This Week at FAITH

THIS WEEK AT FAITH

February 7, 2021

No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey you are welcome here.

Our Welcoming Statement

FAITH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

5992 Route 378

Center Valley, PA 18034

610.282.3939

www.faithchurchucc.org

FOCUS ON FAITH

Look inside to learn more about Fasnachts, Lent, and more!

Join us this 5th Sunday after Epiphany for our Live Stream Worship Service at 10:15 am. Special thanks to Darin Jellison for sharing his gifts of music, to Wes Koser for filming the service, and to Matt Wehr for filling in for Dennis Duda.

Click HERE to print a bulletin to follow along on 02/07/2021

In order to watch the live service at 10:15 am you must go to our YouTube channel (use this link or the link on the home page of www.faithchurchucc.org) Check it out ahead of time - you can subscribe and turn on notifications to get notified when Faith UCC, Center Valley goes live! If you prefer to watch the service later in the day, or watch past services, the recorded service will be available on our YouTube page and on Facebook.

To listen to the service on your phone, call 855-883-5992.

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.

Update from Faith's Consistory

The Consistory met last week and voted to allow members to use the church building for church purposes only on a very limited basis. Permission must be granted by Pastor Bruce at his discretion. Masks must be worn and social distancing practiced.

Any Committee or individual wishing to use the church building

for any reason must contact Pastor Bruce.

Our "Reopening" Task Force continues to monitor two things -

-the level of COVD transmission in the Lehigh Valley

-the level of hospital occupancy in the Lehigh Valley

When these two numbers fall to a safe ratio we will consider

our options for opening our church building for worship.

FEBRUARY IS BLANKET MONTH

February is the month to try to keep warm! It’s also the month when we take our annual Blanket Offering on the last Sunday in February. Since we are not “in” church we will be accepting your mail in, or tithe.ly, or bill pay donations throughout the entire month of February. All you need to do is designate your donation BLANKETS.

Each warm blanket costs only $10 and our annual goal is to purchase at least 100 blankets. CWS uses these blankets around the world, including the US, during emergencies. Each blanket provides victims of natural and man-made disasters with warmth and shelter. We have met our goal for several years. Let us continue with this generosity.

(to learn more click on the picture below)

FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Each Sunday in February

Pastor Bruce will feature a significant African American leader or event that has contributed to the cause of

Social Justice. This Sunday Frederick Douglass will be featured.

A Note from our Conference Minister

Dear friends,

I was in conversation today about what our conference stands for, what its values are, and what stirs us to action. The conversation was a part of my peer group for my Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising course. It was interesting to share our values with the group. In case you haven’t thought about the conference core values lately, you can find them on our website. Our core values are: The faith that binds us to each other; Christian love; the diversity of God’s children; leadership, and clear and honest communication.

As I reflected on these values, there is one I think we missed: generosity. When I say generosity, I mean not just a generosity that is about money, although the conference certainly needs those gifts. I see generosity as a spiritual gift and discipline. When we read Galatians 5:22-23, we are reminded of the gifts of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (NRSV). To be generous in one’s spirit is to focus on positivity in relationships, in interactions, in understanding, as well as in offering gifts of time, talent, and treasure. To be generous is to give one another the benefit of the doubt in challenging situations and to really listen to the stories and experiences of others those with whom we agree, and most especially with those with whom we disagree.

One of the foci for my Lenten meditations this year, will be on adding generosity to my relationships and interactions, to my sharing of time, talent, treasure and to living into the spiritual gifts articulated in Galatians 5:22-23. I am sure I will fall short of this goal, of being generous at all times. Yet, generosity is a learned behavior as well as a gift of the spirit. Practicing generosity makes it much easier to focus on it in subsequent interactions.

What will you be focusing on in these days? What gifts of the spirit call to you and encourage you? I will strive to be more generous as I live my faith, do my work, and connect in relationships. That is my pledge to you, to myself and to God. May God bless me in this endeavor and pledge. Feel free to share your pledges for spiritual growth and development within your church, your workplace, and your family. I will pray they will be accomplished within you.

Blessings,

Bonnie

Winter Mission Project for Betty Lou’s Pantry

**A container is inside the office foyer for you to drop off your personal hygiene kit donations!**

This winter the Mission Team would like to prepare Hygiene Kits for the families at BLP. When money is tight these much-needed hygiene items cannot be purchased.

Here is what is still needed as of today:

20- Bottles of Body Wash

45- Deodorant (men's or women's)

35- Shampoo

25-Toothbrushes

Let's remember our Friends, Members, Forget-Me-Nots and others as we continue through this pandemic. Keep each other in your thoughts and prayers and stay connected if possible.

February Birthdays:

04 Darin Jellison

Griffin Koch

05 Brett Dill

Karlee Allison

06 Tracy Adams

Robert Campbell

07 Ben Keeler

10 Ethan Stevenson

13 Grace Koch

Susan Hardy

14 Jade Stoffey

15 Joe Smith

Molly Grammer

17 Mark Christman

Richard Shelly, Jr

18 Steve Fosbenner

Eric Hite

19 Sandy Sosnowsky

22 Nancy Gollie

Dana Kernick

Monica Gunkle

Elisa Talboo

23 Brenda Hovis

24 Marian Barrick

28 Donald Koch, Jr

(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: