Quarters for Mission this Sunday will go to the Shepherd's Society of Bethlehem Bible College. Last week $127.00 was given to the Franklin County Homeless Shelter. Thanks for all of your support! 

Saturday, November 7  ~  9 AM  -  Noon  ~  Time of Discernment  ~  A1  ~  A time for planning ministry for 2010 and beyond. All members are welcome to attend.  

Please Help! Help is needed on Friday, November 6^th from 9 a.m.—noon in A1 for cutting out materials f or school kits for Mission Central. We will not be doing any of the sewing.  

JACLYN ORNDORF & TAYLOR SABER TO SPEAK

Jaclyn Orndorf and Taylor Saber will tell us about their mission trip this past summer to an AIDS orphanage in Kenya, Africa.  They will speak after the Wonderful Wednesday dinner on Wednesday, November 11, at 6:30 PM in the FLC.  These two young women are enthusiastic and eager to share their experiences from this journey of a lifetime!  Please plan to come hear them.

Back By Popular Request  ~  We will have another Couples Night Out on Sunday 15 November 2009 at 7:00 p.m. Many who were unable to come see the movie, FIREPROOF, have asked if we could do this again. There will be child care provided, and we ask only that you call the church office at 267-3085 to register your children so we can prepare for them. Otherwise, no RSVP is necessary for movie only. Just come.  In the movie FIREPROOF, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind.  Yet in their marriage, he and his wife Catherine have found themselves prepared to do the opposite, to leave the other behind. FIREPROOF is an action-packed love story about a firefighter, his wife and a marriage worth rescuing. Join us for your own date night, or come as a single if your date isn't free that evening. For Christian couples, this is a good reminder of what we all want and try to attain for ourselves. For additional information, call Nancy Hoke at 263-9660 or Darlene Coldsmith at 263-0133. 

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD  ~  Christmas is about sharing the gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, with the world. You can share Christ with needy children around the world by taking part in Operation Christmas Child, a missions project of Samaritan’s Purse. There are prewrapped boxes available in the church office. This year’s collection date will be November 15^th so don’t delay starting your shoebox.  

WORLD THANK OFFERING 

St. Paul United Methodist Women will be collecting the annual World Thank Offering on November 15 as part of the Affirmation of Stewardship at all three services. The World Thank Offering is an opportunity for personal thanksgiving and mission outreach. Through the years, mission has been the main focus of United Methodist Women and its predecessor organizations. Being in mission is sharing our lives and gifts with others so that all may be whole persons through Jesus Christ.  Mission is creating new persons and a new society as we do away with those things that create barriers or cause separation. Mission is Christ’s challenge to us to bring the possibility for food, shelter, and fulfillment to all of humanity. Please use the specially marked envelopes that will be in the bulletins for November 8 and 15 or note in the memo section of your check that it is for World Thank Offering.  Make checks payable to St. Paul UMW.  

A Different Way of Celebrating Christmas

The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.   And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas? What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? Welcome to Advent Conspiracy.  Join us for a time of study beginning on Wednesday, November 18th at 6:30 in Room A-7.  

There is a signup sheet on the table for anyone wishing to walk in the Chambersburg Holiday Parade on Saturday, November 21 beginning at 6:30 PM. We will again be collecting canned food as we walk along the parade route. More details to follow, but please sign up to walk! 

Church Conference – Sunday, November 22  ~  Our Church Conference this year will be a Cluster event.  It will be hosted at Park Avenue UMC, Chambersburg.  All Members of St. Paul are invited and encouraged to attend this time of celebration.  It will begin with a potluck dinner at 5 PM.  Please bring a covered dish to share.  At 6 PM, the Conference will begin with a time of worship, followed by each congregation conducting its own Church Conference business.  We’ll be concluded by 8 PM.  Hope you will join us! 

Hanging of the Greens: Please mark your calendars – Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. – Hanging of the Greens Festivities. St. Paul will once again begin the Advent Season with the Hanging of the Greens service beginning with dinner (please bring a covered dish to share) in the Family Life center at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Hanging of the Greens service at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary.  The service begins with a stark sanctuary but while hearing the Christmas Story and during the singing of Christmas carols transforms into a beautifully decorated room bright with candles, pine, holly, wreaths, and poinsettias. If you plan to attend this wonderful service and would like to participate in the decorating process please contact the church office no later than November 14^th.  Please provide your name and how many family members wish to participate.  Please join us to celebrate the Advent Season and the wondrous celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Blogging Bible Study with Pastor Lenore

We are pleased to share that the startup of this new study group has been very positive.  There are people of all ages and stages and from many places that have joined together in reading our first book, A Thousand Splendid Suns. For those who are interested in joining us, you might want to begin with the next book, Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. This book is available at Target or through Amazon, and I will have a few copies here available on a first come-first serve basis.  Beah's book is not for the faint of heart, but it is sure to be both educational and thought-provoking.  He writes of his experiences trying to survive as an orphan in Sierre Leone, eventually serving as one of the notorious "boy soldiers" in that region of Africa.  Check out the blog on the church website or at http:// www.pastorlenore.wordpress.com  if you might be interested or if you would like to join in.   

TOYS FOR JOY  ~  This is a request from the Toys For Joy project. The project will be making bracelets for young people utilizing wood and beads and has need for any broken or retired beaded costume jewelry or any loose beads. Anyone willing to donate any beads or beaded items may bring them to the 9:45 AM contemporary service, church office/reception area. We are always in need of new ideas and the “decent wood” supply is running very low. Everyone is welcome to be a part of the project by donating any amount of time to help with toys. No experience is required and there are expert trainers to help you fulfill your wildest toy-making dreams. Be a part of this project -- there is nothing in the world like the laughter of a young child… or the smile of a person who knows others care.

Mission Trip to Birmingham Alabama will be March 20-27 (Saturday to Saturday), 2010. We’ll be working through Urban Ministries, a mission of the Alabama UMC Conference, possibly doing home repairs for low income families, working in soup kitchen, after school program for children, and a community garden. Cost per person is $125.00. Information, registration forms, and a signup sheet are on the table in the FLC and the Narthex. Absolute deadline for signing up is February 1, 2010. This mission is for ages 12 and up. See Pastor Noll if you have questions.  

Cluster Clothing Bank  ~  We are continuing to collect gently used clothing for our Cluster Clothing Bank that is held at First UMC on Washington and 2^nd Streets in Chambersburg on the third Thursday of each month starting at noon.  This ministry provides free clothing to those in need in our community.  Because we have limited space for storage, we are asking for ONLY FALL and WINTER CLOTHING to be donated at this time.  Donations can be brought to First Church on the day of the Clothing Closet after 9 a.m. or can be brought to St. Paul during office hours, on Sunday mornings, or by arrangement.  Call Pastor Lenore for additional delivery times.  We certainly appreciate the wonderful donations that have been given towards this ministry over the past months.  There are also lots of opportunities to serve in this ministry—sorting clothes, greeting guests, serving coffee, etc.  Please see one of your pastors if you would like to serve—volunteers are always needed. 

Olive wood items are displayed in the cabinet in the narthex outside of the sanctuary. These items were made in Bethlehem, West Bank and are available for purchase. Photos of the woodcarvers are also on display. Prices are marked and orders can be taken for more items if necessary. All funds go directly to support the families of our Christian brothers and sisters. Please see Pastor Lenore if you are interested in making a purchase or would like more information. 

Our Mission Central Hub is now collecting eyeglasses to be used in Thailand, Sierra Leone, the Dominican Republic, and/or other third world locations.   Rev. Jeff Fisher will be in charge of distributing any eyewear that is collected.  He will be traveling to Thailand in 2010 and hopes to have many pairs of glasses to take with him.  He says the need is great. Look for collection boxes in the office area, in the hallway outside of the Family Life Center, and in the Children’s Center reception area. 

Mission Central HUB

Many of you might have noticed some movement in the Family Life hallway recently.  We are excited to say that we are well on our way to establishing our Chambersburg District Mission Central HUB here at St. Paul.  Many of you have asked about items that you might donate. I encourage you to continue to let me know when you have items that are still in good condition but that you are no longer in need of that you feel might be a blessing to another.  We will do our best to find a home for them.  As for specific items needed for the HUB, we are going to begin with the most immediate need requested by Mission Central—Health kits.  These kits are distributed locally and worldwide to many in need.  The items needed to complete one of these kits include the following: 1 hand towel, 1 wash cloth, 1 large comb, 1 nail file or fingernail clippers, 1 bath-size bar of soap, 1 adult-sized toothbrush (in original wrapper), and 6 band-aids (individually wrapped).  Consider giving one or more of these items to help us give to those who are lacking even the basics of life.  Collection boxes are available in the reception area and outside of the family life center for drop-off.

Material needed at Mission Central
Mission Central is in need of certain items for our UMCOR Relief Kits:
Health Kit: toothbrushes, nail files or clippers, sturdy large combs.
Flood Bucket: laundry detergent, household cleaner, bug repellant, air freshener, clothes line.
Layette Kit: sweaters, sleepers, receiving blankets.
Personal: shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion, toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex, disposable diapers, razors, shaving cream, and deodorants.
There is a Mission Central container in the Narthex or bring to the office during the week. Thank you. 

Attention: When donating labels to the Neighborhood Center the following is needed: UPC Code for Campbell products and Front Label for Prego, Vlasic, Marie’s, Pace, Swanson, V8, Open Pit, and Pepperidge Farm.  

 Giant Gift Cards Available   ~   We have Giant gift cards available for purchase, and there's an added bonus! If you buy them through St. Paul, the church receives 5% of the total sale--a simple way to support the ministry of St. Paul Church. Cards are available in various amounts and can be purchased in the office during regular hours, at the reception desk on Sunday mornings or from Anne Boryan in the FLS. (Reminder: Cards are available year-round in the office and can be used for your own grocery shopping for that holiday party, family get-together or just your weekly grocery list.)

If there are persons interested in helping to provide transportation for folks to worship services and other church activities, please contact Pastor Noll.

New Members  ~  if your are interested in becoming a member of St. Paul Church, please contact Pastor Rick or Pastor Lenore.

 Please remember to inform the church office of any address, zip code, or telephone number changes. Thank you.

Parents of young children are invited to park in the Lower Level Parking Lot for easy access to the Children's Area  (including Nursery) during worship and Sunday School.

 Cell Phones for Soldiers  ~  For some of our soldiers, a phone card may be the only connection they have to home and we can help make that happen. Please donate your old, broken, or not usable cell phones, accessories, chargers, batteries, blackberry PDA’s and pagers to the church office. Geri Schaeffer will arrange for them to be shipped so they can be converted to free phone cards for soldiers.  This is a great project and one of the top items asked for by our troops in the war zone. They want to talk to their wives, husbands, children, parents, family members, and friends and we can help make that happen. If you would like to read more about the program please go to www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/ on the web. There is no deadline to bring in your phones.