NO VEMBER 2 0 0 8

T H E M U S T A R D S E E D Inside this Issue:

Anniversaries & Birthdays 6

Calendar 9

Children s Christmas Prog. 7

Christmas Tea 5

Coffee 10

Financial Note 8

God s Little Princesses 10

Help Wanted-computer 11

Holiday Housewalk 8

Holy Joe s Café 4

Library News 8

L.I.F.E. 301 10

Mailbox 6

Music for Mission 11

Operation Christmas Child 5

Parent s Day Out 4

Poinsettia orders Back

Prayer List 6

Rosebud Memories 3

Roots to Wings 2

Senior Moment 5

UMW 8

Worship Schedule 11

Youth Group Events 7

Pancake Breakfast

Fellowship

Carol-Grams

V O LU M E X I I SSU E 1 1

Marengo United Methodist Church

The history of Halloween traces back to the ancient Celtic people of Ireland. They celebrated two main feasts, Beltane at the beginning of summer (May 1) and Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween) at the end of summer (Nov.1). They believed Samhain was a time when the division between the natural and supernatural worlds becomes thin and spirits wander freely.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain. The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big

Continued on page - 2

Page 2

bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas. Hallowmas is a testament to our awareness that the souls of those who came before us are still present and active in our world. Who we are, both good and evil, lingers in our world, long after we are here. It is an acknowledgement that our spirits have power.

I believe that all our spirits have the power to effect change, to be good or evil forces in this world. The Holy Spirit is this power of God in our world that continues to work the will of God in our world and lives. But it is not alone. The spirits of others are with us, surrounding us, influ-encing this world.

On All Saints Sunday, November 2nd, we honor those spirits who continue to bless us. I hope you will join us for this service as we recognize and honor them.

Remember, though, you too are a spirit. Be a good one.

Pastor Keck

TH E M U S TA R D S E E D

From Roots to Wings

$20,000.00

$70,000.00

$120,000.00

$170,000.00

$220,000.00

1 2 3 4

Total offering received to date

Pledges received

from pledge drive

$44,720.55

$218,745.00

Once again during the month of November we

will be accepting donations of scarves, mittens,

gloves, and hats for M.O.R.E. Bring your new

donation item to church to decorate the mitten

tree . Let s fill up the branches for those in

need in the Marengo area.

Thank you!

The Sunday School Staff

Page 3 V O L U M E X I I S S U E 1 1

As we came up on the exit from I-90 that would take us to our destination, everyone made one last phone call knowing that it would be three days before we have service again. We arrived in Mission, South Dakota on Sunday afternoon and as I unpacked, the questions started running through my head: What project are we in for this year? What is the weather going to be like? What cultural events are planned for us? How will this small group of volunteers get any work done? In less than six hours my questions were answered.

Monday dawned, bright and chilly for August. We walked the four blocks to the Tree of Life s main building to receive our assign-ments. Because we were the last full group scheduled and it was late in the summer, most of the large projects had already been completed. There were a few doors and windows to put in and Darrell Knisley, whom the staff remembered from prior years, was quickly snatched up for those. A roof needed to go on and Rick Marsala (also recognized by the staff) headed that team. Nicole and I took two of the youth to the fairgrounds to help get the area ready for the Rosebud fair. We were painting picnic tables and clearing weeds so the snakes wouldn t have any-where to hide

yup, the snakes! The rest of the group was divided into smaller tasks

passing out school kits, sorting clothing, stocking grocery shelves, or making hot lunch daily for the homeless.

Tuesday was an unexpectedly rewarding day for me. I worked with a small group (three total) handing out school kits to the children on the reservation. Sounds boring, right? That is what I thought at first. I had come here to work, to make a difference. Little did I know how big a difference I was making to see the excitement on these small children s faces was humbling. They were grateful, even giddy, to receive paper, pencils and erasers, things we take for granted as basics. It makes me realize just how lucky our chil-dren are. Two little ones even came back later with their mother to give us handwritten thank you notes they made thank you notes for the strangers who came in and gave them the basic supplies so they could go to school! I can t remember the last time I received, or

gave, a handwritten thank you note, but it felt great to be a part of something so sim-ple, yet so meaningful. I can t explain the look of joy on the face of a child entering kindergarten, getting his or her first pencil. It is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Another indescribable experience came Tuesday night. The cultural event was a sweat lodge. Sweat lodges are done for many reasons and are as spiritual to the Sioux as baptisms are to the Methodists. Only a few members of our group went to the lodge; a sweat lodge is not to be taken lightly and the youth were asked not to at-tend and some of the adults were too sun burnt to go; sorry, Nicole! Those who did go were in for a special time. The sweat was for a very personal reason and it is an experience I would be happy to share any-time you want to spend a few minutes with me. But there was more than that. After the very hot sweat, we were invited to a prayer ceremony. There were three medi-cine men present. One was actually a movie star! He was in the movie Dances with Wolves which was filmed in the area. The prayer ceremony was something that truly tested the depths of our faith and is not to be gone into lightly. I cannot even begin to describe it here, so I won t. But again, just ask and I will be happy to tell you about this experience..

Wednesday came Tourist Day! We had the day off to explore the area. Nicole and I took a couple of the Belvidere church mem-bers hiking in the Badlands. What a sight to see! We also made the requisite visit to Wall Drug for free ice water and stopped at the Wounded Knee Museum. The day ended with a highly competitive game of King s Corner in the garage.

Thursday morning we received a surprise

and the biggest challenge we had faced so far. We learned that there was a semi truck full of food being delivered to the Tree of Life Warm Welcome Center. Great! Oh, did I mention it was 22 pallets of frozen food! In mid-August we had to distribute thousands of pounds of frozen food in just two days. There is no walk-in freezer to

store any extras and even with our expert packer loading as much as she could in the freezers we did have available, we knew this food had to be distributed quickly before it was ruined.

Luckily, word spread quickly and by the time the truck had been unloaded there was a crowd already gathered. It was unreal to see the excitement in the faces of the families over items as basic as frozen pizza dough, smoked sausage, mozzarella sticks, and of course the ice cream was a fan favorite! Needless to say, the next day and a half went by in the blink of an eye

unless, of course, you ask the girls who were working on keeping that food moving out the door!

Before we knew what had happened, it was Friday afternoon

time to clean up and pack. But first, we had the unique opportunity to experience the Rosebud Fair and Pow Wow. There were people from as close as Mission and as far as Europe at this fair and we were honored to be able to experience it. It was a beautiful sight to behold as hundreds of dancers entered the arena (the snake-free arena, thanks to some hard work from our group) in full dress regalia. Words can hardly describe the colors! The dancers ranged from small children, barely walking, to the oldest tribal elders. It is something I will never forget; I will always be able to pull those pictures back into my mind.

Saturday morning came and we were up early to finish the cleaning and get the loose ends tied up. Then it was back on the long road home with our new friends and memo-ries to last a lifetime. As we drove home, before we were out of South Dakota, Nicole and I had already starting planning next year s trip

By Bob Rucker

Page 4

It s that time!! Start bringing in those packed shoe boxes to church. The first collection Sunday will be on No-vember 2nd. The last collection Sun-day will be on Sunday, November 16th. If you have not packed a box yet, there is still time. Information is available at church or online at marengo-umc.org. Happy packing!

DROP OFF INFORMATION FOR MUMC Sunday, November 2nd, 9th & 16th

or Monday through Friday,

November 3rd - 7th or

November 10th - 15th 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Our clothing resale was a great suc-cess. We made over $400! Many thanks to Jennifer Haas, Laura Jones, Amy Kramer, Dawn Snelgrove and Linda Jakubowski for all of their help with the sale. Also, sincere thanks to everyone who donated items. We had a lot of quality clothing, and every shopper was thrilled with the great selection and prices. Because the sale was so successful, we may do another in the spring. After that any

TH E M U S TA R D S E E D

Military chaplains have found an old way to invite soldiers in Iraq into a safe and informal place where they can receive spiritual care and good coffee. By offering a place to come and relax, the Coffee House and Café Ministries provide our military chaplains a place to establish rapport with and minister to the needs of our families and our friends our troops. In these safe spaces soldiers come to talk and develop perspective on their experiences in war. Our chaplains are a first line defense against the emotional and psychological is-sues faced by our troops.

Congregations and individuals can support the Coffee House Ministry and simultaneously participate in the Interfaith Coffee Program by sending Equal Exchange Coffee to the military chaplains in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Special thanks to First Congregational United Church of Christ in Wallingford, Connecticut for creating this ministry and supporting it in an ongoing way.

Whether or not we agree with our country s policy with regard to Iraq, we can offer our troops a cup of coffee and support through the ministry of our military chaplains.

If you are interested in supplying coffee for the troops, there are a couple of ways that you can do so. 1) You can just fill in the form located by the Equal Exchange coffee order canister, indicating the amount you wish to donate and include a check for that amount made out to Marengo United Methodist Church and in the memo write coffee for troops. Drop it in the canister. 2) You can donate directly through the internet. Instructions are available at the Equal Exchange Coffee display.

If you have any questions, please see or call Judy Andrews, 815-568-7746.

Last year s packed shoe boxes on their way to the collection center in November 2007.

remaining clothing will be donated to M.O.R.E. or Goodwill. We have a lot of spring and summer clothing left, so a spring sale should go over well. God s Blessings, Liz Fischer, PDO Director

Page 5 V O L U M E X I I S S U E 1 1

Hope you all enjoyed Settlers Days and the awesome weather. Here are the answers to the questions about Marengo's history that were asked in the October Mustard Seed:

1. Marengo's original name was Pleasant Grove so named in 1834. The named was changed to Marengo as an acknowledgement of Napoleon's battle. 2. Telephone service started in this area in 1895! 3. What happened to the Marengo railroad depot? It is now located at the McHenry County Museum in Union. 4. When did we get our first traffic light? In 1940 5. What was the movie theater originally? The Methodist church! 6. Where was the popcorn stand located? (I hope you can tell me!!?? -- I cannot remember the answer but believe it was at the corner of State and Prairie?!) 7. How many cheese factories were located around the Marengo area? 19+ 8. What women's group met in the basement of MUMC? The women of the KKK!!

Ladies, you are invited to a Christmas Tea on Tuesday, December 2nd, 7:30 p.m., in the Fellowship Hall. The Christmas Tea is almost a magical evening filled with music, conversation, and an inspirational message.

Tables will be set with linen tablecloths, beautiful centerpieces, and the fellow-ship hall will be illuminated by candlelight. We invite you to start off your holi-day season in this very relaxing, elegant, and inspir ing way. Betty Meinders will provide beautiful Christmas musical selections. Janet Cowan will be our speaker.

Tickets, at $6.00, will be available after Sunday, November 2nd from Clara Piper, or call Clara at 568-6891.

Drinking From the Saucer I've never made a fortune,

And I'll never make one now, But it really doesn't matter, 'Cause I'm happy anyhow. As I go along my journey

I'm reaping (much) better than I've sown. I'm drinking from the saucer, 'Cause my cup has

overflowed. I don't have a lot of riches,

And sometimes the going's rough. But while I've got friends to love me, I know I'm more than rich enough. I just thank God for the blessings

That His mercy has bestowed I'm drinking from the saucer,

'Cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me the strength and courage, When the way grows steep and rough,

I'll not ask for other blessings, I'm already blessed enough.

May I never be too busy to help Bear another's load.

Then I'll be drinking from the saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed.

"Let the peace of God rule in your hearts .... and be thankful."

-Colossians 3:15

Page 6

Cur t & Susan Simons 8

Al & J ackie Beebe 20

J ohn & Nancy Weber pal 21

Geor ge & Cat hr yn Kast en 26

Prayers for Health and Healing: Tom Anderson; Judy, Susan Gieseler s sister in law; Frank E. Gualillo of York-ville, NY, father of Frank D. Gualillo; Gayle Stevens, friend of the Dennisons; Jackie Roberts, Brenda Ferriera s Aunt; Emily Hill, friend of Betty Jacoby; Jan Crisman, Lynette Paradisos mother; Donna Oakes, Chris Oakes mother; LaVerne Ryman, Deb Oakes mother; Scott Kominowski, friend of the Hoffmans; Ron Carel, Rudy & Nell Grons son-in-law; Linda Resenbeck, Rudy& Nell Grons daughter; Sean Romine; Sydney Ives, friend of Bonnie Voller; Sheri Johnstone; Arthur Overhage, friend of Brenda Ferreira; Laurie Monti, Bonnie Voller s sis-ter; Ann Locovare; Don Duthron, friend of Audrey Anderson; Whitney & Taylor English, Brenda Ferreira s nieces; Abigail Mendoza, friend of the Skow family; Ryan Stevens; Gary Kawall; Fred & Barb Trask; Lois Howard, Connie and Steve Sandmans sister; Shirley Vaughan, friend of the Hoffman family; Ron Kadamus; Janet Swonguer s father, Ben Horton; Ryan Justen; Maurice Kimball; Helen Davis; Sharon & Bill Bankson

Prayers for Comfort and Support: Mary Pflueger on the death of her neighbor and friend Mary Ghastin; Family and Friends of Evalyn Thompson; Cindy Clavey; Family and Friends of Gladys Sandman; Isaiah Burnside, Pat Merritt s grandson going to Iraq; Family and Friends of Dorothy Muench; Steve Tradewell; Our Country s leaders; Military Men & Women and their families

Prayers for the Homebound: Katie Loomis

Prayers for those in Nursing/Rehab: Ann Locovare; Bev Parke; Norm Finnell; Robert Grass; Dale Jenne; Genelle Skeels; Margaret Pace; Mildred Walters

Ray Richar dson 1 Tina Kohon 2 Tom Mangano 4 Cody Koplin 5 Keane Par adiso 5 Er r ol Alden 6 Kevin Hillner 6 Pet er Per kins 6 J im Cowan 9 Bet t y Pace 13 Kim Rucker 13 Br enda Fer r eir a 15 St acy Skow 17 Philip Gieseler 18 Br ooklyn Elliot t 20 Rut h Br ooke 22 J oan Cowan 22 Kalee Skow 22 Samant ha Gust af son 23 Cour t ney Haas 24 Nell Gr on 24 Vicki Loudenbeck 24 Dennis Romine 24 Richar d Romine 26 St ephanie Voller 27 J an Per kins 28 Myles Ricker d 28 Nichole Par adiso 29 Ant hony Gaillor et o 29 J oseph Bour ke 30

TH E M U S TA R D S E E D

Our love and prayers are with the

family and friends of Evalyn

Thompson, who passed away on

October 2, 2008.

We appreciate your thoughtfulness

and prayers for the loss of our mother.

The family of Gladys Sandmann

Page 7 V O L U M E X I I S S U E 1 1

Sr . High Yout h Fellowship (gr ades 9 12) will be meet ing on Sunday evenings f r om 6:00-8:00 pm in t he Yout h Fellowship Room. Come lear n how t he Bible can help you t hr ough t hose t ough t een year s. Please cont act Debbie Oakes wit h any quest ions. (815-568-9778)

Sunday, December 7th

Mark your calendars now!!

Jr. and Sr. High Youth Pancake Breakfast will be held on

Sunday, December 7th

9:00 am 12:30 pm. All proceeds will go to support the youth pro-

grams/ retreats!!

The Jr. and Sr. High youth will be delivering Carol-Grams (Christmas Caroling) on December 13th and December 14th from 5:00-8:00 pm.

Forms to purchase a Carol-Gram to be sent to a special some-one in the Marengo-Union area will be available on starting on Sunday, November 30th in between services.

Program will be performed during the

10:15 am worship service on Sunday,

December 14th. Keep an eye on the

bulletin for more information on rehearsal

schedules.

O Savior , Where A r t Thou?

Page 8 TH E M U S TA R D S E E D

MUMC s Ruth Circle will once again be participating in the 17th annual Holiday Housewalk.

Saturday, December 6th 9:00-4:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 7th 10:00-4:00 p.m.

Make sure to stop by to find fun holiday gifts and décor.

The UMW has a 2009 yearbook prepared. Copies are available at the circle meetings and in the church UMW mail slot located near the washroom to the south of the sanctuary.

Plans are made for a rewarding 2009. There will be three general meetings with interesting programs in addition to the gatherings at Esther and Ruth Circles.

Don't forget Saturday and Sunday, December 6th and 7th, the annual craft bazaar prepared by Ruth Circle as participation in the Holiday Housewalk.

Ruth Circle will have a meeting November 13th at the home of Audrey Anderson. Esther Circle will not have a November Meeting, but will visit shut-ins during this month. If you have suggestions as to names for the shut-in list, please contact Betty Jacoby or Doris Mulasmajic.

Recently, I spoke with one of our church members about a book she was reading. She had checked it out of our library. She has not been a reader but was curious about the book. For those of you who may wonder .... it was the Left Behind series. This series is good reading.

Please continue to enjoy the free basket. (You can add anything you like, also.) And consider committing yourself to reading the Holy Bible in its entirety. I shared with you my commitment. To date, I have read 236 chap-ters. I am reading at a slow rate, but am committed to reaching my goal of reading the entire book. I am inspired by Betty Jacoby who recently completed the entire Bible. Way to go, Betty!! There are suggested reading schedules in the library.

We encourage you to contribute Bibles to the library. If you have a Bible in like-new condition, we will pass it on whenever the need arises. Some were contributed to Buras.

It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of the 2008 year. The last Sunday in De-cember (December 28th) will be the final time for contr ibutions to be credited to your contr ibution statement for tax purposes. Please contact me if you have questions regarding your contr ibutions for the year 2008 at 815-544-5963. Fi-nal contr ibution statements will be mailed. The actual running of the final statement will be December 31, 2008.

Thank you

Sally Hoesel

Page 9 V O L U M E X I I S S U E 1 1

Page 10 TH E M U S TA R D S E E D

This Bible study class is offered to young girls between the ages of Pre-K (4-5), Kindergarten, first and second grades. It is structured around the book God s Little Princess Devotional Bible by Sheila Walsh.

The class meets from 9:00-10:00 a.m. There is a $3.00 fee per child (to cover the cost of crafts). The girls will be learning about their destiny as a daughter of God and a true princess using the following features:

Down in My Heart: Promotes Scripture Memory Beauty Secrets: How to be beautiful on the inside Bible Princess: The women of the Bible who made a difference. My Hero: Scripture promises from God Take a Bow: Acting and role playing. I Adore You: Ways to worship and praise God Princess Charming: Manners, poise and charm (sharing, helpful, compas-sion Worthy of Love: Ways to love outside the immediate family Royal Truths: Basic values straight from the Bible.

We look forward to having your princess join us!! Any questions, please contact Sue Rowley at 815-568-7110 or Judy Andrews at 815-568-7746.

FYI: A new class will begin on January 10, 2009! You can continue on or start for the first time!

The L.I.F.E. Program Learning Intended For Everyone is our strategy for equip-ping our members with a growing, vital faith. L.I.F.E. seminar 301, Discovering My God-Given Potential, returns this month. It is open to members who have com-pleted L.I.F.E. 101 and 201 because these classes build on each other. In 101 you learn what it means to be a church member and commit (or recommit) your life to Christ. In 201 you learn the basic healthy spiritual habits that will keep you growing in your faith-walk. In L.I.F.E. 301 you discover the ministry that God has shaped you for. Every member of this church is here for a reason a God-given reason. L.I.F.E. 301 is where you discover that.

The purpose of the seminar is based on Ephesians 4:11-12: God has given pastors and teachers to prepare Gods people for works of ministry, so the body of Christ may be built up.

The two results from discovering the ministry God shaped you for are fruitfulness and fulfillment. When you discover what God made you to be and then you begin to do it, all sorts of wonderful things will begin to happen in your life. Your life is changed; other people s lives will be changed; all because your life is bearing fruit through your ministry. That s a blessing we want to discover and grow in all of our members!

If you are a graduate of L.I.F.E. 101 and 201, this is the next step in your spiri-tual development. Call the church office, talk to Pastor Keck, or e-mail the church at www.info@marengo-umc.org to sign up.

L.I.F.E. 301 will held be Sunday, November 23rd at 3:00 p.m.

The weather outside is going to be getting colder! How about welcoming in your family and friends with a nice cup of hot chocolate or a steaming cup of tea? Why not treat yourself on a cold fall eve-ning?

Equal Exchange has both available. Hot chocolate mix, just add hot water, a 12 oz. Can for $5.00. Teas are Organic Green and Organic English Break-fast in boxes of 25 bags for $2.50, and Organic Rooibos, a naturally caf-feine free tea, in a box of 25 bags for $2.75. You will find the order forms in the narthex by the Equal Exchange coffee canister. Our next order will go in on Sunday, November 23 and will be available to be picked up the following Sunday, November 30.

All teas, and cocoa purchases as well as the coffee, go to help the small-scale farmers in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the U.S. to build a better future for themselves and their families. Through the project, farmers earn a fair price for their products, have access to affordable credit, and gain a long-term trading partner they can trust, a Fair Trade Organization called Equal Exchange. In addition, for each pound of coffee, tea, or chocolate purchased by a United Methodist congregation through the project, Equal Exchange makes a contribution to UMCOR programs that support commu-nity-based cooperatives in coffee-growing regions. 100% of Equal Ex-change s coffee, tea and chocolate products are fairly traded.

Page 11

Sunday, November 2, 2008 All Saints Sunday

Louder than Words Dance Troupe

Sunday, November 9, 2008 Message

What About Tuesday

Sunday, November 16, 2008 Message: Receiving

Sunday, November 23, 2008 Message:

Giving

end of our 2008 pledge campaign

V O L U M E X I I S S U E 1 1

Sunday, November 30, 2008 Beginning new sermon series: THE GIFT

We all receive gifts from God. We are called to share those gifts with others, and as we give, we also receive. What we get in return may not be tangible

or immediate. It may be as simple as the good feeling of helping others and the sense of satisfaction we get from responding to the call of God. Ultimately, we receive a giving, generous spirit and the eternal reward of knowing that by using our gifts for good, we have honored God and proclaimed our faith. In so doing, we can sense God s joyful affirmation, Well done, good and faithful servant! (Matthew 25:21, NIV).

On September 28, Grateful Praise once again went on the road to raise money for the MUMC mission in Buras, Louisiana. An invitation from the pastor of Milledgeville United Methodist Church led to the praise team packing up all their equipment and instruments to lead worship there on that Sunday morning. By 6:30 a.m. the team was on the road so that everything could be set up, tuned and warmed up to start playing for worship at 10 a.m. It s always a great opportunity to meet new folks and share the message of God s love and grace through music, drama, and scripture. In most of our journeys, we find that we are bringing our contemporary style of worship to a congregation that has never experienced it before. The response in each case from people of all ages has been very enthusiastic. And they have demonstrated their appreciation by giving generously to help our partner church Trinity UMC in Buras. The Marengo mission team that is heading down to Buras to work on November 1 will take with them $325 from the very small Milledge-ville congregation for Pastor Gene and his church family. In April, Grateful Praise gave Pastor Gene $1,541 in love offerings from 4 churches that the praise team had served.

Besides earning money for mission, the road trips provide our team members great opportunities for fellowship, for growing our relationship with God and our commitment to serving God. We continue to find that we

are abundantly blessed as we work to be a blessing for other worshipers.

We are in need of people who can operate the computer during the second worship service,

especially when Grateful Praise is singing. It will take 15 minutes for basic training. The only other requirements are to commit to one or two Sundays per month and arrive by 9:50 am.

If you are intrigued by the use of the computer during worship and want to learn more, we would also welcome someone who is ready to learn more about setting up the worship service. Training will be provided to learn the basics and more!

We are learning that there is an occasional need for computer operators available during the weekdays to serve at funerals as more families are coming in with videos to show before and during the memorial service.

If you are interested in any of the above opportunities, send an e-mail or call Susan Gieseler (sgiesel@t6b.com 815-568-7502) or Debbie Oakes (deb.oakes@sbcglobal.net 815-568-9778) to set up a training time.

119 E. Washington Street

Marengo, IL 60152

Phone: 815-568-7162

Fax: 815-568-7163

E-mail: info@marengo-umc.org

We are on th e web!

Vis it u s at www.m aren go-u m c.org

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID MARENGO, ILLINOIS 60152

PERMIT #28

The poinsettia serves as a beautiful reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ. We would like to fill the sanctuary with poinsettias this Christmas. They will be in a 6 foil-wrapped pot. The cost for each plant will be $10.00.

Please submit your payment with your order, making checks payable to Marengo United Methodist Church and designate that it is for Poinsettias. You will be able to pick up your flowers any time after the 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service. You may also request that your poinsettia be delivered to a home-bound person.

Orders must be in the church office by Sunday, December 7th

Order forms will be available in the Sunday Worship Bulletins on November 30th and December 7th.

If you wish to send an order to the church please include:

Name of purchaser:_____________________________________ _____________________________

# of plants ordered: ______________ Amount Paid: $______________

If you wish to designate:

In Memory of ___(name)________________ In Honor of _____(name)_________________

[ ] I will pick up my plant

[ ] Please deliver my plant to a shut in