The United Church of Gainesville – November 1, 2020

If you would like to watch the service as a playlist, please click here and you will be directed to our YouTube page. If you prefer, you may click on the individual links below at your own pace.

Welcome to Worship, Reading, Special Music, Time with Children, and All Saints

Welcome- Rev. Andy Bachmann

Opening reading, by Rev. Laura Martin, offered by John Eyler, Kate Boisseau, Joanne LaFramenta and Fonda Eyler

Come to me you who feel like the world is both too much and not enough.
Come to me you who have left what you no longer believe,
And are uncertain what you hold now.
Come to me you who keep joy close,
Who see your way to a horizon line,
Who feed birds and watch them eat.
Come to me you who work your feelings into soil,
That something may grow and something may return.
Come to me you who cannot find steady ground for yourself,
Who stand too close to despair,
Who navigate on nights with no stars.
Come to me, you who remember music playing
And those who played it,
Who put their hope in the quiet work of donkeys in fields,
Who stay in the room even when it is hard.
Come to me, you.
Come to me.
Just come.

-inspired by Matthew 11:28 “Come to me all that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Time with the Children – Rev. Andy Bachmann

Join us for United Tribes Activity Time at 10am! 

Join us at 10:30am for the baptism of Alyssa Dawn Collins. Click here for zoom meeting. Meeting ID: 862 5062 5388 Passcode: 1624

Prayer for Alyssa Dawn Collins

Today, God, we welcome Alyssa into our church family, into your family. Send your Holy Spirit to her, that she may be inspired with the strength of faith, with the joy of hope, and with the reverence of love. We shall be asked to set aside our own comfort and convenience, to put away our own likes and dislikes so that Alyssa may meet You in us. Let our care for her be a sign of our faith: for where there is care, indifference and unbelief vanish, and You are found again in the midst of your people. Amen

Naming the Saints of our Lives- Revs. Talia Raymond and Bromleigh McCleneghan

• John Frachiseur
• Melinda Dickens
• Marvin Berk
• Shirley Drummond
• Ruth Keitt

Congregational response- All this Joy, All this Sorrow, offered by David Evans

All the joy, all this sorrow, all this promise, all this pain
Such is life, such is being, such is spirit, such is love
Be our joy, be our sorrow, be our promise, be our pain
Such is life, such is being, such is spirit, such is love
World of joy, world of sorrow, world of promise, world of pain
Such is life, such is being, such is spirit, such is love
All this joy, all this sorrow, all this promise, all this pain
Such is life, such is being, such is spirit, such is love

Prayers, Sermon, and Alleluia

Prayers of the People- Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan

Sung response – “Within our Darkest Night”
Within our darkest night you kindle the fire that never dies away, never dies away (repeat)

Reading, Sermon, and Responsive Song
Sermon- “Making Sense of our Separation” – Rev. Bachmann

Scripture- Luke 24:1-5.

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two angels stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the angels said to them, “why do you seek the living among the dead?”

Alleluia

Here are the UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week.
Happy Birthday!

 

Becky Johnson 11/01

Karen Johnson 11/01

Trisha Biggers Peterson 11/01

Talia Raymond 11/01

Alexis Delisle 11/02

Jack Nettles 11/02

Brent Seagle 11/02

Devin Smith-Lopez 11/02

Jim White 11/02

Andrew Robinson 11/03

Juliet Anderson 11/04

Betsy Dodd Sanders 11/04

Andy McCollough 11/04

Reed Noble 11/04

Kathryn Seagle 11/04

Keri Trosper 11/04

Kitty Williams 11/05

Janet Thomas 11/06

Jan Adkins 11/07

Lori    Robinson    11/08

Sunday Schedule
Join Us!
Please note the passcodes changed.

10:30am – Baptism of Alyssa Dawn Collins via Zoom. Click here to join. Meeting ID: 862 5062 5388 Passcode: 1624

11:15am – Sunday Seminar – As part of our observation of All Saints Day our Sunday Seminar will be on “Saints of UCG.” Since its founding, our congregation has known the deaths of over 115 members whose lives helped shape who we are to-day. At this seminar we will share the names of these individuals; we will hear memories of many of them, and celebrate their contributions with stories and gratitude of how their commitment and vision shaped the vital and resourceful congregation we are today. Click here to join. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385 Passcode: 1624

Please also join us at 12:30pm for Congregational Coffee Hour. Andy will be available on our Zoom account to talk and share. He’ll be prepared to talk about the online worship experience, but with no set agenda other than hoping to see your faces and have a chance to touch base. Join here. Meeting ID: 875 0792 2974 Passcode: 1624

Important Announcements

2021 Pledge Enlistment Campaign Update

Pledged 74% 

There are 196 pledges totaling $569,919.04 of the required $772,192.00

Thanks  to everyone who has already pledged we are nearly half way toward our enlistment goal!  If you have not yet pledged, there are several ways you can do so:

• Use our ShelbyNext website and app to make your pledge. First, if you haven’t logged into your ShelbyNext account, click here for a quick tutorial.  
• If you’d rather access ShelbyNext from your smartphone, you’ll need to download the app.  Click here for a video to show you how to get the app in the App Store.
• If you have the app and you are ready to go, click here for a video on how to submit your pledge commitment for 2021.
• You can also stop by the church office to fill out a paper pledge card. There are blank pledge cards and envelopes in the Suggestion Box next to the church office door. If you are returning a completed card, you can use the black mail box at the corner of the office building closest to the Sanctuary.
• If you aren’t a UCG member or you live far away, simply contact the office (info@ucgainesville.org or 352-378-3500) and we will be happy to mail a pledge card to you. You may also email your commitment directly and confidentially at our accountant, catherinec@ucgainesville.org. Please note that all pledging is confidential.  

Our hope is to complete our pledge campaign by November 8th, so please let us know as soon as you can! Thank you so much for your commitment to UCG! 

Young Adults Sunday Lunch Group -UCG Young Adult Group is lunch meeting TODAY, November 1, at noon. Are you a UCG young adult? Older than high school, younger than 30ish? Grab your lunch (optional) and join the UCG YA group for a meal, making connections, and for discussions on various topics. Join here. Passcode: UCG

Last week for All Saints Labyrinth Walk until Friday, November 6th, you can sign-up for a 30-minute spot to come and walk our labyrinth in our Sanctuary. You will have the place all to yourself (or with your COVID cohort), but you will also be surrounded by altars composed of photographs, honoring all the saints of our lives whom we have loved and lost. Everyone is welcome to bring a photograph of a dearly departed loved one to create altars of love in preparation of and for our All Saint’s Day. If you would like to add a photo to our All Saints Altars, please bring it with you at your chosen time, which you can sign up for HERE. If you would write that person’s name, a little bit about their life, and your name, we would appreciate it. If you would like to drop off your picture sooner, please call or email the church office to set up a time. On November 1st (and also on Wednesdays, October 28 and November 4th) the labyrinth will stay open into the evening hours, and you may sign up for a spot to walk then.

Eat Local, Grow Hope Global has a smorgasbord of opportunities for you this month!

• Shop with and enjoy fresh food from our partners: Frog Song Organics, Swallowtail Farm, Vine Sourdough Bakery and Land of Flowers (honey)
• Email your favorite soup or salad recipe to Andy Bachmann by TODAY to be included in the CIA Cookbook. 
• Join the Eat Local, Grow Hope Global seminar on Sunday, November 15, to discuss food insecurity, hunger at home and abroad, fasting, and our project in Guatemala.
• Fast after lunch on Wednesday, November 18, till dinner on Thursday, November 19
• Join us at 6 PM on Thursday, November 19, for Zoom-union and a break-fast celebration supporting our project of helping Guatemalan women grow veggies
• Donate to Growing Hope Globally during a drive by Eat Local, Grow Hope Global celebration on November 19 and receive an illustrated cookbook of soup and salad recipes from UCGers and our partners.

Advent Reflections Submissions Wanted

It’s that time of year again! We are seeking your writings and art for the UCG Advent devotional booklet! We invite you to send in original writings and art, or favorites that remind you of the season. Important: please send in art as jpegs and writings typed in the body of your email, or as PDFs. This makes the editing process run smoothly! Please submit by Sunday, November 8.  You can send submissions to Taylor Williams at gutsandglorygnv@gmail.com.

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If you are a regular supporter through our collected offering, please consider making your donation now.  Our budgeted (anticipated) amount of Plate Income for 2020 is $40,000, so we rely on the weekly passing of the plate. To GIVE, click here to make a one-time donation to UCG -or- to set up a recurring donation via your bank account or credit card click here.  Thank you for your support.

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Please note: While the Church Office remains closed, we are still available by phone or email from 9am – 4pm, Monday – Friday.