Joint Thanksgiving Worship Service. Parables of the Kingdom Bible Study

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1 FT. DES MOINES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH The Poster November 2016 Joint Thanksgiving Worship Service The Southside Methodist Churches will have a Joint Thanksgiving Service on Monday, November 21, 7:00 p.m. at our church. Everyone is welcome so bring your family and friends! Parables of the Kingdom Bible Study The 13th Chapter of Matthew contains seven parables, which it says Jesus used as part of a series of teachings on the Kingdom of God. These seven parables were presented together because they possess an underlying continuity and unity. Jesus told these parables not merely to inform but to persuade, to convince, to move his hearers to action. He told these parables in order to help his audience come to grips with the practical will of God for their everyday lives. The Parables of the Kingdom study will begin on Wednesday, November 16, 11:00am., in the library. The Nuts Have Arrived! Roger and Debbie will not be in church on Nov. 6, but you can find an order form on our website: on the table in the hall, near the sanctuary doors, or give the office a call ( ) to place your order or receive the form via . They will be here the rest of the month to sell nuts on Sunday mornings. T h e P o s t e r i s p u b l i s h e d m o n t h l y b y F o r t D e s M o i n e s U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h, S W 9 t h S t, D e s M o i n e s I o w a T o c o n t a c t u s, p h o n e , f a x , o r e - m a i l t o f t d s m u m q w e s t o f f i c e. n e t C h e c k u s o u t o n t h e w e b : w w w. f d m u m c. o r g P a s t o r D a s s c e l l p h o n e n u m b e r i s INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Dass Desk 2 Unusual Hat Sunday 2 You re Invited 3 Poinsettias 3 Food Pantry Tidbits 3 Thanks... 4 Volunteer of the... 4 Bake/Craft Sale 7 Prayer Corner 7 Information for The Poster should be in the Church office by the 4th Tuesday of the month prior to being published. Hanging of the Greens The needles of the pine and fir trees do not die. The ancients saw them as symbols of things that last forever. In Isaiah 9:6-7, the prophet tells us that there will be no end to the reign of the Messiah, so we hang wreaths of evergreens shaped in a circle, which itself has no end, to signify the eternal kingdom of Jesus, the Christ. So come and help us decorate the sanctuary for Advent on Nov. 27, during the 9:45 a.m. worship service. We need people of all abilities to get the building ready for Christmas! Thank you, in advance, for your help. Office Hours 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Monday to Friday Sunday Worship 9:45 a.m. Holy Communion is generally the first Sunday of the month

2 Page 2 Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a great combination of a secular and sacred holiday. Secular because it is a recognized day in the United States for a holiday, and sacred because of its emphasis upon our basic motivation and gratitude. On Thanksgiving Day, all across our nation, men, women, and children will sit down together for a Thanksgiving meal. There they will bow their heads and give thanks to God for the many blessings which they have received. There will be a mention of the pilgrims and their dependence upon God to get through that first harsh winter at Plymouth Plantation. Some will attend worship services at which songs of harvest will be sung. Underneath it all will be the note of gratitude and thanksgiving. How do we develop an attitude of gratitude? Of course, some minor thankfulness is conditioned into us at an early age as children. Our parents admonish us regularly to say, Please and thank you. But those kinds of socially polite expressions of thanks are really not reflective of an inner attitude of gratitude. Dass Desk When Jesus healed ten lepers, I suspect, that Jesus was not surprised by the lack of gratitude on the part of the lepers. So his question, Where are the other nine? was basically rhetorical in nature. But the tenth leper, who fell at his feet, praising God and thanking Jesus, was different. Somehow he had developed a genuine sense of gratitude. To be a grateful person one must realize one s need or condition. In the parable the lepers knew that they needed help. They cried out, Have mercy upon us. We cannot be grateful unless we realize that we need God s grace and mercy each day of life. We need to think about all the blessings, and acknowledge God as the giver, only then we will have developed an attitude of gratitude. Let us be thankful for faithfulness of God who acts in human history, through other people and events, to make known to all that life is a gift and it is to be responsibly received and lived. Let us give thanks to God on Thanksgiving Day and all through our lives. Happy Thanksgiving! Pastor Dass Unusual Hat Sunday We are requesting you to come with an unusual hat on Sunday, November 27. We will determine the first, second and third place winners. Let Us Know! If you have recently moved, changed your mailing address, your address, phone number or are using cell phones instead of land lines, LET US KNOW! If you would like to be included in the prayer chain, LET US KNOW! If you are hospitalized, LET US KNOW! (Privacy laws do not allow hospitals to contact clergy when a parishioner is hospitalized.) Contact the church office at or ftdsmumc@qwestoffice.net or contact Pastor Dass directly at emmanueldass@hotmail.com or We would rather hear your news 10 times than not at all!

3 Page 3 Worship: We witness to the transforming power of Christ through our regular presence in worship. Don t let anything else come between regular worship and yourself. Why don t you invite a friend to come with you on Sunday. Wednesday Bible Study: Wednesday morning Bible Study, The Beatitude Psalms continues on Wednesdays at 11:00 am in the Library. Nov. 9 will the last session in this series. Park Ave. Christian Church (3301 SW 9th St, DSM) is holding their annual Fall Bazaar Crafts, Food & Vendors on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 9am to 3pm. Lunch will be served from 11am to 1pm; pulled pork sandwiches, chili, and baked spaghetti will be for sale as well as beverages and baked goods. Epworth UMC is holding an Old Fashioned Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale on Saturday, Nov. 12 from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Lunch ($4.00) will be served from 11am to 1pm. Proceeds will go to Epworth UMC A joint Thanksgiving Service will be held on Monday, Nov. 21, at 7:00pm, here at Ft. Des Moines UMC. Members of the south-side Methodist Churches (Jordan, Bloomfield, St. John and Ft. Des Moines) are invited to come together for this worship service and bring your family and friends. The annual Christmas Potluck meal will be held on Sunday, Dec. 18, following the worship service. Members, their family and friends are invited to attend the 9:45am worship service, bring a dish to share, and stay for the food, fun and fellowship. Food Pantry Tidbits Interfaith and Multicultural Fair will be held Tuesday, Nov. 15, 4:00-6:00p.m., at Parents Hall, Olmsted Center, Drake University. Join DMARC, The Comparison Project, and the Drake Community Press as they showcase the rich diversity of religious traditions found in the metro area. There will be food, music, and examples of religious practices and culture. DMARC has been named as the charity beneficiary of the Des Moines Hungry Turkey Half Marathon and 5K Run to be held on Nov. 26, 7:00am to noon. DMARC will receive $1000 for providing 40 volunteers, as well as an additional $15 per extra volunteer, up to 60 volunteers total. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, but only those age 13 and above will be included in the official count. Volunteer online at signup.com/go/vwmhzr Additional volunteer details will be released closer to the event date. Kathy Olah of West Des Moines has created a new board game, Double Take: Des Moines, the proceeds of which will benefit the DMARC Food Pantry Network. The game is a memory matching card game featuring scenes from around Des Moines. The game is for sale at Raygun, the Botanical Garden gift shop, the Iowa Capitol gift shop, and Tandem Brick. Sounds like a good Christmas gift that will benefit DMARC, too! Poinsettias will be available for purchase in memory of loved ones, in honor of someone or given to the Glory of God beginning Nov. 20, Calling all 6th - 8th Graders Enjoy a weekend of praise band music, small group sessions, games, food, movie and outside fun at Wesley Woods Camp and Retreat Center, on Nov Check in Friday from 6:15 7:00 p.m. Check out Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Cost is $90.00 per person. Contact Deke Rider at deker@wesleywoodsiowa.org or with questions or to register. Forms will be online ( and on the table in the hall, near the sanctuary doors. Deadline for ordering will be Dec. 11, 2016.

4 Page 4 Thanks to Everyone Who Helped! Special thanks go out to everyone who helped to make the Ice Cream Social a success on Sept. 25. Whether you contributed hot dogs, ice cream, toppings, or goodies, the donation was appreciated. And to the many who contributed cash, that was very helpful, too. But the most necessary part to make it a success was everyone who stayed to share in the fellowship. The kitchen ladies (you know who you are!) did an excellent job of organizing the Mission Dinner/5th Sunday Potluck. The donations of food make the meal but the ladies make everything run smoothly. Thanks for the donations to the General Fund, too! Thanks to all that helped make our 1 st Trunk or Treat a success! We had 6 cars at St John s & 5 cars at Ft. Des Moines. Thanks to Connie, Linda, Fred, Wyline, Carlin & her sister, Pastor Dass, Roger & Debbie for bringing their cars. We also had several donate candy or money to purchase candy. Funds remaining following the Ice Cream Social were used to augment the supply of goodies so another shout-out to those who donated cash for the Ice Cream Social! Kudos to Jim and Carol Meier for their diligence, willingness and timeliness in getting our food donations to the DMARC Food Pantry Network and the donations of clothing and household items to Bidwell Riverside Center. A behind-the-scenes thank you to Larry Hart for seeing to our light bulbs. He not only changes them but also purchases them! It s the little things that keep the church running smoothly. The Story of the Poinsettia Maria, a small orphan, had no gift for the Christmas Eve altar. With no other choice, she placed a carefully selected dry weed on the altar reverently. Just as she placed the weed on the altar, the dry leaves became a rich green and the top bloomed to a flaming red. In this legend, the poinsettia was born and became known as the flower of Christmas Eve. Volunteer of the Month Our church is blessed with innumerable volunteers who help with various ministries of the church. This month Pastor Dass has select Sharon Wilcox as volunteer of the month. Sharon coordinates hospitality ministry for Sunday morning coffee fellowship and volunteers for the Free Community Meal. Sharon always extends a welcoming hand to strangers and guests, making sure they have something to eat. She serves as Treasurer and leads Women s Christian Fellowship in study and mission dinners, raising funds for mission and ministry of the church. Sharon also serves on the Board of Trustees. Sharon is always willing to help wherever she may be needed. We praise God for her servant heart and generous spirit. We will recognize her on Sunday, November 13. Thank you Sharon for all that you do for the Lord. Whew! On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, a Sunday School teacher asked her class of children what they would be thankful for during the coming celebration. One of the boys eagerly responded, I ll be thankful I m not a turkey.

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7 Page 7 November Birthdays 2 Carrie Yang 4 Mitch Keller 6 Jean Drew 7 Paula Garland 8 Jan Horak 12 Jeri Crane 12 Keith Eis 14 Wyline Gardner 16 Madonna Miller 18 Craig Cave 18 Tim Pherigo 19 Austin Casper 21 Jean Pease 26 Marcia Barrett 27 Bonnie Pearson 29 Donna Ness 30 Maggie Brooks November Wedding Anniversaries 18 Lew & Wally Lewellen November Baptismal Anniversaries 6 Erica Eis 10 Jonathan Dinan 12 Trevor Crise 12 William Dillard 17 Nathan Crane 18 Amanda Alexander 19 Mallory Crane 20 Michael King Cause for Celebration! December Birthdays 2 Pam Schisel 3 Joshua Schmidt 4 Gloria Roeder 6 Dean Garland 9 Dan Jones 10 Connie Otte 11 Jackie Sutter 11 Cindy Eatwell 11 Sandi Eatwell 14 Donald Miller 18 Charlene Seid 20 Kristi Norris 21 Verna Kent 24 Donna McIntosh 24 Steve Garland 25 Madison Dinan December Wedding Anniversaries 14 Rod & Verna Kent December Baptismal Anniversaries 14 David Drew 16 JJ Simmons 16 Matthew Simmons 18 Jeff Lierow 19 Steve Garland 20 Alexis Newton 21 Joshua King Women s Christian Fellowship Bake/Craft Sale Saturday, December 10, :00 ~ 4:00 p.m. The revenue will go to the church's general fund. Donation of items to sell welcomed. Shoppers needed! Come one, come all!!! Prayer Corner Ft. Des Moines UMC, it s programs and leaders; Bhutanese Nepali Truth Church in Iowa, it s programs and leaders; those who are home bound and their care-takers; And we especially name Jean Davidson, Floyd Bresee, Jerry & Brenda Swigert, Helen Mallory, Fred Drew, and Jean Volz. Cassandra & Aaron Dinan have a new address: 809 1st St, Palo, IA Our Christian Sympathies to the family and friends of Fred Drew. Fred died on Oct. 22. Our Christian Sympathies to the family and friends of Carolyn (Carey) Roney. Carey died on Oct. 24. Sunday, Nov. 6 will be All Saints Sunday. On that day we ll remember those who have died in the last year: Frank Horn, Francis Zeliadt, Fred Drew, Carey Roney, Steven Hart and Pauline Jacobsen. October Finance Report General Account Income $ 7, General Account Expenses $ 9, Designated Funds Income: $ 4, Trustees Income: $ 1, Year-to-Date Total Income $ 115, Total Expenses $ 113, ($9, has been put into savings) Thinking About Thanksgiving I doubt that God wants to hear pompous proclamations of thanks on one Thursday in November as much as He want to hear a little heartfelt thanks from us each day of the year! from the Newsletter Newsletter

8 Address Service Requested Ft. Des Moines United Methodist Church We give thanks for: YOU! 6205 SW 9th St Des Moines IA Phone: Fax: The Fort Des Moines United Methodist Church: a community of faith in worship and action, open to all in the Spirit and Love of God. Christian Education Classes will continue until May 21, :00-11:45 a.m. Staff Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Dass Pastor Laurie Jenkins, Church Musician Pamela Schisel Choir Director Jane White, Administrative Assistant Chris Wulf Custodian Events: Nov. 5: Thanksgiving Ingathering Nov. 6: Day Light Saving Time ends Nov. 6: All Saints Sunday those who have died in the last year will be remembered Nov. 8: Election Day Nov : Office will be closed Nov. 26: Free Community Meal Dec. 10:Bake/Craft Sale Dec. 18: Congregational Christmas Potluck following the worship service November/December 2016 Special Offerings: Food Pantry Sunday will be Nov. 20th. Donations of cash, shelf-stable food items, formula, diapers and brown paper grocery bags will be received. United Methodist Student Day Offering will be received on Sunday, Nov. 27. Monies collected are used for scholarships and student loans.