The next LIFE (Living In Faith Every day) dinner and
discussion is Saturday, March 1st at Krista and Bill Beyer's
home (17716 Doctor Walling Rd, Poolesville). All are invited (bring
your friends!) to this potluck dinner and discussion group. Time TBA.
Please RSVP to Krista at trainphee@aol.com saying how many are coming and what
side dish or dessert you can bring.
Even if you haven't attended any of the LIFE meetings before,
you are always welcome to attend any dates you can make. This group is
perfect for faith introverts, extroverts, and everyone in between. It
supports exploration, and skips confrontation. If you breathe, there is a
comfortable place for you in this group.
Many, many thanks to those who baked countless Christmas
cookies for the 2013 Christmas Eve party and worship service we threw for
the women at the Buckeystown Detention Center.
Never is it made more clear to me how important one on one
personal presence and acceptance is, than when we spend our time with those
ladies who are trying to find their way back to a sane and healthy life.
Mentoring, even if brief, is crucial in helping them rebuild lives for
themselves and their children/families.
Hope is a precious commodity and so easily given. Thank you
for being a part of that effort in rebuilding people's lives and curbing
recidivism!
If you would like to learn more about volunteering at the
detention center, please contact me or Ann Niblock.
Church Women United's next celebration is World Day of
Prayer at 9am Friday, March 7th at Homewood at Crumland
Farms in Frederick (7404 Willow Rd, Frederick, MD 21702). This year's WDP
was written by a group in Egypt. It's theme, Streams In The Desert, is
based on the scripture from Isaiah, "I am making a way in the
wilderness, and streams in the desert." If you'd like more
information, or would like to carpool with Ann Niblock or myself, please
speak to Ann at church or pop me an email at carolynmcfall.is@gmail.com
No doubt you've noticed our church parking lot and sanctuary
pews have been crowded Sunday mornings with all of us attending the same
worship service. I can't help but feel excited for our church every time I
experience this.
Because we are all together, I want to share a few little things
I've been trying to remind myself to do.
Firstly, leave parking spaces near the sidewalks for
our older members and visitors, this is especially important during less
than ideal weather conditions.
Secondly, slide over and share a pew. With my older children
in college and my youngest now old enough to sit in the balcony with his
peers, my family does not fill up a whole pew anymore and so it makes sense
that I open it up for others. Having open seats near the isle helps folks
old and new feel there is a place for them in our church.
Thirdly and lastly, our recent adult Sunday School book
discussion on The Welcoming Church reminded me of the importance
of every member of our congregation being a part of our
church's welcoming face and handshake. We've all attended a church for
the very first time. Some of us have had the misfortune of attending a
church where we were ignored and felt lost or unimportant, or, overwhelmed
and looking for a quick escape. How we treat them makes all the difference.
If a visitor sits near you,
- please
take the opportunity to introduce yourself and welcome them;
- see
that they have a bulletin and visitor's welcoming insert;
- invite
them to coffee hour after service where they can casually meet some
people, no pressure;
- assist
them during the service if they seem lost;
- ask
them if they would like to leave some contact information with
us.
- ask
if they'd like to receive our church's newsletter via email
- if
yes to either of these last two, have them write their names and
preferred email address in the small, red leather journal in the back
pew with the bulletins.
- seek
out, introduce yourself to visitors at coffee hour, and be a good
listener
Our goal is to create an environment where they can feel
relaxed and have a good experience worshiping with God. They came to
church; they are looking for a church community to belong to. Let us help
them find one.
You are in my prayers,
Carolyn