Weekly Announcements
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The Illinois South Conference is hosting a youth event at DuBois Center for youth in 6th-12th grade. Pastor Christy and Cora will be going on Saturday, January 18th, and we’d love to have our youth come along, too!
When: Saturday from 10am-7pm
What: Youth Event focusing on living out loud and putting our faith into action.
Cost: $50 and Horse Riding is available for $25
Please let Pastor Christy know if any youth or adult chaperones are interested in participating.
HYBRID SUNDAY SERVICES are at 9:30 AM
You can continue to join us through our regular zoom link
1) Click this direct link:
– https://zoom.us/j/8436488110?pwd=MHZDVVV6WjFvT1ZWcCtzaWdnSHFoZz09
(password is embedded.)
***Or***
2) Enter both the Meeting ID and the Password in your zoom app or on the zoom.us website
Meeting ID: 843 648 8110
Password: 62293 (Trenton’s zip code)
To call in with phone audio only, call 1-312-626-6799
and then the meeting ID: 8436488110 followed by the pound sign.
Password, if needed, will be: 62293.
(If you know of someone who would like to join us,
please pass this information on to them.)
ADVENT FUND DRIVE FOR THE SNACK PACK PROGRAM:
This Advent Season, you are invited, once again, to help us feed the children of Clinton County by giving to our fund drive for the Clinton County Snack Pack program, which is run by our sister in Christ, and member of St. John UCC, Jenn Thompson. Her ministry helps to feed 197 children in Clinton County schools each weekend during the school year. These children receive free or reduced-price lunches through school during the week but are left without resources on the weekend. To help fill this hunger gap, the Snack Pack Program steps in and delivers shelf stable food that is either fully ready to eat or is simple enough for kids to prepare.
This vital ministry is not inexpensive. It costs $17 each month to feed one child on the weekends, so it costs $170 to feed one child for the whole school year. Total cost for the current students for this school year is $33,490.
To help meet this need, St. John UCC is setting a goal to raise enough funds to sponsor 10 children (plus) for an entire school year. Last year we exceeded our goal so this year we have set a new goal to raise $2,000 for the Snack Pack Program.
To keep track of our progress, we have a poster in the sanctuary of a cabinet. Each week we are placing a picture of a food item in the cabinet for every $20 dollars we’ve raised.
Our goal is to have 100 pictures of food items
in the cabinet by Christmas Day.
We have our special gift box next to our normal offering plate to receive your donations for this Fund Drive. Please make any checks out to St. John UCC and write Snack Pack in the memo line.
Together, we have the ability, the faith, and the heart to make a huge difference in the lives of 10+ children – God’s children – in our community. I’m excited to see how we rise to this challenge and meet our goal together!
CHRISTMAS FUND:
Thanks to the generosity of UCC givers, last year the Christmas Fund provided over $1.9 million in pension and health benefits, emergency grants, and thank-you checks to retired church servants and their families. Every gift came from people like you. This year, please give what you can to continue supporting those who’ve devoted their lives to serving others.
The Christmas Fund has been caring for active and retired clergy and lay employees of the United Church of Christ for over 100 years, providing emergency grants, supplementation of small annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “Thank You” gift checks each December to our lower-income retirees. Please consider a donation to this fund. We will be accepting donations on Sunday, December 22nd.
5TH SUNDAY OFFERING:
We will be collecting for Our Church’s Wider Mission on Sunday, January 29th. Donation envelopes will be in the narthex. Donations are also accepted on our website. OCWM funds the work the United Church of Christ does in its Associations and Conferences (such as our very own Illinois South Conference) and in the national and global church. OCWM funds are invested in programs, resources, and tools needed to keep local UCC churches strong, effective, and growing. Programs and resources such as Wider Church Ministries, Local Church Ministries, Justice and Witness Ministries, General Ministries, and Pension Boards.
GREEN BEAN PANTRY DONATIONS:
Donations for the Green Bean Pantry will be taken to West Gate on the 1st Wednesday of the month by Pastor Christy. The Pantry box is in the narthex under the quilt rack. We appreciate your donations for those in our community. Next date will be January 8th as the 1st is a holiday.
TRIP TO KINDERCOTTAGE:
The request for pajamas for Kindercottage was met with great enthusiasm and the response was terrific. John Zeller delivered 89 pairs of pajamas in all the right sizes on Tuesday. The director of Kindercottage asked for the delivery a day earlier than scheduled because the children were entertaining their parents with a Christmas pageant on Wednesday. This gave the staff an afternoon to sort and display the pajamas so parents could choose something appropriate for their kids on pageant day. Pajamas not chosen that day go in the clothing pantry Kindercottage runs for needy children. There were some school supplies sent along and Elaine and Pehg sorted through little boys’ clothing delivered for the rummage sale to fill an emergency request for winter clothing for Kindercottage. The Boardroom at Kindercottage was filled with items donated to make the children’s Christmas all it should be including food for families in need. Thank you for your response to kids at Christmas time.
ONLINE DONATIONS:
Go to our website at stjohnucctrenton.org to donate to a variety of funds or set up monthly or weekly donations.
General Fund
Building Fund
Memorial Fund
OCWM
One Great Hour of Sharing
Strengthen the Church
Neighbors in Need
Christmas Fund
If you have any questions or have problems setting up a donation,
please call Bev Adams at 224-9828.
COFFEE HOUR SIGN UP SHEET:
A sign-up sheet is out on the table in the narthex with a listing of Sunday dates for coffee hour hosts. Please sign up if you would like to bring goodies for fellowship after service.
COOKIES FOR SHUT-INS:
On Tuesday, Lonna, Billie, Pastor Christy, Kim, and Pehg packed up thirty packages of cookies to deliver to members of our congregation as a reminder that they are in our thoughts this Christmas Season. Thank you to everyone who sent cookies for the event. All cookies were personally delivered by the ladies.
GREETING CARDS:
Greeting cards are in the vestibule to be signed. The Sonshine Ministry appreciates your help in keeping connected with members.
APPLESAUCE:
We still have applesauce for $5 a pint and $10 a quart. You may put your payment in the offering plate or even use our Venmo QR code in the bulletin. Please make sure you put “Applesauce” in the memo line for a check and Venmo or on the envelope for cash.
PLEASE NOTE:
The vestibule is open on Tuesdays for Kindercottage donations only. We are not ready to accept any rummage sale donations at this time so we ask that you hold onto your items for awhile until we get the next rummage sale organized. We appreciate your understanding on this matter.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE:
Join us on Tuesday, December 24th at 7:00 PM for our traditional candlelit Christmas Eve service. During Advent we are traveling to different places where events happened along the way to the birth of Christ. For Christmas Eve we will very appropriately be traveling to “The Manger: A Place of Care” and we will be lighting the Christ Candle. We hope you will find this service meaningful and spiritual as we welcome Christ anew into our lives.
This is our last week of school for 2024!! We are so excited that Christmas break is almost here. Something seems to be in the air as we try to concentrate on our work. Pastor Christy read “‘Twas the Evening of Christmas” and students then shared what they hope to receive from Santa. Activities this week were wrapping the Christmas gifts that were made, and completing some learning activities with counting and letters. The next two days are pj/movie days where students get to bring in a blanket and stuffed animal. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We’ll be back on January 3rd!
If you would want to go to our Facebook page you will see students working on projects, having free play, going outside (weather permitting) and learning, learning, learning.
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Pastor: Rev. Christy Smith
Music: Bonnie Arentsen
Greeter: Council Member
Coffee Hour: Pehg Zeller
Council Member on Duty: Elaine Hoffmann & Hank Henderson
Sunday, December 29, 2024
Pastor: Rev. Christy Smith
Music: Dr. Phil Wilhelm
Greeter: Council Member
Coffee Hour: Open
Council Member on Duty: Elaine Hoffmann & Hank Henderson
Pastor Christy will be in the office Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM and is also available for appointments. Contact her through her cell phone at
618-973-3040. Her email is PastorChristy1011@gmail.com.
Contact Beverly Adams, the church office administrator will usually be in the office
from 9 AM to 3 PM, Monday through Friday, but her schedule may vary so contact her at stjohntrenton@gmail.com or call 224-9828 to leave a message.