#MM304 - Beloved Church, Mid November finds us as people of faith in in-between places, with one liturgical foot in the final weeks of “Lectionary Year C” and the other stepping towards the beginning of “Lectionary Year A”. The scriptural themes in these liminal days draw our attention to stories of endings and beginnings, as we prepare for the turning of a new leaf and the season of Advent that will soon be knocking at our door. It’s a time to reflect and remember God’s presence with us in all times of change, especially as the commercials of the culture beckon us to shop and spend rather than stop and listen to the voice of Jesus who attends to our hurting places and the wounds of our neighbors. Where is God showing up for you this week? How might we show up for one another?

• Bulletin for this coming Sunday: https://bit.ly/NOV16thBulletin-MLC25

• Pledge Cards: Please consider making a financial pledge for 2026! Extra pledge cards are available on the table by the bulletins. PS - Don't forget to pick up your 2026 envelopes outside of the church office.

• Thanksgiving Food Drive – November 2 thru 23: Benefitting the Tri-C Eastern Campus Food Pantry. Please put food donations on the table in the back lobby (sponsored by Social Ministry).

• Poinsettia Plants: Poinsettias will be purchased to decorate our church. If you would like to purchase one in memory of a loved one, red-flower donation envelopes are in the pews. Please clearly print your name and the name of the person(s) being remembered with this gift to the church. The cost is $10.00 per plant. Orders must be in by Sunday, November 30.

• Men’s Fellowship Lunch – December 10: Our Men’s Fellowship Lunch takes place on the second Wednesday of each month; 12pm at Vicinato Pizza, 5080 Mayfield Rd. Please join us if you can!

• Interfaith Thanksgiving Service – November 23: 3pm at Messiah. All are welcome.

• Greening of the Church – December 6: Please join us on Saturday, December 6, at 10am to decorate our church for the Christmas season. There are plenty of assignments for all types of ability especially the ability of fellowship. While we are generally working only a couple of hours, we appreciate whatever amount of time you can spare. Please also remember we will need to de-green the church and this will be on Saturday, January 3 at 10am.

• Annual Congregational Meeting – December 7: Immediately following worship. We will vote on the 2026 budget and elect council members.s story, God shows up to Moses in the burning bush and says “I am”. In some circles, this becomes God’s divine name: “I AM”. But it’s more than a name, it’s a statement that God *is*… that God is alive, that God is with us, that God is seeing us through life and death and even into the mystery of resurrection life beyond. I heard someone say this week that “resurrection is not something that happens to dead people. It’s a form of being alive that God has already begun in some people before they are dead. And once they are dead they become alive in the resurrection.” I think there’s something to that.

Dear Church,

I hope this letter finds you well in the new year. As most of you are aware, Messiah has gone through some changes lately as we adjust our staffing to fit our budgetary commitments for 2025. I would like to take a moment to update you on the status of some of the different positions and how we can use your help as a congregation moving forward. 

First, Sheryl Trost volunteered to step down from the Community Faith Facilitator position in favor of focusing on Christian Education with our Sunday School program. While this will take her away from the Connections Team leadership, this has yielded a salary savings as part of the revised budget. The Connections Team will continue their mission with the existing committee members. 

Second, we parted ways with our long-time Custodian, Steve Newcomer. While we have really appreciated his years of service, the required budget cuts made it difficult to sustain a dedicated custodial position. Snow removal will continue under our current contract and the Council has an action item to explore lawn care alternatives. For inside the church, we've contracted with a professional cleaning company that will be in twice a month for a thorough review of the church. This new schedule will require a bit of an adjustment so I'd like to empower the entire congregation to take action to keep our church and building clean if you see an opportunity to do so. 

Third, the Council has authorized the search for a Property Manager/Rental Coordinator position. This new position will help coordinate the property and maintenance activities at the church as well as providing a meaningful focus on generating revenue from our outstanding facilities that will help support our congregation and mission into the future. The job description will be available in the church and online if someone you know is interested in this exciting opportunity. 

Finally, the rest of the church staff took a small pay cut so that we could maintain the important positions that directly affect worship. You may see changes to our bulletin, order of service and music presentation. I'd encourage you to reach out to the Council with any questions about these changes as we navigate our budget for 2025 and beyond. 

In order to better keep the congregation in the loop, I've started posting financial information and the Pastor's report on the bulletin board in the hallway outside the library. In addition, the new job posting can be found there as well. 

As always, your church council is available to answer any more particular questions. 

Best, 

Ben Johnson / Church Council President