Hi, Everybody:
This Sunday, September 6, is the 14th Sunday after Pentecost and Nacho Name Tag Sunday. It’s also Labor Day Weekend, so get out those barbecues, put on a name tag, and grill up some nachos! (watch out – they have a tendency to fall through the grates)
Last Saturday was the Virtual Spaghetti Feed, which I think went remarkably well, considering we had never done anything like this before! Thanks to everyone who bought dinners, donated items, bid on items, or tuned in to the Zoom activities. I hear it was a successful fundraiser, though I haven’t heard any specific dollar total yet.
Special thanks to Randy, Terri, Arnold and Ray for preparing and packaging the food (which at times got a bit hectic); to Pastor Tim and Debbie for greeting and running back and forth to cars and barking orders to the kitchen; to Erik for acting as Zoom emcee (Zoomcee?); to Neal and Rene for their presentation about their organization Reneal (which will receive a portion of the profits – if you missed their video, click here), to Briana for soliciting corporate donations (back in February-March!) and helping with the Silent Auction; to Kathy who did the Silent Auction website wizardry and organization; and to Terri (again!) for taking reservations, handling the money, procuring ingredients, and generally being my go-to person for my incessant Spaghetti Feed questions. I know that by listing people by name, I probably have left out someone. You may drop by the office to flog me with a wet spaghetti noodle.
Rally Day is coming up next Sunday, September 13. All sorts of stuff is happening. As always, Rally Day is the kickoff for Sunday School and Adult Forum! Join us virtually by Zoom at 10 am for fun, games and singing to kickoff Sunday School. Look for more info next week! We will also be having the Blessing of the Backpacks and Briefcases and Installation of Christian Education. There will also be a virtual Council Meeting that Sunday.
But wait, there’s more – It’s also God’s Work Our Hands Sunday (wear your t-shirts!). Here’s a word from Cheryl Hall about it: There is something special about being a part of a faith community, especially now. On this special Sunday, we need your hands to do God’s work. We will be dedicating this day as an extra Sunday this month to fill our food barrel in order to support LOV (League of Volunteers). Please arrange your drop-offs with Keith. You can make financial contributions by indicating LOV in the memo, or you can donate through Give Plus. Let the Light of God always shine brightly from HTLC, especially now!
If you didn’t pick it up at the Spaghetti Feed, you should have received a large puzzle piece (or pieces) by mail along with instructions. Here’s another explanation about it in case you’re puzzled (ha!). Pastor Tim and I are going to create a bulletin board display with the puzzle pieces representing how we are all unique pieces that come together to be part of the whole church. Your job is to decorate your puzzle piece in any way that expresses who you are (including your first name, please). Yes, you may draw on it, glue stuff to it, add glitter and feathers, or, if you don’t like the color, flip it over and decorate the back instead (I have a feeling if Cheryl Hall doesn’t get a purple one, she’ll make it purple!). Then drop it off at church (call first to make sure I’m there or put it in the mailbox) or mail it if you can’t get to church. If at all possible, try to get it to us by Tuesday, September 8, so we can attempt to complete the display before Rally Day (but send it in regardless of when you finish your piece. We want everybody to be part of this!). We’ll send out a picture of the display when it’s done. Thanks for your participation!
One last note: Animal Blessing Sunday will be coming up on October 4 and will include a Virtual Animal Blessing by Zoom (in case you have any virtual animals). Keep an eagle eye out for more details coming soon!
– Keith, your friendly Parish Life Coordinator (i.e. Church Secretary)
P.S. – Paragraph 3 wins the award for having the longest sentence with 124 words – including no less than five parenthetical remarks! Congratulations, Paragraph 3!