Happy Halloween, Maranatha friends!
What a treat we had as Dr. Mouzon Biggs taught us throughout the month of October! If you missed any of his lessons, you can hear them at http://www.bostonavenue.org/maranatha.html .
Great lessons continue through November, beginning this Sunday with Ted Hinson, author of Beyond the Blindness: My Story of Losing Sight and Living Life. In it, Ted shares how his faith helped him get through becoming blind at age 27 and the accidental death of his oldest son at age 22.
Paula Gradney-Garner will teach us on Novemer 11th, followed by Rev. EvaMarie Campbell on the 18th. We will enjoy a Thanksgiving brunch on the 25th, then our annual Advent series, taught by our own class members, will take place during December.
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome to our visitors – the Harps, Gayle Biggs, and Janice Bowman.
Happy birthday to Melanie Shepherd yesterday, the 30th. Happy anniversary to Julee and Jim Embrey as well!
Rick and Roger are still working to fill the slate of officers for next year. Only four positions remain open! They include president, vice president of missions, news email, and Caranatha chair. Please consider where you can serve.
Kendall Carpenter announced that we have another $5,000 to disburse, and the class voted to do that now. Ed Payton suggested the Cookson Mission, which is having financial difficulties, and he said our help could make a real difference. Kendall will bring a recommendation to class soon.
Karen Campbell announced that next year’s social committee has already met and set five dates for class parties. Details can be found at the end of this email.
Dave Grim asked for volunteers for our meal at Redemption Church at St. Luke’s UMC on November 25. Our Christmas party at Neighbor for Neighbor is set for December 6.
Thanks to Bruce Chucoski for leading us in prayer Sunday, and to Bill and Susan Thomas for our snacks. Janet Purinton will have our prayer this week, recognizing our Maranatha mission team that will depart Monday, and Pam Sherman (setup/guilty) and the Chucoskis (cleanup/healthy) will be our hosts.
Many of our class members signed up to participate in prayer vigil tomorrow, November 1, All Saint’s Day. Thanks to all!
Our B.A. Care Ministry still needs volunteers to visit one of our over-200 homebound Boston Avenue members, many of whom have no family to care about them. A SilverLink volunteer training will be held this Sunday afternoon, November 4. Please consider taking part in this vital ministry.
JOYS AND CONCERNS – Please keep these in your prayers:
Remember our Maranatha Mission team as they serve in Texas next week – and continue to remember our church.
Our prayers are with the families and Jewish faith family of those who lost their lives in the shooting in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh. (Rabbi Sherman and his wife grew up in that neighborhood,) Maranatha was well represented at Tulsa’s memorial service last night at Congregation B’nai Emunah.
Pam Sherman’s grandson has moved in with them.
Charlotte Rowe’s sister Sandra needs our prayers.
Glenna Arnott has a friend who is in the last stages or cancer.
Roger asked for prayer that someone step forward – he and Rick will not be presidents next year.
Jennifer Hall is still battling cancer.
UPCOMING MISSION OPPORTUNITIES:
November 5-9 – Maranatha Mission Team will work in the Houston area
November 25 – serve dinner at St. Luke’s Redemption Church
December 6 – Neighbor for Neighbor Christmas event
SOCIAL EVENTS:
For those who purchased this auction item at last year’s Christmas party, the barbecue dinner with the Gardners and Dale/McCanns will take place on November 9.
Our Maranatha Christmas Party and Auction will be held on December 14.
Below is information about next year’s socials. Thanks for all you mean to our class!
– Shari
From Karen Campbell, 2019 Social Committee Chair:
Here is the 2019 Maranatha Social Calendar! First, please mark your calendars and plan to attend all five. Socializing is a very important part of community. It’s a time to meet folks and be a part of each other’s lives. Ten minutes of gathering time on Sunday mornings isn’t the true connection point, it’s the starting point.
Second, when you are planning auction items, look at the other 47 weekends in the year. We are asking that the five weekends planned for everyone in Maranatha be set apart. We don’t want folks to have to choose between two Maranatha events when prioritizing their weekend time commitments.
We truly appreciate your support and look forward to a very fun year. Now, let’s all get to planning our auction items!
February 3 (Sunday) Super Bowl Party
April 6 (Saturday) Progressive Dinner
June 14 (Friday) Potluck Dinner & Trivia Event
August 16 (Friday) Diner Dinner & Movie – Hamburgers & Hot Dogs in the Diner & Movie in the Theater
November 8 (Saturday) Pizza Dinner & Bunco
Maranatha Class Website 