Good Samaritan United Methodist Church of Edina

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Map with Directions
Worship, Fellowship, Sunday School, and Early Childhood Care
9:00 am and 10:30 am

Next Sunday, November 28, at Good Samaritan United Methodist Church

First Sunday of Advent
Worship Schedule: Services at 9:00 & 10:30 am in the Sanctuary Sermon "Enough: Simple Gifts: Freedom" by Dan Johnson Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5
Nursery for Infant-age 2 offered during both services.
Fellowship, coffee & lemonade after each service.

Looking Ahead: ADVENT FEST - November 28 CHRISTMAS PAGENT - Dinner and Pageant, December 12, 46 PM CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES - December 24, 4, 9, & 11 PM Family Service at 4:00 PM. Silent Movie Night. Intrigued? Stay tuned for a sneak peak, coming to a sanctuary near you (here, at Good Sam)!

Come and enjoy fun and fellowship for all ages as we prepare our hearts, homes, and church for the Advent and Christmas season. Well hear many sounds of the season as we celebrate the beginning of the Christian Church year. Why not download the attached PDF for a copy of all the events with times that have been planned.

The STEP (St. Louis Park Emergency Program) Giving Tree will be located in the lower level lobby of the church, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 17. To participate in this project simply remove a tag from the tree and return the unwrapped gift to the church by Friday, Dec. 10. Please follow cost guidelines so that more children can be served. Thank you for supporting this project.

At our Deck the Halls service (formerly known as Hanging of the Greens) on November 28, you are invited to bring an unwrapped gift to place under the tree for VEAP. VEAP is looking for: Toys for children age 03 and 912 years old Books for all ages Games for all ages Winter wear (hats, mittens, scarves & glovesespecially waterproof) for all age Gift cards for teens ($15 cards from local retailers such as Target, Best Buy, Mall of America, Walmart, etc.)

In an effort to be equitable, VEAP will only distribute items valuing $5 to $20.

VEAP anticipates 4,400 children who will need Christmas gifts this year. The holiday programs goal is to provide one toy ($10 to $20 value), one book, and two winter wear items per child and one game per household.

All items must be NEW and UNWRAPPED. VEAP cannot accept used items, toys containing candy, weapons, or household items.

This year's Christmas Pageant will be The Not-So-Silent-Night, by Marian and Richard Moreland. All children ages 36th grade are invited to be a part of it. The pageant will be on December 12 from 4:006:00 pm with dinner. There will be three rehearsal dates for the pageant that will be announced in the church bulletin. Please put those dates on your calendar. To get an email with all of the pageant information, email Heather at heather@good.org. If you have already emailed Heather, you are on the list!

What Is Enough? Good Samaritan Stories of Giving and receiving...

I have always felt so blessed to have been at the right place at the right time, to have been one of the Founders of Good Sam. I often think, Lucky me! That has been one of the most gratifying experiences for me. I always feel the most gratification when I can interact with people. The early days of the churchfirst it was the wonderful group of people that worked together getting Good Sam started. We had a group of around 30 people that always went to first service. It was like extended family. Some of our early efforts to live up to our nameAssisting Simpson, preparing meals, helping in other ways such as Vacation Bible School at Joyce, nursery school, Clinton Closet where we sold donated clothes in Clinton Grade School for a minimal amount to neighborhood people. Thats where I met Barb Johnson over 40 years ago; we volunteered on the same days. There was a young mother with a large family that helped us with the clothes. At Christmastime, I took my children with me and bought small gifts and treats for their family. I still get warm feelings when I run across the thank-you notes she wrote.

Having built our home at the same time the church was being built and just across the street, those first 20 years the church felt like a second home to me. We were known as the Keeper of the Keys. That first kitchen was very familiar to me. When it was Deane Postlethwaites turn to host his ecumenical pastors group, I cooked dinners for them.

Walt and I were blessed with many good years together. We both felt we kept a good balance in our lives. We had the opportunity to enjoy together the fruits of our hard work and also to share in the hopes of helping others. When the church made the call that emergencies had come up, it was always gratifying to know we could help.

When it comes to what Good Sam has meant to me in 50 years, its hard to put into a few words. I must have been just a kid when it started!

My prayers are with the congregation as we carry on our good work.

Wednesday, November 24, 7 PM
This year, Good Samaritan is joining with Edina Morningside United Church of Christ for a worship service in our sanctuary at 7 PM. Choirs from both churches will present inspiring music. Speakers from both churches will lead us in reflecting on the image of TABLE that brings us all together for:

Worship will include not only Holy Communion, but also refreshments as we gather in fellowship as a broader civic and faith community. In the midst of busy holiday preparations, take time out to give thanks to the Source of blessing.

Join Minnesota United Methodists and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America members at the Timberwolves NBA basketball game, Feb. 25, 2011. Five dollars from each ticket sold through the Minnesota UMC will benefit Imagine No Malaria, the UMC's comprehensive anti-malaria education and prevention campaign. There are three levels of ticket pricing. Download the ticket form from the Minnesota Conference UMC home pageat www.minnesotaumc.org.

You Can Now Fill Out An Electronic Financial Pledge To Good Samaritan

Thank you for considering a financial commitment to Good Samaritan UMC. If you would like to fill in a financial pledge to Good Samaritan UMC you can now do it electronically by Clicking Here! All information is confidential.

Parents of post-high school students: please send your students school mailing address to Jean Elliott at jean@good.org. The Sr. High Youth Group will be preparing their Fall Care Packages soon. Thank you!

Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity

Stress. Anxiety. Fear. These words capture well the state of mind of many of us in America today. We have witnessed dramatic market losses, the collapse of the worlds largest insurance company, and many bankruptcies, mergers, and foreclosures. Every day seems to bring another piece of economic uncertainty.

A recent survey found that over three in four Americans are stressed about the economy and their personal finances. Half were worried about providing for their familys basic needs. Over half of respondents reported feeling angry and irritable, and reported lying awake at night worried about this. The report concludes that, The declining state of the nations economy is taking a physical and emotional toll on people nationwide. (Madison Park, CNN.com, October 7, 2008)

Join us in worship beginning October 24 for a sermon series entitled Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity. Our nation is experiencing what many have described as the American Nightmare. Increasing consumer debt, declines in savings, lower income growth, and a volatile stock market are all a part of our economic insecurity. We have lived in a society that tells us you deserve it now, whether or not we can afford it or really even need it.

All of us have struggled with these issues at one time or another. They are important issues that we cannot ignore. This is why, over the next month, we will be having a church-wide study and worship emphasis called Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity. During this time we will explore what the Bible teaches us about financial management through Sunday worship (9:00 and 10:30 AM), small-group dialogue (11:30 AM12:30 PM, Sundays), and/or individual study (books are available for purchase or library check out). Well hear expert advice and stories about what others have learned by working through financial challenges. Each week we will provide you with some practical tools you can use to assess your financial situation and develop a financial plan with a biblical foundation.

At the conclusion of the emphasis, we will have the opportunity to make personal commitments of our offerings to God through our church in the coming year. We will consecrate these commitments in the worship service on Sunday, November 21. Join us in the coming weeks as we look at how we can manage our finances and allocate resources in ways that truly reflect our personal values. Together may we experience simplicity, generosity, and joy.

Through Simplicity and Generosity$10 Contribution Requested