Joys and Concerns:

• Concerns – Choir gets their act together this morning!; Hazel and healing from her knee replacement; Family of Fern Claussen, Janie A’s grandmother; Dakota 38 riders; Those suffering from depression; People who are homeless, esp. in this bitter cold; Animals in the cold; Karen S great-niece Kylie with a rare brain infection; Be attentive to our neighbors and safety.
• Joys – Family; So many items for the food shelf and all the coats for kids that have been donated; Pearl L is great-grandma again, boy-Nolan, 5 boys; Hazel is healing & mobility improving; Peggy K performing clean-up duty today; No mosquito’s at sunset last night!

Announcements:

• Christmas caroling is Wednesday night, Dec. 21. EVERYONE is welcome! Start at Henry Hill Apartments at 5:30 p.m.; 6 p.m.at Granite Manor; 7 p.m.at Granite Ridge. Then potluck party at Hazel and Darrell’s home afterwards.
• Christmas Eve Worship will be at Granite Falls UCC at 4:00pm. You might prefer to attend First Congregational UCC on Dec. 24 at 5:30pm if that works into your schedule better.
• There will be a Christmas Day service at Granite Falls UCC at 9 a.m. There will not be worship on Christmas Day at Montevideo First Congregational UCC. Enjoy your family and friends time.
• There will be a community Christmas dinner, December 25, 11:30 a.m. at Granite Falls Lutheran Church. All are welcome! Call 320-564-3746 to sign up to help with preparation quantities, but not required.

Please see attached.

December 2016 ENCOUNTER.pdf

Schedule:

• Sunday-Saturday, Nov. 27-Dec. 3 @ 11:30 a.m. – Dinner at Your Door Driving
• Wednesday, Nov. 30 @ 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – Act on Alzheimer’s Community Meeting at KCC
• Wednesday, Nov. 30 @ 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice
• Thursday, Dec. 1 @ 7 p.m. – Pastor Parish Relations Committee
• Sunday, Dec. 4 @ 9 a.m. – Worship/Communion/Advent 2
• Sunday, Dec. 4 @ 10:30 a.m. – Budget Brunch and Discussion
• Wednesday, Dec. 7 – Pearl Harbor Day
• Wednesday, Dec. 7 @ 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

Joys and Concerns:

• Concerns – Healing for Liz DeBlieck; Julie Volstad for healing.
• Joys – Birthdays for Bryan M; Peggy M; Jeff I; Deb’s joy of being here with Sharon & Dick A; Logan being in church with Grandma Sue R; Safety of DuWayne K when his truck went in the river; Christmas card for the church done by Bryan & Peggy M; Thanksgiving celebrations at church and with families.

Greetings Everyone,

Come on down to the THANKSGIVING EVE COMMUNITY WORSHIP SERVICE here at Granite Falls UCC at 7pm. Tonight, November 23. If you want to sing with a community choir, there is a brief practice at 6:30pm. Bring neighbors and family and friends. Joan Lundell will be here to play the organ!

Saturday, Nov. 26 is HANGING OF THE GREENS and getting ready for the first Sunday of Advent, church decorating is always a fun time. 9:30am until we are done. We need tall folks too.

Sunday morning, the 27th, is the first Sunday of Advent. That means we do the Chrismon Service with all those beautiful white and gold decorations on the big tree. Lots of Christmas and Advent songs to sing as well.

Watch for a phone call or email from Ruby about Dinner at Your Door. “Drivers, start your engines!” We start this week, Sunday 27th thru Dec. 3.

Next week, on the 30th, Wednesday, ALL are invited to a community discussion about the Acts for Alzheimer’s opportunities and organization that has been formed and developing plans for those in need in this community. 11:30am to 1pm at the Kilowatt Community Center. There is a free lunch being served.

There are no more bible study sessions on Acts scheduled, so don’t come to church this afternoon at 4! Something is in the works starting in January.

Thursday, Dec. 1 is Pastor Parish Relations Committee Meeting here at church at 7 pm.

Gentle reminder to get your Pledges and Time and Talent sheets in to the church ASAP. Stewardship Committee is hosting the annual Budget Brunch Breakfast and discussion on Sunday, Dec. 6 following worship. We’ll have egg bake and good stuff to eat and a chance to find out what the future financial status of the church looks like.

I am also hearing from more and more of you that your email version of the ENCOUNTER newsletter has not been coming to your home. PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I have been sending it out monthly. I do print extras so please feel free to take a paper copy, but let me know so that I can try to troubleshoot the email problems.

Deadline for Encounter articles for December issue is on SATURDAY, November 26th!!!

And on that note about deadlines… Annual Meeting will be here the end of January. You can start writing up your reports and getting them into the church office any old time now. THANK YOU!

Please see attached.

November 2016 ENCOUNTER.pdf

Joys and Concerns

• Concerns: Hopewell Missionary Church, Greenville, MS vandalized and burnt; Peggy K’s friend, Julie, having surgery on Monday; Ray O. having quadruple bypass surgery on Thursday; Bob S. having mini-surgery on Thursday; Tuesday’s election and for calm, peace and “Let Justice Roll”.
• Joys: Prairie Arts Chorale and all of its fine musicians as well as those who attended the concert on Saturday evening; Ray & Sharon O. are almost moved into their new home in Granite; Pastor Dan’s family will be celebrating Christmas here in Granite with Dan & Paul; Audrey Z’s birthday this past Friday; Amazing weather!

Schedule:

• Tuesday Nov. 1 ALL SAINTS DAY
• Tuesday Nov. 1 @ 7 p.m. – Bible Study-Acts in church basement
• Wednesday Nov. 2 @ 5:30 p.m. – Worship & Membership Meeting
• Wednesday Nov. 2 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice
• Saturday Nov. 5 7:30 p.m. – Prairie Arts Chorale Concert at Granite Falls Lutheran Church
• Sunday Nov. 6 2 a.m. – Daylight Savings Ends/Turn Clock Back 1 Hour
• Sunday Nov. 6 9 a.m. – Worship/Communion
• Mon.—Mon. Nov. 7—14 Karen SD, Office Assistant on Vacation
• Tuesday Nov. 8 ELECTION DAY/Get Out and Vote

Joys and Concerns:

• Concerns – Terry V.’s colleague having final reconstructive surgery following that bull attack this summer; What people of color will be confronted with when they go to the polls next week; People around the world dealing with so many crisis, i.e. Haiti; For those who struggle with mental illness.
• Joys – Prairie Arts Chorale music season is here (Nov. 5 at Granite Falls Lutheran Church); YME’s football season and their coach, Mike G.; Bob S. is here again!; Rebecca playing piano for choir and singing in choir also; Birds gathering to migrate; Pastor Dan enjoyed the clergy retreat; Beautiful chaos outside the church door.

Schedule

• Monday, Oct. 24 – United Nations Day
• Wednesday, Oct. 26 @ 4 p.m. – Bible Study-Acts at church
• Thursday and Friday, Oct. 27-28 – Pastor Dan at Conference Clergy Retreat
• Monday, Oct. 31 – Reformation/Reconciliation Day/All-Hallow’s Eve
• Tuesday, Nov. 1 – All Saints Day
• Tuesday, Nov. 1 @ 7 p.m. – Bible Study-Acts at church
• Wednesday, Nov. 2 @ 5:30 p.m. – Worship & Membership Meeting
• Wednesday, Nov. 2 @ 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice
• Saturday, Nov. 5 @ 7:30 p.m. – Prairie Arts Chorale Concert at Granite Falls Lutheran Church
• Sunday, Nov. 6 @ 2 a.m. – Daylight Savings Ends/Turn Clock Back 1 Hour
• Sunday, Nov. 6 @ 9 a.m. – Worship/Communion

Joys and Concerns

• Concerns: People in the Philippines dealing with both political unrest and flooding; Tom & Monica Little missionaries in E. Timor; Family of Florence “Dolly” Thalberg-Sherri G’s mother.
• Joys: Pat Putnam worshiping with us today; Bill & Jennifer Krinke here and sharing their special musical gifts with us; Jennifer helping Bill clean up garden so Bill can head for Arizona Monday; Bill not getting stuck in the field this week; Young people helping Senior Citizens; Cubs in the World Series!; Meredith L.’s brother and family visiting from Indiana; All the helpers getting church yard work accomplished Saturday—Dan & Paul, Bryan & Peggy, Steve & Vicke, Sharon & Pearl.

Schedule:

• Sunday, Oct. 16 @ 9 a.m. – Worship/Noisy Offering
• Sun.-Sat., Oct. 16-22 @ 11:30 a.m. – Dinner at Your Door Delivery
• Sunday, Oct. 16 @ 3:30 p.m. – Community Meal at GFLC/Serve & Dessert
• Tuesday, Oct. 18 @ 7 p.m. – Bible Study-Acts Begins Church Basement
• Wednesday, Oct. 19 @6:30 p.m. – NO Choir Practice
• Thursday, Oct. 20 @ 7 p.m. – Circle of Stones at Sharon/Dick A.’s
• Saturday, Oct. 22 @ 9 a.m. – Church Work/Clean-up Day
• Sunday, Oct. 23 @ 9 a.m. – Worship

Joys and Concerns:

• Concerns:Pastor Dan’s bad cold and sore throat; Sherri K and her family; People who have suffered sexual assaults; Peggy K.’s mom’s move back to MN is running into difficulties; Haiti; Washington.
• Joys: Julia K. back to work and the MNA contract being signed for Allina nurses; For the “small” choir today; Twin Cities–union contract for low income working people in big box stores; Cindy L. headaches are improving somewhat; Bob Dylan receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature; Altar flowers from Dorothy “Doe” Hollimon in memory of her family—Mr. & Mrs. GH Wilson, Francis, Arthur, Douglas and Mary.

Hello All,

Happy October Newsletter reading!

Two things of note about this publication:

1. The responsibilities list has changed quite a bit already. Please double check your dates. There is an opening for fellowship servers yet for October 16th that I have not figured out. Give the office a call and let me know if anyone wants to volunteer, otherwise I’ll be calling.
2. There is an article in here about racism and culture. It is long but I hope you find it as enlightening as I did.

Have a wonderful evening today.

Karen

October 2016 ENCOUNTER.pdf