Schedule

• Wednesday, March 16 @ 2 p.m. – Manor Service with Pastor Dan; 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice, We will be doing music for Palm Sunday, Easter, and Maundy Thursday.
• Sunday, March 20 @ 9 a.m. – Palm Sunday Worship. Noisy Offering is also that morning. Our Annual Palm Sunday Brunch will follow the worship service. Come and eat and celebrate with us.
• Sunday, March 20 – Pack the Pews with food products for the MN Food Share. Bring bags of groceries so we can line the pews with them. But please know that money goes a very long way for the food shelf. There is magic there. The Local Food Shelf is able to make the cash you give multiply the purchasing power of each dollar when they can purchase their own goods to fill those shelves.
• Monday, March 21, Encounter Newsletter items are due in the office.
• Wednesday, March 23 – NO Choir Practice
• Wednesday, March 23 @ 7:30 p.m. – Stewardship Meeting
• Thursday, March 24 @ 7 p.m. – Maundy Thursday Joint worship service with Montevideo at Granite UCC.
• Sunday, March 27 @ 9 a.m. – Easter Worship

• Please stay tuned – a Sunrise Service is being worked on.

Monday, March 28 – Pastor Dan begins vacation, back on April 12.

Please see attached for the March Encounter.

March 2016 ENCOUNTER.pdf

• We need someone to bring bread and juice and set up for Communion on Sunday, the 6th. Let Karen know in the church office if you are willing and she’ll make sure we don’t get 11teen different helpers all for the same day. One whole loaf of bread for the communion table and then another for cut pieces to put on the plates and serve in the pews. Grape juice in the individual cups to serve in the pews.
• The Mission Moment for March is One Great Hour of Sharing. While we have a special offering prayer for this Sunday recognizing One Great Hour of Sharing, you can make a donation whenever you are able.

Please see attached.

February 2016 ENCOUNTER.pdf

Peggy & Samone lighting the advent candles.

Christmas greetings from the GFUCC!

As part of our participation in the Warm the Children Christmas Tree for Bert Raney Elementary, our church collected:

• 4 coats,
• 2 pairs of snow pants,
• 8 hats,
• 7 hat/mitten combinations, and
• 23 pairs of mittens or gloves.

Thank you to everyone involved!

Please see attached.

January 2016 ENCOUNTER.pdf

Schedule

• Sunday – Jan. 3 @ 9 a.m., Worship/Communion
• Wednesday – Jan. 6 @ 6:30 p.m., Choir Practice, Epiphany
• Thursday – Jan. 7 @ 7 p.m., Circle of Stones at Peggy Kvam’s
• Friday – Jan. 8, Communion Visitations with Pastor Dan
• Sunday – Jan. 10 @ 9 a.m., Worship
• Wednesday – Jan. 13 @ 6:30 p.m., Choir Practice
• Wednesday – Jan. 13 @ 7:30 p.m., Council Meeting
• Friday – Jan. 15, Committee Reports Due for the Annual Meeting
• Sunday – Jan. 17 @ 9 a.m., Worship/Noisy Offering
• Monday – Jan. 18, Articles due for the Encounter Newsletter
• Wednesday – Jan. 20 @ 6:30 p.m., Choir Practice
• Sunday – Jan. 24 @ 9 – Worship
• Wednesday – Jan. 27 @ 6 p.m.; Potluck Meal, 6:30 p.m., Choir Practice; 7 p.m., Annual Meeting
• Sunday – Jan. 31 @ 9 a.m. – Worship

Announcements

• Committees – please post meeting dates on the office calendar in advance, if possible. Do you have regular meetings? Feel free to tell the office assistant so that they can be put on the calendar for you.
• Ready or Not; Here IT Comes! Granite Falls UCC (Congregational) Annual Meeting will be on January 27, 2016. Start getting your committee reports into the church office as soon as you can. If you are able, please type them on a computer and email them to the office. Sue Selden and Karen Schmidt-Dill will be working on the Annual Meeting Report throughout all of January. Thank you!

Joys and Concerns

• Concerns: Patrick and all those dealing with cancer; Millions of homeless throughout the world; Those traveling home today; Blessings of the weather and the strength to work through it.
• Joys: Sun shining; Return of the light–lengthening days; Families getting together.

A Christmas Greeting from the United Church of Christ – please click here to view the greeting.