Elam United Methodist Church

As you know, each year at this time we normally put up an Angel Tree in the side welcoming area to collect gifts for families at City Team Ministries. Due to the uncommon situation this year, we thought it best to contact City Team Ministries direct to see what they suggest. In lieu of congregants shopping for certain aged children, City Team is asking for gift cards in increments of $25 for either Walmart or Target. Gift cards should be at Elam on or before the morning of Thursday, December 10th, as the deadline for drop off at City Team is the following day, Friday, December 11th.  Gift cards delivered after that date will not be accepted.

Watch this video for explanation of contents and assembly instructions for DIY Advent Wreath Kit.  Kits are available for pick-up at the church office, beginning Monday, November 23rd.

Advent begins on Sunday, November 29. We’re asking our congregational members to send us brief reflections on the following themes:

4 THEMES OF ADVENT: HOPE – PEACE – JOY – LOVE

We’ll post your reflections online and in our e-News whereby sharing what these four gifts of Christmas means to each of us personally. We’re hoping that members of all ages will participate in this activity that will connect our community in such a meaningful way. This will be our gift to each other, so let’s begin to ponder and pray about these great gifts of hope, peace, love and joy, and send us your reflections either online or by mail to the church office.

HOPE – due by November 15th

PEACE – due by November 22nd

JOY – due by December 6th

LOVE – due by December 13th.

You may send them whenever you have them ready. We suggest that you can save each theme to create your own booklet.

In this time of stay home/stay safe, we might ask ourselves, "What Can I Do To Help?"  WE CAN PRAY to the one who surrounds us and surrounds all that is happening.

The Lord’s Prayer that Jesus spoke to his disciples when they asked him how to pray, are beautiful
familiar words that we as Christians have prayer and sung over the ages. My prayer for you this week is
that you take time reading and re-reading these words and then praying them daily with a deeper
understanding of their meaning and the countless blessings contained in them.

“Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the
glory, forever. “ Amen

May each of us be blessed anew by these words spoken for us from Jesus Christ our Savior. Randy C.
Schaffer

How good it is to center down!
To sit quietly and see one’s self pass by!
The streets of our minds seethe with endless traffic;
Our spirits resound with clashings, with noisy silences,
While something deep within hungers and thirsts for the still moment and the resting lull.
With full intensity we seek, ere the quiet passes, a fresh sense of order in our living;
A direction, a strong sure purpose that will structure our confusion and bring meaning in our chaos.
We look at ourselves in this waiting moment – the kinds of people we are.
The questions persist: what are we doing with our lives? – what are the motives that order our days?
What is the end of our doings? Where are we trying to go?
Where do we put the emphasis and where are our values focused?
For what end do we make sacrifices? Where is my treasure and what do I love most in life?
What do I hate most in life and to what am I true?
Over and over the questions beat in upon the waiting moment.
As we listen, floating up through all the jangling echoes of our turbulence,
there is a sound of another kind--
A deeper note which only the stillness of the heart makes clear.
It moves directly to the core of our being. Our questions are answered,
Our spirits refreshed, and we move back into the traffic of our daily round
with the peace of the Eternal in our step.
How good it is to center down!

Please use this Meditation by Howard Thurman during this week as a way of examining the
pace and content of our days. You are in my prayers, Randy Schaffer

As you think about your personal year-end church giving,  you may be interested in the following that was recently published in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act has recognized the desire of individuals, foundations and businesses to support nonprofit organizations, offering added tax benefits for their giving.

The CARES Act allows an above-the-line charitable contribution deduction of up to $300 for taxpayers who do not itemize deductions on their 2020 tax returns. For those who do itemize, cash contributions to public charities may be fully deducted (up to 100% of adjusted gross income) without regard to the usual percentage limitation. Contributions in excess of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income may be carried forward for five years. 

You should check with your accountant or tax advisor if you want to take advantage of this change in the tax law.

SAVE THE DATE!!!  

Saturday, December 5th at 10:00 a.m. 

via ZOOM

Please invite/include all of the important people in your life (yes, that includes the men) to join us for this Seasonally themed get together.
 

ANGELA SMITH and RANDY SCHAFFER
WILL PRESENT THE CHRISTMAS STORY THROUGH SCRIPTURE- PRAYER AND
CAROLS. EACH PERSON OR GROUPS IN THE CHRISTMAS STORY WILL BE
REMEMBERED. WE WILL PRAY AS WELL FOR THIS TIME OF UNCERTAINTY THAT
WE ARE LIVING IN RIGHT NOW. WE HOPE THAT YOU MIGHT EXPERIENCE PEACE AND CONTENTMENT IN THIS BUSY SEASON.

If you have never attended one of our meetings before, please reach out to Andgela Smith (angela.e.smith1014@gmail.com) to be included in the invitation.