The Church Herald Stony Brook Community Church (United Methodist), Stony Brook, New York

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1 The Church Herald Stony Brook Community Church (United Methodist), Stony Brook, New York Stopping to Say Thanks in a Month of Gratitude Scripture Reading: Luke 17:11-19 In last month s Herald, I mentioned how we are to be Living Stones, rising to become a holy temple in the Lord a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2). This month, with All Saints Sunday and Thanksgiving/Commitment Sunday quickly approaching, rising to God in thanksgiving becomes our focus. And with the holidays approaching, with all of the busyness, shopping, and parties, it is even more important that we consider how we will continue to be living stones while making gratitude our focus for the month of November. STONY BROOK COMMUNITY CHURCH 216 Christian Avenue Stony Brook, NY Chuck Van Houten, Pastor Church Office Tel: (631) Church stonybrookcommunitychurch@gmail.com Pastor s Study Tel: (631) Church Website: Newsletter Table of Contents 1 Pastor s Letter 3 Lectionary/Next Issue Information 4 Apple Festival Recap 5 MYF News 6 Thanksgiving Outreach/5k Run Info 7 5k Run Application 8 5k Run Map First, let me say that gratitude is paramount in our fight against materialism and the time wasted acquiring more and more STUFF during the holidays. Think about it: if we are truly grateful to God for what we already have especially the gift of relationship and life itself then our desire to acquire even more stuff can be abated. However, we have to remember that thanksgiving is not something we are born with. In fact, when we are born and for most of our young lives we depend greatly on others to have our immediate needs and wants met. We basically come into the world as a beautiful and energetic bundle of needs. The truth is thanksgiving, gratitude, appreciation whatever you want to call it is learned. As we grow and mature (if all goes well) we learn how to be grateful, how to be appreciative, how to say thanks. This learned ability has an amazing and positive impact on our life and relationships, if we learn it well. And yes, it is something we all continually need to learn and reinforce. ~ Continued on next page Please send updates and information to Newsletter Editor, Bob Retnauer, at bobretnauer@optimum.net NYAC VISION STATEMENT The New York Annual Conference, through the grace of God, embodies a beloved community of hope, building up a healthy Body of Christ, with heartwarmed United Methodists in mission for the transformation of the world. October

2 As James Moore states in his book, Attitude is Your Paintbrush, The crowning virtue of life is gratitude, and one of the most dramatic signs of Christian maturity is the easy ability to say thanks. Hopefully we will not go through life behaving like the seagulls in Finding Nemo who incessantly scream mine, mine, mine, mine. Unlike our culture, as Christians we are not to be constantly asking What s in it for me? Instead, we are called as God s children to embody and share a spirit of gratitude born in the gift of God s complete forgiveness, mercy, and grace, given on the cross. However, there is something that we must do every day if this is going to become a natural if not easy part of our lives. We must STOP In this fast paced busy world, with all the demands that it places on our time, our talents, our gifts and our energy, we must stop to say thank you to the One who gives us everything. We must be deliberate about making the time to slow down, reconnect, and, yes, even return to the One who offers us life, blessing, and, in the end, healing for all the demands that we heap upon ourselves. That is why I want to invite you to schedule in time whether it be five or ten minutes each day during the month of November to say thank you to God for something. James Moore has an interesting outlook on gratitude and on the grateful and ungrateful lepers in the above referenced reading from Luke 17. He mentions that the outcast among outcasts is the only one that returns to give thanks. But what of the other nine? Shame on them we may think. Yet Moore asks the question, Would you have stopped and turned back to give thanks? Sure you would have. Why don t you do it now? Has he cleansed you, saved you, delivered you? Have you really thanked him? So often we are like those nine lepers who forgot to say thanks. We are so busy, spread so thin. We are [so] stretched out and stressed out that we just can t find the time to stop and say thanks to our Lord for what he has done for us. Stopping to say thanks is a form of adoration to our Lord. It is so important, so precious, so beautiful, so right. That s what the story of the ten lepers is all about. That is what so much of our ministry is about in God s church. That is what these two special Sundays, All Saints Sunday and Thanksgiving/Commitment Sunday are all about. This month we will begin a Month of Gratitude as we give thanks to God on All Saints Sunday, November 3rd. We will give thanks for all of the saints, the Living Stones whose lives created the church triumphant; we will give thanks that, through the example of their commitment to the ministries of Christ, these Living Stones have shown us the way to be here today as part of the body of Christ We stand on their shoulders as we receive the baton of the cross and continue in the line of the saints. And so it is our privilege to continue Christ s ministry in this place, continuing to build on the same foundation for future generations. ~ Continued on next page October

3 In the same vein, we will come together on Thanksgiving Sunday, November 24th, as our Commitment Sunday for the year. This will be the Sunday that we ask all of our church family, and friends, to be present in worship. We will be celebrating our shared commitment to Christ in His holy church as we prayerfully consider the individual pledge we will make to God s work here at SBCC for another year. On that day, we will consider both the work that God is calling us to do in the church and the financial commitment that God is calling from each one of us. Please know that the focus of this day will not be on the needs of the church, but on the need of each giver to give. That is to say, we will focus on the gratitude God enables within us and thus, the response you freely choose to make for God and God s ministries here in Stony Brook and the world. Let me emphasize, as mentioned above we will be looking at the need of each one of us to give to God from our hearts in order to fully experience life, gratitude, and adoration of our most holy God. Please know that you will be receiving a letter from the SBCC finance/stewardship team in the next week or so offering further details of this special Sunday. I pray you will join the whole church body as we gratefully make our commitments to God on Thanksgiving Sunday. Remember, gratitude is one of the most spiritual aspects of our very human life. Where it will lead us is amazing and often unpredictable. So, before the insanity of the holidays kicks in and takes over much of your free time, I invite you to STOP Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His mercy endures, not for a while, but forever. Stop for a moment and think about that mercy. Stop today, and learn to say thanks every day even and especially in the busy times. But be careful. Odds are you will never be the same as you come to know how blessed you truly are Happy Thanksgiving And remember, today is the first thankful day of the rest of your life. May you rejoice and be glad in it. In God s love, joy, and gratitude, Pastor Chuck The next issue of The Herald will be the November/December Advent issue, coming out the second week in December. Please be sure to have any Advent, Christmas, or early January articles or announcements in to the office not later than December 3. Liturgy October 27 December 1 October 27 Joel 2:23-32 Psalm 65 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Luke 18:9-14 November 3 Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 Psalm 119: Thessalonians 1:1-4, Luke 19:1-10 November 10 Haggai 1:15b-2:9 Psalm 145:1-5, Thessalonians 2:1-5, Luke 20:27-38 November 17 Isaiah 65:17-25 Psalm Thessalonians 3:6-13 Luke 21:5-19 November 24 Jeremiah 23:1-6 Colossians 1:11-20 Luke 23: 1-6, December 1, First Sunday of Advent Isaiah 2:1-5 Psalm 122 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:36-44 October

4 THANK YOU EVERYONE As always, the 2013 Apple Festival offered great fun, great food, and great fellowship to all who worked on it, not to mention all who attended. The home-made pies were delicious; the lunch choices at the Bar-be-que and Country Kitchen were almost impossible to resist; the kids enjoyed their games, not to mention their inflatable; and a good time was had by all. The reason it all worked is because of you; everyone who participated helped make the day run smoothly and successfully. Frank Marino, Sound Catering, and the Port Jeff Ferry once again were a most generous sponsor, donating most of the food and food-related products. Other sponsors include Femina Beauty Salon, Dexter Art, Ann Marie s Farm Stand, 2nd Wind, Luigi s Pizzeria & Restaurant, Docherty Tree Experts, All Island Sign & Lighting, Jos. M Troffa Landscape & Mason Supplies, and North Island Physical Therapy. Please patronize these organizations and when you do tell them you saw their ad in the Apple Festival program. All of us at SBCC did our parts and did them well. This year, the weather not to mention the condition of Christian Avenue conspired to keep the crowds down, and we had lots and lots of competition from other fairs, festivals, open-houses, and university home coming activities. Next year, the first Saturday in October will have similar competition, plus it will be Yom Kippur. Just as our weekly bulletins proclaim the SBCC is Renewing, Restoring, and Reviving for the 21st Century, now seems like a great time to renew, restore, and revive our fall fair. So, next year the festival will be moved to October 18th, the third Saturday in October (the second being the long holiday weekend which we know causes poor attendance) and will be a broader Harvest Festival. We now have a full year to think of great attractions: how about making straw-filled scarecrows as a family activity? A hay ride? Halloween kids games? Pumpkin pies as well as apple? Pie eating contests? What do you think would be so much fun that you d tell all your friends they had to go? The festival organizing committee will be meeting all year starting in November. Please, please, please brainstorm and then speak to Pat Martin, Sue Murphy, Donna Smith, or Liz Twiss about your ideas. This far in advance, nothing is too wild or too ambitious to consider. The SBCC fall festival has a long and distinguished history. Let s take a new look at it: we have some interesting new thoughts and plans and need everyone s input to make sure it remains the vibrant community highlight that we all love. Coming Next Year... October

5 MYF MYSTERY TRIP MONSTER MINI GOLF COMING UP: There are 925 million hungry people around the world. It s hard to get our minds around a number that big, but it s about three times the population of the U.S. or one in every seven people on the planet. And it s 925 million too many. By doing the 30 Hour Famine, we re going to be part of a modern-day miracle going without food to feed our own crowd. This isn t just another good cause. It s about walking in Jesus footsteps and reaching out in compassion to feed and care for hungry children. October

6 And the king will answer them, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. Matthew Our 2013 Thanksgiving Outreach As is becoming traditional here at SBCC, again this year the UMW is collecting food and grocery gift cards to assemble into Thanksgiving boxes. The UMW will be working with the Social Workers at Mount and Setauket Elementary Schools who are aware of the needs of the families in each school and will address those needs with the baskets. Our donation satisfies but a small part of the need in the Three Village School Community last year there were 111 families that were in great need of assistance but we can at least help these ten. Each box will be decorated by the Sunday school and for each we need a $50 grocery gift card with which the recipient can buy a turkey, pie, fresh vegetables, etc., plus the following (we ask that you bring all 10 cans or boxes of an item): 10 large cans of yams 10 cans of cranberry sauce 10 jars of turkey gravy 10 cans of cream of mushroom soup 10 cans of green beans 10 cans of crispy onions 10 boxes of stuffing mix There is a sign-up sheet and a drop-off basket in the Community Room: please indicate which items you ll bring. You can donate one of the items listed or give a cash donation toward the gift cards. SBCC S Annual 5K Fun Run is scheduled for Saturday, December 15th. It seems a long way away, but time flies at this time of year and we need to line up supporters now. This is a fun event but it is also an important fund raiser for the Church: the proceeds help us support various outreach programs. We solicit support from various sponsors in the community whose names go on the back of the T-shirt that is distributed to the runners/walkers. There is also an opportunity for SBCC families to be a sponsor either at a $100 level or a $50 level. Please help us out by spreading the word runners and walkers are welcome to participate. On-line registration or mail-in registration forms can be found on the church s web site and at the end of this Newsletter, as can a map of the race course. Thank you for helping to make this a successful event. Sue Murphy, 5K Committee October

7 Race Starts at 9:00 A.M. Sharp Registration is between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. on the day of the race inside the Education Building. behind the church at 216 Christian Avenue, Stony Brook, NY Entry Fees STONY BROOK COMMUNITY CHURCH 5-K HOLIDAY FUN RUN SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14th, 2013 (Proceeds to benefit the Church s outreach programs) Race Course The challenging 5-K course will be in old Stony Brook, beginning and ending at the church. Visit the Church website (listed below) for course map. Directions to Race The Stony Brook Community Church is located at 216 Christian Avenue, ¼ mile north of Stony Brook $ 15 if pre-registered (before 12/01/13) Village Center. From Route 25A take Cedar Street (T-shirt guaranteed if pre-registered) (opposite LIRR station ) to Christian Ave. Turn left at $20 after 12/01/13 or on day of race traffic light. Church will be on left. Ample parking will Students with ID: Receive $ 5 off above entry fees available. Race Awards: Top 3 finishers Male/Female in the Following Age Groups: 12 & under; 13-19; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69; 70-79; 80 & over (No Duplication of Awards) *Walkers are invited to participate in the race FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL VISIT OUR WEBSITE: (under the INFO CENTER tab) Or SEND US AN sbcc5k@verizon.net STONY BROOK COMMUNITY CHURCH IS AN EVENT MEMBER OF THE ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA OFFICIAL COURSE TIMING BY SCHWAB'S 2ND WIND *********************************************************************************************************************** K HOLIDAY FUN RUN ENTRY FORM Mail form and check to: Stony Brook Community Church 5-K Run, 216 Christian Ave., Stony Brook, NY Last name First name Address City State& Zip Phone( ) Gender: Male Female Age Eligible Student: address (for award notification, future info) T-Shirt Size: S M L XL In consideration of your acceptance of this entry, I, the above signed, intending to be legally bound, hereby, for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, waive and release any and all claims, demands and causes of action I might otherwise have for damages or otherwise against Stony Brook Community Church (United Methodist) and the agents, employees, representatives, successors and assigns of all the aforementioned organization, for any and all injuries and/or property. Signature Date (If under 18 years of age, signature of parent or guardian is required)

8 Qu ak e r P ath W ood b in e A ve Cedar St Kemswick Dr N Country Rd (RT 25) Whitford Rd Gymn Hawkins Rd Be a con H i ll D r Wells Ln Christian A ve Be nn ett Ln Start Finish La u re l D r Stony Brook Community Church Hollow Rd Hawki ns R d S ky view Ln Lotow an a L n Main St S ad dl e R d µ Prepared by M.Rund Sept 2011 Stony Brook Ave Sand St Sho re R d Em met Dr 5k Race Route