Happy Thanksgiving! The Church Council and Staff extend their best wishes to everyone for a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.

Christmas Eve Worship Services will be at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 24th. The content will be the same at both services. Due to our social distancing policy, we have limited seating in the sanctuary and will therefore be taking reservations for the services. If you plan to attend one of the services please notify the office by phone, or email oslc@oursaviors.net indicating which service, how many people and your name. Please do not make a reservation unless you plan to attend. Reservations need to be made by December 15. The Fireside Room will be available for over flow should the need arise. Thank you for your continued patience as we navigate the ever changing pandemic situation.

Thank you to all who submitted names for the Transition Team! I have compiled the list and begun the process of making phone calls. As I call, I ask each person to prayerfully consider whether or not they believe God is calling them to serve on the Transition Team. It is always possible for someone to respond “no”, and there can be a wide variety of reasons. So, if someone you hoped would serve, please remember that they may have had a very good reason for saying “no”.

When someone says “no”, I call the next name on the list. If that person ends up also saying “no”, I call someone else. Depending on how long it takes for people to prayerfully discern their response, it can take a while before the Transition Team is complete. Continue to be in prayer as the process unfolds. No names will be revealed until the team is complete. When that happens, you will know!

As we enter the Advent season, remember that it is a season of patiently waiting. This year, one of the things we wait for together is the completion of the formation of the Transition Team. Pray!

During Advent, we will construct a visible prayer chain. You will be invited to submit prayer concerns – a name or a brief phrase that describes a situation. Those who come to worship will be asked to write these prayer concerns on a slip of paper. For those who are remaining at home in this still-lingering pandemic, you may send e-mails and we will print them on slips of paper. The slips of paper will be used to create an old-fashioned paper chain. As the weeks of Advent pass, the chain will grow. It will be visible in the sanctuary.

The Decorating Committee can use your help! Next Friday, December 3, at 9 a.m., volunteers will begin to transform the church sanctuary into a wonderful space for Advent and Christmas. Won't you consider joining in? As we return to church for Christmas time, let's make it a special place for all to enjoy once again.

Poinsettias  

This year we have 30 Poinsettias available to purchase to help decorate the sanctuary for Christmas. The cost is $12 each. Orders are due in by December 7th. Limited supply - first come, first served.

Envelopes will be available in the narthex or you may order online. Don't forget to note who the Poinsettia is to honor or remember.

A reminder that the book group will not meet Sunday due to the Thanksgiving weekend. We will resume on December 5th, and discuss chapter 7 in our book. 

Blessings, Art 

Sunday is the last day of our Blessing Bags Drive.

The Blessing Bags will be assembled and handed out in December.

Suggested items:

• Warm socks, gloves, hats

• Protein or granola bars

• Fruit cups

• Peanut butter cracker packs

• Cheese cracker packs

• Foil packed tuna or chicken

• Juice boxes

• Boxed raisins or other dried fruits.

• Toothbrushes & toothpaste (sample size)

You will warm someone's life with this generous gift.

(Our average low temperatures for December, January and February are in the 30's.)

We will be using the month of November to address some Tech Tips regarding Emergency Preparedness.

• Sign up for direct deposit and electronic banking through your financial institution so you can access your account and make electronic payments wherever you are.

• Register with the American Red Cross’ Safe & Well site to let family and friends know you’re okay. Concerned family and friends can search this list to find their loved one’s name, an “as of” date and a message from you.

• Have your family designate a family member or friend who lives out of the area or out of state and everyone use them as the contact person. You will have a better chance of completing long distance calls than local calls in an emergency.

The easiest way to watch the Livestream of upcoming services is to go to the OSLC YouTube page and click on the red SUBSCRIBE button. There's no cost, it's free! When new livestream videos begin, you'll receive a notification to click on and enjoy the live service. Recordings of the livestream will be available afterward.