Newsletter

Hi Everyone!                                                            November 27, 2024
Happy Thanksgiving to you all! We had a little drama last Sunday. Danny Crego was filling in for our pastor who is on vacation in Arizona and he got a call five minutes before the service was to start.  A little boy in his charge had run away from home! Danny and Annie left in a hurry and we went into motion. Glenora stepped up to lead the service and Macy led the songs. The service went on without a hitch because that’s what we do! After the service many people stayed to “hang the greens” and our church looks beautiful. We are ready for the Christmas season. Thanks to everyone who helped. You are appreciated! I’m happy to report that the little boy was found!
It’s getting down to crunch time for the Winter Festival preparations. What can you do? Go through new or newish items that you no longer need and get them to church, invite your friends and family to attend the festival, eat dinner, bid on items and buy raffle tickets for the baskets, bake something yummy and get it to the church, come and enjoy the offerings and the fellowship. If you need help getting items to the church, give me a call and we’ll work it out.
Our Christmas Eve Candlelight service will be at 6:00 p.m. this year. Please plan to attend and bring your friends and family with you. Let’s fill the sanctuary!
If you know of anyone who isn’t cooking Thanksgiving but would like to enjoy traditional food, B&B’s Cruise In Café in downtown Payette will have a Friendsgiving Thanksgiving buffet on Thursday from 10-3. The price will be $10 for kids under 10 and $25 for anyone over 10.
We have some prayer requests this week. Please pray for anyone who is facing the holidays without a loved one for the first time. Reach out to them and let them know you are praying for them and include them if you can.
Marie Manser Dixon’s mom passed away last week. Please pray for Marie’s whole family.
The Fruitland Church of Christ burned this week. The little house next to it caught on fire from a space heater and it spread to the church. I have reached out to them asking if they need our help and I know that Fruitland UMC has done the same. Keep them in your prayers please. If we put us in their place, we know how devastating it would be.
Lyna Wilkins’ cousins Ken and Penny Beard are in need of prayer. Ken had a shoulder replacement and then got infection and had another surgery. Penny is taking care of him and is having some physical challenges of her own.
Brandon Baumler starts his new job this week with Idaho Power! He will begin with training. He is thankful for this new job. He also thanks us for our prayers with the passing of his grandfather including Brandon and the boys’ travel to and from Minnesota.
Leslie Olson asked us to pray for Brandon O’Brien. He had a successful liver transplant and the prayer is for the liver to thrive.  Also keep his wife Alisa in your prayers.
I’m reminding you to pray for Lillian, the mother-in-law of Gil who is one of our AA folks. She is in hospice care now and especially appreciates that we are praying for her.
Kathryn Gordon asks us to pray for a friend of hers who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
We have some people traveling during this week. Teresa Beer, her son Austin, his wife Jalani and their two babies are driving to Seattle on Sunday to attend Jalani’s mom Tricia’s funeral. Please pray for safe travels and for Tricia’s family in this time of loss for them.  Mike and Bonnie Hall drove to Eugene on Tuesday to spend Thanksgiving with their daughter Michelle (who was in my very first 1st grade class) and her family. Pray for a safe return trip.
By all accounts James and Pastor Mary Beth are having a wonderful time in Arizona. I see lots of pictures of them in shirt sleeves enjoying the warm weather. James saved me from afar this week. I had a computer problem and contacted him. Even from Arizona and on his vacation, he walked me through it and encouraged me that yes, I could do it. And I did! I love that guy!
Last Sunday, Pastor Mary Beth’s sermon was for Christ the King Sunday. She reminded us of this: Are we aligning ourselves with other kings or with Christ the King? We know what we should be doing. Amen.
Enjoy Thanksgiving!
Blessings,
Cris