Chimes – December, 2022

PASTOR LARRY’S MESSAGE

SUCCESS?

Ask people to define the word success and, likely, you will get a variety of responses. In this short piece today, I ask you to consider spelling success this way: T•E•A•M•W•O•R•K!

The Bible uses the metaphor of a body for describing the church: “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it” (1^st Corinthians 12:27). Like a physical body, the church is made up of many individual components, or members, each of whom are gifted differently in abilities for service. There is no “lone ranger” in the church. No! “God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired” (1^st Cor. 12:18). “Together, with one mindset, we are striving for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27c).

Yesterday, after the church service, I was encouraged and delighted by a statement one of our sisters made. I had mentioned to her how nice it was that her friend had visited the previous Sunday. [That happened to be a return visit by her friend to our church services.] In response, our sister in Christ commented: “I make it my aim to invite three people to church every week!” Wow! How fantastic! Impressive! And that is both the mindset and example of purposed action that will cause the church to grow in numbers. Such purposed effort, blended with prayer, will certainly be honored by the Lord “who gives the increase.”

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth…. We are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1^st Corinthians 3:6, 9; cf. Acts 2:47).

In recent weeks we have been blessed with the presence of a young and very likeable couple, Richard and Nichole. Another sister in our church had invited them to visit our church services. Richard is a decorated Marine and a man of many talents. He has volunteered to help us have a presence on social media platforms. This has the potential to significantly enhance our exposure to the Newport community regarding our message and ministry. So, from now on, we should consciously endeavor to encourage him and to assist in the taking of pictures and short videos of our ministry efforts at NUCC and fun times together.

Please remember in your prayers and communications our members who are struggling with their health. I am especially thinking of some who would like to be attending but, for health reasons, have been unable to do so: Marv & Diane Gerking, Bob & Gail Pelleberg, Alice Taylor (and daughter Toni), and Arlene Little. I certainly hope I’ve not excluded anyone in that regard.

I hope you were able to be present and to enjoy the delicious Thanksgiving meal that was lovingly prepared for our enjoyment after the worship service yesterday. I know that I speak for you when I say how good it is, and thankful I am, to be a part of such a wonderful church family!

The Advent season begins this coming Sunday. Hope you will be able to join us often throughout the holiday season!

Thank you for being on the TEAM!

Blessings in Christ our Lord,

Pastor Larry

Moderators Minute

November 2022

Hello to all,

Good grief where has the time gone? Seems like just yesterday I was sitting here at my laptop trying to come up with something to write. Well let me start with this, last Wednesday your Church Council met for our monthly meeting. We discussed a number of things, including the day-to-day operations, repairs and ongoing maintenance, Sunday services, attendance, and our current pledge drive to name just a few items. In addition we had a couple of guest speakers, Richard and Nicole who spoke about Social Media and what it could do for our Church. I won’t even attempt to try to explain it, but as we implement it I think most of you will be as excited as I am about how we can progress in getting the word out.

Please stay with me here through this next little bit as it is a vital part of who we are and what we do. We’ve just begun our annual Stewardship drive, please consider filling out a pledge card as this helps us determine our budget for next year. It’s extremely difficult to plan how to pay our bills and meet our annual commitments when we don’t fully know how much we’ll have to spend. So I ask you to pray on it and do what you can. Believe me we know how the rising cost of literally everything has affected us all, even your church.

Our annual meeting will be after service on January 22. We’ll have a number of things to discuss, minutes from last years meeting, how you think we as a congregation have done, forming new committees and election of officers. This year we will also be voting on an updated Constitution which will be available for review soon.

I have served two separate two year terms as your Moderator and Lay Leader, I am personally honored to have been of service to all of you and this wonderful Church and Congregation. It has been an honor and I am humbled, but I feel it’s time to pass the mantel. I’ll continue to serve this church in other capacities where I can. Thankfully, someone has stepped up and offered to be your next leader, I’ll name that person at a later date.

We have a new refrigerator in the kitchen, the not so old one died. Thank you Women’s Fellowship for the funds and a huge thanks to Don and Chris DeChenne, Rob Owens, Mitch Walker and Caleb Ellis for helping to get the old one out and the new one in.

We had 48 souls at the service today, praise God. We also had a Thanksgiving feast of ham, scalloped potatoes, Caesar salad and all the trimmings. You really missed out if you weren’t there, worship, food and fellowship, what a wonderful combination.

That’s all for now, Blessings to all,

Bill Mitchell, Moderator

MISSIONS

THANK YOU, ALL SO MUCH MOST GENEROUS HEARTS,

Because of You: we were able to send 61 Shoeboxes for Children

All around the World. This beats our previous record of 43!!

Because of You: we were able to give 50 “Holiday Gift Bags” consisting

Of a $20.00 Safeway Gift Card, Pop Tarts, a Fruit Snack and small

Hershey Bar for the Students of the Pend Oreille River School.

Because of You: we will be able to give $400.00 each to our Agencies:

Family Crisis Center, Rural Resources, and Y.E.S.

Because of You: our “Little Red Wagon” keeps “rollin’ rollin’ rollin’-this

Last month to the Cusick Food Bank.

Our “Cold Weather Clothing Box” will go out for donations

At the beginning of November. Gently used coats, boots, gloves,

and hats etc. gratefully accepted.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

CALLED TO CARE

The next meeting will be Thursday, December 8, 2022, at the fireside room.

Best wishes,

Diane Wilson

Women’s Fellowship Report November

At our last meeting we devoted the entire program to planning the Christmas Gift and Bake Sale, which is December 2^nd and 3^rd. Plans have been finalized so we are busy little elves getting everything ready for our big event. We had 2 guests!!

Thank you to Jackie and Michele who provided yummy bean soup and home made rolls.

Our next meeting will be on December 9^th at noon in the fellowship hall. Program to be announced, but we will have some festivities and Christmas games as well. Please plan to join us and bring a friend.

Hope everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Alice,

President

Chimes Diaconate for December

The Advent season is upon us as we prepare for the coming of Christ. Advent begins Sunday, November 27, as we begin the season with the lighting of the first Advent candle. After church we invite everyone to help decorate the church for the season. If we all pitch in, we will finish quickly.

Luminary bags and crayons will be available during coffee hour beginning December 3. Decorate one or more for Christmas Eve.

The Christmas Eve service will be at 5 pm this year. Christmas is on Sunday this year. We will have a simple service and no coffee hour (we know you want to get home to your dinner!). Expect lots of carols for both services.

Bring your leftover goodies for the coffee hour on New Year’s Day.

We also plan to take pictures in front of the Christmas tree during Advent to update the picture board by the front door, so come ready to smile for the camera.

Chris

Your Social Activities Team has been busy planning our church Christmas party. Details below.

Edgewater Lounge Dinner

Mon. Dec. 12th

5:00 pm

Diamond Lake

802 Southshore Diamond Lk Rd.

Dinner $20, includes appetizers, all you can eat “deluxe” taco bar, and dessert. Yum, Yum! Drinks and “TIP” not included.

*********Cash or checks payable to Alice Mitchell*********

Mark your calendar and bring a friend. Hopefully Kevin and Dee will dance for us again!!

Aluminum Cans

We will no longer be receiving aluminum cans at our Church. Thank you all for supporting this funding for our activity program over the years.

Don’t Forget to get your copy of our recently published cookbook. The title is “the Queen of Quick”(you too can cook!) It contains 137 simple and delicious recipes, and many helpful hints as well.The cookbook is a fundraiser for Women’s Fellowship and will sell for $15. So, start your Christmas shopping now ladies. So far, we have sold 79 and have 21 left, so get your cookbook quickly.

“LITTLE RED WAGON”

Let’s Keep it Rolling!

It benefits the three area food banks: Newport, Oldtown and Cusick.

Reminder: you can bring food any Sunday and place it in the wagon.

Prayer Requests

The office and Called to Care are trying hard to keep the prayer list in the bulletin accurate and updated. It would help the office if you would please send prayer requests to the office by e-mail or fill out the tear off tab from the bulletin and place it in the offering basket or blue office folder.

“Time of the year”

The time of the year has come that we know as autumn, some call it fall.

It is a time for football and costumes and turkey but that’s not all.

The temperatures are cooler, and the smell of the air is fresh,

the skies are cloudy, but what I think is best,

are the leaves that change colors in the various trees

and the beautiful sounds they make whenever the wind brings a breeze.

A time when deer and elk and other wildlife pass by,

some are taken by hunters, some escape to the sky.

It is the cycle of life designed by our creator

who gave us our lives and those of our neighbors.

Kevin Hunt

If you are interested in Legacy Giving, please contact the church office.

If you are interested in being Baptized, please contact Pastor Larry Stalley or the church office.

Chimes Update

After calculating the cost of producing and mailing the Chimes, it has been determined that the Newport UCC will no longer mail your monthly issue of the Chimes to your door. In the next few months, the church email list will be updated with your help. This can’t happen overnight, but must happen by January 2023. If you did not get Covid updates from the church, you are not on the church email list. If you want to be on the Chimes email list, contact the church. You can email your request to newportucc@ifiber.tv or mail your request to Newport UCC at P.O. Box 959, Newport, WA 99156. You can also call the church office at 509-447-4121.

There will be a form at church that you can fill out with your current email address.

For those of you who don’t have email, or want a paper copy of the Chimes, you can pick up a copy at church, or it will be mailed to you.

Thanks for your help with this cost saving measure.

The Chimes Committee