Sunday Schedule:

Worship Time:

11:00 a.m.

Child care available

The Faith Focus

OPEN MINDS,

OPEN HEARTS,

OPEN DOORS.

November / December 2017

Happy Fall Season, my friends!

The season of hoodies, sweaters, bonfires, falling leaves, and changing colors is going to be

upon us.

With the changing season comes the reminder that God is still ordering this wonderful world

in which we live.

We are fast approaching a new season of ministry and mission opportunities.

There will be many chances for you to engage, or get reengaged, in the life and ministry of

our church!

Let’s be working together to make a difference in our community and across the country and

the world.

Please continue be in daily prayer for all of the areas hit hard by hurricanes and earth-

quakes, and keep the response teams of all church denominations in prayer as they help do

the cleanup.

We will have more ‘hands-on’ opportunity to make a difference in the restoration in many

of the areas hit by the devastation, so keep an eye on your email, and in the church bulletin.

I am also considering some type of an Open House at church as an open forum

afternoon for the local community of youth to engage in a "ask the Pastor

night". Of course Pizza and cold & hot drinks to be provided to those youth

who come to ask questions of how the Christian church has answers to them in

today’s society. Stay tuned for this event coming soon, and watch the church bulletin board.

I write this with gratitude to God in my heart for leading me here to be in ministry together

to all God’s people.

Pray for each other, pray for me, and pray that God will grant us courage to step out in

faith together.

Be blessed, and be a blessing,

Pastor Jim

Lectionary Readings

For: November / December

November:

Nov. 1: Revelation 7:9-17; Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12

Nov. 5: Joshua 3:7-17; Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Matthew 23:1-12

Nov. 12: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25; Psalm 78:1-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13

Nov. 19: Judges 4:1-7; Psalm 123; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30

Nov. 23: Deuteronomy 8:7-18; Psalm 65; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Luke 17:11-19

Nov. 26: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 100; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46

December: Dec. 3: Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37

Dec. 10: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8

Dec. 17: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28

Dec. 24: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:46b-55; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

Dec. 24/25: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20

Dec. 31: Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Psalm 148; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:22-40

Dec. 31/ Jan. 1: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13; Psalm 8; Revelation 21:1-6a; Matthew 25:31-46

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

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ADULT BIBLE STUDY

Adult Bible Study classes will be on brief hiatus as Dick & Shirley Davidson take time to focus on health concerns.

Shirley will continue with Sunday morning Bible Study sessions on a week to week basis when feasible. Please watch the Sunday bulletin for information. Please join us in supporting Dick & Shirley with your prayers.

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NOTES FROM THE TREASURER’S DESK By: Marilyn English

Finance has finalized the budget for 2018. It will be presented to the Annual Conference for approval.

Up to date (October 31) finance reports will be presented along with many reports requested by the

Conference. It is anticipated that we will pay our Shared Ministry shares in full for the second year in a

row. This is unprecedented for us, in many years. In addition we have provided our youth with a camp-

ing experience and our neighbors at Plymouth Crossroads with some extra support for their program. Over $750

has been sent to them, as well as sundries and other supplies for grooming etc.

We have had special UM Collections and UMCOR donations of approximately $2,000. Financially, this has been an

excellent year for Faith United Methodist Church in ministry to the community, the connection and the world. Thank

you to the congregation for supporting all of the events of 2017. Your generosity is greatly appreciated by many.

UMW REPORT By: Loretta Schneller

All ladies are invited to our Nov. 14th meeting at 7:00 PM. On the program will be the

Pledge Service, returning our Thank Banks and Book Reviews led by Mollie Bleistein.

Hostesses will be: Bev Fenster and Kim Jelowski.

Network of Leaders Program will be held on Nov. 4th from 9:30 AM to noon at Christ UMC, 350 Saratoga Rd.

(corner of Harlem Rd.). This morning is an opportunity for all current and new officers to sharpen their skills and for

all who are interested to share ideas for embracing “The Power of Bold” (theme of assembly in May) as we carry on

the legacy of our founders and live into our mission of caring for women, children, and youth worldwide. We need to

let Peggy Bermudez know by Oct. 28th, who plans to attend. - see Loretta.

For our Dec. 5th meeting at 7:00 PM, please bring cookies to pack for our Shut-ins and we’ll eat a few. Also, bring a

favorite ornament to talk about and put on the tree.

Gift Day will be Feb. 10th at East Aurora Baker Memorial Church.

LIFE AROUND FAITH

AD COUNCIL By: Mollie Bleistein

What a beautiful fall we are having! As usual your Ad Council has been working very dili-gently to try and move our church forward. We have passed our safe sanctuary policy, and all that use our building are on board. We are also in the process of having security cameras

in the near future installed, both in and outside.

Have any of you thought about volunteering several hours a month and work on a committee?? There are so many ways to help, the Nominating Cmte., ushering , counting, lector, SPPRC, choir ? We at faith can use your input. See

you at the charge conference. Blessing's, Mollie

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LIFE AROUND FAITH

CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES By: Tish Garback

Hello, Faith Family!

I am pleased to announce that our new Safe Sanctuary policy is approved and going up around the church. We have had two successful trainings with another to be scheduled in January.

Our Youth have started a new Bible study by noted UNYAC author Barbara Bruce. We are small, but mighty! Sunday school and nursery are both continuing their work on Bible education. Keep an eye on the bulletin boards for their new themes and activities!

We will be hosting a Halloween table on the 31st in front of the church. We will have healthy snacks and plenty of smiles for our neighbors and community. Please stop by and say hi!

With the severe weather that has been taking place around the country and the world, UMCOR has put out a call for flood buckets. Harris Hill UMC has plenty of the buckets themselves, as well as experienced hands to pack them. What they need are the goods inside. We will be placing a bin with signs for what is needed in the Atrium, along with suggestions for where we have found the best deals. If anyone can beat our deals, let us know, so we can spread the word!

Thank you for your constant generous support of the Children and Youth ministries. We could not do any of this without you.

SPPRC NEWS By: June Knoerzer, Chair October is Pastor Appreciation Month and this is just a friendly request to tell Pastor Jim “thanks” for his efforts here at FUMC. When we think about the service the pastor has put in with his presence around the church, the help at other churches and the Blessing of the Pets and the many other areas he has influenced, it is no wonder he is busy!

Pastor Jim is also pursuing a higher education degree and has him studying hard for this. Ask him about it if you would like to know more.

Everyone can use a kind word and if it is easier to put it on a blue prayer card and drop it in the collection basket or under Pastor Jim’s door, he will know others care. We all are praying for our church and the leader-ship that guides us.

The Staff Pastor Parish Relations committee is in transition and needs the friends of Faith United Methodist church to come join us. We have openings on this quiet committee and would welcome a person that could add their service to the church by serving on this committee. We meet roughly quarterly and discuss ways to bring the congregation and the pastor closer in God’s light. Please consider this worthy mission.

GATEWAY ANGELS

Be on the look-out for our annual “Christmas Angels” from Gateway/Longview. They are

due to arrive early November. Your generosity and ongoing support of this worthwhile

cause to bring a merrier Christmas to less fortunate children in our local communities is

very appreciated. Thank you to Marion Johns for her dedication and coordination of this

outreach for us.

LIFE AROUND FAITH

Pastor/SPPRC Covenant for our church By: June Knoerzer, SPPRC Chair Each year we take time to be thoughtful about the direction our church is taking. Here are some questions that are asked to help consider how we get there. If anything brings up a topic for discussion, this can help us grow. Please share your thoughts with a message on the office voice mail or just ask Pastor Jim. What are two goals this parish has? Grow the church? Invite more families? Have a bible study? In order to do the work to reach a goal, we need more people, would you consider meeting with the Nominations committee to select people to talk to about helping FUMC? The Staff Pastor Parish Relations (SPPRC) is looking for input from the congregation and would like to invite any interested person to find out more. We meet around 4-6 times per year to discuss these topics and ways to strengthen communication and relations for the people that work here with the people that attend here.

From: Pastor Jim Questions for the congregation as a whole body

1) What is a church for?

2) Why do You go to "church"?

3) What is Your dreams for this congregation?

4) Do you think this "church" has any effect in the Village of Lancaster?

5) How can we a congregation of Faith U.M.C. of Lancaster NY work forward for the future? Please print out, and feel free to answer as freely as possible with a signature of course Please send the responses back via real mail, as e-mail can get lost or corrupted in transmission.

WINTER WARMTH FOR SENECA ST.

This reporter would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for the generous outpouring of

Winter Warmth items donated throughout October for our friends at Seneca St. UMC in Buffalo.

Annually, you bless those less fortunate with this expression of caring in the form of warm hats,

gloves, mittens and more. This year, there were even

MORE beautiful hand-knitted items, hand sewn neck

warmers, and adorable warm hat and glove sets that

were obviously purchased with thought in mind to the

children who will be receiving them. We are a small

congregation, but we DO make a huge difference to

many. Thank you so much!

Special thanks to Gene and Loretta Schneller who will

be delivering our collection to Seneca St.

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Altar Flowers

For November and December are given:

Nov. 5: in loving memory of Margaret Fairhead on the occasion of

what would have been her 106th birthday, by her family.

Nov. 12: in memory of loved ones by Norma St. Clair.

Nov. 19: in honor of National Adoption month by Linda & Dick Johnson.

Nov. 26: in memory of loved ones by Mollie Bleistein.

Dec. : open

Dec. 10: in loving memory of our Uncle, Frank Beyer by the Lewis family.

Dec. 17: in loving memory of parents and grandparents from the Bialecki family.

Dec. 24: in memory of her father, Willie Frey, by Pat Cruz and family.

Dec. 31: open

Flower Chart

Please check the Flower Calendar. Names are penciled in to reserve dates as near to your previous year’s

date as possible. If your wishes have changed, please make erasures or additions.

If you would like to reserve altar flowers on a Sunday marked as “open” please contact the church office.

Prior to your date, you will be called so that we have the correct sentiment for the newsletter and bulletin,

as to whom you wish to memorialize or honor. You are given the choice of using one of the silk altar

arrangements or providing fresh flowers from a florist of your choice. When using the silk, an offering to

the church is appreciated. Any questions, please call Kay at 684-4364.

2017 OK CLUB

Thursday, Nov. 16th, please join us for breakfast at Denny’s on Genesee St. at 9:00 a.m.

Thursday, Dec. 21st, you will find us at the Olive Tree on Broadway at 9:00 a.m.

(a change to our original schedule)

Please sign up on the Pillar of Faith with your intention to attend (or an “X” if not), so the

restaurant may be given an approximate number of people to expect. Would you like

to take care of scheduling places and giving them the number of people? See Loretta. All are Welcome!

LIFE AROUND FAITH

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LIFE AROUND FAITH

LOCAL MISSIONS PROJECT

Earlier this month, a few of us met briefly to brainstorm ideas for new fundraisers that can help us meet our

financial goals while also providing positive outreach to our community. Join us Nov. 18th! Get a beautiful

holiday photo of your family and/or pet with Santa. Profits from the event will be used for mission projects in

your community such as Plymouth Crossroads and more. We Ho-Ho-Hope to see you there!

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LIFE AROUND FAITH

Order forms for Christmas Wreaths are available at church, or you may place an order by calling the office.

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The Christmas season is often marked by expressions of joy, excitement, and happiness. It’s a time for family to gather and for churches to worship pointing to the hope that is found in the coming of the Christ child. However, this time of joy and expectation can often overshadow the pain and hurt many experience during this season, when the world's merriment puts their grief

and sorrow in start relief.

There is a growing attentiveness to the needs of people who are blue at Christmas.

Blue? Yes, blue as in the blues. As in "I am feeling blue."

Not everyone is up and cheery for the Christmas holidays.

Dealing with the death of a loved one, facing life after divorce or separation, coping with the loss of a job, living with cancer or some other dis-ease that puts a question mark over the future, and a number of other human situations make parties and joviality painful for many people in

our congregations and communities

One of the greatest acts in the Advent season is to offer the service known as a Service of the

Longest Night.

It’s a worship service scheduled around the winter solstice (the longest night of the calendar

year) and it just happens to fall on or around December 21st every year.

Faith UMC is again this year sponsoring the Longest Night service at 7:30pm Dec 21th.

SPECIAL SERVICES

BLUE CHRISTMAS By: Pastor Jim

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LIFE AROUND FAITH

Our church provides free copies of the Upper Room, Daily Devotional. Both a large print and a pocket-size

version of the pamphlets are available. See the display rack outside the Narthex or by the church office to

pick up a copy. If you would like to make a small donation to the church for your copy, it is always greatly

appreciated.

Thursday, Nov. 23rd—Thanksgiving Day

READ Psalm 34:17-22

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the

LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.—Joshua 1:9

From a young age I was taught by my parents to say “please” and “thank

you”. When I was ten years old my mother died, and my grief was profound. Her death left a vast emptiness

in my heart, and at that age I simply could not comprehend it all. I wondered: How will I talk to God about

this? I had been taught to always thank God, but should I thank God for this?

What I have learned is that from the moment we begin to pray, God provides the strength and the words we

need. God knows our needs even when we cannot put them into words.

With the passing of time, I have become thankful for what God has given me each day. Through blessings

and problems, God has helped me to remain anchored in faith, trusting that God will be with me. As we pray

with confidence through times of deepest grief or pain, God will sustain us and lead us forward.

Prayer: Merciful God, thank you for your promise to sustain us in all circumstances as we pray, “Our Father in

heaven, hallowed by your name, your kingdom come, your sill be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today

our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.” Irene Rodriguez, La Paz, Bolivia

NEIGHBORHOOD MISSION By: Marilyn English

Throughout Nov. we are receiving monetary donations for Christmas gifts for the boys at

Plymouth Crossroads. Your donations enable the Director to shop for “her boys” and give

these young men a real Christmas with happy memories. Below is an excerpt from Plymouth’s

recent newsletter detailing how this organization and your generosity make a difference in the lives of these

young men. Thank you!

Resident Updates

• In the past few months two of our residents moved into their very first apartments!

• One of our residents received a full time, salaried job in his field of interest, culinary arts and was able to

save enough money while living with us to purchase his own vehicle.

• One of our boys started college at Medaille last month majoring in Business

• One of our alumni graduated barbering school and will be attending Bryant & Stratton in the spring for

Business.

• We finished our second year of Summer Primetime Programming, funded by Erie County, where our youth

participated in multiple career panels, college tours, field trips and put in over 90 hours of volunteer work

in the community!

COMING SOON!

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Join us! For our fall

Chiavetta’s®

Chicken BBQ

Sunday, NOVEMBER 12th

12:30 PM—’til sold out.

Tickets are $11

2017 Annual Charge

Conference

(Faith and Bowmansville UMC)

Sunday, Nov. 5th, 2017

2:30 PM—4:30 PM

At Elma United Methodist Church

2991 Bowen Rd.

All are welcome to attend!

A VETERANS’ BREAKFAST

Hosted by: Pastor Jim

Saturday, Nov. 11th

in Fellowship Hall

All Veterans who have served in any

branch of the military are invited.

Program guest speaker is:

Pastor Westley Tessey, Vietnam veteran and

Pastor of East Otto UMC

POINSETTIAS

We will be offering

poinsettia plants for sale

for $8 each in early

December.

Order forms will be available at church.

The flowers will help to beautify our

Sanctuary up to Christmas service and can

then be taken home.

JOYS AND CONCERNS

Pastor James E. Brown Suzette Phillips, Office Admin.

Church Phone: 716-683-5293 NEW: Email: office@faithlancaster.org

www.faithlancaster.org

PRAYER NOTICES: Henry Barrie, Helen Bowman, Pat Connors, Jim Crawford, Dick Davidson, Betty Dunbar, Gloria Jean Flicker, Ken Goodman Phyllis Hamric, Brian Hinz, Madelon Knoerzer, Jim Lewis, Beverly Maniccia, Elliot Nosbisch, Mary Prentice, Rich Reese, June & Kent Repka, Edith & Ralph Ressler, Judy Sealander, Norma St. Clair, Sammy & Macie Waller, Jim Westgate,

Marge Zaprowski, and all military and civilians serving the U.S.

Prayer notices will remain on the list for one month. Contact the church office to renew.