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NEWSLETTER

If you missed any previous editions of the newsletter, we have the last year available on the website at:

http://keizerchristian.org/news/archive/

Look for the next one on December 17th.

KEIZER CHRISTIAN CHURCH

“Proclaiming Christ’s Love, Building Community,

Meeting Human Need”

NOVEMBER 19, 2020

E-mail: 1963kcc@comcast.net Phone: (503) 393-6843

Website: www.keizerchristian.org Find us on Facebook!

CONTENTS

Worship Services 1 Moment for Stewardship 1 Advent Kits 1-2 Blessings and Concerns 2 Pastor’s Moment 3 Unsung Heroes 4 Bible Study 4 Congregational Meeting 4 Bulletins and Blessings 4 Holiday Give Bonus 4 Christmas Eve Service 5 Food Bank 5 Trunk or Treat Photos 5-7 Birthdays/Anniversaries 7 Sermon Series 8

Continued on Page 2

OFFICE CLOSURE

The office will be closed on November 25th and 26th

for Thanksgiving.

WORSHIP SERVICES

Due to the newest “pause” information released by the Governor, we will be having online only services for the next two weeks, November 22nd and 29th. We will re-evaluate future services based on the guidelines and recommendations designed to keep everyone safe. Click on the logo to go to our Facebook page and watch us live.

A MOMENT FOR STEWARDSHIP

Please remember to turn in your 2021 pledge cards to the church as soon as possible. As stated in the letter, our giving has been down recently and we are using up our

cash reserves to cover the cost of salaries and facility expenses. Please prayerfully consider your contribution to help the church keep serving our members and community.

ADVENT KITS AND DEVOTIONALS

This year we are making Advent Kits to help us stay connected during the Advent Season. In this way, whether we are worshiping together online or in person we will all have some things we can do together. The kits will include an Advent Wreath frame you can customize and add candles to so we can light the Advent candles together each week. There will also be a copy of the Advent Wreath liturgy we are following together so you can participate from home. There will be some other Advent-themed activities for children and families of all sizes to do at home during

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ADVENT KITS, CONTINUED

the season along with a copy of the Advent Devotional, “Imagining a New World” by our Disciples General Minister and President, Rev. Terri Hord Owens. You can pick up your Advent Kit at the church after Monday, November 23rd or call the office and request one be delivered to your home. Pastor Erik is happy to bring one by.

BLESSINGS AND CONCERNS

To include Blessings and Concerns on the weekly email sent out on Monday, please send us an email at 1963kcc@comcast.net or call in your information to the office by Sunday evening. If you would like a printed copy of Blessings and Concerns, please contact the office.

Blessings and Concerns from November 15th:

Pastor Erik delivered the two barrels of Toys collected by our congregation and the visitors to Trunk-or-Treat to help those affected by the Canyon Fires. They are very appreciative of all the help.

Blessing Paul and Elizabeth Costales signed papers on their house they have been renovating. It is now theirs!

Please pray for my mom, Mattie Sams. One of the caregivers in her building tested positive with symptoms of COVID and two residents have also tested positive. Only one resident has symptoms. Also pray for the caregivers and other residents who will have to quarantine until they have two consecutive negative COVID tests (they are now testing weekly). Blessing is that my mom’s last test was negative and she only has 5 more days to wait for another test. Laurie Costales

Previous Blessings and Concerns: Please pray for our nephew Rick who will be having open heart surgery on November

10th. Also keep our niece Deanna in your prayers, she is still having COVID complications. Lee and Evelyn Hughes

Please keep Mary Blohn in your prayers. She has suffered another stroke and it has affected her vision and cognitive abilities. She enjoys getting cards now and then but needs them read to her and isn’t able to follow much. Laurie Costales

Prayers for Margy’s niece, Brenda Bird who was admitted to the hospital last night. They are not sure what is wrong with her yet. Margy McCurry

Blessing – Gerry Henjum’s exposure to COVID was third hand so her doctor gave her the all clear. Shirley Igou is still quarantining but so far has no symptoms. Margy McCurry

Vicki Zielinski’s second cataract surgery went very well. She thanks everyone for their prayers.

Blessings for a safe and successful Trunk or Treat. Thank you to all those who were here to help and to those of you who donated candy – we had over 300 children attend. (See photos on pages 5-7)

Prayers requested for my sister and brother-in-law who both have COVID. Pam Elliott

Thank you card sent to church: “Pastor Free and KCC Members – Our sincere thank you to all for your love, care, and concern for our mother, Julie Hittle. God Bless, Teresa and Rick Emmons, Richard and Rhonda Hittle.”

Share prayers for our friend who has decided to accept treatment and recover over addiction. Give praise! The Dodges

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PASTOR’S MOMENT

The holiday season is officially upon us. All Saint’s day has passed and the retail transition has been fully made to the march towards Christmas. Before then, however, we must navigate Thanksgiving. This year brings the added challenge of celebrating the holidays with the shadow of a pandemic hanging over us and forcing us to adapt and change the way we’ve done things for so long.

However we are able to celebrate this Thanksgiving it is important, vital even, that we remember what the original intent of this holiday is, to be thankful. As you can see in the picture below, even turkeys have something to be thankful for this time of year! Of course, we are all familiar with the oft-romanticized version of the first thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and First Nations people on the shores of what would eventually become the United States. What most people don’t know is that there was no official national proclamation declaring a day of Thanksgiving until George Washington made one to recognize the end of the Revolutionary War in 1789. Even then the holiday was seldom celebrated and was not standardized in the month of November until 1863.

Noted author Sarah Josepha Hale, in 1827, began a 36 year-long campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, finally succeeding in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln made it an official holiday. The nation was embroiled in the Civil War as Lincoln made his proclamation, asking all Americans to ask God to, “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” Since then, Thanksgiving has been celebrated on

the fourth Thursday in November; a holiday meant to encourage us toward not only giving thanks, but to lift up those hurt most by our national divisions and to ask God to help us all heal the many wounds we inflict upon one another.

While it is disappointing to have to sacrifice certain traditions during times of trial we must remember that Thanksgiving is not about the food, or parades, or even being with family; it is about taking the time to remember the disenfranchised and neglected in our world and to set aside our self-interest for the interest of healing our divisions. No pandemic or temporary restrictions can keep us from this good work.

Pastor Erik

Pastor Erik Free

Email: pastorfree@keizerchristian.org

Cell Phone: (503) 501-7682

Office Hours: Tuesday—Friday

9 am to 1 pm Afternoons by appointment

“I will give THANKS to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will

tell of all your wonderful deeds.” ~ Psalms 9:1

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UNSUNG HEROES

Thanks to the Elders and Deacons who have been cleaning and sanitizing after service to get ready for our sister congregation Iglesia Cristiana Jehova Nisi. We appreciate your help and support!

BULLETINS AND

BLESSINGS

We email the bulletin out

each Friday and Blessings

and Concerns out

Monday. If you would

prefer a paper copy or are

not receiving them, please

let the office know.

KCC BIBLE STUDY

Bible Study will not meet on Thanksgiving Day. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, December 3rd at 11 am on Zoom unless the regulations have been lifted. We will begin the Advent Devotional “Imagining a New World,” by Terri Hord Owens, our General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ. This study will lead us through December 17th when we will take a break for the Christmas holidays. All are welcome to join us. The Zoom link will be sent in the weekly bulletin and email. Call the office for more information.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

As with all things during this Pandemic, our Congregational Meeting will have a different look.

The initial budget and slate of officers will be printed in the emailed bulletin beginning

November 22nd. If you have any questions about the financial information, would like your name added to the nominations, or would like a printed copy, please call the office by December 4th.

This year we will hold a “Remote Vote.” Ballots will be mailed to everyone the week of December 6th. You can email or call your response in to the office or mail your ballot back with an “aye” or “nay” vote by Thursday December 17th and we will announce the results on December 20th.

HOLIDAY GIVE BONUS!

You have two ways to help us raise even more money between now and Christmas. As always, bring your returnable containers to church so we can take them in! All cans turned in prior to December 12th will earn 20% more. We will also be posting information on our Facebook page for a chance to win a $250 bonus in our account. Please “Like” and “Share” this information on your Facebook page to give us the maximum number of entries. All money will help kids to attend Regional Summer Camp

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CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE

It should come as no surprise that your Worship Committee has had some deep discussion about Advent and Christmas services this year and what those will look like. We have decided that the Christmas Eve Service will be best done as an online only offering this year. It is always

uncertain how many people will show up for this service and given changing limitation around the number of people we can have in our services we would not want to have a situation where we turn people away because of lack of capacity. The real clincher for our decision was realizing Christmas Eve is traditionally a service in which we sing favorite hymns and carols and since we cannot currently do that safely in our sanctuary it seemed best to worship together from home where we can all sing along with the beautiful music. We know that none of this is ideal and we appreciate your understanding and grace as we strive to navigate this season together as lovingly and joyfully as possible. God Bless you.

TRUNK OR TREAT (AND TOY DRIVE)

Photos by Mike Ryan

KEIZER

COMMUNITY

FOOD BANK

We recently received a

donation of $10,000 from

the Sandra Bailey Hough

Fund. Our client

numbers for April

through October are

averaging approximately

360 per month. In

October we distributed

26,020 pounds.

On our last service night,

November 16th, We

served 40 families in

record time. Well done

crew!

Some food items that are

popular, but rarely

donated, are cooking oil,

vinegar, catsup, mustard

and mayonnaise.

The Food Bank will be

open on Monday,

November 30th and we

will be working

alongside our partner

churches to provide

service that night. Please

let me know if you can

help serve.

Above: The Frees have a gnome theme Below: Kay Taylor and granddaughter Bristol with their orange pirate car, complete with treasure chest on the left. Bry Taylor-Campos and her patriotic car on the right!

All groups were distanced at least 6’ apart and received their candy via candy chutes!

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Dena Query and Kena Dewey check folks in. Nancy Dalrymple and Tamarah Swick worked on crowd control and distancing.

Sue Day, the duck, mans a candy chute.

Anne Ryan and Torrey Peterson with their “Hot Dogs.”

Paige Ryan and Riley Blair—no, the baby was not for giving away—not that we didn’t ask!

Kim Free’s friend Sarah and her husband, Jacob joined us for the fun.

Christa Ryan, the scarecrow. (Mike is taking photos—thank you!!!)

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Kim Free 12-15

Mary Blohn 12-17

Kailen Peterson 12-23

Gabe Clem 12-25

Bry Campos 12-28

Henry Free 12-29

Dennis

McClaughry 12-31

Lee & Evelyn

Hughes 12-14

Pete & Ruth

Vrontakis 12-26

Troy Costales—Penguin central!

Mike Reynolds delivers candy via a candy chute.

Laurie Costales was giving out … ROCKS! Hey, they were painted.

“Crowd” shot!

Baby spam—just too cute! Simon Blair.

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KEIZER CHRISTIAN CHURCH

6945 Wheatland Road NE

Keizer OR 97303

SERMON SERIES

Our Advent Series begins on November 29th and continues on through December 27th.

The flow of the Advent season plays out like a movie. We get a hint of the highlights of

the Christmas Story in Advent 1, where we are invited to stay tuned to what is to come.

Through the life and actions of John the Baptist, the scene and life of Jesus Christ is set

up as we are drawn in to remember the meaning of baptism and our own wilderness

experience. The suspense heightens in the middle of the Advent season as we witness

through the lives of Elizabeth and Mary that nothing is impossible for God. All this

builds up to the climax of the Christmas story; where the Christ child is born, but not in

a way that we expect. The plot twists and ends in a cliffhanger that invites us to wonder

how we are called to participate in the story.

November 29—Advent 1 Sermon: “Stay Tuned!” Mark 13:24-37

Something big is coming—watch and wait!

December 6—Advent 2 Sermon: “Baptismal Limitations” Mark 1:1-8

John the Baptist’s limitations set him up to play an important role in Jesus’ story.

December 13—Advent 3 Sermon: “John, the Doppelgänger” John 1:6-8, 19-28

The Juxtaposition of John and Jesus shows us who our main character really is.

To be continued...the next newsletter comes out December 17th!