Sign Up for Bible Study with Pastor Soo: “What Is the Bible?”
Have you ever wondered how well you know the Bible or how it was put together? If you’ve thought about these questions and want to learn more, join our six-week Bible study using the book What Is the Bible?. This study is open to everyone, assumes no prior knowledge, and is not tied to any specific tradition.
The group will be limited to 8 participants. Once we have sign-ups, we’ll find a time that works for everyone.
If you’re interested, contact Pastor Soo to sign up and reserve your spot!
Rake & Run
We will be raking leaves at church members’ houses on Saturday, Nov 23rd at 1pm (rain date: Nov 24th). This is a fun, family-friendly event. Please contact Allison Roy (allison.h.roy@gmail.com) if you are interested in helping.
Thanksgiving Food Drive for the Amherst Survival Center
From November 3rd through November 24th, we will be collecting nonperishable foods to be distributed to people in need through the Amherst Survival Center. For this “November boost”, they are particularly looking for food items so families can make a Thanksgiving meal. Suggested items include: stuffing, cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin, box mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and other holiday-themed items. A collection box will be located outside the sanctuary doors.
Christmas Poinsettias – Deadline of December 3rd at 9 AM!
The 2024 Poinsettia order form is available here and in the church foyer. You can dedicate a poinsettia to a special someone "in honor of" or "in memory of" and these names will be included in the Christmas Eve bulletin. Order forms can be left in the basket in the church office, emailed to the office or mailed to the church via USPS. Cost this year is $15.00/plant. You can make your payment via a check made out to WUMC, and be sure to note "Christmas Poinsettia" in the memo line. If you are mailing a check after November 27th, please be sure to call or email your order to the church office so we receive your count before our vendor's ordering deadline of December 3rd. Although we want to encourage folks to leave their plants in place through the morning of December 29th, you can take your Poinsettias home following the Christmas Eve service.
Save the Date! Christmas Pageant – December 14th at 5 PM
WUMC Kids present “The Legend of the Candy Cane”! Please join us on Saturday, December 14th at 5 PM for this year's Christmas pageant. A dinner will follow the performance. This event is open to the community, so please invite friends, family, and neighbors to share in this festive event!
WUMC Faith In Action Campaign SAVE THE DATES:
Commitment Sunday, November 3rd, & Celebration Sunday, November 24th
Over these last few weeks and months, we have witnessed God working through our Faith in Action campaign. Many families have prayed and sought guidance on how they will participate in our shared vision. So far the outcome of their responses is both inspiring and humbling. To date, we are excited to share that we’ve received commitments totaling $211,000 from six households! We know many of you are still considering your commitment. As you do so, please remember these will be sacrificial gifts because they are contributions above and beyond any regular giving. Thus, we offer prayers that you will discern what is possible for your family.
As we close out the public phase of our Faith In Action campaign in November, please make every effort to attend two critical events. The first one happens early - Commitment Sunday, November 3rd. During the worship service, we will come together as a faith community and each family unit will dedicate their contributions to God by turning in a Faith In Action Commitment Card. The second one, Celebration Sunday, happens on November 24th, right after church. At this event, we will celebrate the generous gifts committed to our Faith In Action campaign by spending time together and sharing a meal.
In these final weeks, please contact either Pastor Soo or myself (Becky Miller, WUMC’s Faith In Action coordinator) if you have any questions. My email is miller47sd@yahoo.com and my phone is 413-404-3185.
Zoom Participant Managers Needed!
Our hybrid service is made possible with the help of Participant Managers, volunteers who serve as the host of the Zoom meeting. Several of our faithful Managers over the last few years (Gerry Harvey, Lee Hines, and Julie Chalfant) are stepping back from this role, so we are looking for a couple of new volunteers. The job involves joining the Zoom ~30 minutes before the worship service and starting/stopping the Zoom recording and YouTube, ensuring participants are muted during the service, and helping participants during Joys & Concerns. You may do this from the church office (bring a laptop) or from home (as long as you have a good internet connection). Volunteers sign up bi-monthly and typically only volunteer one Sunday per month. If you are interested in finding out more or getting trained, please contact Allison Roy (allison.h.roy@gmail.com).
WUMC Book Club
Please join the Wesley Book Club on November 18th at 9:30am to discuss The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. "GMA BOOK CLUB PICK • AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR • A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history" (Amazon.com). Contact Gerry Harvey at g.harvey@charter.net for the link. The Wesley Book Club reads a wide range of titles and meets monthly to discuss what we have read. Join us for one meeting or come regularly. If you have a favorite book, share it with us!
Christmas Giving
The season of giving is just around the corner! The Missions Committee is once again organizing two very special giving opportunities:
1) Giving Tree: Are you looking to buy a gift for a child or adult who is less fortunate? We will be working with local organizations to make a list of items to put under our Giving Tree for local families. The Giving Tree will be up before Thanksgiving this year, so grab a tag and take advantage of Black Friday deals! All gifts will need to be brought to church by December 15th. Financial donations will also be accepted to purchase items on remaining tags.
2) Alternative Gifts: Instead of buying a gift for a loved one, consider donating to a charity in their name. We will select 1 local, 1 regional/national, and 1 international charity for focused giving from December 1st through December 29th.
Afghan Family Support
This month marks three years since Wesley welcomed the Zahid family from Afghanistan into our church family as part of a Circle of Care. While they have adjusted extremely well to living in the US, they still struggle financially. An important source of income for them are the monthly “pop up” catering events. The next opportunity to purchase food for take-out will be Saturday, December 7th. The family will be cooking for the Faith in Action Celebration on November 24th. If you would like to get on the email list to be notified about upcoming meals and place orders, please email zahidorders@gmail.com. If you are interested in helping at church on Dec. 7th or future events, please contact Allison Roy (allison.h.roy@gmail.com).
Fall Fair Fundraising Success!
Another Fall Fair has come and gone, and in total, we raised over $8,446 this year! That number breaks down as follows:
Booth Fees (Vendors): $110.00 | Prior Booth Fees - approx.: $480.00 | Jewelry: $535.00 | Kitchen: $910.03 | Country Store: $2,579.50 | Grandma's Treasures: $571.00 | Wesley Boutique: $377.00 | Silent Auction: $1,772.00 | Silent Auction - Pending: $295.00 | Jim, Pastor Soo: $717.00 | IOU's - approx.: $100.00
Every one of those dollars is a result of someone from the church giving of their time, talents, or treasures. From making pies the week before to making change the day of, from bringing items from home to sell to cleaning up at the end of the day so we could all go home, a staggering amount of labor and care from the Wesley community made this possible. Thank you so much to all of our donors, volunteers, and shoppers!
I'd especially like to thank the Fall Fair Committee, particularly those who took ownership of the following areas: Vendors (Beth James), Jewelry (Ann Dorr, with an assist from Sarah Serwa on the day of), Kitchen (Becky Miller), Country Store (Celeste Lawler), Grandma's Treasures (Deanna Pearlstein), Wesley Boutique (Julie Miller), Advertising (also Julie Miller!), Silent Auction (Zauyah Waite, with an assist from Deb Henson), and Children's Activities (Emily Dattilo). A special thank-you as well to Dana Tarr, Gladys Nicholson, and Gerry Harvey for all the guidance they provided to this first-time chair.～Nicole Wetherell
Help Out in Sunday School!
We are looking for volunteers to serve as assistants or substitute teachers in Sunday School! The sign-up sheet is located by the bulletins near the doors to the sanctuary. Contact Emily Dattilo at emilylapean@gmail.com with any questions.
Help Us Welcome People to Wesley!
The Member Care Committee has decided that we would like to continue having two people sign up to be greeters every Sunday. We are generating a sign-up sheet which will be left on the front table by the nametags, and would love to have a variety of folks sign up to greet. It's easy and fun! You need to arrive between 9:30 and 9:45am and welcome both newcomers and folks who have attended before. You can help newcomers by making them a name tag and encouraging them to sign the guest book, as well as answering any questions they might have (e.g., the location of the bathrooms). Sometimes folks need someone to hold the door for them or assistance with carrying in food or other items. As the first contact newcomers have with Wesley, it's an important but fun role. Thanks so much! ~The Member Care Committee
It's MORE Than Just Coffee. Can You Help?
Wesley's after-worship "Coffee Hour" is a pivotal aspect of the warm and welcoming community we share. This time of fellowship provides an opportunity to welcome visitors, get to know new members, and catch up with old friends. We are actively looking for more folks to get involved in "hosting" our weekly fellowship gatherings.
Our Hospitality group is organized into teams, with each team being responsible for providing snacks just one Sunday each month (for example: the 1st Sunday of each month). We have four teams already running, but each could use a new member or two, especially to contribute items to the hospitality table that week (for example: juice, cookies, cheese/crackers, cut fruit, cakes, sweetbread, etc.). Home-baked goods are a treat, but store-bought items are more common. If you're able to help out your team that week with set-up or clean up that would be great, but we are also interested in including folks who just feel that they would like to contribute to the feast.
Please reach out to Doris McLeod (dorismcl219@gmail.com) if you are interested in helping.
Alternative Spring Break
The Missions Committee is considering organizing an Alternative Spring Break for college students. Ideas include creating a for-credit course around environmental and social issues, pre-trip team building and learning, a week-long trip to Tennessee or a coastal community, and post-trip social and service activities. We are looking for members of Wesley and other local churches who are excited to help develop or participate in this new endeavor. If interested, please contact Kent Higgins (413-374-8194; kenthiggins@gmail.com).
Craig’s Doors
We are still collecting supplies for the local homeless population. This month, the most needed items are socks (new), pants (new or gently used), and shoes (new or gently used). Donations can be placed in the bin in the church entrance. With the change in seasons, needs for the homeless community also change. We should have an updated list to share with you soon.
Not Bread Alone
Each Saturday, Wesley volunteers help at CHD’s Not Bread Alone, Amherst’s soup kitchen. Our tasks are to pick up donated food from Whole Foods (some weeks), make fruit salad, make sandwiches (some weeks), and sort and display donated produce. It is a short time commitment (typically 9–10:30am), but our consistent help is always greatly appreciated. You can volunteer as little or often as you would like. If interested, please email Ruth Harms (erharms@comcast.net) to be added to the monthly emails with the volunteer sign up.
Healing Prayer Group
Healing Prayer continues to be offered by the Healing Prayer Ministry. We meet each Thursday, but we pray all week long. If you have a prayer request of any kind at all, please contact Nancy or Richmond with your request and we will pray with you and for you. We promise you a 100% confidentiality and full respect and to be sensitive to your circumstances.