous years, the Maplewood-Richmond Heights school district will distribute Thanksgiving boxes for local families. If you would like to sponsor a box or two or three, the price this year is $50, but partial boxes can be purchased, also.

Updated Information Below:

Freezer space needed 11-14 to 11-25. If you can possibly store a frozen turkey (or two, three, or more) for a few days while we buy them four at a time from Aldi, and if you are willing to drop the birds off at church around 8 AM on November 25, we’ll gratefully deliver to you. Steve Wall-Smith, 314-369-7952 (text/talk) or stephen.wallsmith@gmail.com; Lis Wall-Smith, 314-497-9186 (talk only) or ewallsmith@aol.com.

New Mission Statement below to be voted on at the next Ad Council Meeting, October 24th

Ad Council Proposes New Mission Statement

“Maplewood United Methodist Church creates spaces where people can have authentic encounters with Christ, discover their Spiritual gifts, and use them for God’s glory.”

At their September meeting, the Administrative Council continued discussing the congregation’s mission. The statement above comes from a sentence on the “I’m New” page of the website. The Council believes it is actually a statement that fittingly describes the mission of the congregation. Please give prayerful consideration to this statement for the next few weeks. If you have any input, please contact an Administrative Council member. The Council will vote on the statement at the November meeting. The proposed statement would replace the current Mission Statement: “Feeding the community - body, mind, heart, and spirit - through the love of Christ.” The official Vision Statement would remain “A community whose body, mind, heart, and spirit are fed through the love of Christ.”

If you have suggestions or comments about the proposed new mission statement, contact Colette Cummings. Email: cumminco@webster.edu, Phone: 314-239-2015

Tis' the season we welcome fist bumps or peace signs in place of hand shakes. Masks are available at Sutton entrance. Thank you!

A Note from Pastor Andy



A throne is a chair for royalty. Not just any old person is allowed to sit on a throne. It is reserved for the sovereign, the one whose word is law and whose orders are carried out without question. Kings, queens, monarchs of various titles sit on thrones. It is a hub of power and authority.

And it is also just a chair.

I mean, it’s a fancy chair, sure. But when you get down to it, a throne is just a chair - a place for a person to sit. You back up to it, bend your knees, and set your back end right down on it. Just like any chair. Like the chairs around your kitchen table. Or those comfy chairs at the movie theater. Or the bench in the park. Just a place to sit.

The meaning of the throne doesn’t come from the chair itself. The meaning of the throne is given to it by us, but the people around it. It is a hub of power and authority because we decide that it is.

A heavenly throne is central to John’s Revelation. The throne John sees is elaborate and glorious, surrounded by “a rainbow that looked like an emerald.” There is lightning and thunder coming from the throne, which is also surrounded by twenty-four similar thrones holding twenty-four elders of the heavenly council. It is a scene of majesty and splendor that the best CGI would struggle to recreate.

And it is also just a chair.

Without the monarch, the throne is really just a chair. The Reign of God wouldn’t be the Reign of God without a Ruler on the throne. We do not worship the chair, we worship the one seated on it.

May we always remember that we do not worship human constructs, be they institutions or structures or systems. Rather we worship God, who is “over all, through all, and in all.” Let God be our priority, now and always.

Pastor Andy

Join Pastor Andy every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. for the "Thursday thought for the day" on the church's Facebook page. If you can't join live you can always pick it up later. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mumcstl

Monday Noon Sermon Zoom

December 2, 9, 16, 23

Mondays in Advent, all are welcome to be a part of the “Monday Noon Sermon Zoom” with Pastor Andy. Beginning at 12:05, participants will have an opportunity to reflect on the previous Sunday’s sermon together. The group will share particularly meaningful moments from the worship service, discuss sermon themes, and answer questions that the sermon prompted. We will adjourn by 12:55 each Monday. Please feel free to eat lunch as you participate. A Zoom link will be provided in upcoming weeks.

It's that time of year again! You have the opportunity to order Red, White, or Pink Poinsettias, in honor or in memory of a loved one to be on display in the Sanctuary from December 15th through Christmas Eve. The cost for each plant is $7.50. Poinsettias will be displayed on Sunday, December 15 through Christmas Eve. All orders must be placed by December 2nd. You may order them using this link: 2024 Poinsettias, the QR code on the Opportunity Board, on the app/website, or on the paper slips passed out during Sunday Morning Worship. Payments may be made online or via the offering on Sundays. Be sure to note that the payment is for poinsettias.

Still NEED more empty 16 oz. water bottles for Build-A-Gift

Build A Gift is in need of 80 empty 16-ounce water bottles with lids. Clean and dry would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting this event. Place under the easel in the back of the Sanctuary (Narthex) by the end of November.

As a part of our worship last Sunday, we remembered and renewed our Baptism

The children enjoyed helping put together Blessing Bags in Sunday School last week.