The Pastor’s Blog
Annual Ladies Ornament Exchange Friday, December 4th @ 6:30 p.m.
Ladies, please join us for a celebration of Christ’s Birth. Share in the joy and laughter as we fellowship together, interact with the story of the First Christmas, and exchange ornaments. Bring the special women in your life, a wrapped ornament, and a favorite holiday treat to share.
The Activities Committee Meeting will meet Sunday, December 6th, following Sunday School at MFC.
Our Giving Tree is located in the foyer!
Like we did last year, we are asking for a variety of gift cards that can be given to people and families in need this Christmas season and throughout the year as needs arise. You can use the envelopes on the tree or just bring in your gift cards on a Sunday morning. Cards from stores like Target, Walmart and Fred Meyer will provide the greatest options to meet a variety of needs. Thank you for your donations.
FWMF (Friends Women Missionary Fellowship)
“Thank You” for your faithful and generous support of our baked goods events, the November sales amounted to $214, which brings the 2015 year-end total support to $518. Funds raised go toward Friends Serving/Teaching Abroad as well as our local church and community. We will not meet in December. Our next meeting will be 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 21st, at the church. FWMF is open to all ladies of the church. If you are interested in attending but need a ride, contact Lena Anderson.
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Movie Night Showing: "The Perfect Gift" Medford Friends Church Wednesday, December 16th 6:00 p.m. Join us in the Fellowship Hall! This is a great movie for adults, middle schoolers & okay for younger kids to see! Free pop-corn & drink.
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Sunday, December 20th, Join us following the 9:30 a.m. Worship Service for a time of Fellowship Please bring your favorite holiday goodie or finger food to share! No Sunday School that day.
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Christmas Eve Service “Come as you are Family Celebration”
Please join us in the sanctuary Thursday evening, December 24th, at 5 p.m.
Thursday, December 31st, 6:30 p.m. to ?? New Year’s Eve White Elephant Gift Exchange
Welcome in the New Year! Join us at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall for a fun time. Bring a wrapped white elephant gift for the exchange game, board games and finger foods to share. (If you plan to stay late bring extra munchie foods!)
Just a reminder! Year-end gifts must be received at the church by Wednesday, December 29, 2015, so they can be deposited in the bank, to be reflected in your 2015 giving report. Thank you.
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Looking Forward
I love this time of year! This is the time we have chosen to celebrate the birth of our savior. We have just had time set aside to look back on the year and be grateful for the blessings of God. Now we get too look forward to what the birth of Jesus means for us! As we look forward to Christ’s coming into the world we get to experience a sacred expectancy. We get to consider what life is like because of how God has chosen to enter into our lives. He chose to come make a way for us Himself. He was born in humble circumstance and lived a simple life. He invited normal men and women to follow Him and join in His ministry. He changed the world through His presence.
During this time of anticipation for the coming celebration can we take some time to think about the people that have invited us to join them in the journey and ways that their presence has changed our world? Maybe we can also take some time to consider inviting someone new.
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Think Thank
November is the month we have set aside to consider our lives over the past year and give thanks. Some of us have a lot of things to be thankful for: new lives joining our families, new opportunities at work, new friends, and new homes. We like the new. These things stick out to us and they haven’t lost the novelty of being a recent addition to our lives. Take away the “new” and what do you have? Family, opportunity, friendship, and houses; something doesn’t have to be new for us to be thankful for it. One of the biggest dangers in our society is that we jump from one new thing to the next and all of the things we used to be so grateful for seem to lose their luster.
What we have doesn’t lose value because something new comes along. Our relationships don’t suddenly become less important when a new one is added. Our economy works on the idea of scarcity and planned obsolescence; there are only so many of the thing you want and what you have will be out of date in a year. Somehow that has transferred to other areas of our lives. We put limits on love and our relationships are only good until a “new model” comes along offering new features. Instead of buying into the “new” culture let’s think thankfully about what we have and consider ways to continue investing in the relationships that have shaped our lives.
Take some time to make a list of the things/relationships you have that you are thankful for. Keep that list somewhere you can see it often and be reminded about who and what you are thankful for!
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Operation Christmas Child
Each Shoebox is a Missionary! Children in 118 countries receive shoebox gifts. We filled 26 boxes last season. Let’s be a blessing and meet or beat that number of boxes!
Printed Operation Christmas Child boxes are available on the table in the main hallway (or any standard size shoebox will work as well). There are instruction pamphlets with gift suggestions for filling the boxes, be sure to take note! Please remember to include $7 or more with each shoebox to help with shipping and other expenses.
Filled boxes should be returned to MFC no later than November 18th, so they can be taken to the drop off center.
You are invited: Saturday, November 14, 2015 You are invited to join Drew and Ashley Krupp in the celebration of their marriage! A reception will be held at Medford Friends Church from 1 to 5 p.m. In lieu of gifts a money tree will be available. Please RSVP to drewkrupp@live.com.
All Church Potluck Sunday November 15th
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. 1 Chronicles 16: 34
This potluck will have a Thanksgiving theme! Join together with your church family, as we count our blessings! We will meet in the fellowship hall following the Sunday School & Bible Study hour. Please bring generous side dishes and desserts that compliment a festive holiday dinner! Turkey and ham will be provided.
FWMF (Friends Women Missionary Fellowship)
All ladies are welcome to join us Thursday, November 19th at 10 a.m. We will meet at the home of Charlotte Grigsby (directions will be provided.) FWMF is open to all ladies of the church. If you are interested in attending but need a ride, contact Lena Anderson.
FWMF Harvest Baked Goods Event – Sunday, November 22nd
Need help with your Thanksgiving baking? Take advantage of this full-line bake event offering the usual plus both quick and yeast breads/rolls, and desserts, pies and candy. Proceeds help provide special needs of our Friends Serving/Teaching Abroad as well as support our own local church and community.
NWYM 2015 Thanksgiving Offering will focus on our ministry in the Middle East in Ramallah. Our FSA and FTS folks have been invited to help make the Friends English Cafe a center of Friends’ deepening involvement and a forum for ongoing learning, service, and growth for young adults. More information to come in a bulletin insert soon. We will take this offering on Sunday, November 22nd.
Jim and Joan Redford to renew their wedding vows on Sunday, November 29, 2015 at MFC during the worship service. At the fellowship time there will be cake served in honor of the couple’s commitment of 50 years together and many more to come! Please join us in celebration.
MFC Activity Survey
The Activities Committee wants to gauge interest in an idea we've had for dinner gatherings in 2016. Simply put, the idea is to match up dinner hosts with dinner guests. Read on for details.
Hosting – Make a main dish for up to 8 people (including your family) and serve it at your house. Choose a day and a time which works best for you.
Guesting – Make a side dish or dessert for up to 8 people to complement the main dish.
The survey will be in the bulletin on 11/1, 11/8 and 11/15. Pick one up, fill it out and drop it in the offering or the box in the foyer by November 29th.
The Activities Committee has a Family Movie Night Planned for Sunday, November 8th, at 6 p.m.
Watch for more information!
Annual Ladies Ornament Exchange – Friday, December 4th @ 6:30 p.m. All ladies are welcome to join at us at MFC for this festive event! Bring a wrapped ornament and a favorite holiday goodie to share.
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