Nov 19th - Dec 2nd Table of Contents Pages Sections Faith Kitchen Lands of the Bible Lunch Leadership Training

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1 Nov 19th - Dec 2nd Pages 2 Table of Contents Sections Faith Kitchen Lands of the Bible Lunch Leadership Training Outreach Ministry Team Membership Care Ministry Team Service in Mission Ministry Team Youth Ministry Team Worship Arts Ministry Team Spiritual Formation Ministry Team Calendar Note: If you don t see your Ministry Team/Group it s because you didn t submit anything for THIS Navigator. The Navigator is a bi-weekly -blast. If you need to submit something see the Communications Section for more information. Thank you.

2 Faith Kitchen Amitai Etzioni, an immigrant Israeli Jewish sociologist, has set forth with urgent passion to shed light on the decline of civility - real honoring of one another - in community. He makes a fervent appeal in his book An Immodest Agenda (copyright 1989) a commitment to our common good as a society. He is convinced that such a commitment must come from widespread unself-centering. He writes, It is my thesis that all people (in particular in the Western Hemisphere) have been cut off from one another...the need to rebuild the economy, national security and the community calls for...an orientation that is much less ego-centered. Jesus of Nazareth, an immigrant Israeli Jew, sets even more of an immodest agenda for his followers. Jesus showed us the way of putting what we say we believe into action and this action necessarily puts us in proximity to God s other children. Action does far more than analyze and urge. Action moves us out of ourselves and into life-giving community. Congratulations for extraordinary action to the servants of Faith Kitchen. They and this ministry have been recently awarded the Stark County Hunger Task Force 2016 Pantry of the Year. You are invited to join this team on the last Saturday of every month in transforming the community, nation and world in the name of Jesus Christ: November 26, 2016 December 31, 2016 January 28, 2017 February 25, 2017 March 25, 2017 April 29, 2017 Seek out one of the many Faith Kitchen servants (Bill and Merle Fisher, Becky Moore, Glen and Cheryl Froelich, Patti Deems, Fran and Bill Henne, Sue Bell and Philip and Donny, Dan Griffith and Madeline, Trudy Jones, MJ Moody, Teresa and Sam Purses and many others) and ask them if they would let you travel with them down to Crystal Park UMC and give you an orientation once you get there. In faith-filled action you will find yourself drawn into kin-dom community with our brother, Jesus and all of his friends. I am grateful for all of you as we serve Christ in community together. Pastor Cara

3 Lands of the Bible- Lunch, Pictures, Reflections What: Lands of the Bible Lunch, Pictures, Reflections Where: Sunday, November 27, 12:00-1:30 Come enjoy a light Mediterranean lunch including: Greek Salad Pastor Cara s homemade hummus Pita Sue Wheeler s famous homemade Haman s Ears (cookies) See a sample of the best pictures from our trip Hear reflections from the heart by fellow travelers.

4 Leadership Training Leadership Training The Leadership Training event has been rescheduled for Tuesday, December 6, from 7:00pm 9:00 pm in Robinson Hall. This will take place during the regularly scheduled Church Board/ Ministry Council meeting. All members of 2016 and 2017 Ministry Teams are invited to attend. This date change is intended to be more efficient and respectful of everyone s time and insure greater participation. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. Leadership Training happens once a year and is an important time for existing and new leaders to meet, fellowship, review, discuss and pray about the upcoming year and the vital role of leaders in the church. We look forward to our time together on Tuesday, December 6th, 7:00-9:00, Robinson Hall. Boy Scouts Ministry Group Troop 12 News Camping: November brings about a Thanksgiving in the Woods camp out. We will be planning, preparing, and serving Thanksgiving dinner to our families in camp. Membership Care Ministry Team Birthdays: Outreach Ministry Team Membership Care Ministry Team Alva-Ree Bolovan will be 90 years young on November 14. Edwina Burt will be 94 years young on November 22. James Riddle will be 93 years young on November 22. Getting to Know You Lunch Tomorrow. When: Sunday, November 27, 12:15-1:15 in the Parlor Come and enjoy a light lunch and get to know the pastors, some leaders and staff and other people who are new or interested in getting to know more about the church and one another. RSVP by calling the church is helpful. Live-in Home Assistant Available Are you, or do you know someone (a male) who lives alone, but would benefit from having a livein male assistant to help with cooking, chores, good company, medication schedules, etc.? David Coombs who has been attending Faith UMC for 6 years has 6 years of experience as a live-in home assistant. He lived with Pete Keckich who died a few weeks ago at the age of 94. Dave was and excellent caretaker. His time with Pete allowed Pete to continue living at home and gave Pete s family peace-of-mind knowing that he had an assistant. Dave needs to be moved out of Pete s house by December 3. Please keep him in prayer and help get the word out about his availability. I believe that someone in our community would benefit from having Dave and at the same time provide a benefit to Dave. Cost is simply room and board and a small stipend negotiable. If you, or someone you know, would like to find out more, please call or text Dave at or Sam Purses at (Sam is helping to coordinate a plan with Dave)

5 Welcome Our Newest Members Back Row, Left to right: Don Battershell, Bethany Sedziol, Shani Diggs, Dave Kowaleski Front Row, Left to Right: Sara Lynn Charleston, Norma Bates, Sharon Kowaleski, Ashley Van Scoit Don Battershell Bethany Sedziol Shani Diggs Dave Kowaleski Sarah Lynn Charleston Norma Bates Sharon Kowaleski Ashley Van Scoit

6 Service in Mission Ministry Team Canton Calvary Mission: We will be collecting canned fruits and vegetables the month of November for the mission. Faith Kitchen Congratulations Faith Kitchen Named Pantry of the Year for Stark County Thanks to the hard work of all the volunteers, Faith Kitchen was named the pantry of the year for 2016 by the Stark County Hunger Task Force. On the last Saturday of each month we provide a hot lunch and groceries to an average of 150 people and impact many families in the area who are struggling to make ends meet. If you want to be a part of this winning team and have a few free hours each month, we could use your help. Contact: Fran Henne or Fran4@neo.rr.com Adopt-A-Family Once again it s time to open our hearts to help those in need at this Christmas season. I will be requesting 26 families of assorted sizes and ages to be available for adoption. For those who are not familiar with this program, it requires providing gifts and toys for the families, plus food vouchers for a Christmas dinner. The good Lord has always helped us meet our goal. Last year we helped 26 families. Families will be available in early November at a table in the Gathering Area. I will be manning the table with the information and paper work. Money may also be donated. My helper and I will purchase gifts for the families with the money donated. The gifts and food need to be delivered to the Coleman Center on Sherrick Road in early December. Contact: Nancy King at Coats for Christmas Once again Faith Church will be collecting new or gently used coats for those in need. Hats, scarves, and mittens are also accepted. Boxes are located in the gallery and near the Family Life Center. The collection will run through December 4. Contact: Dennis Flechtner at denny319@att.net or A Community Christmas and Giving Tree The Christmas season is rapidly approaching. Faith church has been a great supporter of A Community Christmas with the Giving Tree. This program has been included in our Missions again this year. The tree will be placed in the Gathering Area on November tags will be on the tree. These will list the gift wishes for children of all ages and nursing home residents who are alone. All these names have been screened for need. A maximum gift value should be $ Please select a card, purchase the gift, and gift wrap it. Securely attach the tag to the outside of the gift and place it under the Giving Tree in the Gathering Area by December 8. The gifts will be taken to the distribution location. Thank you for your generosity. UMW Please support the United Methodist Women with our annual Cookie Walk on December 11th. Homemade cookies will be on sale in the gathering area following all three services and will be sold by the dozen. Proceeds will benefit local and global UMW missions. Calling all bakers. We need bakers to donate 6 dozen of your favorite homemade Christmas cookies. Cookies can be dropped off in the Robinson Hall kitchen on Friday, December 9th from 9am to 4pm or Saturday, December 10th from 10am to noon. Thank you for your support. Questions? Contact: Kathy Myers at UMW Just a friendly reminder that November, 20th is Thank Offering Sunday. Every year, the United Methodist Women take up a collection to benefit their mission work here and around the world. It is a chance for us all to thank God for his many blessings during this year. Baskets will be at the doors for this free will offering. Betsy Gorrell, UMW President

7 Pennies for Paraguay Thanks to all who have put coins and bills in our collection containers. With about 2 months left until we need to send the 2017 tuition money to Paraguay, we still need about $700 to support our 7 students. Hopefully, you will be led by God to contribute. Checks can be made out to the church, with Pennies for Paraguay on the memo line. If you have a large volume of coins to contribute, contact Trudy Jones at Here is a short profile of one of the students. MEET MIA AYELEN FERREIRA CARDOZA. Mia is six. She likes to read books, draw, watch TV and play with friends. Like many American children, her favorite foods include pizza, hamburgers, fries, spaghetti, and desserts. She likes to play with puzzles, dolls, and stuffed animals. She lives with her mother, a housekeeper, and her father, a construction worker, and her brothers. Aunts, uncles and cousins also share the home. Mia asks for prayers for her family. Jim and Libby Blake are her communication sponsors. Youth Ministry Team Youth Ministry Team The word Advent is defined by a lot of words like arrival, appearance, emergence, materialization, dawn, birth, rise, and development. As we begin the season of Advent, the Youth Ministry will be focusing on how we will emerge into the coming year. We will journey into new beginnings just as Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem. Unlike the inn, however, all are welcome and we have room for you. So come as you are. We invite you to join us as the dawn rises on this wonderful season. We offer Out of the Box Sunday School each Sunday morning at 9:45 and we have our Refuge Youth Group gatherings each Sunday evening from 6:30-8pm. So journey to the Youth Room and anticipate the coming of Christ with us. We look forward to seeing you. Contact: Scott Sigman or spsigman@gmail.com Youth Director Search Update: The Youth Director Search Team met on Sunday, November 13. We are currently reviewing the youth ministry and revising the job description. However, the team has decided that the target start date is June 5, This date provides the necessary time for a thorough search, interview and hire process. Also, a June start date makes the position attractive and available for a wider pool of qualified candidates. For now, please begin to share the news of the opening using the following announcement: Faith United Methodist Church in North Canton will be seeking qualified candidates for the full-time Youth Director position. Full details about the position and how to apply will be posted on the church website: sometime in January. The search team consists of: Rev. Gary Jones (Leader), Rev. Steve Stultz Costello, Tallie Paz, Susan Arnold, Butch Ransom, Philip Bell, Steve Golden, Pam Wig, Taylor Sowers, Eli Stultz Costello, Reagan Maxwell

8 Choral Concert: O Radiant Dawn Join the FUMC Schola Cantorum for a concert on Canton First Friday feauring: J.S. Bach s Nun Komm der Heiland BWV 61 Britten s Ceremony of Carols Macmillan s Strathclyde Motets. All proceeds from this concert go to benefit the Stark County Hunger Task Force. Daniel Parsley, Conductor Nancy Patterson, Harp Bobby Sullivan, Organ Friday, December 2nd-7:00 PM Basilica of Saint John the Baptist 627 McKinley Ave NW Canton, OH Click here to learn more:

9 Spiritual Formation Ministry Team Service of Solace Spiritual Practices and Resources What: Service of Solace A service of comfort, remembrance, and hope for all who long for Jesus. When: Wednesday, November 30 at 12:00 pm and 7:15 pm Spiritual Practices and Resources Join us in praying as we prepare to open our hearts and minds to the coming of Christ this Advent and Christmas. What: Walking to Bethlehem: Advent Prayer Labyrinth and Prayer Stations When: Wednesday, November 30 from 9:30 am 8:30 pm. Where: The Family Life Center for a time of prayer, reflection, and hope. Learn more at:

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11 Spiritual Practices and Resources November 27th is the First Sunday of Advent Look for Advent Devotionals, Advent Calendars and resources for children and families in the literature kiosks in the Gathering Area and outside the Family Life Center and at the Children s Welcome Stations. What is Advent? The season of Advent marks the beginning of the Christian year. Advent is the season of waiting and watching as we prepare our hearts and lives to celebrate God s greatest gift, the birth of our Lord and Savior. The word Advent means coming or arrival. The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King. We prepare to receive Christ into our hearts and wait expectantly for Jesus to come again. Advent is far more than marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating the revelation of God in Christ. Advent is a hopeful time as we anticipate and experience that wonderful gift of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. During this special time of year our attention is drawn to thoughts of angels, shepherds, stables, and bright shining stars because they remind us that the birth of Jesus forever changed the world. It is our hope that as we stop and reflect on this special time of year, this season of waiting, that we will remember to make God the center of all we do. During this season of waiting, we invite you to prayerfully examine your spiritual heart, your faith journey. As the stores and our homes are decorated and transformed for the holidays, we want to be open to the most important transformation, the transformation of our hearts as we prepare to draw closer to Jesus this Advent season. We invite you to explore the following resources: Visit the literature rack in the Gathering Area and outside the Family Life Center for Advent devotions for families, adults, youth, and children. Learn about the Jesse Tree, Chrismons, Advent wreaths, and Advent prayer calendars. Visit our library, our website, and our Facebook page for additional resources and activities. Make Faith UMC s Advent devotion book part of your daily practices. A digital copy will be available on our website. Participate in one of the Adult Group Experiences happening during Advent. Get involved in our Wednesday Night Advent Experiences. Invite your friends and neighbors. Reach out to others in Christian love through one of our mission and service opportunities. Invite others to worship and special church services and activities during the Advent season. Visit Faith s Library/Media Center to explore additional resources to help you dig deeper into the sermon messages and group studies. May you experience the gift of Jesus in fresh, new, life-changing ways as you prepare your heart and home for Christ this Advent season. Advent Wreath Lighters Needed Would you consider serving Faith Church by lighting the advent wreath on one of the four Sundays of Advent, November 27, December 4, 11, 18, and Christmas Eve. There is a simple liturgy that we will ask you to read as you light the advent wreath at the beginning of worship service. Will you please respond to Daniel Parsley dparsley@faithumchurch.org with your intention to light the advent wreath and which day/time you prefer? There are 15 opportunities listed below: Sunday, November 27 8:30 9:45 11:00 Sunday, Dec 4 8:30 9:45 11:00 Sunday, Dec 11 8:30 9:45 11:00 Sunday, December 18 8:30 9:45 11:00 Christmas Eve 5:00 9:00 11:00

12 Children and Families, Adult Faith Formation and Discipleship What: Wednesday Night Faith Connections When: Dinner at 6:00 pm Wednesdays Where: Robinson Hall Fun, faith, food, and fellowship at Faith UMC. All are welcome. Leave the cooking to us and come join the fun. Children and Adult Programs follow dinner. Wonder Wednesday for kids in Preschool and Grades K-5. Children s Choirs rehearse at 5:00 pm. Be a Wednesday Night Dinner Side Dish Host: A Side Dish Host helps to provide side dishes or desserts for our Wednesday Night dinner and has an opportunity to be introduced and share about your group during our Wednesday Night Dinner. If your group would like to be highlighted as one of our Wednesday Night Side Dish Hosts, contact John Hartzell for more information. Visit: for adult opportunities. Upcoming Wednesday Night Faith Connection Events: - November 30 Advent Prayer Labyrinth - December 7 Neighborhood Christmas Caroling - December 14 Lessons and Carols - December 21 Sensory Integrated Christmas Eve Service (Service only, no dinner) Adult Faith Formation and Discipleship Seeking Refuge: An Advent Study begins Wednesday, November 30 at 6:30 pm with dinner at 6:00 pm. Facilitators: Pastor Cara and Cindy Wilcox Light of the World: Wednesday Women s Advent Study begins Wednesday, November 30 at 9:30 am. Facilitator: Linda Reynolds Soup for the Soul: The Wonder of Christmas Fridays, December 2, 9, 16 at 12:00 pm. Where Your Treasure Is: Men s Life Study Saturdays, December 3 and 17 at 7:00 am at Beyesley s Restaurant. Coordinator: Kim Reynolds When God s Spirit Moves: Faith Meets Life Sunday School, on Sundays at 9:45 am. Coordinator: Janice Golden The Forgiveness of Jesus on Mondays at 7:00 pm. Facilitator: Wes Bullock The Parables of Jesus: Women s Study, on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm. Facilitators: Laura Luikart and Sue Bell To learn more about other opportunities for adults, visit: or contact Kathy Schmucker, Spiritual Formation Director at kschmucker@faithumchurch.org or call , ext Faith UMC Advent Psalm and Prayer Book This Advent and Christmas Faith s Spiritual Formation Ministry team will create a booklet of prayers and psalms for our congregation to guide us in and through the season of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. Please contact Pam Wig or Kathy Schmucker at kschmucker@faithumchurch.org if you would be interested in writing a prayer for this special season of our church year. Employment Opportunity: Paid Part-time Child Care Providers Needed for Faith Church Faith UMC is hiring additional childcare providers to meet our growing needs for childcare. We are looking for a few individuals who would be available to work flexible hours on an as-needed basis. Please prayerfully consider anyone you might know who is a high school graduate with a heart for sharing Jesus s love with children and might benefit from some extra income. For more information and an application:

13 Children and Families Faith Formation and Discipleship What: Faith UMC Children s Sunday School When: 9:45 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings Who: Preschool, Ages 3-5, Grades K-2, 3-5, Toddlers Download the Deep Blue Adventure App: Try these Family Devotions with your family: This week s Bible story: A HOUSE FOR GOD (EXODUS 25:1 31:15; 35:4 40:38) MOVE TOGETHER: PREPARING THE HOUSE Help to prepare the house where your family will be celebrating Thanksgiving. Cleaning the front door is a good way to welcome people. Sweeping the house helps to get things ready. Cleaning the kitchen makes sure that everything is in order for the preparation of the big meal. Work together to straighten and pick up the house to make it ready as a place to celebrate God and your family. If it is not possible to go to the house, call the host and ask if there are things that can be done from a distance. PRAY: God who prepares us, help us and all your people this week as we gather together to give thanks and honor you. Amen. WONDER TOGETHER ASK: What do you think the people were thinking as they all came together to build a giant tent for God? Have you ever worked together with a team to build something? What did you like about it? What was hard? After working so hard and so long to build the Tabernacle, how do you think the people of God felt when they saw God s presence settle there? Have you ever felt the presence of God? (Let everyone answer.) PRAY: Wonderful God, thank you for always being with us. Amen. SERVING SATURDAY: HANGING OF THE GREENS SAY: The Hanging of the Greens is a tradition in many churches and in homes when you prepare and get ready before the first Sunday of Advent, which this year comes tomorrow. Advent is the four weeks before Christmas when we prepare ourselves for the birth of Jesus. See if your church has a Hanging of the Greens service you can help with today. If they don t, make something your family can use during Advent. You can find Advent wreaths and calendars online together. PRAY: God who cares, help us to prepare our homes and churches to welcome you. Amen. Holiday Shopping? Shop Online and Support Faith UMC. Cokesbury Spiritual Practices and Resources Two-Click Shopping Helps to Support Faith We know 1-click shopping is convenient, but Faith s Spiritual Formation Ministry Team encourages you to make an extra click to help support Faith UMC. Check out the shopping links on Faith UMC s home page. 1.) Shop online through the special links on Faith s website and support Faith s Spiritual Formation Ministries. and click on the special links to Cokesbury and Amazon. 2.) Purchases must be made through the special links from Faith UMC s website for Faith UMC to receive the rebate from your purchases. You use your personal amazon account. 3.) The more items ordered, the higher percentage of rebate we earn. Help spread the word about how to support Faith UMC through these online shopping links. Thank you for your support.

14 Calendar