We get stacks of Christmas, birthday and various holiday cards every year, and it can tug at the heart to simply throw them away. The folks at St. Jude’s Children’s Ranch in Nevada have turned this quandary into an opportunity. St. Jude’s collects these used cards and then the children then turn them into new cards and sell them to finance their programs.
You can can learn how to send your cards here, or you can turn them right here at UCC Simi Valley. For the next three weeks, we will leave a marked box in the lobby at our church for used cards. They will be mailed to the St. Jude’s Children’s Ranch in Nevada.
*You can also bring other cards such as birthday, valentines etc. *It is not necessary to remove the fronts of the cards but you may do so for privacy reasons if you wish.
Our Holiday Community Dinner falls on Tuesday, December 17. We have already collected many donations of gifts for our dinner guests. We will continue collecting donations until Sunday, December 15. Please put your contributions in the designated bag in the back of the sanctuary.
On Sunday, December 15, after service, we will be “wrapping” the gifts with colorful ribbon.
Ideas for gifts include:
Socks
Caps
Knit hats
Gloves
Ponchos
Toiletries
Games
Flashlights
Candy
Gift certificates
Toothbrushes
Pens and pencils
This yearly event is sponsored by our Board of Deacons.
Sing to God a new song! Sing praises to God with the harp and the trumpet! Sing to God with the drum and the guitar! Sing to God with melodious song!
Let’s rejoice and express our gratitude for our ministry of music – during our Worship Gatherings and during concerts, dinner dances, and other events, celebrating this wonderful gift God has given.
There Rings a Melody is our theme for this Sunday’s Worship Gathering, as we connect with one another after another week, and seek to praise and worship God who is ever present in our midst. The Scripture for Sunday is Psalm 98, a short psalm focusing on praising God with the music that we offer as well as the music that nature offers. This psalm is actually the inspiration for Isaac Watts’ beloved Christmas carol, Joy to the World! It’s a rousing call to the human congregation and the natural world, all the earth, to sing, to praise, to rejoice, and make a joyful noise together.
This week, our Opening Hymn is “Enter, Rejoice, and Come In,” from the New Century Hymnal (#73). Our Closing Hymn is “To God Compose a Song of Joy,” also from the New Century Hymnal (#36). Our Choir, directed by John Paton, will sing their Anthem, “Many Gifts, One Spirit.”
Following Worship, we will have a Congregational Conversation about our Music Ministry. We’ll discuss what we love, what we want, what changes we’d like to consider, and how we can renew, refresh, and revitalize our church music program. Come ready to share with your ideas, suggestions, and questions! I’m looking forward to a rousing and robust discussion!
~Rev. Stacy L. Thomas
Sunday’s Order of Worship
For best results view in “Full Screen” (click on the square at the bottom of the slide show)
