THE SEED NEWSLETTER

November 19, 2023

COMING SOON!   Journey to Bethlehem - December 23rd (6pm - 8pm)

Before you know it... Christmas will be here!  Most of us think about gifts, family fun, decorating trees, and so on... but there is another side to this miraculous story.  On December 23rd, come on a journey with us and experience what happened along the way to Bethlehem. (Reservations for your Journey to Bethlehem are encouraged.  We will have more information on how to reserve a spot in early December.)

Although Mary & Joseph could not find any room in the Inn, we have plenty of room on our list for volunteers!  Please start thinking about how you might want to help out on this journey... 

If you are willing to volunteer, please sign-up using this link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044AA8AD2DA7F58-46102105-journey

We need assistance on these dates: 

November 26 (2-6pm) - To pull items from storage areas to get ready for set-up;  

December 2nd (8am-Noon) To set-up the Bethlehem Marketplace;

December 23rd (Noon - 4pm) To set up the rest of the stations;

December 23rd (5 - 8pm) To have actors ready to perform in the Journey to Bethlehem;

December 23rd (8-10pm), To take down everything but the Marketplace;

January 7th (1-6pm) To take down and store the Bethlehem Marketplace.

Please use the Sign-up Genius link above to volunteer for any of these volunteer positions!

Need more information? Please contact the coordinators below:

Amy Luking : amyschweitzerluking@gmail.com 

Matthew and Cathy Bloedorn at matthewbloedorn@gmail.com and catherine.bloedorn@gmail.com

First Sunday Fiesta...  Christmas Party!

We will be holding our monthly First Sunday Fiesta for children and youth on December 3rd!  We invite you to leave your kids at church and go out for a quiet lunch.  Pastor John, Pastor Katie, and some lovely volunteers will help to make the Christmas Party meaningful and FUN!   The First Sunday Fiesta Christmas Party will last until 2pm.

Intergenerational Godly Play Sessions

Join us for some quality family & friends time!  Parents, grandparents, friends, and kids will experience Advent together this year in Godly Play.  The sessions will be held on Sundays throughout the month of December at 9:15am in the Chapel Room.  Join us as we learn and grow together!

Women's Group:  It's Time for College Care Packages!

We would love to have your help! Let's encourage our college students to study hard but also find some time here and there to relax.  The Christian Temple College Care Package can surely lift the spirits of our hard working students!

Here is how you can help out:

1. We need to know who the college students are this year! Please call or email Robin in the office (office@christiantemple.org or 410-747-2041) and let her know where your college student will be the first 2 weeks of December as we hope to mail them out on November 30th. 

2. We need STUFF to put in the boxes! Homemade goodies, toys and trinkets, candy of all kind, hot chocolate packets, popcorn packets, etc...There will be a box in the Gathering this Sunday. You can drop stuff off when you come to worship or anytime before November 26th.

3. We can also use donations to help pay for shipping.

4. We will be stuffing the boxes on Monday, November 27th!  We will start around 7pm and have a quick Christmas story to share when we are finished.  Please join us!

This is a fun and meaningful way for us to tell our college students we support them and love them!  Can you help us out? 

Operation Warm - Final Call

Announcing the final call for donations for brand new winter coats to the Title 1 Elementary School (Duckett Lane). We are very close to hitting our 100 coat target!

Mail your donation to:

Operation Warm, Inc.

cc: Christian Temple Fund

P.O. Box 822431

Philadelphia, PA. 19182-2431

Donations:

$23.00: Provides a single winter coat for a child and

$115.00: Supplies 5 winter coats to keep multiple children warm this winter.

In closing, your gift will give their parents one less stress about being able to afford warm clothing. Thank you! ~Doug Brice

Nominations, Anyone?

The Nominating Committee will soon begin work to nominate members of the congregation for leadership positions for the church year that begins in July 2024. The committee gives its recommendations to the Christian Temple Board for consideration at the January 2024 Board meeting. These positions include Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Historian, Elder, Deacon, and Steward. If you are interested in any of these positions or would like to provide a name of someone you would like the committee to consider for one of these positions, please let one of the committee members know by November12. Feel free to call, email or talk to a committee member at church:

• Kathy Gobbel, Chairperson: 410-715-0323, kgobbel@comcast.net
• Donna Goon: 410-2072938, donna.goon@gmail.com
• Amy Luking: 410-419-9182, amyschweitzerluking@gmail.com
• Betty Moore: 410-314-9746, wbmoore@verizon.net
• Jean O’Donnell: 410-448-5952, jeanodonnell66@hotmail.com