This coming Sunday we'll be celebrating "Thanksgiving Sunday"—a time to give thanks to God for life and all that it encompasses. We proclaim just how important the gift of gratitude is in our lives and our faith. Our worship service will feature music, prayers, and the proclamation of the Word, and we hope you'll join us. We'll also be bringing forward our pledges for 2023—we'll bring them to the communion table to have them consecrated. Please consider what gifts of time, talent, and treasure you can share with our community. Delicious Thanksgiving pies will be served in the Social Hall following the service.
If you can’t attend the worship service, you can also mail your pledge card to the office. Your pledge helps our Budget and Stewardship Commission create a budget for the coming year. Thank you!
This Sunday is also the beginning of our "40 Days of Prayer" together. This is a practice that is a part of Project Regeneration—the program we are participating in that is offered to us by the Presbyterian Foundation. It promises to be a powerful faith experience and we hope that everyone will join in these 40 Days of Prayer. We will we be "walked" through each day via the prayer guide at the back of the Sailboat Church book. Our scripture lesson will be from Luke 17:11-19 — concerning Jesus healing ten lepers.
U P C O M I N G :
We are excited to be restarting one of Bethany's beloved traditions—the SSIP Food Closet Hot Cocoa Ministry! On Monday, November 21, we'll be gathering in our kitchen to bake goodies from 9 a.m.-12 noon. Then, on Tuesday morning, November 22, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., we'll distribute hot cocoa and goodies to folks waiting in line for their food boxes. We'd love to have you join us—and bring a friend! Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest weeks of the year for the SSIP Food Closet, so we'll appreciate all the extra hands.
Also, we learned that SSIP recently received several more clients because of Bethany’s October 30 Trunk or Treat Extravaganza! Our community event got the word out into the community and more people have been able to access the services of SSIP! At the end of this message, you will see the “thank you” note Bethany received from the Food Closet.
The memorial service for Gail Powell will be held on Saturday, November 19 at 3:30 p.m. in our sanctuary.
Advent begins on Sunday, November 27. We plan to do some holiday decorating prior to worship on November 27. If you are able, please join us at 9 a.m.
On December 24, Christmas Eve, our worship service will begin at 5 p.m. Immediately following our service, we'll have a gathering in our fellowship hall to sing carols together!
On January 8, we'll be having our workshop and congregational meeting with the Presbyterian Foundation immediately following worship. This event will be four hours long, so we hope you can clear the day! A delicious lunch will be provided!
We lift our many prayers to our Lord, trusting that God hears our prayers and stands by us through good times and bad. John 14:27 declares, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
—Jesse
—A Thank You From the SSIP Food Closet —
Thank you for your support of SSIP and its mission to feed our food-insecure neighbors. Whether you are a SSIP financial donor, contributed food and goods, volunteered, or dropped off bags, you are
part of a community of caring. Thank you.
Thanks to our faith partners, the Food Closet remained open 5 days a week during COVID. As
the pandemic faded, it was thought that the biggest challenges were behind us but with the
increase of inflation the number of clients served continued to climb. On a single day last
month, 275 people passed through our line for food. This September food was provided to
4,249 households, feeding 13,031 individuals. SSIP is able to meet this need thanks to the
generosity of our faith community.
Friends, thank you for all you have done to keep the SSIP operations going. To provide a
financial gift, you can give online or mail a check to SSIP Food Closet, 5625 24th Street, Sacramento, CA 95822.
